by Don Miller
“Georgie,” said Col. Fitzwilliam, “I do not think that she dislikes your brother. She just recognizes they are not a compatible couple and she is not mercenary--not the kind who would marry him just for his wealth and position, as most women of the ton would. I am thinking of courting her because she is so unique and principled. I believe she will be a true and valuable friend to you, if you will let her and not let the fact that she and your brother are not compatible affect your feelings for her.”
Tears formed in Georgiana’s eyes. “It just seems so unfair. Will has looked for so long for someone he could love and she does not want him. He must be very unhappy. How can I be a friend to her knowing she made him unhappy?”
“Because she was not the main cause of his unhappiness, my dear,” said Lady Matlock. “It was his obsession for her that made him unhappy. She did nothing wrong. She only followed her heart, just as he followed his, and she has every right to do that and should. Had they married and there not been mutual love, it would not have been the happy marriage your brother envisioned. Be happy she was brave enough to see this and not inflict unhappiness on both of them. The more I hear about her, the more impressed I am and the more I think she will be a good friend and a good example for you. Do not give up on her because she could not return your brother’s love.”
Georgiana tried to wipe away the tears in her eyes. “Will you marry her Richard? Will not that make Will very unhappy; to see you married to someone he loved so much?”
“I do not know, Georgie. This is one of the things I must consider before I let myself get involved with her. He is essentially my brother, Georgie, and he and I must talk this out. Unless I can be guaranteed he will not be unhappy with it, I will not pursue Miss Elizabeth. And of course, there is a very real possibility she and I would not be a compatible couple either. She is so different than the woman I imagined marrying. I believe Monday will be a very revealing day, but I beg all of you, do not even give a hint to her of this conversation.”
“I hardly think you need warn us of that, Richard,” responded Lord Matlock. “Like your mother and sister, I am anxious to meet this paragon of womanhood.”
Chapter 8: Monday at Matlock House
On Monday afternoon, after Elizabeth and her Aunt Gardiner had eaten lunch in a restaurant near the bookstore, they went to Matlock House, where they were ushered into the salon on the main floor. There, awaiting them, were Lord and Lady Matlock, Alicia, and Georgiana. Lady Matlock, seeing Mrs. Gardiner, immediately arose and walked over to greet them. “Madeleine, what an unexpected pleasure. I did not know you were coming with your niece.”
“Good afternoon, Lady Helen. I hope I am not intruding. May I introduce my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Lizzie, these are Lord and Lady Matlock and Lady Alicia Rutherford. You know Miss Darcy, of course.”
After the greetings had been completed, Mrs. Gardiner continued, “Lady Helen, I am here because I have two proposals from Lady Marie and me for the tea on Thursday. I promised Lady Marie yesterday I would personally deliver them to you today before I went to see her, so we could proceed with our planning.”
“Certainly. What are they?”
“The first is that we make it possible for those at the tea to sign up for tours of Hope Home. I have set up several times when tours would be available and we wanted your concurrence on the idea and the schedule I have developed.”
“I think that is a fine idea and I am sure any schedule you have made up will be acceptable. You have my concurrence. What is the second request?”
“While Lady Marie was at my house yesterday discussing the tours with me, she heard Elizabeth singing upstairs and was intrigued. I took her up to listen, and Lady Marie was so entranced by Elizabeth’s singing, she decided she would like Elizabeth to perform at the tea. However, at such teas it is usually young ladies of the ton who exhibit and she thought we should ask you and Lady Phyllis if you would mind if Elizabeth, who is not of the ton, perform.”
“It would be somewhat unusual. May I assume you and Miss Elizabeth are comfortable with her singing at the tea?”
“We are, but we can understand if you think it improper. Although, before you make a decision, I do think you should hear her.”
“I have heard much of your singing from my niece, Miss Elizabeth and would love to hear you. Shall we all repair to the music room?”
“That will not be necessary, Lady Helen. I have several songs I sing unaccompanied, and I think they will give you a good idea of my singing ability.”
