Confusion, Confession and Conviction

by Victoria Winfield

  “Bonnets?”

  “Yes.”

  “Women’s bonnets?”

  “Yes. Merely a collector. But a passionate one.”

  Mr. Milford looked pensive then. “Interesting.”

  “You do find bonnets interesting then?”

  “Not enough to merit a thought, I fear. What I find interesting is that, despite being so well-spoken, you have turned out to be such a poor judge of character, Ms. Elizabeth.” His eyes were glinting as he looked at her, almost mischievously.

  “A pity indeed,” Lizzie grinned.

  She might have said something else, in fact she had already opened her mouth to do so, but her attention was abruptly turned elsewhere when she heard her mother’s distinctive voice rising from the crowd calling Lizzie’s name. Lizzie turned towards the sound and saw her mother, flanked by the rest of the girls, looking left and right in search for her missing daughter.

  “I’m afraid it’s time for me to leave,” Lizzie spoke in a playful tone, but she felt genuinely sorry to have to cut their conversation short.

  “I hope I have not frightened you away,” Mr. Milford said jokingly.

  “I am not that easily frightened, Mr. Milford.”

  He chuckled at that. “Indeed, I should expect not!”

  To her sisters’ and mother’s surprise, Lizzie was still smiling when she joined them. They had spotted her talking to a gentleman, but Lizzie was dismissive about the matter and conversation quickly turned back to talk of husbands and balls and possible dukes in Hertfordshire.

  Chapter 3

  To Mrs. Bennet’s dismay, two days passed and there was no mention of there being a ball. Before her mood had a chance to completely deteriorate though, Longbourn received a surprise visitor.

  “There’s a carriage!” Kitty announced, her nose all but pressed up against the window.

  The rest of the family looked up and quickly joined her at the window and confirmed that there was, in fact, a carriage parked just outside their house.

  “Oh my!” Mrs. Bennet rushed over to Mr. Bennet’s side, ripping his attention from the book in his hand. “Are we expecting any visitors today?”

  “Not that I recall, but I suppose we are receiving some now.”

  “Who could it be?” Jane wondered for them all.

  “Whoever they are, how very uncouth of them to show up unannounced like this!” Mrs. Bennet sounded perfectly undignified. “It’s a terrible intrusion, they best not intend to stay for dinner!”

  Lizzie and the rest of them waited with curiosity until the servant appeared in the living room a moment later, trailed by two gentlemen. One of them had only the vaguely familiar face of someone who lived in Hertfordshire and she might have crossed paths with once or twice in her lifetime, but the other gentleman was immediately recognizable by his bright scarlet hair and blue eyes.

  “Mr. Milford!” Lizzie all but jumped to her feet. She nearly forgot her manners in her surprise, but she hastily curtsied to him and his companion while the rest of her family watched intently.

  Mr. Milford broke out into a wide smile that made Lizzie’s stomach flutter. “I’m happy to see that I have not been forgotten, Miss Elizabeth.”

  Now her family turned to stare at Mr. Milford. They glanced back and forth between them a moment longer until the man accompanying Mr. Milford cleared his throat and stepped forward.

  “Please forgive our intrusion,” said the man, bowing quickly. He turned to Mr. Bennet then. “It is good to see you, Mr. Bennet.”

  “Likewise,” Mr. Bennet replied, though his demeanour appeared more disinterested than pleased. “Mr. Elkins, is it?”

  “Yes,” the man nodded. “And, I would like to introduce my cousin, the Duke of Ausbury- Sir Charles Milford.”

  At the mention of the title, the entire room plunged into silence. Even Lizzie’s mouth fell open. Nobody moved for an awkwardly long moment. And then, as if everyone was suddenly awakened, they sprang into motion all at once. Everyone stood from their seats and began curtsying, and Mrs. Bennet began fidgeting, looking all around the room as if thinking of all the things that she wanted to fix up but was unable to do so now.

  “Your grace! We are all honoured for this visit, aren’t we?” Mrs. Bennet looked at her daughters and they all nodded and curtsied again, for good measure.

