Fitzwilliam laughed lightly. “Seeing you have very likely saved my life, I can hardly refuse. But what is your problem and how can I be of assistance?” he asked.
At this Jarrett, who had turned to walk back towards the house with Fitzwilliam, declared that he had received bad news that morning, in a letter which had arrived from his cousin in Winchester, who was to have been his best man at the wedding.
“He has been struck down with the measles and expects to be confined to his room for a fortnight at least. So you see why I am in such a pickle. I am without a best man, unless you would be so kind as to step into the breach. Would you, Fitzwilliam, please?” he pleaded.
“Good God!” Fitzwilliam exclaimed. “I don't know that I could. I do not know many of your family, nor anyone in the bride's party.” But he was soon persuaded by the realisation that his friend needed his help and Fitzwilliam was a most amiable and obliging man, who found it exceedingly difficult to refuse such a request.
“It will mean staying on with us until the wedding in twelve days' time, but since you had made no mention of any urgent plans, I hoped you had none. Had you, Fitzwilliam?” Jarrett asked apprehensively and Fitzwilliam said quietly, “None that cannot wait a week or two; I do have business to attend to in London, friends to see at Westminster, and thereafter, I am for Derbyshire and Pemberley.”
“You lucky dog,” said Jarrett, who had never been to Derbyshire but had heard much of Pemberley from his friend and claimed to envy him the hospitality he enjoyed at that great estate.
As they made their way back to the house, they talked again of the future and what each hoped to accomplish, but once at the house, plans for the wedding were uppermost in their minds and Fitzwilliam knew he had to stay. Quite clearly, his friend needed him now.
The last wedding he had attended had been that of Darcy and Elizabeth three years ago. Then too, he had been best man, he thought wryly, recalling the happy occasion at a country church in a small village in Hertfordshire.
Returning to his room, he asked for his trunks to be brought upstairs, so his clothes could be aired and made ready for the occasion. Jarrett's bride-to-be was from Eastleigh and they were to marry at the chapel at Winchester, where both Jarrett and Fitzwilliam had attended school.
It would probably be a nostalgic occasion for all of them, he thought as he opened up his trunk and extracted a leather satchel filled with letters and papers. They had all been hurriedly packed when the news came of a berth available at short notice on The Viking. Some were old letters and, with little to do for the rest of the afternoon, Fitzwilliam took them over to the desk by the window, intending to put them in order. He would need to re-order his life and business now he was back in England, he thought, and getting his correspondence organised would be a good start.
Amongst the papers was a sheet of music copied out by hand, to which was attached a note in a pretty, round hand, obviously written by a young girl. Picking it up, Fitzwilliam remembered the song and the time he had sung it at the house of Mr and Mrs Gardiner, Elizabeth Bennet's aunt and uncle. Later, in a nostalgic mood, he had asked for a copy to be purchased and sent out to him in Ceylon, where he was stationed at the time.
It was young Miss Caroline Gardiner who had copied it and sent it with the note, explaining that there were no printed copies to be had in the shops and she hoped the handmade one would suffice.
It had done very well, he recalled with a smile. Fitzwilliam had sung the song many times since, alone or as a duet with other young ladies, but he had always remembered the first time he had sung it with young Miss Gardiner, when they had been accompanied on the pianoforte by Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He recalled that Miss Gardiner had a very sweet, clear voice and remembered also how they had met at the wedding of Darcy and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had introduced them a few days previously, when they attended the rehearsal at the church.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam,” she had said, “I would like you to meet my cousin Caroline, who is to be one of the maids,” and there in front of him had been a pretty girl, probably not more than twelve years old, but a very self-possessed young person indeed.
Fitzwilliam, always the gracious gentleman, had bowed as he took her outstretched hand, saying gallantly, “And a very pretty maid too; I am very happy to meet you, Miss Gardiner.”
She had coloured slightly at the compliment and said in a perfectly modulated voice, “And I am very pleased to meet you, Colonel Fitzwilliam, for my cousin Lizzie declares you are almost the nicest gentleman she has ever met— excepting Mr Darcy, of course.”
Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth had looked at one another in astonishment at these words, spoken without a trace of artfulness or coquetry, and while Elizabeth had managed to say something light and witty, poor Fitzwilliam had been left in total confusion.
Someone, he could not recall who it had been, had remarked, “Out of the mouths of babes, eh, Fitzwilliam?” adding to his embarrassment and Fitzwilliam had wished he could have disappeared into thin air, except Miss Gardiner had said gently, “You must not fret, Colonel Fitzwilliam, we shall all miss our dear cousin Lizzie. Besides, you do know, do you not, that the bride never marries the best man?”
Looking sharply across at her, he had wondered if she was being pert just to needle him, but soon realised that, with her cousin Miss Elizabeth Bennet as a role model, young Miss Gardiner was probably practising her wit and meant no harm at all. When she'd smiled sweetly and said, “Hadn't we better join them, else we shall not know what to do or where to sit tomorrow, and that will not do,” he had forgiven her completely.
