9
her spirited attempts to counteract his cold and neglectful conduct as seen through her silence and rumour-mongering as Joseph queries in December Isabella’ s lack of correspondence since October and in January 1789 understands by unquestionable authority that she has rumoured that he has broken off his engagement to her. The language of Joseph’ s letters and the actions they allude to seem unfeeling. However in the context of the time, when trust and reputation were of fundamental importance within intrinsically linked social and business lives, the need for patterns of conduct to be maintained is reasonable, although the manner in which Joseph corrected Isabella may be regarded as unjustified in itself.
The letter in which Joseph accepts the‘ good opinion’ that Isabella’ s brother-inlaw, Mr Cooper, has for him helps to extinguish some of the reputational damage a broken engagement could attract, and as Isabella resides with her sister at Ashbourne Joseph is satisfied that Isabella will have suitable guidance. 20 Where Joseph was concerned about being ostracised by his community Isabella begins a journey where she appears to sit in no-man’ s land. From August 1789 Joseph’ s relationship with Isabella seems to have changed, for he sent her books and suggested she would‘ find in them much entertainment & if you please much instruction’, for‘ the improvement of your mind at this time is of the most serious importance’. 21 While Isabella had been upset by Joseph’ s criticism, her close family appear to have understood the change she must make to her public expressions and behaviour to appease the Strutt family and their community, in order to make a desired match. The letters do not reveal how Isabella maintained a public face in society during her period of transition. It is possible during this time that she became isolated, not being able to engage with her own society and not ready to enter her future husband’ s. It is evident from the epistolary that she spent time reading and passed the time with some handicraft, but her companionship seems to have been reduced to that of her sister and brother-in-law in whose house she lived.
The first signs of Isabella’ s illness are in 1791 when Joseph thanks her for the notes written at the bottom of her sister’ s letters to him which‘ tell me forcibly you are
20
Ibid.
21
Letter from Joseph to Isabella, 10 th August 1789( BAHPS MS3101 / C / E / 4 / 8 / 18).