The Five-Minute Marriage (2 page)

The fifteen-year-old Miss Lydia Browt
y
had no great talent for music, but she was a painstaking child, and devoted to her teacher; Delphie was pleased to find how assiduously she had been practicing, and the lesson went well. It was always a pleasure, too, for Delphie to have a chance to play the Browtys
’
pianoforte, which was an extremely handsome and brand-new instrument from Broadwoods with a most excellent tone. Mr. Browt
y
, a nabob who had acquired a very comfortable fortune during twenty years in Calcutta, had recently returned home to establish himself in town and enjoy the fruits of his labors. He was a widower, his wife having succumbed to the adverse climate of the East, but had two daughters in their teens who were delighted to be removed from the young ladies
’
seminary to which they had been dispatched at an early age, and to provide the necessary feminine element in their Papa
’
s London establishment.

At the end of Lydia
’
s lesson (Miss Charlotte being confined to bed with a cold) Mr. Browty himself came surging into the large and elegantly appointed music room, as if he had been waiting impatiently for the sounds of singing to die away.

“
Hey-day, Miss Carteret! How d
’
ye do! Good day to ye! (No need, indeed, to ask how you do, eyes sparkling like diamonds as usual!) How
’
s my Lyddy coming along, now? Learning to tirra
-
lirra like a regular operatic signorina, is she, hey?
”

Delphie truthfully replied that Miss Lydia was taking great pains with her music and making excellent progress, at which the fond father beamed affably on pupil and teacher alike. Delphie smiled back at him. She had a great liking for Mr. Browty, who, in spite of his large fortune and impressive City connections, was a plain, unassuming man. His complexion was somewhat
yellow
, due to his years in the East, and his thick hair was grizzled to a salt-and-pepper color. He was not handsome, but his eyes were clear and direct, and his expression both shrewd and good-natured. He was far from fashionable: today he wore a full-skirted coat of drab-colored broadcloth, drab knee breeches, and old-fa
shioned squar
e buckled shoes, with a white neckcloth and a mustard-colored waistcoat, whereas his daughters French cambric dress was in the height of the current mode.

“
Hark-ee, Miss Philadelphia—hey, hey, shouldn
’
t call you that, should I—to tell the truth I caught the trick from Puss here—
’
Delphi
e
said calmly that nothing could give her greater pleasure and it made her feel quite like one of the family.

“
Just what
I
feel too,
”
he said, beaming,
“
and what I had in mind when I took the notion to approach you with this plan—
”

“
It was
my
idea, Pa!
”
interjected Miss Lydia.

“
Hush, Puss, and let me make all plain to Miss Carteret without any roundaboutation. The gals and I, Miss Carteret, have taken a notion to run over to Paris next Tuesday, for a few weeks, now the wars over and we can all get about again with Boney safe under hatches. And what we are hoping is that you might see your way to come along with us, so the girls need not miss their lessons. Not only that—we
’
d value your company, for I
’
m but a creaky old stick when it comes to escorting the young misses around, and know little of museums and milliners and such feminine fripperies. Whereas you are quite the lady and can tell my pusses how to go on in every kind of way.

“
Besides which, Lyddy tells me you speak capital French, while I can
’
t parleyvoo to save my life, and I don
’
t believe Lyddy and Charlie are much better, despite all those years at Miss Minchin
’
s! So how about it, hey? Will you give us the benefit of your presence, Miss Philadelphia? We
’
d dearly like to have you with us. I
’
d guarantee to treat you as one of my own, and,
”
Mr. Browty said emphatically,
“
you
’
d not lose on it, for I
’
d reimburse you on any lessons you
’
d be obliged to miss over here. I
’
m very certain you deserve a little holiday, so hardworking as you are!
”

Philadelphia was extremely touched, and said everything that was proper. She would have loved to visit Paris, which in 1815, was the gayest city in Europe. But with considerable regret she informed Mr. Browty that it was quite out of her power to leave London at present, since her mother, who had had a sharp illness during February and March, was still far from well, much pulled
-
down, and in no condition to be left.

Both Lydia
’
s and Mr. Browty
’
s faces fell very much at this information.

“
You are quite sure, Miss Carteret? You couldn
’
t leave her, even for a couple of weeks?
”

“
I am deeply sensible of your kindness, Mr. Browty, and more sorry than I can say to be obliged to forgo such a treat. But indeed, I cannot leave my mother. It is not only that she is ill and weak. But, since her illness, her—her good sense has been somewhat affected, so that she cannot be relied upon not to do exceedingly odd and awkward, not to say even downright dangerous things. Last week, for instance, while I was away giving a lesson in Hampstead, she somehow contrived to slip out, went to Fordham
’
s Stores, and ordered enough provisions for an Assembly Ball, which she seemed to be under the impression that she was about to hold! Fortunately she had neglected to give them our direction, so when I learned what she had done, I was able to countermand the order before they had discovered where to send the things.
”

