Thursday, April 28, 1870
(evening)
As I expected, Miss Chigwidgeon received a veritable deluge in
the morning post. She was entirely outdone! Mis Whitnell and I
offered to assist her with sorting and assessing the messages,
and with formulating replies. She seemed so relieved!
I felt obliged to gently advise her that Some of the interest she has drawn might well evaporate when serious scrutiny by her suitors reveals that she is not truly foreign royalty. I tried to impress upon her that the gentlemen in question are sincerely charmed, but that their various dynastic and financial concerns would prevent a Serious Attachment.
I was actually rather pleased to note that despite all this head-turning sort of attention, Miss Chigwidgeon showed the greatest delight in today's note from young Nigel Graham.
Miss Whitnell received several notes as well but did not share them with me.
I received a note from Lord James Thorncroft, who paid me the singular compliment of remembering our Botanical discussion rather than, say, my dress. He also wrote to Miss Chigwidgeon, I might note, and his comments to her were more informal and unguarded (though by no means improper), showing a sympathetic friendliness.
I find it slightly odd that the same person should write to at least two of us, with such different tone, I have the strangest sense of someone trying all the doors to get into a closed-up house. I'm sure it's perfectly innocent. I am simply letting my new career as Her Majesty's agent run away with my imagination.
Tomorrow we shall be traveling, at last, to Liverpool to examine the late Dr Pilkington's laboratory at his baronial seat. I am interested to read his research, though I suspect, from what I have seen of his work so far, that it will be unpleasant. Those of our party unfamiliar with au courant methodology in Natural History research (particularly the very sensitive Mrs Cuthbert) will probably find it horrific.
The unfortunate side of our trip to Liverpool is that if our work there requires a week or more, I shall miss an opportunity to see an Exhibition of Watercolor paintings at Claridge House. Mr Frazer very kindly sent me a note this morning inviting me to attend with him, and suggested that Edward could join us. He indicated that he was aware of our upcoming travels, so I know he won't think that I'm avoiding him. He also asked me to accompany him to the May meeting at the Naturalist Society, where Nathaniel Baldwin will be the guest speaker. I am thoroughly delighted, as I have read his botanical works with great enjoyment. His reading, Mr Frazer tells me, will cover the Cooperative Behaviour of Ant Colonies. I am very interested to see what correlations we may draw between Ants and Bees.
I did manage to capture Edward for a short period today. In view of our Possible viewing of the Watercolor Exhibition, I wanted him to have a bit more understanding of the Watercolor medium, so we spent an hour and a half painting in the Schoolroom.
Now I have completed my brief packing. I have
brought a selection of reference materials which might be useful,
as well as my sketching case and notebooks.
I have prepared the set of Reform clothing that Miss Whitnell
so kindly loaned me, and I will bring the pieces of the new set
I am making for myself, so I can work on that in evenings.
Miss Whitnell is in a bit of a dither, trying to figure out what of her occult paraphernalia she should bring. She asked Mrs Cuthbert's advice, but the latter was rather too occupied with her wardrobe selections to help much.
Friday , April 29, 1870
Tonight finds us safely ensconced at the Liverpool estate of Lord Haslingdon, a friend of Sir Cosmo's who has loaned us his house for the duration of our visit.
The train trip was unremarkable, save that we were traveling in the most comfortable and beautifully appointed private car it has ever been my pleasure to experience.
I took the opportunity to enlighten Edward about the geographical and geological features of the countryside. He had never been out of Town, but showed less than his usual curiosity about the new sights...he seemed to think that if you've seen one empty field, you've seen them all.
We were met at the station by Mr Robert Ditteridge representing the late Baron's family and by a Dr Deemings, who is serving as Coroner in the case. These two were in addition to Codrington, the Steward of Lord Haslingdon's estate. Part of the reason for the greeting party was no doubt to provide the loan of Carriages from the different households, for among us and with our luggage, we filled 3 carriages.
I asked Mr Robert Ditteridge to please send me a copy of Dr Pilkington's most recent paper, so I could review it for clues about his most recent work. My attention to the details was rather diverted during the public reading, so I surely missed some important information.
Before going to our rooms this evening, all of the ladies of the party looked in at the stable, hoping to arrange for a ride in the morning. All of us except Miss Chigwidgeon can ride, and the stablehands and Salmalin indicated a willingness to assist her in learning. All of us have also been unable to ride at all in Town, as Sir Cosmo keeps no horses.
Tomorrow will be an early start to riding, and I would like to read through Dr Pilkington's paper before I retire.
Saturday 30 April, 1870
(morning)
We have just returned from our ride and all of us are taking time
to wash and change. I thought I'd take a moment to note a few
points of interest.
Miss Chigwidgeon did fairly well in the saddle, considering some untoward occurences. Salmalin and the stable hands gave her some instruction, settled her on a very docile horse, and helped her as she learned how to sit and to guide the horse from the precarious sidesaddle (I always feel it's best for a lady to learn to ride sidesaddle, for once she has mastered that, riding astride is very easy...it's much more difficult to learn sidesaddle if you are accustomed first to riding astride).
When the solicitous Salmalin felt assured of her capabilty, he let her ride ahead a bit. She did very well until her horse was spooked by a small white animal. From her description, I think it may have been a cavy, escaped from Dr Pilkington's laboratory. This bodes very ill for our safely containing all the experimental subjects.
In any case, Miss Chigwidgeon came to no harm, thanks to her own tenacity and Salmalin's quick response to her distress.
Just before this incident, I had ridden somewhat
ahead of the other ladies, and was just cresting a hill which
gave me a vantage to Dr Deemings' lands. I saw a Gentleman whom
I recognised as a member of the Scarisbrick family (though I don't
know his name) in conversation with a manservant apparently attached
to the Deemings household. I could hear part of what they said,
and it gave me a sinister impression...
the Gentleman said, "...back by the end of the week..."
Then the servant said "...train..." and the Gentleman
said, "I'll make it worth your while." It is, of course
this last portion which provoked my concern, for anytime a Gentleman
offers payment to a servant of another household, something secret
is going on, usually to the detriment of the servant's own household.
I reported the conversation to Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert, they seemed unconcerned. For a lady who gets the vapors whenever the shutters rattle ominously, Mrs Cuthbert is quite oblivious to a potential hazard in the real world. I think they are just typically conditioned to ignore the secret lives of servants. I will make a quiet effort to discover the identities of the two men, and thus perhaps unravel their plot. It could be innocent, or at least unrelated to our investigation, an assignation or some other, purely personal, sort of mischief.
It is time for us to make our way over to the Scarisbrick house now. I wonder what we'll find there...
Proceed to 5. Field Notes
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