The Portrait of Elizabeth

by Jane Angwin

  Caroline huffed and marched outside, looking for their carriage. Darcy and Bingley took care of the bill, while Hurst ignored their endeavor and sauntered outside, leaving Louisa standing alone. She called out to him, "Gilbert! You seem to have forgotten something." Hurst turned around and looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. "You have forgotten your wife, Mr. Hurst!" she exclaimed. She stood in her spot, not moving, and Hurst finally shuffled back to her, holding out his arm. As he escorted her outside, Darcy and Bingley heard angry words being murmured between the husband and wife.

  "My family has fewer manners than those that they criticize," Bingley said to Darcy. "I am feeling a migraine coming on." With that, they left the inn and made their way to Netherfield.

  The entourage rolled up the long driveway of the large estate. At first glance, Darcy felt that it was a fine looking building in good shape for being vacant for so long. The grounds in front of the estate had been maintained, and a groom appeared immediately to take care of the horses and the carriage. As they stopped at the bottom of the large staircase leading up to the entrance, a housekeeper and a butler opened the door and along with several footmen they descended the stairs to greet their guests. It was clear that the landowner had taken great care to convey a favorable and welcome impression to Bingley.

  A footman opened the carriage door, and backed away quite suddenly when Miss Bingley loudly exclaimed that he was entirely too slow opening the door. "I have been sitting in this carriage for hours, and it is unacceptable that I should be made to wait at the end of this arduous journey." The forlorn footman attempted to assist her down from the carriage, but she refused his hand. "Charles, please assist me this minute" she screeched. "I must leave this carriage immediately and walk to regain the feeling in my feet." The rest of the group looked at each other, well aware that they had just had a rest stop less than two miles away at the Meryton Inn where she left the carriage and had no difficulties with her feet.

  Bingley helped his sister down from the carriage, admonishing her to be silent. Hurst and Louisa climbed out, surveying the edifice of the estate. The butler approached Bingley and Darcy, and bowed. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am Horace Blair, and I am the butler here at Netherfield." Her turned to the woman behind him and said "and this is Mrs. Blair, the housekeeper. Welcome to Netherfield." Mrs. Blair curtsied, and Horace said "May I inquire which of you gentlemen is Mr. Bingley?"

  Bingley bowed and said "I am Charles Bingley, Mr. Blair. And this is my good friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Derbyshire. I am joined by my sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, and her husband Mr. Hurst." Darcy bowed, Hurst nodded his head, Louisa curtsied, and Miss Bingley scowled. Bingley added "We are pleased to be here, and I very much look forward to touring the estate. It appears that Mr. Langdon the current owner has opened the estate for us and arranged for a staff to welcome us."

  "Yes, Mr. Bingley, we have been employed by Mr. Langdon for many years, but when his wife passed away, he left for his townhouse in London, and he doesn't journey to the country anymore. This home is much too large for one gentleman to reside alone. He has kept my wife and I on to maintain the home, but the others were let go. Some of them have returned to serve you while you are here."

  "Might they be available to come back to work should I decide to lease the estate?" Bingley inquired.

  "Why, yes, I believe that many of them would be most pleased to return. When you have made your decision, and if you decide to reside here, I will make sure we retain a fine staff for you Sir."

  Caroline was visibly irritated that they were still standing in the drive. "Charles, please cease your conversation with this person and assist us inside." He snapped his head around and frowned at his sister, letting her know that he was angry at her rudeness.

  The group mounted the steps, and entered the front hall of the estate. As they entered, Mrs. Blair said that they had readied guest chambers for the two gentlemen, but they would need a short time to prepare additional chambers for the ladies and the other gentleman. Miss Bingley failed to realize that the staff had no idea the extra guests would be arriving, and she was not pleased that they did not have her accommodations ready. "I must have a room immediately. I am extremely fatigued from our long journey, and I must rest".

