by Lynne Robson
“Edward this is my daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth this is the Earl of Matlock, a long time friend of mine.”
“I am pleased to meet you my dear,” the Earl said, “May I call you Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth curtsied and then said, “Of course Lord Matlock the pleasure would be mine.”
The Earl smiled saying, “Your father has written to me about you since the day you were born so I feel that I know you quite well. Rebecca my dear, this is Thomas’s second eldest daughter, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Good day, your Ladyship,” Elizabeth curtsied to Lady Matlock “I was pleased to make the acquaintance of your son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, the other day, as well as your niece and nephew Mr. and Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth replied.
“I am glad to hear you have met Georgie, William and Richard. Will you be attending the ball this evening?” the Earl asked.
“Yes, I look forward to it, Lady Catherine bought me a beautiful new dress for the occasion,” Elizabeth replied watching the surprised expression on her father’s face.
Then in front of Elizabeth’s astonished eyes Mr Bennet and the Earl then conversed about their years of friendship, explaining to her how they had met as young men at Eton College and later at Cambridge. The Earl informed her father had been a very welcome addition when he was visiting their home at Matlock and that it had been too long since he had visited them. They explained how Mr Bennet had kept in touch with the Earl over the years; they both shared the love of Chess and had played many a game by post. Elizabeth had known of the chess games by post, which her father had looked forward to, but did not know whom these games were played with.
Glancing at the time Elizabeth said, “Please forgive me I must be on my way back the parsonage to prepare for this evening’s festivities. I am glad to see that you have all arrived safe and well, and I hope I will see you this evening. I am glad that you have joined us as well Papa.”
Elizabeth then made her way back through the grove towards the parsonage where she came across another walker; or rather, she bumped into him. Regaining her balance, she mumbled her apology only to find that it was Mr. Darcy.
“Miss Bennet, I am dreadfully sorry, my mind was elsewhere. I hope I did not hurt you,” said Mr. Darcy.
“I am fine Mr. Darcy, I was thinking about my sister Jane. She is to arrive later today for the ball this evening.” Elizabeth told him as they continued to walk towards the parsonage, “I have just found out my father has arrived; almost at the same time as the Earl and Countess of Matlock,”
“Yes, I was informed by my Aunt Catherine that he had arrived with my uncle and aunt.”
“I think what has surprised me the most is that they were such close friends, and that Papa has known the Earl since he was at Eton and Cambridge. Apparently, my father has been writing to the Earl, about Jane, my sisters, and myself, since we were born, sharing with him all our family milestones. The Earl did the same about his family. It is very disconcerting to speak to someone whom you have never met before and they seem to know everything about you.”
Mr. Darcy smiled then said, “I can understand what you mean, I have had a bit of a shock myself today. Aunt Catherine told me that your father courted my mother. However, when she met and she fell in love with my father, Mr. Bennet then released her from their engagement. Just think, we could have been brother and sister.” Looking at the shocked look on her face, he continued, “By the look on your face, you did not know about this either, did you?”
“No sir I was not aware of those facts. I am as surprised as you are.”
“Your father must have kept that secret close to his heart for many years, as I am told that he loved her very dearly. So much in fact, that he released her to marry another man whom she loved more. That must have broken his heart.”
“Yes I agree with you,” Elizabeth said softly; “It is most likely very painful for him to talk of, and if he had wanted me to know he would have told me.”
“Miss Bennet, please forgive me for revealing this information, I did not know that you unaware of this.”
“Please Mr. Darcy, do not concern yourself about this, you were not to know. I will simply pretend that I still do not know about that part of my father’s past. I know that my father will tell me when he feels the time is right for me to know.” Elizabeth said all this with such a charming smile directed at him that Darcy could not help but become more enchanted by her.
“It would have been nice to have a brother though,” she said thoughtfully. “Everything changed once Grandma Bennet died, and not long after that, my mother gave birth to Thomas my brother too early, and he did not long survive. Since then she has not been the mother she used to be.”
“Miss Bennet I am sorry to hear that. Let us talk of better things shall we?” Mr Darcy said
“And what would be your suggestion sir?” Elizabeth asked teasingly.
“I recall someone saying that you are a great reader. What are your favourite books; do you prefer tragedies or comedies? I am particularly fond of both types, especially Shakespeare’s. My favourites are ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, and ‘Macbeth’.”
“Mr. Darcy, you have chosen my favourite Shakespearian plays, I also like ‘Hamlet’. My favourite book is Shakespeare’s Sonnets, and I like Cowper’s poems. My father’s library even though small has many fine editions. He owns so many books that some are stored in trunks in Longbourn’s attics,” said Elizabeth as they slowly walked towards the parsonage.
