A Particular Circumstance Read Online Free PDF Page A

being handsome, reckless and an accomplished flirt. Now that his only brother was dead, Jane knew that Bertram often found himself alone. He had never quite managed to grow up and establish a long-term relationship with any of the young women he had charmed, and they had of course gone on to make worthwhile marriages, leaving him to his fate. He seemed destined to be a lonely bachelor.
    She sighed and signalled to Phoebe to take his coat and driving gloves and then she ushered him into the drawing-room , where Charlotte and Kitty greeted him politely.
    He seemed to have forgotten his earlier bad temper and said jovially, ‘And how are my favourite nieces? Well, I trust? Both of you are in fine bloom, my dears, as is your dear mama, of course.’
    Jane was pleased that both girls answered pleasantly and as soon as Phoebe came to say that Mrs Palmer was ready to serve dinner, took his arm and allowed him to lead her into the dining-room.
    It was different when they had been young children, she thought, observing the mature good manners of both her daughters. When they were children, Bertram always spoiled them with unsuitable presents, risqué jokes and all manner of dangerous games, some of which involved swinging them round and round until they were in a frenzy of over- excitement . After a visit from Uncle Bertram, it took all Jane Grayson’s self-control and patience to calm the girls before bedtime and only his brother Henry’s Christian forbearance prevented a family rift.
    Bertram was now tucking in to a plump roasted guinea fowl and glanced across at her to say appreciatively, ‘Very fine, my dear Jane. And how goes the world with you? What news have you, since I saw you last?’
    Observing his pleasant expression and obvious enjoyment of the meal, Jane returned his smile and offered him more wine sauce. Bertram was no longer the careless rake he had been when the girls were small. Still handsome, he was now inclined to be rather fleshy and as head of the family, a little more serious.
    Charlotte and Kitty were eager to tell him about the thunderstorm and the collapse of the chimney and all through dinner, he was regaled with descriptions and speculation by all the family.
    ‘So you see, my dear Bertram, our stay in Sir Benjamin’s house has not been without incident,’ said Jane.
    Sitting back in his chair, replete but censorious, Bertram decided to give his sister-in-law the benefit of his considered opinion on the whole situation.
    He was now much given to pomposity and as different from Henry Grayson as it was possible to be. He was relentlessly critical of every aspect of Jane’s actions and of the upbringing of her children and frequently bemoaned the fact that his brother had been so unwise as to marry a woman as strong as Jane Grayson and had been so unworldly as to take Holy Orders late in life, when he could have been comfortable as a country gentleman.
    ‘My dear Jane, none of this distressing experience would have happened had you taken notice of my advice and sought out a smaller and more modest residence, more becoming to the widow of a clergyman. I cannot think what possessed you to enter into the leasehold of such an expensive , gloomy pile as this. Poor Henry must be turning in his grave at your excesses.’
    None of this cut any ice whatsoever with Jane. She had always had money and Henry was not a younger son. He had also been wealthy and the living a good one. He had felt he had a vocation and she had encouraged him to follow his heart’s desire to preach the Gospel and to do good works. She knew that Bertram treated this sort of attitude with the utmost contempt.
    ‘After all,’ he argued, ‘what had it profited Henry to devote his life to God and die in his early fifties only to leave his widow wasting money in such a profligate way?’
    He sipped his red wine appreciatively while continuing to pontificate about the discovery at Westbury Hall and Jane’s folly in renting the property