After a lapse, Jane hemmed for something else to say.
“So, would you like to come up to the main house? We could wait for the gentlemen’s return and—”
“Yes!” Miss Heartwright hopped up.
Jane was pretty sure Miss Heartwright’s enthusiasm lay in the chance to see Mr. Nobley at the earliest possible instance.
Ick, thought Jane, as she realized she was turning out to be poor Fanny Price inMansfield Park—the plain girl, the lower-class girl, the one with no one to take her arm. But where Fanny had the backbone and self-respect to turn down that naughty nugget Henry Crawford, Jane’s past was littered with bad dating decisions. Fanny 1, Jane 0.
They strolled up to the main house, gravel crunching beneath their boots, wind teasing their bonnet strings.
“I’m sure my aunt will ask you to stay to dinner,” Jane said.
“I hope so. Mama will be fine alone with Hillary, and I enjoy the company of everyone at Pembrook Park so well. Particularly you, Miss Erstwhile.” She took Jane’s arm. “I hope we are good friends.”
If Miss Heartwright were any less perfect, that would have sounded laughable. But since she was flawless, it was merely exasperating. In an endearing way, of course.
A carriage coming up the drive spared Jane a reply. “That must be Aunt Saffronia and Miss Charming. Make haste,” Jane added, just because she’d always wanted to say that.
Amazing how the sight of any moving object was exciting when one lived in such a stifled existence. They hurried (in a reserved, proper manner) to greet the carriage as it stopped before the house, and then they were stopped in turn by the sight of a stranger emerging from the door of the carriage.
Miss Heartwright dropped Jane’s arm and took a step back. Apparently, he wasn’t a stranger to her.
The man was six foot two or taller, deliciously broad, and dark-haired, with warm brown skin. He had a pleasant farm-boy appeal to him, though he also seemed at ease in his gold-trimmed blue uniform. What a perfect way to start her true Austenland immersion! Jane hoped that he was single—that the character he played was single—whatever.
He stood there, waiting, looking at the horizon. If Miss Heartwright knew him, society rules dictated that he couldn’t speak to her unless she acknowledged him first, and then it would be up to her to introduce him to Jane.
Miss Heartwright was examining the gravel.
Jane nudged her. “Are you two acquainted?”
“Oh yes, forgive me. Miss Erstwhile, may I present Mr. George East? Mr. East, this is Miss Jane Erstwhile, niece to Sir John and Lady Templeton.”
Mr. East bowed. He did it very well.
“How do you do, Miss Erstwhile. I am Captain East.”
“Captain?” Miss Heartwright’s voice squeaked.
Their eyes met, and then they both looked away.
“Oh,” Jane said, remembering how Aunt Saffronia had spoken of a jilted man in Miss Heartwright’s past. And here he was, and captained now, apparently. “Oh, I mean, I shouldn’t keep you standing in the drive after your journey. My aunt is away, but please come in and sit with us.”
Was that right? Jane was fairly certain two unmarried ladies could be alone with a single man. Captain East made no protest and happily joined them in the morning room. Jane asked a maid to bring in tea (and felt pretty cool being the lady of the house for the moment), and very soon she and Captain East were having a lively conversation while Miss Heartwright, unusually quiet, sat still and straight in a chair.
“So there we were,” said the captain, “one lone British ship surrounded by four French warcrafts, no help in sight. The captain dead on the deck, the crew terrified. ‘Surrender!’ came the shout in that grating French accent. ‘Never!’ said I. I will admit to you, Miss Erstwhile, I was very much tempted, but I had to hearten my men. ‘Never!’ said I.”
“But why wouldn’t you?” asked Jane, trying her hand at being the eager woman hearing of the wide world from an adventuresome man. “There could be no dishonor in that, with the captain dead and your men so outnumbered.”
Captain East paused and looked at his hands, the remembranceof fake battles struggling beautifully across his actor’s brow. “I watched my courageous captain in a similar circumstance, and I will never forget his words: ‘When my British heart tells me what I must do, I do not fear to follow it through.’ ”
“Excuse me.” Miss Heartwright stood, a book tumbling from her lap. “I must go see how Mama is doing.” And she left in a hurry.
Captain East stood as well, as the Rules were pretty clear that he and Jane should not be together unchaperoned.
“I’ll call Matilda to show you to your room, Captain.”
“Thank you.” He smiled, taking in her face. “It is, Miss Erstwhile, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
