Murder at Mansfield Park

Mr Rushworth bowed. "I will remedy my mistake at once," said he in a tone of decision. "If Miss Price would do me the infinite honour of awaiting me here, I will return without delay."

Miss Price bowed her complaisance, and Mr Rushworth set off at some speed towards the house.

Miss Price was on the point of resuming her circuit of the glade, and to judge of her expression, with no very unpleasant sensations, but no sooner was Mr Rushworth out of sight when Miss Bertram emerged from her hiding place to confront her startled and affrighted cousin.

"So this is your plan, is it?" said Maria in an angry tone. "You mean to discard our gentle, upright, honest cousin for such a — a — fop as Rushworth?"

"As to that," said Miss Price, reddening with astonishment and disdain, "even were he the most infamous fop in England, I do not think you would have refused him, had he made you an offer. But he did not make you an offer, did he?"

"No," said Maria bitterly, seizing her cousin by the wrist, "because you saw to it that he did not. Can you never allow me anyone or anything of my own, but you have to seize it from me? He admired me, I know he did, and it wanted only a little encouragement to turn that admiration into a decided attachment. A very little encouragement, and a very reasonable forbearance on your part. But no — even that, you could not permit me. Even though you were already pledged to another man — and honourably, publicly pledged at that."

"Do not delude yourself," said Fanny angrily, snatching her hand from Maria’s grasp. "You may have seen admiration; I saw only an idle flirtation — a passing and frivolous gallantry. Whatever you may have hoped, you and your pitiable portion would never have been sufficient to attach a man like Mr Rushworth. You may take my word for that."

These words drew a gasp and a cry of anguish from Maria. "I wish you had never come to Mansfield," she sobbed: "We were all of us perfectly happy before you came — I wish I had never seen you — I wish — I wish you were dead."

For a single dreadful moment Julia thought her sister was about to strike her cousin; but the next thing she knew, Maria had turned away without another word, and was making her way, not very steadily, towards the house. When she reached the steps Julia saw her stumble blindly, and put her hand out to break her fall. Fanny, for her part, stood motionless for some minutes, leaning against the gate for support, her face and lips quite white.

Julia was thrown into a state of dreadful indecision, uncertain whether to remain where she was, or go to offer her sister some assistance, and thereby reveal what she had overheard; but she was soon relieved of the necessity of action by the appearance of Henry Crawford, who had been wandering about the grounds for some time, in search of Miss Price. He had seen her with Rushworth half an hour before, but had been detained at the critical moment by the housekeeper. Having but this minute extricated himself, he was now in the happy but unexpected situation of being face to face with the real object of his attentions. More gratifying still, the young lady was alone, and — to his eye — very much in need of all the relief and support he was only too willing to proffer. She was trembling, and at first she could only cling to his arm, as he helped her to a small rustic seat some yards farther on. The first fit soon passed, however, and in another moment she was able to recollect herself, and make a strong effort for composure, while still refusing in the most strenuous terms to disclose the cause of her distress. Mr Crawford elected not to press her on the subject, while indulging in the private hope that the whole blame of it might be laid to his rival’s account.

"I believe I saw Rushworth on my way here," he said, curious to see her reaction. "He was posting away as if upon life and death."

Miss Price smiled, roused from her indisposition by such pleasing evidence of her power. "He is gone to fetch the key to the gate," she said. "I wanted to see the view from the knoll."

"Then I am delighted to be in a position to assist you," said Henry, taking the key from his pocket, while carefully omitting to mention that it was this very key that Mr Rushworth was at that moment in quest of.

Miss Price rose from her seat, and took Mr Crawford’s arm. "So much you have done here, Mr Crawford!" she said, with forced gaiety. "And to think that Mansfield may look like this in another summer! I confess I long for such freedom and openness as you have created here. Mansfield seems to me more and more like a prison — a dismal old prison. “I cannot get out”, as the starling said."

"To tell you the truth," replied Henry, speaking rather lower, "I do not think that I shall ever see Mansfield again with so much pleasure as I do now. Even my own plans will hardly improve it in some ways."