After the wedding, Fitzwilliam had become better acquainted with the Gardiners, whom Darcy had recommended to him without reservation as a family of great integrity and remarkable good taste. Seeing that Mr Gardiner was in trade, being the owner of a lucrative business situated in Cheapside, this was high praise from Darcy, and Fitzwilliam was soon to discover that it was completely justified.
He'd visited them at home and had been invited back to dine with them often. Both Misses Gardiner—Caroline and her younger sister Emily—had proved to be charming and accomplished girls, with a good deal more to say for themselves on a variety of matters than any of the young persons of a similar age he had met before. Free of silliness and puffery, they were a credit to their parents, as was their brother Richard, whom Fitzwilliam had met when he had been home from boarding school. Impressed with the entire family and particularly with the business acumen and great good sense of Mr Gardiner, Fitzwilliam had promised to keep in touch.
This he had done faithfully, even after accepting a position overseas in the new Colonies of India and Ceylon. He had told no one at the time, but in his heart, he had known that he could not easily and swiftly get over his fascination for Elizabeth Bennet.
Ever since they had met, by a happy chance, at his aunt's estate, Rosings Park in Kent, he had been bewitched by her beauty, intelligence, and wit, but quite apart from his own financial situation, which had precluded his making her an offer at the time, it had become perfectly plain to him that his cousin Darcy was besotted with the lady. Though it had taken an inordinate amount of time to resolve, Fitzwilliam had had no doubt of the outcome. He had never seen his cousin so deeply in love before.
Once the couple were engaged and their mutual affection was clear to all, the situation had become almost intolerable, and when at last they were wed, Fitzwilliam, after performing his duty as best man with admirable composure, had decided he was going to take the first available posting overseas.
Now, he was home again and planning to leave soon for London and thence for Derbyshire and Pemberley.
Darcy's letter, inviting him to stay, sending his regards and those of his wife and sister, who was soon to be married, was in his pocketbook as he prepared for his journey to London.
So too was a letter from Mr Gardiner, with whom he had been in regular communication while in the colonies, on matters of business and politics. It offere
d him the opportunity to invest in the Commercial Trading Company, which Mr Gardiner had acquired to pursue and develop trade with the colonies. Messrs Darcy and Bingley were partners already and Colonel Fitzwilliam was welcome to join in their enterprise, he had said.
Included in the letter was an invitation to join the family on Boxing Day to celebrate the fifteenth birthday of their eldest daughter—Miss Caroline Gardiner.
END OF PROLOGUE
THE GARDINERS HAD MOVED TO Oakleigh Manor near the village of Lambton in Derbyshire at the beginning of 1817, leaving behind their life in London but not Mr Gardiner's flourishing business interests.
Indeed, Mr Gardiner's commercial enterprise had grown so satisfactorily over the last few years, he had acquired another warehouse and a new manager to run the office he had established at Cheapside.
The expansion of trade with the colonies and prospects of new contracts in the Caribbean and South America meant the need would soon arise, as he had predicted, to set up offices in Manchester and Liverpool, from where the bulk of their cargoes would be carried to the world. His partners, Messrs Darcy and Bingley, readily agreed.
The move to Derbyshire had made Mrs Gardiner, who had been born and raised in the village of Lambton, very happy indeed. She was now within a short journey of both her favourite nieces, Elizabeth Darcy and Jane Bingley. It had also brought new pleasures into the lives of her young daughters, Caroline and Emily, who had ready access to the natural beauty of the county their mother loved so passionately and as well to the treasures of Ashford Park and Pemberley. Through their cousins Jane and Elizabeth, they were introduced to a new social circle and the very special attractions available at Pemberley, where they could read in the great library, practise in the music room, admire one of the finest art collections in the country, or wander at will among its splendid grounds.
For young Emily, an indefatigable reader, the library was a virtual heaven, while Caroline's love of walking in the parks and woods around the estate could never be exhausted. Each day, there appeared a new vista to behold or a prospect to admire at Pemberley.
Thither they had planned to go today and waited only for the carriage to be brought round to the front porch, when the post was delivered to their father, who was finishing his breakfast. Recognising a letter that had clearly been posted overseas, Mr Gardiner reached for it immediately. It came from Colonel Fitzwilliam, writing from Colombo, where he was awaiting the arrival of a ship that would convey him to England before Christmas. He had received Mr Gardiner's letter, he wrote, with its invitation and promised he would be back in time to celebrate Christmas at Pemberley and attend Miss Gardiner's birthday party on Boxing Day. He wrote:
They are both singularly important events and I would not miss them for anything. I look forward with much pleasure to seeing you, Mrs Gardiner, and your family again, but even more importantly, Mr Gardiner, sir, I am interested in taking up your proposition of a partnership in the Commercial Trading Company. This is a matter we shall address when we meet. I trust that your proposal has already been discussed between yourself and my cousin Mr Darcy and has his support.
Mr Gardiner read the letter out to his family with much satisfaction. Mrs Gardiner was very excited at the news it contained.
