Leonora's Journal Volume Two

The Sequel to 'Ring of Stone' and 'Leonora's Journal Volume One' by Bronwen Welsh

---

Author's Note. This is the third part of the Leonora Trilogy and concludes with a Epilogue. For those who have not read the first two parts, I would respectfully recommend doing so. B.W.

Chapter 21 A perilous journey

Wednesday 10th March 1813 A visit from Lady Elizabeth

My darling daughter Elizabeth is one month old today. How the time has flown! I never imagined that one small person could turn an adult’s life upside-down so thoroughly, and I have the great advantage of two maids to look after me and her. Anna in particular, after overcoming the sight of her being born, is now totally besotted by Elizabeth, and ready to do anything for her, day or night. It might have been expected that after Anna’s training as a lady’s maid was complete, she would move to another household, but after discussion with Richard, I am going to offer her the position of nursery maid and hope she stays with us so that she, Elizabeth and any other children with whom we are blessed, can grow up together. Marie, my own personal maid was appointed when I was too young to remember and has been with me ever since, and I cannot imagine life without her.

Thursday 11th March

I spoke to Anna today about the proposed position of nursery maid, and I’m pleased to say that she has accepted it with alacrity. In fact, she was quite overcome with emotion and tears started to flow for which she apologised, although I told her there is no need, and that I could not imagine any more capable hands into which I could entrust the care of our children. She will also have an increase in her salary which I’m sure will be very welcome.
A letter arrived today from Lady Elizabeth in Grasmere, saying that she proposed to visit us in three weeks’ time and stay for about a month, two weeks with us as she wishes to meet her new grandchild, and then she will spend two weeks at Studleigh Park to see how her daughters Lucy and Sarah are faring. Sir John will not be coming with her as he has much to attend to in the running of the Grasmere estate. She will be accompanied by her maid and also a footman as security and travel on a stagecoach which makes a daily run between Grasmere and other towns in the Lake District, and then travels to Oxford before finishing its journey in London. The journey normally takes four days and arrives in Oxford in mid-afternoon. We will send our own coach to meet the travellers at the inn where the stagecoach stops. I have given Mrs Danvers and Mr Anderson advance warning of our visitors’ arrival so that all will be ready.

Thursday 18th March.

Today I received a small parcel, which upon my opening it, proved to be a copy of the first edition of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Miss Jane Austen. I have been exchanging correspondence with her on an irregular basis since meeting her, but I did not expect to receive a copy of her new novel, and what is more, it has a dedication on the fly leaf in her own handwriting. Inside was a piece of paper with a note which read as follows:

‘Dear Leonora,
When I was reviewing the text of this novel which I originally title 'First Impressions', I determined that I should start with a memorable sentence which would encourage readers to purchase the book. It was then I remembered something you said to me when I had the honour of meeting you, namely that your brother had commented that Mr d’Anglais, whom you have since married, was a young single man in possession of a good fortune and therefore in want of a wife. I have adapted this comment as the start of my novel, and I hope you do not mind.
J.A.’

Do not mind? Hardly, since I have no doubt that the first sentence of this work will become famous as one of the classic opening lines of any work of English fiction.

Friday 2nd April

Today was the day scheduled for the arrival of Lady Elizabeth together with her maid and footman. I expected her to undergo a normal trip but instead it turned into a day of high drama. As usual, our coach was sent in mid-afternoon to meet them at the inn where the stagecoach arrives, but when it had not returned by five o’clock, I was inclined to send a footman to the inn to enquire if there was any news. However, one of the footmen with the coach arrived, presenting Ronald the coachman’s compliments and reporting that there was no news of the stagecoach, and to ask how long he should wait. Richard agreed that they should wait until nine o’clock if necessary and then come home.

The clock in the drawing room struck eight and by now we were quite worried. Obviously, there must have been an accident and we hoped that nobody was seriously injured. Then we heard the sound of our coach’s wheels on the gravel driveway and we hurried to the porch together with Mrs Danvers and Mr Anderson. One of the coachmen opened the door and Lady Elizabeth emerged. I must say that I have never seen her look so disheveled in her dress before. Her maid followed and then the footman Eric whom I recognized from Grasmere. His right forearm was heavily bandaged, and he looked pale.

