by Nicky Roth
While Elizabeth had escaped one evil, if one could even call it that, another had re-surfaced. What to do about William? Or rather Mr Darcy. Again it left her quite in a quandary. However, she had barely sat in the window seat of her room for more than five minutes, when there was a knock and, with some hesitation, Jane stepped in.
'Lizzy, are you quite all right? You have been awfully quiet these past few days, and while I did not want to pry, I do start to worry, Lizzy.'
'It is nothing, I assure you.'
'If it were nothing you would not always be so very far away with your thoughts these days. Is it still about William? Have you found out something?'
Though Elizabeth would have loved nothing more than to confide in her sister at this point, she had given Mr Darcy her word not to say anything to anybody and she was a woman of her word. On the other hand, seeing that her father now knew likewise who his under-gardener really was, perhaps that promise had become void. But no, a promise was a promise and she would not say anything.
'Yes, Jane, I have found out something, but as it is, I gave my word not to speak about it,' Elizabeth, eventually replied, choosing to be honest while at the same time not to betray William's trust.
A worried look crossed her sister's face though she did not say anything. Not at first at least. Instead, Jane wrapped her arms around her younger sister and pulled her close.
'You know,' Jane eventually whispered, 'in matters of the heart, sometimes the brain can be a bad advisor.'
'Perhaps, but to follow one's heart blindly, can lead down the road of destruction, Jane.'
'Lizzy, you are far too wise to give your word to a dishonourable man and seeing that you did give William your word not to say anything, the only conclusion I can come to is that he is indeed Mr Darcy just as you assumed from reading Aunt Madeleine's letter. Is that so? A nod or a shake of your head will suffice to set me at ease.'
Hesitantly Elizabeth did nod, and Jane's face broke into a smile.
'See, then all will be well as long as you do not let your head rule over your heart too much.'
From downstairs their mother's voice drifted down the hallways of Longbourn House and broke the last bit of tension that had hung between Jane and Elizabeth, ending in an exasperated sigh from one and the usual roll of her eyes from the other sister.
Perhaps Jane was right, perhaps it was time to follow her heart and with that, do what both her father and her sister had suggested. She would no longer avoid William, since to her, that would always be his true self. The very man she had fallen in love with. He was honourable, he would not be her downfall, and the worst she had to fear was a broken heart. If she was lucky, on the other hand, perhaps she would become the happiest of women.
Chapter 39
I see my path, but don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going it what inspires me to travel it.
- Rosalia de Castro
It was shortly after five o’clock when a carriage approached Longbourn House, rounding the corner on the other side of the boundary before turning into the little lane that eventually would lead to the driveway of the estate. A chaise and four Darcy knew all too well. It was not as if he had not expected Bingley to visit Longbourn for a second time that day. Not with seeing that he had been made to rake the driveway again to have it nice and smooth and that most of the afternoon Peters and he had spent tending the already well-tended flowerbeds at the front of the house even more to make them look as pristine as they possibly could. In the end, not a single early blossom was out of line, not a twig astray. Since Bingley, apparently was a little early, something that did not happen all that often, they had hardly finished their chores when he did arrive.
'From what I gather Mrs Bennet has some hopes that the young man will fall in love with one of her daughters. And seeing that all of them are so very pretty, I dare say he shall,' Peters mused quietly as they picked up their tools to retreat in the most inconspicuous manner possible. 'Do you know the man?'
'Yes, Sir. He is a very fine young gentleman. As a matter of fact, I was the one who recommended Netherfield to him,' Darcy all but whispered back.
'Is that so? That was very good of you then.'
It was hard to make out whether Peters was teasing or speaking in earnest, but at this point, Darcy had to admit to himself that perhaps his recommendation had been born less from the want of helping his friend than from his own desire to be able to return to Hertfordshire once he was back to his old self. If the latter being the case, it had been done quite subconsciously. And besides, it hardly mattered now. What was done was done and there was little use denying that Netherfield Park was both conveniently close to London while at the same time on the way up north and by all accounts perfectly suitable for a gentleman such as Charles Bingley. What did matter, however, was that Peters still treated him just the same as he had always done, and in all honesty, that was a very good thing.