“Does this mean Colonel Fitzwilliam will invest in the company?” she asked and her husband answered cautiously, “He may, my dear, we shall need to have a serious talk first and ascertain what Colonel Fitzwilliam expects from a partnership and how much he is prepared to contribute. I do not mean in terms of money alone, but in time and effort to run the company and organise the work that must be done. We live in a time of great competition and there are many similar companies waiting to take advantage of the opportunities available to us. We need sound management and hard work if we are to succeed in the next decade.”
“Will Colonel Fitzwilliam live at Pemberley, Mama?” asked Emily.
Her mother answered firmly, “I doubt that he will,” and Mr Gardiner agreed with his wife, “No indeed, he is a very independent gentleman and will not wish to be obligated to his cousin Mr Darcy for too long, although I know Mr Darcy would be quite happy to accommodate him at Pemberley. I believe he will acquire his own place soon enough; I gather from his letters that he has done remarkably well in the colonies and does not lack for funds.”
At this point, Caroline, who had been silent throughout the conversation asked, “Do you think Colonel Fitzwilliam will stand for Parliament, Papa?”
Mrs Gardiner was astonished at her question.
“Parliament, why, Caroline, whatever gave you that idea?” she asked.
Caroline shrugged her shoulders. “I do not really know, Mama, except I overheard Papa and Mr Darcy speaking of it a few days ago and I heard Mr Darcy say that Colonel Fitzwilliam appeared to be interested in joining the reform movement and may well stand for Parliament.”
“If he did, I would vote for him,” said little Emily with childish enthusiasm. The colonel had always been a favourite with her.
“Emmy, you are very silly indeed. You cannot vote and neither can I. Ladies do not vote, do they, Mama?” asked Caroline and her mother smiled and took up her book as they moved to the parlour.
“Sadly, you are right, Caroline; if we could, however, I'd wager anything you care to name we would send a better bunch of members to Westminster.”
Everyone laughed at this and Mr Gardiner was moved to say, in mock surprise, “Now now, my dear, you are beginning to sound like those dreadful revolutionaries across the channel!” which remark brought much mirth and laughter from Caroline, who had heard all about the revolutionary women of France and did not like the sound of them at all.
The arrival at the front porch of the carriage interrupted their conversation and the girls raced upstairs to put on their bonnets.
Soon, they were on their way, Mr Gardiner to his business in Matlock and Mrs Gardiner and her daughters to spend the day at Pemberley.
Together with many advantages, the move to Oakleigh Manor had brought the Gardiners a new set of social responsibilities, of which they had little or no experience in London. The deepening recession in the country meant that hundreds of people, who had once earned sufficient to keep their families in reasonable comfort, found themselves in greatly reduced circumstances, some driven to depend upon the charity of their neighbours to feed their children.
Led by the two families whose estates encompassed most of the district, the Darcys and the Camdens, groups of men and women worked with their local churches to organise the collection and distribution of food and clothing to the needy, so that none would starve or face the Winter without shoes or warm clothes. On their estates and at Oakleigh Manor, tenants and workers were permitted to take firewood to warm their homes or game to feed their children without the fear of being arrested and brought before the magistrate for thieving.
Elizabeth was not able to assist actively, since she was close to being brought to bed with the Darcys' first child. Despite the excitement that inevitably attended such an event, Cassandra Jane was born without much fuss or fanfare in the midst of a Summer storm. She was pronounced by Caroline to be “the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen,” and no one disagreed with her. Cassy Darcy was destined to be a favourite in the family.
She was certainly the very centre of her parents' universe.
In July of the same year, the families journeyed from Derbyshire to Longbourn in Hertfordshire for the wedding of Kitty Bennet to Mr Jenkins, the rector at Pemberley.
Caroline and Emily were bridesmaids, and this time, being three years older than when they had followed their cousins Jane and Lizzie up the aisle, they attracted a good deal of admiration. Emily, being rather small in stature, still seemed like a pretty child, but Caroline had developed into quite a beauty. Her figure was slender though well formed and graceful in both appearance and movement; she caught the eye of many an admirer in the congregation at the church and at the wedding breakfast that followed. Wh
ile she was neither timid nor shy, there was in her general manner an artlessness that was appealing, suggesting a most engaging quality of innocence. Yet, she was at all times, in her behaviour, a model of modesty and decorum.
Her mother was exceedingly particular to counsel her daughters, and Caroline provided on this occasion an absolute contrast to the silliness of her cousin Lydia Wickham. Lydia's determination to flaunt her charms and flirt with any man who was available to do so had already caused adverse comment and not a little embarrassment to her elder sisters. Jane and Elizabeth observed the conduct of their sister and her husband with sinking hearts.
Encouraged by Mrs Bennet, whose own high spirits had been in no way curtailed by age, Lydia and Wickham paraded and preened for all to see.
“Why is it, Lizzie, that I cannot bear to look at them, because I know they will inevitably be engaged in some activity that will draw undue attention to themselves and cause me to cringe with embarrassment? How is it they have no shame at all—neither of them?” asked Jane.
Elizabeth, knowing well the truth of her sister's words and already inured to the condition she described, urged Jane not to let their foolish sister spoil the occasion for them.
My Cousin Caroline: The acclaimed Pride and Prejudice sequel series The Pemberley Chronicles Book 6 Page 2