Just Married- Emma Woodhouse + George Knightley
By Nina Costandino
Current Events Reporter
November 2nd, 1815
The big news in the small town of Highbury is that Ms. Emma Woodhouse- clever, rich, and beautiful- has found love in Mr. George Knightley of Donwell Abbey. The couple was recently married after a long year of hardships and difficult choices for Ms. Woodhouse, who has been saying for some time that she would not marry.
We start Ms. Woodhouse’s story as the news that Frank Churchill is returning to Highbury reaches to her. About a month before, Mr. Churchill was fortunate enough to escape his dreadful guardian- Mrs. Churchill- who also happens to be his aunt, and spend some time with his father and step-mother. The Westons’ spring ball was postponed when Mr. Churchill was abruptly called back home because of his aunt’s “sudden illness”. The Churchills were to be in London for some time on the doctor’s orders- however, Mrs. Churchill changed course again and set out for the town of Richmond, which happened to be close to Highbury. Mr. Churchill could finally be spared, so the ball was back on, but Ms. Woodhouse was apprehensive as she suspected that Mr. Churchill had been in love with her during his last visit. “But if he [Mr. Churchill], who had undoubtedly been always so much the most in love of the two, were to be returning with the same warmth of sentiment, which he had taken away, it would be very distressing,” said Ms. Woodhouse in an interview with the Highbury Herald a few weeks previous. The Westons made reservations for the Crown Inn, and Ms. Woodhouse was busy night and day while she helped plan the big day. Ms. Woodhouse managed to persuade her father to allow her to attend the ball, so the next night, she stepped out of the Hartfield carriage in a beautiful gown, all eyes on her. The ball passed without much trouble and Ms. Woodhouse’s calmness was restored until the next night, when a crisis came knocking at the door.
Harriet Smith, an intimate friend of Ms. Woodhouse’s, stepped into the entrance hall of Hartfield, looking thoroughly dishevelled. After an hour of weeding the story out of her, Ms. Smith had proclaimed that she had run into a colony of gipsies when coming home from the Westons’ ball. They bombarded her even after she gave them money, walking with her into town until Mr. Churchill came to her rescue. When Ms. Smith returned to Hartfield a few days later, fully recovered, she started to reveal to Ms. Woodhouse that she had fallen in love with someone! Ms. Woodhouse cut her off before she could name him because Ms. Woodhouse knew she had a tendency to make matches and didn’t want to interfere with Ms. Smith’s love life (Ms. Woodhouse did have an inkling that Mr. Churchill was Ms. Smith’s object, though). Unfortunately, Ms. Smith would not obtain her wish because Mr. Churchill was taken.
A few weeks later, much had progressed between the young adults of Highbury: Mr. Knighley told Ms. Woodhouse that he thought Mr. Churchill was double-crossing her, a group of villagers ventured to Donwell Abbey and Box Hill, Ms. Woodhouse tried in vain to coax Ms. Fairfax,the niece/grandchild of a local family, into spending some time with her. Finally, Ms. Woodhouse received a letter from Mrs. Weston that contained a letter from Mr. Churchill. In the letter, Mr. Churchill confesses that he and Ms. Fairfax have been secretly engaged for almost a year! “I was fortunate enough to prevail, before we parted at Weymouth, and to induce the most upright female mind in the creation to stoop in charity to a secret engagement,” wrote Mr. Churchill in his letter. Ms. Woodhouse was shocked by the new development, and nervous to break the news to Ms. Smith. However, Ms. Woodhouse had nothing to fear.
When Ms. Woodhouse opened the door, Ms. Smith immediately started venting her happy thoughts about the engagement to Ms. Woodhouse, who was at a loss for words. Ms. Woodhouse was invited in and proceeded to ask Ms. Smith why she was so happy if she was in love with Mr. Churchill? Ms. Smith was equally stunned at this question. Ms. Woodhouse had misunderstood Ms. Smith when she was close to revealing who she was in love with- Mr. George Knightley!
Once this information was announced, Ms. Woodhouse suddenly experienced a sensation that she was unfamiliar with. She felt more free and in control of herself and her life than ever. Only then did Ms. Woodhouse finally realize that this was what true love felt like- she was in love with Mr. Knightley as well. She felt guilty that she was now competing with Ms. Smith, but she couldn’t deny her feelings any longer. Ms. Woodhouse’s only drawback was how she would deal with her father. . .
A few days later, Ms. Woodhouse met Mr. Knightley while she was on an evening walk, and tried to remain calm and collected while talking. The pair discussed the engagement of Mr. Churchill and Ms. Fairfax, but both appeared constrained. Finally, Mr. Knightley revealed to Ms. Woodhouse that he had been in love with her for a while but kept his feelings quiet until the perfect situation came. Ms. Woodhouse was elated at this news, even if it meant Ms. Smith would be heartbroken once again. After much discussion on how Mr. Woodhouse would feel if Ms. Woodhouse married, it was agreed between Ms. Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley that when married, they would live at Hartfield with Ms. Woodhouse’s father. Once Mr. Woodhouse heard the news, he was not pleased, but soon was in sympathy with the couple’s wishes. He would be able to have his daughter and Mr. Knightley at his beck and call!
Ms. Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley were married on November 1st, 1815, while Emma’s sister and her family were in town. Mr. Elton, the local priest, joined their hands. The wedding was simple, but it fit the new couple’s wishes very well. “Very little white satin, very few lace veils; a most pitiful business!” exclaimed Mrs. Elton when asked for her opinion of the wedding. Nonetheless, Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley lived happily ever after.
Mr. Woodhouse was especially happy with the arrangement of the Knighleys living at Harfield after they were married because he hated seeing people he cared for leave. He was very sad when his eldest daughter, Isabelle, married and moved to London, which meant he could not see her often. He was also in a poor state when his and Ms. Woodhouse’s old governess married Mr. Weston and left Harfield. Before she fell deeply in love with Mr. Knightley, Emma had only promised not to fall in love so that she would not have to leave her home and cause her father pain. The arrangement suited both him and the new couple well. It was also known shortly before Emma and Mr. Knightly joined hands that Jane Fairfax had revoked her engagement to Mr. Churchill after the pain it had caused her when it was a secret. She had decided she was going to live a little before making her decision. Mr. Churchill agreed with her because he recognized the pain he had caused her. Finally, Ms. Smith had found herself a match- Mr. Robert Martin. Almost a year previous, Mr. Martin had proposed to Ms. Smith only to be declined. He and Ms. Smith had crossed paths again while Ms. Smith was staying with Isabelle’s family (Ms. Woodhouse felt guilty that Ms. Smith had been heartbroken again, so she proposed that they spend some time away from each other), and they had realized they were right for each other. They became married a month before Ms. Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley.
Wish the happy couples “Congratulations!” if you bump into them this week! - The Highbury Herald