  “Not at all,” Mr. Milford -the Duke, Lizzie realized now- said easily. “The honour is mine. I’ve asked my cousin here to bring me in the hopes that Miss Elizabeth would be present.”

  Once again, the Bennets all turned to look at the now thoroughly flushed Lizzie.

  “You see,” the Duke went on as if oblivious to everyone’s shocked expressions. “I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Elizabeth at the town square, and I thought, since I am only staying in Hertfordshire for the week, that it would be very disappointing indeed if I should not see her again before leaving. My cousin here has been gracious enough to indulge me and agreed that I might invite Miss Elizabeth to lunch with ourselves and his lovely wife.”

  Lizzie blinked several times, trying to decide whether she had heard him right, or if she was caught in an oddly vivid hallucination. “When?” was all she could bring herself to say.

  “Tomorrow at noon,” he looked very pleased, and Lizzie might have taken it for arrogance if not for the way he angled his head in wait for her response. “Would you oblige me with this?” He looked directly at Lizzie. In fact, Lizzie felt every eye in the room trained on her.

  “Of course she accepts!” Mrs. Bennet went to stand beside Lizzie and grabbed her arm to give it a not-so-subtle shake. “Don’t you, Lizzie?”

  “I would be happy to attend,” she finally said, doing her best to keep her voice even, despite the fact that she had lost her composure a long while ago.

  “Excellent!” he declared. “I shall eagerly await to see you then.”

  Lizzie nodded. Her mother had still not let go of her arm.

  “Would your Grace and Mr. Elkins like to stay for dinner?” Mrs. Bennet said too eagerly.

  The Duke’s smile did not waver. “Please, you may address me simply by my name. And I am honoured by your invitation, but regrettably must decline it this time. Mr. Elkins and I have some business to attend to yet, I’m afraid.”

  “Of course, of course!” Mrs. Bennet did her best impression of understanding. “You must be very busy, important gentlemen such as yourselves! I do hope that when you find some time off you can join us for a meal.”

  Lizzie wished she could have kept her mother silent in that instant, but the Duke did not appear troubled.

  “Indeed, I would like nothing more.”

  They bid their farewells then, and the Bennet family managed to maintain a semblance of grace until the moment that they saw the carriage pull away. As soon as (they assumed) it was out of earshot, the shrieking began.

  “A Duke!”

  “He likes Lizzie!”

  “Of all people!”

  “He’s handsome!”

  “And rich!”

  “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything!”

  The girls quickly devolved into a cackling circle, with Lizzie trapped in the middle of it all.

  “Girls!” Mrs. Bennet called out. “Let Lizzie breathe now, can’t have her getting too winded before the Duke has had a chance to fall in love with her!”

  This was followed by another round of squealing. “Mama, I think you might be getting ahead of yourself. All of you. He said he’ll only be here for the week. After tomorrow, I doubt I’ll ever see him again.”

  “I won’t have such talk, silly girl! This family has already had enough disappointment.” Mrs. Bennet huffed now. “Our fortunes had to turn some time, and this is it. Our prayers have been answered at last!”

  Lizzie said nothing else, if only to avoid confrontation. She knew that if it was up to her mother, Lizzy would have married the first old man with a bit of wealth that could be found. Herself, she thought it was much too soon to start c
elebrating.

  A duke! She could scarcely bring herself to believe it. She wasn’t blind though. He was very handsome indeed, and charming as well. Though she would not admit it, much less while Jane was still recovering from her heartbreak, Lizzie was looking forward to the next day’s lunch almost as much as her mother was.

  Chapter 4

  It was a loud morning in the Bennet household. This was not of particular note, except for the fact that all the bustle that day concerned the second sister instead of the eldest. Lizzie was not used to being fussed over, and while it was overwhelming at first, she had to admit that the vain part of herself quite relished the attention as she got ready to go have lunch at the Elkins’.

  It was also rather comical to listen to the likes of Kitty and Lydia relaying what they considered to be good advice in enticing a man:

  Laugh when he says something clever, but giggle only, do not cackle like an old spinster!

