A Woman of Influence (3 page)
Read A Woman of Influence Online
Authors: Rebecca Ann Collins
Their luggage had been stowed in the carriage that stood waiting at the front door, and without further delay, Jonathan helped Becky in, and they were on the road to Netherfield.
Unlike their journey on the railway, this time their close proximity to one another in the carriage made some level of conversation inevitable. Becky was glad of the presence of her maid, seated beside her, assuming this would limit the topics upon which they might converse. But Jonathan Bingley appeared not to be aware of any awkwardness, nor did he seem at all inhibited by Nelly's presence, and he made conversation quite naturally as they travelled. When they stopped briefly at Barnet to water the horses and take some refreshment, he was particular to ask after their comfort and ensure that Becky and her maid were looked after appropriately, and as they journeyed on, their conversation turned mostly to Becky's new home in Kent.
Following the sudden death in America of her husband, Mr Anthony Tate, Becky had sold the house he had left her in London in order to purchase outright the property Edgewater, which she had leased the previous year.
Both Jonathan and Mr Darcy had pronounced it to be an excellent investment at the time, which accounted for his astonishment when Becky revealed that her son Walter and his wife had been of the opposite opinion and had tried quite assiduously to dissuade her from proceeding with the purchase. But Becky had determined her course of action and had said so.
"I did not intend to let Walter or his wife, who has no interest whatsoever in my existence, to influence me on a matter that was of vital importance to myself alone. I had settled upon it; indeed it was the first time in my life that I had had the opportunity to make such a decision, primarily because I wished it and not in consideration of the wishes of any other person," she said in a determined way that left Jonathan in no doubt of her feelings.
Somewhat surprised, he said, "I am truly astonished to hear you say that, Becky. I would have thought, indeed I have always believed, that you, above anyone else I know, had made every choice in your life because you wished it to be so. At no stage would I have considered that you could be easily swayed by a contrary opinion or were likely to change your plans to suit another's purpose.
"Why, Anna and I have always spoken with the greatest admiration of your independence; we have regarded you as a woman of considerable influence, who used that position to achieve much for others. Your most valuable work in the community, helping the poor, educating young women, providing for the sick and aged--in all these things as well as the active political campaigns in which you and Mr Tate were involved--I cannot accept that in all these matters, your decisions were not always your own.
"I saw no evidence to the contrary and had no doubt whatsoever that your actions were the consequence of your own judgment and determination."
He seemed confused, almost troubled, and Becky tried to make light of it.
"Ah," she said, in a voice that suggested he ought not be too concerned, "that must surely be because I am so very good at concealment, by not letting you or anyone else see the truth about myself. I have not always been such an independent woman, Jonathan, but I am quite determined to be one now."
Jonathan shook his head. "I should not think so at all. Concealment is surely not your way, Becky. Indeed, you are renowned for your openness and frankness. No, if what you say is true, then I must plead guilty to poor judgment myself. I would have said that your sister Catherine, Mrs Burnett, was more likely to be persuaded by others to adopt a particular course than you are. But I am happy that on the matter of Edgewater, at least, you have stood your ground and followed your heart," he said approvingly.
Becky's face coloured with embarrassment; his words had been too close to the truth for comfort, but she would not betray herself.
"Indeed I have," she said brightly, "my mind was quite made up. I fell in love with Edgewater--it is exactly where I wish to live and work for the rest of my life--and now I have no one else to please, I need only please myself."
Jonathan left her in no doubt of his opinion. "That is unarguable, Becky; indeed, you are completely justified in doing so, and I for one would support your decision totally."
Becky was delighted to have his approval and said as much. The displeasure of her son, whose annoyance at being deprived of the convenience of using his late father's town house in London lay at the root of his objections, paled into insignificance beside her immense satisfaction at Jonathan's words.
Like her mother, Charlotte Collins, Becky had always trusted Jonathan Bingley's judgment in many things. It was no different on this occasion, except she was absolutely determined that he would never discover that it was her youthful affection for him that had been the source of her trust.
Nothing had happened since to shake her belief in him. Yet that must remain forever her secret, for Jonathan Bingley had married first her younger sister Amelia-Jane and then, following her tragic death, their accomplished and beautiful cousin Anna Faulkner, with whom he had fallen deeply in love.
He must never learn of her own youthful, unrequited feelings.
They reached Netherfield sometime after midday and were met by Anna Bingley, who greeted Becky warmly before taking her upstairs to Catherine.
As the sisters embraced, they wept.
End of Prologue
A WOMAN OF INFLUENCE
Part One
Chapter One
Returning to Kent after the funeral, Becky and her maid travelled with her sister Catherine and her husband, Frank Burnett.
Mr Burnett was a very capable man; he had organised and arranged everything about their journey to the last detail, thereby leaving Catherine and Becky with ample time on their hands, time they used to talk about everything and anything that related to their dear mother.
It afforded Becky the opportunity for intimate conversations with her sister, to whom she had grown especially close in recent years. Still troubled by feelings of guilt, she wished to ascertain if Catherine regarded her conduct preceding her mother's death as contrary or selfish. There had been little time and less opportunity to do so at Netherfield and Longbourn before and after the funeral, what with the innumerable friends, relatives, and pupils who had gathered to farewell Mrs Charlotte Collins.
Becky was anxious to discover her sister's opinion. It would not have surprised her if Catherine, always exemplary and proper in her ways, had expressed some disappointment at her decision to remain at Edgewater.
But Catherine had no such criticism to make of her sister. Happy in her own marriage to Frank Burnett and well aware of the pain Becky had endured, Catherine had understood her need to make a place of her own where she could find the contentment that had eluded her for many years.