“My goodness, Lady Elizabeth, what has happened?” I gasped.

She gave me a wan smile and said: “We were held up by highwaymen and treated most disrespectfully. Please arrange for my trunks to be carried to my room and some light supper, and I will tell you all. Meantime, Eric has suffered a gunshot wound to his arm. Would you be kind enough to attend to it please?” With that, she and her maid ascended the stairs to her room. In the circumstances I could forgive her abruptness, the poor woman looked quite changed from her normal appearance as a refined lady.

Eric bowed to me and looked embarrassed: “It is but a flesh wound ma’am.”
“None the less, a wound can turn septic and result in amputation,” I replied, and turning to my housekeeper, I said: “Mrs Danvers, would you kindly arrange for Eric’s wound to be thoroughly cleaned, some spirits applied, and the area bound in fresh bandages on a daily basis?”

Mrs Danvers raised an eyebrow. “Spirits applied, ma’am?” she enquired.

“Yes, I read somewhere that the alcohol helps to prevent sepsis,” I replied. “Please also ask Mrs Walker to provide a light supper in the dining room and see that Lady Elizabeth’s maid and Eric are provided with some food.”

“Certainly ma’am,” she replied, and led Eric away.

Richard and I returned to the drawing room to await the reappearance of Lady Elizabeth, who looked much more her normal self when she reappeared. A maid appeared to let us know that supper was served, so we three went to the dining room.

Lady Elizabeth, who is a very gracious lady, actually apologised for her seeming rudeness upon arriving, and in my reply I contrived to make it appear that we were so concerned at her report that we did not notice anything amiss. She seemed quite ravenous and in explanation told us that she had not eaten since early this morning. We allowed her to gratify her hunger pangs before she satisfied our curiosity to know what had happened. Finally, she stopped eating and smiling said: “I have kept you in suspense long enough, and I‘m now ready to tell you the story.

“Around eleven o’clock this morning, we were in a lonely part of the road when the coachman saw a large tree trunk lying across the road, preventing us from travelling further. As soon as the coach came to a halt, three masked men appeared from behind trees at the side of the road and brandishing pistols announced that they wished to relieve us of our valuables. One of the ladies in the coach cried out and fainted and Eric who was travelling on the roof gallantly drew his pistol and tried to defend us, but one of the men immediately took aim and discharged his own pistol causing the wound in Eric’s arm, It was fortunate that he did not suffer greater harm. This was the end of resistance, and everyone then deposited their valuables into a bag held by one of the robbers who seemed more elegantly dressed than the rest and was obviously the leader.

“I asked him if he would favour me with his name and he took off his hat, made a sweeping bow and said, ‘Certainly ma’am, I am Richard Turpin.’

‘Really?’ I said, ‘I understood he was active in this line of work a century ago?’

‘That is true, ma’am,’ he replied: ‘But he is an ancestor of mine, and it seemed logical to follow the line of work in which he was most successful.’

“I forbore to mention that his ancestor came to an untimely end as it seemed impolitic. I should mention that although he relieved me of some rings, he was kind enough to leave me my wedding ring. After the highwaymen disappeared into the woods, the footmen and gentlemen managed to remove the tree that blocked our path and we proceeded on our way. Room was found for Eric to travel inside the coach and strips of material used to bind his wound. (I suspected that the material may have originated from a petticoat, but Lady Elizabeth was too delicate to mention this in front of her son.)”

“What is to be done to capture these ruffians?” I asked.

Richard replied, “The County Sheriff must be notified, and he may well organize a ‘posse comitatus’ to find and apprehend these rogues.”

“A posse….?” I said with some bewilderment.

“It means a ‘force of the county’,” he replied: “Able-bodied men led by the sheriff who will seek them out and bring them to justice.”

“Has no thought ever been given to organising a professional group of men to maintain the law?” I asked.

