Emma in Love by Emma Tennant Read Free Book Online

she is to be a guest in polite society. She would not object in the least to my warning you of this, dear Emma!”
    The use of the childhood address brought Emma to her senses. She saw she had hardly heard a word of Mr. Perry’s discourse – and he, a busy man, had only wished to answer her question with tact and accuracy. That he also observed the distracted state of the young woman whose position was unrivalled in Highbury and the surrounding country, was a distinct possibility. No more than wishing her, in those distant days at Hartfield, to expose herself to the vagaries of a thunderstorm, with its attendant risk of being struck by lightning – nor of permitting his little charge to run barefoot in the snow, however much she begged to – did Mr. Perry desire Emma Knightley to manifest her interest, before agrowing number of people, in the visiting gentlemen in Highbury.
    The reason for Emma’s being unable to take her eyes away was quite plain: Frank Churchill, once considered the handsomest man in the small society formed by Randalls, Hartfield and the others of that important circle, was now surpassed – and by his comrade, the other equestrian come amongst them.
    It must be Captain Brocklehurst, thought Emma; but, seeing Mr. Perry’s eyes upon her, she did not put her conjecture into words. “So we are quite safe to proceed with our dinner at Donwell?” said Emma instead; and Mr. Perry, glad her intelligent gaze was now trained on him once more, continued with his assurances.
    â€œYou have nothing to fear, Mrs. Knightley. So long as the odd lapse – it is a concomitant of the disease, regrettably – does not offend anyone present. And I may be certain that all at Donwell Abbey will be as tolerant of what may at first appear to be remiss behaviour as you are – and as your late father, the esteemed Mr. Woodhouse was, dear Mrs. Knightley!”
    It was usual for a mention of Mr. Woodhouse to bring a sigh to Emma’s lips, even on occasion a tear to her eye; but as Frank Churchill and his companion dismounted and came towards her to present their compliments, Mr. Perry was able to observe only a heightening of colour in the cheeks of the mistress of Donwell Abbey; and, hadhe not known better, he would have diagnosed scarlet fever, or rubella at the very least.
    â€œMrs. Knightley, may I present my brother-in-law Captain Brocklehurst?”
    Frank Churchill was bowing: he looked highly amused; and Emma for a moment wished him at the other end of the earth. She knew he knew her; or the worst side of her, at any rate, was known only too well, by the young man who had indulged in hypocrisy and deceit – in espionage and treachery – in order to disguise his engagement to Jane Fairfax by seeming to court Emma Woodhouse.
    Emma held out her hand, but she did not look directly at the stranger. That Captain Brocklehurst should bring so powerful a reminder of Frank Churchill’s further treachery – worse, far worse, in abandoning poor Jane at the church door, when news came by express of the conditions of his aunt’s will, than a mere flirtation – was intolerable for poor Jane. And here they were, standing outside the house of Jane’s aunt, no less!— where the jilted girl had been happy, the house she thought of as home, despite the kindness of Colonel and Mrs. Campbell, in rearing and educating her, which Miss Bates could never have afforded to do. It was shameful! But Captain Brocklehurst was quite the handsomest man – when Emma did at last raise her eyes to his – that she, or the village of Highbury, populous though itmight increasingly be, had ever seen. He was taller than Frank; his hair was dark and very smooth; his features were of that perfect symmetry so seldom found in English men. Yet he had not a hint of the foreigner about him; and from the very first, his quiet and well-spoken words could do little other than charm,