Twelvetide Chaos

by Deborah E Pearson

  “You would be wise to stop gossiping, Mrs Grange, and cook tonight’s supper.” Mrs Hill said as she bustled into the kitchen arms full of linens and her head full of Mrs Bennet’s commissions. “Mrs Bennet wants to have a nice supper to impress her guests. Though why family should have to be impressed I do not know. I guess it must be the extra guests that she wants to impress with her fancy menus. Goodness it will be the death of us down here as many instructions as Mrs Bennet gives us. Now before I forget,” Mrs Hill put down the linens on the chair at the kitchen table. “Mrs Bennet had told me to remind you that you are to have a pheasant held in readiness for dinner if Miss Mary and Miss Catherine’s betrotheds arrive tomorrow. No substituting it for colly birds! Mrs Bennet knows if we pull any stunts like that!”

  “She’s not had any problems with my switching before.”

  “The twelve days of Christmas are not normally filled with such frantic preparation nor so many visitors.” Mrs Hill replied.

  “Aye, why the girls had to arrange for such a large wedding in the middle of the twelve days of Christmas I will never know. Mrs Bennet is always entertaining at this time of year.”

  “You know young people today, quick weddings and even quicker to start their families.” Mrs Hill commented.

  “Aye, we were not in quite such a rush, but then we did not base our weddings on the romantic notions that youngsters today seem to think so necessary to their happiness.” Mrs Grange said. “For us, it was the case of finding someone who could provide well for us, something stable.”

  “Yes, I was very lucky when I met Mr Hill, for he already had the butler job here, I was trained up to be housekeeper.”

  “Mr Grange was an old man, but he gave me the security I needed. When he died, I stayed single and took the cook’s position. We rubbed along tolerably. We had to.”

  “You two talk as if love is unnecessary. For those of us who are French, we know that love is an art. It is beautiful. Those who are truly in love when they marry are more likely to have happy healthy marriages. They have little need of mistresses, something that seems to be taken for granted by your great Lords over here.” Madame Montpelier interrupted them.

  “What would a Frog know about our English ways?” Sneered Mrs Grange.

  “I have seen things, madame. I am not young, and I have seen the results of marriage without love. It never ends well.” The conversation lapsed as none of them wished to debate something that was clearly the case that all of them had fixed ideas about.

  Four Colly Birds

  28th December

  Mary had begun her day the same way for the past twelve years. She would awake early and spend two hours in her devotions before her family would pull her away from the more religious activities of the day. She would then tug on the bell pull no later than seven in the morning, dressing and arriving in the morning room by eight. This morning, however, Mary had struggled to concentrate on her devotions. For twenty minutes she sat looking at her bible and her copy of Fordyce’s sermons, but she had to be honest with herself. She was getting concerned. Her wedding was to be the next day, but still her betrothed had not arrived. Still she was waiting on Thomas Bertram. Mary finally put down her books and got dressed. She then descended downstairs and sat by the window of the morning room.

  “MAMA!” Catherine rushed into the morning room not long after Mary had arrived. “Mama,” Catherine’s distress was the equal of Mary’s.

  “She’s not here. You know Mama doesn’t rise before eight.” Mary answered.

  “Yes, I forgot that. Oh, Mary do you think they’ll arrive today? Everything is ready for the wedding, but they are not here.”

  “I do not know, Kitty. If they do not arrive in time, then we will have to make sure that we postpone the weddings until they arrive.” Catherine moved across the room and the two girls hugged each other tightly. They were in this together. The men that they were to marry were brothers and both were delayed. Their sisters could not understand, not with their betrotheds coming to see them every single day and showering them with gifts. For their sisters this was a time of happy anticipation. For them, though they were happily anticipating their marriages, they were anxious whether or not they would have their betrotheds arrive in time. For Mary and Catherine this time had been a time of worry since the report of the carriage axle breaking down. Had anyone been injured? Both of them were concerned, Catherine especially so, although she did not say so.

