by Lory Lilian
Madame Claudette paled slightly. "I have done my best. I am a woman who has to work for a living."
"We are aware of that," Elizabeth continued, more gently. "Raising a child requires time and effort. I have three younger sisters and two young cousins, and I am well accustomed to children. That is why we are confident that the girl would fare better under my care."
"Well, I must say that Mr. Darcy's proposition was astonishing. I have given it quite a lot of consideration…"
"Have you informed the girl yet? What is her name?"
"No, Mrs. Darcy. I thought we should settle the matter before involving the child. Emily is her name."
"I see. I would like to speak to Emily, please."
"Madame, here is my suggestion," Darcy stepped in. "Mrs. Darcy should talk to the girl, while we settle the matter to our mutual satisfaction. Since for you, raising the girl is a difficult task and we are willing to take it off of your shoulders, I am sure we will quickly reach a suitable resolution."
The woman hesitated a moment, then she rang for a maid and gave some instructions.
"I must tell you this is breaking my heart; I have grown much attached to the little one."
"I am sure of that, ma'am," Elizabeth replied sternly. "If you have any knowledge of the girl's mother, we would appreciate you sharing it with us. It would be our greatest joy if the girl were to be happily returned to her mother one day. Also, please feel free to inform whoever you consider appropriate that the girl will be residing in our house, hoping the news will reach her mother somehow."
"So … you do not wish to keep the girl?" Madame Claudette enquired, puzzled.
"She will have shelter and protection in our home for as long as it is needed. But if her mother returns for her, we would be happy to see them reunited, as I already mentioned. A girl is not property to keep or sell, is she?" Elizabeth replied more sharply.
"No … Of course not … I am just surprised as your request is rather peculiar, Mrs. Darcy."
"In what way peculiar?"
"To be honest, no other lady who has entered my shop has ever noticed the girl at all."
"Yes, I would imagine that," Darcy said.
The door opened and the maid returned, inviting Elizabeth to follow her, while Darcy remained with Madame Claudette. When the door closed behind the women, the remaining occupants of the room looked at each other coldly.
"Ma'am, let us set this matter straight. Please let me know what sum you have in mind to compensate you for your trouble."
"Mr. Darcy, as I said, I am a woman who must work for a living. And I do work, day and night. I need help, which I pay for. Each servant I keep needs room, food, candles, firewood, and so on."
"I understand. I imagine the young girl created even more expenses for you. So let me know what amount would cover your loss."
"Mr. Darcy, I do not wish to sound disrespectful. We are happy to have your wife and aunts among our customers. What I meant is I need some payment for the girl …"
"Madame Claudette, there will be no payment for the girl! As Mrs. Darcy mentioned, the girl is not merchandise to be purchased and owned! The payment would be for your trouble and expenses, considering you might not receive the compensation you expected from the girl's mother. Would one thousand pounds be enough?"
The woman's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she remained speechless. She gulped a few times, then nodded hastily.
"Indeed sir, that would cover everything quite generously. I am glad you understand the difficulties of such an endeavour…"
"Very well, then. My solicitor will visit you this afternoon, with the sum and a settlement, reporting that you allowed the child to be taken into our care until her mother returns."
"Excellent, sir! Now, if you will excuse me, I shall ring and see how Mrs. Darcy is doing. I hope the girl has not done anything to upset Mrs. Darcy and change her mind."
Darcy rolled his eyes, barely keeping his composure. He wished nothing more but to end the hideous conversation and leave the premises.
***
When Elizabeth entered the room, the girl was standing, her eyes down, her hands entwined in front of her, her blond, curled hair escaping from her bonnet.
"Emily, this Mrs. Darcy," the maid called to her. "Look at her."
The girl dared a glance; from a closer distance, her paleness and empty eyes frightened Elizabeth. She sat on a settee and stretched her hand out to the girl.
"Emily, please come and sit with me, my dear."
The girl moved closer, still standing. Elizabeth did not insist.
"Emily, do you know why you are here?"
The girl shook her head.
