Posted on Tuesday, 14 October 2003
Elinor and Rebecca sat on the front steps of Pemberley and looked out on the lake they loved so much to play in as young children. Now the girls would see a very different site on their beautiful grounds. A grant had been given to Elinor for a school to be built on the grounds.
Rebecca had been getting increasingly concerned about the number of young children she'd seen beyond the grounds that were uneducated. Elinor knew that Rebecca had longed to become a teacher all of her childhood so she used her money, inherited by her father to build the school on the grounds!
"Can you imagine Ellie, children knowing Shakespeare and such like because I taught them to read!" exclaimed Rebecca.
"It will be such a sight to see you in that school my dear Rebecca!"
Elinor took her sister's hand and held it tight.
"If only father could be here to see what you've done"
"What I've done, oh nonsense Ellie, you are the one who got the grant passed, without you this project would be nothing!!"
"But you know that I'll never be able to teach in the school, I'm less than useful to you"
"I wish you wouldn't talk such nonsense Ellie, I'll hear no more of it OK"
Elinor smiled at her sister and got up from the steps. she turned the handle on the door and hung her coat on the peg. She turned and took one last look over the grounds. Rebecca saw her concentrate on the trees in one corner of the grounds.
"Ellie, what is it, you are sure you want the school to go ahead, aren't you?"
"Of course I do, I'm just making a memory that's all"
The next morning the girls were awoken by the loud sound of hooves coming up the driveway. Rebecca got up at once and ran to the window. She saw a young man she knew very well dismounting his black horse, it was Jack Dawson.
"Make haste Elinor, it is Mr. Dawson, he must have come to see us about the school!"
Rebecca shook her sister violently until she resisted and wrapped her cloak around her. She rang the bell for her housekeeper.
"Miss Green, please inform Mr. Dawson we will be down as soon as possible"
"Yes Elinor"
"Thankyou"
Mr. Dawson was shown into the Drawing Room as the two girls dressed upstairs. He put down his paperwork onto the table and stood by the door to await the entrance of the two girls. He was not made to wait long, Rebecca was keen to start work on the school and she was dressed immediately. Miss Green anounced the two girls entrance.
"Miss Darcy, Miss Rebecca" He bowed as he said each name.
"Good morning Mr. Dawson, and how are you this morning?" asked Rebecca with a surge of enthusiasm.
"I am well thank you Rebecca, and I see you are very well yourself" He said with a smile.
"Indeed I am Mr. Dawson"
"And how are you Miss Darcy" He said, turning to Elinor.
"I am well as you see, Mr. Dawson" She replied.
"Well shall we start work then, I have a few plans drawn up which need your approval" He lifted out a stack of papers from a case. The discussion lasted a few hours before tea was rung for and then it was at least 2pm before the three of them took a turn about the grounds.
"Miss Rebecca, I must admit, it seems a shame to deface such beautiful grounds as these for the sake of a few children." said Mr. Dawson.
"I assure you Mr. Dawson these children need our support, some of them have never learnt to read or write and some can't even talk and they have lived five years already!"
Mr. Dawson caught the look of desperation on Rebecca's face and decided he must redeem himself, he took a different approach.
"I agree Miss Rebecca but think what a building like this would look like, what an ugly shadow it will cast upon the grounds!"
Rebecca cast her eyes over the grounds and looked at her sister to search for her help. She found no such comment on her sister's lips and she found she was loosing their approval on the matter.
"Elinor, surely you do not agree with Mr. Dawson on this matter!" She exclaimed tugging at her sister's sleeve.
"No, I do not, but I've been pondering for some time over the building, shouldn't we make it slightly more appealing to the eye, just think Rebecca we will have to look at this building day and night!"
Rebecca looked at her sister and thought for a few moments then she looked over the grounds once more.
"I see you are both displeased, what if we designed our own building?"
Elinor looked at her sister's face and the pleading look won her over.
"Oh Rebecca, of course we should do that"
She searched for Mr. Dawson's opinion and found him looking intently over the grounds, she saw the same look in his eyes that she saw every day in her sister's eyes; a love that could not be broken for Pemberley. She used to see it in her mother's eyes and now she saw it in Mr. Dawson's. Rebecca was a determined girl, she had always had a life of luxury and had seen others grow up around her without such a life, she wanted to change all that and this was the only way she knew how.
Mr. Dawson looked again at the paper he held in his hand. He traced the line of the trees and his finger stopped over the less than attractive sketch of the school. He put the sketch away in his case and turned to Rebecca,
"Miss Rebecca, I give you a challenge, design me a building that will shine over the grounds of Pemberley, do this for me and I will build it for you"
He smiled and began to walk to his horse that was tied in the paddock.
"I thank you both for your hospitality but I must get back home for dinner, good day to you both" He bowed, mounted his horse,
"Miss Darcy, Miss Rebecca"
He kicked his heels into the side of his horse and rode away.
Rebecca took her own horse from the stable and mounted it.
