The Sterley’s of Oakland Park, SAREJESS [best e reader for epub .txt] 📗

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“Sir I liked her not then and I know I will no like her now a pugnacious child if memory serves,” replied Lady Ann who it seemed was growing agitated in the extreme with each bit of news her husband imparted to her concerning Lord Charles for had her beloved Cousin Sarah not been a good wife true they had been long separated because of the constraints of Lord Charles’s occupation in the House of Lords but lately departed Sarah’s memory deserved a better recognition then to be replace with in the year by a new mistress in the Fitz-Gibbon household.

“Indeed had her husband struck her with a poker she would not have been as surprised as she now was by the news of the impending nuptials of Lord Charles and Lady Fortescue.

“Pray dear husband is Arabella aware of these macerations of her papa?” asked Lady Ann “Lord Charles informs me that he has long since communicated his feelings of affection to the lady in question as she was a companion of dear Sarah,” replied Sir Thomas as he moved away from the fire which although hot upon his backside was not as hot as the interrogation that his wife was subjecting him to.

“I fancy that he has told a miss truth for if he had communicated such to Arabella she would of a certainty have informed me,” said Lady Ann “It is guilt Sir that makes Lord Charles to offer such a large dowry for I can see no other reason for he has neglected his daughter for company of another woman,” she remarked

“Dear sweet Ann peace, peace I beg you there is naught that we can do about Lord Charles, but for Arabella we can do much, pray content yourself with this knowledge we can make her one of us welcome her into the family love and cherish her as a daughter and a sister all the days of our lives. Fear not madam for already these past months the dear sweet child has found a place in the hearts of every one of us. She will be a good wife to Tom a wonderful daughter to us both and eventually a mother to our grand children Pray do not distress yourself madam. For I fear you will suffer the most frightful indigestion for you eat when you are upset and you take not recognition of your health, I beg you be at peace and think on the wonderful life that awaits the happy couple of whom we are so fond,” said Sir Thomas.

“As usual you are right, one cannot however believe that a man would be as insensitive as to remarry when his wife has been in the tomb less then a year,” said Lady Ann as she poured herself a glass of Elderberry wine. The occasions upon which she took strong drink were few and far between however on this occasion it seemed to her that she needed to have a little fortification with in before she faced young Arabella with the news that she was to be married. It was not as if the matter had not been discussed while Sir Thomas and young Tom were away however it was not at that time known as a certainty now that matters had come to a head the date of the impending nuptials would have to be agreed upon. Further more Lady Ann was troubled by little sleep of late as she was worried for Lydia who had grown uncommon big in the last month Lady Ann began to believe that the child when born might not be one but to by the size of Lydia’s belly. This was of great concern to her as Lydia was of a slight build and would if not helped correctly suffer greatly in childbirth.

Young Tom in the mean while had gone to find his dearest Arabella and impart to her the news that they were to be married there after they would depart to the Cape of Good Hope to take up the appointment which Sir Benjamin Bathurst had procured for Tom as an aid to Lord Charles Somerset.


Chapter Eleven


“Lady St Vincent told me of a certainty that when next we are in London that we must call upon her and his Lordship” said Lady Ann. “It is indeed gratifying that you made there acquaintance” replied Sir Thomas once more warming his hands over the fire.

“I t came as a most welcome news to hear that they had come into the county, and to find out that they were staying with the Parkers, at Leaton well that made me decided to call upon the Parkers and make known your achievements to his lordship,” said Lady Ann

“Pray was his lordship the earl well disposed to your calling?” asked Sir Thomas growing concerned that his wife had committed another social mistake by forcing her presence upon the unsuspecting peer.

“Indeed he was most interested to hear of your part in the late wars” remarked Lady Ann Mr Parker talked at great length of your fine quality as a seaman and leader of men,“ she continued. ”That is most gratifying I shall call upon The Parkers directly do you perchance know if the ST Vincent’s have left the county?“ asked Sir Thomas.

“I have hopes that they still might be at Leaton I have seen the new library there Mr. Parker has done a wonderful job of buying the very best of current books indeed if Lydia was with me she should have asked to see the anonymous young lady of genteel birth collections. Although I fancy it is not a very big collection,” said Lady Ann.

“William Parker has funds aplenty to apply to the extravagances to make his home one of the best in the county” remarked Sir Thomas. “How came it that brother in law Parker came by his fortune?” asked Lady Ann.

“There is a tale in the making a self made man is our brother in Law Parker,” said Sir Thomas. “For when I knew him many years since in the navy he was but a lowly midshipman without many prospects but he married well, speculated in Sugar in the West Indies and made a fortune,” said Sir Thomas.

“You of course know that Emily’s family are extremely wealthy having made there money in the America’s some thing to do with the slave trade,” said Sir Thomas. “It changes nothing dear Emily is one of the sweetest people I know I do not believe for a moment that she was ever personally involved in that despicable trade of poor unfortunates who through no fault of there own were stolen and sold as so much of a commodity,” replied Lady Ann.

“Madam I did not insinuate that sister in law Parker was a slave trader I mentioned but the fact that her family had in former times been the proprietors of a number of slaver vessels” said Sir Thomas exasperated with his wife obstinacy.

“If the St Vincent’s be at Leaton I feel inclined to go hither with you husband” said Lady Ann changing the subject lest her husband grow angry with her. “They are such a pleasant couple one would think that they had many friends in society,” she continued.

“Nelson was and remains popular among all class of seamen but I am assured that his lordship the earl is greatly liked by many officers” said Sir Thomas. “husband he has an earldom for thanks I am sufficiently happy to know that he has done his duty to England and that he has been adequately rewarded for his part,” said Lady Ann fearing that once more her husband would fall into a state of melancholia la when considering how little he had achieved in relation to others who had served.

“Pray dear wife did you speak with Arabella on the occasion of the forthcoming nuptials?” asked Sir Thomas. “I have she was delighted to hear it but I have an idea that Tom broke the news to her before she spoke with me for she was sufficiently unsurprised as to inform of such” remarked Lady Ann. Indignant at the fact that her first born had taken it upon himself to inform the young woman of the situation.

“Lord Charles was suitably impressed with our Tom calling him my boy and giving him to understand that he could call upon him at any time for fatherly advice should it be needed,” said Sir Thomas. “I fear that I became quite indignant at the fact but as he is of superior rank I forbore his inclination to be kind to Tom and kept my peace,” said Sir Thomas.

“That insufferable man I am still quite in a state of distress on the matter of which we spoke earlier in regard to Lord Charles,” said Lady Ann.

“Arabella will as his heir inherit a substantial fortune of him,” said Sir Thomas “That I think sir is the only redeeming feature of the man,” said Lady Ann her face flushed. For she would not tolerate the man to stay even one hour in Oakland. For she was of the opinion that he had betrayed a sacred trust. Classing him as cut from the same cloth as that rouge the Earl of Waterford of whom they had heard much of a distressing nature.

Tom and Arabella found themselves wandering the garden while the aforementioned conversations between Lady Ann and Sir Thomas took place. They chanced upon
William who was industriously digging a ditch with a few workmen “Greetings brother” said Tom. “Pray what are you doing if I might make my self so bold as to ask,” enquired Tom.

“There is a certain type of grass that grows upon the banks which is of its nature more succulent and sort after by birds now I plan to make this ditch a type of bank for papa’s enjoyment for I perceive that of late he has developed a shortness of breath and a limp. I would not have him wandering far from the house unattended in search of his birds thus I bring the birds closer,” said William

“That is most thoughtful I did not notice but I shall take heed to make his life a little