Chapter Four - Miss Bradley

Miss Bradley came from a family of good breeding but her mother had suffered a grievous mishap to her fortunes several years earlier. The family had been left in impoverished circumstances. Miss Bradley had been obliged to take up a career and had decided on the law as a suitable profession. She was but lately come to Meryton, there on the recommendation of a friend of Mrs. Philips and was determined to work hard, oblige her employer and do well. She was also determined that she would marry to better herself, as that was another method to improve her fortune and respectability. However, being a sensible young woman, she was also determined to choose her spouse wisely.

Miss Bradley was duly invited to dinner and came. When she saw Mair in his new dress, she looked surprised and raised her eyebrows before complimenting both Mair and Kit on their new dresses. Mair hoped that meant that she approved of the alteration in his appearance. He especially hoped so as he had had to endure an hour of Mason with the hot curling tongs before his hair had been restyled to Mr. Bennet and Kit's satisfaction. Miss Bradley was the perfect guest. She complimented Mr. Bennet on the dinner. She told Mrs. Bennet that she had heard many complimentary things about Mrs. Bennet's library. She did not devote herself entirely to Mair but had the good manners to engage both Kit and Mair in conversation.

After dinner, she had the great honour of Mrs. Bennet inviting her to visit the library. The gentlemen did not see them for some time after that. When they did reappear, Miss Bradley was holding a book. This again was a great honour; Mrs. Bennet rarely allowed her books to be taken out of the house by visitors. She was invited to sit next to Mair while tea was poured. She talked to Mair about the library and the works contained therein until it was time to go.

'When you have finished that, you may return for another,' was Mrs. Bennet's way of granting Miss Bradley permission to use the library.

Miss Bradley said her goodbyes with equal politeness to each gentleman and Mrs. Bennet.

'I like her well enough,' said Mrs. Bennet after Miss Bradley's departure, 'not as foolish as many of the other young women and therefore less entertaining but I like her well enough.'

Later she commented to Mr. Bennet 'She seems a pleasant enough young woman, Mr. Bennet, 'but she seems to be too sensible to be interested in our silly Mair.'

'Oh, Mrs. Bennet, will you never tire of calling your boys silly! I am sure that there are many other sillier boys around than Mair and Kit.'

'Name them,' Mrs. Bennet said.

'She was just as polite to Kit as she was to Mair although she did sit with Mair after dinner.' admitted Mr. Bennet. 'Not like Miss Bingley, do you remember how she couldn't take her eyes off John?'

Mrs. Bennet made no reply.

Mr. Bennet continued, 'I did see her looking at Kit once or twice during dinner. I hope she will not decide to pursue Kit rather than Mair. That would not do at all. I think Kit can do better than an attorney's clerk. Perhaps I should drop a hint to Miss Bradley.'

'I think you had best leave well enough alone. I did not see that she had any particular interest in Kit,' Mrs. Bennet advised although without any real hope that Mr. Bennet would follow her advice.

Mair thought that Miss Bradley improved on further acquaintance and would be pleased to converse with him regularly. He knew that his father was already considering her as wife material and he hoped that this would not hinder their friendship, He thought it unlikely that Miss Bradley was herself considering him as a prospective match and for himself was unsure about the idea of Miss Bradley as a wife. That he liked her very much he admitted to himself but to be only married to an attorney's clerk! Could he not do better than that?

Chapter 5 - Improving Mair

Mair consulted his list of improvements in the privacy of his own room.

Item 6, apparel, had been taken care of as had Item 2, the improvement of his hair but there was still much to do. Item 3 – the improvement of his body. He had added the thought of walking more to the list and decided to implement a regime of walking daily to Meryton as a way to accomplish this. Then there was Item 1 – the improvement of his complexion. He had looked in his mirror earlier and to his horror, had spotted two or three pimples. He did not wish Miss Bradley to see him with those. He had always ignored the advice of Mr. Bennet and his brothers about his face before, considering it unworthy worldly vanity but perhaps it was time to reconsider.

Accordingly, he went into the parlour where Mr. Bennet and Kit were seated, both engaged in reading gentlemen's magazines.

'Papa, which lotion would you recommend to remove these?' Mair asked.

'Oh! Gowland's Lotion, without a doubt. It is much the best remedy but you must only use it for a few days at a time.'

'And to improve my complexion?'

'Oh, Bloom of Ninon. It has worked wonders for mine,' Mr. Bennet said.

'No, No, Papa! Not Bloom of Ninon. I read recently an article saying that some of the concoctions used by gentlemen were quite dangerous. It advised against the use of lotions containing lead, and that is the main ingredient of Bloom of Ninon, you know. It said that it is most ruinous to the health if applied too often.'

