God's Country

Part Eighty

'Learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.'

Isaiah 1:17

Miss Ford, Miss Ellis and the young Miss Morris ended up with six maidens staying over at the Munroe house. Their parents were all attending a speech being given by the Prime Minister in the city and Miss Ford and Miss Ellis decided it would be nice if they got the girls out of the way and gave them a bit of an afternoon off. As Miss Ford told Miss Morris, a good guardian had to know when her charges deserved a little indulgence, to recharge their batteries and reward their efforts, and she was certainly pleased with the efforts made by Claire Munroe and her young guest, Emma Stone. Miss Ellis felt just the same about Alice and Brogan, who was transformed as a maiden since the shock of her father's death and her adoption, and Catherine Henderson was a very welcome guest too. Miss Ford actually added Olivia Trevor to the party at the last minute, since she had the assistance of Miss Morris to cope with the numbers, because Miss Howard, Olivia's own guardian, had to take a day or two off to visit her ailing parents.

Reformism was definitely claiming more people, but the community in London was still comparatively small and tight nit as a mini-community of its own, and everyone tended to know everyone else. Brogan and Alice were visitors, as of course was Emma Stone, but Claire, Catherine and Olivia lived in London, so it was a rather nice mixture of old and new friends. Lunch was eaten without muzzles for once, and then the girls were all settled in the large conservatory at the back of the Munroe house and left with their needlepoint to chatter to each other. Miss Ford took Miss Ellis and Miss Morris off to the kitchen where they could prepare the evening meal and talk freely themselves. Miss Ford knew that the girls would have a wonderful time.

"Oh it is so nice to be back in London, I do so enjoy my visits here." Brogan said after a little stilted chatter. It always took a little while to relax after the guardians left, and she was frustrated that she still could not speak privately to Olivia, but she still wanted to get her points across. She could not let such an opportunity pass. The girls all talked to their mothers and other people, and she wanted to get her feelings about Harry across to as many people as possible whilst she had the chance. It seemed to be all she could do and she had to do something for fear of missing her chance. "Olivia, I did so enjoy my visit with you and your mother the other week...I do hope we can do it again sometime?"

"I think Mummy would like that, Brogan...she did ask me to pass on her regards to your mother...to Mrs Craig." Olivia replied, pausing just a little before the word 'mother' as if she was unsure she was saying the right thing. Brogan got that message loud and clear. Her heart leapt with delight, full of new hope. Harry could marry her and she would be free. Everyone noticed her good mood during her stay, and Miss Ellis confided to Miss Ford that she thought the child had finally started to settle after her troubles and the shocking loss of her poor father. Brogan did not get a second alone with Olivia because there were so many maidens around, but she was perfect for the guardians. By the time she returned home with Alice and Miss Ellis everyone agreed that she was more than ready for marriage. It was typical maiden behaviour, a moment every mother or guardian usually identified in a girl; an identifiable willingness to embrace their future. Her father's death had clearly focussed Brogan's mind on that future and Miss Ellis told her employer that God had helped the child in her grief to find a new purpose in life.

Paul Craig doubted that and made an appointment to see Alistair Forbes. He was still quite prepared to deal with their little spy in God's love, and in that one sense he was even growing quite fond of Brogan, but he was not about to take any risks, and he wondered why the girl was suddenly so keen on Harry Trevor. Her sudden change of heart did not make sense. Craig tried to put himself in her shoes, but he could not comprehend her sudden enthusiasm for being married to Harry Trevor. Miss Ellis kept telling him that young Brogan was the star of the Lake House nursery, her behaviour and dedication to her daily studies easily outstripping Alice Craig, who was well known to be a paragon of virtue. Craig did not like the sound of that at all. He had no doubt in the process of salvation and he admired Miss Ellis for her own dedication to her vocation, but he found it hard to believe that a twenty six year old journalist had abruptly decided that an arranged marriage to a man she had never spoken too was her future without some ulterior motive.