by Don Miller
To say Elizabeth was shocked would be an understatement. She hardly knew how to respond. “But I have never been presented formally to her and to London society. Does this not somehow go against all the rules?”
“I must admit,” said Lady Monttard, “even with all the years I have been here, I am not exactly sure what all the rules of the ton are. However, I am sure that the Queen can make any rules that she wants. Also I must admit I do not know in what setting we will meet the Queen. It could be a private tea in which there are only a few of us, or it could be one of her garden parties where there are so many people that, although you would be noticed as someone that none of them knew, your introduction to the Queen would not be an unusual event.”
Elizabeth still did not know what to say, but she realized that what Lady Monttard had said about her having little choice was true. One did not turn down an invitation by the Queen.
“Now I know many things are going through your head, and you will be worried about your appearance and your comportment. First of all, let me assure you I will take you to my modiste and you will have an entirely proper gown to wear at my expense. And please do not protest, because as I told you before, we are absurdly wealthy and enjoy spending our wealth on things we enjoy. And we enjoy having you with us. As for what you will say and do when we are there, I will give you some coaching on the correct etiquette for talking with the Queen, but for the most part, if you are just yourself as I know you, she will find you charming.”
As she was saying this, the carriage arrived at the Gardiner’s house. Lady Monttard continued, “I expect to receive an invitation from the Queen early in the week. I know you had hoped to return to Longbourn next week, but I think you should write your parents and tell them you may be delayed. Whether you tell them the reason or not is up to you, but I should think they would be thrilled for you. Now, go inside and think about it and look on it as an opportunity and an adventure. I will be in touch with you early next week.”
And so Elizabeth exited the carriage, entered her aunt and uncle’s house, and gave them the unexpected news. They were thrilled for her and expressed their certainty that she would do well and make her whole family proud of her.
Chapter 8: Mrs. Bennet Knew
As planned, Georgiana came to visit Elizabeth on Sunday afternoon and the two young ladies spent three hours discussing many things, and decided that because they had become good friends, they should call each other by their familiar names. Because it was such a beautiful day, an hour of their time was spent walking in Huntington Park, which was just down the street from the Gardiners’ house. At first Georgiana was hesitant about walking in that part of town, thinking her brother would not approve because there might be some danger to her, but with Elizabeth’s assurance that it was quite safe, that she walked there often, and that one of the Gardiner’s male servants would be following them at a discrete distance, she was finally convinced her to do it and was glad she did.
During the walk Georgiana admitted it had been a very difficult year for her. The prior summer she had done something which had made her brother very angry and upset, and she was not sure he had forgiven her yet. With Elizabeth’s encouragement, she finally told Elizabeth being in Ramsgate for a few weeks with her then companion Mrs. Younge and encountering an old family friend, who was the son of her father’s steward. This, of course, was George Wickham, whom Elizabeth had known in Meryton and of whom Elizabeth had had a good opinion until she had received Darcy’s letter after his proposal to her. Georgiana then went on to tell her the story, which Elizabeth already knew, of how he convinced Georgiana that they should elope, how Darcy had shown up before they could do it, and how Wickham had admitted his only goal was to get access to Georgiana’s £30,000 dowry.
When Georgiana began to weep, they were sitting on a bench, and Elizabeth put her arm around her and comforted her. Elizabeth then started questioning Georgiana about why she had done it and what her thoughts were when she was preparing to elope. In the end she helped Georgiana realize why she had done what she had done and that she needed to take some responsibility for it. And she also needed to realize she could never lose her brother’s love, that he had forgiven her, and that she needed to accept his forgiveness and to talk to him about it. When Georgiana left after the visit, she felt better about herself than she had felt for months and was more convinced than ever that she needed Elizabeth in her life to help her over the difficult few years to come.
Elizabeth had decided not to tell Georgiana about her upcoming visit to the Queen, because, in all honesty, she still could not believe it would happen. Also she knew Georgiana had some young friends among the ton, and she did not want to have to ask Georgiana to keep her visit a secret. She knew how hard it was for a young girl like her to keep a secret when enjoying herself with her young friends. She just hoped that if the visit did happen, that Georgiana, when she discovered it, would not be upset that Elizabeth had not confided in her. After all, she had revealed her deepest, darkest secret to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had decided not to write to her parents about the invitation to visit the Queen until she heard from Lady Monttard again and was assured whether and when the visit was to take place. However, on Sunday night her uncle informed her that he was leaving for three days on Monday morning and would be going through Meryton on his way to an estate which he intended to visit which was 20 miles west of Meryton. He asked her if she had anything she would like to send home, because he would stop there for lunch. Therefore she assumed she her visit with the Queen would occur and wrote a letter for her uncle to deliver secretly to her father.
The next morning, Mr. Gardiner left as scheduled and arrived at Longbourn shortly after noon. He was greeted warmly by all, and just as he was going into lunch with them, pulled Mr. Bennet aside and gave him Elizabeth’s letter. After a pleasant lunch, Mr. Gardiner hurried on his way and Mr. Bennet retired to his library to read Elizabeth’s letter.
