by Don Miller
Putting aside the letter to her mother, Elizabeth again picked up her pen and started writing on a fresh piece of stationary.
Dumont House
May 31, 1810
Dear Papa and Mamai
I know it has been sometime since we talked, but I assume Jane has been keeping you up-to-date from the letters I have sent her. And know that I still think of you as Papa and Mama and always will. Therefore, I need to tell you what you probably thought was impossible has occurred. I am engaged to Mr. Darcy, and we are to be married in St. James Church here in London in three weeks. The exact date has yet to be determined. We have to find if the church is available. If it is not, we will look for another venue. I have enclosed a letter for Jane asking her to be my maid of honor.
Let me assure you it is a marriage of love we both desire. He confessed his love for me some months ago, but I have been a silly young woman, and it has taken me until now to accept his love and realize that all that dislike I told you I had for him was really my defense against feelings I was sure would end in my unhappiness because one of his station could not marry me. Weeks before I knew I was the granddaughter of a very wealthy man, Mr. Darcy assured me his love transcended our differences, but for some reason, I stubbornly refused to let go of the defenses I had put up against him. But suddenly, during a talk with my grandmother in the garden, the light came on and I realized I loved and needed him. So I hope you will forget anything bad I ever said about him and accept him as the kind and loving man I have found him to be.
You are all, of course, invited to the wedding, along with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and their children and Uncle and Aunt Philips. We currently plan to have a magnificent wedding breakfast following the morning wedding at the home of the Earl and Countess of Matlock to which you are all invited. There will also be a ball in the evening at Dumont House, where I am living now with my grandparents; however Lydia and Kitty, who would not be considered out in London society, will not be able to attend the ball. They can keep Georgiana Darcy company at Darcy House. Many of the local members of London upper society will be at the ball, so I hope you will come to London a few days early and allow me to buy you all new gowns for the wedding and the ball. And please, Papa, do not be concerned about the cost. I have more money at my disposal than I know what to do with and buying all the Bennet women gowns would be something I would love you to allow me to do.
I hope that you are happy for me and know that I am thinking of you.
Your loving once-upon-a-time daughter
Elizabeth
Elizabeth wondered how much of what she had told Jane, Jane had passed on to her ex-parents. The only thing she had told Jane not to discuss with her parents was the contentiousness of the proposal Darcy had made to her while she was in Kent visiting Charlotte. She had not told Jane not to tell them about Darcy otherwise, but neither had she told her to tell them. She supposed that if Jane had told them nothing, they would ask an explanation from her.
Having written those letters and given them to her grandfather, she called her carriage, and she and her maid Leila left for Gracechurch Street to see the Gardiners, whom she still thought of as Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, even though, legally they were not. She had not sent a note ahead of time telling them she was coming, because originally she had intended to just write a letter to them. But realizing that in the last few years they had been more like another father and mother to her, she decided she had to tell them in person, and she hoped they would be home.
When the carriage pulled up in front of the Gardiner’s house, she could see young Cordelia, oldest of the Gardiner children, looking out the window and then disappear from the window. As she was exiting the carriage, the door opened and Mrs. Gardiner stepped out on the porch to greet her. “Lizzie, it is so good to see you. What brings you to us today?”
As they went through the front door into the entryway, all the children came running down the stairs to greet their favorite cousin Lizzie. She spent some time hugging each of the children and telling Cordelia that, yes, the carriage was hers, and then, laughing, pulled away and told Cordelia, “I have to speak with your mother. Can you show my friend Leila upstairs and introduce here to Mrs. Cranston?”
Once the children had agreed to take Leila upstairs to meet their nurse, Mrs. Cranston, Elizabeth was finally able to answer Mrs. Gardiner’s question. “I have some news I felt I had to tell you in person. Because Uncle Edward has not appeared in response to all this commotion, I assume he is at the store or the office?”
“Luckily, he is just down the street at the office. Let me send Peter to get him.” Shortly thereafter their servant Peter was heading out the door to fetch Mr. Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth talked about what had been happening to Elizabeth until, about 20 minutes later, Mr. Gardiner walked into the room and hurried over to Elizabeth and hugged her.
“It is so good to see you. We have missed you at the bookstore. We received another batch of books, this time from Sir Fontaine’s estate, and we missed your insight on how to categorize and arrange them. Also, I miss your occasional visits to the office to help the accountant. Now, what is the news that is so important you had to tell us in person, or,…” he paused and smiled at his wife, “can we guess?”
“I suspect you can guess. But I will tell you anyway. I finally came to my senses and realized what I felt for Mr. Darcy was much more than just affection. It suddenly dawned on me he had become an integral part of my life, and I could not imagine it without him. I had to admit to myself I loved him and wanted to marry him. So I made him propose again, which he seemed delighted to do, and I accepted him. We are to be married in three weeks in St. James Church, assuming it will be available on one of the dates we want. You, of course, are invited to the wedding, and then to the wedding breakfast and the ball to be held after the wedding. Also, for all that you have done for me, I would beg you to let me purchase you both new clothes for the wedding and ball. As I told Papa and Mama, I have more money at my disposal than I know what to do with, and paying you back for all you have done for me over the years would make me very happy.