  Tilt your head like so, make sure he can see the line of your neck,

  And act as though you are positively fascinated by his every word!

  Although none of their advice compared to that of her ever-wise mother:

  For the Lord’s sake, Lizzie, do not let your mouth run away with you!

  Lizzie assured them all that she was very grateful for their concern, and managed to sound almost sincere when she said so. All four of her sisters, her mother, and her father stood outside the house and watched as Lizzie left in the carriage. As Lizzie watched the receding figures of her family, all staring up at her with a thousand expectations, she couldn’t help but feel a fresh weight settle upon her shoulders. She supposed that this was what Jane had felt all her life, and in that moment her respect for her closest sister grew even more.

  By the time the carriage pulled up to Mr. Elkin’s home, Lizzie’s stomach had effectively become a series of knots. She followed a servant into the relatively humble house, all the while wondering if she had somehow made the wrong decision for coming along. What could she ever hope for in seeing a duke? Her family was now expecting their salvation at Lizzie’s hands. All of a sudden, she wondered if she should have taken her sisters’ advice more seriously. As soon as the thought entered her mind, however, she realized that she was getting carried away and dismissed the idea entirely.

  The servant led her into the dining room and, as soon as they were at the doorway, the three people who were gathered at the table immediately stood up. Lizzie’s gaze went first to Mr. Elkins, who gave her a polite nod and smile, then to the lady who was presumably Mrs. Elkins, and finally to the Duke of Ausbury.

  The Duke granted her a wide smile which Lizzie felt herself returning before she remembered herself enough to curtsy in a proper greeting.

  “Good day,” Lizzie said.

  “Good day, Miss Elizabeth,” the Duke said in return, stepping forward around the table towards her. He gestured to the two other occupants and said, “You remember Mr. Elkins. And Mrs. Elkins,”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet,” the sensible-looking woman said, “We’ve heard much about you.”

  Lizzie felt a rush of pleasure at hearing this and turned to look at the Duke, who looked slightly flustered. “I may have mentioned a couple of things.”

  “Indeed?” Lizzie asked coyly. “I should hope that your words have been kind upon my character.”

  “Rest assured then,” the Duke, Mr. Milford -as she couldn’t help but think of him when conversing- “For I can think of no quality that could positively be used to describe you as having anything but the best of characters.”

  And Lizzie found herself laughing in something dangerously close to a giggle. Lydia would be proud.

  They sat down for the meal, and sometime along the course Lizzie found herself comparing the gathering at the Elkins to her time in Netherfield with the Bingleys and Mr. Darcy. Where Miss Bingley’s remarks had always had a sharp edge that seemed directed specifically at Lizzie and her family, Mrs. Elkins maintained an air of friendliness about her throughout the encounter. Mr. Elkins was silent more often than not, but any remark that he managed to bring into the conversation seemed perfectly pleasant. As for Mr. Milford, Lizzie could scarcely believe that a man of such a station could possibly hold such good humour for so long. He was, in many ways, the very opposite of Mr. Darcy. This was, Lizzie thought to herself, his most endearing quality.

  For a while, Lizzie had a wonderful time. And then, the illusion shattered.

  “So, Miss Bennet” Mr. Elkins began speaking during a short lapse in conversation. “I understand that none of your sisters have married yet.”

  There seemed to be a deep silence following Mr. Elkins’ comment, which was partly implied as a question but ultimately spoken as an irrefutable statement. The silence was so profound that Lizzie fancied she could hear when Mrs. Elkins swallowed a mouthful of food and set down her cutlery as if having suddenly lost her appetite. Mr. Milford looked taken entirely by surprise, his blue eyes wide.

  Lizzie, after a pause, finished chewing her food and swallowed before delicately dabbing her mouth with a linen and then finally speaking. “You are well informed, Mr. Elkins. I believe there is no need for me to elaborate on the matter, as you have so accurately stated our circumstances already, but yes, so there can be no doubt, my sisters and myself remain unmarried.” Perhaps, Lizzie reasoned, she should count herself lucky that it had taken so long for conversation to turn onto the subject of her family’s apparent unsuitability for marriage. “It has been a lovely meal,” Lizzie offered her most ladylike smile, already pushing back her chair from the table. “My most sincere gratitude for having me. I’m afraid my parents and my sisters will be expecting me home soon.”

