Elizabeth continued as if I had not spoken, ‘You and I can look in on her when we take our daily exercise. Edward too will call if the occasion arises. She shall not want fordiscreetvisitors.’
I swallowed this information as if it were a bitter pill. Elizabeth had been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes planning! ‘But what if it is her time, and there is no one here?’
‘I have entrusted our gardener’s wife, Mrs Busby, to attend to her. She is the local midwife and has successfully delivered many babies in the village.’
‘Oh.’
‘Additionally—and this is the best part—she is disliked by the other servants and does not socialise with them. So there is no danger of her saying anything to them about Lucy.
‘She assures me she is prudent,’ Elizabeth continued. ‘And that she has been entrusted with several similar cases over the years and has not told a soul about any of them, and I believe her. Plus she has had her wages increased accordingly. So you see, it is very safe, and I have disguised Lucy’s presence admirably. It will be like she is not here at all.’
I wondered uneasily why Mrs Busby was disliked by the otherservants. ‘And what is my role in this performance?’
Elizabeth chuckled. ‘It is a bit like that, isn’t it? And rather fun organising all the actors—I feel like a theatre director! Your part is easy, Felicity. All you have to do is wear your special corset and complain about being tired and having sore ankles. That is generally what I do, as Edward will attest.’
My heart sank. By the sound of it, the die had been cast. We were at her mercy. All that remained was for me to swallow my pride.
‘Thank you. You appear to have thought of every detail.’
Elizabeth smiled broadly. ‘It is my pleasure. Now will you rouse Lucy to take some food? She needs to remain strong for her ordeal in the coming weeks.’
I went off dutifully to fetch my niece, feeling a bit flummoxed that Lucinda and I were to be separated. Should I refuse to stay at the main house? I was apprehensive enough about Lucinda giving birth as it was. Now the process was to be undertaken by Mrs Busby, a woman that Elizabeth seemed to trust implicitly, but no one else liked!
Yet what can I do?I thought.If it weren’t for the Austens agreeing to have us stay at Godmersham Park, Lucinda would be at a York nunnery.So I decided I would go along with the current plan for the meantime as I was under Elizabeth’s domain and had to acquiesce. But if Isensed anything untoward about Mrs Busby, I would speak up immediately to rectify matters!
***
Lucy was surprisingly calm (more so than I!) about staying alone in the cottage. I was reluctant to leave her and said so.
‘Do not fuss, Aunty Fliss. There are plenty of books here to keep me occupied, and Elizabeth has promised that Mrs Busby will look in on me three times a day. And you will be coming down to visit me as well. What with everyone poking their heads in the door to check on my health, I’m sure that I will have hardly any time to myself!’
Feeling somewhat reassured by her pragmatism, I attached my corset padding and left with Elizabeth soon after breakfast. She said my luggage would be picked up by the coachman and delivered later. Perhaps itwasbetter for me to be out of the way and not leaping to my feet anxiously every time Lucinda experienced a twinge. As Elizabeth said on our pleasant walk to the house, it would be another few weeks before anything happened regarding the birth, and I had my own part to play—namely creating the illusion of being eight months pregnant so everyone thought the child was mine when it arrived.
We emerged from a tree-lined lane, and the stately brickmansion of Godmersham and its outbuildings came into view. I drew a breath, for the house oozed wealth and prestige. Edward really had landed on his feet when he’d been plucked from the bosom of his family by Mr and Mrs Knight at age 12. From the humble rectory at Steventon to this!
‘There is a visitor waiting for you whom I think will make everything easier to bear,’ Elizabeth said, taking my stunned silence for angst at being parted from Lucinda.
I stared at her. ‘Who? Not Max surely?’ He would have had to have ridden like the wind. But he had surprised me before, so it was not out of the question.
But Elizabeth would not be drawn, saying I would find out soon enough. Indeed, as we approached the formal gardens, through a bricked arch, I saw a familiar figure strolling along the flagstones by a rectangular pond with a fountain. And when she saw me, her face broke into a wide smile.
‘Jane! Oh my goodness, what are you doing here?’ Giggling with glee, I ran to her as fast as my oversized belly would let me manoeuvre.
‘Elizabeth thought you might need some help with ... everything.’ We embraced as well as we could with my huge stomach between us. ‘Gracious!’ she remarked, gazing down at it. ‘This is going to be a large baby.’
We looked at each other and burst out laughing until Elizabeth reached us and hurriedly shushed us as the servants might hear. Sighing, I followed them into the house. Jane might be here to make my life easier, so why did I feel like everything was about to become more difficult?
Chapter 6
Godmersham Park
6 February 1800
Darling Max,
As you can see by the address, we have arrived! What a long and tedious journey it was to Kent! I nearly vomited several times out the carriage window, but you’ll be pleased to hear I did not disgrace myself. Lucy assured me no one would have minded as I am expecting, and that kind of thing occurs all the time. It did make me laugh, imagining all the pregnant women in England hurling out of their carriage windows. But ’tis true, expectant women are given much more leeway and, dare I say it, respect. Indeed, the deference people pay to you is astonishing. I lost count of the number of times I was bowed to by complete strangers, men and women. It almost makes me want to keep wearing the padded corset after the event!
Anyway, our journey is over now, thank goodness. And I am writing to you from the pleasant front parlour of Godmersham. I won’t bore you with describing the furnishings, but suffice to say, it is a lovely room and most elegantly decorated. There is a fire burning away merrily in the grate, for it is a cold, bleak day outside.
