Oakland Park Part 4 regency novel

 

Lady Ann sat for a few moments gathering her thoughts rising from her seat she took the manuscript upon which she had been working and locked it away. Taking up writing paper she returned to her seat. Taking up her quill…

 

The content of the missive was one upon which she took a few more moments to contemplate before she began writing

 

The letter she was about to write was to a distant cousin Lady Sarah Fitz-Gibbon who’s husband a peer of the realm styled Lord Fitz-Gibbon held estates in the north of England.

 

The ancestral home been near York Lord Fitz-Gibbon was of an ancient and honorable lineage having an ancestor who had served well in the parliament of King Henry in the time of the reformation.

 

For his pains and troubles the gentleman had been well rewarded with lands which had formally belonged to a Benedictine house.

 

My dear Sarah,

I hope that you are well and in good health she began thereafter she continued in this vain discussing the health of various members of her family the weather and other local incidents which she considered her cousin Lady Sarah Fitz-Gibbon might find of interest

 

Coming to the point of her missive she enquired after the well being of Lady Sarah’s daughter Arbela who she had last seen some three years earlier at her coming out.

 

“You must bring Arbela to visit us at Oakland Park I am sure the children would love to have there cousin here. Sir Thomas is away in London at present and is not expected back for a few more weeks, thus it would be a grand occasion should you and Arbela be here when he returned.

 

Young Tom has been asking particularly about Arbela as you will recall they were very close when last the visited.

 

So pray dear Lady Sarah do come and visit us at your convince she wrote these words thereafter she closed the missive with the usual graces.

 

Sealing the letter she had but to wait for the next time that there arose an occasion to visit the village and to post the letter. However after a few moments of contemplation she called for a servant who took the letter directly to The Bell the inn in the village from whence the coach would depart at three O’clock in the afternoon

 

At midday the family found themselves round the table partaking in that meal of the day which brings much thought for contemplation in the later hours of the afternoon for there was a quantity of food which made the table groan.

 

Lady Ann having said grace watched as her family descended on the unsuspecting food hot steaming plates of mutton, pork, and beef graced the table.

The gravy tray been passed around as each member dug in and began to eat. The sons of there neighbor Mr Parker were present having spent part of the previous day and the night at Oakland’s.

 

George Now seated next to Lady Ann’s dearest daughter Lydia seemed very much taken by her and it was with a fervent expectation that the two young people would in due course be betrothed.

 

 The thought gave Lady Ann a sense of contentment with the world for the Parkers though not of the aristocracy had to there credit.

The fact that they were one of the wealthiest families in England owing to some wise investment s of Mr Parker’s father. who had first made his fortune as a merchant many year previously. To Lady Ann’s way of thinking it would not be long before the Parkers would rise to the peerage for Mr Parker had been busy in government for some small time, his ideas of reform gained from the study of Wilberforce had lead him to the conclusion that much could be gained from reform in government.

 

Lady Ann ever forward thinking had not considered at this time the implications for people of a certain class unto which she herself belonged of radical reform. Of course she knew that radical reform carried to far could be dangerous one had but to look a short distance across the channel to see the result of this dangerous action.

 

Of course things had a way of righting themselves she reasoned for had not Bonny made himself the emperor of France once the initial troubles had been settled.

 

In the mean time Thursday week would be the next assembly and there would as was the custom of the ladies of the house be much preparing for this even. Hopefully by then Sir Thomas would have sent word as to when he was to be expected back from London.

 

“I have written to Lady Fitz-Gibbon asking her to visit with us and to bring her daughter Lady Arbela for a few weeks” said Lady Ann “Oh Mama that is a nice thing I can hardly remember when last they spent time here” said Mary who was the only daughter of the house to show any real interest in her relatives. For the young lady had collected a book of relatives from the earliest times of the family’s existence in that part of the county.

 

After the midday meal the daughters of the house and there guests found occasion to spend some time in the garden, for it was there custom to spend lazy afternoon’s near the lake watching the water fowl. Thomas retired to his fathers study to do some writing while John descended once more on the garden to take up a spade and rake for this son of the house of Sterley loved gardening more then any thing in the world.

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