Mr. Darcy's Daughter

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  * * *

  They had a particularly fine Spring day for their visit to Rushmore Farm. Mr Carr rode down to meet them and accompany the party along the road to Lambton and thence to Rushmore Farm. Mr Carr and Darcy Gardiner, on horseback, rode ahead of them as Richard, Cassy, their two daughters, and young James followed in the open carriage.

  The sun was warm, and there was the merest whisper of a breeze as they made their way towards the river and across the bridge. With the trees in bloom and the meadows flushed green and gold with new growth, the countryside looked as pretty as a painting. Laura Ann exclaimed at the carpet of wild flowers under the trees.

  When they came over the crest of a small hill and had their first glimpse of the house, its windows gleaming as they caught the morning sun, Lizzie was overwhelmed by the change in the old place. She could only remember Will Camden's place as a rambling old house with dark timbers and dull grey walls. Now, as the house welcomed them with its polished shutters and white painted walls, the transformation was remarkable. Richard and Cassy were most favourably impressed. The old Georgian house was back to looking its best.

  "This is very impressive, Mr Carr," said Richard, and Mr Carr was clearly gratified."It is no mansion, sir, I grant you, but I think it is handsome enough," he said modestly.

  As they went indoors, Cassy echoed her husband's words."I must congratulate you on the fine work you have done throughout, Mr Carr. I see you have still to complete the refurbishment of the rooms," she said and was immediately asked if she would advise on colours and fabrics for drapes and blinds. Work had been completed on only two of the larger rooms and one bedroom upstairs, he confessed; the guest rooms and other living areas remained to be done.

  "I have need of more advice before I undertake any changes," he explained, as they entered a large room with an enormous fireplace and bay windows that provided a very pretty view across the water meadows to the river beyond.

  "And what have you in mind for this room?" asked Cassy and, before he could reply, Lizzie, who was following them, spoke her thoughts aloud.

  "This is such a fine room, with so much light and space; it could be a place where an entire family could spend time in whatever interests and pursuits took their fancy. One might read or sew, another could play the pianoforte or join in a game of cards and still not get in each other's way; indeed, it is an ideal recreation room," she said and Laura, who had been listening, asked,"But Mr Carr does not have a family, Lizzie, what use would it be to him?"

  "Hush, Laura," said Cassy, and Mr Carr made some lighthearted remark about the possibility of a family using the room in the future, but poor Lizzie was so disconcerted, she could not say another word. Moving to the windows she gazed out at the view, while she heard her sister ask,"Do you hope to have a family, Mr Carr?" at which the gentleman, who laughed too readily to be comfortable, Lizzie thought, rambled on saying something that sounded like"Is that not the hope of every man, Miss Laura?"

  Lizzie prayed that Laura would ask no more questions and, to her great relief, her brother Darcy came in and demanded to be taken to see the new foals in the stables and that, mercifully, was the end of it.

  Everyone trooped down to the meadow, where the horses were either tethered or allowed to canter freely around the paddock, while in the stables were the mares with their foals. The enthusiasm with which these endearing creatures were greeted and the excitement of being allowed to stroke them and hand feed them ensured that the awkwardness of the previous few minutes was soon forgotten.

  By the time they returned to the house for refreshments, which had been laid out on trestle tables covered with crisp white tablecloths under the ancient oak tree, the day was considerably warmer and everyone was cheerful. Mr Carr, playing host, was ready to put them all at ease, plying them with food and recounting stories of his sojourn in America.

  Later, they went indoors and, after dinner, which was a simple rather than sumptuous meal, they withdrew to the parlour, where stood a pianoforte, a beautiful old instrument, only recently delivered.

  Lizzie and her sister were persuaded to play and sing for them. Lizzie was an accomplished performer, with many years of dedicated study, while Laura sang with a youthful enthusiasm that usually made up for any lack of style.

  After their short recital, Mr Carr joined them, revealing his own very acceptable talent, as he played and sang, gathering the rest of the company around and encouraging them to join in. Richard and Cassy had not sung together for years, yet with some gentle persuasion, found themselves involved in this most pleasing entertainment, which left them feeling very nostalgic indeed.

