The Mansfield Park Murders Read online

  THE MANSFIELD PARK MURDERS

  A MYstery Set in the Estate of

  JANE AUSTEN'S

  MANSFIELD PARK

  VICTORIA GROSSACK

  Copyright © 2019 Victoria A. Grossack

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 978-1797548074

  Cover picture: Belton House, Wikipedia Commons

  To Susanne

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Baddeley: butler at Mansfield Park

  Mr. Edmund Bertram: second son of Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, married to Fanny Price, vicar of Thornton Lacey

  Mrs. Frances (Fanny Price) Bertram: wife to Mr. Edmund Bertram

  Lady (Maria Ward) Bertram: wife to Sir Thomas, sister to Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Price, and mother of Mr. Tom Bertram, Mr. Edmund Bertram, Mrs. Maria Rushworth and Mrs. Julia Yates

  Mr. Thomas (Tom) Bertram: first son and heir to Sir Thomas, elder brother to Edmund Bertram, Maria Rushworth and Julia Yates

  Sir Thomas Bertram: baronet of Mansfield Park, husband to Lady Bertram, father of Mr. Tom Bertram, Mr. Edmund Bertram, Mrs. Maria Rushworth and Mrs. Julia Yates

  Chapman: personal maid to Lady Bertram

  Cooper: groom in Mansfield Park stables

  Mr. Henry Crawford: brother of Miss Mary Crawford, half-brother of Mrs. Grant, former suitor of Miss Fanny Price, former lover of Mrs. Maria Rushworth

  Miss Mary Crawford: sister of Mr. Henry Crawford and half-sister of Mrs. Grant

  Baron of Dexthorpe, also known as Lord Dexthorpe: father of Mr. George Yates and Mr. John Yates

  Elissa: natural daughter of Tom Bertram and Hetty

  Dr. Grant: the official vicar of Mansfield, currently at a residence in London, husband to Mrs. Grant

  Mrs. Grant: wife of Dr. Grant, and half-sister of Mr. Henry Crawford and Miss Mary Crawford

  Hetty: slave woman in Antigua

  Mr. Hawk: vicar taking over the duties for Dr. Grant

  Stephen Jackson: groom in Mansfield Park stables

  Ann Jones: young housemaid at Mansfield Park

  Mr. Charles Maddox: neighbor in Mansfield

  Mrs. Charles Maddox: new wife of Mr. Charles Maddox

  Mrs. (Ward) Norris: sister to Lady Bertram, widow of Reverend Norris, former vicar of Mansfield

  Mrs. Oliver: a friend of Lady Bertram’s

  Mrs. Otway: a friend of Lady Bertram’s; Edmund is a friend of her son’s

  Mr. Price: retired lieutenant, married to Mrs. Price, father to William, Fanny, Susan and others

  Mrs. Frances (Ward) Price: sister to Mrs. Norris and Lady Bertram; mother to William, Fanny, Susan and others

  Miss Susan Price: sister to William Price and to Mrs. Fanny Bertram (and others), niece to Lady Bertram and to Mrs. Norris

  Lieutenant William Price: brother to Fanny Bertram, Susan Price (and others), nephew to Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris

  Pug: Lady Bertram’s lapdog

  Mr. James Rushworth: proprietor of Sotherton and ex-husband of Maria Rushworth

  Mrs. Maria (Bertram) Rushworth: eldest daughter of Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, ex-wife of Mr. James Rushworth, sister to Mr. Thomas Bertram, Mr. Edmund Bertram and Mrs. Julia Yates

  Mr. Walter Rushworth: cousin to Mr. James Rushworth

  Mrs. Rushworth (1): mother to Mr. James Rushworth

  Mrs. Rushworth (2): wife of Mr. Walter Rushworth

  Wilcox: coachman at Mansfield Park

  Mr. George Yates: elder son of the Baron of Dexthorpe, brother to Mr. John Yates

  Mr. John Yates: second son of the Baron of Dexthorpe, husband to Mrs. Julia Yates, brother of Mr. George Yates

  Mrs. Julia (Bertram) Yates: married to Mr. John Yates, youngest child of Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, sister to Mr. Thomas Bertram, Mr. Edmund Bertram, and Mrs. Maria (Bertram) Rushworth

  CHAPTER ONE

  The wedding was a family affair, for the bride was the first cousin of the groom. Miss Frances Price, called Fanny by her friends and relatives, was marrying Mr. Edmund Bertram.

