Chapter 2 Troubles
In the next few days the Crawford siblings frequently met with the Bertram siblings.
Unfortunately for Henry, Miss Price was hardly of the party. Only when they were in the drawing room at the great house, he saw her.
He was hardly able to speak with her, for her aunt Mrs Norris seemed to watch her like a hawk. Henry had the impression that as soon as he would give her any attention, she would be sent off on some errand or other.
Therefore, he tried his best to only subtly look at her while continuing his conversations.
After one afternoon where the party had walked around the gardens of Mansfield Park, Henry and his sister were on their way home.
"I asked Mr Bertram and Edmund about Fanny Price," Mary said to her brother.
He turned his head toward her. "Oh yes? What did they tell you?"
"Well, I asked if she was out and at first they didn't know what I was talking about, but after some explanation they said she was not. They also told how she came to live with them. Her family lives in Portsmouth you know. Apparently they are quite poor and have a large family. Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram took her in to relieve her mother of one child. She has lived with them since she was ten years old. Her brother is in the navy. Edmund also said that she has always been quite timid, although with him she has always talked a great deal."
"Ah, this makes me think," Henry said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, about how that Mrs Norris treats her. It could be that she is forbidden to have contact with men who are not her family, because she is not out yet. Or, Mrs Norris wants her to remember that she is from a poor family and should not be treated equal to her cousins."
"How Mrs Norris treats her? What are you talking about?"
Henry sighed. He had not talked of his instant attraction to Fanny Price yet to his sister and she hadn't seemed to notice it yet either.
"Well, the first time we saw her, I tried to talk with her, but then suddenly her aunt sent her on an errand. Remember that she came to the parsonage, being fatigued from a walk in the heat?"
"Ah yes indeed. I remember. But I did not see anything extraordinary in that. Mrs Norris might have suddenly remembered."
"I don't think so Mary. You know my observational skills are quite good. The look that woman gave was positively vile. I think she didn't like it that I gave some attention to her poor niece. I also heard Miss Price say that she didn't want her aunt to see that I brought her home with the curricle, that same day. And, even though she must be about the same age as her cousins, she is never included in their outings. Don't you find that odd?"
Mary was quiet for a moment.
"It might be a little odd indeed, but then, I suppose, some distinction in rank and consequence must be preserved. However, they are all family and she did grow up together with them. Yet there doesn't seem to be any affection between her and the two girls. I believe Edmund was her friend when they were younger. Maybe it is odd. But that Mrs Norris is a very strange woman. I must say I don't like her at all."
"Neither do I," was Henry's quick response. "But I think I will keep my eyes open. Something is not right. It is not right to treat a member of the family as if she were a mere servant. Poor Miss Fanny Price."
"Ah, I see where this is going," Mary now exclaimed. "A beautiful girl has captured your heart. Or at least your eyes. If she is so very poor, do you think it's wise to continue any pursuit? That is, if you are going to pursue her."
"I don't know," Henry sighed. "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I can't help but being attracted to her. And even after the short time that we have her acquaintance now, something about her intrigues me. Not just her beauty. It makes me want to get to know her better. I want to talk to her and spend time with her. But at the moment that hardly seems possible. I have to think how I can proceed."
"Well, I shall leave you to your thoughts for the moment then," his sister said.
Some days later Mary told Henry that Tom Bertram was leaving the next day to go to the horse races in Ascot. He would be gone for as long as a month.
"You don't seem very sad about his leaving!" teased Henry. "I thought he was supposed to be your future husband?"
"I think he will be missed, but I find I can tolerate Edmund's company very well. He may be much more serious and the second son, but he is a very good conversational partner. His company will be able to soften the blow of his brother's absence. Besides, he has offered me to teach me how to ride a horse."
"Ah, horse riding with Edmund. Poor Tom will be forgotten before he is out of the county. But why the horse riding? Why now? You never allowed me to teach you."
"Well brother, that is because you're always too impatient. Besides, I never felt the need to. But Maria and Julia told me they go out riding regularly and I would like to go with them. The area ought to be outstanding in beauty."
Henry laughed. "Call it what you will, but I think it's just an excuse to spend time with Edmund."
Mary rolled her eyes.
"Well, I told you all this – about Tom's leaving I mean – because we have been invited to dine at the great house tonight."
Henry's eyes lit up. That meant that he would be another time in the company of the beautiful Miss Price. He hoped there was a chance of speaking with her this time.
That evening it was a merry party at Mansfield Park. Dr and Mrs Grant were there, along with Mr and Miss Crawford. Another addition to the party was Mr Rushworth, the betrothed of Miss Bertram.
Mr Rushworth seemed an odd fellow. He was full of self-importance and talked a great deal about his estate, Sotherton.
Henry didn't feel the need to talk much with him. There was no common interest between them.
Besides, during the meal he got to observe the man, who was sitting next to Miss Price. He didn't like what he saw. On pretence of reaching for a platter, Rushworth brushed her arm frequently with his. Henry could see Fanny's discomfort. She tried to move out of his way as much as she could, but still the man found ways to 'accidentally' touch her. Henry tried to gain his attention by asking a question about Sotherton. He was relieved to find Rushworth took the bait.
