The Sterley’s of Oakland Park chapter 2
Chapter Two
There comes a certain time in a young gentleman’s life when he begins to contemplate marriage. Thomas Sterley had woken early and had spent almost an hour in
front of the mirror dressing; while he dressed, he had been contemplating this very subject “For he reasoned that as a member of the aristocracy he should play his
part in the furtherance of his family’s good name. Thus, he had concluded that he should find himself a wife. However as he contemplated this he began to find that
his options were some what limited, Not been a man with an abundance of bravery for he very much the romantic could write about men dieing on battle fields.
However, he felt no compunction to do this himself. He had dismissed out of hand the idea that he might rise through the services in any military fashion. The church
he found did not offer to him the sort of life, which he expected as the elder son of a large and noble family. Thus Thomas began to meditate on the matter of finding a
woman of noble birth who in due season would bring forth heirs and in the meanwhile be his companion and soul mate. For Thomas reasoned that any lady of a
noble house should be of fair dispersion and have a fortune or at the very least be of independent means. Of course, a dowry would be most welcome.
For to his way of thinking Thomas wanted a young woman who would be his fair Juliet to his Romeo and who would not find it unpleasant to accompany him to the
continent. Italy would be a good place to start for Thomas had heard of late that Lord Byron had spent some time in Italy and found that Rome had been a city worth
visiting.
He furthermore bethought that Rome would be a good and respectable place to begin his own serious writings in romantic poetry. for he had already put down in his
note book the beginning s of a poem which showed promise of which he had not yet begun to read to the family lest they mock him for his romantic notions for until
now most of his writing had been half in Jest and half serious.
Now as he tied the final knot of his cravat he began to wonder what his Mamma, would have to say if she knew of his idea of finding a wife. Of course, like any good
and noble lady she would be overjoyed that he had finally begun to grow up. For as she put it for Lady Ann had for quite some time berated her first born son to do
exactly that. Of his father, he was more then a little concerned that the old gentleman might take offence and buy him a commission in the guards or some other
frightful regiment. Thus, Thomas reasoned that before the morning was out to have a few word in the privacy of the drawing room with his Mamma to forestall any
plan that his Papa might have in mind for sending him to the war front.
It was a little after 11 o’clock that the chance came for Lady Ann was arranging flowers in a verse when Thomas came upon her “
”Mamma I would like your opinion upon a matter of the heart“ he said ”Oh Tom what is it now another verse that you cannot find an ending to?“ she enquired with a
pained look upon her face. for the dear woman was used to the young man asking advice in fact many of his verses had shown a little of her talent not that the good
lady would ever have made it known for she kept a diary in which she wrote much and which she never showed to any one least of all her husband. Whom she
considered would take affront at some of her more forward thinking writing. For on occasion, the heroines of her short stories would be swept of there feet by young
knights while the young ladies in her stories would invariably be that class of woman who had a heaving bosom, which grew, flashed as her cheeks when
confronted by the hero of the story.
“No Mamma, I have decided that it is time that I take a wife and I need your help deciding on who the fortunate young woman will be” he said “ ”Oh Tom you must not
jest so with me for a moment I thought that you might just be serious“ said Lady Ann.
“Indeed Mamma I am most serious otherwise I would not have sort you out to ask for your assistance” replied the young man now blushing and loosening the
necktie from his neck as his anxiety grew.
“Tom this is wonderful news” said Lady Ann rising from her place at the table and coming over to take him by the hand “pray tell who the young lady shall be? She
inquired of him. ”I have not yet set my mind upon any particular lady as the thought only occurred to me this very morning,“ he said.
“I see,” said Lady Ann as she once more took a seat at the table and took up her pen “I shall have to write to a number of our relatives and hear which of there
daughters are of marriageable age” she said. “Mamma please do and may I make so bold as to ask only those of a clear dispersion further more they should have a
large dowry” the young man said. “Very well Tom leave me to think” she said it worried her to find that the whole matter on which her first born son had sort her out
was not really a matter of the heart but more a matter of economics. For it was true that most people in her class married with a fortune in mind she was more inclined
to the romantic nature of the event. She would however apply her mind and considerable though to the matter at hand.
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 Arabella who she had last seen some three years earlier at her coming
out.
“You must bring Arabella 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 Arabella be here when he returned.
Young Tom has been asking particularly about Arabella, 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. I
hope that 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 Arabella for a few weeks” said Lady Ann. “Oh Mamma 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.
SAREJESS