  A marriage between cousins might be considered a marriage between equals, but in this case, it was not so. Mr. Edmund Bertram was the second son of a baronet, Sir Thomas Bertram, who was rich, respectable and highly regarded. Miss Price was the daughter of a navy lieutenant compelled to retire early due to injury, and who had the further shame of being poor and drinking too much. Over-fondness for spirits can be found in the rich as well as the poor, but in the poor the tendency is much less respectable.

  ​Although their wives were sisters, the baronet and the retired lieutenant had never met. Sir Thomas resided in Mansfield Park, on his estate in Northamptonshire, making occasional visits to London and to his sugar plantation in the West Indies, while Lieutenant Price dwelled in Portsmouth. Still, after an appeal from Mrs. Price, who had produced nine living children, Sir Thomas had done what he could to help his wife’s nephews and nieces. This charity had extended to Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram’s relieving the Prices entirely of the responsibility for their eldest daughter and raising her with their own children.

  ​Despite the difference in the positions in society of Mr. Edmund Bertram and Miss Frances Price, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram were pleased with the match. When Fanny had first entered Mansfield Park, their greatest fear had been that she would marry one of their two sons, but now, more than a decade later, they were rejoicing in the union that was about to take place, for during the years they had come to love Fanny like a daughter. Indeed, some would say that they loved Fanny more than their two daughters. Both Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram would have denied this, but certainly they esteemed Fanny far more, for the Bertram daughters had made extremely unwise choices that could be expected to affect the rest of their lives. Julia, now Mrs. Yates, had eloped with the Honorable John Yates, fixing her situation with the second son of a lord with only modest expectations. Maria had done far worse; the divorced Mrs. Rushworth was considered a disgrace.

  ​Fanny, on the other hand, had always been steady, if a little reserved, and her attentions to Lady Bertram over the years – playing games with her, reading to her, assisting her with her carpet work – had made her invaluable to her aunt. Lady Bertram, therefore, would have been seriously distressed at the prospect of Fanny’s marriage, as that meant Fanny would move seven miles away in order to live with her husband – except for the presence of Susan, Fanny’s younger sister. A little more than two years ago, Susan Price had joined them at Mansfield Park and had quickly become Lady Bertram’s chief comfort.

  ​At the moment Susan was assisting her sister in her preparation
s for her wedding.

  ​“You look very pretty,” said the bridesmaid, Miss Susan Price.

  ​“So do you, Susan,” said Fanny.

  ​Susan was pleased with her own appearance, for to mark this great occasion, her uncle had given her a new gown. “I will miss you,” said Susan.

  ​“I will not be so very far away,” said Fanny. “Only seven miles. Still, you are right, seven miles will make a difference, although we can always correspond. I have confidence in you, Susan; you will manage better than I ever did.”

  ​Susan, because of her less timid nature, was better suited than Fanny to dealing with the more unpleasant aspects of Mansfield Park.

  ​Their mutual reassurances were interrupted by a knock at the door. Lady Bertram’s maid, who had previously assisted Fanny with her hair before returning to her mistress to attend to Lady Bertram’s finishing touches, had come back to inform them that Mr. Edmund Bertram had departed for the church, accompanied by his elder brother, Mr. Tom Bertram, and his brother-in-law, Mr. John Yates. Miss Price and Miss Susan Price were at liberty to emerge from concealment, as Mr. Edmund would not see Miss Price until the young ladies, too, reached the church.

  ​Susan asked Fanny if she was ready – Fanny took a long look at the room where she had spent so many years, had both shed desperate tears and indulged in dreams so sweet she dared not recount them – then took a deep breath and affirmed that she was.

