Vellenaux A Novel, Edmund William Forrest [life changing books to read txt] 📗

On Being

Asked,  Had Sent Word That She Had Never Heard Her Uncle Say Anything On

The Subject,  And Mrs. Fraudhurst,  On Being Interrogated,  Announced That

She Had Always Been Of The Opinion That Miss Effingham Was To Be Sole

Heiress Of Her Uncle'S Wealth,  But Had Never Heard Sir Jasper Speak Of

Having Actually Made Any Will At All. Consequently The Law Gave To Sir

Ralph Coleman The Entire Property Of The Late Baronet,  Whose Much-Loved

Niece Was Thus Left A Penniless Orphan.

 

Old Reynolds,  Who Had Been In The Library When It Was Announced The

Baronet Had Left No Will,  And That The Entire Property Fell To His

Cousin,  Sir Ralph,  Immediately Summoned The Domestics In The Servants'

Hall And Related To His Astonished Hearers What He Had Heard.

Consternation Was Depicted On The Countenance Of All,  And A Wordy

Colloquy Ensued As To What Would Become Of Their Dear Young Mistress,

And Whether They Would Be Discharged To Make Room For Others Whom The

New Baronet Might Choose To Appoint. The Grey-Headed Old Butler Had Been

At Vellenaux Since He Was A Lad Of Fourteen,  And Had Known Colonel

Effingham,  Who Had Frequently,  Prior To Leaving The Service,  Visited His

Old Companion-In-Arms,  Sir Jasper Coleman,  At His Favorite Residence,

Felt Much Concerned That The Niece Of His Old Master Should Have Been

Left Unprovided For. "Of Course," Said Annette,  Edith'S Own Maid "I

Shall Have To Return Home,  For I Do Not Suppose Miss Effingham Will

Remain Here Very Long,  As Sir Ralph Is A Bachelor,  And I Know For

Certain That She Dislikes Him Exceedingly."

 

"But What Will Madam,  The Widow,  Do," Enquired The Footman.

 

"Set Her Cap At Him As She Did At Our Poor,  Dear Old Master," Responded

The Housekeeper,  "No Fear,  She Will Take Care Not To Be A Loser By The

Change." "She Will,  No Doubt," Suggested Another,  "Keep House For Sir

Ralph Until He Brings Home A Lady Coleman,  Or Is Persuaded Into Marrying

The Widow Herself."

 

It Was Quite Evident,  That Sympathy Ran High In edith'S Favour,  And That

They Cared Not A Jot For The Ex-Governess Or The New Master. But They

Were Too Well Trained To Betray What They Thought Concerning The Two

Chapter 7 Pg 54

Last Named Persons.

 

The Matter Was Duly Talked Over Throughout The Neighbourhood. Some Shook

Their Heads But Said Nothing,  And Others Said A Great Deal That Meant

Nothing. The Bartons Sent A Very Kind And Sympathizing Letter To Edith

In Which They Offered Her An Asylum At The Willows,  Should She Think A

Little Change Of Scene Would In any Way Reconcile Her To The Loss She

Had Sustained,  They Having Heard That Miss Effingham Had In Her Grief

Declined For The Present To Receive Her Most Intimate Friends And

Acquaintances.

 

For Many Days After The Funeral Edith Kept Within The Seclusion Of Her

Own Chamber,  Alas,  Hers Now No Longer,  But The Property Of Another And

Of One Whose Presence Was Repugnant To Her. With Returning Consciousness

Also Came The Realization Of The Sad Spectacle That Had Met Her View In

The Private Library. She Had Loved And Respected Her Uncle,  And Had Ever

Looked Up To Him As A Father,  Which He Had Indeed Been Since The Death

Of Her Parents,  Whom She Did Not Recollect,  And Grief For His Loss Had

Outweighed All Other Thoughts And Considerations For The Future,  And For

The First Week She Gave Herself Up To Inconsolable Sorrow. But At Length

That Practical Good Sense With Which Nature Had Endowed Her,  Came To Her

Relief. She Stifled The Rising Sobs In Her Young Bosom And Prepared To

Face The Stern Realities Of Life,  Which Must Ere Long,  She Knew,  Force

Themselves Upon Her.

 

To Remain In The House Of The Man She So Despised And Whose Proffered

Vows Of Love She Had So Indignantly Rejected,  Was Impossible.

 

Of The Malady Which Was The Cause Of Her Uncle'S Sudden Death,  She Knew

Nothing. He Had Never Hinted Of Its Existence,  Therefore She Was Totally

Unprepared And Inexpressibly Shocked At The Suddenness With Which He Had

Been Struck Down,  And It Was Some Time Before She Could Sufficiently

Subdue Her Agitated Feelings To Enable Her To Give Any Instructions To

The Household,  Who,  Like Herself,  Had Been Almost Stupefied By The

Calamity.

 

But Not So With Mrs. Fraudhurst; That Cold,  Unfeeling Woman Cared Only

For The Safety Of Her Own Position,  And Had Already Arranged What She

Should Do. At Her Suggestion,  No Changes Were Made In The Establishment.

Every Servant Was Retained,  And The Business Of The Estate Still Left In

The Hands Of Mr. Russell,  The Former Agent,  And Matters Soon Resumed

Their Usual Routine,  As Though The Late Proprietor Was Merely Absent On

A Visit.