"I called for you because I saw you yesterday and I liked you very much. And I am inviting you to come and live in my house."
The girl finally looked at her in disbelief. "Inviting me?" she whispered.
"Yes… If you wish to come…"
"You like me?" the girl whispered again.
Elizabeth smiled warmly, almost tearful at the girl's fearful astonishment.
"But I cannot work… I am useless," the girl said, apologising.
Elizabeth took her little hand in hers.
"My dear, you will not have to work… we are not taking you with us to work…"
"But why?"
"Why? To live with us. As a friend."
The girl's eyes widened even more. "A friend?"
"Yes, my dear."
"You have a kind voice," the girl murmured. Elizabeth caressed her hand.
"But I cannot leave," Emily said, suddenly panicked.
"Why not?"
"I have to stay here and work until Mama returns to pay Madame Claudette. I must pay for my expenses," she said in a low voice, as if sharing a secret.
"My dear, you must not worry about that anymore. If you agree, you will come with me today. We will leave word for your mother that she can find you in our house, whenever she returns."
"But… Madame Claudette?" the girl asked, tearfully.
"My husband, Mr. Darcy is speaking to her now. She will allow you to leave, if only you wish to."
Emily's face paled, then coloured, her lower lip trembled.
"Why are you kind to me?" she asked, and Elizabeth's eyes moistened.
"Because I like you, Emily," she replied. "I promise I will take care of you. Will you come with me?"
"You have good eyes," the girl whispered. "Kind eyes."
"I am glad you believe that. You have pretty eyes, too, my darling. You are so pretty and clever. Do you have any things you want to bring with you?"
"My clothes… And my necklace…from Mama. Madame Claudette keeps it for me."
"Very well, dear. Please go and fetch your things. I will wait here. And I will get the necklace from Madame Claudette."
As the girl ran off obediently, Elizabeth wiped a tear, under the puzzled gaze of the maid. She returned to the modiste's office and entered without even knocking. She felt grieved and angry.
"Mrs. Darcy! Is everything well?"
"It is as I expected. Could we leave?" Elizabeth addressed her husband.
"Yes."
"Good. Ma'am, please hand me Emily's necklace," Elizabeth demanded, with a severity that surprised even Darcy.
The woman was surprised, and somehow disconcerted for a moment. Elizabeth's eyes were now throwing fire and she was struggling with her manners.
Eventually, the modiste opened a drawer, containing a small box, and pulled out a gold necklace with a sparkling little cross.
Elizabeth put it in her reticule.
"Is there anything else you need from me, Madame Claudette?"
"No, Mrs. Darcy. I hope everything has been settled to your satisfaction."
"Everything has been settled for Emily's well-being. Please excuse me now; I will take her home. Good day, ma'am."
Minutes later, in a most astonishing turn of events. Mrs. Darcy took the little servant girl—who everybody had seen for years but nobody
noticed—to her carriage, followed by the curious eyes of the clients who happened to be in the main hall.
The carriage departed, but the rumours remained and speculation soon filled the shop and then London. The most frequent question was why Mr. Darcy would allow his wife to take a strange orphan, unless he might have been somehow connected with the girl's mother.
Chapter 6
The ride to Darcys' house was quiet. The girl sat near Elizabeth in complete silence, her legs hanging over the bench's edge. She did not even dare to look at Darcy, her eyes were turned towards the floor most of the time. Neither of them forced her to speak.
As soon as they arrived, Darcy retired to his library. He could see that his presence frightened the girl and wished to allow her time to recover.
Elizabeth called for Mrs. Talbot and Sarah and met them in the drawing-room. There, she took off the girl's bonnet and her thin coat and invited her to sit.
"Mrs. Talbot, Sarah, this is Emily. She will live with us from now on."
Both women looked at her, dumbfounded, but kept their calm.
"Welcome, Emily. How nice to have you here. I am Mrs. Talbot, the housekeeper."
The warm tone was not enough to receive more than a weak "thank you" and a quick glance.
