Brougham Park

Chapter 17

There can never be a more pleasant time than one that is spent with our family. Breakfast this morning could never be even more pleasant. Mrs Dawson cheerfully hummed as she savoured the buns while Mr Dawson was equally in a pleasant mood. The reader might have recalled that Mr Dawson had initially objected to holding a dinner party. However, circumstances had brought about a change of heart, causing him to regret his initial reluctance. The event turned out to be a source of genuine enjoyment for him, just as it was for the others who attended.

Mr Dawson had chanced upon speaking with Mr Crew and found him to be a pleasant and a respectable young lad. Mr Crew, an only son, lives with his family who owns a house in Bath and have been there since Mr Crew was a teenager. His father, Captain Crew, used to serve in the navy. He was the Captain of the V- vessel. After winning a battle, he earned a large fortune with which he chose to give up the navy entirely and settle his family in Bath. Mr Dawson had liked Mr Crew so much that he was welcomed at Brougham Park as often as he chooses.

The girls had enjoyed the party as much as William had. Though Samantha was dancing herself, she did not fail to notice how happy William was while dancing with Eleanor. She also noticed how Eleanor too had enjoyed dancing with William. But more than that, she had noticed how attentive Mr Harris was to herself. He had tried to keep conversations going throughout dinner, asking her opinion on different matters or commenting on her friendship with Celia. He even inquired about her likes and dislikes. She had also noticed that he had danced only two dances, and that too only with her. He did not ask any other young woman in the room to dance.

Samantha was bewildered by his peculiar behaviour. She could not seem to understand his motive behind his strange conduct. She found herself pondering the possibility that he might have more than a passing interest in her, a notion that, to her surprise, stirred feelings of unease.

Samantha continued to gaze at her reflection on her mirror, her mind in turmoil. The flickering candlelight danced in her eyes, mirroring the flickering uncertainty within her. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed that Mr Harris might indeed be attracted to her.

She couldn't help but recall the moments that had left her perplexed. His behaviour was like an intricate puzzle, with pieces that didn't quite fit together. There were times when he had been uncivil, even annoying, which had irked her greatly. Yet, on other occasions, he had shown a surprising level of attentiveness, showering her with compliments and gestures of generosity.

Samantha's brows furrowed as she wrestled with her thoughts. It was a perplexing matter, one that defied easy explanation. She couldn't bring herself to accept the possibility, not after everything that had happened between them. The idea that a man who had caused her so much vexation could actually have romantic feelings for her was difficult for her to accept.

Her pride and her instincts warred within her. Samantha was not one to easily dismiss her intuition, and it had been sounding the alarm bells loudly. Her instincts warned her not to be swayed by Mr Harris's baffling behaviour, to remain cautious and guarded.

Such was what transpired in her bedchamber after she had retired to her room on the night of the dinner party. Samantha kept her concerns to herself, and as a result, everyone, including William and Celia, remained unaware of the thoughts racing through her mind. She also made a determined decision to discreetly observe Mr Harris, hoping to find evidence that his attraction towards her was unfounded.

After breakfast had ended, the ladies retired to the drawing room while Kitty retreated to the music room to practise the piano, and Samantha requested her art supplies, feeling a strong inclination to paint that day. William, on the other hand, had ridden out with Charles to visit his tenants.