21 Tenant Of Wildfell Hall-Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

Contrary to the early 19th-century norms, she pursues an artist's career and makes an income by selling her pictures. Her strict seclusion soon gives rise to gossip in the neighbouring village and she becomes a social outcast. Refusing to believe anything scandalous about her, Gilbert befriends her and discovers her past.
In this episode: The wedding is set for Christmas. Helen soon discovers that others besides Mrs. Maxwell are unhappy about the match, namely Milicent Hargrave, who had hoped to introduce Helen to her brother Walter in the spring. Milicent worries that Arthur is not serious enough for Helen, and she doesn’t like his looks either. She thinks his beauty too showy, his face too red. Helen is offended, and says that the next person who abuses Arthur Huntingdon in her presence will get a piece of her mind.

Transcript

Hello. Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph, A romantic bedtime podcast guaranteed to help you drift off into a calm, Relaxing sleep. Come with me as we travel back to a time long ago where Helen Huntingdon is sacrificing everything she knows in order to protect her son. But before we begin let us take a moment to focus on where we are now. Take a deep breath in through your nose then let it out on a long sigh. That's it. It is time to relax and really let go. Feel your shoulders melt away from your ears as you sink into the support beneath you. Feel the pressure seep away from your cheeks as your breath drops into a natural rhythm. There is nothing you need to be doing right now and nowhere you need to go. We are together and it is time for sleep. The Tenant of Wildfelm Hall by Anne Bronte Read and abridged by Stephanie Poppins Stephanie Poppins Chapter 21 Opinions October the 1st, Continued Helen in her letters. All is settled now. My father has given his consent and the time is fixed for Christmas. By a sort of compromise between the respective advocates for hurry and delay. Millicent Hargrave is to be one bridesmaid and Annabella Wilmot the other. Not that I am particularly fond of the latter but she is an intimate of the family and I have not another friend. When I told Millicent of my engagement she rather provoked me by her manner of taking it. After staring a moment in mute surprise she said, Well Helen I suppose I ought to congratulate you and I am glad to see you so happy but I did not think you would take him and I can't help feeling surprised you should like him so much. Why so? Because you are so superior to him in every way and there's something so bold and reckless about him so I don't know how but I always feel a wish to get out of his way when I see him approach. You are timid Millicent but that's no fault of his. And then his look, Continued she. People say he's handsome and of course he is but I don't like that kind of beauty and I wonder that you should. Why so pray? Well you know I think there's nothing noble or lofty in his appearance. In fact you wonder that I can like anyone so unlike the stilted heroes of romance? Well give me my flesh and blood lover and I'll leave all the Sir Herberts and Valentines to you I said if you can find them. I don't want them said she I'll be satisfied with flesh and blood too only the spirit must shine through and predominate. Don't you think Mr Huntington's face is too red? No cried I indignantly it is not red at all there is just a pleasant glow a healthy freshness in his complexion the warm pinky tint of the whole harmonising with a deeper colour of his cheeks exactly as it ought to do. I hate a man to be red and white like a painted doll or all sickly white or smoky black or cadaverous yellow. Well tastes differ but I like pale or dark replied she but to tell you the truth Helen I had been deluding myself with a hope you would one day be my sister. I expected Walter would be introduced to you next season and I thought you would like him and I was certain he would like you and I flattered myself I shall thus have the felicity of seeing the two persons I like best in the world except Mama united in one. He may not be exactly what you would call handsome but he's far more distinguished looking and nicer and better than Mr Huntington and I'm sure you would say so if you knew him. Impossible Millicent you think so because you're his sister and on that account I'll forgive you but nobody else should so disparage Arthur Huntington to me with impunity. Miss Wilmot expressed her feelings on the subject almost as openly and so Helen said she coming up to me with a smile of no amiable import you are to be Mrs Huntington I suppose. Yes replied I don't you envy me. Oh dear no she exclaimed I shall probably be Lady Lobra someday and then you know dear I shall be in a capacity to inquire don't you envy me? Henceforth I shall envy no one returned I. Indeed are you so happy then she said thoughtfully and something like a cloud of disappointment shadowed her face and how does he love you I mean does he idolize you as much as you do him she added fixing her eyes upon me with ill disguised anxiety for the reply. I don't want to be idolized I answered but I'm well assured that he loves me more than anybody else in the world as I do him. Exactly she said with a nod I wish she paused. What do you wish asked I annoyed at the vindictive expression of her countenance. I wish returned