'What nonsense!' cried Mr. Bennet. 'Why, I use it regularly and it has never had any adverse effect.

The two boys looked at each other for a long moment but made no reply. Mair wondered if lead could affect the brain and emotions. Could that be the cause of his father's frequent and dramatic outbursts and fits of the vapours? He made a mental note to read up on the symptoms of lead poisoning.

'Perhaps, Papa, we could go into Meryton today to visit the apothecary?' Kit suggested.

Mr. Bennet considered this. 'I cannot go as I am far too busy with Hill and the linen, but you may go if you wish. You cannot have the coach though, Mrs. Bennet will not allow it.'

'We will be happy to walk.' Mair answered quickly before Kit could start to argue with their father. 'The exercise will be good for us.'

'In that case, can Mason come with us?' Kit begged. 'For we may have a great deal of bags to bring back with us.'

'Oh very well.' He added. 'And you may as well bring me back some more Bloom of Ninon, oh and Rigge's Liquid Bloom and a pot of Pear's Liquid Blooms of Rose.'

'Which shade ofrouge, do you want, Papa?'

'Rouge?' Mair was shocked. He had read enough sermons moralising about painted men. Surely his father did not wear rouge?

'I don't know why you wanted Mason to accompany us,' Mair told his brother as they walked to Meryton; Mason walking a discreet few yards behind them.

Kit opened his eyes wide. 'You are such a ninny sometimes Mair. We will have lots of purchases and I, for one, don't intend to burden myself with heavy bags.'

'No, you intend to burden Mason with them.'

'He is happy enough to get out of the house and away from Papa for a while,' Kit said, ignoring his comment.

They continued the walk in silence until they reached Meryton. There were two apothecaries.

'Paynter's or Greenland's?' Mair wondered out loud.

'Mrs. Paynter, without a doubt,' Kit said.

Mair had no reason to disagree so they entered the shop. It soon became obvious why Kit wanted to patronise this establishment. Mistress Paynter was a stout, middle-aged woman with a respectable air but the young woman next to her had youth, good looks and a fine figure. Mrs. Paynter was attending to a customer but the young woman stepped forward to deal with them.

'Good morning, Master Kit,' she said, bowing slightly.

Kit giggled. 'Good morning, Miss Paynter.'

She turned to Mair. 'And I believe I have the honour of addressing Master Bennet.' She bowed again.

This then was Mrs. Paynter's son, who was the recipient of many admiring glances from the other male customers who were, apparently, browsing.

'What can we do for you today?' she asked.

Mair hesitated. He would have preferred to deal with Mrs. Paynter. He did not relish telling this handsome young woman the reason why they had come to the shop. Kit stepped into the breach.

'Papa has commissioned us to fetch him some more of your excellent Milk of Roses,' he said. He turned to Mason. 'Is that not so, Mason?'

'Indeed, Master Kit.'

As they left the shop, they saw Miss Bradley just a few paces away, coming towards them. Mair's first thought was to compare her to Miss Paynter, so much more the complete gentlewoman. His second thought was horror at meeting her with the guilty evidence of their purchases. She could not possibly discern the nature of the brown paper packages in the bags dangling from Mair's hands but still Mair's cheeks burned with shame. At that moment, he had no need of the rouge so highly recommended by his father.

Miss Bradley halted when she saw them.

'Master Kit, Master Bennet, to what do I owe the pleasure of this encounter, this morning?'

Was it Mair's imagination or did he hear a warmth enter her tones when she addressed him? Miss Bradley looked at him, expecting a reply.

'I, we,...' Mair stuttered. He never lied but he had no desire to tell Miss Bradley the truth. Miss Bradley quirked an eyebrow.

Kit came to his rescue again.

'We have been carrying out some commissions for our papa,' he said. 'Where are you off to, Miss Bradley? Finding an excuse to leave the office? I cannot blame you on a fine morning such as this.'

It seemed to Mair that Miss Bradley stiffened slightly at this suggestion.

'I am on a commission of my own.' He bowed. 'I bid you good day, gentlemen.' He strode away.

'He doesn't need to be so mysterious,' Kit said.

'I think that she shows a proper sense of discretion,' Mair said.

A few steps on, Kit remarked, 'I believe that Miss Bradley should buy some Milk of Roses. It might help with her freckles. She would be quite handsome were it not for those freckles. Oh and her red hair.'

'As if a gentlewoman would ever use such lotions. I thought you had learnt better, Kit, than to judge only by outward appearances,' was Mair's cold reply.