"Where are you going Rebecca dear?"
"I'm not sure, wherever my senses take me, I want to find a building that will suffice, I am determined to rise to this challenge and I will find a building you will both agree on"
"But Rebecca can it not wait until tomorrow, Miss Green will have dinner ready soon and where will you be?"
It was too late, Rebecca was gone and Elinor could never curb her enthusiasm. Rebecca ran away with whatever idea she had inside her head and would never listen to reason.
Rebecca did not return in time for dinner that night, instead she rode mindlessly around the town until she saw a little cottage on the top of the hill. She dismounted her house and tied him round the tree post. She looked through the window of the little cottage. She saw three young children sitting sewing on a large rug by a fire. The two younger girls were dressed in brown dresses and tatty bonnets, the eldest girl in the same sort of thing only in a slightly more expensive material. She sat transfixed for how long she could not be sure. She watched them converse and then eat the measly meal their mother prepared for them.
"What do these children know of Shakespeare and Latin?" she thought to herself.
After a while she could take no more, she mounted her horse and turned it to face the direction of Mr. Dawson's estate. She kicked her heels in so hard that her horse let out a fearful whiny. It was a while until she reached the gates of Ripley Manor. But she need not of neared them for Mr. Dawson was walking around his own grounds. He saw the horse speeding into his grounds,
"My word Rebecca what has startled you?"
Rebecca, shocked to find him out in such harsh weather, pulled the reigns of her horse and it came to a halt.
"Good evening Mr. Dawson"
"Good evening Rebecca, are you well? Why do you enter my grounds at such a pace?"
"I wish to speak with you about the school, it couldn't wait"
"Well Rebecca, if you are sure it cannot wait please take a turn about the grounds with me"
Chapter 4
Posted on Friday, 28 November 2003
"So what is bothering you?"
"I have been wondering around these grounds for a few hours now and I came upon a house with two small children inside. They had tatty clothes and I couldn't look anymore I had to come here"
Mr. Dawson smiled.
"Dear child, do you think me completely heartless? I am not against your plan, I fell in love with Pemberley, as many have told me that they have also, search your heart Rebecca, I know you love as much as I do!"
She looked up from under her bonnet.
"Oh, I see, but where else would the school go Mr. Dawson?"
"There is a possibility, but first we must talk to your sister about it"
Suddenly Elinor was horror struck.
"My... sister, oh Elinor, Jack she doesn't know where I am, she'll be so worried"
"Goodness, let me take you back in my carriage, it is pouring with rain"
"But what about my horse?"
"She can pull the carriage, come along Dear, we musn't worry her any longer"
"I assure you I'll be quite fine alone"
"Put my mind at rest Rebecca and let me accompany you home"
Rebecca let him take her hand as he lead to the carriage. With the horses tied the set off. Within a few minutes they were at the gates of Pemberley.
"Rebecca, your home, where were you?"
"I apologise Miss Darcy, I waylaid her talking of the school"
"Thank you for your kindness in lending out the carriage, will you not come inside"
"I thank you no, I must get back"
He took one last look at Rebecca and she at him and then got into his carriage. The rain pounded on the windows of Pemberley and Rebecca and Elinor lay in their beds thinking about the school and Mr. Dawson. Elinor couldn't help but wonder if he had a slight feeling for her sister. She heard a knock at her bed chamber door.
"Eli it's me, I need to talk with you"
Rebecca talked of how she had felt that evening and asked her sister if it was love.
"I don't know Rebecca but he is a nice man and if you do, you must secure him"
Chapter 5
The next morning the girls woke to hooves again. Rebecca rushed to the window. Disappointedly she informed her sister,
"William has come, he probably wants some more money for Marianne's latest dress"
William had been a drain on the families assets after marrying a girl, Marianne, who loved living the high life.
"Don't speak that way, he is your brother!"
"I don't care, he wastes our money!! Our father's money"
Rebecca took her horse and rode to Mr. Dawson's estate. She ran into the rose garden.
"Jack, Jack are you here"
"Rebecca is that you?"
"I have come"
"Rebecca, I thought you might, I was waiting!"
He smiled.
"You look upset, Have you been crying?"
"I have... My brother has taken more money from the school fund and now we have half the money we need for the school"
"Don't fret child, I have a fund myself, and a place for the school"
"What? where?"
"Come with me"
Mr. Dawson led Rebecca to a lake beyond the rose garden and took her to a little pretty building beyond that.
"This use to be our tree house. My sister and I would play here day after day, it is even equipped with a blackboard and seats!" He smiled as he saw Rebecca's eyes light up.
"Oh Jack, I mean Mr. Dawson, it's wonderful"
"It's yours Rebecca"
She beamed at him and without realizing what she was doing she kissed his cheek. Then she turned red and ran from the garden.
"Rebecca wait, Rebecca"
She stopped suddenly.
"Why are you running?"
"I... sorry... I don't know what came over me."
"Stop, it's ok," He laughed.
"I had the same reaction when my father gave me the house"