she with a short laugh that all the attractive points and desirable qualifications of the two gentlemen were united in one that Lord Lobra had Huntington's handsome face and good temper and all his wit and mirth and charm or else that Huntington had Lobra's pedigree title and delightful old family seat and I had him and you might have the other and welcome. Thank you dear Annabella I'm better satisfied with things as they are for my part and for you I wish you were as well content with your intended as I am with mine said I and it was true enough for though vexed at first at her unamiable spirit her frankness touched me and the contrast between our situations was such I could well afford to pity her. And wish her well. Mr Huntington's acquaintances appeared to be no better pleased with our approaching union than mine. This morning's post brought him letters from several of his friends during the perusal of which at the breakfast table he excited the attention of the company by the singular variety of his grimaces but he crushed them all into his pocket with a private laugh and said nothing till the meal was concluded. Then while the company were hanging over the fire or loitering throughout the room previous to settling in their various morning avocations he came and leant over the back of my chair with his face in contact with my curls and commencing with a quiet little kiss poured forth the following complaints into my ear. Helen you witch do you know you've entailed upon me the curses of all my friends? I wrote to them the other day to tell them of my happy prospects and now instead of a bundle of congratulations I've got a pocket full of bitter execrations and reproaches. There's not one kind wish for me or one good word for you among them all. They say there'll be no more fun now no more merry days and glorious nights and all my fault. I am the first to break up the jovial band and others in pure despair will follow my example. I was the very life and prop of the community they do me the honor to say and I have shamefully betrayed their trust. You may join them again if you like said I somewhat peeped at the sorrowful tone of his discourse. I should be sorry to stand between any man or body of men and so much happiness and perhaps I can manage to do without you as well as your poor deserted friends. Bless you no murmured he it's all for love or the world well lost with me. Let them go where they belong to speak politely but if you saw how they abused me Helen you would love me all the more for having ventured so much for your sake. He pulled out his crumpled letters I thought he was going to show them to me and I told him I did not wish to see them. I'm not going to show them to you love said he they're hardly fit for a lady's eyes the most part of them but look here this is Grimsey's scrawl only three lines the sulky dog. He doesn't say much to be sure but his very silence implies more than all the others words and the less he says the more he thinks. God damn him I beg your pardon dearest and this is Hargrave's missive he's particularly grieved at me because forsooth he'd fallen in love with you from his sister's reports and meant to have married you himself as soon as he'd sown his wild oats. I'm vastly obliged to him observed I and so am I said he and look at this this is Hattersley's the page is stuffed full of railing accusations bitter curses and lamentable complaints ending up with swearing that he'll get married himself in revenge he'll throw himself away on the first old maid that chooses to set her cap at him as if I cared what he did with himself. Well said I if you give up your intimacy with these men I don't think you'll have much cause to regret the loss of their society but it's my belief they never did you much good. Maybe not but we'd have a merry time of it too though mingled with sorrow and pain as Lobra knows to his cost and while he was laughing at the recollection of Lobra's troubles my uncle came and clapped him on the shoulder come my lad said he are you too busy making love to my niece to make war with the pheasants first of October remember sun shines out rains ceased even Boram's not afraid of venturing his waterproof boots and Wilmot and I are going to beat you all I declare we oldens are the keenest sportsmen of the lot I'll show you what I can do today however said my companion I'll murder your birds by wholesale just for keeping me away from better company than either you or them and so saying he departed and I saw no more of him till dinner it seemed a weary time I wonder what I shall do without him it is very true the three elder gentlemen have proved themselves much keener sportsmen the two younger ones for both Lord Lobra and Arthur Huntington have of late almost daily neglected the shooting excursions to accompany us in our various rides and rambles but these merry times are fast drawing to a close in less than a fortnight the party breaks up much to my sorrow for every day I enjoy it more and more now that Mrs Boram and Wilmot have ceased to tease me and my aunt has ceased to lecture me and I have ceased to be jealous of Annabella and even to dislike her and now that Mr Huntington is become my Arthur and may I enjoy his society without restraint what shall I do without him I repeat

Reviews

What shall she do, indeed… always interesting to watch the slow moving train wrecks😩 thanks for reading!❤️🙏🏼