Mr. Darcy's Daughter

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  Darcy Gardiner wrote from London to his sister, expressing his frustration:

  …everyone is outraged…there are political demonstrations everywhere, not just in London, but we hear also in Birmingham and many other parts of the country. The mood of the people is very sour and nasty indeed.

  It is being said that the Queen herself urged Lord Russell not to resign, but he and Mr Gladstone are determined that they will not accept a further limitation of the franchise to working men and they have told the Queen so…

  Lizzie read it out at breakfast and Laura innocently asked if their brother was intending to go into Parliament and was practising for it.

  "I hope not," said Cassy,"for I cannot believe he will get much satisfaction from it, unless his hero Mr Gladstone is Prime Minister."

  Lizzie pointed out that Darcy was bound to be very discouraged by the resignation of Lord Russell, and her father agreed.

  "Darcy had great hopes for this government; it does seem a shame they have fallen through so soon," he said, finishing his breakfast.

  Lord Derby, having formed a minority government, staggered on for a while, beset with a diplomatic dilemma in Europe (where Bismarck was setting out to establish German dominance on the continent) and financial crises at home. There was already news of the failure of a famous London financial house and the collapse of share prices on the stock exchange followed, creating panic in some quarters. Greedy investors who had believed the hyperbole of their agents were being left bemused and bankrupted.

  Darcy wrote again, this time with an element of wicked glee:

  Prices on the stock exchange have fallen sharply and the government seems powerless to do anything at all. Though I have not witnessed any myself, there are fellows in the club and at Westminster who claim that stockholders have been committing suicide, leaping out of windows and shooting themselves. There are not too many offering their condolences either!

  While their brother's colourful phrases may have appeared to exaggerate the situation, their Aunt Caroline Fitzwilliam confirmed it. Returning from London, where she had been on business, Caroline arrived with bad news of many businessmen being ruined and fears of widespread unemployment to follow.

  "Thankfully, Papa's business was predominantly in trade with the Colonies, which is still strong," she explained, when she came to tea with the Gardiners.

  Richard agreed, adding that Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley had both acknowledged to him the considerable debt they owed to his father.

  "They are very aware that their current prosperity is due in no small measure to their investment in Father's business. Had they depended solely upon their estates to produce the same high incomes they had enjoyed throughout the middle years of this century, they would have suffered the same fate as have many indolent members of the gentry," he said with a wry smile.

  Caroline laughed as she told of several young"toffs" who'd been heard to complain that,"Papa no longer sends me an adequate allowance to let me keep a valet and a butler," and certain fashionable ladies who were getting their sewing women in to undo and make over last season's gowns! She certainly did not express much sympathy for either.

  "I do believe Robert and Rose have escaped the worst of it by living in Paris for most of this year," she declared and Cassy, tactfully, did not ask her sister-in-law for more details.

  Ever since their father's will had revealed his choice of Caroline to manage his business, relations with her brother Robert, and especially his wife Rose, had been rather cold.

  In the midst of all this came extraordinary news from Westminster that Lord Derby and Mr Disraeli had decided that they were best placed to bring in a Reform Bill. Their ultimate betrayal of their own constituency, turning on its head decades of Conservative opposition to the cause of electoral reform, caused even more uproar, leaving the government of Lord Derby under attack from both sides of the house.

  "Mayhem is guaranteed," wrote Darcy Gardiner, enjoying the discomfiture of his opponents.

  There are Tories and their supporters who are talking of treason and calling for Mr Disraeli's head, while Gladstone and the Reformists are wild, because the Tories are seeking to steal their bill and take the credit for Reform. This is being seen as one of their schemes to seize the initiative.

  My Uncle James Wilson is so incensed, he has returned to Kent in a great rage, while Mr Elliott has sworn never to support any of Dizzy's bills in future. Confusion is worse confounded.

