by Lane Cossett
They sat down at the table and were soon all busy talking as they asked about their cousins and Mrs. Gardiner asked about the wedding and all the latest gossip for Meryton. Elizabeth thought it was rather rude that neither her mother nor aunt had come down to greet her uncle and aunt, but she was rather pleased that they had Mrs. Gardiner to themselves.
They spent a couple of happy hours together until Mrs. Gardiner said she wanted to unpack.
“And will you bring down our presents?” asked Kitty hopefully.
Mrs. Gardiner laughed. “Yes, I will. You may open them after dinner. Now, Lizzy, would you like to come and help me?”
Elizabeth nodded and followed her aunt up to the rooms they always stayed in. Her large trunk had already been unpacked, and her dresses hung up but two smaller boxes had not been touched. Elizabeth sat down on the window seat while Mrs. Gardiner opened the smaller box, which had been left on the table.
“Lizzy, I am sorry that I did not reply to your letter. Life in London has been particularly busy.”
“It does not matter. I am glad that you are here now.”
Mrs. Gardiner took out a selection of small packages, all of which were wrapped in paper, and laid them on the table. “I was sorry to hear about Mr. Darcy. Your uncle and I have always found him to be charming.”
“Well, father does not think so. He says that I cannot just judge a man on his appearance or his wealth. I do not want to marry Mr. Darcy simply for his money.”
Mrs. Gardiner smiled. “I would be disappointed if you did. You have never been like that, Lizzy.”
“But why would he be so against Mr. Darcy? I even told father what he had done for Lydia and how he had saved our reputation, but he would not listen.”
Mrs. Gardiner expression grew serious. She finished emptying the box and then put several items into the top drawer of the chest. Lizzy was surprised that her aunt was not sitting down and talking to her. It was unlike her to be so distracted.
“Will my uncle talk to him? Perhaps if he told father what a good man Mr. Darcy is, he would listen.”
Mrs. Gardiner shut the drawer and then sat down next to Lizzy on the window seat. “Lizzy, your uncle and I love you very much. You do know that, don’t you?”
Elizabeth’s cheeks reddened. “Yes. I do. I have always been grateful for the kind things you have done for me, and I feel…”
Mrs. Gardiner put a finger up to Elizabeth’s lips. “Stop there, my dear. Lizzy, we cannot interfere in what your father has said. It would not be right. Now I am devastated for your loss, really I am, but your father has his reasons and you must trust him.”
Mrs. Gardiner took her finger away. Elizabeth tried to hide her disappointment. Mrs. Gardiner squeezed her hand. “It is difficult, but I am sure if you are patient then things will turn out as you hope. Now we are here for the wedding and you cannot have a long face.”
Elizabeth forced a smile. Her aunt got up and went to the table. “Lizzy, nothing will make up for the disappointment, I know, but I brought you a little gift.”
Mrs. Gardiner handed her an oblong present, tied with ribbon. Elizabeth sat down at the table and gently unwrapped it. Under the layers of paper wrapped in a piece of velvet was a beautiful set of pearl hair pins.
“These are beautiful,” exclaimed Elizabeth. She held one up and saw the slight catch in it.
“I am glad you like them. They belonged to my late mother and now I give them to you.”
Elizabeth was so touched she found it difficult to talk. “But what about your daughters?”
“They will have plenty. I wanted you to have something that was special from me.”
Elizabeth got up and hugged her aunt. She was disappointed that Mrs. Gardiner had offered her no advice about her father or Mr. Darcy, but she was delighted with her present.
21
The journey back from London to Hertfordshire was a frustrating one for Mr. Darcy. One of his horses became lame and there was a delay in finding a replacement. If he had not promised Bingley he would attend the wedding he would happily have travelled on to Derbyshire.
