Chapter 5 Mrs Elton Comes to Highbury

 

The evening at Mr and Mrs Cole's house had been a very happy one. Emma looked back on it and smiled and so did Frank Churchill. He had enjoyed the dancing so much that all the next day he was thinking of how to arrange more.

When Mr Woodhouse and Emma called at Randalls the next evening, he told Emma his idea.

'The dancing we started at the Coles' could be finished here at Randalls,' he said,'with the same people and the same musician — what do you think?'

They thought it was a good idea. Mr and Mrs Weston were happy to use their house and Mrs Weston said she would play the music as long as they wanted to dance. Together, they added up the number of couples and then looked at the size of the two rooms at Randalls that could be used.

'Five couples — is the room big enough?'

'Perhaps the other room...'

'Should we also invite Miss Cox? And Miss Gilbert? And her cousins?'

Soon the five couples had become ten and Randalls was certainly not big enough for that. If it was so crowded, nobody could dance, they decided.

Frank did not give up the idea though, and by the middle of the next day he was at Hartfield to suggest another plan to Emma and her father.

'What do you think of having our little ball at the Crown Inn?' he asked.

They discussed the idea and decided it was a possibility. The room was much bigger and there was another room for dinner.

My father and Mrs Weston are at the Crown at this moment, looking at the rooms,' said Frank. 'They would like you to join them and give your opinion.'

Mr Woodhouse stayed at home but Frank and Emma went immediately to the Crown.

Emma and Mrs Weston thought the room was a little dirty

although Mr Weston and Frank did not agree. Someone

suggested asking Miss Bates to come and look, and Frank went

across to her house. Miss Bates and Jane came and looked at the

rooms and listened to the plan. Yes, they agreed, the Crown was

the best place for the dance and they all spent the next half an

hour walking from room to room and talking about the ball.

The only other thing to arrange was that Frank must write to

his aunt and uncle to tell them he was staying in Highbury for

another few days.

As people heard the news about the ball they were very excited. Jane Fairfax told Emma she was looking forward to it and Harriet talked about it a lot. Mr Knightley was the only one of Emma's friends who did not seem interested.

Unfortunately, a few days before the ball a letter came from Mrs Churchill. She was very ill, it said, and Frank must return home immediately. Emma was very upset when she heard the news. All their plans for the ball were ended and Frank was going away.

He came to Hartfield to see Emma and her father before he left for home.

'Of all the most horrible things, saying goodbye is the worst.' he said to Emma. He looked very unhappy.

'You will come again,' she replied.

'But I cannot say when. I shall certainly try, and then we shall have our ball.'

'And now there is no time to say goodbye to Miss Bates and Miss Fairfax before you go,' said Emma.

'I did call there on my way here. Just for three minutes,' he said. 'My father will be here very soon and then I must leave immediately. Miss Woodhouse, it has been a wonderful fortnight. I shall think of you all and dear Highbury. Mrs Weston has said she will write with all the news, but until I can be here again...'

He stopped and looked at Emma and she thought, 'He must really be in love with me.'

He was just going to speak again when his father arrived with Mr Woodhouse behind him and there was only time to shake her hand and say goodbye before he left.

It was a sad change for Emma. They had met almost every day that Frank had been in Highbury and now Emma's life seemed very quiet. That night she wrote in her diary, I suppose I am in love with him. I think about him a lot and everything is so very boring without him.

Mr Knightley was not sorry to see Frank go, but he was sorry that Emma was upset.

'You have so few opportunities for dancing, Emma. You are really very much out of luck,' he said to her.

In time, Emma told herself she was only a little in love with Frank. She was happy to hear about him from Mrs Weston an see his letters but she was not really unhappy without him. Soon she thought of him as only a dear friend. In his first letter he had spoken about Harriet.

'Please say my goodbye to Miss Woodhouse's beautiful little friend.'

Now that Emma was not in love with Frank herself, a little idea started to grow in her mind. She told herself not to think about it because, after Mr Elton, she knew match-making was a dangerous thing. But once the idea had come into her mind, she could not completely forget it.

Almost as soon as Frank Churchill left Highbury Mr Elton and his new wife arrived and suddenly everyone was talking about them. Harriet was unhappy about meeting them and talked about it a lot.

