by Jayne Bamber
“I think the two of them vastly preferable to a whole room full of people all thinking the same thing,” Georgiana snapped. “I am quite determined. If you shall not speak to William on my behalf, I will talk to him about it myself. Pray, take me with you Kate, promise me!”
Now everyone looked to Kate, and Harriet silently prayed her congenial cousin would manage to say something that would put it all to rights, for her mother looked very angry indeed.
“I think everybody should calm down,” Kate said slowly, gesturing for them all to sit. “It is not for me to judge how anything should be, but I can certainly understand Georgiana’s argument. If I were in her position, or even Harriet’s, I am sure I would wish to escape the ton.”
“I shall never escape it,” Georgiana wailed, sitting back down beside Harriet in a great huff.
“Insupportable,” Lady Catherine scoffed, sitting herself down heavily, with folded arms. “We shall not let them get the better of us!”
“Would it really be so very bad,” Kate asked Lady Catherine, “if you were to come with us to Kent? What would it signify? It seems that there will always be those who will think what they will of us, whether we stay or go. What does it really matter, so long as we are content?”
Mrs. Darcy smirked, addressing herself to Lady Catherine. “Someone very dear to me once spoke of wishing to be the right sort of mother, of not wanting to repeat past mistakes. I am trying to recall just what her words were….” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, holding Lady Catherine’s gaze, and Harriet was rather confused by why Mrs. Darcy’s speech should make her mother look so very chastened.
Harriet winced as her mother glowered at Georgiana one last time before rising, and addressing herself to Mrs. Darcy. “Perhaps you might discuss the matter with me in the library. Let us leave Georgiana in peace for a moment to reflect on her misbehavior.” At that, she and Mrs. Darcy swept out of the room.
Harriet at once breathed a great sigh of relief as she was left alone with Kate and Georgiana. Kate was instantly claimed by a great burst of laughter, and rushed to Georgiana’s side.
“Oh, well done, Georgiana, just as we planned!”
Georgiana let out a nervous laugh before looking at Harriet with a smile. “I was quite terrified the whole time! I have never raised my voice to anyone in the family like that, except on one occasion, to William, and of course I regretted it afterwards, for he was very cross with me. Lizzy, I think, will forgive my outburst, but I do hope she does not tell my brother about it. Perhaps if I explain our little ruse to her,” she said to Kate.
Harriet was entirely confused. “Wait – what? What just happened? Did you plan to say such things to my mother?”
Kate grinned at her. “But of course, dear Harriet. We did it for you.”
“For me?”
Georgiana pressed Harriet’s hand in hers. “Last night, after Sam Sutton was speaking to us all of his plans for the house party in Kent, Kate and I overheard Lizzy and Lady Catherine speaking about it. Lizzy thought it a fine plan, as she has not had any time alone with William since they were married, but Lady Catherine told her that she had no intention of leaving London until the end of May. Kate, of course, may go with Robert whenever they choose, but you and I must have a proper chaperone.”
“I quite understand,” Kate added. “I am only a year your senior, and know very little about chaperoning a young lady – of course Lady Catherine must go. It was all anyone seemed to be speaking of last night, for I daresay cousin Sam invited nearly everyone at the ball! I felt very sorry that you should be dependent on Lady Catherine’s cooperation, and so we contrived this little scheme. We know you have been unhappy here, though you are too kind and gentle to ever tell your parents so.”
“And it is only right,” Georgiana said. “You pointed out that you had been – what did you say… thrown to the wolves, in my defense? And so, I have repaid you in kind, and braved all of Lady Catherine’s displeasure to bring about what I know you must wish for as much as I do. It is what you wish, is it not?”
Harriet wrung her hands. Even though her mother was no longer present in the room, Harriet was still loath to contradict her mother’s wishes. “I would like to see Rosings Park, and Cranbrook too, but I could never defy my mother in such a way. Truly, it was very brave of you. But she must be very angry at you! I am very grateful, but I would not wish to create a rift between you.”
