Eleanor knew she could have said much, and she did long to say a little in defence of her friend Catherine, and of Henry’s attachment to her, but her sense of personal respect for her father prevented it. Besides, he would only offer an angry tirade, and if he punished her by keeping her at home and restricting her letters, then she would never find a husband to take her from Northanger. She made no reply, and Lord Vaughan avoided her eye as he left with the general.
How humiliating to be reprimanded, and in front of the viscount, in front of a friend.
As Eleanor went to Alice’s room, she wondered how much General Tilney’s overbearing behaviour and unreasonable temper was acknowledged amongst her friends. At least here at Welland there were other people to distract him, and she was not always subject to his petty demands about household cares or had her every decision criticised. When they returned to Northanger, there would be no one to turn to, not now that Henry was expelled.
“This arrived for you yesterday,” Alice said cheerily as she held out a letter. “I did not have the chance to give it to you without your father knowing before now.”
She read it eagerly. “Catherine has had a good cry over not being able to marry Henry soon, but she is happy in the knowledge of his affections and is eager to be my sister.”
Eleanor read through the letter while Alice complained about not being able to go out of doors to write.
“I accomplished not one thing this rainy day,” she said, falling back on the bed. “My mother was always finding me, or some guest was coming into the room. It is like winter in town when I can never be alone. Between engagements and not being able to go outdoors, I have to keep all of my ideas in my head. Dreadful. Of course, I do like having you here, you know.”
“Are you certain that you do, Alice?” she teased. “Am I not a nuisance to you, always interrupting you and forcing you to walk or talk with me when you had rather be writing a novel that shall set the Thames on fire?”
“That is exactly what I would do, but my brother and father would never send a manuscript to a publisher for me, and how many unknown women could be published without help?”
“I think if anyone could, it would be you.”
She smiled at Alice, and wondered what it must be like to have an interest, a hobbyhorse, a passion that was so encompassing as that. She often envied Philip’s freedom to pursue his interest in mathematics. Even if she had one, her father’s constant demands at Northanger would mean she would often be taken from pursuing it. Sighing, Eleanor read that Catherine’s letter closed with the earnest hope that General Tilney would soon relent, that affection for his son and wishes for his happiness must soon overcome the general’s dislike of her.
“Oh, Catherine,” she whispered. That would never happen. Perhaps if Eleanor married well, if she were Lady Sudbury, her father might be so pleased by it that he would allow Henry to marry where he liked.
“Alice, would you help me in the coming days?” she asked as she folded the letter to hide in her pocket. “I walked with Sir Charles today, and I do not know how to encourage him.”
“That is because you are in love with Mr Brampton.”
She had certainly never said so aloud to Alice or to Philip.If I tell Philip, he might return the same feelings, and since we can never be together, it would only hurt us.Acting as though she had not heard, Eleanor said, “Mr Brampton agreed to encourage the idea that a man like Sir Charles should marry and that I would make him a good wife, but it would be unkind to take him up on that. My father is already considering the possibility, but the rest will be up to me.”
Alice leant forward with a confused look.
“Today is Sunday, of course,” Eleanor went on, “and it shall be a quiet evening, but perhaps tomorrow and in the days ahead you could...”
“I could what? Help you to flirt with Sir Charles?” Alice laughed. “What makes you think I would be any better at that than you would be? Do you see many beaux leaving their cards for me?”
“You do yourself a disservice. I have read two of your romances—”
“Novels,” Alice interrupted heavily. “They are novels, not romances.”
“—and you have an unrivalled imagination. Surely you can help me find a way to speak with Sir Charles alone or do something that will endear him to matrimony.”
Alice nodded slowly. “I have some idea, but it might be hard to do under the eyes of your father.”
Eleanor felt a nervous agitation settle in her stomach. She had not meant to imply anything scandalous. “What do you have in mind?”
“Do you trust me, my dear? Or perhaps a better question is, do you want to leave Northanger or not?”
Eleanor nodded. Everything she had seen of her father’s behaviour today made her resolved to do what she must to secure Sir Charles and establish some manner of life for herself.
ChapterSix
Sunday evening had passed quietly, and Monday was an equally tranquil day where everyone found their own amusements. Philip could not say what the others did, for he had found a room to lay out his calculations and tables, and did his best to attract no notice. He had heard at breakfast that General Tilney, Sir Charles, and Eleanor were going to walk together and discuss more modern improvements for Northanger.
And give Eleanor a chance to lean on Sir Charles’s arm and listen to him chatter.
“Brampton, you have nothing to add?” Dryden said as he rolled the wine coaster toward him. The men were round the table after dinner. Philip had tried to leave for tea half an hour ago, but Dryden had teased him for preferring the ladies, and he felt obligated to stay. “No pretty milkmaid or washerwoman offering something extra?”
Philip merely shrugged and refilled his glass. He almost preferred listening to the vehement arguing over politics that had preceded this indecent talk.
