A Woman of Influence (27 page)

Becky had been completely taken aback.

Despite the fact that she had openly admired Mr Harding for his forensic skill and genuine dedication to the cause of justice for the poor and powerless, she had not supposed he had formed an attachment to her.

Certainly, she had become aware on their second and subsequent meetings, when he had greeted her with utmost cordiality, that he took pleasure in her company. Their conversations, when they had ranged beyond the unhappy fate of the Rickmans, had been interesting and agreeable. When he called on her at her hotel and invited her to a dinner party at his house, an invitation which, for very sound reasons, she had politely declined, she had no doubt of his being exceedingly disappointed.

Yet he had been very gentlemanly in his response, expressing the hope that perhaps he might be more fortunate on another occasion. Becky had been sensitive to his attentions and perceived some degree of partiality in his attitude towards her, but had assumed, too readily perhaps, that it was a mere transient attraction, a harmless fascination that would soon dissipate and most likely disappear when she returned home to Kent.

She had known similar circumstances before while working with her husband on political campaigns, but they had always amounted to little more than fleeting verbal dalliance.

That it might lead to a proposal of marriage, one couched in such serious terms, had never even entered her mind.

She could not deny that after the initial sense of shock, the realisation that a personable and prosperous young man some five years her junior had seriously contemplated the prospect of marrying her did bring some pleasure. It was certainly very flattering, but no more. Her own initial interest in him had lasted only a very little while, subsiding quickly into indifference, as other matters had demanded her attention, making it easier for her to reject his proposal.

The time taken to compose her letter of refusal was mainly on account of her wish to give as little offence as possible. She had no desire to hurt John Harding's feelings, not only because she was by nature kind and unwilling to upset someone she liked but also because she was conscious of his continuing role in obtaining a pardon for William Rickman. It would not do to jeopardise the success of something so important to Alice and her son, Becky decided.

How to reject an unwelcome proposal, from a man she admired but did not love, without appearing to affront the gentleman himself, had been the cause of several sleepless nights and many torn-up sheets of note paper. But finally it was done and in the post.

Returning from the village, she asked the driver to take the road through Rosings Park, intending to stop at the Dower House. When she got there, however, she found Catherine had gone out to the parish school.

Directing the driver to take the vehicle back by the main road to Edgewater, Becky decided to walk through the grounds to the school. It was not a long walk, and she had always enjoyed the crunch of Autumn leaves underfoot.

She was almost halfway there when she saw in the distance the figure of the local constable, Mr Hodges, unmistakable in his uniform, coming towards her through the trees.

Becky froze. What was he doing in Rosings woods?

Her thoughts flew instantly to William Rickman, who was working that day at Rosings, where the demolition of the burnt-out wing was proceeding apace. She was sure Constable Hodges was on his way there.

Turning around before he could see her, Becky walked swiftly back part of the way and then struck out through the old rose garden, taking a little used path and entering that part of the estate where work was in progress. There, she sought out Frank Burnett and warned him of the approach of the local constabulary and her fear that Rickman may be in danger of apprehension.

"If they were to find him here, Frank, they would take him away and lock him up, and who knows when his wife and son would see him again," she said, and Frank Burnett, practical as ever, asked no further questions but, going directly to where Rickman was working, had a word in his ear and despatched the young man on an errand into the east wing of the house.

As Mr Burnett returned to Becky's side, Constable Hodges was seen approaching them, but to her immense relief, he appeared to be just passing through. He greeted them, made a remark about the unseasonably mild weather, and went on his way, leaving her a little breathless.

As the constable passed out of sight, Frank Burnett asked, "You do realise you cannot hide him forever, do you not, Becky? If he does not get that pardon, he will be a wanted man, and if you conceal him, you will be breaking the law, too."

"But what can I do, Frank? I cannot refuse to help them. If they take him away, what will become of Alice and young Tom?" she said.

Frank Burnett looked very grave.

"Well, I should write to your friend Mr Harding and urge him to expedite the matter of Rickman's pardon. It is the only way to save him."

Becky groaned, realising that the letter she had posted an hour ago may well have destroyed William Rickman's chance of a pardon. After all, she knew very little of John Harding's character; although he had been amiable and friendly towards her, now she had rejected his offer of marriage, how would he respond?

What if he lost interest in the case altogether? What if he was a vindictive man and informed the police of Rickman's presence in the area?

Frank Burnett, seeing her obvious distress, urged her to step inside the building and rest awhile, but Becky was reluctant to do so and insisted on returning home, whereupon he insisted upon accompanying her, stopping
en
route
at the schoolhouse to advise Catherine of the situation.

"My dear, I think your sister is unwell. It's nothing serious, probably just the exertion of a long walk and the shock of seeing Constable Hodges in Rosings woods," he explained and, not wishing to alarm her, added, "She was afraid he had come for young Rickman, but in fact he was just walking through the woods."