Kate and Georgiana exchanged a mirthful look. “All will be well,” Kate replied. “Georgie and I will explain to Lizzy that it was perfectly necessary for her to speak as she did, and no doubt Lizzy is already convincing Lady Catherine to see reason, and let us have our way. After all, she did seem to favor the trip to Kent, when we were eavesdropping last night at supper.”
“Do speak freely, dearest,” Georgiana urged her. “It is just us here. If our efforts have been in vain, and you would rather remain in London, only tell us so, and we shall raise the white flag of surrender to your mother at once.”
There was so much solicitude and sincerity in Kate and Georgiana’s looks that Harriet was moved to admit the truth at last. “I do wish to leave London. It has been grand, far beyond anything I ever imagined, but I think I have had enough of high society to last a lifetime! At least until I have had more practice, as you say. But what of you, Georgiana? What you said about Mr. Rushworth and Mr. Audley is true; should you really wish to be in their company in Kent?”
“It is just as I said before, they are only two gentlemen, but here in London I shall always find myself in a room full of people who think just what they do. There is no way I shall entirely escape the world’s derision, until the rumors about me have completely died down, and though your presence has helped, I think the greatest chance of that happening is if I were to leave London for a time. In Kent, I think we shall be a more intimate party, and certainly Mr. Audley and Mr. Rushworth will be kinder to me in a family setting than they would be with the eyes of the ton looking on. Mr. Rushworth was only unkind because he is just as afraid of gossip as I am, and likely will be just as relieved to get away from it in Kent as myself. Mr. Audley is mostly harmless, for Aunt Catherine shall be able to keep a closer eye on him in Kent. I do not think he shall press his suit with me as he might do here in London.”
“And that is just what Lizzy must be telling Lady Catherine even now,” Kate replied decidedly. “She is very clever, and our argument is a sound one; even your mother must see that, Harriet. She has already made it clear that she does not wish you to marry any time soon, and you are at greater risk of falling prey to a fortune hunter here in London than you would be in Kent among a small party of friends and family.”
Harriet was still bewildered by the sudden revelation that her cousin’s mortifying altercation with her mother had been premeditated. “I do not understand,” said she. “Why did you not make your case so rationally to my mother?”
Kate giggled. “Because your mother is stubborn! But Lady Catherine will listen to Lizzy. She did not always love Lizzy so dearly, but I think she will be guided by her in this instance. Truly, Lizzy is far more intelligent than Georgie and I put together, and she knows how to outmaneuver your mother. They have argued often enough for her to know just how to go about it!”
This, too, was a shocking revelation to Harriet, Mrs. Darcy quarreling with her mother, when the two of them seemed such affectionate friends! Harriet was filled with sudden admiration for the woman. Mr. Knightley had said she was a country girl who had been rather beneath Mr. Darcy when he had married her, but in that moment Harriet thought her the finest woman in England, if she could put everything to right after the shocking scene that had played out that morning.
“I cannot wait for you to see Rosings,” Kate exclaimed. “Everyone in the family seems to think Pemberley superior. I believe Robert and I are the only ones who would dare contradict Mr. Darcy on the matter.”
Georgiana laughed. “I, for one, have never been so eager to go there in the whole co
urse of my life! You must understand, Harriet, I have long been rather afraid of your mother, particularly when I was a girl.” She wiped away a tear of mirth as she reclined against the back of the sofa. “My, but it feels good to speak so candidly!”
Harriet smiled shyly at them. It was fun, the feeling of intrigue and camaraderie she was sharing with her cousins. Though she was relieved not to have been a part of the scheming against her mother, she was grateful that Kate and Georgiana had intervened on her behalf.
The three young women spoke comfortably amongst themselves for a quarter hour more before Elizabeth and Lady Catherine returned to the drawing room. They each looked much as they had done before, Mrs. Darcy appearing thoughtful and confident, and Lady Catherine looking rather chastened. Just as Kate had assured her, Mrs. Darcy had seen to it all, and Harriet was to make ready for another exciting journey at month’s end.