Part of him was looking forward to seeing Elizabeth Bennet again, but part of him was filled with dread. For the first time in his life he was finding it difficult to sleep. However much he tried to push all thoughts of her from his mind, he found it impossible. He was haunted by the image of her that refused to go away, the beautiful brown eyes, the mouth he’d dreamed of kissing, rich chestnut hair, the sound of her laughter.
James, his coachman, came to find him. “Sir, it will be another hour before we can set off.”
“What’s the delay?” asked Darcy. “I thought you’d found a replacement.”
“We have, sir. But I am worried about one of the wheels. One of the spokes is working loose. I must see that it is mended before we leave.”
“Very well.” Darcy headed towards the inn. He was relieved that it was empty and he found a quiet corner to sit and wait. A woman in a grey dress and a dirty-looking apron smiled at him.
“Is there anything I can get for you, sir?”
“Some ale and some cake?”
The woman nodded, giving him a wink. “And if there is anything else you want, sir?”
Darcy shook his head. He hated it when he had to stop. He looked around and saw a paper on one of the other tables. With no one around, he picked it up. At least he could read while he waited. It would be a distraction from thinking about Miss Bennet.
* * *
It was late in the afternoon when Darcy finally arrived at Netherfield. His friend was pleased to see him and once he had rested, he joined Bingley in the library. As he entered the room, Bingley, who had been reading, threw his book aside and got to his feet.
“The house does not feel like my own. Nothing but talk of weddings,” grumbled Bingley.
Darcy clapped him on the back. “Bingley, it will soon be over and remember, this is what you wanted.”
Mr. Bingley grimaced. “From the first day I saw her, I wanted her to become my wife. I wish I could have run away with her and made it so.”
Darcy laughed. “Bingley, you are a conventional man and you would never have done it.”
Bingley grinned. “You are probably right, but I feel restless. Will you join me in a game of billiards. You refused to complete our game last time?”
Darcy picked up the two cues and handed one to his friend. “I hope you’ve been practicing. If I remembered when we were at Cambridge, you never beat me.”
Bingley took the cue. “Your luck has to run out one day, Darcy. Do you want to make a bet?”
“No, I do not,” said Darcy sharply.
“Very well. It was just an idea,” said Bingley.
Darcy took up position. “I am sorry, Bingley. I am tired and short-tempered.”
“I guess your visit was not a successful one.”
Darcy took the shot before he stood up to answer. “It was disappointing, Bingley. I went to speak to someone who I thought could help but it was not to be.”
“You’re not giving up, are you?”
Darcy sighed. He took another shot and the ball hovered at the hole, but it did not drop. He stepped aside, and his friend took up position and quickly holed the ball.
Bingley walked around the table. “Darcy, you cannot give up.”
“I have no intention of doing so. I want Miss Elizabeth Bennet as my wife.”
“Mr. Darcy, are you thinking of taking a wife?”
Both men jumped as they saw Caroline Bingley standing in the doorway.
“Caroline, are you trying to listen to our private conversation?” asked Mr. Bingley crossly.
Miss Bingley looked offended. “Not at all, Charles. And if you wanted your conversation to be private then you should have closed the door.”
Darcy was annoyed. He wondered how much of their conversation she had overheard. He did not want Miss Bingley to know anything about his private business.
“I only came to say dinne
r will be an hour later than normal,” said Miss Bingley. “And we will meet in the drawing room.” There was an edge to her voice. “Mr. Darcy. I look forward to hearing about your visit to London.”
“There is little to recount,” said Darcy.
“Nonsense.” There was something in Miss Bingley’s eyes that was unnerving. “Gentlemen always try to keep secrets but we women have a way of finding things out.”
Mr. Bingley tapped his cue on the table “Caroline, we are trying to play.”
Miss Bingley glared at him and left, shutting the door behind her.
Mr. Bingley looked as if he was going to say something, but he said nothing. “Your shot, Darcy.”
Darcy took up his place. He would be glad when the wedding was over and he could leave Netherfield and return to his beloved Derbyshire.