 

Notwithstanding The Precautions Taken In Order To Prevent Suspicion From

Gaining Ground That There Had Been Any Complicity Between Sir Ralph And

The Widow,  Which Might Account For The Absence Of Any Legal Document

Making A Suitable Provision For That Niece To Whom Sir Jasper Was So

Sincerely Attached,  There Were Many Who Could Not Divest Themselves Of

The Idea That There Had Been Foul Play Practiced In Some Way,  But As

There Was Nothing Tangible To Go Upon They Were Compelled To Confine

Their Suspicions Within Their Own Breasts,  And Show Their Sympathy For

Miss Effingham By Letters Of Condolence And Offers Of Friendship And

Protection Should She Need Them; For Of Course,  It Was Understood By All

Chapter 7 Pg 55

That Her Position Was Materially Altered By The Apparent Fact That Sir

Jasper Had Died Intestate.

 

Both Mrs. Fraudhurst And Sir Ralph Were Struck With The Visible Inroad

That Grief Had Made In The Pale But Still Beautiful Features Of Edith,

As She Entered The Drawing Room For The First Time Since Her Uncle'S

Funeral.

 

The New Baronet Rose As If To Conduct Her To A Seat,  But There Was

Something In Her Eye And Manner That Checked Him,  And He Contented

Himself With Bowing To Her Somewhat Stiffly,  And Resumed His Chair. She

Advanced Toward The Table At Which He Was Seated,  With A Coolness And

Self-Possession So Natural To Her,  Whenever Placed In any Awkward And

Trying Position; Her Elegant Figure Fully Developed By The Tight Fitting

Habit She Wore,  And The Ringlets Of Her Rich Brown Hair Falling Upon Her

Magnificent Shoulders From Beneath Her Black Riding Hat,  And In a Voice

Calm,  Clear And Distinct,  But Without The Least Bitterness Or Anger,

Thus Addressed Him: "Sir Ralph Coleman,  The Law,  I Am Told,  Pronounces

You Master Of Vellenaux And Its Broad Acres. The Death Of My Uncle Has

Left Me Without A Home,  But,  I Trust,  Not Without Friends. Do Not

Interrupt Me,  Sir," Said She,  Seeing That He Was About To Speak,  "Your

Importunities And Ungenerous Conduct Previous To The Death Of My Late

Lamented Uncle And More Than Father,  Would,  In Itself,  Be A Sufficient

Inducement For Me To Take The Step I Am Now About To Do. It Is My

Intention To Leave Vellenaux This Morning For The Willows,  And Request

That My Personal Effects And Such Property As May Have Been Presented To

Me By My Late Uncle May Be Sent To Me There." Then,  With A Slight

Inclination Of The Head Towards Him,  And Without A Word Or Glance In The

Direction Of Mrs. Fraudhurst,  Who Was Seated At The Open Window,

Examining The Contents Of The Post Bag,  Turned And Left The Apartment.

Her Intended Departure Had Been Made Known To The Whole Of The Household

By Annette,  And,  Much To Her Surprise,  She Found All The Servants

Assembled In The Hall To Pay Their Respects To Her As She Quitted The

Only Home She Had Ever Known. Edith Felt Deeply Their Respectful

Sympathy And Parted From Them With Unfeigned Regret. Poor Old Bridoon At

The Lodge Felt Keenly For His Young Mistress,  And Could Not Refrain From

Expressing To Her,  As She Wished Him Farewell,  That There Was Something

Wrong About The Absence Of Any Will Or Other Document. He Would Not

Believe That His Dear Old Master Would Put Off Making A Provision For

His Niece Until It Was Too Late,  And He Sincerely Hoped That He Might

Live To See The Day Of Her Return To Vellenaux As Its Mistress. This

Feeling Was Shared Alike By Tenantry And Servants,  For They All Had,  In

Some Way,  Been Indebted To Her For Acts Of Kindness.

 

"You Have Been Too Precipitate,  And Frightened The Bird Away," Remarked

Mrs. Fraudhurst. "But," Continued She,  After A Moment'S Pause,  "Perhaps

It Is As Well She Has Taken This Step. Her Presence Here Is Now No

Longer Necessary. You Have The Property Without The Encumbrance."

 

Whatever Sir Ralph'S Opinions On The Subject Might Have Been He Did Not

Express Them; But In His Inmost Heart He Wished That She Had Remained

Under His Roof,  For Time,  He Thought,  Would Cause Her To Change Her

Mind,  And Think More Favorably Of His Suit,  And Once His Wife,  She Could

Chapter 7 Pg 56

Not Give Evidence Against Him Should The Affair Of The Stolen Will Ever

Come To Her Knowledge. He Distrusted His Partner In crime,  And Avoided

As Much As Possible Being Left Alone With Her.

 

In The Bartons Edith Found True Friends,  Julia And Emily Doing

Everything In Their Power To Render Her Stay With Them As Agreeable As

Possible. The Pretty Mrs. Horace,  Who,  From The First,  Had Taken A Great

Interest In Her,  Now Felt A Real Desire To Serve One Who,  By The Force

Of Circumstances Over Which She Had No Control,  Had Been Left,  As It

Were,  Alone In The World,  And That,  Too,  At An Age And With Such

Personal Attractions As Usually Require The Most Careful Watching Of

Parent Or Guardian,  And It Entered Her Pretty Head That She Could Serve

Her Friend Most Effectually And At The Same Time Secure For Herself That

Which Was So Much Needed In Her Indian Home In The Far East,  A Personal

Friend And Companion. Good,  Easy Horace,  She Knew,  Would Not Object,  And

Scarcely Had Edith Been One Week At The Willows Before She Had Unfolded

To Her The Scheme She Had Worked Out For Their Mutual Benefit; And

Meeting The Approval Of The Whole Family,  Edith Was Only Too Happy To

Accompany Mrs. Barton On Her Return To Calcutta,  For,  Thought She,  I

Have No Relative In england To Miss Me,  Or Mourn For Me,  But In India I

Perhaps Have,  And Her Thoughts Wandered To Arthur Carlton And