When Lady Matlock hesitated, Georgiana said, “May I say something, Aunt Helen?”
“Certainly, my dear. What is it?”
“I have heard Miss Elizabeth sing unaccompanied and I assure you that you will be impressed with what you hear. I believe she could keep an audience mesmerized with an entire concert of unaccompanied songs.”
“Very well,” said a skeptical Lady Matlock, “let us hear what you wish to sing.”
Elizabeth sang a rather long Irish lament of a wife who awaits the return of her husband from the war. By the end of the song, most of the ladies in the room were wiping their eyes.
“I must say,” said Lord Matlock, “that was extraordinary. I cannot remember the last time I heard an unaccompanied solo. If I were you, dear, I would insist this young lady perform. I agree with Georgie. As long as her songs were not all as sad as that one, I could listen to her for a long time.”
Lady Matlock nodded her head in agreement with her husband. “That was indeed beautiful, Miss Elizabeth, and I can understand why Lady Marie and your aunt want you to sing. Member of the ton or not, your singing and looks will certainly interest the young men of the ton. I must also comment that by looking at you, I would not know you were not one of the ton. Your dress and appearance are certainly commensurate with what we expect of young ladies.”
“Thank you, my Lady. Much of that can be attributed to my aunt and uncle, who happen to own a warehouse which provides dress and gown material for most of the best modistes in town.”
Lady Matlock laughed, “Yes, that is true, is it not? I have often been to his warehouse to look for material. How is it that you have not participated in the Season before?”
“If you mean the Season of the ton, it requires sponsorship because my parents are not of the ton. I have attended balls and parties of acquaintances of my aunt and uncle, but never of the ton.”
“Of course. I have been a part of that society for so long I sometimes forget it is not an open society. We will have to see what we can do for you.”
“Thank you my lady, but just allowing me to sing at the tea on Thursday will be enough for me.”
“You mean you have no desire to be in the ton?”
“Not really, my lady. I am comfortable with those of my class. I fear the disdain with which I would be treated and the discomfort I would feel among those of the ton because my wealth and status are so far below those with whom I would be socializing would make many of the events I would attend seem rather unpleasant to me.”
“Miss Elizabeth, because of your obvious beauty, your apparent ability to easily interact with those around you, and your incredible talent, you might be surprised how well you would be accepted. But we can talk about that later. I assume you want to be on your way, Madeleine. You can tell Lady Marie I approve of Miss Elizabeth performing at the tea.”
“Thank you, Lady Helen.” She got up and said, “It was a pleasure seeing all of you. I hope to see you at the tea on Thursday.” And she left.
“Your aunt is an amazing woman, Miss Elizabeth. I cannot imagine how she accomplishes all she does and still finds time to raise three children and run a household. Perhaps someday your uncle may be knighted. I would assume he is wealthy enough.”
“I agree with you my lady, but I do not think they are anxious to socialize with those of higher society. They are very happy with their life and their friends and actually enjoy the work they do. I fear they would not participate very often in
the activities of the ton.”
Georgiana got up and asked, “Aunt, can Elizabeth and I go practice now? I would like to help her with whatever she thinks she may be performing at the tea on Thursday.”
“Certainly, but before you go, may I ask how long you intend to be in London, Miss Elizabeth?”
“I will leave at the end of the month unless all I have promised Aunt Madeleine I will do for Hope Home is not completed. However, my father requires my presence at Longbourn, so I could not extend my stay very long.”
“May I ask what you will be doing at the Home?”
“I have promised to help set up some classes for the young women, to start a small choir, and to help my aunt set up a record-keeping system.”
“My goodness, that sounds like quite the set of endeavors. I hope you will consider staying until August 5. That is the day Richard is to receive his knighthood and I will be having a party for him. I know he would like you to be there.”
“Thank you Lady Matlock, I would like to be there. I will write my father and ask his permission, but I highly doubt he will be willing to let me stay. He relies very heavily on my company.”