  ​Susan, although she kept her feelings to herself, was impatient to be downstairs. She was grateful to her uncle and her aunt, and she adored Mansfield Park, but if Mansfield Park had a fault, it was that its inmates were a little too quiet. Today, however, the house would be full, for the elder son and the two daughters had arrived for the occasion. Susan was especially curious to meet the disgraced Mrs. Rushworth, as this would be Maria’s first time to be admitted to Mansfield Park since her betrayal of her husband and her subsequent divorce. Ever since that wretched event, Mrs. Rushworth had been living abroad with Mrs. Norris, elder sister to Lady Bertram and Mrs. Price. Mrs. Norris was also in the house, a fact of which Susan was well aware, for although Susan had not yet seen her, she had heard her; Mrs. Norris had a voice that carried. Susan was not particularly curious about Aunt Norris as they had met when Susan first arrived at Mansfield Park. Susan only wondered if the banishment Mrs. Norris shared with Mrs. Rushworth had improved or soured Mrs. Norris’s temper; it had never been good.

  ​So many people! Susan hoped she could remember all their names. As she helped Fanny through the door and down the stairs, she wondered aloud if Mrs. Rushworth was as beautiful as everyone said.

  ​“You will soon see for yourself,” said Fanny.

  ​Susan, perceiving her sister’s heart too full for conversation, spoke no more as they continued down the stairs. They reached the empty vestibule where they were to await the return of the carriage. The Mansfield Park carriage was to make three trips to and from the church before the ceremony to convey the estate’s important personages (most of the servants had already departed on foot). The first had contained the three young men; the second was to contain the three matrons – Lady Bertram, Mrs. Norris, and Mrs. Yates – and the last was to bring Sir Thomas and the two Miss Prices.

  ​“Has the carriage already fetched our aunts, do you suppose?” inquired Fanny.

  ​“I do not think so,” said Susan. As they had descended the stairs, her sharp ears had detected Mrs. Norris’s tones. Susan lowered her own voice, and gestured at a shut door, behind which lay Sir Thomas’s rooms, his study and a library: “Is Mrs. Rushworth within, do you think?”

  ​They could both hear Sir Thomas’s deep voice – like so many older men, unaware that others’ hearing was better than their own, he spoke loudly – and he was answered by a voice belonging to a woman. Her words, however, were impossible to discern.

  ​“Possibly, although my uncle could be speaking with Julia. Julia and Maria sound very much alike.”

  ​“What made Sir Thomas decide to let Mrs. Rushworth come today?” inquired Susan.

  ​“Mrs. Norris wished to come to the wedding, and Mrs. Rushworth petitioned to be allowed to attend as well. Edmund decided it would be inappropriate for Mrs. Rushworth to be at the marriage service itself, but that he would be happy to meet his sister afterwards.”

  ​As a clergyman, Mr. Edmund Bertram had to balance the requirements of stern Christian morality with gentle Christian forgiveness.

  ​“Were you very unhappy when she eloped?” inquired Susan.

  ​“I was shocked by Maria’s behavior – I had not thought her capable of such an act – and anxious for her, and for my uncle. I was not unhappy for myself, because I never felt any affection for Mr. Crawford.”

  ​“Maria cannot be as pretty as you, Fanny, or Mr. Crawford would not have left her,” said Susan. Mr. Henry Crawford was the name of the gentleman – the word has to be used, no matter how ill the fit – for whom Maria Rushworth had deserted her husband. At the time, Mr. Crawford had been trying to persuade Fanny to accept his proposal of marriage. Fanny, who had never trusted Mr. Crawford, had refused him with a persistence and a perspicacity that had bewildered and infuriated her wealthy relations, especially Sir Thomas. Mr. Crawford’s subsequent behavior had altered their opinion, and the baronet consequently admired her good judgment and sterling character.

  ​Fanny repeated that Susan would soon see Mrs. Rushworth for herself, and then cautioned Susan not to mention Mr. Crawford before Mrs. Rushworth. “I am too happy to be disturbed by anything today, but Mrs. Rushworth’s spirits may not be as good.”

