A Chance Meeting pt 4

Maria Lucas speaks her mind with a most surprising observation.

Part 4

For the next four days, Mr. Johnstone appeared like clockwork, at half past eleven every morning, exactly the time she was most likely to quit from her studies and turn to other pursuits. Some days, just to be contrary, she lingered another quarter of an hour, but it never proved very profitable. She stared at words and scratched her pen along the paper, but no real insights were gained or shared through the effort.

Through it all, Mr. Johnstone never complained nor even looked cross at being made to wait. He had even taken up a game of chess with Papa whilst he waited. Surely that was an intentional ploy to be that much more irritating. What else could it be?

When she finished her studies, she would knock on Papa’s study and hand him the volume, saying little to him and nothing to Mr. Johnstone whenever possible, which thankfully was usually the case.

Saturday morning though, she found herself particularly vexed by Mr. Johnstone’s presence and decided to pay a call on Maria Lucas to soothe her raw nerves.

Granted on most days such a venture would hardly have been a balm. Maria was more Kitty and Lydia’s friend than she was Mary’s and her attitudes and opinions matched theirs. But today, any company away from Longbourn was welcome.

Since Lady Lucas was already entertaining a guest, Maria suggested a walk through Lady Lucas’ gardens was in order. For all her other foibles, Lady Lucas was a remarkable gardener, able to coax the shyest sort of flowers from the soil and into the sun. The flower beds were arranged along a winding gravel path, ebbing and flowing in the spring sun.

“Who has called upon your mother? I do not recognize her.” Mary drew a deep breath, filled with the fragrance of many flowers. Bees buzzed among the stalks, their hum hanging in the air.

“She is the vicar’s sister, Mrs. Johnstone. She is visiting with her son from Heatherington Parish. I am surprised you have not met her.”

“No, I have not had the pleasure.” Mary scuffed her toes in the gravel.

“Kitty said that Mr. Johnstone has been calling upon your father nearly every day, I should have thought—” There it was, that wheedling tone, trying to pry information without actually asking anything.

“Well your thought was wrong.”

“Gracious, you need not snap at me so. It is not as if I have said anything untoward. What is making you so touchy? Have you not been introduced to Mr. Johnstone? I hear he is quite handsome.” Maria leaned over to look into Mary’s face.

Mary turned away. “I do not find him so.”

“Really? Then you have met him.”

“He has been to see my father. Of course I have met him. And I am singularly unimpressed.” Mary pressed forward along the path.

Tall stalks leaned across the path, as though reaching to brush shoulders with her. Some of them showered her with petals as she walked past. How welcome they made her feel.

Unlike Maria.

“Then you seem to be the only one in town of that opinion. All the girls are wild to be introduced to him.” Maria clasped her hands and bated her eyes, as though longing for just such an introduction.

“I do not see why.”

“They you surely cannot see past the end of your nose. Just yesterday he brought his nieces and nephews into town for a trip to the confectioner. You should have seen him with the children. I cannot imagine a dearer sight to behold. He was so kind and gentle with them. Even you would have been impressed.”

Mary paused mid-step. “Indeed? I would never have expected such a thing.”

“Nor, I imagine would you have anticipated the kindness and deference he shows to his poor mother who is half deaf and blind and walks with a cane. He is the picture of patience and grace with her.” Why did Maria have to wear such a smug expression?

“It seems as though we are talking about two entirely different men.”

“It does, does it not? How have you found him to be?” There was that gossipy plea again.

“Very different from what you describe.”

“How? Tell me?” Maria stepped directly in front of Mary and blocked her steps.

“No. No, I fear that would become gossip very quickly and I do not want to venture into that.”

“There you go again, moralizing to everyone. How interesting, when it seems that perhaps you have judged someone unfairly.” Maria crossed her arms over her chest, a triumphant glimmer in her eyes.

“Pray excuse me, I should go.” Mary curtsied and turned away, hurrying as fast as she could away from Maria and Lucas Lodge.

Maria may have called after her, but it was hard to tell with the storm of thoughts in her mind.

Was it possible all that Maria said was true? Why would she make it up though? Maria was the last person to go out of her way to find positive things to say about someone one. Was that not why Mary sought her out today, to find someone who might share her low opinion of Mr. Johnstone, even if Maria had not met him herself.

