The Arrogance of Elegance

Part the First

Mr. Nicolas Burns was a man of high esteem. He was honored and respected throughout the southernmost parts of England, and I am without a doubt that if he ever traversed in the north, he would be appreciated there as well. Mr. Nicolas Burns was of noble blood, and son of two well-known charitable people, therefore he was admired by many women—including myself. And I knew without a doubt that I would be his wife one day. If only I could convince him as such.

If I may say so, I do believe I have a better chance at matrimony with him than any other woman I know. I had the privilege of being acquainted with him from a young age—the Burns were our neighbors and friends of my father and mother. Mr. Burns's sister, Audra, had become my closest friend when we were young since she was my age, but Nicolas Burns had been seven years older. But that didn't mean we didn't interact. I pushed him out of a tree if I can recall correctly.

But to my luck, news has been spread throughout the town of Taunton that Mr. Nicolas Burns shall be returning to his home at Elmswood very soon. To be exact, his expected return would be today.  He had been away at college for so long, only visiting during Christmas, and then he moved onto business in the summer, so it had been a while since I had seen the man. And I am ready to be married—being twenty—so my plan of winning the heart of Mr. Nicolas Burns must begin.

"Magdelline!" Father yelled as he went up the steps. I chuckled as I imagined he was going up two-by-two. He often did that whenever he had news. I heard a maid gently scolding him about running and yelling, before the door of the parlor was opened. The housekeeper, Mrs. Cready, appeared and announced my father's arrival. I stood up, set my book down, and curtsied to Father who burst in, taking his hat off his head.

"Hello, Father," I said, clasping my hands together. "Welcome back from town. What has happened that you are in such a state of wildness?"

"You'll never guess who I saw in town this morning," he stated, setting his hat on his chair. Mr. Burns, I thought but decided to amuse my dear father for he seemed so excited to surprise me.

"I should not know, but please inform me," I replied, sitting back down to the chair by the window. As Father rushed to sit down, the only noise in the parlor was the crackling fireplace and wind batting against the window. I stared at Father awaiting his answer. I was starting to get impatient even though I was sure I knew the answer already.

"Mr. Nicolas Burns," he said, eyes wide as he began to smile. I tried to hold back my excitement. It was too good to be true. I had not seen him for almost four years.

"It will be very good for Audra to have her brother back in town," I said, picking my book up again.

"Yes, I suppose so," Father said, taking a seat as he seemed to calm down a bit. "I wonder, should I invite him over?"

"Whatever you wish, Father," I replied, reading my book.

"I think I shall," he sighed, sinking back into his chair. "It gets awfully lonely since Marjorie and your mother are gone."

I set my book down, gazing at my father sadly. Marjorie had married a merchant in London and now had four children, a fifth on the way. But Mother had passed away three years ago and it took a toll on Father. He has been scurrying around as if to take up her job when she was alive. Mother was a worrywart and it seemed that Father had taken it upon himself to gather news to share. Maybe it was because I usually kept the news to myself unless it is to my benefit, and Mother used to inform him of everything. Now Father was the one informing me of anything and everything.

"What time is it, Papa?" I asked, looking up from my book hoping to distract my father.

"It is around fifteen after three." So, Mr. Nicolas Burns would be arriving at Elmswood in approximately thirty minutes and since Elmswood was a ten-minute ride from our own estate of Fernsbury, he would be passing by very shortly.