COMING HONOURS
With great trepidation did Mary Marshall set forth on her visit to Coles
Kenton. She had made up her mind--and a determined mind it could be on
occasion--that on it should turn her final acceptance of her twenty
years' lover.
Utterly inexperienced as she was, even in domestic, not to say high life,
she had perhaps an exaggerated idea, alike of its requirements and of her
own deficiencies; and she was resolved to use her own judgment, according
to her personal experience, whether she should be hindrance or help to
him whom she loved too truly and unselfishly to allow herself to be made
the former.
She was glad that for the first few days she should not see him, and
should thus be less distracted and biased, but it was with a sinking
heart that she heard that Lady Kenton had called to take her up in the
carriage. Grateful as she was for the kindness, which saved her the
dreariness of a solitary arrival, she was a strange mixture of resolution
and self-distrust, of moral courage and timidity, as had been shown by
her withstanding all Miss Lang's endeavours to make her improve her dress
beyond what was absolutely necessary for the visit, lest it should be
presuming on the future.
Lady Kenton had a manner such as to smooth away shyness, and, with tact
that perceived with what kind of nature she had to deal, managed to make
the tea-table serve only as a renewal of acquaintance with Frederica, and
an introduction to Sir Edward, after which Mary was taken to the
schoolroom and made known to the governess, a kindly, sensible woman,
who, according to previous arrangement, made the visitor free of her
domains as a refuge.
The prettiness and luxury of the guest-chamber was quite a shock, and
Mary would rather have faced a dozen naughty girls than have taken Sir
Edward's arm to go in to dinner. However, her hostess had decided on a
quiet course of treatment such as not to frighten this pupil, and it had
been agreed only to take enough notice of her to prevent her from feeling
herself neglected, until she should begin to be more at ease. Nor was it
long before a certain sparkle in the brown eyes showed that she was
amused by, and appreciative of, the family talk.
It was true, as Lady Kenton had told her, that she had nothing to
unlearn, all she wanted was confidence, experience, and ease, and in so
humble, gentle, and refined a nature as hers, the acquisition of these
could not lead to the disclosure of anything undesirable. So, after the
first day of novelty, when she had learnt the hours, could distinguish
between the young people, knew her way about the house so as to be secure
of not opening the wrong doors, and when she had learnt where and when
she would be welcome and even helpful, she began to enjoy herself and the
life, the beauty, and the leisure.
She made friends heartily with the governess, fraternised with Freda,
taught the younger girls new games, could hold a sort of conversation
with Sir Edward, became less afraid of George, and daily had more of
filial devotion to Lady Kenton. The books on the tables were a real
delight and pleasure to her, when she found that it was not ill-mannered
to sit down and read in the forenoon, and the discussion of them was a
great help in what Freda called teaching her to talk. Visitors were very
gradually brought upon her, a gentleman or two at first, who knew nothing
about her, perhaps thought her the governess and merely bowed to her.
There was only one real _contretemps_, when some guests, who lived rather
beyond the neighbourhood, arrived for afternoon tea, and, moreover, full
of curiosity about Lord Northmoor. Was it true that he was an attorney's
clerk, and was not he going to marry a very inferior person?
'Certainly not,' said Lady Kenton. 'He is engaged to my friend, Miss
Marshall.'
The said Miss Marshall was handing the sugar, while Freda was pouring out
the tea. She had been named on the ladies' entrance, and the colour rose
to her eyes but she said nothing, while there was a confusion of, 'I beg
pardon. I understand.'
'Report makes a good many mistakes,' said Lady Kenton coolly. 'Mary, my
dear, you have given me no sugar.'
It was the first time of calling her by her Christian name, and done for
the sake of making the equal intimacy apparent. In fact, Mary was
behaving herself better than the visitors, as Lady Kenton absolutely told
her when a sort of titter was heard in the hall, where they were
expressing to Freda their horror at the scrape, and extorting that Miss
Marshall was really a governess.
'But quite a lady,' said Freda stoutly, 'and we are all as fond of her as
possible.'
It showed how much progress she had made that even this shock did not set
her to express any more faint-hearted doubts, and, when Lord Northmoor
arrived the next day, the involuntary radiance on both their faces was
token enough that they were all the world to each other. Mary allowed
herself to venture on getting Lady Kenton's counsel on the duties of
household headship that would fall on her; and instead of being terrified
at the great garden-party and dinner-party to be held at Coles Kenton,
eagerly availed herself of instruction in the details of their
management. She had accepted her fate, and when the two were seen moving
about among the people of the party they neither of them looked
incongruous with the county aristocracy. Quiet, retiring, and
insignificant they might be, but there was nothing to remark by the most
curious eyes of those who knew they were to see the new peer and his
destined bride; in fact, as George and Freda privately remarked, they
were just the people that nobody ever would see at all, unless they were
set up upon a pedestal.
Mary still feebly suggested, when the marriage was spoken of, that it
might be wiser for Frank to wait a year, get over his first expenses and
feel his way; but he would not hear of her going back to her work, and
pleaded his solitude so piteously that she could not but consent to let
it take place as soon as possible. They would fain have kept it as
private as possible, but their good friends were of opinion that it was
necessary to give them a start with some _eclat_, and insisted that it
should take place with all due honours at Coles Kenton, where Mary was
treated like a favoured niece, and assisted with counsel on her
_trousseau_. The savings she had made during the long years of her
engagement were enough to fit her out sufficiently to feel that she was
bringing her own wardrobe, and Lady Kenton actually went to London with
her to superintend the outlay.
'Whom would they like to have asked to the wedding?' the lady inquired,
herself naming the Langs and Burfords. 'Of course,' she added, smiling,
'Freda and Alice will be only too happy to be bridesmaids. Have you any
one whom you would wish to ask? Your old scholars perhaps.'
'I think,' said Mary, hesitating, 'that one reason why we think we ought
to decline your kindness was--about _his_ relations.'
Lady Kenton had given full license to the propriety of calling _him_
Frank with intimate friends, but Mary always had a shyness about it.
'Indeed, I should make no question about asking them, if I had not
doubted whether, after what passed--'
'That is all forgotten,' said Mary gently. 'I have had quite a nice
letter since, and--'
'Of course they must be asked,' said Lady Kenton; 'I should have proposed
it before, but for that scene.'
'That is nothing,' said Mary; 'the doubt is whether, considering the
style of people, it would not be better for us to manage it otherwise,
and not let you be troubled.'
'Oh, that's nothing! On such an occasion there's no fear of their not
behaving like the rest of the world. There are girls, I think; they
should be bridesmaids.'
This very real kindness overcame all scruples, and indeed a great deal
might be forgiven to Miss Marshall in consideration of the glory of
telling all Westhaven of the invitation to be present 'at my brother Lord
Northmoor's wedding, at Sir Edward Kenton's, Baronet.' He gave the
dresses, not only the bridesmaids' white and cerise (Freda's choice), but
the chocolate moire which for a minute Mrs. Morton fancied 'the little
spiteful cat' had chosen on purpose to suppress her, till assured by all
qualified beholders, especially Mrs. Rollstone and a dressmaker friend,
that in nothing else would she have looked so entirely quite the lady.
And Lady Kenton's augury was fulfilled. The whole family were subdued
enough by their surroundings to comport themselves quite well enough to
pass muster.