Having ascertained that Mrs Giles had all the domestic arrangements for the day in hand, Catherine rejoined Mr Burnett and her sister and they set off together for Hunsford. It was a particularly fine day and the pleasant walk through the grounds did not take long. Mr Jamison the rector was waiting for them at the church and ushered them into the vestry. There on the table were laid the original plans for the parish school and some local maps and drawings of the land that was to be used for the building.
The rector was clearly delighted that the school was to go ahead. A man of some learning and with progressive views, he had welcomed the decision that had made it possible and was happy to become involved in carrying out the plans.
"There is just one problem," he said, pointing to the map, "as you see, the only access to this piece of land at present is through the churchyard, which while it may not be of any consequence at first, when the numbers of students are small, may well pose a more intractable problem were the school to grow and enroll many more children in the future."
Of this, Catherine had not even been aware; it had never exercised her mind. She had hoped the numbers of pupils
would
increase with time.
Mr Jamison explained further, "The boundary of the church property lies alongside a lane that divides the Rosings estate from a freehold farm, which used to belong to a former steward of the estate, a Mr George Gross, who has since passed on. It is a private road. While parishioners do use the lane to attend church, there is no certainty that the owner will agree to let it become a public thoroughfare leading to the school," he said.
Catherine was dismayed. To have everything else approved and then to be confronted with such a strange obstruction was so frustrating, she was ready to weep. It was Rebecca who asked, "Who does hold the title to the farm through which the lane runs?"
Mr Jamison, being new to the living, did not know.
"Could we find out?" she persisted and Catherine remembered the pile of documents that Jonathan Bingley had sent her. "Perhaps there will be some indication, a letter or an agreement that will tell us," she suggested.
"If we could discover who owns it now, we might be able to negotiate an arrangement with them," said Rebecca, who was becoming interested in the idea; it was this type of business that she had enjoyed dealing with over many years, when she, Caroline Fitzwilliam, and Cassy Darcy had used their combined wit, charm, and influence to obtain for the people and especially the children of their district a range of useful facilities, by persuading or cajoling landowners and councillors to cooperate with them.
Promising to return when they had the necessary information, they left the church and retraced their steps. Back at the Dower House, they sat down to examine the documents that had arrived that morning, a task that so engrossed them, they were still working when Mr Adams and Lilian returned from their drive.
Frank Burnett and Mr Adams left them then, and the ladies continued their search, this time with Lilian's assistance. Her sharp eyes found a vital clue in a letter from an attorney at law, referring to the will of Mr George Gross, formerly steward at Rosings Park. It seemed the freehold property of Edgewater, gifted to Mr Gross at his retirement, had been bequeathed at his death to his grandson Mr George Grahame, who was then only fourteen years old. A note attached many years later by Mr Jonathan Bingley stated that Mr George Grahame had since moved to live in South Africa; his interest in the property was being looked after by an attorney named Gunning in the neighbouring town of Hallam, which was but a short drive from Rosings Park.
This information caused much excitement as Rebecca pointed out that if the owner no longer occupied the property, his attorney would be able to negotiate with them on the matter of the lane way.
Lilian agreed but Catherine was much less optimistic. "What if he turns out to be a crusty old man who will not budge, who insists that every i is dotted and every t crossed by his client before a decision is made? It will take forever to find Mr George Grahame in South Africa; the Lord alone knows where he is. We may never be able to get his consent, which means we cannot start work on the school. I had hoped to have classes starting in the Spring," she complained.
"Come, Cathy, it is not like you to be a pessimist," Becky chided her sister, but Catherine had little knowledge of such dealings and was immediately dispirited by the discovery that after all their efforts, the lack of public access to the piece of land could disrupt her plans.
Undeterred, Rebecca with Lilian's help gathered together all the relevant material on the matter, and later that afternoon, they set off to find Mr Burnett and arrange an appointment with the attorney Mr Gunning. However, prior to making the journey into town, Rebecca decided that it would serve their purpose well if they took a look at the property themselves and she made plans to do so on the morrow.
***
That night, Catherine waited until her sister had retired to her room and sought out Lilian in her bedroom. She found her sitting on her bed, reading some notes she had made in her diary, which she put aside as her mother entered the room.
The closeness of Catherine's relationship with her daughter should have made it easier to confide in her, but on this occasion, she became somewhat tongue tied and needed Lilian's help when she tried to tell her of Frank Burnett's proposal.
"Lilian, my dear, there is something I have to tell you… I would have spoken of it sooner, I do not wish you to think I was concealing it from you, but there have been many other matters which intervened… and I have been concerned about you after your accident, too… but now, I think the time has come for me to…"
"…Say that you and Mr Burnett are engaged to be married?" Lilian concluded the sentence for her and so startled her mother, she was speechless for a few minutes.
Seeing her discomposure, Lilian laughed merrily. "Oh Mama, did you think it was not apparent to us? Why, John and I have been speaking of the possibility for weeks now. It was so plain to both of us that Mr Burnett loved you, yet we did not know how you would respond to any approach from him. We talked of it; indeed we wished it were possible—"
Catherine interrupted her then. "Did you? Tell me, Lilian, truly, did you wish it? I know Mr Adams would, for they are good friends, but what about you? Would you be pleased if it were to be so? Tell me, my dear, I must know how you feel," she pleaded.
Lilian put her arms around her mother.
