The Harvest Ball

by Lily Bernard

  “I seem to recall that you told me that she was not feeling well and could not travel to Derbyshire.”

  “That was not the reason she did not attend. I had not wished to upset you with the truth right before the wedding. There is no reason to repeat any of the vitriol she spewed in her letter. In fact, I never read all of it; after the first few paragraphs I was so disgusted, I threw it into the fire.”

  “Why have you chosen to speak of her today?”

  “I debated whether or not to send her a note announcing Ben’s birth. In the end, I told myself that she is my mother’s older sister and should be given the respect due her.”

  “How did she react to our wonderful news?”

  “She returned my letter to me, unopened. I threw that letter into the fire as well. I pray that we shall never see or hear from Lady Catherine again.”

  “Can you be happy with that declaration?”

  “When I saw the unopened letter, I was initially hurt by her callousness. After I thought about it for a few hours, I realized that I was totally at peace with the decision of her making. Elizabeth, I have everything I have ever dreamed about. You and Ben are all I will ever need for my happiness. I will never allow anyone to interfere with our family.”

  “I think you have handled the situation very well. I cannot think of any other reaction that would have been more satisfactory.” They kissed briefly and then smiled down at their sleeping son. They quietly left the nursery walking hand in hand.

  Early in December, Elizabeth, Darcy, Georgiana and Mrs. Reynolds walked the short distance to the Pemberley Chapel for the ceremony of Thanksgiving. The Darcys had asked Mr. Carter to preside at the service; he came to the Pemberley Chapel rather than requiring Mrs. Darcy to travel. Mr. Carter spoke beautifully about the joys of motherhood and the gratitude they all felt that Elizabeth and Bennet were well. As the rite required, Elizabeth responded with her own prayer of thanks which brought everyone in the chapel to tears. After thanking Mr. Carter for his services, the Darcys invited him to join them for lunch. “I am grateful for the invitation, but I have promised to visit some of my parishioners today. I do look forward to seeing you all soon.” After thanking Mr. Carter again, the happy group began walking the short distance back to the house.

  “Now that you have been churched, my dear wife, I hope you will not take it upon yourself to travel from our home or take on too much while preparing for our upcoming guests.”

  “I appreciate your care, my dearest husband, and I promise to stay very close to home. I will gladly share my hostessing responsibilities with our very competent staff. Mrs. Reynolds and I have already spoken about whom we expect to stay and what their needs will be. Does that make you happy, Mr. Darcy?”

  “I would be a lot happier if your words were sincere.” All three women laughed at Darcy’s ever-present concern for his wife’s well-being. “Remember what Sir Knighton said, you should be happy to have such a concerned husband.”

  “I will be very happy to help Lizzy and Mrs. Reynolds prepare for our guests’ arrival. I will keep a close watch out that my sister does not do too much.”

  “Thank you, Georgie, I hope your words are as sincere as my wife’s.” They all smiled as Darcy lifted his wife’s hand and placed a kiss on her glove.

  As they approached the house, Roberts approached them and bowed. “Excuse me, ma’am. Mr. Darcy told me you would like to speak to me.”

  Elizabeth walked toward him and placed her hand on his arm. “Roberts, I wanted to thank you myself for risking your life so Sanders could be captured. I will always be in your debt. Please let me or Mr. Darcy know if there is anything we can do for you.”

  “I was happy to help you, ma’am. If you will excuse me, I should get back to work.” Roberts bowed and walked back toward the stables.

  Elizabeth looked at her husband, “I suppose you arranged this meeting?”

  “I thought he would feel less uncomfortable if you met with others around.”

  “Our meeting today was just what I hoped for. Thank you for arranging it.”

  Darcy bowed to his wife. “Madam, I am at your service.” Everyone smiled and continue the short walk to the manor house.

