The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody Page 19

  The carriage halted at the door, near a cluster of interested villagers. Pulling her fur-lined cloak about her she took William’s proffered arm and stepped down onto the frosty ground. Her sisters followed them along the pathway into the church. Inside they paused as Anna and Charlotte arranged her dress’s train and took her cloak for later use.

  The organ announced the arrival of the bride. Her! Jane felt exhilarated, expectant, excited as she stood waiting to walk down the aisle to Jonathan. She carried the hardiest of Spring flowers in her bouquet. William stood beside her in their father’s place ready to transfer her to Jonathan’s authority. It no longer mattered to her that she would lose her existence in the law. She now knew that Jonathan would treasure her and support her in her work. He had ensured that a contract preserved all the money with which Mrs Courtice had endowed her. Her unmarried sisters had generous dowries, her brothers had careers mapped out for them and Charlotte – for now – was safe from her husband.

  She was not just content with her forthcoming marriage.

  She was ecstatic.

  Her heart was bursting with happiness and hope for her future with Jonathan.

  At that moment Jonathan turned to look at her as she stood inside the chapel doors. His smile began at the corners of his eyes, added the upturned corners of his mouth, before spreading across his whole face. His deep dark eyes glowed with his love. She was truly happy to become his wife.

  She joined him at the altar and he took her hand from William. Her brother Francis was assisting with the service as he was now curate to the elderly minister of the parish and was soon to take his place. All her sisters and those of her brothers not stationed overseas, were seated expectantly in the pews. A coterie of Jonathan’s female relatives was seated on the opposite side, led by Aunt Lucinda whose response to the receiving her invitation from Jonathan’s hand was merely, “Well, I never!” He reported her reaction as positively supportive compared with her previous views.

  The service, which made them indivisible in the eyes of the church, the law and society, was quickly over. Jane had thought she was never see this day arrive, much less welcome it as she did.

  The bells pealed as they walked out into the crisp, frost-laden day. Valentine’s day would forever be their wedding day.

  Epilogue

  Christmas 1823

  Jane, Marchioness of Dalton, sat in the Everslie nursery. Three young children ranging in age from five to three were grouped around her as she read to them. She glanced up as the door opened and her stomach flipped over as she watched Jonathan stride into a room. His mouth quirked into his crooked smile when he saw her and the children.

  “A tableau of maternity to warm the cockles of Lord Marchmere’s black heart, my dear,” he said as he bent to kiss her lips. The children had erupted into exclamations of greeting and demands at his words.

  “Pick me up Papa,” said the younger boy.

  “Can we go walking in the snow today?” said William Jonathan Edward Everslie, Viscount Linton, his heir.

  “Read to us Papa,” said his daughter, Lady Amelia Constance Jane Everslie.

  Jonathan looked at Jane in apology. “I came to take you for tea as everyone has arrived, but I must bow to the needs of my adoring audience first. Reading, tea, then a walk,” he said, effortlessly accommodating all their requests.

  He picked up Lord Robert Francis James Everslie and, taking a seat on the sofa on the other side of the fire, set him on his lap. The younger boy rested his hand on his father’s knee while looking intently at him from beneath his mop of blond curls. The elder two crowded on either side of Jonathan. He laughed at something one of the children said, but Jane was too far away to hear it. Then he held up the book for her to see its title.

  “I see you’re continuing on your educational programme, dear Jane. Chaucer? Not a little advanced for them?” asked he with a laugh.

  “Never too soon to start as one means to go on.” Jane replied blithely. “Besides, they like the pictures in that rare edition of yours.”

  He chuckled and began to explain the illustrations.

  She watched them. A gurgle from the baby in her arms brought Jane’s attention back to her younger daughter, Lady Elizabeth Charlotte Anna Everslie, just three months old.

  With four healthy children in almost six years of marriage – the eldest of them twins – Jonathan had said after the last birth, “That’s enough. I couldn’t bear to have you go through another confinement, not knowing whether you or the baby will survive. Besides, I’m sure I sprout grey hairs every time and I don’t want any more of those - they spoil my looks.” He looked very serious despite his attempt to joke.

  Jane had agreed. “Yes, I think we have enough to be going on with.” She had combed the hair at his temples with her fingers. “But I do think the grey is making you look very distinguished.”

  Jonathan finished reading and handed the children over to their nursemaid for tea. “Now my lady, the drawing room is full of family clamouring for tea and cakes before our walk. Shall we join them?”

  Charlotte, now aged twenty-seven, was presiding behind the tea pot just as Jane had on the afternoon that Jonathan met her. Nothing had been heard from her estranged husband since his departure for India. Through Jonathan’s contacts she knew that the regiment was still stationed there. With her sisters, Anna and Katherine, she ran The Brody School for Young Ladies established by Jane, at their old home in Harley Street. Charlotte kept a low profile, attending only family gatherings rather than society events, in case her husband returned to the country or his family advised him where she was living.

