Summer

Lunch time.
Lovely to be back at Primrose! Feels quite like yesterday! Same charming rooms. New day dress, complete with lace. Lovely day!

Picnic, all of us together. Excellent weather, sunny and warm, almost too warm, I say. Bella always has the most beautiful hats, but my new bonnet with green lining and decorated with both flowers and miniature birds, was not bad either.

Sweet Christopher quite doted on my, and fetched me more sparkling wine. A bit of opera, very accomplished musicians, I'm sure! Perhaps a bit long.

The men got to hand out a rose each to their favourite women on site. Mr Allan gave me his, just as when we were young so long ago, lovely old fool! But of course, I gave it to our darling Bella, as did the rest of our boys. I didn't even have to tell them! Such excellent creatures, I always say!

Alexander, in his beautiful new coat, teased her, of course. But I'm sure he gave her the rose in the end.

We had our family portrait pained at two o'clock. Christopher's wonderful idea. Had to be placed outside – we were too many to fit inside the painter's studio. Do believe it will look marvellous.

Mr Allan very excited about the croquet competition and actually ended up in second place. Well done, I say!

Went to the archery and cheered on Marcus, who said he did a lot of archery at Eton and was quite good at it. He and Mr James competed, but I wondered at them running into the woods so often, looking for arrows. Perhaps part of the game. Seemed to get the hang of it later on, when Marcus actually won against Mr James, hoorah!

Was looking forward to tea in the family parlour. Percy and Miss Victoria Silvergate was there, a most pleasant girl! And Mr James too.

But, la!, Marcus, our gloomy and sensible boy, turned out to be the most hopeless of them all! A secret engagement! Four years! A girl of no fortune! Marry well and wealthy, haven't we always told them? Mr Allan was VERY upset! Had to ask the company to leave. Booming voice. Smelling salts. Very confused, I say! Had to lie down.

Darling Christopher woke me, quite in a mess, wanting to know if we would disown Marcus. Of course not!, said I, Papa says we will love him as usual when all this is settled!

Spoke to Marcus before dinner, a nice walk, he lent me his arm. Tried to be very cross and stern with him, like Mr Allan advised ("Be firm with the boy, Phyllis!"), but la! Those big beautiful eyes and all his talk about young love, and all was lost. "We are different, you and me, aunt Phyllis"; he said, "We are romantics". Darling boy, whenever will he start calling me mama, stubborn creature!

Very confused that Percy was taking Miss Victoria all around Primrose, when it was meant to be Christopher. I love my dear Percy (and those excellent new flowery trousers of his!), but am quite perplexed.

He was all on Marcus' side, by the way, in the whole engagement business, and tried to advise me to let the boy marry. I said to him, to hide one's love like that, from all who loves you the most in the world – it seems a most unnatural thing!

Just before dinner, Mrs Silvergate accused our Alexander of breaking Miss Isabel's heart, could you believe it! They danced so well together this spring. But I did notice him with Miss Steele today.

Dinner, an awfully quiet affair. That is, when Lady M or Lady G weren't talking. They seemed quite cross with both me and Mr Allan, I'm sure I cannot understand. Mrs Silvergate right next to me, completely in silence. Quite unnatural. Lady M going on about charades and how my children were asses and monkeys and some other animals I've quite forgotten. Very confusing, I'm sure! Luckily I had a new beautiful fan with flowers on to focus on.

But then, I was not surprised, not surprised at all, you see! Our darling Bella was named the Queen of Summer and Beauty! With a crown and all. So proud, so, so proud! Also, am not ashamed to say, am pleased to beat all the Silvergate and Bluefield ladies. Well done, Arabella, I say!

Suddenly, was reached by rumour that Percy had proposed to Miss Victoria and also had been excepted. Quite the shocking thing! Lady G stormed off after them, they left the dinner together, you see. I stormed after, we confronted them, and la!, it was all true! Most shocking thing of all – lady Georgiana did not refuse Percy at once!

We moved to the tea parlour where quite the cross examination of poor Percy was undertaken by several Silvergates. But he did marvellously, I must say, darling boy! I stood up for him, told him what a sweet, sweet creature he was and always had been and that no one of our Plumton boys would ever fear to lack anything while Mr Allan and myself was around.