“We are very happy for you,” answered Mr. Gardiner. “And I must say that once he received your approval, I expected Mr. Darcy would want to marry immediately. As for buying the clothes, you know it is not necessary, but if it is important to you, then I will certainly allow you to buy Madeleine a gown. I cannot imagine how much you spend on gowns now, but I am sure it is much more than we have ever spent on a gown for your aunt. However, I have more clothes than I need and believe I have formalwear adequate for the occasion.”
Elizabeth explained that as heir and soon-to-be partner of the Dumont Shipping Line, her grandfather had planned an extensive trip for her to visit the many sites where he had offices and property. He had planned they would start in mid-June, first to the family estate, Staunton Park, in Devonshire, and after two or three weeks there, to the various holdings the shipping line has in England, Ireland, and Scotland. They are also considering going to America. Lord Monttard wanted to introduce her to his managers at these venues and to take her out on a ship or two to see how comfortable she would be in ships. If she did take an active interest in the shipping line, she would have to know something about the different kinds of ships, what they could and could not carry, and what it was like to sail in them, because he thought that she and her husband would most likely be making some extensive sea voyages in the future. In her talks with her betrothed about the wedding date, he had indicated he would like to go with her on this trip and her grandfather had agreed. Thus they were marrying in just a few weeks so they could get much of the trip completed before the winter weather set in.
Looking at Mr. Gardiner, she smiled and said, “My grandfather at one time mentioned that maybe I should take over the Gardiner Import/Export account to get a feel for how the shipping line dealt with its customers. Of course, that was before he knew I was going to marry Mr. Darcy. But I might still hold him to that promise.
Just think. You could get personal service from the granddaughter of a baron.”
“I am sure I would feel very special, but then I felt very special when you were helping me at the bookstore or the office before I knew you were the granddaughter of a aron.”
“Elizabeth,” interjected Mrs. Gardiner. “I hope you do not mind me asking you something personal in front of Edward, but has your grandmother talked to you about what to expect after you are married. I am sure your mother, that is, Mrs. Bennet, did not talk to you about it, and I never had a chance.”
“If you mean what to expect in the marriage bed, yes, she has talked to me some about it, but I would certainly appreciate your perspective on it.”
“No, I was speaking about something not quite that personal, about which I would be glad to talk to you in private. I am speaking about the consequences of the marriage bed. I am somewhat concerned that if this is a long trip and you do, for instance, go to America, you could become pregnant, and that could make it a very uncomfortable trip, especially if you are prone to severe morning sickness.”
“It is interesting you should ask, because grandmother asked me the same thing this morning after breakfast. She also mentioned it would not be a good idea for me to get pregnant, but assured me there were methods for preventing pregnancy which did not require total abstinence. She said she would talk to me before the wedding about it. She said none of the methods were 100% certain, but the odds would be in my favor.”
“I was going to tell you much the same thing,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “I hope you will tell me what she told you before you leave. I would like to compare notes, and give you some of my insights, in case they are different from hers.”
“Thank you, Aunt Madeleine. I appreciate your concern and will visit you again before we leave.”
After another hour of visiting, part of which she spent with the Gardiner children, Elizabeth and Leila departed and headed for Mme. Tellier’s shop. On the way there Leila told Elizabeth she was very impressed with the Gardiners and did not think she had ever been in a happier household, and Elizabeth could do nothing but agree with her. She knew that even though visits with her Longbourn family may gradually become few and far between, she would always remain close to the Gardiners. To her, theirs was the ideal marriage, and she only hoped she and William could match the Gardiner’s felicity in their marriage.
It was the first time that Elizabeth had been to Mme. Tellier’s without being accompanied by her grandmother, and she wondered what her reception would be. Her grandmother had said she would be willing to meet Elizabeth there, but because Elizabeth was uncertain how long she would be at the Gardiners, she told her grandmother that she was comfortable doing it herself.
When one of Mme. Tellier’s assistants came to her to ask if she could help her, Elizabeth told her she needed to talk to Mme. Tellier in person. The assistant insisted that Mme. Tellier was occupied and perhaps she could help Elizabeth. Elizabeth said to her, “Mademoiselle, please inform Mme. Tellier that Miss Dumont is here to discuss a major wardrobe purchase and I need to speak to her in private about it.
As soon as the assistant heard the name Dumont, she curtsied, excused herself, and hurried to the back of the shop. In a few moments Mme. Tellier was hurrying to Elizabeth. “Miss Dumont, it is so good to see you again. Would you come to my office with me?”
Elizabeth followed her to her office in the back of the shop and as soon as they had entered and closed the door, Mme. Tellier asked what her major wardrobe requirements were. When Elizabeth told her that she needed a wedding dress and trousseau, Mme. Tellier asked, “Am I to understand congratulations are in order?”