  William was still employed by Jonathan, but as his secretary and man of business, since the retirement of Mr Stevens two years previously. Jane’s brother Francis served as the minister for the parish centred on Everslie’s village, having moved into the position from curate after the previous incumbent’s retirement. He was engaged and soon to be married.

  Jane’s three other brothers, Edward, James and Christopher, were still serving in the navy. They visited whenever they were in England, but it was rare to have all three of them in the same room at one time. Jane thought they were in danger of becoming old salts, forever on the open seas and never marrying. Something needed to be done about it.

  Lady Elizabeth and Dr Logan had been married for more than five years. They spent each Christmas with Jane and Jonathan at Everslie, accompanied by their two children Augustus and Florentia. The Logan family’s delight in Latin names had persisted into another generation.

  Aunt Lucinda had finally decided to forgive her nephew for marrying “that woman” after Jane had quickly produced the much-desired heir and his brother. She and her two unmarried daughters were spending Christmas with them.

  Jonathan glanced around the room with satisfaction. He had realised his ambition of large happy family around him and a purposeful life.

  He cleared his throat and gained the group’s attention.

  “I have an announcement to make,” he said. “We will not only take a walk in the park after tea. In the coming days for those who are game, there will be ice-skating on the lake and sledding.” He looked around the room at his unattached cousins and brothers-in-law and said, “I heartily recommend them as most enjoyable winter past-times.”

  Jane saw him wink at his brothers-in-law. And wonderful ways to get to know young ladies. Jonathan obviously had high hopes of stirring up her brothers to take up the quest for wives.

  Jonathan was not finished with his announcement. “And for the first time, we will be meeting my Australian cousins who have travelled from Sydney. Alas, Aunt Lucinda, there was no heir in New South Wales but two delightful sisters.”

  He opened the drawing room door to usher in two hesitant young ladies huddled in the warmest wool garments they owned. “May I present to you all Miss Laura
Everslie and Miss Georgiana Everslie of Everslie Park, New South Wales.” His announcement was met with amazement by some and interest by everyone. “These young ladies hope to attend The Brody School for Young Ladies before taking part in the social whirl of the Season. I’m sure we can assist them in both and make their stay in England both educational and enjoyable.”

  Jane laughed in delight at her husband’s transparent plotting to marry off all their unattached relatives. She greeted his new found cousins and drew them into the family circle, introducing them to everyone before moving to her husband’s side. Jane took his arm and looked up into his eyes.

  “When your plans come to fruition, I hope they all find the happiness that we have found with each other,” she said.

  She kissed him softly on the lips with the promise of a more passionate reward to come.

  “How soon do you think we can send them off to their beds tonight Jane?”

  “Immediately after dinner, I hope.” They smiled in secret unity.

  Author’s Note

  My inspiration for this story was the life and writings of Mary Wollstonecraft (1757-1797). She was associated with intellectuals such as liberal publisher Joseph Johnson, radical pamphleteer Thomas Paine and philosopher William Godwin. Wollstonecraft wrote The Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792. It was pooh-poohed as ridiculous by most people aware of its content. Even other intellectual women in Society at the time were not supporters of her views. The term ‘bluestocking’, used to label an educated woman, was a term of derision for most of the nineteenth century.

  Unfortunately, no such speech as that proposed by the Marquis of Dalton was made by a member of the House of Lords on the rights of women until much later.

  However, well ahead of his time was Englishman Jeremy Bentham, (1748-1832), a leading philosopher and political radical, who in 1817 advocated female suffrage in his book, A Plan for Parliamentary Reform.

  Obviously the idea didn’t take, as the 1832 Great Reform Act in Britain specifically excluded women from voting and it was not until 1851 that a petition calling for women’s suffrage was submitted to the House of Lords.

  The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody arose from asking “how would a supporter of Mary Wollstonecraft’s views cope with falling in love?” That someone, for me, was Jane Brody, a member of an educated and intellectual family, who not only absorbed Wollstonecraft’s views but advocated them as well. Like Wollstonecraft, she fell in love and in doing so tried to find a way to retain her principles while committing to her lover.

  Isabella Hargreaves

  Isabella Hargreaves has been reading historical stories since she was growing up in Brisbane, Australia. That wasn’t enough, so she became an historian and now spends every work day researching and writing about people, places and events from the past. It seemed the perfect idea to combine her love of romance and history by writing historical romances. She writes about strong, determined heroines and heroes that aren’t afraid to match them.

  You can read more about Isabella at the following:

  http://www.isabellahargreaves.com/

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  Read more about Isabella at the Steam eReads blog:

  http://steamereads.com.au/2013/08/meet-author-isabella-hargreaves/

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