"I am Sarah, Mrs. Darcy's maid. Nice to meet you, Emily."
"Emily is a little shy. And we are both hungry. Mrs. Talbot, Sarah, would you please bring some tea and some food for the four of us? We will have a little chat together," Elizabeth said.
The invitation was unexpected, but so were the circumstances. Sarah left for the kitchen, but Mrs. Talbot remained, puzzled at what was expected from her.
"Let us all sit here, at the table by the window,” Elizabeth offered. She helped Emily into the chair then sat herself and invited the housekeeper to join them.
"Mrs. Talbot, Emily has lived with Madame Claudette until today. We all agreed that she would be more comfortable with us. Mr. Darcy settled the matter, and we brought Emily home."
"Oh, I see," Mrs. Talbot replied, struggling to understand.
"But we will discuss more of this later. After we eat and rest."
"Emily, you will be very happy here. Mrs. Darcy is the best mistress that ever existed, and Mr. Darcy is the best master."
"Mrs. Darcy says she likes me," Emily whispered.
"Oh, I am sure she does," Mrs. Talbot replied.
Sarah returned with a generous tray, putting it on the table. Emily's eyes widened as she stared at the dishes lying before her eyes.
"Sarah, come and sit with us," Elizabeth invited her and the maid accepted reluctantly. Having tea with the mistress was something she had not considered.
"Here is your plate, my dear. You may choose whatever you like," Elizabeth addressed Emily.
The girl stared at her in disbelief.
"I can eat this food?"
"Of course! This is why we brought it. Come, let us all eat."
"You should try some meat and some cheese. And some biscuits," Sarah suggested. Being the youngest of the three, Emily appeared more at ease with her.
Slowly, without further insistence, Emily began to eat.
"Do you like it?" Sarah asked.
"Yes…"
"Would you like some tea?"
The girl shook her head and continue to eat. Shy at first, then more confident, glancing at the mistress from time to time to see any sign of disapproval.
"So, Mrs. Talbot, we need to find a room for Emily," Elizabeth said. "Which would you suggest?"
"I can sleep on the floor," Emily said with painful honesty.
"Sleep on the floor?" Sarah replied. “Oh no, we all have lovely chambers, with comfortable and warm beds."
"Nobody sleeps on the floor here, my dear," Mrs. Talbot repeated.
Heavy-hearted, Elizabeth watched the girl eating, unsure of what to do. She wished to ask Darcy's opinion about how to proceed. Emily seemed shy with her, frightened of Darcy and somewhat confident with Sarah.
"May I sleep with you?" Emily suddenly asked Sarah.
All eyes turned to Elizabeth, who hesitated in replying. She had intended to put Emily in one of the upstairs rooms, not below the stairs, but the girl had already chosen.
"If the mistress agrees, I would be happy to have a companion. I have two younger siblings, and I miss them," Sarah answered.
"I dare say that would be a good arrangement for now, if the mistress agrees," Mrs. Talbot interjected, sensing Elizabeth's uncertainty.
"Is Sarah's room large enough to accommodate them both?"
"Oh yes," Sarah replied.
"We have another family room free since Mary and her husband left us several months ago. We could put them both there."
"Yes, that would be an excellent idea. Sarah, is this agreeable to you?"
"Anything you say, Mrs. Darcy," Sarah answered animatedly. "Oh, how lovely that I will have a companion!"
"So I will stay with you?" Emily asked, still doubtful.
"Yes…"
The girls gazed at Elizabeth, waiting, pleading, hopeful.
"I think it would be lovely for you both to have a companion," Elizabeth approved.
"Mrs. Talbot, please arrange the change of rooms. Sarah, please help Emily to clean
herself and I would suggest she might need some rest. Would you like that, Emily?”
"Rest?" The girl asked, as if she did not understand the word.
"Yes. Sleep for a little while."
"Sleep? Now?" the girl’s astonishment was painful to behold.
"Only if you want, my dear. Sarah, please take care of Emily. I will ring for you if I need something. For now, you are free from your duties."