  The time had come for Catherine to speak of her worries. “Mary, there’s something else about Edmund.”

  “Oh Kitty, I have seen how much he loves you, there’s nothing for you to worry about. He loves you.” Mary reassured.

  “I know that, but I cannot shake this feeling. There is just something about the way he looks at that cousin of his, Miss Price. I cannot help but think that if they are given enough time...” Catherine couldn’t carry on.

  “Nonsense, Kitty. Edmund was smitten with you!”

  “I know that, but is it a lasting smitten? Or am I just a passing fancy that as soon as I do something that does not agree with his piety and morality will see me cast aside?” Catherine worried.

  “Catherine Frances Bennet, that is just your nerves speaking.” When their mother had arrived neither girl was aware, but they were grateful for her arrival. “I was just the same the day before I married your father. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was rushing around from here to there making sure that everything was just so. Of course, we were an exception back in our day - it was not fashionable to be besotted with one’s marriage partner, such romantic notions were viewed as being complete foolishness - but your father and I were not to be dissuaded.” She was drawing her breath to continue, when both her daughters rushed from the room. Mary had spotted something from the window that had set her worries to nothing. The undignified bustle was completely ignored, in the joy that pervaded the house with the new arrivals.

  The carriage drew up to the steps at the front of the house. Mary and Catherine waited only long enough for the door of the first carriage to open and their betrotheds to step out of the carriage, before they ran down the steps and threw themselves into the arms of the men they loved. The look of pure jealousy and spite that was on the face of Miss Price, as Edmund greeted his betrothed was missed by all but Emma Knightley who had been observing from the vantage point of the shrubbery where she and Elizabeth had been enjoying a very early morning walk.

  “I have missed you, Mary” Tom said as he held her in his arms. “I am sorry for not making it here sooner. We only received the fixed carriage four days ago, then of course there was Christmas and we had two more days of travelling. We arrived at Netherfield too late last night to travel here. We came as soon as we could this morning.”

  “It does not matter. You are here now.” Mary mumbled into his jacket. Everything suddenly felt right in her world.

  “Yes, I am.” They were interrupted by several coughs from Sir Thomas Bertram, who was standing next to his wife’s sister, Mrs Norris.

  “I think it is time you and Edmund introduced us to these beautiful young ladies and their parents.” Sir Thomas began, “Letters of introduction are every well, but it is time to meet them.” Introductions were exchanged and they moved into the house. Lady Bertram seemed to be in awe of all that Mrs Bennet had accomplished; her general indolence had left her unequal to the exhaustion of the journey of the last few days, and now she lay on the sofa in the Bennets’ parlour, asleep. Nothing seemed to interrupt her, not even the noise from the argument that arose between Lydia and Catherine shortly before noon. Despite her nerves and nervous agitation Mrs Bennet could not understand being idle.

  “Mary,” Mrs Bennet whispered, as they sat in the parlour in the mid-afternoon, “promise me you will not allow yourself to be as indolent as that woman.” Everything for the wedding was done, and all the girls were relaxing. Tomorrow would be a long and tiring day, but all the girls were looking forward to taking their vows.


  “I promise, Mother. We are admonished by the scriptures that we are not to be lazy, and that laziness leads to poverty.”

  “Oh Mary, can you not leave your sermonising for just one day?”

  “I promise I will” Mary smirked, at her mother’s look of relief and then added, “tomorrow.”

  “Mary…” Mrs Bennet was about to scold her middle child when not only did Mary skip away to talk to her betrothed, but Jane looked up and laughed. It was rare that Mary displayed the kind of wit that Elizabeth employed on a daily basis. Mary was interested in Jane’s behaviour. Bingley, Darcy, and Wickham had agreed that they would not come and visit their betrotheds; the next time they would see them would be at the wedding tomorrow. Yet Jane was not sitting with Lizzy or one of her other sisters, no she was sitting with the young gentleman who had arrived at the same time as the Bertrams. The gentleman’s name was Mr Rushworth.