***
“Promise me you will not ever engage in a stunt like that again,” Elizabeth cried when Georgiana had confessed her subterfuge in the carriage on the way home.
“I promise,” Georgiana said earnestly. “Are you going to tell William?”
Elizabeth levelled a contemplative scowl at her. “I ought to! Your brother would hardly approve of your putting me through such unnecessary drama, when you might have told me what you intended.”
Thinking of Mrs. Bennet with a wry smirk, Georgiana replied, “I should have had more compassion for your poor nerves.”
Elizabeth tried to look angry, but laughed. “I am glad your spirits are lifted enough to tease me so. I am rather hurt you and Kate excluded me from your little scheme, but I have to admit, it was rather clever of you – I am almost proud that you got the better of such a fearsome opponent. But, truly, never again.”
“Never again,” Georgiana agreed.
“Very well, I suppose William does not need to know. I cannot like keeping this from him, but I am sure he would not let you have your way after he heard how you went about it, and getting away from London would do you such good. You will still have to ask his permission, of course, and I will let you make your own case this time.”
Georgiana nodded. “I will – I am sure I can persuade him. Oh, thank you, Lizzy.”
“You are welcome. I hope your stay in Kent will be a pleasant one. And, in truth, it shall be nice to spend some time alone with William at Pemberley, and to spend some time with little Julia. That may be your one saving grace, for I know William feels the same.”
Georgiana stared out the window for a moment, both relieved to have obtained Elizabeth’s forgiveness so easily, and agitated by the prospect of being separated from her daughter, even if it had been all her own idea. A few minutes later, she mused, “Is it true Mrs. Sutton is going to bring Lydia to Kent?”
“I believe so, yes. Will that lessen your enjoyment in the scheme?”
“I do not think so,” Georgiana replied, chewing her lip as she considered. “They make an odd pair together, do they not?”
Elizabeth laughed. “At first, I rather thought they quite deserved each other! I very nearly turned Caroline away when she came calling that day, but I will own my curiosity got the better of me, and I am so glad I agreed to see her. I was impressed at how willing she was to make amends – for a proud woman like that, it could not have been easy to humble herself to me, though I do not know how much she has really changed. I could not resist the temptation of pawning Lydia off on her – I had little alternative, anyhow. Keeping her at Darcy House would have been a disaster for you, and therefore for all of us.”
“Do you really think Mrs. Sutton will be a good influence on her?” Georgiana had not told her sister what Lydia had said to her at the garden party, hoping that Elizabeth would in time see for herself that Lydia was not truly changed at all.
“Funny enough, I do. Perhaps not in the way Caroline plans to be – she seems to think Lydia only needs to acquire superficial changes, which is true, but not the whole truth. Caroline might seem like all show and no substance, but I suspect there is more to her. She is a complex creature, and even Lydia is not completely shallow; I think Lydia may yet change her just as much as she changes Lydia. It is a curious experiment, and I shall look forward to hearing how it all turns out. You must write to me from Kent, and keep me abreast of any interesting developments.”
Georgiana smiled. If Elizabeth meant to spare her William’s wrath so that she might keep an eye on Lydia and Mrs. Sutton in Kent, so be it; it was a means to the end she desired, though she would have preferred to keep Lydia at an arm’s length in Kent. Lydia Bennet at Rosings – Heaven help us all!
11
Hartfield, Surrey, late March
It was the first day of spring, and the weather was fair as Rebecca and Mary journeyed into Surrey. The urban landscape of London soon gave way to glorious green countryside, and after about an hour they left the main road for a smaller one that would take them through the village of Highbury, and ultimately to Hartfield. As she took in the local scenery from the carriage, Rebecca could not but feel a pang of envy at Mr. Knightley, who had elected to accompany them on horseback, rather than riding in the carriage. She was an accomplished enough horsewoman to have made the sixteen-mile journey on horseback; if only Mary had been able to do the same, what fun they would have all had!