“That is correct, Mme. Tellier. I want to sit with you in the near future to design the wedding gown of which I have dreamed for many years. It must be simple, but elegant, and requires many inlaid pearls and gemstones. The problem is: I need it in less than three weeks. I will also need several new gowns, one of which will be the gown for my wedding ball, which must reflect the design of the wedding dress, but have its own unique character. Do you think you can accommodate my request?”
“Miss Dumont, it would be my pleasure to help you design your gowns and your wardrobe.” Looking at a calendar on her desk, she continued, “I believe I can arrange to come to your home Monday morning, if that would be acceptable to you. I am sure that if we can have the designs early in the week, I can give you your gowns within three weeks, but I will have to work my dress makers more hours than usual. May I assume that cost is not a factor?”
“You are correct, cost is not a factor. Also, I believe Monday morning will be acceptable, if you could arrive about 9:30.”
“May I ask whom you are marrying?”
“I am sorry, the announcement is to be made by my grandfather, the Earl of Denby, at the ball Saturday that he and Countess of Denby are hosting, and will be in the newspapers on Sunday. Therefore I apologize, but I am not free to tell you at this time. But I will look forward to seeing you Monday morning.”
With that Elizabeth said goodbye to Mme. Tellier and returned to her carriage. As she was riding back to Dumont House, she thought once again how her life had changed. She would probably spend more on her wedding dress and trousseau than she had spent on clothes all of her life as Elizabeth Bennet. Somehow she felt she should feel guilty. She had so much now, and her old family, the Bennets, had relatively so little. Did she really deserve it? But she realized it was a question that was really unanswerable. Providence is something we must accept and make of it what we can. She hoped in her coming life she could prove to herself and to her grandparents and to her true mother she was deserving of all that had been given her.
Chapter 16: The Ball
The day of the ball had finally come, and Margaret Farnsworth was fretful. Had Lizzie gotten her subtle hint? Maybe it had been too subtle. She had not displayed interest in the men of the ton for years, because to her there was only one man in the ton who was of interest to her. She could still not believe she carried this torch for him all these years. It had been four years since she had danced with him and had a chance to talk with him at dinner during a ball at Matlock House, and she had decided then he was the only man for her. But then he had gone off to war, and she had feared that he would not come back. So many men had died in the war. But he had come back, and now he was here permanently, at least, so she heard, and she not seen him since that dance four years ago. Why she could not get him out of her mind, she did not know, but she could not, and hopefully, tonight she would finally have a chance to dance with him again.
It would not be long before she had to go down to join her Grandmother and Grandfather in the entry hall to greet the guests. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, judging her appearance and decided she could not do any better. Betsy, her maid, as usual, had done wonders with her hair. Betsy always seemed to make her look better than she thought possible. She hoped it was enough to draw Col. Fitzwilliam’s eye. As she was about to leave, there was a knock on the door, and when she told whoever it was it enter, it was Elizabeth.
“Oh, Lizzie, I am so glad to see you. I did not know you had arrived.” And then really taking a look at her, she gasped, “You look absolutely stunning. That dress, the jewelry, the hair, it is all perfect. I hope Mr. Darcy appreciates what he is getting.”
“Thank you, and you also look wonderful. I am sure the young men will not be able to take their eyes off of you. As to why I am here already, William and I had to come early. As you know, I am to make a grand entrance, and it has been decided William will be at the bottom of the stairs to escort me. That should give everyone a clue as to our relationship before the official announcement at dinner. Of course, everyone will know tomorrow from the notice in the papers, but still, our grandfather wants to make a show of it. Anyway, I have been in Grandmother Elaine’s dressing room being attended to by your maid, Betsy, in case you wondered what happened to her. She did wonders with my hair.”
“Yes, I
was just thinking she always makes me look better than I think I look.”
“And, by the way, I assumed your little statement about the men of the ton and a certain colonel was more than just a casual remark. So if he does not make a move first, I have a scheme to make sure you get connected. I hope I was not misreading you.”
Margaret gave her a big hug and said, “I knew you would understand. Thank you ahead of time. I have been pining for him for so long, I think I have made him into something more than he may actually be, but I have to find out.”
“I doubt if you have, Peggy. If it had not been for William, I must admit I would have given serious thought to giving you competition for him. He is a wonderful man, and I think you two would make a wonderful couple. You should know I have talked with Lady Matlock about this and she agrees, so you have at least two of us on your side and wishing you the best.”
At that time there was a knock on the door, and Marion, one of the family maids said, through the door, “Miss Margaret, the Earl and Countess require your presence in the entry hall.”
“I am coming, Marion. Thank you.” Then she and Elizabeth departed the room, Margaret going to the entry hall to receive the guests and Elizabeth going to the small family parlor to await her call to appear.
The third family to arrive was Lord and Lady Matlock, Lord and Lady Gladney, and Col. Fitzwilliam. Lady Matlock, the first of them in line to be greeted, after greeting Margaret, winked at her and whispered, “Good luck tonight, dear,” which brought a blush to Margaret’s face. She looked at Col. Fitzwilliam to see if he might have heard, but he was still several feet away behind Lord and Lady Gladney. She then whispered back, “Thank you. I appreciate your good wishes.”