Gracechurch Street
Sunday night
Dear Papa,
Last week was a very exciting week. I told you before that I had met Miss Darcy and Mr. Darcy in the bookstore. Last week Miss Darcy, who was then staying with her aunt, the Countess of Matlock, convinced her aunt to ask me to tea on Tuesday because she wanted to visit with me more. At the tea were Miss Darcy, Lady Helen Matlock, Lady Marie Monttard of whom I have told you before, and Col. Richard Fitzwilliam, the second son of the Earl of Matlock. It was a very pleasant visit and I had the pleasure of being taken to and from the by Lady Monttard.
Now for the big news. On the return from the tea to the Gardiner’s house, Lady Monttard informed me she was a particular friend of Queen Charlotte, and I do mean the Queen of England. Lady Monttard has known the Queen since they were young and has often been a visitor at the Royal Palace. Lady Monttard happened to mention me to the Queen: about how I reminded her of her daughter. The Queen had known her daughter, was apparently intrigued by Lady Monttard’s description of me, and expressed an interest in seeing me. Therefore, your daughter is going to be introduced to the Queen sometime this week or next week. Because I do not know exactly when it will be, my return to Longbourn will be delayed for a week or so.
Papa, I leave it to you as to how and when to tell mama.
Your loving daughter,
Lizzie
As Mr. Bennet read the letter his face turned ashen and tears came to his eyes. He knew now that he had to do what he had been avoiding doing for these past twenty years. He rang for Hill and told her to ask Mrs. Bennet to come into his library.
In a few minutes Mrs. Bennet entered the room and asked, “What is it, Mr. Bennet? Hill told me you needed to see me and that you seemed quite upset.”
“Yes, Frances,” said Mr. Bennet, using her given name, which he had hardly uttered in five years, “I have to tell you something I probably should have told you years ago, but I guess I was just hoping I would never have to do it.”
He paused for a long while
, dreading what he had to tell her. As he was about to speak, Mrs. Bennet, in an uncharacteristically low voice said, “You’re going to tell me that Elizabeth is not our daughter, but is the daughter of Lord and Lady Monttard’s daughter, Antoinette.”
Mr. Bennet, totally shaken, looked at her in disbelief. “You knew?”
“Thomas, I know you do not think very highly of my intelligence or perceptiveness, but even I am perceptive enough to notice how unlike our other children Elizabeth has been and, as she became older, how much she looked like Antoinette. I did know Antoinette and could not help but see that when she grew up, Elizabeth would look just like her. I was hoping all these years that you would sometime tell me, and it has been a great disappointment for me, and I have held it against you, that you did not. I am sure you did it to save me the pain and loss I would have felt with losing the second child we conceived, which I assume was the son Antoinette supposedly lost. I did think that at some time you would have confidence enough in me to tell me. When I first heard that Lord and Lady Monttard had met Lizzie, I knew this day was coming, and it made me look at myself and our relationship and wonder where we would go from here.”
Mr. Bennet walked over to Mrs. Bennet and took both of her hands in his and very uncharacteristically kissed them. “I am so sorry, Frances. I have been a fool for many years. I have not properly done my fatherly and estate duties, and I have felt sorry for myself, not considering how this must have affected you, or that you could even possibly know. When we were young and in love, I must admit, I was mostly attracted by your beauty, but I did not feel you were unintelligent. I felt that in time we might have a good partnership. And then our son was born dead, and it was I who retreated from the world, and with each new daughter, retreated even further. Also I expended all of my energy on Lizzie, almost ignoring you and our own girls, except for Jane.”
He was heartily ashamed of the way he had lived his life for the past twenty years and vowed to himself he would try to change his ways and repair his relationship with his wife and his daughters. But right at the moment he had something else he must do.
“I am going to London tomorrow to talk to Elizabeth, your brother and sister, and hopefully Lord and Lady Monttard. I have affidavits signed by Antoinette, me, Admiral and Mrs. Blythe, and Mrs. Redford. You remember her, she was the mid-wife the Blythes found in Avondale to stay with us until you and Antoinette gave birth. It is time the whole story was told and that Lizzie is recognized as the granddaughter of Lord and Lady Monttard. From the way Lord and Lady Monttard are treating her, I sure they are already sure of her identity and have probably started legal proceeding to declare her as their granddaughter.”
“Yes, it is about time we did this. I have been hiding it as much as you have for these last many years, so I believe I need to be there also. Besides, I want to reassure Lizzie that I did and do love her; maybe not as much as my other girls, but I do love her and want the best for her.”
Late Tuesday morning Elizabeth received confirmation from Lady Monttard that she and Lord Monttard, as well as Elizabeth, had been invited to the Queen’s garden party on Saturday. Lady Monttard told also her that they had an appointment with Mme. Tellier the next morning. Shortly thereafter, a few minutes after noon, to her complete surprise, her parents appeared at the front door. After she and her aunt greeted her parents, they all went into the sitting room, where Elizabeth expressed her amazement that they were there. “I certainly expected you to be somewhat excited about the news I sent you, but I did not expect you to travel all the way to London to talk to me about it. Is there another reason that you have come?”