  To an observer, it would have appeared to be a happy, almost carefree occasion, but both Cassandra and her husband carried a heavy burden of anxiety and, to them, this was but a delightful interlude.

  Returning home that night, there was much praise for Mr Carr; his hospitality and manners were pronounced perfect and, of course, all the remarkable work he had accomplished at Rushmore Farm deserved their highest accolades. Dr Gardiner commented upon the improvement to the value of the property;young Darcy thought the stud would be much better managed by the new steward, Mr Boyden; and Cassy claimed she had been most impressed with the tasteful refurbishment of the rooms downstairs.

  "It has been done with simplicity and restraint, without compromising the character of the old building. He would certainly have Papa's approval and, as you know, that is not lightly given."

  Her husband agreed and, because Lizzie had been quiet and said nothing at all, he asked,"And what did you like best, Lizzie?"

  When her daughter took a while to answer, Cassy wondered whether she was being inordinately coy. She had noted that their host had complimented her upon her performance at the pianoforte; he had gone over to the instrument and taken out some sheet music, which he had invited Lizzie to try, but Cassy had overheard Lizzie refuse politely, claiming she needed to practice before she could perform a new composition. Whereupon, Mr Carr had given her the music and urged her to take it with her to practice at home, assuring her it was only a trifling little French melody, but a pretty one. Cassy heard him say he was quite sure she would master it easily.

  She had not heard him say, as he escorted them to their carriage, when they were leaving,"Miss Gardiner, I hope I will have the pleasure before too long of hearing you sing 'Les Petites Oiseaux, '" and on hearing her answer that she would do her best to master it, he had added,"I shall certainly look forward to it."

  As it happened, when Lizzie answered,"I think, Mama, I liked the garden best; it's so natural and wild looking," her mother smiled indulgently and said,"That is because Mr Carr has not had the time to tame it yet. Will Camden's mother designed the gardens around Rushmore Farm, but neither Will nor his wife ever took much interest in them. No doubt Mr Carr, when he has completed work on the house, will turn his attention to the rather unruly grounds that surround it."

  Lizzie said nothing, but in her heart, she hoped Mr Carr would do nothing of the sort. She wished he would leave it just as he had found it. The untamed woodlands that seemed almost about to encroach upon the farm and the tranquil water meadows were home to a myriad of wild creatures. They had a special beauty that appealed to her sensibility.

  "Oh dear," she thought, hearing her mother's words,"I do hope Mr Carr will not go out one day and have it all chopped down and get some expensive landscape designer from London to put in a lot of pools and shrubs and silly statues in its place. That would be just dreadful!"

  They were to leave for Cambridge on the Monday following, but one of the horses was sick and needed attention, causing the journey to be postponed by a day or two. Fortuitously, it seemed, Mr Carr who was also travelling on that day, but only to Derby, called in to wish them a safe journey. When invited to take tea with them before proceeding on his way, he accepted with some alacrity.

  Cassandra, being busy with arrangements for her husband's departure, greeted him, asked that tea be served in the morning room,
and left him with Lizzie and her brother, while she went upstairs. Richard was making some notes for Edward about a patient who might have need of medication in his absence and, as she watched him, it was all Cassy could do to hold back her tears. She knew in her heart that his journey, undertaken chiefly to please her parents, was unlikely to result in anything more than the confirmation of the depressing news she had already received from her brother.

  Earlier, she had counselled her daughter, urging her to write and keep her mother informed of any developments taking place in her uncle's household. She did not have much hope that circumstances would change for the better; she could only pray they would not get much worse.

  Meanwhile, downstairs, Mr Carr, having taken tea, was preparing to leave;Lizzie had just told him how much she had liked the grounds around Rushmore Farm.

  "When you return from Cambridge in the Summer, Miss Gardiner, I shall have done a good deal more work on the grounds. I hope you will like them even more, then," he said.

