The Jane Austen Society(37)

“I’m afraid we are only three members, at present,” Dr. Gray continued. “Myself, Adeline Grover, and Adam Berwick. We will need more than that to form a decent quorum for voting. Over time, of course, we hope to invite Miss Frances herself.”

“Miss Frances, too?” Andrew asked with surprise. “Really?”

Benjamin Gray watched the other man carefully as they approached the back walled garden, his favourite spot on the entire estate. Andrew seemed to have a deep and unresolved interest in Frances Knight, which confused Dr. Gray. His two childhood friends practically managed the Knight estate together, both still single and unmarried, and he knew Andrew had been besotted with Frances when they were young. Dr. Gray could not imagine the man still caring for the woman and not ever having done anything about it, for all his fastidiousness.

“All the same, I’m afraid I would be conflicted out of most decisions, as solicitor for the estate,” Andrew was saying, the intricacy of his situation continuing to dawn on him. He could never tell any of them what he knew about the contents of the will. He wondered though if, by being involved at all, even just as a fly on the wall, he could at least observe their decisions as a group and subtly steer them in a way that helped protect Frances’s interests, while not violating the duty he owed Mr. Knight as his solicitor. In his lengthy career, Andrew had never before allowed himself to even contemplate such a morally grey area, and it was making him feel more than a little queasy.

“Perhaps, when it comes to voting,” Dr. Gray responded. “But your general legal knowledge—not to mention your peerless knowledge of Chawton itself and its history—would be invaluable to the other members.”

Andrew took a seat on a carved-oak bench just outside the entrance to the walled garden, and Benjamin joined him.

“Have you contemplated yet a legal structure to carry out the charitable goals of this society? To protect yourself from liability, raise money, and minimize taxes and the like?”

Dr. Gray was gratified to see the wheels already turning in Andrew’s lawyer brain. “We were thinking of a separate charitable trust to administer the actual property and any assets we acquire.”

“Very good, very good. Whose idea was all this to begin with, anyway?”

“Adam Berwick, believe it or not. Seems he has been reading and rereading Jane Austen every winter for many years now.”

“I would never have guessed that in a thousand years.” The lawyer shook his head in amused disbelief.

“They say that certain books can really help patients with trauma, and for some reason Jane Austen is one of the ones they recommend. I know she has helped me.”

“Is this medicine then for poor Adeline Grover as well?”

“Yes, I suppose.”

Andrew stared pensively at the Great House and the grounds stretching out before him. “I still feel uncomfortable about my position as the Knight solicitor of record. My duty is to protect the interests of my clients, financial and legal and otherwise. Inevitably things will come up—conversations will happen—in which I will need to abstain or absent myself altogether.”

“Andy, of course—I took a professional oath, too, you know. Look, it’s a charity—we’re certainly none of us going to be making any money for all our efforts. I would like to think we can manage any conflicts that arise without too much fuss.”

“Okay,” Andrew finally agreed with a sigh. “I will help out, too. But I think we should meet soon, before the holidays occupy us.”

“Andrew, honestly, are we any of us four so busy right now?”

The two men sat on the bench and looked about at the scene of so many earlier festivities from their shared youth. Maybe, just maybe, they were both silently thinking, the society could help them recapture even a small degree of that.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chawton, Hampshire

December 22, 1945

The First Meeting of the Jane Austen Society

In which the Jane Austen Memorial Trust is established, with the charitable objects of the advancement of education and in particular the study of English Literature, especially the works of Jane Austen.

The first order of business was to establish a trust as a legal means to carry out any dealings supported by the society, and to nominate three trustees, including the chairman, treasurer, and secretary.

Adeline Grover agreed to act as secretary for the meeting, given her speed at note taking, and by the end of the meeting was permanently acclaimed in that role. Dr. Gray agreed to be the first chairman of the trust for a term of two years, given his prior experience on the local school board. Andrew agreed to be the first treasurer, given his solicitor’s training and knowledge of trust accounts and separate banking practices. This was all to the palpable relief of Adam Berwick, whose financial situation was understood to require his full commitment to his regular employment.

The trust deed, as drawn up in advance by Andrew Forrester, provided for funds raised through both subscription and donation, and thirty pounds was quickly pledged by the three trustees to create an account from which any incidental expenses could be withdrawn going forward.

Each of the three trustees also pledged to uphold various duties, primary of which was the duty to carry out the charitable purposes of the trust and to avoid any conflicts or perceptions thereof. With Andrew Forrester’s role as executor of the Knight estate, the situation felt ripe for conflict, and he agreed to abstain from any voting on the use of funds to purchase the property.