“Yes, we feel it is very important that we meet and speak with Lord and Lady Monttard,” answered Mr. Bennet. Turning to Mrs. Gardiner, he said, “Madeleine, could we prevail upon you to have one of Edward’s young men act as a messenger and deliver this note to Lord and Lady Monttard requesting an audience with them tomorrow at a time of their convenience and wait for their reply?”
Mrs. Gardiner was somewhat surprised at Mr. Bennet’s reaction to the news Elizabeth was visiting the Queen and wondered at his insistence that he meet with Lord and Lady Monttard on Wednesday, but agreed and sent one of the maids to Mr. Gardiner’s office to fetch Johnny, whom Mrs. Gardiner knew Mr. Gardiner often used to carry important messages around town. Within 15 minutes Johnny was on his way with Mr. Bennet’s request.
They all sat down to lunch and, of course, the first thing that Elizabeth asked was why her parents had thought it necessary to come to London and talk to Lord and Lady Monttard. To her chagrin all her father would tell her was that he had information with which he needed to confront Lord and Lady Monttard before she went with them to see the Queen, but he would give no hint as to what that information was. After lunch her mother gave her a letter from Jane and asked her to read it right away, so Elizabeth went to her favorite window seat and opened the letter.
The letter contained the wonderful news that Mr. Bingley was reopening Netherfield Park, and that he had come down there to see to some arrangements and to call on the Bennets. He had been allowed by Mr. Bennet to take a walk with Jane in the small park next to the house and had asked Jane if she would consider letting him ask her father to court her. When she had said yes, they had immediately returned to the house, and he had sought and gained Mr. Bennet’s consent. He had then returned to town, vowing he would be back in a few days and that he would be residing in Netherfield Park within a week. He also told her his sister, Caroline, would not be staying with him, as she wished to finish the Season in London and then go for a short visit to Bath to see her third sister. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, however, would be there. He also said that he expected a short visit by Mr. Darcy sometime in July.
This news thrilled Elizabeth, and she was convinced that Bingley’s return was due, at least in part, to Mr. Darcy’s influence. She hoped Mr. Darcy’s apparent change in attitude about the suitability of Jane as a wife for Bingley was due to her telling him of Jane’s strong regard for Mr. Bingley and, at least in part, to the fact he still had some feelings for her.
When she finished the letter and was about to tell her parents and aunt what it contained, she was struck by the fact that her mother had not blurted out the news immediately upon entering the house. In fact, her mother had been unusually quiet since she arrived and her mood could almost be described as contemplative, an adjective Elizabeth would have thought she could never apply to her mother. She decided that whatever the information about which her father wanted to confront Lord and Lady Monttard, her mother knew about it and was greatly affected by it.
“So, it has finally happened like we all knew it should. Mr. Bingley will court Jane a few weeks, propose to her, and be married by the end of the summer, if I know Mr. Bingley. I am surprised it was not the first thing you told me when you entered the door,” she said looking directly at her mother.
“It was very hard not to tell you immediately, but we promised Jane we would let her tell you. It seemed important to her. Therefore I held my tongue until you had read the letter, but now I can tell you how happy your father and I are she has found such a good match. Can you imagine £5000 a year and maybe more?”
After a little more discussion of Jane and Bingley Mr. Bennet retreated to Mr. Gardiner’s library to read, Elizabeth took the two older Gardiner children out for a walk in the park, and Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Gardiner discussed various and sundry things, including the Gardiner’s anticipated trip to the Lakes.
That evening, as Elizabeth lay in bed, her mind was at first filled with Jane and Bingley, and then, as it had often been the last few weeks, with Mr. Darcy and Georgiana, but her final thoughts were about the meeting tomorrow with Lord and Lady Monttard. Ever since she had met Lord and Lady Monttard, she had felt a connection with them and had somehow felt they were going to be an important part of her life, and she was concerned about how her father’s information, whatever it was, would affect that assumption.
Chapter 9: Revelat
ion
It did not take them as long as they had thought it would to travel from Gracechurch Street to Dumont House on Park Street. As they pulled up in front of the house, they realized they were ten minutes early and were trying to decide if they should sit in the carriage and wait until ten o’clock to go up to the door when the decision was taken out of their hands, as the door was opened and two liveried servants came down the steps to the carriage, opened the door, and helped the ladies descend from the carriage. When they were ushered into the foyer, Lord and Lady Monttard were waiting to greet them.
“Welcome to Dumont House,” said Lord Monttard. “It is good to see you again Miss Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner.”
“Thank you,” said Elizabeth, “and may I present my mother and father to you, Mr. Thomas Bennet and Mrs. Frances Bennet. Mother and father, these are the Baron and Baroness Monttard.”
“It is indeed good to meet you,” said Lord Monttard. “I believe we have much to discuss. Please follow us into our sitting room.” After they had all found seats, Lord Monttard then looked at Mr. Bennet and said, “I am sure I know why you are here, so I think we had best get started. Do you want to start or do you want me to start?”
Elizabeth was very confused. As far as she knew, the only correspondence between her father and Lord Monttard was the note desiring an audience this morning, so she wondered why Lord Monttard was apparently so familiar with the reason her parents were here. She had a sinking feeling it had to do with her.