22
The presence of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner at dinner made it a much more cheerful occasion than it had been for many a day. Mrs. Bennet had emerged from her room and was enjoying being a hostess. Mrs. Gardiner widely praised the food, which pleased her, but Mrs. Bennet could not resist making a pointed remark to her sister-in-law. “Your dress, dear sister. Is that one of the latest fashions from London?”
Mrs. Gardiner turned pink. “I have had this gown for some time.”
Mrs. Bennet eyed her disapprovingly “Mmmm. I prefer a little more simplicity. I think it’s best when you are a married woman.”
Mrs. Gardiner, who was far too nice to invite any sort of confrontation hid a grimace.
Jane was quick to intervene. “How are the children?”
Mrs. Gardiner did not say they had already spoken about them. “They are very well and very disappointed they could not come and visit their favourite cousins.”
“We miss them too. I shall write to them after the wedding and tell them all about it,” said Jane.
“I hope Lizzy will get married soon and then it will be my turn,” said Kitty idly.
Elizabeth cringed, wishing Kitty had not spoken. They did not need her mother to start on the question of marriage.
“This pheasant is excellent,” said Mr. Gardiner, “I believe it is the best I have tasted in a long time.”
Mrs. Bennet smiled appreciatively “Brother, you know we are very lucky with Cook. Mr. Bingley only said how good it was when he came to dinner. I do believe it is better than what they serve at Netherfield.”
“It is very good,” said Mr. Gardiner, winking at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth mouthed ‘thank you’ to her uncle. Mrs. Bennet was now talking to Mrs. Gardiner about different pheasant recipes and no word was ever said about marriage.
* * *
After they had enjoyed a milk blancmange and some fruit, Mrs. Bennet led them into the drawing room, where Mrs. Hall was waiting with the tea. Much to the delight of Kitty, Mrs. Gardiner took out the presents she had brought for them all.
For Mrs. Bennet there was a rather splendid feather, for Jane some embroidered lace, a book for Mary, and for Kitty some ribbon and a selection of flowers for her bonnet. Kitty was almost beside herself with pleasure, and with a little reminder she thanked Mrs. Gardiner and then sat stroking her flowers over and over again, saying Lydia would be very jealous when she wrote to her.
Mary was delighted with her book and expressed her thanks in a very lengthy fashion. “I know that many women might prefer to spend their time on pursuits that are not of an intellectual quality, but I do believe it is important that I broaden my mind. This is a book that I have been thinking of reading for some time and I am delighted to receive it. When I have read it, I shall entertain the rest of the family with a summary of the content.”
Mrs Bennet sighed loudly.“Oh, do be quiet, Mary. No one will want to listen,.”
Mary shrugged. “We will see. I have a great deal of reading to do before I can share my views with you all.”
“I am glad you like it, Mary,” said Mrs. Gardiner.
Mary put the book aside and smiled at them all. “To celebrate Jane’s wedding, I have been working on a piece of music for you all.”
Kitty started to giggle, but Mrs. Gardiner listened carefully.“It will be interesting to see how your music has improved Mary.”
“Not at all,” muttered Elizabeth, earning a disappointed look from Jane.
Elizabeth felt guilty. She was behaving as badly as Kitty. Fortunately her sister had not hear her. Mary was so determined to play she sat down at the pianoforte and after spending some time setting out her music and making herself comfortable, she started to sing an Irish Air which was painful for them all to hear, though everyone applauded when she had finished.
Buoyed by her success and not realising they had only clapped out of guilt and kindness Mary played twice more and only stopped when Mr. Bennet appeared with Mr. Gardiner and her father called on her to stop.
Mary looked a little disconsolate, but she put away her music and took out her new book and settled into a corner to read.
With peace restored, wine was poured for all and Mr. Bennet suggested they play cards. Jane and Elizabeth sat down with their uncle and father and they were able to talk quietly with each other as the game progressed.