“Are they valuable these books?” Mr. Darcy asked, “We have many valuable first editions and books no longer published at Pemberley and my town house in Mayfair. I have just had the family Bible’s binding restored; it has been in the family now for around three hundred years or more. I can understand if your father would not wish to have them on display and keep them safe in the attics.”
“ Yes Mr. Darcy, many of them are over 100 years old and some need restoring. He has told me or rather I should say he has made me promise to take them with me when I marry. I hope that I can afford to restore their bindings” Elizabeth told him, “I know he has been offered a lot of money for one book but refuses to sell it because it is a family heirloom. In my father's will, he has left most the books in his library to me and a few to my sister Mary. Whoever inherits Longbourn will not be able to claim them as part of the estate.”
Stopping to look over at the farmland below, Mr. Darcy asked. “Are you looking forward to the ball tonight, Miss Bennet? When does Miss Jane arrive?”
“Yes I am looking forward to this evening as my youngest sister would say ‘I love a ball’.” Elizabeth replied laughing at her own wit. “ Jane arrives this afternoon at around 3pm, I am looking forward to seeing her again as it has been three months since she went to London.”
“Bingley will arrive this evening. I wrote to him about the rumours Miss Bingley has been spreading and asked him to put an end to them. I have not told him that Miss Jane will be here so it will be a pleasant surprise for him. Have you told Miss Jane that Bingley will be here?”
“We seem to be of the same mind, sir. No, I have not told Jane because I want it to be a pleasant surprise for her. I cannot wait to see Jane’s face when she sees Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth replied. “She will be amazed, to find our father here, as the guest of the Earl and Countess of Matlock.”
“Miss Bennet, I hope I am not too late, but will you do me the honour of dancing the first two dances and the supper dance with me.”
“I thank you Mr. Darcy and yes it will be my pleasure to let you have those dances,” Elizabeth smiled up at him
“The pleasure will be mine Miss Bennet.” Mr. Darcy smiled back thinking, “She is absolutely adorable when she smiles, I am falling more and more in love with her everyday.”
Once they arrived safely back at the parsonage, Mr. Darcy bade Elizabeth farewell. Elizabeth thought how handsome he looked, especially when he smiled and his dimples showed. She thought of what Lady Catherine had said about him bein
g reserved or shy amongst strangers and could see that he acted differently amongst his family and friends. Mr. Darcy seemed to open up more, showing a mischievous sense of humour, amongst his family and friends. He was relaxed and happy in their company, not like the man she had known back in Meryton. Elizabeth now was in a fair way of falling in love with him.
Chapter Seven
Just as the Collins party sat down to afternoon tea in their parlour, the coach that Lady Catherine had sent to London to fetch Jane Bennet arrived. The eldest Miss Bennet was accompanied by one of Lady Catherine’s maids who were to stay with the young ladies to aid their preparations for the ball.
Jane told Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Maria about her very comfortable journey to Kent. She asked many questions about Lady Catherine; was she as nice as Elizabeth had mentioned in her letters? Elizabeth replied that she was indeed very much like their Grandma Bennet.
Although, she had decided keep her secret about the night ahead, Elizabeth decided she needed to inform Jane about her meeting with Mr. and Miss Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. She informed her of Caroline Bingley’s lies and how Mr. Darcy explained that Miss Darcy was not yet out, let alone engaged to his friend.
Jane looked relieved at this, “Perhaps Caroline and Louisa were hoping that this engagement would come about eventually, Elizabeth,” said Jane as she considered what her sister had told her. “I also think the reason Caroline did not encourage me, was that she knew her brother did not hold me in the same high regard as I did for him, therefore she was trying to protect me by not encouraging me to hope.”
“Jane, Jane, Miss Bingley only thinks of only one person and that is herself. She hated it in Hertfordshire, she treated everyone as though they were beneath her notice and could not wait to get away to London again. Once in London, she most likely did everything she could to keep her brother from returning. I will bet that he does not even know that you have been in London all this time. Jane, you cannot make everyone out to be as good as you would like them to be,” Elizabeth replied.
Not long after Jane’s arrival, a messenger arrived at the door for Charlotte. What he had to inform her was very distressing; Charlotte’s favourite parishioner old Mrs. Smythe, had collapsed and fallen down a flight of stairs, injuring herself very badly and her son had come to ask her for her assistance with his mother. Charlotte made her excuses to her guests and went with immediately to the old lady’s home.
Once Charlotte had departed, Maria decided to go and get ready for the evenings entertainment and so they were left alone in the parlour. Elizabeth then proceeded to tell Jane the whole truth, which Lady Catherine had shared with her, about Mr. Wickham. Jane was shocked and dismayed to hear about the actions of Mr. Wickham, her heart went out to the young lives whom he had destroyed.