“That is unfortunate. Perhaps you could make a two or three day trip back to London at the beginning of August just for the party. Now off with you. Be aware we may have to come and stand outside the room to hear you and Georgie make beautiful music.”
“Please come in any time you wish. I am not shy and love to perform, so I will not mind being interrupted. Lady Alicia and Lord Matlock, if I do not see you before my aunt picks me up again, may I say it was a pleasure to meet you.”
After Georgiana and Elizabeth had gone, Lord Matlock said, “That is a very impressive young woman. I can see why Darcy and Richard have fallen for her. Whoever said that if she were introduced into the ton, she would have no shortage of gentlemen callers, did not exaggerate.”
“I have never considered sponsoring a young woman. It is not often done and I am not even sure what it entails. Do you know Alicia? Have you ever met a woman was not a member of the ton who was sponsored by one?”
“I have not, mother, but I would think the majority of those sponsored are women of considerable wealth whose parents do not have a high social status. I do not know if having an uncle with considerable wealth is equivalent, but I doubt it unless he provides her with a large dowry. Darcy, of course, has sponsored Mr. Bingley, but I think sponsoring a man is quite different than sponsoring a woman and Mr. Bingley is quite rich. You have met that terrible Caroline Bingley, who has been going to ton events based on her connection to Darcy, but no one in in our society thinks of her as one of us, even if she is wealthy.”
“Certainly if I were to sponsor someone,” said Lord Matlock, “I would want to ensure their appearance, manners, and bearing were appropriate for our society. I do not think any of those would be a problem with Miss Elizabeth, but the lack of dowry would certainly be a black mark against the sponsor, meaning that the sponsor would possibly have to supply one, which, I, for one, would certainly be reluctant to do for someone not of my family.”
“Lord and Lady Denby are giving their big annual ball a week from Saturday and I believe it is to be the debut ball of their granddaughter, Margaret Farnsworth, who, at 19, has finally decided to debut in the ton. Miss Elizabeth would not need a sponsor if we take her to that ball. Being a gentlewoman, she can just be introduced as a friend of our niece we decided to bring with us.”
“I do not see much point to it mother. She is not anxious to be a member of the ton. She has no dowry, so few young men would be interested in her. She will not be debuting, so she will not have an opportunity to sing. Why would she want to go?
“I suppose you are right, but I think a performance by her at that ball would certainly cause her to be noticed by many a young man.”
“You certainly do not seem to be making any plans for her and Richard. Do you not approve of him courting her?”
“I think it will not occur. I love Richard and he is a wonderfully courageous man, but I do not think he could handle life with a woman such as Miss Elizabeth. I sense she is going to be like her aunt when she gets older—a fireball involved in many things and not the compliant, stay-at-home wife I think Richard would prefer. I will not discourage him, but I am afraid he will never interest her. She claims not to be interested in the ton, but I could imagine if she ever gets a taste of it and some of the doors it could open to her, she may change her mind. I suspect if she were a man, she would be a member of the House of Commons.”
“I will leave you two to your own discussion,” said Alicia. “I think I will go join Georgiana and Miss Elizabeth. There may be some music they have for which I can join them on my harp. I am sure I am not as good as either of them, but I would enjoy getting to know Miss Elizabeth better and seeing if there is something I could play with them.”
When Alicia arrived at the music room, she heard Elizabeth sing a note and then the note played on the piano, presumably by Georgiana. As she was about to knock, she heard that repeated for the next note on the scale. She decided not to knock, but stood there listening to that being repeated, until there was a long silence after the piano note was played—a note Alicia could tell was not quite the same as Elizabeth sang. She knocked and when she was told to enter, she saw Georgiana sitting at the keyboard and Elizabeth leaning over the open piano, obviously adjusting one of the piano strings.
“What are you two doing, Georgie?”
“We are tuning the piano to Lizzie’s voice.” She then proceeded to explain to Alicia about Elizabeth’s unique ability. When she had finished, Alicia laughed. “Well, that is certainly a first for me. I have never heard of such a thing. I guess that partially explains why you can sing unaccompanied so well. You do not have to worry about going sharp or flat over the course of the song, as most singers might. But it must be hard for you to sing with an instrument that is not in tune.”