  Bingley was now visibly upset. "Caroline, we have just come from London and you could not possibly be that tired. And for goodness sakes, Mrs. Blair did not know you were accompanying Darcy and myself. I am sure she will have your chambers prepared as quickly as possible." With that, Mrs. Blair nodded at Bingley and hurried up the steps. "Please try to conduct yourself in a more pleasant manner. We have been here less than ten minutes and you have already managed to anger the staff with your impatience and rudeness."

  Darcy looked around the foyer, and while not as grand as Pemberley, he felt that it had a distinguished ambiance, and he was impressed with the gracious greeting they had received from the staff. The footmen began bringing the cases into the house, and Mrs. Blair returned asking if they would like to have tea served before they were shown to their respective rooms.

  "Yes, that would be lovely", Mr. Bingley replied. Could you show us to the drawing room?" They followed Mrs. Blair and entered a lovely room painted in a pale yellow, furnished with comfortable seating upholstered in yellows and blues, and highly polished low tables edged in gold. "This is quite nice, isn't it?" he asked to no one in particular. His sister walked around the room, inspecting the etageres and cabinets along the walls, running her finger along the edges, checking for dust.

  Darcy walked to the large floor to ceiling windows overlooking the grounds of the estate and gazed out at the view. The gardens were well manicured with a good variety of plantings and colorful flowers, and a copse of trees on both sides of the driveway appeared to be full of apples. To the left he noted a large expanse of land leading off as far as the eye could see. "I wonder what crops and livestock are here," he pondered. "I will ask Bingley to go out to explore the entire property first thing in the morning." He also hoped to stay away from Miss Bingley who he was sure had already made herself the talk of the servants. "This has not started off well for Bingley," he thought. "She is incorrigible. This will be a trial indeed."

  He turned back and saw Bingley looking at him, waiting for some kind of comment regarding what he had seen so far. Rather than tell Bingley what he felt, he asked Bingley for his impression. It was time for Bingley to begin making his own decisions.

  "What do you think so far, Charles? What is your first impression?"

  "Well, I am quite pleased thus far. The home appears to be in fine order, and the staff is quite professional. I have yet to see the rest of the house, but so far, I do like it very much."

  "Personally, I find it lacking, Charles," Caroline interrupted. "It is much too small, and the rooms are very dark. I am also appalled that there were only two footmen to carry our cases. It took them at least three trips up the steps while we stood talking about a lack of preparation with Mrs. Blake."

  "It's Mrs. Blair, Caroline, not Blake," Bingley reminded his sister. "You have seen one room thus far, and this room is quite light and airy. I have no idea how you could make that judgment based on one room." By this time, he was quite angered by his sister's attitude. "Furthermore, this is a small temporary staff hired to help us while we are here for only a few days. The owner, Mr. Langley was kind enough to pay for their services while we are visiting. I suggest you hold your tongue for the duration of this visit, Caroline, as the staff could very well give Mr. Langley a poor view of us as potential tenants of his property." As he was making this comment, it occurred to him that it was not beneath his sister to have that be exactly her plan. He turned to his other sister. "What do you think, Louisa?"

  Louisa Hurst spoke for the first time since they had arrived. "It is certainly not of the same standard as Pemberley, but I have found nothing objectionable yet. I will wait to judge the quality of the guestrooms and the dining room." What do you think, Gil
bert?"

  Her husband had already taken a seat and shrugged his shoulders. "It seems satisfactory, " he said. Everyone waited for additional comments from him, but none came. "Do do you suppose they have a bottle of brandy anywhere around here?"

  Charles looked back at Darcy and asked him for his reaction to the estate. " You should view the other rooms, of course, but the most important thing for you to do is to view the books and the yearly crop yield. It is also extremely important to ride the acreage and look at drainage issues and fencing conditions. You will need to inspect the equipment that comes with the property, and, of course, the stables . You will require a reference letter on each member of the staff, and an inventory of the entire estate must be done. You will need to account for the condition and number of silver pieces, all artwork, and the furnishings so that you know what you are buying. After you have done those things, and if all is in good order, I see no harm in leasing it for a short duration and making a decision whether to purchase at the end of your lease."