  She did not wait to see her hosts’ reaction to her hasty goodbye before making her exit. She did not wait for a servant either, happy to show herself out. She had just made it to the door when she felt a hand suddenly curl around her arm. The hold was gentle, but firm. Lizzie already knew before turning around that she would meet Mr. Milford’s clear eyes.

  “Please, forgive me,” he said, face imploring. “My cousin meant no offense, but that is no excuse for such poor manners.”

  Lizzie wanted to snap at him, wanted to say that indeed the manners were poor, that she was tired of hearing people make her family out to be some sort of spectacle -despite how difficult it might be to argue in favour of their respectability at times-, and that the next time he wanted to entertain his cousin he might call upon one of the other available spinsters in Hertfordshire.

  Mercifully, none of that is what ended up coming out of her mouth. Partly because she had enough dignity left that she would not so openly admit to being in any way ashamed, but mostly because Mr. Milford’s open face appeared sincere and apologetic enough that she found it difficult to direct her anger at him.

  “And yet,” Lizzie said, aware that Mr. Milford’s hand was still on her arm. “I believe that according to proper social etiquette, considering that you are the common acquaintance between Mr. Elkins and myself, I should in fact hold you accountable for his words and actions towards my person.” She looked up at him with the slightest quirk of her mouth.

  Mr. Milford responded with coyness to mirror hers. “Ah, once again I must recognize your superior knowledge of adequate conduct. How shall I make up to you my shortcomings as a host and friend?”

  Lizzie pretended to thoroughly consider this. “Well, I believe that you may begin by living up to the title of ‘friend’ you have so liberally applied to yourself.”

  “This sounds reasonable.” He let go of her arm at this point. “How shall I begin?”

  She considered him once more. “You may start by telling me when I might see you again.”

  “Ah,” Mr. Milford’s expression then disheartened Lizzie. “Unfortunately, that particular request may be out of my capacity. As of yet, I do not know when I am to return to Hertfordshire.”

  “I see,” Lizzie’s shoulders slumped.

 
“However,” Mr. Milford reached for her hand before she had a chance to react. His hand felt warm against hers; the sensation sent a rush through her. “I can make you a promise. Will you accept this instead?”

  “As in any case, that would depend on the promise.”

  “That seems fair. In that case, allow me to promise you, Miss Elizabeth, that I will return to you.” His hold on her hand tightened and he held it up to her chest as he spoke. “I will come back to Hertfordshire and until I do, I shall write you a letter every month -no, every week! Yes, does this seem acceptable to you?”

  All Lizzie could bring herself to say was, “Yes, I believe it does.”

  Chapter 5

  Mr. Milford left Hertfordshire two days after Lizzie had lunch with him and the Elkins. She did not see him again before he left, and her sisters all heaved sighs of disappointment at another disillusion. They seemed more resigned to their fate than anything else, while Mrs. Bennet seemed crushed.

  “Don’t fret about it, Lizzie,” Jane told her. “I’m sure he liked you. He’ll probably be back sooner than anyone expects.”

  He wasn’t back soon. But his first letter arrived with incredible punctuality exactly one week after the duke’s departure to Ausbury. The family’s interest was sparked once more the moment the letter was delivered. They all hovered behind Lizzie as she received it, not at all trying to disguise the fact that they were planning to read the contents of the letter over her shoulder. She wound up leaving the living room and locking herself in her bedroom in order to read Mr. Milford’s message. It went as follows:

  My dear Miss Elizabeth,

  I am a man of my word. To prove this to you, here is the first of what will be a long series of letters. I hope that you keep your promise to continue to think of me as a friend as long as I maintain my side of our deal.

  Ausbury is surprisingly dull in comparison to the lovely sights in Hertfordshire. I do wish I had someone possessing at least an ounce of your quick wit here to keep my conversations enticing, but alas I find it highly improbable that there may exist anyone out there that can stand as your rival in this regard.