Of course, her own amusement was hardly the reason for their journey, and as they passed through Highbury and made the final approach to the manor house, Rebecca grew somber, remembering the real reason she was here, to condole with a grieving cousin she barely knew. She felt all the blame of having neglected her younger cousin, and she could not be satisfied with her own failing.
At least she could begin to rectify these mistakes. The carriage came to a stop in front of an Elizabethan manor house with a wide gravel drive intersecting the neatly manicured lawn, and Rebecca was unexpectedly flooded with memories of a childhood visit to the place, when both her mother and Emma’s had been alive. How fond the two women had been of one another, and how it had pleased them to see their young children play together. Richard and Reginald were away at school at the time, but Rebecca and Robert had been vastly content to amuse themselves with Isabella and little Emma; they had found a very good climbing tree, though it was rather too near the window of her uncle’s library, and her father had scolded them for behaving like wild animals. The last time Rebecca had visited, eight years ago, she and Isabella had climbed the tree again, but this time it was Mr. Woodhouse, world-weary after the loss of his wife, who had scolded them for climbing the tree.
Once inside the house, Rebecca was immediately struck by how much noisier the place was than she had expected. She had anticipated that the house, in mourning as it was, should be quiet and dreary, but the halls echoed with the noise of playing children, and as they entered the drawing room a very small girl took an unexpected tumble at Rebecca’s feet, squealing.
Rebecca was taken aback – of course Isabella’s children should be here, as this was now their home. Before she could react to the little girl, or the three rambunctious boys that were also tumbling about the room in extraordinarily high spirits, Mr. Knightley dropped down and scooped the girl up in his arms, eliciting another squeal that melted into tinkling peals of laughter.
Mrs. Weston, who was seated in the drawing room with two other ladies and a gentleman, came forward to greet Rebecca and Mary, as Mr. Knightley was led off to the other side of the room by his nephews. Rebecca tore her gaze away from the singular sight of him playing with them to attend the introductions Mrs. Weston performed.
“Lady Rebecca, how glad I am that you have come to us after all. Allow me to introduce our longtime friend, Miss Bates, who lives in the village, and her niece Miss Jane Fairfax, who is only lately returned to her aunt’s house after traveling to the seaside with some friends. And this is Mr. Elton, our vicar, who has come to see to John and Emma’s well-being this morning. My friends, allow me to present Miss Woodhouse’s cousin, Lady Rebecca F
itzwilliam, daughter of the Earl of Matlock, and her cousin by marriage, Miss Mary Bennet.”
Rebecca surveyed her cousin’s neighbors curiously. Whatever were they doing here, in John Knightley’s house, with neither the master nor the mistress of the house present, and with a veritable army of squealing children turning everything upside down? What kind of asylum had she arrived at?
Mr. Elton gave a very elegant bow. He was a handsome man, almost too handsome to be a clergyman, and certainly seemed aware of the fact himself, from the look he gave her. “Lady Rebecca, welcome to Highbury,” he said in a most affected tone. “Miss Bennet, how good of you to accompany your cousin on what must be a mission of mercy for poor Miss Woodhouse. Your arrival is most auspicious, most auspicious indeed.”
Beside him, the older woman, Miss Bates, tittered nervously. “Oh yes, what a day for new arrivals! My dear niece Jane here is only just arrived this morning. I had no idea that you should be arriving yourself this morning, or I should never have imposed on my friends here at Hartfield. Miss Woodhouse has been so kind in asking after dear Jane, I thought for sure she would be most happy indeed to see Jane now that she has come back amongst us, after being away for so long with the Campbells. I would never have dreamed of trespassing on another happy family reunion, not for all the world,” the kindly woman babbled, looking so embarrassed that even Rebecca could not help but feel benevolently disposed toward her. On Miss Bates’s other side, the young woman introduced as Miss Jane Fairfax looked likewise embarrassed, though she did not speak.
“Do be seated, Lady Rebecca, Miss Bennet,” Mrs. Weston said. “I apologize that John and Emma are not here to meet you. They were with us just a few minutes ago, but were obliged to step away, and of course we had no notion that you would be accompanying Mr. Knightley back from London.”