  Bingley stared at him with wide eyes, recognizing that he had not realized all that was required, and knowing that he had a lot to learn about land ownership. "Right", he said. "Now, let us see if we can find that bottle of brandy. I too would like a drink after a long day."

  Mrs. Blair entered with the tea cart, followed by a servant girl. "Please allow me to serve you first, Miss Bingley." She expertly poured a cup for the lady, and asked her how she liked her tea. She repeated this for Mrs. Hurst, and then all of the gentlemen in a way that was clear she done this flawlessly many, many times. "Your chambers are ready for you now", she said as she curtsied in front of Miss Bingley. "I trust you will find your accommodations pleasant and satisfactory." She turned to leave the room, but turned at the door. "Mr. Blair is bringing a bottle of brandy up from the wine center for you gentleman. We are sure you would like a nice drink before dinner. And dinner will be served at 6:00 in the formal dining room if that pleases you, Mr. Bingley." He nodded at her and she left the room.

  "Well, she certainly is efficient, is she not?" Bingley said, looking directly at his sister, Caroline. Miss Bingley ignored his look and took a drink of her tea.

  Mr. Blair entered the room carrying a silver tray with a bottle of brandy and five glasses. He asked the ladies if they would like to join the gentlemen, but they declined, so he poured a small glass of brandy for the gentleman. He then inquired if the ladies had finished their tea and if so, would they like to be shown to their chambers.

  "Finally!", Caroline exclaimed. She stood, making a dramatic show of her irritation. "Charles, please come to my room at 6:00 to escort me to dinner." She swept out of the room, and Mrs. Hurst hurriedly followed her.

  The group met in the foyer at 6:00, and Caroline made a point of complaining that her bedroom and adjoining sitting room were not facing the front of the estate. "My view is deplorable, Charles. How dare they put me on that side of the corridor." The others ignored her comments and enjoyed a perfectly presented and delicious meal. After dinner, as was the accepted norm, the gentleman separated from the ladies to enjoy another drink of brandy and to smoke cigars. Darcy wanted to end the evening and retire to his chambers, but he knew that the polite thing to do was to rejoin the ladies for them to entertain them with some type of music. He knew that Caroline considered herself a virtuoso on the pianoforte, and Louisa had a passable singing voice, so they would surely want to demonstrate for the gentlemen. He poured a second glass of brandy to take the edge of his annoyance. Now he just had to attempt to keep his eyes open.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A Fleeting Glimpse

  The following morning, Darcy arose before dawn and dressed himself. Gregory, his valet, had arrived late in the evening the night before, and he had stayed up late, waiting for Darcy to prepare for bed. It was so early, Darcy didn't wish to awaken him, so he donned his riding clothes. He knew that no one else would be awake, including the kitchen staff, so he left the house in the dark and made his way to the stables. Omega must have heard him approaching, because he stuck his head out of the paddock and whinnied a greeting. "Good morning, Omega. How's my boy?" he asked. As he led him out, he found himself laughing at the memory of his stable master, Mr. Raymond talking to his horses and appearing to carry on two-way conversations with them. Darcy had a deep bond with Omega, but he didn't claim to converse with him. "Let's go for a run, boy" he said. "The sun will soon be coming up, and we should have enough light to explore this new place." He found Omega's saddle and lifted it up, throwing it over his back, taking care to tighten it properly. He knew that the groom would wonder where the horse was, but he hoped that they would easily surmise that Darcy went out for an early ride.