  The Darcys had invited the Bennets and all their daughters, the Bingleys, the Gardiners and the Fitzwilliams to Pemberley for Christmas. They encouraged their guests to arrive as early in the month as possible; they worried that foul weather could impede or prevent their journeys. Lydia Bennet was traveling with her parents; she was home for the festive season from the boarding school her new brother was happy to pay for. Darcy and Elizabeth knew the youngest Bennet sister desperately lacked an education and the knowledge of how to behave like a lady. They were anxious to see if there was any improvement in Lydia’s behavior.

  Jane, Charles and Maddie Bingley were planning to journey from their nearby estate. Two of Elizabeth’s sisters were unable to attend; Catherine, who was now married to Lord Winthrope, was anticipating the imminent birth of their first child. She and her husband were unwilling to venture away from home for any reason. Her sister, Mary, who had never believed in participating in what she considered to be frivolous activities, wrote that she saw no reason to travel all the way to Derbyshire in the winter to celebrate the birth of Jesus. She was too busy helping her husband in his law practice and completing her charity work in time for all the Christmas donations to be distributed.

  In addition to Christmas dinner, the Darcys were planning a a big party on Boxing Day. Everyone was looking forward to the festivities which promised to include a Yule log, dancing, food, games for the children and gift baskets for all of Pemberley’s tenants.

  Caroline Bingley had unexpectedly arrived at Birchwood Manor a week before Christmas. After her stay in Derbyshire and attending the Harvest Ball, she had not stopped thinking about Mr. Carter when she returned to the Hursts’ townhouse in London. Although completely untrue, Caroline told the Hursts that she had received an invitation to visit the Bingleys and return to Birchwood Manor for the festive season. The Hursts welcomed the news and looked forward to the quiet that would soon pervade their home in Caroline’s absence.

  After arriving in Derbyshire, she expressed her willingness to accompany the Bingleys to all of the Darcy’s celebrations. She was secretly looking forward to seeing Mr. Carter again. Jane sent a note apprising Elizabeth that Caroline was again their houseguest and would be attending all the festivities at Pemberley. She apologized for Caroline’s impulsive behavior and hoped there was room to accommodate another guest. Elizabeth sent word to her sister that one more guest would be no hardship and would be welcomed as a member of the family.

  The Darcys’ guests slowly began to arrive over the weeks leading up to Christmas and were easily accommodated in Pemberley’s numerous guest suites. They were all looking forward to attending the Christmas morning service followed by a sumptuous Christmas dinner.

  By the week before the holiday, Pemberley was full of happy family members and friends, eager to spend time getting to know each other and celebrating the joyous holidays together. Everyone had arrived in time to celebrate Bennet’s christening and all the Christmas festivities. Mrs. Bennet was frequently overheard saying that she could not understand how the baby, who was supposedly born so early, had already grown so much.

  The day before their child’s christening, Elizabeth and Darcy waited in the grand entrance hall of Pemberley while awaiting their final guests to arrive. When the Bingleys’ carriage pulled to a stop, the Darcys warmly greeted Jane, Charles and Maddie and welcomed Caroline with as much sincerity as possible.

  The next day, the Darcys and all their guests walked the short distance to the Pemberley Chapel to witness the christening of Bennet George Darcy. Jane and Charles were asked to be Bennet’s godparents and they were both very honored to consent.

  Caroline entered the Chapel and when she sat beside Jane, she immediately saw that Mr. Carter was already in the Church. She found it difficult to stop lo
oking at him. While Mr. Carter officiated, Caroline’s heart was beating rapidly and her cheeks were red. Jane had been watching her sister’s face and thought, she must be half in love with him already. I have never seen her react to a man as she is now. Peter Carter is a compassionate man; would he have any desire to court Caroline if he knew the truth about her less-than-caring behavior?

  Darcy and Elizabeth stood beside Jane and Charles and each was smiling with joy at this dear child in their arms. Bennet looked wonderful in his christening gown, a Darcy heirloom; swaddled in a beautiful christening blanket which had been lovingly embroidered for this important day by his Aunt Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley. Jane was holding Bennet as he slept peacefully until Mr. Carter sprinkled some holy water on his head and he woke up screaming. The chapel was full of the Darcys’ family and closest friends and even while listening to the loud wails of the Darcy heir, joy and gratitude was felt by everyone in attendance.