Lady G could not, simply COULD not, refuse the happy children! Because they seemed so ridiculously happy, you see. Quite the thing.

Had to interrupt the lovely piano player for another proposal in the parlour. Mr Colin, the richest of the Mr Bluefields, proposed to sweet Miss Isabel Silvergate! Quite confused, really thought this spring that she and Alexander … Oh, well! Am getting old. The summer heat is driving all of us mad, I'm sure! But as long it is madly in love, I do suppose it is alright.

Some sad streaks in our happiness – our darling Christopher now quite the lost lamb, with Percy being engaged to Miss Victoria. Oh, I wish him a sweet, sweet girl of his own!

Marcus not sure at all about the intentions this fortuneless Miss Isabella Bluefield. (I gave her a sharp look at the ball, I did! No one should quarrel with our children, oh no!)

Asked Marcus to keep an eye on Alexander, so I could play cards with the ladies, but he declined. Though he promised me to dance, so could not be cross with him.

Hade to watch Alexander carefully, as he was quite inseparable from Bella's friend, Miss Rebecca Steele (No name! No fortune!). Even had to threaten him that he would have to dance with mama if they didn't leave that secluded bench right away and returned into the ball room!

Mr Gilbert Sullivan no where near Bella tonight; instead Bella and Mr James Bluefield were quite attached to each other. Sweet boy, good family, not bad income. Perhaps … a bit of a rascal? Well, Bella seemed happy, and happy enough when Mr James asked papa for his permission to propose.

I snuck Arabella away from the ball and asked her of her opinion, what did she think? She said, well, he is beautiful, and he is young, and he is fun, and then she rushed of again to join the dance. Ah, to be young again!

Mr Allan, stern in all things concerning our dearest Bella, left poor Mr James waiting for an answer for a whole hour before excepting. He is a tough one sometimes, the old dear.

We finally played cards in the parlour, a rapid game of Two-four, led by Lady M, of course. Mrs Steele joined in as well, and quite blew us away with her game. She hadn't even played Two-four before, could you believe it!

Poor Marcus, his secret engagement now broken! The girl interested in his and Christopher's inheritance, that sly creature. Sad, sad eyes. Darling boy! Meant no harm with all this engagement business, I'm sure.

Mr Allan very pleased to have him onboard in the firm. No more priestly business for Marcus, now.

Alexander tried to sneak off in the night with Miss Steele, but alas! Papa was to clever for him! The children seem to forget that we were also young at Primrose not to long ago. Troublesome, ungrateful boy! Runs around with a girl of no name, no fortune, just to spite me, I'm sure!

My hope lies to Lady Georgiana and a summer visit with her in London! She knows plenty of eligible young ladies, I'm sure, and she's taken quite a shine to our Plumton boys.

Especially to Nicholas, our adventurer. The seem equally thrilled when he talks of his travels to the Americas and of the Indians. She is quite a marvellous creature, lady Georgiana. I do believe nothing scares her at all.

Mr Allan gave me THREE dances AND stayed up until midnight! Must have been the happy business of marrying of some of the young ones.


Breakfast.
Was quite cross with Alexander. High time to settle down. But, oh! Percy – so happy! Bliss! Bella also pleased, I do believe.

Quite the ruckus at the breakfast table. Lady Marjorie and Sir Silvergate were quite stern. Mr Bluefield actually yelling. ("Before tea, barbaric!", said Mr Allan.) Poor Miss Caroline actually in tears.

Didn't manage to get a hold of it right away, but soon learned what it was all about. Apparently, Mr Bluefield has a natural daughter! By Miss Mary-Ann! The Bluefield's ward, Miss Abigail! Could not believe it! And Mr Bluefield, always so upstanding.

Poor Miss Mary-Ann! Miss Abigail! Dearest Elinor! Mr Allan, white with fury. All engagements broken off. All, all! Bella furious.

Sad, sad hour at the church. Could not hear a word of what that sweet man, Mr Whimhurst, said.

Although, Lady Marjorie was very kind and almost complimented Mr Allan and myself. Even wanted to sit together at church. Lovely, but also confusing.