Fanny felt very uncomfortable. It seemed that Mr Rushworth's betrothal hadn't changed him at all. She disliked him strongly. He came always too close to her, touching her accidentally and he still stared at her.
When the family first got to know him, he had always been staring at her, with a look in his eyes that made her feel she was a piece of meat that was being appraised.
Mrs Norris had always been angry at her in that time. Whenever Mr Rushworth was near, her aunt had kept her close or sent her on errands. While she didn't like her aunt's treatment of her, she was grateful when that lady and Maria had started to refocus Mr Rushworth's attention to the latter. Maria had started to flirt with him almost aggressively and Mrs Norris kept finding ways to leave them together alone. It had helped in so far that soon after, Mr Rushworth had proposed to Maria and she had accepted him.
But if Fanny had hoped that he would cease his attentions to her, she was deceived. While it was true that he gave most of his attention to his fiancée, he still looked at herself in a way that made her shiver.
This evening was no difference. His behaviour during the meal mortified her. He scared her and she hadn't been able to eat much because of it.
She noticed Mr Crawford's eyes on her more than once and saw him also observe Mr Rushworth. There was indignation in his eyes. She wondered if he had noticed Mr Rushworth's unwanted attention towards herself. She was very glad when he seemed to try to distract Mr Rushworth away from her.
After the meal soon the men joined the women in the drawing room. Fanny knew that Tom detested the separation of the sexes which was common in most places.
Soon Maria and Miss Crawford were at the piano, talking about music and playing some every now and then. They were accompanied by Edmund. Dr Grant was talking to Lady Bertram and Mrs Norris. Mr Crawford was talking to Julia and Mrs Grant and Tom seemed to be the recipient of Mr Rushworth drunk talk. Apparently the man had already had too much brandy.
Fanny herself stood by the window. In a moment she would sit down to do some mending, but now she looked out, hoping to see some stars. Instead she found she was observing the people within the room through the reflection of the glass.
She had noticed Edmund's attention to Miss Crawford. He had asked herself if she wouldn't mind if he would use the mare she always rode, to teach Miss Crawford how to ride. Of course she had said yes. What else could she do? It was his horse after all. And she didn't want to appear like a jealous child by refusing it. She only hoped she would still be able to ride. Riding always became her so much better than walking. Edmund had already asked for the next morning. Her own ride would be later, after he and Miss Crawford would return.
In her mind she was imagining which route she would take when she was startled by a voice behind her. She slightly turned around to see Mr Crawford.
"Shall I fetch you a drink, Miss Price?" he asked.
She was surprised, but nodded. "Yes please, Mr Crawford."
But instead of turning around to get it, he waited and lowered his voice. "Miss Price, I believe you should be careful around Rushworth. And maybe you should lock your door at night, when he is around. I know his sort. Be careful."
Then he slightly bowed, turned around and walked towards the table with drinks.
Fanny was speechless and mortified. Why had he said that? She had thought that he had noticed Mr Rushworth's behaviour, but to go as far as warning her?
When he came back with her drink, she was still thinking of a response.
"Thank you, sir," when he handed her the cup. "And thank you for your warning. I will be careful."
He nodded and looked relieved.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't sure if I overstepped by telling you that, but I believe it is better to be safe than sorry."
"Thank you again." She was equally grateful and mortified. She hoped he wouldn't talk about it to others for it could ruin her. But she would be careful.
"Miss Price…" He was interrupted by Julia, who asked for his opinion on a subject.
"Excuse me." He bowed and then walked away.
Fanny herself went to her chair and then noticed Mrs Norris walking in. Inwardly she was relieved that her aunt hadn't seen her converse with Mr Crawford. It made the woman act almost the same as before with Mr Rushworth. She wondered if her aunt thought Mr Crawford was interested in her. He certainly acted differently. He seemed to want to talk with her. Mr Rushworth never bothered with that, besides some flirting.
Here she deliberately stopped her thoughts and concentrated on her work. It would not do to be reminded of Tom's two friends…
Henry was somewhat relieved that he had been able to warn Miss Price. He had waited until Mrs Norris was out of the room for a moment. He didn't want to take any risks, but she must be warned. He knew he must not talk about it with anyone else, for that would ruin her reputation. But he resolved to help her in some way whenever he could.
The ladies beside him were talking about fashion. It bored him. He looked around. He was wondering if they were going to play cards later. He might suggest it to Julia. He stood up to get some drinks for himself and his sister and Julia. When he came back he excused himself to talk with Tom. The man was a decent enough fellow. He seemed bored with Rushworth's attention so he might want some relief. Henry began a conversation with him about horses, which he himself could talk about for hours if he had the opportunity.
Rushworth left their side to get himself another drink and then sat down on the sofa next to Fanny, who immediately subtly tried to increase the distance between herself and the man. He leaned over to her and whispered nearly seductively: "Ah Miss Price. Such a pleasure to see you again." Henry noticed the way he looked the girl up and down.