  Darcy offered a few words of his own. “Our son bears the name of his mother’s family. A family I thank every day for creating my son’s mother.” Both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were smiling with tears in their eyes as Darcy spoke. “His other name is the name of..” Darcy’s speech faltered, and Elizabeth walked closer to her husband and took his hand in hers. There were tears in his eyes as he continued, “he bears the name of my dearest father. He and my dear mother are Bennet’s guardian angels and will help us protect our precious child.” Darcy’s words brought happy tears to the eyes of his family and Mr. Carter then concluded the service. After everyone returned to the manor house, a bountiful meal was planned to celebrate Bennet’s christening, although the guest of honor was not in attendance.

  On December twenty third, most of Pemberley’s guests joined Elizabeth and Georgiana as they walked the paths that had been cleared of the fresh snow. They collected holly, ivy, and other greenery which Elizabeth and Georgiana wanted to use when they decorated the house. Mrs. Reynolds supervised the group as they all participated in adorning the house with the garlands and greenery they had gathered. They strung apples, twigs and ribbons to decorate the holly bough that would hang from the ceiling in the main drawing room.

  The women guests also gathered herbs from the still room and created sachets which were hung throughout the house and their fragrant aromas were enjoyed by all. Jane brought orange pomanders from Mrs. Wilson, their cook at Birchwood Manor. It was during Elizabeth’s first Christmas living with the Bingleys, shortly after she learned of Darcy’s “death”, that Birchwood’s cook explained that the cloves in the orange pomanders symbolized undying love. The following year, Mrs. Wilson gifted the newly married Mrs. Darcy with a bag of cloves shortly after the Darcys returned from their wedding trip. Rather than keep the spice in the kitchen, Elizabeth always felt the cloves belonged in her bedroom. She kept the spice in a drawer with her handkerchiefs, where she enjoyed their scent and they served as a reminder of the undying love she felt for her husband.

  Georgiana was put in charge of the parlor games for all of Pemberley’s guests and kept them entertained after dinner. She planned word games, chess tournaments; organized games of whist and Loo and she orchestrated a very challenging scavenger hunt. On other nights, many of the ladies played the pianoforte and all their guests joined in singing Christmas songs. Every evening, their guests climbed the stairs to their rooms with smiles on their faces.

  Elizabeth collected some mistletoe to hang near the entrance to the drawing room, but Mrs. Reynolds quietly informed her mistress that the tradition of kissing under this particular plant should remain below stairs in the servants’ quarters. Elizabeth warmly thanked Mrs. Reynolds from saving her from making a social faux pas.

  When they were alone in their chambers later that night, Darcy said, “I have something for you, Mrs. Darcy,” and removed a sprig of mistletoe from his pocket and held it over Elizabeth’s head.

  “Mr. Darcy, I am surprised at you. Mrs. Reynolds told me that kissing under the mistletoe was not appropriate for people of our elevated social standing,” she teased.

  “I agree that we should not have our guests standing under the mistletoe and kissing. It is just not acceptable for such exalted members of the ton,” Darcy said jokingly.

  “And yet, here you are, holding some mistletoe over my head in the expectation I will kiss you.”

  “Will you not kiss your husband, madam?” Darcy teased as he gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her passionately.

  “Well, maybe just this once, sir!” Elizabeth giggled as she grabbed the mistletoe from her husband. She ran toward the bed and raised the plant over her head as she turned to welcome her husband into her warm embrace.

  Chapter 10

  On Christmas morning, Darcy and Elizabeth went to see Bennet in the nursery before joining their guests for breakfast. Darcy had whittled a small wooden horse for his little boy, who was much too young to understand what the gift was for. Elizabeth presented her son with a new blanket on which she had embroidered his name and the date of his birth. Before leaving for services, the family presented simple gifts to all the children in attendance.

