Part 9 (1/2)
When he received no reply, Darcy turned. Mr. Knightley stared up the lane in the opposite direction, his attention commanded by a vehicle just entering the village.
A peddler's cart.
Twelve.
Emma was not required, by any subsequent discovery, to retract her ill opinion of Mrs. Elton . . . -self-important, presuming, familiar, ignorant, and ill-bred. She had a little beauty and a little accomplishment, but so little judgment that she thought herself coming with superior knowledge of the world, to enliven and improve a country neighbourhood.
-Emma Did I not mention the bird?”
Emma stifled an exasperated huff. ”No, Harriet, you did not.” And now the imminent entrance of a visitor threatened to curtail discussion of the one point of information that might prove useful to Mrs. Darcy.
”It was a great black thing-a crow or a raven or something like that. It swooped in just as the children swarmed around me, then circled above. Heavens, its caw was worse than their begging.”
”Were they not frightened by it?” Mrs. Darcy asked.
”They paid it no mind at all, just kept pestering me.” Harriet opened the door. ”Oh, Mrs. Elton! Mr. Elton! I hardly expected-what an honor, for you to call! Why, I believe this is the first time I have had the pleasure of a visit from you.”
Emma stiffened. The Eltons took advantage of every opportunity to snub Harriet. Depend upon it, this social call had an ulterior purpose, and Emma had little doubt as to its nature. They were come to gossip.
About her.
More specifically, about her deadly dinner party. It had truly been too much to hope that word of it had not spread throughout the village like wildfire. And of course the Eltons could be counted upon to fan the flames. If they were calling at Abbey Mill Farm, doubtless they had already circulated the news among those few of Highbury's better families that had not been personally present to witness the debacle.
Emma glanced at Mrs. Darcy, who studied her with interest. Emma realized that her countenance had momentarily betrayed her dislike of the new arrivals. ”Mr. Elton is our parish vicar,” she said simply. Mrs. Darcy impressed Emma as an astute woman. A few minutes in the Eltons' company would reveal every essential about the couple.
”It is indeed our first visit to you as Mrs. Robert Martin,” Mrs. Elton said. ”I just realized this morning that we had not yet acknowledged your new situation-our parish duties keep us so occupied that I declare I do not know where the time goes! But I told Mr. E. that we must correct the oversight immediately, and so here we are.”
She shouldered her way past Harriet and into the sitting room, where she was surprised to discover Emma. ”Mrs. Knightley! I daresay you are the last person I expected to find paying social calls today. I should think the events of last night would continue to absorb your attention.”
Emma could not imagine why, when they were absorbing enough of Mrs. Elton's for them both. ”There is little more to be done for Mr. Churchill, beyond treating his pa.s.sing with respect.”
Harriet, who had closed the door and now stood behind the Eltons, regarded them all with wide eyes. ” 'Mr. Churchill's pa.s.sing'? Has something happened to Frank Churchill?”
”To his uncle,” Emma said before either of the Eltons could leap in with their version of events. ”Edgar Churchill took ill and died last night. It is all very sad for Frank, certainly, but we can rejoice in the fact that Mr. Churchill lived long enough to celebrate his nephew's marriage.” She hoped that would put an end to the subject.
Mrs. Elton pushed aside a pair of pillows to seat herself on the sofa. A pat on the s.p.a.ce beside her commanded her husband to sit. Only the width of the small table now separated Emma from the couple, a proximity she found unpleasantly intimate.
”It was shocking to witness his violent death throes right in the middle of dinner,” Mrs. Elton said. ”Has Perry yet determined what made him so ill?”
Emma had no intention of offering information to feed Mrs. Elton's appet.i.te for scandal. She left the question unanswered and instead introduced the couple to Mrs. Darcy.
”Mr. Knightley and Mr. Darcy are acquainted through the Earl of Chatfield,” she added. Let Mrs. Elton, with her Maple Grove and its barouche-landau, ruminate on that.
Mr. Elton appeared impressed. ”Did you attend the Donwell dinner party?” he asked Mrs. Darcy. ”I do not recall having seen you last night.”
”My husband and I arrived late to Donwell Abbey.”
”That is too bad,” Mrs. Elton said. ”It was a nice little affair while it lasted. Almost equal to the soirees I have attended at Maple Grove. Everybody in Highbury is talking about it.”
Of that, Emma had no doubt.
Mrs. Elton looked about the room with a critical eye. ”What a charming little house you have. Exceedingly cozy.” Her gaze fell upon the paper Emma had left on the table. ”What is this?”
”A charade.” Harriet moved forward to rescue it.
”Oh-do such games still amuse you? Since my own marriage, I have not time for such trifles.” She took up the page before Harriet reached it. ”Mr. E., no doubt you can solve this, for it begins, 'A place of wors.h.i.+p . . . '” She read the remaining lines aloud. ”Well, that is just delightful, Harriet. I suppose it must have occupied Mrs. Knightley and Mrs. Darcy for some time.”
”Actually, Mrs. Knightley guessed it immediately,” said Harriet, ”and Mrs. Darcy soon after.”
”Indeed? And what is the solution? I would work it out myself, but I do not want to miss a moment's conversation while I study it.”
”My dear, it is Abbey Mill Farm,” Mr. Elton said.
”Oh-Well, I suppose it is. How clever. Clever in its simplicity.” She cast the paper aside. Harriet stared at it a minute, looking very much as if she wanted to s.n.a.t.c.h it up from the table and spare it from any further notice by Mrs. Elton. But Mrs. Elton appearing to have done with it, Harriet simply found a seat and perched on its edge.
”I am so glad, Harriet, that you are able to intersperse diversions with your new duties as a wife. Of course, my own obligations as the vicar's helpmeet consume so many of my hours.-Not that I am complaining, mind you. It is work I do quite willingly. As, I am sure, do you. You must be very happy in your new establishment.”
Harriet began to reply, but Mrs. Elton's interest in her happiness did not extend so far as wanting to hear any a.s.surance of it. Before Harriet had uttered two words, Mrs. Elton brought the discussion back to her favorite subject-herself.
”On our way here, we called upon the Bates ladies.” She cast a pointed glance at Emma. ”It was kind of you to provide Miss Bates with a new gown. I believe it was almost as becoming as the one I helped her make for the wedding. I refer to Frank and Jane's wedding, of course, but who knows? Perhaps she will partic.i.p.ate in another wedding before long.”
Emma refused to pose the question Mrs. Elton sought to provoke. Harriet, however, could not resist.
”Has someone in the village announced an engagement?”
”No-not yet. But I have hopes that Miss Bates herself will find such happiness as we four married ladies enjoy.”
”Miss Bates! Imagine that! With whom?”
”Why, Harr-no, I ought not say a word! But I suspect Miss Bates has lately been on the mind of a certain eligible man in the village.”
”Harry Simon?” Emma's tone revealed what she thought of Mrs. Elton's choice.
Mrs. Elton appeared startled by Emma's penetration. ”Mr. Simon? Why ever would you think I refer to him?”
”Were you not about to say the name 'Harry'?”