“I have heard it suggested but nothing has been done yet,” he replied. “I agree with you that this would be a logical step to take.”

Lady Elizabeth looked very tired and said she would retire for the night. Mrs Danvers came to inform us that the maid and footman had been fed and Eric’s wound attended to. After that we too retired for the night.

Monday 5th April

I met Lady Elizabeth at the breakfast table, and she was much improved in demeanor and close to her usual self. In answer to my query, she expressed herself as greatly recovered from the trauma of the previous day. As we concluded our repast, she begged to be introduced to baby Elizabeth, so we both walked to the nursery where Anna was nursing her. Lady Elizabeth seemed quite genuinely thrilled to meet her first grandchild.

“She is a truly beautiful babe!” she exclaimed and begged to be allowed to nurse her. With Elizabeth safely in her arms, and smiling, she added, “I know that every mother sees her child as the most beautiful in the world, but the truth is some babies look more like a monkey than a human; however, Elizabeth is truly beautiful.” This of course was music to my ears.

Today, Richard called at the office of the County Sheriff, Mr Edmund Barry, who begged leave to interview Lady Elizabeth to garner as much information as she could provide about the brigands. Having already obtained his Mama’s permission, Richard invited him to call at Marston House this afternoon, and sent word to me to expect him.

Mr Barry arrived about one o’clock, and Lady Elizabeth and I received him in the drawing room. I must say that he is a very gentlemanly man and treated us with the greatest respect. He is obviously skilled in his occupation and garnered a great deal of information from Lady Elizabeth which he said would be very useful to him.

“I only wish that other witnesses were able to provide me with so much detail,” he said, and he especially congratulated Lady Elizabeth for her detailed description of the brigands and for persuading the chief of the rogues to reveal his name.

“Even if it is an alias, it is the name by which people know him,” he said. “We will offer a reward for information about him, and I doubt not that this will be effective in these hard times.”

He was obviously about to depart, and having said nothing during Lady Elizabeth’s interview, I felt it would be polite to say something.

“Might I enquire what will be the fate of these felons when they are caught, Mr Barry?”

Mr Barry looked at me in a puzzled manner and I wished I had not spoken. Lady Elizabeth came to my rescue by saying “Mrs d’Anglais has been carefully brought up and this is her first encounter with such villains.”

“I understand, ma’am,” said Mr Barry. ‘Turpin’s accomplices may be transported for life if the judge is merciful, provided that they have not committed any murders. As for their leader, it is inevitable that he will suffer the same fate as his alleged ancestor and pay the ultimate price.”

Mr Barry then took his leave, bowing to us both, and we acknowledged him with a return bow. After he had left, I said to Lady Elizabeth. “I felt it was only polite to say something, but my words were ill-judged. Thank you for relieving me of embarrassment.”

Lady Elizabeth smiled. “I did not wish to say that you had suffered memory loss from your illness,” she said.

Most fortunately, my embarrassment was relieved by the sound of coach wheels on the driveway, and a few moments later, Lucy and Sarah entered the room and embraced their mother, before greeting me in the same manner.

“It is so good to see you again, my darlings,” said Lady Elizabeth. “I am feeling better already.”

“Better Mama?” said Sarah. “Have you been ill.”

“Not ill, darling, but I have been subject to an incident which caused me much stress.”

“May I order tea, Lady Elizabeth?” I enquired. “Then you can relate to Lucy and Sarah all that has happened.”

As I requested one of the maids to serve tea, I heard gasps and little cries behind me as Lady Elizabeth relayed the events of the previous day, even though she was calm and did not exaggerate them in any way. When she had finished, there was much excited chatter amongst the girls including comments about how brave she had been, with which sentiments I fully concur.

After we had taken some time to take our tea and sample the cakes that Mrs Walker had thoughtfully provided, it became obvious to me that Lucy had something to impart.

“After what has happened to you Mama, my news is indeed an anticlimax, but I will tell you in confidence that I have missed my courses for two months in a row, so I think there is little doubt that I am now with child.”