  * * *

  It was while all this was afoot that the families met at Netherfield Park to celebrate the wedding of Jonathan Bingley's younger daughter Teresa to the architect from London, Mr Frederick Fairfax. Despite the obvious happiness of the young couple and their respective parents, the occasion was a sober one, for no one could ignore the death of Josie, and the absence of Julian Darcy served only to remind them of the tragedy the family had suffered only a few months ago.

  Following the wedding, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, who had accepted an invitation from James and Emma Wilson to spend a part of the Summer with them, travelled on to Standish Park in Kent.

  By the same happy set of arrangements, Mrs Gardiner, her daughter Emily with her husband, James Courtney, and their youngest son, Jude, were afforded the opportunity of spending the rest of Summer at Woodlands, Elizabeth's farm in Sussex. A year after her husband's death, Mrs Gardiner remained in low spirits, except when she had one or two of her grandchildren around her. The precipitate departure of her youngest son Robert and his family for Paris had taken away two of her grandchildren and she was grateful for the company of Emily and her family.

  Emily's husband, James Courtney, for many years now the Rector of the parish of Kympton, was suffering from the effects of overwork, mostly the result of an enthusiastic burst of evangelical activity with the poor Irish families in the village. He had been ordered by his brother-in-law Dr Gardiner to rest. Which was why Emily had welcomed her cousin Mrs Darcy's invitation to them, to spend the last month of Summer at the farm.

  Emily, who'd had her share of sorrow in life, was a great source of comfort to her mother.

  Her youngest daughter Jessica, who shared her mother's enthusiasm for service to the community, had recently been appointed by Mr Darcy to takeover the running of the parish school at Pemberley. Well educated, a great reader, and a compassionate young woman, she had already moved to live at Pemberley like her mother before her.

  Emily could not resist the comparison, yet she knew their circumstances were very different. Emily had been desolated by the death of her young husband at the time, whereas Jessica went to Pemberley untroubled by problems of that nature, her head and heart filled with plans and hopes for the future of her school. She was proud and happy to be entrusted with such a responsibility.

  * * *

  Meanwhile, at Standish Park, Mr Darcy revealed to his hosts, who were not entirely ignorant of his plans, that he had successfully bid for the Camden Park Estate. Sir Thomas Camden had accepted his offer and he hoped the property would soon be his.

  "I expect Sir Thomas will wish to have all the legal arrangements concluded before he moves to his property in Sussex," Mr Darcy said and, to his relief, unlike his own family, the Wilsons expressed no misgivings about the purchase, seeing it as a valuable addition to Mr Darcy's estate.

  Even when he admitted that he had sold a couple of landholdings in Wales to finance the transaction, James Wilson appeared to applaud his decision as a sensible one."The rapid expansion of the coal-mining industry is destroying the beauty of the area," he said, and Mr Darcy added, by way of explanation for his own actions,"Indeed, and any landholder who does not lease or sell is ultimately isolated, his land rapidly losing value, of no use for any other purpose. I thought it sensible to sell while prices were still favourable, especially to invest in such an excellent estate as Camden's. Our families go back several generations and he was happy to let us acquire the property. Besides, his price was a fair one."

  Disclosing his plan to off
er the place to Richard and Cassy, he said,"Their house is a pretty place, but it is far too small for them now; and Cassy ought be living within closer reach of Pemberley, since she carries out most of Julian's duties. She is also a great comfort to her mother and myself; we would enjoy having her close to us."

  Neither James nor Emma appeared particularly surprised at his suggestion, although Emma knew, from a letter she had received from Cassy some weeks ago, that her cousin would not be easily persuaded to move from her present home, which held many happy memories for her and her family. However, she saw no reason to divulge this to the Darcys.

  For the Darcys and the Wilsons, that Summer would pass easily. Both couples enjoyed good music, interesting conversation, and each other's company, a certain recipe for contentment. For James Wilson, Mr Darcy had great respect and it was clear the feeling was mutual, while Elizabeth loved her niece Emma no less than she loved her mother Jane, with whom she could not recall ever exchanging a hurtful word. Like many other visitors to the Wilsons' home, Elizabeth and Darcy enjoyed a remarkable feeling of well-being. The pleasing environment, together with Emma's serenity and warm, affectionate nature, had the effect of soothing her aunt's troubled feelings, and gradually, Elizabeth began to look and feel a good deal calmer, a fact not lost upon her husband.