  At these words, Lizzie, quite genuinely alarmed that he was about to"tame the unruly woodlands" as her mother had predicted he would, pleaded,"Please Mr Carr, I do hope you do not intend to cut down the woods and drain the water meadows for pasture."

  Mr Carr seemed astounded."Cut down the woods? Why Miss Gardiner, whatever made you think I could do such a thing? The woods around Rushmore Farm are, for me, the most beautiful part of the property; they are full of grand old trees. I would never dream of it, I assure you," he said earnestly."As for draining the water meadows, you must not forget I am an Irishman, Miss Gardiner. I love the water meadows. I would no more drain them than chop down the splendid old oak that stands at the front of the house."

  Lizzie's bright smile signalled her complete approval, and Mr Carr looked decidedly pleased with her response.

  "Clearly you think as I do, Miss Gardiner," he said, and she agreed,"Oh yes indeed, I think they are the loveliest part of Rushmore Farm, Mr Carr; you have done much to improve the house, but without the woods and the meadows and all the wonderful creatures that live in them, it would be just an ordinary farm. The woods and meadows make all the difference. I am delighted that you intend to leave them just as they are."

  Clearly happy to have her approval, he said,"I most certainly do. I can assure you that when you return from Cambridge, the special beauty of the place will not have been changed. When I spoke just now of work I intended to do, I was thinking of the paddocks and stables for the horses. They need restoring." Lizzie's eyes shone with pleasure, but there was no time for more conversation for Dr Gardiner and Cassy were coming downstairs.

  Lizzie gave him her hand as they parted and, at the very moment when he raised it to his lips, Cassy entered the room.

  Young Darcy, standing at the door, had inadvertently obscured them from his mother's view, which was just as well, for Cassy Gardiner had far too many things to worry about, without beginning to be concerned about the possibility of her daughter, who was not yet nineteen, being courted by the Irish-American grandson of a stable boy.

  As it happened, Mr Carr said his farewells quickly, thanked the Gardiners, and left, taking young Darcy with him. They had business in Derby, to do with the horse stud, Darcy said. Both Cassy and her husband had noted the easy friendship that existed between their son and Mr Carr. Richard was particularly pleased."Mr Carr seems a mature and sensible man; I hope his example will encourage Darcy to settle into a suitable career," he said, as the two men drove away.

  Lizzie embraced her mother before her father assisted her into the carriage. Cassy smiled for them, but watched them go with a heavy heart. The disturbing echo of Josie's words at Pemberley, about the sad fate of women who sacrificed their personal happiness in the service of others, and the memory of her brother's despondent countenance as he met her eyes could not be easily dispelled.

  * * *

  Through the Spring of 1865 and into the Summer, Michael Carr continued to work hard at the farm, building up and developing the property he felt he had so advantageously and fortuitously acquired. Ever since he had come into his uncle's money, he had longed for a place of his own. Not so as to win the favour of those members of society who valued a man by the extent of his property, but because he longed to feel a part of a community, however small.

  Never having lived in Ireland, he had little more than ties of sentiment to the old country; as for America, where he had spent his early childhood and some of his later years, he felt no more at home there than he would in Brazil or Canada, where many men had gone in search of fortune and power.

  In France, it had been different; he had enjoyed the life and loved the country, with its ancient heritage and rich culture, but he was always at a disadvantage. However proficient he became at the language, France was not his home. He had made many friends, but remained always the outsider. Only in England, where he had been at school for many years, had he felt some sense of belonging. Since he had returned recently and become friends with young Darcy Gardiner and met his family, his entire world had changed.

  With the acquisition of his own little piece of England, in a part of the country that had once been home to his grandparents, he had at last begun to feel the tug of a homeland upon his heart.

  He worked hard at improving the place and hoped to have it ready when Summer returned. Perhaps, he asked young Darcy, they might even play a game of cricket here. Darcy wasn't certain; he would have to ask his team, he said, but he was sure something could be arranged.