Mr. Browty laughed heartily at this disclosure, and said,

“
But could you not hire some reliable person to look after your mother, Miss Carteret? It is too bad that you must be burdened with such an anxiety while you are teaching as well.
”

“
I am afraid that would not be possible,
”
Philadelphia replied in a dispirited manner.
“
You see, for a start, my mother will mind no one but me—though indeed, she does not always mind me either.
”

She had been about to explain, also, that their circumstances did not permit of such an expense, but, glancing at Mr. Browty, she decided to remain silent on that head. He was so good-natured that it was quite possible he might offer to assist them, and Delphie, who had inherited considerable family pride, as well as her distinguished good looks, from her mother, could not bear the idea of accepting charity.

“
Excuse my asking this question, Miss Carteret, but have you no friends—no relatives—who could give you assistance during your mothers illness?
”

“
No,
”
Delphie answered firmly.
“
We have not, sir. My mother and I are alone, and are supported solely by what I can earn from giving music and singing lessons. That has hitherto been quite sufficient—but—but my savings were somewhat depleted by her illness. Now she is recovered, matters will soon be in a better train, however.
”

“
Your father, I take it, is no more?
”

“
No, sir; he was a captain in the Navy, and died in the Battle of St. Vincent, when I was only four years old. I do not remember him very well.
”

“
He had no kinsfolk—no parents or relations?
”

“
No; he was an orphan, making his own way in the world. That is why when—when my mother fell in love with him, her family forbade the match. It was a runaway affair—an elopement. And in consequence of
that
, my mother
’
s family quite cut her off, and have refused to have anything to do with her, ever since.
”

“
Can you believe it!
”
exclaimed Mr. Browty.
“
What a currish set of hardhearted skinflints they must be! There
’
s your aristocracy for you!—for
I’ll
be bound, from the cut of your jib, that they are aristocracy, amn
’
t I right, my child?
”

“
Yes, sir,
”
she replied, somewhat reluctantly.

“
What was your mother
’
s maiden name, if I may make so bold, Miss Carteret?
”

“
Papa
!”
exclaimed Lydia, blushing.
“
You are distressing Miss Carteret. It is the outside of enough! She may not wish to tell you these things!
”

“
Fiddlestick, Puss! Hold your tongue! Miss Carteret knows I only mean well by her, don
’
t you, my dear? I
’
m just wishful to find some way to assist her, that
’
s all. Nor I
’
m not going to thrust alms down her throat unwanted, she knows that too! Miss Philadelphia
’
s got a head on her shoulders worth two of yours, Lyddy!
”

Encouraged by this statement, Philadelphia said,

“
My mother
’
s name was Penistone, Mr. Browty. My grandfather was the Fifth Viscount Bollington, and had estates in the Peak district, and in Kent, which was where my mother was brought up. But of course I never met my grandfather. He died when my mother was quite young, and was succeeded by his brother, the Sixth Viscount, who, I understand, was of a very arbitrary and tyrannical disposition. He also quarreled with my uncle, my mother
’
s brother, who went into the Navy and was killed in the same action as my father; they were great friends, which was how my mother happened to meet my father, when he came to stay at the family home
.”

“
Indeed? There were no other sons, besides your mother
’
s brother?
”

“
No, sir; as I said, the title passed to my great-uncle. I presume he is still living. I do not know if he has children of his own. My mother has always been very reluctant to talk about her family. She felt it so deeply when they cut her off that she would sooner die than be beholden to them.
”

“
Do you, also, feel as deeply as that?
”

“
N-no, not quite,
”
admitted Delphie.
“
It did seem to me
—
since my mother would, in the natural order of things, have been able to expect a handsome competence at her majority—that it was monstrously unjust and unnatural that her family would not assist her in her illness; and so—and so when she was in very bad case I did venture to write off—
”

“
Aha, you wrote off?
”

“
But only received the briefest of curt notes back, rejecting my appeal as a piece of imposture. So I resolved to demean myself no more in that direction.
”

“
I dare swear I
’
d have done the same,
”
nodded Mr. Browty.
“
But—there
’
s a wicked, hardhearted, clutch-fisted set of penny pinchers for you! What did you say the name was, again?
”

“
The family name is Penistone, and my uncle is Lord Bollington, the Sixth Viscount.
”

“
Bollington—the name is familiar,
”
mused Mr. Browty.
“
Didn
’
t we meet a Lord Bollington—somewhere abroad, Puss? It sticks in my nodbox that we did—where would that have been, now?
”

“
Was it at the baths, Papa? At Bad Reichenbach?
”