  Her improving humour and the return of her vivacious smile were welcome signs of her recovery from the slough of despond, into which she had slipped the previous Winter.

  * * *

  Back in Derbyshire, Lizzie and Mr Carr had been making a new acquaintance. In the village, they had met, quite by chance, a young man who had been buying fishing tackle and bait, in preparation, he told them, to spend the rest of Summer walking the dales, fishing the streams, and painting. He had with him a collection of what he modestly called"scribbles and daubs" and when Mr Carr and Lizzie, neither of whom could draw or paint with any degree of distinction, saw them, they were very impressed.

  Mr Frank Wakeham, which is how he introduced himself, appeared to have a good eye and a genuine talent for capturing the unique quality and colours of the ancient landscape of peaks and dales.When Carr saw that Lizzie was taken with a particular water colour rendering of the hills above Rushmore, he asked to purchase it and Wakeham was delighted. Taking out his artist's brush and palette, he signed it across the bottom right-hand corner and presented it to her, accepting a very modest sum in return. Mr Carr protested that the price was too low, surely, but the artist turned fisherman insisted it was all he wanted. Before they parted, Carr invited him to come up to the farm and paint the scenic views, if they should take his fancy."We have the best view of the peaks for miles around," he said."You are welcome to visit and paint it if you wish," for which generous invitation Wakeham thanked him, though he did not immediately accept the offer.

  Mr Carr suggested that he should take the picture into Derby and have it framed."It will give me an excuse to take you away to the farm, so you may decide exactly where you want it hung," he said and Lizzie blushed, but said with some firmness,"I shall have no difficulty with that; I know exactly where I want it."

  They decided to keep their purchase of the painting a secret and reveal it to the family only after it was framed and hung in its appointed place, which was why Cassy and Richard heard nothing of the artist MrWakeham and his work.

  Thereafter, both Lizzie and Mr Carr saw the young man from time to time.

  Occasionally, they met him on the street in the village or saw him having a meal at the inn; but mostly, he was at a distance, working industriously in the valleys, sitting on a fallen tree trunk or on rocks by running water and, quite often, at the old quarry, which they passed on the road to Matlock, sketching some of the strangely shaped rock formations jutting out of the ground. On very few occasions, did they see him fishing, casting a line, or just waiting patiently for a bite. They knew no more of him but that he was an itinerant painter, with an interest in fishing. Certainly no one complained about him; it appeared he kept to himself and paid his bills.

  * * *

  Returning from the wedding of Teresa and Frederick Fairfax, where Mr Carr had been introduced to the rest of the family and Lizzie had received congratulations from her cousins and aunts on her engagement, the Gardiners had returned to the routines of their daily lives.

  Except for some medical emergencies, like the birth of twins to two women in the village on successive afternoons, or an accident on the farm, life proceeded a while without incident or drama.

  For Cassandra, however, in between making preparations for Lizzie's forthcoming wedding, there was the ever-present knowledge that her father, having successfully negotiated the purchase of Camden Park, would, on his return from Kent, invite her and her family to live there.

  Loving him as she did, Cassy did not know how she would refuse him.

  The problem consumed much of her time and, while she did not discuss it at all with her children, the news had got around and they all knew how she felt. While her parents remained in Kent with the Wilsons, she felt safe enough, but they would soon be returning home.

  Richard knew also and was disturbed that she would not speak of it with him, mulling over it when she was alone and changing the subject when he mentioned it. It was as though, for the first time in their marriage, there was a problem they could not share and resolve together.

  There was one other irritant disrupting her otherwise peaceful existence. Her father, aware of the innumerable tasks she was handling for him in the management of Pemberley, had suggested that they appoint a reliable and efficient assistant, who could handle the routine work on the estate.