  "What about a country dance, after the customary cricket match at Kympton?" he suggested. Darcy was certain that would be very well received."Because," he explained,"apart from the annual Harvest Festival and the ball at Pemberley, to which not everyone is invited, there are few places the younger folk of the village can attend for a dance. Not everyone wants to go into Derby to the assembly rooms. I am sure if you have a dance at Rushmore Farm, you will be enormously popular with all the families in the district."

  Mr Carr thought he liked the sound of that. It would be a very good way to get to know all his neighbours, landholders and tenants alike.

  "Perhaps, we could have fireworks?" he suggested, and Darcy thought that was a very good scheme, indeed.

  It would all require a great deal of work, of course, but Mr Carr was confident it could be done and Darcy promised to help.

  Unhappily for Mr Carr, however, they were overtaken soon afterwards by events in London, where the political situation was gaining in heat and rhetoric what it was losing in logic and clarity. At breakfast, some days later, reading from a letter he had received from Mr Colin Elliott, MP, Darcy Gardiner announced,"Lord Palmerston, having won a vote of confidence in the Commons, by the skin of his teeth, is now, at the age of eighty, intending to fight another election, on no issue at all, except that of his own popularity. The man's a megalomaniac!"

  Before the day was out, Darcy, whose fascination with politics had been stoked to a blaze by the news, was preparing to set off for Westminster with the intention of"being in at the death" and involving himself in Mr Elliott's campaign for re-election.

  That, unfortunately, left Mr Carr on his own, with no one to turn to for advice, since with the onset of Spring, Cassy Gardiner was deeply involved in the affairs of her father's estate, Pemberley.

  Already there had been disputes between old tenants and newcomers, which needed settling, and the allocation of grazing rights on the Common, which was made available to all, was coming up again as a potentially contentious issue. Mr Darcy's steward had appealed for Cassy's help in resolving the matter. She had her hands full.

  Returning from Cambridge, her husband had brought no news, except that both Julian and Josie had welcomed Lizzie with what appeared to be genuine pleasure."No doubt, they will enjoy having Lizzie to sit between them at table each night," he said."I must confess I found the quite palpable atmosphere of coldness very difficult indeed."

  "Poor little Lizzie, I do hope she is not going to be miserable
," said Cassy, almost wishing she had not kept her promise to send them her daughter for company. Richard was certain that Lizzie, being intelligent and sensible, would find sufficient things to occupy her."Anthony was clearly delighted to see her," he said, and Cassy was reminded once more of Julian's sad tale about the boy.

  Meanwhile, as if to mock her own discontent, letters from Kent and Hertfordshire brought good news aplenty. Her cousins, Emma and James Wilson, were at the centre of a resurgent campaign to press for electoral reform.

  Emma wrote:

  With the possibility of Mr Gladstone being elected with sufficient support to lead the Liberal and Reformist MPs in the new Parliament (for they have quite given up on Lord

  James says he is embarrassed that England is being so tardy about giving ordinary men the vote. (As for the women, no one is prepared to speculate when that might even be regarded as a debatable proposition!)

  Your Darcy is here and being exceedingly helpful. He has so much energy and keeps everyone entertained with his imitations of Lord Palmerston.

  Emma was clearly enjoying the prospect.

  Cassy, who had never been able to summon up enough enthusiasm to become involved in politics herself, could not help but admire her cousin's devotion to her husband's cause of reform.

  Not long afterwards, from Netherfield came even more good news, as the Bingleys, Jonathan and Anna, celebrated the return of Jonathan's son Charles to Hertfordshire. Not only did they express their pleasure at his decision to work at the new Children's Hospital, but the letter brought also the very special news that Jonathan's daughter Anne-Marie was expecting her first child at Christmas. Having no children from her first marriage, Anne-Marie had longed for a child.

  Anna wrote of their happiness:

  Especially because dear Anne-Marie has suffered so much in the past, one almost has to pray that this time it will turn out all right. She and Mr Elliott are delighted, of course, but just at this moment seem to be concentrating more upon the election which looms in July than the baby due in December.