Free Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd

always worn a very pretty topaz cross that Henry bought for me some years ago.’
    ‘I recollect the very one!’ cried Miss Price, ‘but do you really have only that meagre bit of ribbon to fasten it to? Surely Mr Crawford might be prevailed upon to buy you a
gold chain as well?’
    ‘Henry had wanted to buy me a gold chain,’ said Mary, concealing her anger, ‘but the purchase was beyond his means at the time.’
    ‘But surely, not to wear the cross to Mr Rushworth’s ball might be mortifying him?’
    ‘My dear Miss Price, such a trifle is not worth half as many words. Henry will be delighted to see me wearing the cross, even on a piece of meagre ribbon, and I do not care for
anyone else’s opinion, whatever it may be.’
    ‘Not care how you appear in front of so many elegant young women! I would be ashamed to stand up so. My dear Miss Crawford, pray let me be of assistance.’
    Turning to her table, she immediately presented Mary with a small trinket-box, and requested her to choose from among several gold chains and necklaces.
    ‘You see what a collection I have,’ said she grandly, ‘more by half than I ever use, or even think of. My family is always giving me some thing or other. I do not offer them as
new, I offer nothing but an old necklace. You must forgive the liberty and oblige me.’
    Mary resisted for as long as she could without being thought ungrateful, wondering all the time what Miss Price’s real motive might be in such a shew of generosity; but when her companion
urged her once again, Mary found herself obliged to yield, and proceeded to make the selection. She was determined in her choice at last, by fancying there was one necklace more frequently placed
before her eyes than the rest, and she hoped, in fixing on this, to be choosing what Miss Price least wished to keep. She would rather perhaps have been obliged to some other person, but there was
nothing to be done now, but to submit with a good grace and hope for the best.

 
    CHAPTER V
    The weather remaining resolutely unsettled, the proposed excursion to Compton was postponed. Luckily the young people of Mansfield had another prospect of pleasure, and one
that promised yet keener delights. Invitations to the Sotherton ball were sent with dispatch, and Mr Rushworth calculated to collect young people enough to form twelve or fourteen couple. He had
fixed on the 22nd as the most eligible day; Sir Thomas was required to depart for Cumberland on the 24th and was to be accompanied on the first stage of the journey by Mr Norris. The preparations
duly began, and Mr Rushworth continued to ride and shoot without any inconvenience from them. He had some extra visits from his housekeeper, his painters were rather hurried in finishing the
wainscot in the ball-room, and all the while Mrs Norris ran about, enquiring whether she or her housekeeper might be of any assistance, but all this gave him no trouble, and he
confidently declared that, ‘there was in fact no trouble in the business’.
    As for Mary, she had too many agitations to have half the enjoyment in anticipation which she ought to have had, but when the day came she awoke in a glow of genuine high spirits. Such an
evening of enjoyment before her! She began to dress for it with much of the happy flutter which belongs to a ball. All went well—she had chosen her finest gown, and left her room at last,
comfortably satisfied with herself and all about her.
    Henry was impatient to see Sotherton, a place of which he had heard so much, and which held out the strongest hope of further profitable employment, and as they drove through the park he let
down the side-glass to have a better view.
    ‘Rising ground,’ he commented, ‘fine woods, if a little thinly spread, and the pleasure-grounds are tolerably extensive. All in all, very promising. I must make more of an
effort to be civil to our Mr Rushworth in future. After all, if he can employ Bonomi for the house, he can certainly