“
Ay—that
’
s it—that
’
s where it was! I mind him now—a queer, sad old stick, full of odd freaks and fancies, like a cudgel with a hank of white hair atop, forever with some odd notion in his attic, and set on maudling his innards with every kind of medicine, always fancying himself at death
’
s door. I mind him well. Right, and I was able to do him a good turn that he needed sore, for his bankers
’
drafts hadn
’
t come through, and
my
name on a bill
’
s as good as gold from here to Constantinople.
”

“
I
’
m sure it is,
”
Delphie said politely, glancing at the clock on the marble mantel.
“
But—excuse me, Mr. Browty—I promised to return to my mother as soon as might be, and I am somewhat anxious about her—
”

“
In course you are! But, listen, my dear; write again, and this time, give
my
name as reference. I know you are no imposter, and Browty
’
s word is as good as his bond. Or no—better still—where does the old cull keep himself?
”

“
I beg your pardon, sir?
”

“
Your uncle, child—great-uncle—whatever he be?
”

“
Oh, Lord Bollington? He has several estates; but I believe that his main residence is in Kent, where my mother was brought up, at Chase Place.
”

“
Ay, Chase—that is it. I mind him referring to it now. To be sure, Chase—that was it. Ay, he and I grew to be close as birds of a feather, lying in those mud baths together—he
’
ll recall the name of Josiah Browty. Chase Place—very good! My sixteen-mile
-
an-hour grays can spank down there in four hours, or I
’
m a Dutchman. I
’
ll give you a note to the old curmudgeon that will make him sing to a different tune, I
’
ll warrant you!
”

“
But—
”
said Delphie, taken aback,
“
I beg your pardon, my dear sir, but what are you proposing?
”

“
Why, that I lend you my posting-chariot, supply you with a note of recommendation, and that you drive down to Chase yourself and beard the old put in his den! Take the bull by the horns, that
’
s my motto, and always has been, and a fair pile of feathers it
’
s fetched me!
”

“
But, sir!
”

Although this plan did have considerable appeal to Delphie, who was herself of a forthright and enterprising character, always apt to act rather than repine, she could see many objections to it.

“
In the first place—I cannot be so beholden to you! What have I ever done to deserve such distinguished—?
”

“
Pish, my dear! The chariot will be here, and the grays eating their heads off, for
I’
ll take the bays and the bigger coach to France with all the gals
’
gear—I was about to offer the use of the chariot, in any case, for you to take your Mama for an airing, now and again. And as to
deserve—
I
’
m well aware of the pains you
’
ve spent on Lyddy and Charlie, who
’
ve neither of them a note of music in their brainboxes—besides all the other things they
’
ve picked up from you in the course—all your ladylike ways and elegancies of behavior—
”

“
Nonsense, my dear sir—certainly not enough to earn the use of your carriage for at least two days!
”
said Delphie, blushing and laughing.

“
Say no more, Miss Philadelphia—my mind
’
s made up to this plan and I
’
ll hear no argufication! Why would that old skinflint loll there on his millions—ay, now I recall, he owns the coal under half Derbyshire—besides a hundred and fifty thousand in the Funds—he
’
s one of the warmest men in the country, my dear! Why should he sit there while you and your mother can hardly scrape ten guineas together?
”

“
Yes, it is the injustice of the situation that really puts me in a rage!
”
Delphie could not help bursting out, and Mr. Browty said approvingly,

“
Ah, I knew you was a lass of spirit! Now we
’
ll say no more at this present, for I know you
’
re itching to be off to your Mama, but I
’
ll write a note to his ludship and have it sent around to you in Greek Street, and I
’
ll tell Bodkin, my under-coachman (who is as steady a man as you need hope to find), and the postilions to be ready to wait on you whenever you say the word. And think nothing of coaching-inn fees or any other such expenses, my dear
”
—as she opened her mouth—
”
that will all be found, I promise you.
”

“
But, sir, how can I ever repay you?
”

“
Why, as to that, my dear—if you and your Mama come into your rights, you will be able to repay me with the greatest ease! If it weighs on your mind, as it certainly does not on mine.
”

“
But if I don
’
t come into my rights?
”
Delphie could not help saying.

“
We
’
ll concern ourselves with that another time!
”

Delphie endeavored to render suitable thanks—her head was somewhat in a whirl with the suddenness of all these plans—but Mr. Browty indulgently told her to run along and save her breath for arguing with Lord Bollington.

Lydia bade good-by to her preceptress with a warm hug and a little skip of excitement, crying,

“
Oh, it is the most romantical plan imaginable! I wish I might go along.
”

“
Much help you would be, Puss!
”

“
I wish we might be here to learn what comes of it! Can we not stay in England another fortnight, Pa, till Miss Carteret has been to see her great-uncle?
”

“
Nonsense, Puss! We have all our hotel reservations, and my man of business in Paris waiting on my arrival—we shall hear soon enough how Miss Carteret has sped. I daresay she will be good enough to write us a note about it.
”

“
Indeed I shall!
”
said Philadelphia.
“
And I am
very
much obliged to you.
”