  It was still dark, so he started down the drive with a gentle walk, carefully checking for dangerous holes and areas that could cause an injury to his horse in the dark. As the sun began to rise, he turned off the road, and kicked Omega into a cantor across a field that was intended to be planted with crops at one time but was now alive with beautiful wildflowers. As he surveyed the land in front of him, he realized that there would be no crops or livestock here since Mr. Langley had moved away and did not have a steward to manage the land properly. So, in lieu of that, he decided to ride to the far edge of the property several miles away and follow the fencing to check for needed repairs. As he neared the fence, he saw a glimpse of red color moving through the trees on the other side. His eyes tried to focus on it, but he lost whatever it was in the dense trees. "Who else is up at this hour?" he wondered. He rode slowly along the fence, hoping to catch another glimpse of the person, but his attention was diverted by a broken area of fencing with a small pathway on the other side leading into the trees. His curiosity was too great to not explore this beckoning path, and so he slowly guided Omega through the opening. He walked slowly, not wanting to make too much noise, as he felt that he might be trespassing on someone's land, but something seemed to be pulling him along this pathway. He rode along through the woods, coming to a small stream, and he stopped and allowed Omega to drink from it. This was a pleasant place, and he vowed to remember it to possibly return one day.

  At last, there was an opening in the trees, and he found himself on a small country road. Back a few hundred feet, he saw a small red estate behind a white fence, surrounded by gardens on one side and a wooded area on the other. "This must be Netherfield's closest neighbor," he thought. He didn't wish to be noticed by the occupants, so he turned Omega around to return back down the path, but something caught his eye, and he pulled back on the reins. There on the side of the house was a rope swing hanging from a large tree, exactly as he had painted one in the portrait at his studio at Pemberley. Upon further examination, he also realized with a start that the house was almost identical to the house he had painted in the background of his painting. "Good Lord. This is uncanny," he said aloud. "How can this be? This is the exact setting I imagined." He felt a shiver run through his entire body, and he momentarily could not move. He also felt a slight breeze pass his face, and the familiar scent of lavender filled his nose. He looked around to see if there was any lavender in the nearby garden, but there didn't appear to be any. This strange occurrence had happened to him so often lately, that while it had no explanation, he no longer felt it was odd. He had begun to find comfort in it, imagining that his mother was somehow there with him, guiding him in some way. "She said she would guide me to happiness, even in the afterlife," he mused, "but why would she bring me to this particular place in this remote countryside?"

  He finally felt his limbs could move again, and he snapped the reins for Omega to begin back the way they had come. As he entered the wooded area, he caught a glimpse of someone in the distance walking along the small country road toward the house. He walked his horse further into the trees so he couldn't be seen, but peering through the dense woods he could make out a small woman with a red pelisse and a bonnet covering her head. He wondered why a young woman was out alone without a companion, and esp
ecially so early in the morning, but he didn't wish to be discovered watching her, so he continued back on the path to the broken fence. "Perhaps Bingley will meet these new neighbors," he thought to himself, "and maybe one of them is this woman who loves to rise early in the morning to take long walks alone." He found himself admiring her confidence to walk alone and her apparent love of the outdoors. "Certainly no lady of the ton would every consider this behavior," he mused. With that, he galloped Omega back to Netherfield to have some much needed coffee to clear his head. Discovering the small estate in the woods had unsettled him, and he had much to think about.

  He entered the dining room to find something to eat and was confronted by Miss Bingley. "Mr. Darcy!" Caroline shrieked. "Wherever have you been so early in the morning? What could you possibly find of interest in this dreary place? I personally find nothing of any merit here."

  "I was out for an early ride, Miss Bingley," he replied. "I wanted to inspect the condition of the property to determine if it is a good candidate for crops and livestock. After all, making a profit with one's land is what is important in owning property and for Charles to be a successful gentleman landowner."

  "Well," she huffed, "but I am sure you would agree that this does not hold a candle to your estate, Mr. Darcy. This small estate just will not do. There is no society at all in this backward village, and I find that I am already quite bored after only one day." She marched around the table to sit down next to where Darcy stood, and waited for him to pull out her chair.

  A servant entered the room with a steaming pot of hot coffee, and after seating her, Darcy walked around to the other side of the table and sat down. He knew that Miss Bingley had intended to sit next to him, but he did not plan to be the target of her advances this morning. He would not put it past her to arrange for an "accidental" compromise in order to find herself the mistress of Pemberley, and as the servant poured his coffee, he quietly requested that he remain in the room. The servant nodded, silently acknowledging his request, undoubtedly understanding the reason.