Edgewater had provided her with just such a place, and Becky had wished to have the work of restoration and landscaping done right. Catherine had been disappointed but not surprised when her sister had changed her mind and decided not to join them on their visit to Hertfordshire.
Still, Becky's sense of guilt had not abated, and Catherine tried hard to convince her sister that it was not justified.
"Dearest Becky, why do you reproach yourself needlessly?" she asked, remonstrating as Becky confessed to feeling cold and callous.
"No doubt you will feel some sorrow at having missed the opportunity to see Mama; you would not be human if you did not. But believe me, my dear sister, Mama was not angry--disappointed a little, perhaps, but she hoped as we did that you would visit at Easter, after the work at Edgewater was completed. She did not know and you could not have known what was to come; it was very sudden," she said.
Becky persisted, "Did you not consider my action selfish and unfeeling? I should not have blamed you if you had."
Catherine was adamant. "Most certainly not, Becky; neither I nor Mr Burnett ever thought such a thing. I have not said this to you or anyone else before, but I know, my dear, what pain you have been through since Mr Tate moved to live in America."
Becky's eyes filled with tears as Catherine continued.
"It was a hard, unfeeling thing to do to you, after all those years of loyalty and hard work, when you had taken up every cause he championed and given so much of your time to furthering his ambitions. I do not mean to speak ill of your late husband, Becky, but I must admit that I have rarely seen such thoughtless conduct and nothing you have done can be considered in a similar light. I know you loved Mama and would have been with her more often, had not your life been seriously disrupted by Mr Tate's self-indulgent behaviour. I will not hear any criticism of you on that score, nor should you fear it."
Becky held tight to her sister's hand, but she could not hold back her tears.
As they journeyed back to Kent, she recovered some of her composure, and she owed most of that to the kindness and compassion of her sister.
Nevertheless, Becky could not help experiencing a twinge of regret that she had said nothing to Catherine about the true circumstances of her marriage to Anthony Tate. It was neither the time nor the place for revelations, but Becky had decided she would seek out an occasion when, in confidence, she could tell Catherine the truth she had hitherto revealed to no one else.
***
With the onset of Spring and preparations for the new term at the parish school, the opportunity did not arise for quite some time. Catherine was kept busy with her own domestic concerns as well as the many new pupils admitted to the school, necessitating the appointment of a new teacher. With the help of her sister, the guidance of her husband, and the enthusiastic support of the parish priest, Mr Jamison, Catherine had taken the little parish school at Hunsford from an unlikely dream to a happy reality. Now boasting more than twenty-five pupils from the parishes of Hunsford and Lower Apsley, it was her proudest achievement.
Becky's acquisition of Edgewater had made the entire project much simpler by solving the problem of an access road, which had threatened to cause trouble for them. Her generous donations of furniture and time-- volunteering to keep the books for the school and assist it with funds--had earned her sister's gratitude.
As they had worked together, both women were inevitably drawn closer, and it was no surprise that they were even more inclined to exchange confidences than before.
Catherine's were mostly about her marriage to Frank Burnett, confirming in her present happiness what she had felt in her heart to be true. Yet, knowing her sister's unhappy situation, with widowhood following upon a quite inexplicable and humiliating separation initiated by her husband, Catherine was inclined to be somewhat restrained in her expressions of marital felicity.
Becky had for many years refrained from making any criticism of her late husband; indeed she had frequently defended him from accusations of selfishness by her mother or any other member of the family. She had always claimed that he had denied her nothing in their marriage and had been exceedingly generous to her in the settlement he had made on separation.
It was therefore a matter of some astonishment to Catherine when, on a quiet Spring afternoon, with the school closed for the day, she had traversed the woods between Rosings and Edgewater, crossed the park, and entered the house by a side entrance to find her sister in tears. Seated in a private parlour looking out over the lake, Becky appeared distressed as she held in her hands a letter, recently delivered.
As Catherine entered the room, she rose, apparently discomposed, and walked about in a rather agitated manner. Inviting her sister to take tea with her, Becky revealed that the letter she had received had come from Jonathan Bingley. With it were enclosed documents from Mr Sharpe, her late husband's solicitor.
Catherine was puzzled; it was several months since they had received the news of Mr Tate's sudden death in New York. She could not understand why, after all this time, Mr Sharpe was writing to Jonathan Bingley and how this would affect Becky.
Surely
, she wondered,
there cannot have been an error in the will?
, she wondered,
there cannot have been an error in the will?
That would have been disastrous for Becky, who had been informed that she was the sole beneficiary of her husband's American estate.
When Becky handed her the letter and documents, Catherine seated herself beside the window to peruse them in better light.
Jonathan's letter was brief and clear; stating that he was writing because he had received a significant communication from Mr Sharpe, which he enclosed for her information and wished to consult her on the unusual arrangements proposed therein.
Having first apologised for any pain this might cause in re-opening matters pertaining to the death of her husband, he continued:
While I have always respected the late Mr Tate's business acumen and admired
his political influence, I would never consider myself his equal in either of these
fields. I was therefore surprised when Mr Sharpe wrote to me detailing Mr
Tate's proposal that I be the principal trustee of his American estate.
Furthermore, he has expressed a wish that the income accruing be used
to provide financial assistance to any project or charity in which you may
wish to invest, so long as it is, in my judgment, a reasonable one.
You will agree that this places upon me a very grave responsibility, and
I am anxious to discover your opinion before I agree to Mr Sharpe's propo
sition. I have spoken only to my wife, Anna, about this matter and will say
nothing to any other person until I have your permission to do so.
If you have no objection to my involvement in what must seem to
you to be matters of interest primarily to yourself, I should be honoured
to assist you in the way proposed by your late husband and shall write to
Mr Sharpe accordingly.
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