The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2

Emma is reading in her garret room (she is forced to live there while Archibald remains in the house, but she has actually come to love the peace and the view) when she hears her tenant, Mr. Pierce, moving about in the garret room of Lapis Lazuli Minor next door. Their living spaces are separated only by a thin wall with a small crack in it, through which they have occasionally passed messages. A folded note is pushed through a crack in the wall, in which Mr. Pierce states, “WE HAVE MICE” (5). Emma writes back, explaining that she has already tried various methods to eliminate the pests, to no avail. The tenant asks if he can propose a “sure-fire way” to handle the problem, and she agrees. Intrigued by the anonymous communication, which reminds her of Pyramus and Thisbe, Emma decides not to repair the crack in the wall.

Emma’s large order of new clothing, commissioned by her aunt for the Season, arrives for Emma. Later, she has tea at her aunt’s home but finds time to speak privately with her cousin, Arabella Spencer. They discuss the upcoming Social Season and Aunt Eugenia’s strategies to secure a husband for Arabella. Arabella, who is pragmatic about marriage, suggests Emma could solve her financial problems by finding a wealthy husband. When Emma protests that she already owns a house, Arabella advises her to evict Archibald Flat, but Emma says she cannot; her late father made her promise to let Archibald remain at Lapis Lazuli for as long as he likes.

Emma’s maid, Agnes, receives a letter from Cousin Archibald, who is visiting his sister, Matilde—due to a rule they established, he and Emma communicate only through intermediaries. The letter states that Matilde is ill, which will delay his return to London. 

Archibald has been living at Lapis Lazuli since Emma’s aunt, his wife of a few weeks, died suddenly. Her will, which wasn’t changed by the time she died, left her estate (including the house and all money) to Emma’s father, leaving nothing to Archibald. Emma’s grandfather determined that Archibald should have control of the estate for the remainder of his life, and Emma’s father was left to make his own fortune. Despite this, Emma’s father left Archibald with the same provision, and so, even though both the house and estate are technically Emma’s, Archibald was named her guardian and controls the house and finances. Due to an incident when Emma was younger and threw a teapot at Archibald (because he insulted her father after his death, despite his generosity), leaving a scar, he hates her and has determined to bankrupt the estate before she is old enough to claim it. In the previous novella, Emma began taking steps to take control of the estate and has been able to have Archibald’s guardianship ended, thanks to his abuse. She has been working with the estate’s banker, Mr. Penury, to determine how she can live on what is left. 

In the letter, Archibald informs Emma that he has sent the necessary financial documents, as well as her salary for her past work as Matilde’s companion, directly to Mr. Penury at the bank. After a small celebration with Agnes over Archibald’s delayed return, Emma notifies Mr. Penury to expect the documents from her cousin.

That evening, at an exclusive dinner hosted by Aunt Eugenia, Emma is confronted by Victoria Braithwaite, for whom Emma was forced to be a companion after her parents’ deaths. Victoria makes condescending remarks about Emma’s past, recalling how her father mockingly nicknamed Emma “Morbidia” because they frequently found her crying. 

Later, Emma discovers she is seated across from Roland Sutherland, her childhood tormentor and Arabella’s cousin. He has grown into a handsome and charming man. At some point during the party, Roland finds Emma in the conservatory and attempts to flatter her. She rebuffs his compliments, reminding him of their antagonistic past, but he remains undeterred and kisses her hand before leaving. Emma finds herself conflicted, worrying she might grow to tolerate him.

After an amusing church service on Sunday morning, Emma returns to her garret to find a cat on her bed. Notes from Mr. Pierce, her tenant, soon appear through the wall, explaining that the cat, Tybalt, is a temporary guest who will act as their “solution” to the mouse problem. The tenant, whose friend “accidentally” acquired a wife and had to leave her cat behind, has also cut a small, curtained doorway at the base of the wall so Tybalt can move between Lapis Lazuli House and Lapis Lazuli Minor.

Emma meets Arabella for tea and tells her about exchanging notes and a cat with her tenant. The conversation shifts to marriage, with Arabella explaining her dispassionate view: Since she cannot feel love, she allows her mother to find her a suitable, wealthy husband. Arabella then confronts Emma about her lingering grief for Maxwell, Emma’s love, who died three years prior. She urges Emma to let go of Maxwell’s “ghost.” The remark deeply hurts Emma, but Arabella remarks that those unaffected by love are best placed to judge clearly.

Emma’s old school friend, Mary Bairrage, visits Emma in her garret. Mary lives in a boarding house and works for the telephone company. Surprisingly, she immediately recognizes Tybalt. Mary explains that the cat belongs to a woman named Jane, a former fellow boarder who recently and mysteriously married a businessman and left the country. Jane’s abrupt departure after only two meetings with the man is consistent with what Mr. Pierce had conveyed to Emma through written notes about his friend’s “accidental” marriage. Mary describes Jane’s new husband as handsome but self-absorbed.

Emma observes members of St. Crispian’s “RIP society” visiting Mr. Pierce. She sends him a note explaining the neighborhood phenomenon of items randomly disappearing and reappearing in different houses; the RIP (“Rules for Items Persona”) society shares and keeps the rules for what to do in these situations: mainly, bring items to the Reed and Rite, the local tea and bookshop that has shelves that organize the items until they can be picked up. Mr. Pierce dismisses this as “children’s tales,” stating that as a “man of science” (25), he does not believe in magic. Emma coolly replies that everyone in St. Crispian’s, including its scientists, acknowledges the strange occurrences as a simple fact of life in the neighborhood.

At Aunt Eugenia’s card party, Emma finds herself playing bridge with Roland Sutherland. Bored, she admits she is trying to lose. To make the game more interesting, Roland proposes a wager for the next hand: If he wins, Emma must join him for a ride in the park. Emma proposes a book as her own stake; Roland counters that he will only give her a book if he can choose it. Emma protests “Certainly not!” and the argument is unresolved even as she proceeds to lose the game.

The next day, Roland arrives to claim his prize, and he and Emma take a walk in Regent’s Park. Emma is surprised to find that Roland is both pleasant and genuinely kind to everyone they meet. During their walk, they encounter Mr. Pierce. Emma introduces Roland as her “childhood nemesis” and Mr. Pierce as her tenant. After a brief and slightly awkward exchange, Mr. Pierce departs. Roland comments on Mr. Pierce’s intense demeanor and questions Emma about their acquaintance. They then banter about their childhood, including an incident where Roland disputes that he locked her in a trunk, claiming he left air holes and did not lock it. The walk ends with Roland paying Emma a compliment, telling her “St. George is not the only one who can slay a dragon, Emma Lion. I’ve seen you wield a sword” (31).

Emma meets with her banker, Mr. Penury, who confirms that Archibald has sent her back pay, though it is six months short of the full amount. Mr. Penury outlines a spartan two-year budget for running Lapis Lazuli House and tells Emma she may divide wages as she will between her maid, Agnes, and butler, Parian, but must not exceed £32 total between the two. He has already placed her salary in an account in Emma’s name and proposes that the rent from Lapis Lazuli Minor also go into this account going forward. He advises her to be frugal but also creative and bold in finding respectable ways to earn money, encouraging her to leverage her social connections to build financial independence. He believes that if she can do this, she may be able to live on what is left.