“Oh my dear!” gasped Lady Elizabeth. “Why did you not say so before? This is definitely of more importance than my little adventure!” More hugs followed.

“I am sure Frederick must be thrilled,” I said, and Lucy blushed deeply.

“I haven’t confided in him yet,” she said. “I was afraid that I might be mistaken and he would be very disappointed.”

“My dear, it is a sad fact of life that we may lose a child at any stage from the moment of conception, but the longer it thrives within us, the more chance there is of a successful delivery. I feel sure that by now you may tell Frederick with some confidence,” said Lady Elizabeth.

“Oh Mama, that is the advice I was hoping to receive,” said Lucy. “I will confide in him this evening.”

It so happened that a maid appeared with a message from Anna to say that Baby Elizabeth was awake and indicating her need for nourishment, so I invited all three ladies to come upstairs with me to see Elizabeth while I fed her. Having already seen her, Lady Elizabeth declined the invitation, but the two girls accepted it with alacrity.

I did not feel in the least embarrassed to feed Elizabeth while the two girls watched. They both expressed their approbation of the newest member of the family.

“She is truly a beautiful baby,” said Sarah, and with some shyness and blushes, Lucy asked me what it feels like to feed her.

“I trust you will have the pleasure of experiencing it yourself,” I replied. “I can only say that it is the most wonderful feeling to nourish the child that I’ve carried within me for nine months. The bond between mother and child must be one of the strongest in the world. I would lay down my life for her.”

When feeding was complete and the usual expulsion of swallowed air achieved, both girls asked if they could nurse her and of course I agreed. I could see that Lucy was already imagining what it will be like to nurse her own child.

Afterwards, I entrusted Elizabeth to Anna’s care again and Lucy, Sarah and I descended the stairs to join Lady Elizabeth in the drawing room. It was agreed that after staying with us at Marston House for two weeks, the coach would be sent for to convey her to Studleigh Park, but in the meantime, we would pay them a visit in a week’s time, so that Frederick could also meet Baby Elizabeth.

Tuesday 6th April

I enquired of Mrs Danvers how Eric’s wound is healing, and she informed me that the improvement is remarkable.

“I have seen wounds not attended to turn septic before ma’am, sometimes with fatal consequences, and I believe your suggestion of applying spirits has been most efficacious in promoting his recovery.”

I would like to have seen for myself, but to do so would imply distrust of Mrs Danvers’ report. There are things which even the mistress of the house cannot insist upon. It is enough that I showed personal interest in the matter. I am aware that some men think it a reflection upon their manhood to take too much care of a wound. If Eric is one of them, then Mrs Danvers will tell him of my enquiry and that will encourage his compliance with the treatment.

Tuesday 13th April

Lady Elizabeth very courteously asked me as mistress of Marston House, if she might invite some of her friends for tea. I was naturally only too happy to accede to her request. She mentioned that some of the ladies had daughters and daughters-in-law about my age whom she would like to invite as well. This seems a great opportunity for me to extent my circle of acquaintances, and I am looking forward to it.

Wednesday 14th April

Today Lady Elizabeth hosted five ladies of her age, and as she had predicted, together with her friends were six young ladies of about my age. We had a very pleasant conversation as we all took tea, and naturally Baby Elizabeth was the centre of attention when Anna brought her down to the drawing room. All the ladies, both young and older cooed over her and all exclaimed what a beautiful baby she is. I was thinking what a pity it is that I cannot somehow record her appearance to show her when she is older. Then it occurred to me that since my sketch of Richard was considered quite a good likeness, then perhaps I should do my best to capture the appearance of my daughter, and even make it a water colour painting.

Thursday 15th April

We held another afternoon for more of Lady Elizabeth’s friends, and again there were five young ladies accompanying them. I have expanded my circle of acquaintances considerably. Once more, Baby Elizabeth was a star attraction. It occurs to me that a baby does not have to do anything in order to be the centre of attention – they just have to be themselves! I have started my attempt to capture her likeness.

To be continued