  Rushworth was an odd fellow. He was outgoing yet of a melancholy nature, and Mary knew that initially it was kindness that Jane had sat and listened to the man, yet Jane had not left his side even once since he had arrived in the early morning. The look on Jane’s face told Mary that it was more than simply kindness now that kept Jane by the man’s side. Mary shook the thought of her sister’s inconsistency away. When Bingley had seemed to abandon Jane, she had always seemed to be heartbroken, so why her behaviour should be so inconsistent now Mary was not sure.

  “Mary” Tom gently brought her attention back. “I have another gift for you” Mary was surprised, for Tom had already given her so many gifts. One for every day they had been apart, Mary did not think that there could be anything more that he could have for her. He must have bought out every shop between the village of Longbourn and Mansfield town. Tom grinned and left the room for a few moments. Mary watched her sisters Elizabeth and Lydia as they were sitting together sewing and speaking of the weddings the next day. Catherine and Edmund were discussing their plans for their new parsonage and how they would use their small income to help those who would be in greater need than themselves. They knew though small by the standards of how they grew up, their income would be larger than average, and with frugal living they would be able to make it go a long way and help those who were less fortunate. Mary turned her attention back to her eldest sister. Initially Jane and Rushworth seemed to be discussing the wedding tomorrow, but as Mary listened it became more and more clear that Jane was listening to Rushworth’s tale of how his wife abandoned him and that this was working on Jane’s tender heart. Mary wanted to go over and pull her sister away, but she could not think of a pretence on which to do so. Mary was convinced of Jane’s love for Bingley, but there was a certain mischief that was going on here. The worst was that Rushworth did not seem to Mary to be that bright a fellow. They had never met him until today, but there was a certain something about him that Mary disliked. Sitting in the corner trying to stay out of sight, was the Bertrams’ cousin. Mary had met her before in Ramsgate and had not particularly liked her then, now she seemed to be positively unsociable. The other guests that had come for the wedding had left the house for a walk, and to investigate the area, but Miss Price had excused herself from that walk saying that she needed to stay behind and see to her aunt if she should wake. From what Mary knew of the aunt she would not wake until the dinner gong should go off. However, there was something that was sullen and almost rude about Miss Fanny Price. Mary did not like this one bit, what trouble were these two persons going to give her sisters? The way Miss Price looked at Catherine was disconcerting. Mary knew from Ramsgate that Miss Price was in love with Edmund, but it was clear that Edmund did not feel the same way about her. It was not clear to Mary how far Miss Price would go to ruin the wedding of Edmund and her sister. How far had she already gone? What was going through the head of that girl who behaved more like hired help than a true member of the family?

  Tom returned with something in his hand, that was covered by a cloth. Mary wondered what it was. When Tom pulled off the cover, Mary found herself to be completely enchanted. There, in an ostentatiously decorated gilt cage, were two colly birds. “The colly bird represents the home and family. He stays close to his nest and protects it. They sing beautifully all year around.” Tom told Mary.

  Mary again raised an eyebrow. “Fourth day of Christmas and two Blackbirds?” When Tom had presented her with her gift, the song had briefly flitted through Mary’s mind. This was strange.

  “Fear not my love for you shall have the other two colly birds.” And with a slight dramatic flair, Tom pulled out a pale blue fan that had been decorated with two colly birds.

  Mary laughed. “I was not asking for the other two. I was just remembering the silly counting song.”

  “Ah, but that was half of my inspiration. As long as you do not intend to shower me with all of those silly gifts.”

  Mary whispered. “Aside from anything else we would not have the space to hold so many birds and people.”

  “No, I just wished to give you the four colly birds, as I look forward to making our home and family together.” Mary blushed at the thought of making a family. Living in the country she could not avoid knowing the way in which children were made, and she looked forward to giving her husband children who would carry on the family name and traditions. Tom gently tugged at her chin, “Mary, look at me. I did not mean to embarrass you.”