Catherine came out and, seeing Becky's pale, anxious countenance, decided to take her sister home to Edgewater, while her husband returned to Rosings.

There, sending for Nelly to help her mistress undress, Catherine urged her to rest awhile, promising not to leave her. She was in no doubt that Becky was feeling depressed. She sat with her while she rested and later took a cup of tea.

Then, without any prompting, Becky revealed what was troubling her, showing Catherine Mr Harding's letter and a copy of her response.

"I had no idea he had formed any attachment to me, Cathy; I certainly gave him no encouragement," she said, having explained the circumstances of his proposal and her rejection of it.

Catherine was not entirely convinced.

"Are you quite sure, Becky dear? I do recall you were very generous in your praise of Mr Harding after your first meeting. Is it possible he could have assumed that your quite understandable esteem could mean that you might welcome his proposal? It is, after all, a perfectly proper offer, and nothing in your circumstances or his own would stand in the way, if you were inclined to accept him."

Catherine had quite deliberately put a point of view, one contrary to her own inclinations, hoping that Becky's response would reveal her true feelings. And it certainly did, for Becky was adamant that there was no question of her ever accepting Mr Harding's offer of marriage.

"Why, Cathy, while he may be handsome and eligible as well as being a clever lawyer, I hardly know anything about him, his character, or family; above all I feel no deep emotional attachment to him at all. Oh I know I said he was personable and attentive, which I do not deny; he was very good company as well. But I do not love him, Cathy, and surely you, of all people,
must know that another marriag
e without genuine love would be the very last thing I would contemplate."

Her outburst, sincere and passionate, did convince Catherine, and she put her arms around Becky as she continued.

"You do not believe I would make the same mistake again, do you, Cathy?" and Catherine did not have the heart to tell her that it was exactly what she had feared.

Instead, she did her best to comfort her.

"Of course not, Becky my dear, and in any event, I know how you love your life down here at Edgewater; I shouldn't think you would want to leave it all and go off to live in London, would you?"

Becky shook her head quite vigorously.

"Certainly not. It took me too long to acquire a place of my own; I am not inclined to leave it or share it, at least not unless it was with someone I could love very deeply indeed."

"And Mr Harding is not such a person?"

"Indeed he is not. You must believe me, Catherine; he is a clever and amiable gentleman, but I do not love him and could never marry him."

Catherine smiled and assured her sister she did believe her, but now a new anxiety assailed Becky.

"But, Cathy, what I fear is the nature of Mr Harding's response to my letter. What will he do about Rickman's pardon? Is it likely he would lose interest in the matter, or worse still, would he betray him to the police?"

Catherine could see she was genuinely troubled and was quick to reassure her, "Oh no, Becky, I do not believe that for one moment. Remember, he is also a friend and colleague of Mr Colin Elliott, as well as being a reputable lawyer. It would be unthinkable that he would, on some personal whim or because of his disappointment with your refusal, betray an innocent client, for that is what Mr Rickman is. If he did, how would he face his friends? No, Becky, I do not believe you need fear such a response at all."

She was very confident, and Becky appeared somewhat less distressed.

"Perhaps you are right, Cathy; I shall pray that you are," Becky said, and though she did not sound completely convinced, Catherine believed there was no further need for concern on that score.

Some days later, a letter arrived from Mr Harding, confirming Catherine's opinion. It was brief but served to set Becky's mind at rest. He wrote:

He followed with a paragraph explaining that the papers pertaining to William Rickman's appeal for a pardon had been sent to the office of the Lord Chamberlain. Two other Members of Parliament, one being Mr Colin Elliott, had allowed their names to go forward supporting the application. If approved, he explained, the pardon would be granted within a month or two, and he promised to advise her as soon as the outcome was known.

Concluding with his best regards and good wishes for her future happiness, he remained, he said,

Becky read the letter through twice, folded it and put it away, then unfolded it and read it again.

So great was her relief, she wept.

She could not have hoped for a better result. Mr Harding was, as her sister had predicted, a genuinely upright gentleman, and despite his disappointment, which he expressed without reservation, there was no hint of umbrage or spite in his words.

His attention to the matter of Rickman's pardon had been professional and effective, and his concluding salutation was generosity itself.

Becky was now ashamed at having suspected him of being capable of vindictiveness and even betrayal!

Contrite and chastened, she confided in her diary:

Not long afterwards, she retired to bed in a more contented frame of mind than she had enjoyed for many a day.

A WOMAN OF INFLUENCE

Arriving in London on a cold, wet afternoon, Becky and her maid Nelly were met by Dickson, the young manservant sent by the Bingleys, to transport them from the railway station to the Bingleys' town house at Grosvenor Street.

Thanking him for attending to their luggage and protecting them as best he could from the rain, Becky asked if they were the only guests arriving that afternoon. She was wholly unprepared for his answer.