  Caroline attended Christmas services at the Kympton Church along with the Darcys, their other guests and most of the members of the parish. She was surprised by the warm feelings she, once again, felt toward the man standing at the pulpit. Jane watched Caroline during the service, and she noticed that her sister never took her eyes off the vicar. Maybe she does have real feelings for him. She normally judges people solely by their standing in the ton. The real question is whether or not Mr. Carter is attracted to a well-known social climber?

  Richard saw Lady Emily standing in one of the front pews and suddenly felt that his valet had tied his cravat too tightly. She was greeting her brother’s parishioners as they made their way to their seats. When she looked up and saw Richard, she briefly smiled at him before turning to speak to someone else.

  As he began his first Christmas service in Derbyshire, the congregation could feel that Mr. Carter’s words reflected the caring and generous nature of the man whose sermon was all about the true meaning of Christmas. “Today we come together to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Gratitude, hope, faith and charity are the true meaning of this joyous holiday; not just for today, but for the lives we live every day of the year.”

  Jane sat beside Caroline and as she listened to Mr. Carter, she could see her sister was breathing quickly, and her face was turning red. If she had to stand at this moment, I do not believe her legs would hold her. What has this man done to her? Does she have real affection for Peter Carter? That is inconceivable! Does she love him? Does she want to marry him? Could she ever give up her life of luxury in the ton for the life of being married to a country vicar? I must speak to her about her emotions. I may not tell her what she wants to hear but she knows I would never lie to her. She should spend more time with Mr. Carter and determine her true feelings. Does he like her? Can he possibly envision Caroline as a vicar’s wife? What if her sentiments are not reciprocated? I hope she knows what she wants. It is time I spoke to Charles about this.

  By the time the service had ended, Jane could see that Caroline had finally come to her senses; the Bingleys joined the congregation as everyone was slowly departing the church. As she made her way to the doorway, Caroline overheard many people commenting on Mr. Carter’s meaningful sermon. They all told him how happy they were that Mr. Darcy had granted him the living at Kympton. And another thing, Mr. Carter lives on the largesse of Mr. Darcy. Could Caroline live her life beholden to the Darcys? She had worked tirelessly to make Darcy her husband and never had a kind thing to say about Elizabeth.

  As she was leaving the church, Caroline stopped and thanked the vicar for his meaningful words. Jane was standing directly behind her and overheard Caroline’s compliment. I have never heard her compliment anyone, much less a man who could not possibly be seen as a potential suitor. Mr. Carter took her hand and bowed over it and then he thanked Caroline for her kind
words. He told her that he and his sister were looking forward to joining the Darcys for Christmas dinner later that day.

  Richard looked for Lady Emily as everyone was leaving the church. There were so many people in the aisles that it was difficult to see past the person in front of you and Richard was disappointed that he did not have a chance to speak to her. The Darcys had assured him that Mr. Carter and Lady Emily had both said they were looking forward to enjoying Christmas dinner at Pemberley. Darcy had told his cousin that they also planned to attend tomorrow’s Boxing Day festivities and Richard would have many opportunities to speak to Lady Emily. He was hoping to spend time with her before dinner was served and prayed that they would be seated near each other for the festive meal.

  Mr. Carter and Lady Emily arrived at Pemberley while the Darcys’ guests were gathered in the drawing room, partaking of mulled cider. Darcy escorted the Carters around the room and introduced them to his family and friends. When the group came near the Fitzwilliams, Richard saw his mother quickly appraise Lady Emily and smile. Before any conversation could begin, everyone was called into the grand dining room.

  Elizabeth had supervised the table decor and had arranged the seating carefully. She attempted to seat their guests in a way that might encourage the affections of at least one young couple who seemed to be attracted to one another. Darcy had told her about Richard’s feelings, and she hoped that spending Christmas at Pemberley might help their cousin get to know Lady Emily better.

  Elizabeth had no idea where to place Caroline, so she decided that seating her next to Peter Carter might minimize her caustic remarks. Elizabeth remembered all too clearly the verbal barbs that Caroline aimed at her throughout the Bingleys’ stay in Hertfordshire. She had noticed that Caroline had been on her best behavior since arriving unexpectedly for the Harvest Ball, but she did not yet trust her to behave as a welcome guest should.