“It is if I am trying to read the music while I sing. However, if I know the song, I can adapt to the tuning of the instrument. May I ask; I see the covered harp in the corner. Do you play it?”
“Yes, I do. I do not think I am the level of musician you and Georgiana are, but I do play and would love to join you if there is anything you have that might lend itself to a harp.”
“As a matter of fact,” Elizabeth said, reaching into her satchel that contained her music, “I have the music here for a piece by Thomas Moore which has an optional harp accompaniment included. Shall we tune your harp and try it?”
Although Alicia had been practicing on the harp while she was staying with her parents, it had not been tuned in months, so tuning it took a rather long time. When it was done, Alicia looked at the music and saw that the harp part was quite simple, so she played it through a few times while Georgiana quietly went through piano part and Elizabeth went in the corner and very quietly sang through the song enough to allow her to memorize the words and the tune. Finally, about twenty minutes later, they went through it together for the first time, each doing their part. The first two times there were some mistakes and places where Elizabeth did not like the accompaniment, so she suggested some changes and the third time they went through it, they all thought it sounded quite good. As they were about to go through it one more time, there was a knock on the door and Lady Matlock and Mrs. Gardiner entered.
“Mrs. Gardiner is here to take you home, Miss Elizabeth, but before you go, could we hear the entire song we heard as we were coming up the hall? It sounded quite good.”
The three young women happily performed the piece one more time and both Lady Matlock and Mrs. Gardiner clapped. “That was very good girls. Alicia, I was impressed with how well you kept up with these two young ladies. I thought the harp sounded quite good.”
“Part of the reason it sounded so good, mother, is that Miss Elizabeth tuned it before we started. Georgiana will have to tell you over dinner about one of Miss Elizabeth’s amazing abilities.”
&n
bsp; “So you sing like an angel and tune harps as well. You do seem to have some unusual attributes Miss Elizabeth. I will look forward to the story, but I believe Mrs. Gardiner is anxious to get home, so I think it is time she and Miss Elizabeth left.”
On the way home Mrs. Gardiner asked Elizabeth about her experience with Alicia and Georgiana and if she enjoyed their company. “Aunt Madeleine, I find my opinion of the ton being greatly affected by this acquaintance with the Fitzwilliam family. First I met Lady Catherine, Lord Matlock’s sister, and she conformed exactly to the picture I had of most high society ladies, reaffirming my belief I did not particularly want to be a member of the ton. Then I met Lord and Lady Matlock and Lady Alicia, and even the Darcys and Col. Fitzwilliam, and they seem to be very good people. Lady Alicia is one of the most pleasant young women I have ever met. She is not at all haughty or conceited and very much enjoyed working with Georgiana and me. If most of the ton are like them, I would love being part of it.”
“I believe the proportions of pleasant and unpleasant people in the ton are probably very much the same as they are in all levels of society. One needs to ensure they find the right group when they enter a given society. I am certain the group that calls themselves the Group of Seven, which includes the Matlocks, is one of those good groups. I believe you will find the Monttards, the Marshalls, and the Denbys, also very pleasant people. They are also members of the group, most of whom you will get a chance to meet at the tea on Thursday.”
Chapter 9: Before Tea at Dumont House
It was the day of the tea party at Dumont House which Elizabeth and her Aunt Madeleine were attending. As Elizabeth stood in front of the mirror in her room, she could hardly believe the woman looking back at her was Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire. She looked far too elegant in her new yellow silk tea gown and her hair which had been coiffed so skillfully by her aunt’s maid.
As she stood there, there was a knock on the door and her aunt entered. “Who is this magnificent young lady I see before me? Lizzie, you look stunning. I have always thought you were pretty, but today you look absolutely gorgeous. I do not think you need to be concerned about your appearance relative to the ladies of the ton. The material in that dress is some of the finest your uncle had in his warehouse and Mrs. Sheffield did a wonderful job on it.