Poor Mrs. Gardiner sat with Mrs. Bennet and Kitty and as usual the conversation turned to the latest dresses and trimmings. Several times Elizabeth looked across the room and she saw that her aunt was doing far more listening than talking, but if she found their conversation tiresome Mrs. Gardiner never betrayed it. They were all thankful for her sacrifice which ensured they spent a pleasant evening together.
23
Elizabeth had never thought of herself as a sentimental person but two days later on the morning of Jane’s wedding, she had difficulty in not letting the tears slip from her eyes when she saw her sister in her wedding finery. Jane had never looked more beautiful as she did in her off-white dress, with a heavy satin overlay which complemented her pale complexion. She had a bonnet made of the same material pinned with white and pink roses.
“What do you think, Lizzy?” asked Jane nervously.
“You look beautiful. Mr. Bingley will be proud to have you as his wife.”
Elizabeth hugged her sister, though she was careful not to crush her.
Jane wiped away a stray tear. “I’m scared,” she whispered.
Elizabeth squeezed her hand. “Don’t be. It will be all right. I promise you.”
Jane took a deep breath. “I am going to miss you, Lizzy.”
“And I you, but it will not be long before we see each other.”
“The first day we are back at Netherfield you must come and see me. Until then you must promise to write.”
“I will do so, as often as I can,” promised Elizabeth. There was no time for more as Mrs. Bennet came bustling into the room dressed in a green dress, which sat well against her complexion.
“Jane. Jane. Why are you not downstairs?”
“Mama. We are leaving now.”
“You cannot be late, my darling girl,” said Mrs. Bennet, shooing them both out of the door and down the stairs. Elizabeth was travelling with her mother and her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to the church. Kitty and Mary had already left. Jane was travelling with Mr. Bennet.
Elizabeth could not help feeling sad as she looked back at her sister climbing into the carriage. Jane would soon be married. It was a day she had hoped to experience herself and now it seemed as if it would never be.
Mrs. Gardiner gently squeezed her arm. Elizabeth was grateful for the comforting touch. She smiled at her aunt. There was a sadness in her heart that would never go away, but she was determined not to spoil Jane’s wedding.
* * *
When they arrived at the small church on the hill, they were greeted by many locals who were out to see the bride and the man who had captured her heart. Children were running around in the sunshine, holding ribbons aloft and laughing as they ran in and out of the gravestones. They would be holding their ribbons aloft when the new Mr. and Mrs. Bingley left the
church.
As the carriage stopped behind several others, Mr. Gardiner got out and helped them all out. He offered an arm both to his sister and his wife, and Elizabeth was left alone waiting for Jane to arrive. She only had a few minutes to wait and once Jane had descended from the carriage, she took her father’s arm and they walked slowly up the path to the church.
As Elizabeth walked up the aisle behind them, she surreptitiously looked at the guests on either side. Mrs. Bennet was at the front with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner in the pew just behind. Mrs. Phillips was just behind them, but there was no sign of Mr. Phillips, who had never been known to attend such occasions.
Kitty gave an excited wave as they drew close, which earned her a nudge from Mary, whose expression was so serious and pious she looked as if she was attending a funeral, not a wedding.
Lady Lucas and Sir William were there with their youngest daughter, Maria, who looked almost as excited as Kitty.
Elizabeth tried to keep her eyes fixed on her family rather than Mr. Bingley’s, but as they reached the end of the aisle she could not help glancing at Mr. Darcy, who was standing very upright beside his friend. Elizabeth could only just see his stern profile and she yearned for him to turn around. Naturally he did not, and she remembered her duties and took Jane’s posy of flowers and slipped into the pew and tried to concentrate on the service.
The vicar waited for them all to be in position, pausing dramatically before he suddenly said… “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together….”
Elizabeth barely heard a word and in twenty minutes it was all over and her sister was walking down the aisle on her new husband’s arm looking very happy indeed.
As they left the church, they had to run the gauntlet of an archway of flowers and ribbons as the children guided them the length of the path until they were back at Mr. Bingley’s carriage.