  “Oh, Tom.” Was all she could get out. The look of love and adoration that was shining in his eyes overwhelmed her. She loved the gifts that he had brought, but to her the most important gift of all was simply his own presence. She would revel from this day forward simply being in his presence. He was the light of her life, her sun, her hero. She had never believed in the fairy tales and romantic notions that her other sisters had, not until she had met Tom. Yet Tom had become her world and her reason for living. And Mary could not wait for tomorrow when she would exchange her vows with the man she loved most in the whole world.

  Five Gold Rings

  29th December

  “OH, MY SMELLING SALTS! MY SMELLING SALTS!” Mrs Bennet’s screams could be heard halfway to Meryton. What should have been a perfect day for her to marry off all five of her daughters, had resulted in scandal and misery. Jane had fled before even reaching the church and Lydia was humiliated and heartbroken.

  The day had begun unremarkably, the Bennet sisters had woken at three in the morning, so as to be at the church for ten o’clock. Five girls, five brides. The house had been full of excited chatter and all kinds of flurries of lace and silk. Sarah had been busy all morning washing and brushing the girls’ hair. All were ready by nine o’clock. Mrs Bennet had noticed that Jane held herself apart from her sisters and had assumed that it was nothing more than nerves that held her back. Every bride is nervous on her wedding day, and Mrs Bennet had been too busy organising Hill and the cooks for the wedding breakfast, as well as making sure that each girl had everything needed for their day to be perfect. Mrs Bennet had been thankful that all of their guests had made themselves scarce that morning, each dressing and then disappearing. There was no sign of the trouble that had been brewing.

  The walk to the church had been cool but pleasant. The girls had each taken turns to walk next to their father and hear his final words of advice and wisdom as they approached the church, where they would take their vows and dedicate their lives to their husbands. Mrs Bennet was so proud of all of her girls; they were all so beautiful in their wedding finery. This was her crowning moment, five girls to marry off, and all marrying at the same time. There was something concerning about the conversation that Jane had with Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet saw the stormy look that Mr Bennet gave his eldest daughter, and then Jane’s sullen stalking at the back of the group. This was not a happy bride. She was acting as if she was being forced into this wedding. That storm broke when the girls reached the door of the church.

  “I am not marrying Bingley” Jane announced, from the back of the group as they reached the church door.
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br />   “Nonsense, you’re just nervous Jane. Now take your place properly at the head of your sisters.” Mrs Bennet chided.

  “I am not nervous. I was talking with Mr Rushworth yesterday when he arrived, and no, I am not marrying Mr Bingley! Rushworth helped me to see that what I have with Bingley is not enough for a happy life.” Jane answered.

  “Jane would you allow a man who was disappointed in his wife and who has gone through the disgrace of divorcing her to ruin your happiness?”

  “No, he is not going to ruin my happiness at all. I just cannot marry Bingley. I do not love him.” Jane said, there was just something in the soft way that Jane said Mr Bingley’s name and the mixture of formality with informality that told Mrs Bennet that maybe not all was lost for Jane with Mr Bingley.

  “What does love have to do with it? Marriage is about more than love. I thought I had taught you better than that! Marriage is a business contract. You have made a good match with Mr Bingley.” Mrs Bennet insisted.

  “Love has everything to do with it, Mother. I had thought that I had found love with Bingley, like you did with Papa, but” Jane looked at the ground, “there is something about Mr Rushworth that I cannot quite… I do not know. All I know is that I cannot marry Bingley today.” Jane’s determined insistence left Mrs Bennet with no choice but to accept it, time was moving on and she had four other daughters getting married.

  “Very well, but you must go in there and tell Mr Bingley that yourself.” Mrs Bennet thought that would make Jane change her mind, however she was stunned when Jane opened the door and strode down the aisle. Jane stopped about two thirds of the way down the aisle and loudly exclaimed “Charles, I am sorry, but I cannot marry you.”