"Dearest Mama, of course I am pleased. John has known for some time that Mr Burnett, during his earlier time at Rosings, when you were under the protection of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, had an interest in you, which was cruelly suppressed by Her Ladyship, who ordered him not to pursue the matter. It was something they spoke of as intimate friends, when Mr Adams first confided in Mr Burnett about his feelings for me. Yet he said nothing to me, not wishing to compromise his friend, until very recently; indeed until after the accident, when we were speaking of the immense debt of gratitude we owed to Mr Burnett. Only then did I learn of Frank Burnett's feelings for you and how they had been renewed since his return to Rosings."
"Were you very shocked?" asked Catherine, still concerned that her daughter may have disapproved in some way of this association.
"By the revelation of Lady Catherine's interference, yes, I was, but not by the news that Mr Burnett loved you. Why should it surprise or shock me? Are you not the kindest person I know and most deserving of love in the world? Why should you not be happy? But tell me, Mama, do you love him as well as you did then? Are you certain that you
will
be happy together now, after all those years?"
Catherine looked into her daughter's serious eyes, understood her concern, and said, "Yes indeed, my darling Lilian, I am. I do love him now—far, far more than I could have when I was a young girl, for I can appreciate fully the extraordinary qualities that make him the fine man he is. He has helped me more than I can say and the depth of his feelings has given me a new understanding of love. Yes, I am happy, and even more so, Lilian, that you are pleased too, for my own pleasure would have been greatly diminished had it not been shared with you."
Mother and daughter spent some time assuring each other that no such circumstance was even remotely possible, before they parted for the night.
***
On the following day, once again accompanied by Mr Burnett, Catherine and Rebecca walked through the grounds, met with the rector Mr Jamison, and crossed the Hunsford churchyard into the lane that marked the boundary of Rosings Park.
Approaching the old iron gates of the property known as Edgewater, it was clear to them that the property was unoccupied; the grounds, though not extensive, did not appear to have been cared for to any extent, as drifts of early Autumn leaves blowing across the lawn testified.
Attached to the locked gates was a notice, which announced that the property was available for lease. Interested parties were invited to inspect it by contacting the caretaker, and anyone who then wished to sign a lease was urged to see a Mr Gunning, attorney at law in the town of Hallam.
Becky Tate turned to her companions with a gleam in her eye.
"If the property is available for lease, it is surely unlikely that the owner will make much of the matter of schoolchildren using the lane way," she said.
"Ah," said Mr Jamison sagely, "that may be so, but whoever leases the property may very well object and refuse permission. Many people, especially those who are unfamiliar with the area, assume that children from the village are thieves and rascals; they may be accused of trespass."
Catherine was disappointed and Rebecca appeared exasperated, but only for a moment or two; then, turning to Frank Burnett, she said, "Mr Burnett, I do believe we need to see Mr Gunning sooner than next week. If you will be so kind as to drive us in tomorrow, I think I should like to lease the property myself."
"Becky!" Catherine was astonished. "You cannot possibly do that!" she protested.
"Why not? I shall need a place of my own when I move out of the house in London, and this is as good a place as any I am likely to find in the area."
"But you have not seen the house yet. It may well be too large or a complete ruin inside," said Catherine, betraying her rising anxiety about this sudden turn of events.
"Oh, I think not, Mrs Harrison," said the rector. "I understand the property is regularly inspected and is in good condition. My housekeeper knows the caretaker and his wife well, and if Mrs Tate wishes, we could apply to see the house, as this notice invites us to do."
"Of course," said Becky, "let us do so now, why delay any longer?"
She rang the rather rusty bell at the gate to summon the caretaker. The man arrived, a cheerful old fellow with a large bunch of keys, and having heard of their interest in the property, he admitted them and took them around the house to the front door.
It was quite a substantial house, but compact and well-built in early Georgian style, with a pair of bay windows, which must have been added some time later, looking out across the lawns towards the small natural lake that gave the property its name. Despite having been unoccupied for some time, it was generally in good order and Rebecca soon became convinced that it would suit her well.
"It is rather large for me, I will admit, but then, I shall bring some of my staff with me and I have no doubt we shall have visitors to stay," she said cheerfully.
The grounds left something to be desired, it was true, but the house, it was agreed by all, was far from neglected, being both solid and reasonably well appointed, though not extravagantly so. The traditional colour schemes were pleasing enough and though there was not a lot of good furniture, that did not trouble Rebecca, who had a house full of fine furniture in town.
With barns, outhouses, and stables screened from view by a shrubbery and a well-cultivated kitchen garden, it appeared to be a good proposition, and even Catherine's initial reservations began to abate as they walked around the property.
Becky grew more enthusiastic with every step.
Having thanked the caretaker and ascertained that there had been as yet no offers for the place, they determined to go into town on the morrow and meet with the attorney Mr Gunning.
***
That evening, Mr Burnett called to see the ladies and report that he had sent a message by telegraph to Mr Gunning indicating Mrs Tate's interest in the property and suggesting an appointment for half past ten.
Becky was most impressed. "Well done, Mr Burnett. I am keen to settle this business. If the lease price is reasonable, I intend to sign up immediately," she said, but Catherine still harboured some doubts.
After dinner, when Lilian and Becky had both simultaneously discovered how tired they were and retired upstairs, leaving them together in the parlour, she expressed her fears to Mr Burnett.
"I do wish I could be as certain as Becky is that this is the right way to proceed. I would hate to think she is doing this only to help me with the school. Should all our plans go awry, I fear she may lose a lot of money," she said anxiously.