He saw that Fanny tried to ignore him, but that seemed very difficult as he was so near her.
"What say you we play some cards?" Henry quickly asked Tom. The response was immediate.
"Ah yes, what a capital idea." Tom then addressed the whole room to see who was playing and to form groups. Rushworth also got into action and sought out Miss Maria.
Henry could see the look of relief on Fanny's face. He nodded understandingly at her and she smiled a little, but he could see she was still trembling.
"Do you play cards, Miss Price?" he asked in a low voice, but with a light-hearted tone.
"Not often," was her answer. "There is not always space."
"Would you like to play tonight?" He tried to sound not too hopeful.
She shook her head. "I don't think I could concentrate on the game. I prefer to do this embroidery tonight." He nodded understandingly, gave her a smile and walked to one of the tables that was now prepared. Two groups were going to play.
Halfway the game he was suddenly called from the other table.
"Henry, you know all about home improvement. You may be able to help Mr Rushworth with his plans for Sotherton." It was his sister Mary. "He's done a lot to improve at Everingham you know. Not to mention what he did to the Admiral's house in Twickenham."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
Now the rest of that table turned around to face him.
"I have plans to improve Sotherton you know. Especially the gardens need an update."
Henry nodded stiffly. He had heard Rushworth talking about it on different occasions that evening already.
"If you are as experienced as your sister says, are you willing to give me some advice? You could come over one day and I could show you around."
Before he could say anything, Maria exclaimed. "Yes, you should definitely visit Sotherton. It is such a beautiful place."
"I would like to see it," Julia said.
"We could all go over for a day to see it. What do you say, Rushworth? Isn't that a good idea?" Maria looked at her fiancé.
"My dear, what a splendid idea. I invite you all to visit Sotherton."
Rushworth managed quite well to hide it that he was fairly drunk.
Mary looked excited. "That is great. I look forward to see it with you all."
"Let's continue this game now," Tom said. "You can all make your plans later when I'm not around."
After a few games, Mrs Grant stood up and walked to her husband, who was still talking to Lady Bertram.
"My dear, I think it is time to go home."
He immediately stood up.
"Lady Bertram, it was such a pleasure to visit tonight. Thank you for your kind hospitality."
Mary and Henry also stood up. The bell was rung to ready their carriage and goodbyes were said.
Henry saw Fanny whisper something in her aunt Bertram's ear and then quietly exiting the room.
Soon the inhabitants of the parsonage were on their way home.
The two sisters chattered on while Henry was quiet. Dr Grant seemed almost asleep.
When they arrived home, Dr Grant excused himself. The ladies and Henry sat in the parlour for a while.
"Brother, you are very quiet this evening," Mary said teasingly. "What is the matter with you?"
Their sister laughed. "Why, can you not see? He must be in love."
"Henry? In love? That has never happened before. But maybe you are right. He is acting a bit strange these past days."
Henry sighed. Having sisters was not always easy.
"I'm not in love. I'm just thinking about something."
"Ah, something definitely must be wrong then. Henry and thinking!" Mary sounded mock dramatic.
"Ah Mary, leave the poor man alone. I'm sure he will tell us, when he's ready." The tone of Sophie's voice was not much less dramatic.
He stood up. "Well, my dear sisters, I will leave you to yourselves. I wish you good night." They wished him the same and soon he was in his bed, but sleep didn't come easily.
Was he in love? He knew he was attracted to Fanny. But in love? After so short an acquaintance? He hadn't been able to speak much with her at all.
She intrigued him. And somehow he worried about her. This was new. It was not that he was incapable of concern for other people's lives. But in general he was quite a selfish person. Each for his own. But Fanny and the treatment she received from her relatives did not leave him alone. He found himself wanting to help her, wanting to protect her. But how far he was willing to go in that, he didn't know.
His sleep was restless. Dreams haunted him. He saw Rushworth's slimy fingers all over Fanny. "Leave her alone, you filth!" He shouted at the man. Then suddenly he saw it was his own face. With a start he woke up.
He wasn't like Rushworth! How could he dream like that? Then he thought about his life. Before he came to Mansfield, he probably hadn't been much better. Flirting with engaged or married women wasn't much different from an engaged man flirting with a single girl.
But there was a difference, was there? The women he usually flirted with, were receptive of his attention. While Fanny was completely averse to Rushworth's attentions. The man's perverseness left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Was he, Henry, much better than Rushworth? How many girls had allowed his attentions, just because they didn't want to cause any problems? He knew the reputation of a woman was fragile.
He tried to shake his thoughts away and go back to sleep.
Eventually he succeeded, but the dreams came back. He saw Fanny's scared eyes when she looked at him.
"I thought you were different," she whispered.
"I'm sorry Fanny, I will improve myself. I promise."
When he woke up from his own voice, he found that the sun had already come up.
He didn't feel like going back to sleep. His mind was even more muddled than before. Perhaps a good long ride before breakfast would help clearing his thoughts. He got up, got dressed and was soon out on his horse, taking in his surroundings and trying to forget his dark and accusing dreams.