They first saw Mrs Elton at church but soon after Emma decided she and Harriet must call on her at her home.

Emma did not really like Mrs Elton. She seemed a little too comfortable, in a new place with new people. She was not very elegant, Emma thought. She dressed well and was pretty, but she did not seem a lady.

When Mr Elton came into the room he looked very uncomfortable, but Emma thought it was really bad luck for him. He had married Augusta, he had wanted to marry Emma, and Harriet had wanted him to marry her. And now they were all in
the same room at the same time.

The visit was short and, in time, Mr and Mrs Elton returned it by visiting Hartfield.

There, Mrs Elton talked a lot about her brother and sister and their house. She said it was a lot like Hartfield.

'This room is just like their drawing room! Do you agree Mr E? And the gardens! When my brother comes to visit us, we must all come to see your gardens, Miss Woodhouse.'

Emma liked her even less than before and Mr Elton had very little opportunity to speak at all.

'Is there a musical society in Highbury, Miss Woodhouse? Do you play?' she asked.

Emma said she did.

'We must start a little music club. It will be so amusing, don't you think?'

Before she could answer, Mrs Elton continued, 'We have just come from Randalls. What lovely people Mr and Mrs Weston are! He is quite a favourite of mine already! Mrs Weston was your teacher, I think?'

Emma did not have time to reply.

'I knew that and so I was a little surprised to find that she is such a lady. And who do you think arrived while we were there?' she asked.

Emma could not think of anybody to suggest.

'Knightley! Knightley himself! Was it not lucky? A very good friend of Mr E's! And I like him already. Knightley is quite the gentleman.'

Happily, it was then time for Mr and Mrs Elton to leave. Emma could breathe again.

What an awful woman,' she thought. 'A very rude woman. Knightley, she called him! A music club! And she was surprised that Mrs Weston was a lady! I do not like her at all.'

Mr Woodhouse was kinder.

A very pretty young woman,' he said, 'but she speaks a little too quickly. It hurts the ear.'

Dear Papa,' said Emma. 'You are too kind.'

 

During the next few weeks, Emma did not see anything to change her opinion of Mrs Elton. She was rude and thought herself very important, but Mr Elton seemed happy and proud of her. Emma wondered whether it was just because of the ten thousand pounds. Mrs Elton seemed to know Emma did not like her so she stayed away from Hartfield. But she became very interested in Jane Fairfax and decided Jane needed her help as an introduction into good society. Emma felt very sorry for Jane, who was more elegant than Mrs Elton could ever be.

One afternoon at Randalls, Emma, Mrs Weston and Mr Knightley were discussing Jane.

'Why does she stay here so long?' wondered Emma. 'She could go home to the Campbells and I cannot understand why she prefers to be here month after month.'

'If she stays, she will have to see Mrs Elton a lot of the time and I cannot believe she will like that,' said Mrs Weston. 'But perhaps she likes to be away from her aunt and grandmother occasionally.'

Mr Knightley agreed. 'And if there is no other person to be
with...' he said, looking at Emma.

'I know how much you like Jane Fairfax. Perhaps you like her
more than you realise,' Emma said to him.

'Oh - I see what you are thinking of. I am sure Miss Fairfax would not have me if I asked her, and I am also sure I will never ask her,' he replied.

Mrs Weston touched Emma's foot with hers.

Mr Knightley continued. 'So, you have decided that I should marry Jane Fairfax, have you?'

'Not at all,' said Emma. 'You were angry with me before for match-making and I had no idea of trying it with you. You would not come and sit with us in this comfortable way if you were married.'

Emma thought Mr Knightley might be angry with her if he thought she and Mrs Weston were match-making him with Jane, but she was surprised to see that he seemed a little amused by the idea.

I like Jane Fairfax, of course. But I have never thought of being in love with her. Not once,' he said.

After he had left, Emma said to Mrs Weston, 'Now, what do you think about Mr Knightley marrying Jane Fairfax?'

My dear Emma, I think he tries too hard to tell us he is not in love with her. I would not be surprised if he was. I may be right in the end,' Mrs Weston replied.