“I have some news from Longbourn for you, Jane. Our father has sent Lydia, Kitty, and Mary for twelve months to a school for young women, which is extremely strict, but unfortunately, for us, we will not be able to say goodbye, as the girls will have already left home for school. I hope that we will be able to write to them, and that they will make a good use of their time at school.”
“I am happy for Mary, Kitty and Lydia, I hope that they make the most of their time there at the school, as well. Though, I am sad we did not get chance to say our goodbyes to each of them I am sure we will be able to write,” replied Jane thoughtfully.
“Oh, look at the time we had better get ready.”
Jane and Elizabeth returned to their rooms to start getting ready for the nights festivities.
**************
Mr. Bingley arrived at Rosings about half an hour after Jane. He informed Darcy he was not happy at what his sisters had planned, or the many other lies he had uncovered. He was extremely upset to find out through his friend Darcy that Miss Jane had been in London for nearly three months. Once he had confronted his sisters with this knowledge, he discovered that Jane had visited his sisters in his London home and they had not informed him. He was therefore, disgusted to learn that when his sisters finally deigned to return the call, over a month later, they had filled her head full of lies and half-truths.
“Oh Darcy, what can I do about this situation? If my business had not been so complicated and I had not believed the lies Caroline and Louisa told me, I most likely would be married to my angel now. What will she think of me now after all these months? She must believe I am a thoughtless cad or a rake of the highest order, only toying with her feelings then leaving her all this time without any further contact,” Bingley moaned.
“Bingley, it is not entirely your fault. What did your sister tell you that prevented you going back to Hertfordshire?” asked Darcy.
“She told me Miss Jane confided in her that she did not have the same regard for me has I did for her, but if I asked her to marry me she would do so to please her mother,” Bingley replied. “ What was I to think? I did not want to marry someone who would only marry me for the sake of her family. I want a person who will love me as much as I love them.”
“Oh Bingley! As you know, Caroline never liked it in Hertfordshire. She was extremely jealous of Jane’s sister Elizabeth, so jealous infact, that even Hurst could see, and because of this she made life unbearable for everyone else, including myself,” Darcy told him. “I cannot see Miss Jane confiding in Caroline. She seemed to like her company, but only for your sake. Her sister Elizabeth would be the one who knows her feelings better than anyone does. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, yes, Miss Elizabeth would know her sister better than anyone,” Bingley replied as he carefully thought about what Darcy had told him.
“By the way Bingley, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is staying with Mrs. Collins at the parsonage and will be at the ball tonight,” Darcy informed him. “We had a chance to discuss Miss Jane, and it was Miss Elizabeth who informed me that Miss Jane was in town these last few months. She related what Caroline had told them when they left Netherfield, Miss Elizabeth also mentioned how worried all her family were about Miss Jane. It seems she had not been her usual cheerful self because missed you dreadfully,” since Bingley was looking extremely upset Darcy continued.
“Miss Elizabeth informed me that Lady Catherine gave her permission to invite Jane to tonight’s ball. Therefore, you will be able to speak with her, and explain to her what has happened. I am sure she will understand that your business has kept you busy and that Caroline kept from you the knowledge of her presence in town.”
“I am Glad to hear that Miss Bennet is coming tonight, I will make sure that I apologise to her as soon as possible.” Bingley replied sounding pleased with the thought of Jane being at the ball.
“I agree it will be nice to see Miss Bennet again.”
“Caroline is moving to my elder sister’s house in Devon as we speak. She has been told along with Louisa and Hurst that they are now on their own, as I do not want to have anything more to do with them. I will not pay any more of Caroline’s expenses and she now will have to depend on our elder sister Helen and her husband Stephen,” Bingley said seriously. “I know Helen will be much firmer with her than I have been over the last few years. I wrote to Helen explaining what has happened. In her reply, she offered to take care of Caroline and teach her how to be a more respectable lady, not the selfish hoyden she has become.”
“Well I am glad to see that you are taking a firmer hand at long last with Caroline lets hope that Helen will put her in her place.”
“Helen has told me that Caroline will be banned from all balls and parties until next year, until she feels that she has learned from her mistakes. Hurst has taken Louisa to his estate in Berkshire, insisting it was well past time for Louisa to behave like a proper wife to him and told Caroline she was not welcome in his home. He said that Louisa would only be allowed to see Caroline when they went for next years season, perhaps by then they will both have learned to be the ladies they were brought up to be. I have not seen him act this way before with Louisa but I am glad to finally se
e him put his foot down. It will make her respect him more for it in the long run.”