Sarah took Emily's little hand and made ready to leave. When they reached the door, Emily ran back and stopped in front of Elizabeth. Tearful, she did not know what to do, but only whispered, "Thank you, Mrs. Darcy."
Elizabeth opened her arms and embraced the girl, who began to sob, as if she was throwing off the grief from her little soul. Elizabeth held the girl, caressing her hair, while her own tears rolled freely down her face.
Once she stopped crying, the girl looked at Elizabeth with such serenity in her eyes, that Elizabeth began to laugh through her tears.
"Go with Sarah! I will come and see your new room later," Elizabeth said, and the girl jumped up, running towards the door. For the first time, she actually behaved like a child.
Once they were alone, Elizabeth wiped her tears, embarrassed to be seen in such a state by the housekeeper.
"She is the daughter of a former seamstress of Madame Claudette. Her mother eloped a while ago and abandoned the girl with her former employer. Madame Claudette used her as a help in the house, assigning her the most difficult chores. Side by side with men! As you heard, I doubt she has ever slept or eaten properly. I saw her yesterday and spoke to Mr. Darcy about her situation. He was kind enough to agree with me, so he convinced Madame Claudette to place the girl under our protection until her mother returns."
"If she ever does," Mrs. Talbot said.
"Yes…We have the means to take care of her. I simply could not leave her there…"
"I understand, ma'am. And I have nothing else to say except I am proud and honoured to have met you, Mrs. Darcy!"
"Oh, nonsense, Elizabeth said, full of emotion.
"Thank you for taking care of everything, Mrs. Talbot. I will go and see Mr. Darcy now."
***
In the library, Darcy rose from his chair to welcome Elizabeth, and she fell into his arms.
“I have come to see you. Emily is with Mrs. Talbot and Sarah.”
Together, they sat on the sofa, and she sighed.
“What is it, my love? You look exhausted. Have you been crying?”
“Yes…but I am fine, more than fine. I was heartbroken watching Emily eating and listening to her saying she would sleep on the floor. You have saved a life with your generosity today, Mr. Darcy,” she said lovingly.
He pla
ced a lingering kiss in her palm.
“You have saved a life, Mrs Darcy.”
“Yes, must most other men would not have allowed their wife to take an orphan into their house out of the blue, with no preparation.”
“Most men do not have a wife like you, my beloved. I have no other merits other than being wise enough to choose properly! After I was properly humbled and induced to change my arrogant behaviour of course,” he added, half in jest.
“You are undeservedly kind with your praise, but I admit to enjoying it,” she smiled, caressing his face.
“I do not like to see the sadness in your eyes, Elizabeth.”
“The sadness is gone now; all is well with Emily. God knows how many other children are in the same tragic circumstances or even worse. And nobody cares, nobody even sees them…”
“Elizabeth, I admire your kindness, but you know life is often unfair. You cannot change the world, nor suffer for that which is not in your power to improve.”
“I am not a simpleton; I do not intend to change the world. And I am well aware that life is often unfair. I do not expect all people to live the same sort of life or to benefit from the same advantages. But injustice has always made me sad and angry. I cannot pretend to be blind and ignore it.”
“You choose to see things that others decide to ignore,” he said tenderly. “But you cannot suffer for all the injustices you will ever see.”
“Not for all, only for those that are unbearable. How is it possible to be so mean to a child? To let them starve or sleep on the floor? Or to set a child unsafe chores? And for months and months, so many people have walked into that shop, yet nobody noticed Emily. If a single lady of consequence had asked Madame Claudette to treat Emily properly, she would have obeyed.”
“People are interested only in their own business,” Darcy said. “I admit to being the same until recently. I used to think little of anyone who was outside the circle of my acquaintances.”
“This is different, Fitzwilliam. I can see how you treat your staff, both here and at Pemberley. I have heard people speaking of you being the best landlord and the best master. I can see how your servants are taken care of. I did not expect Madame Claudette and all the other women to be kind to Emily. Just not to be cruel to her, or any other child.”