  Cassy had thought this was an excellent idea and Richard had agreed. However, more recently, a problem had emerged, of which Cassy had no warning at all. Having made some discreet enquiries, the manager, Mr Grantham, had discovered that the son of one of the Pemberley tenants intended to offer himself for the position. The same man had applied on a previous occasion for the position of steward at the Rushmore stud and had been turned down by Mr Carr on the advice of his manager.

  John Archer was an assertive young man, well dressed and well spoken, but with a tendency to self-importance and very little familiarity with the people of the village. Recently returned from London, where he had worked for the younger son of a well-known, titled family for many years, he was back in Derbyshire. His master had left for Australia, where Archer had not wished to follow him, and he was looking for employment.

  Unhappily, while his parents were respected and liked, John Archer knew few people and evoked their suspicions rather than their sympathy.

  "My advice, ma'am, would be to appoint another man before John Archer can approach you. He is not the sort of man who would be able to handle our people with discretion and tact," Mr Grantham had advised, leaving Cassy in a quandary.

  Her first instinct was to consult her father, who she knew would be returning to Pemberley at the end of Summer. In his absence, she sought out Mr Carr and discovered that Archer had been around to the farm as well, but had not been offered a position there either.

  "I know very little of him, Mrs Gardiner, except he is not well liked in these parts," Mr Carr had said."I was guided by the advice of Mr Grantham and my steward."

  With no one to consult, Cassy decided she would not appoint anyone at all, until her father returned. It would mean that she would be kept very busy, but it was far better, she thought, that she should carry on alone, rather than appoint someone who might cause ill feelings among the staff and tenants.

  The decision did put a considerable strain upon her. Twice in a single week, she had been called out to hear disputes that would normally have been settled by Mr Grantham alone. The first concerned the poaching of game on the estate, which she treated very leniently, and the other, a more serious matter of a squabble between two tenants over a piece of arable land. Neither were insoluble problems, but in both cases Mr Grantham had failed to conciliate between the parties, and they had dem
anded that the master or his daughter intervene.

  "I am very sorry, ma'am, I did try my best; I did what the master usually does, I asked them to speak out openly, without fear of recriminations, but it seems they have no interest in speaking further to me. It is you they want, ma'am," said Grantham, apologising for his lack of success.

  Cassy smiled,"Do you suppose, Mr Grantham, that they regard me as a naïve woman and think they can pull the wool over my eyes?" she asked and he was quick to deny this."Indeed no, ma'am, most assuredly not. They are convinced that you, like the master, will be fair to them and hear their grievances."

  "And you will not?" she was incredulous,"After all these years?"

  "They know you have Mr Darcy's authority, ma'am. Besides, they hold you in high esteem and will accept, without quibbling, a determination from you."

  Cassy wanted to believe him, in spite of herself. She was tired, it had been a long day, but she forced herself to go with him and meet the complaining tenants and the accused poacher. Cassy did as she was sure her father would have done. With the poacher, she discovered that the man had lost his job in Birmingham and returned home almost empty handed. His wife pleaded,"It was only to feed the children, ma'am, no more. He would not take game off the master's land to sell, I would never allow it. I'd sooner starve."

  Her transparent honesty, no less than her desperate situation, affected Cassy deeply."There's no need for that; you need not starve, when there is so much food to be had. But neither must your husband break the law," she said, and promised the woman her husband would not be brought before the magistrate, on this occasion."However, you must give me your word that, in the future, if you are in need of food and have none you can legally obtain, you will ask Mr Grantham here for permission to take some, or go up to the house and ask Mrs Grantham for help. You will never be turned away."

  The woman was grateful and gave her word.

  Turning to Mr Grantham, she said,"Mr Grantham, there is no need to report this matter; you may grant permission for them to take fish or game for food if they have none. My father would not want them to starve, but, neither must they steal or we shall have everyone doing it," she said, quite firmly, and seeing the tears in the woman's eyes, Cassy felt more shaken than she had expected to be.