The field grasses whispered along the hem of her skirts, little burrs catching at her hem and tugging her back. Mary’s eyes burned and her vision blurred. How humiliating, to be shown so in want by Maria Lucas.

Mary had always prided herself on her propriety and penchant for proper thought and behavior next to Maria, Kitty and the other girls of their cohort. And now to be shown wanting next to her? The shame of it, it was almost too much.

Mary sat down on the stile step. Not almost too much, it was too much. She covered her face with her hands and wept. Everything she looked down upon and disliked the most, she had become. Judgmental, gossip mongering, self-righteous. Those vices which she had not thought possible in herself, they were there in full force. And of all people it was Maria Lucas and Mr. Johnstone to make them clear to her. The shame!

The sun hung low in the sky when her tears finally dried. While cathartic, tears would hardly resolve anything. No, that would require more on her part. If she found fault with her own character, there was only one way that would change. She must face it and intentionally choose a different path.

At least she had worked not to be directly rude to him and had no public behavior to apologize for. That made it just a wee bit easier to face.

Just a bit.

But nothing more was to be resolved here, out in the fields. She dried her face with her apron and stood, brushing clinging grass blades away.

“Miss Bennet!”

She looked up and jumped back. “Mr. Johnstone!”

He seemed genuinely flustered. “Pray forgive me, I had no idea you were there. I should have looked more carefully where I was going.”

Yes, he should have, but that was a curt and judgmental thought. “There is no harm done. You had no reason to expect someone to be on the other side of the stile.”

He backed up a little and brushed his jacket. “Still, I should have been more attentive. Pray excuse me. I was rushing to return to my mother who is visiting at Lucas Lodge this afternoon.”

“So I understand. I was there not long ago myself, calling upon their daughter, Maria.” She looked over her shoulder toward Lucas Lodge.

“I was introduced to her this morning. She seems like a pleasant girl.” That was right thing to say, but was it really what he thought?

“She is a good friend of my younger sisters.”

He nodded and stared over her shoulder, vaguely uncomfortable.

Mary looked behind her. “Is someone approaching, I see no one there.”

“No, no, I am sorry, it is a bad habit of mine.” He worried his hands together. “I suppose there is no better way here than to be direct.”

“Excuse me.” Now it was her turn to stare.

“You mother has invited me to join you for dinner tonight. I have not yet made a reply, though.”

“I fear I do not follow you.”

“It seems we, you and I, have been on difficult terms since we met at the library.” He turned his eyes down toward his boots.

Mary swallowed hard and nodded.

“I can only guess that my presence at the dinner table would be unpleasant to you. I would not want to make your evening uncomfortable. I have already been trespassing upon your hospitality every day to make my studies. To impose upon you more seems the height of ingratitude.” How sincere he looked, staring mostly at his feet, but occasional glancing up to her face.

No better time than now to make good upon her resolve. She straightened her spine and drew a deep breath. “Pray forgive me, for I have been rather of a short temper recently. Maria’s sister, Charlotte, who is married to the vicar at Hundsford, has asked me for advice and I am not certain I am quite adequate to it.” There she admitted it. Let him hate her for it if he dared, but the truth was out now.

His lips twisted into a wry little half-smile. “Since she is seeking your opinion on the education of the parish children, I can well understand the weight of the burden you carry.”

She pulled back a mite and looked directly into his eyes, but they did not contradict the soft and conciliatory tone of his words.

“Perhaps it is a burden we might share? If you would indulge me in a bit of conversation after dinner tonight?”

“I … I would be pleased to bring word to my mother that you will join us tonight.”

“Only if you would be pleased for my company.” His eyes were quite insistent.

“I … I would enjoy talking to you about our shared burden.”

He stared at her a moment longer and shrugged as though deciding to be satisfied with her answer. “This evening, then.” He smiled and bowed, then proceeded on his way toward Lucas Lodge.

Though he might think her answer odd, it was actually quite sincere. It would be a pleasure to talk to someone who truly understood what was on her mind and presumably cared about it as much as she. Moreover, it would be unique, perhaps the first time it had ever happened. And that could prove very interesting indeed.

She hummed a bit to herself as she hurried home to tell Mama to expect a guest for dinner.

Find earlier parts of this story HERE

As we come to the end of the month-and this story-tell me what you think in the comments! Edited to add: I’ve actually decided this one needs to continue on for a bit–looks like we’ve got a novella in the works, so come back next week for more!