  ​Fanny, on the threshold of marriage with her dear Edmund, whom she had loved for years, easily turned her thoughts away from the memory of Mr. Crawford’s elopement with Mrs. Rushworth. Susan, although she agreed not to speak of the matter, could not stop thinking about it – and nor did she want to stop thinking about it. Susan was deeply interested in the appearance of propriety, and her kind heart would never allow her to do anyone harm or to wish anyone ill – but Susan was not as concerned as Fanny was with restraining her thoughts and feelings. Besides, the story of Mrs. Rushworth was too fascinating not to reflect upon, especially as Mrs. Rushworth was, to her knowledge, actually in the house!

  ​Mrs. Rushworth was the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. A few years before, Maria Bertram had, at twenty-one, married Mr. James Rushworth. Mr. Rushworth was the owner of Sotherton, a great estate only ten miles away from Mansfield Park, with an income to be much admired, of 12,000£ per annum. What could one do with so much money! wondered Susan, who had spent most of her first fifteen years in extremely crowded conditions in Portsmouth with her parents and her many brothers and sisters.

  ​Mr. Rushworth’s personality, unfortunately, had not matched his purse; in fact, he had been a dull, stupid fellow. Miss Bertram – who had been in love with Mr. Crawford at the time, but disappointed because the gentleman had not made her an offer – had married Mr. Rushworth to prove her independence from Mr. Crawford and her father. Sir Thomas, although aware of Mr. Rushworth’s shortcomings, had tamped down his misgivings and given his daughter away.

  ​After Maria’s marriage to Mr. Rushworth, Mr. Crawford had decided that he was in love with Miss Fanny Price. Fanny, already secretly in love with her cousin Edmund, had not returned Mr. Crawford’s affections. In fact, aware of his treatment of her female cousins – Mr. Crawford had likewise trifled with Julia Bertram – Fanny had disliked and distrusted him. Still, Mr. Crawford might have conquered Fanny’s heart, for she was beginning to find him agreeable, when Mr. Crawford encountered Mrs. Rushworth at a party and the two of them had resumed their flirtation and had eloped.

  ​Susan, who knew most of this and suspected the rest, thought Fanny owed Mr. Crawford a great deal. His pursuit of Fanny made her seem attractive to all – had earned her the respect of their wealthy relatives – for without the confirmation of Mr. Crawford’s admiration Fanny might never have been con
sidered beautiful. Mr. Crawford’s offer had made her a worthy object to her cousin, Edmund, who had never noticed her that way before. Edmund, whom Susan loved as her cousin, and who had all the superiority associated with a clergyman and an Oxford education – even dear Edmund was subject to human frailty and had not perceived Fanny as a potential wife until after Mr. Crawford paid his addresses. For who does not want what others desire?

  ​Susan had actually met Mr. Crawford, who had once ventured to Portsmouth in pursuit of Fanny. Susan had never seen Mrs. Rushworth, however, and was almost as interested in meeting her disgraced cousin as she was in her sister’s wedding.

  ​Susan was aware that it was not supposed to be her place to judge, and she was extremely conscious of her dependent position. Yet she was not her sister; she dared to have opinions, even if she was cautious in uttering them.

  ​“I am glad you are so happy,” Susan said to Fanny, choosing a subject to which her sister could make no objection.

  ​“I am. My chief regret is leaving you, Susan. Will you be lonely?”

  ​“I do not think so,” said Susan. “All my cousins are here; Mansfield Park will be livelier than it has been in years.”

  ​“One can feel alone in a house full of many people.” Fanny spoke from experience, for when she had first come to Mansfield Park she had been both lonely and homesick.

  ​“Do not worry about me, Fanny.” In truth Susan was concerned about Fanny: how would her shy sister manage as the wife of a clergyman in her new parish? But Susan did not share this anxiety with Fanny; if it had not occurred to her, why mention it? “Here come my aunts,” Susan added, for Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris were indeed descending the staircase. Both women were elegantly attired, Lady Bertram especially so, while Mrs. Norris’s gown, though fine, was rather heavy for the warm day. Lady Bertram clutched a handkerchief that she expected to use for her tears when she watched her younger son marry her eldest niece.