He would have stood to the side next to Peters, a little distance away and in the shadows, to bow as soon as the carriage passed, but as it was, at that very moment he spotted Prickler scrambling across the driveway towards the hedge on the other side completely unaware of the danger dashing towards him.
Without much thinking, Darcy rushed forward and reached the little creature just in time to pick it up and bring it to safety. For sure it was a somewhat stupid move seeing that four temperamental horses in a trot had to be brought to a halt, but how could he not rescue his little friend?
As it was, the carriage came to an abrupt halt mere inches away from both of them and while the coachman merely looked bewildered and slightly taken aback, Bingley inquired whether everything was alright and Miss Caroline, whom he only saw now, looked out the window and down her nose to see what was going on. At spotting him, her initial curious and slightly shocked expression turned to one of disdain and disapproval and she promptly began a tirade directed at her brother.
'Now really, did you see that, Charles? What could this imbecile possibly mean by running in front of our carriage? And what is that horrible creature he is holding? You might think country manners to be charming, but I really beg to differ. People here obviously do not know how to properly train their staff. And to run around this dirty!'
'Caroline, please. Ever since we arrived here, you have made it sufficiently clear that you do not approve of Netherfield nor of its surroundings, but please... - Are you alright, Dar... - eh, man? You are not harmed, are you?'
'No, Sir, I've not been harmed, and I beg your pardon, Sir,' Darcy stammered, hoping his friend's slip of tongue went unnoticed by the man's sister. 'It was just that...'
In fact, he was pretty certain that any moment now, Caroline Bingley would recognise him even without her brother's aid, if not by his appearance than by his voice, but all she did was deepen her scowl and huffily lean back in her seat. As unexpected as it was, for now, he was safe. From Caroline that was. Peters was obviously not impressed with his recent actions either.
'What on earth were you thinking, lad? You could have killed yourself! And what an impression it must have made on the lady...'
'The impression I may have made on Miss Bingley matters little, Sir. Nothing pleases her but herself, money, and advancing in society. Her brother, on the other hand, did recognise me, and that is that. He knows me well enough, after all,' Darcy shrugged, remembering full well why it was Bingley was here in the first place.
Perhaps it was not so surprising after all that Caroline had not recognised him. Other than Elizabeth Bennet, she, as well as most other ladies from town, would not concern herself with a servant, much less look at him twice. It was but rarely that she even thanked her own servants, and he very much doubted that she knew any of them by name. Well, her abigail perhaps, and only with any luck. He would not wager on it.
'He recognised you and didn't say anything?' Peters questioned with some astonishment, interrupting Darcy's unpleasant musings. 'He surely must have been surprised.'
'No,
he knew about my being here and he's seen me already this very morning.'
'Oh, of course. Well anyway, your little friend seems quite happy and safe again, so I suggest you put him down and we see whether we can grab something to eat. The kitchen will be in turmoil, let me tell you, seeing that Mrs Bennet turned the whole menu upside down, insisting on two full courses and that nothing but three different sweets per course will do.'
Well, they had gotten a taste of it during lunch already. Not that there had been much of a lunch, to begin with. It was more like sneaking a slice of bread, a bit of cheese, and an apple. Fanny had looked close to tears, Leah was running around like a headless chicken again and Smith seemed close to a nervous break down while John was grudgingly peeling potatoes, apples, and carrots, his gaze still shooting daggers at Darcy as soon as he had stepped into the kitchen. Which reminded him, he still had to tell everybody that he would leave...
Taking his mind off such gloomy thoughts, Darcy replied dryly: 'As said, knowing Miss Bingley, I'd say Mrs Bennet is quite correct in her assumptions regarding the meal. I once heard the lady complain that the sugar served with her tea was too sweet.'
'Oh dear! - Ha, on the other hand, it likely means that some of the food that had been intended for today will be for us... - I personally hope that we can get some of that nice joint of roast beef that was left over the other day. It was meant to be served as a cold salad, but perhaps that's not fancy enough for tonight. One can always hope.'
'Certainly, Sir.'
Chapter 40
Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people.
- Tena Desae
They made their way inside, and as Peters had predicted, the kitchen was in turmoil. However, the pleased expression on Smith's face clearly showed that despite the chaos surrounding her, everything was well under control and the battle, for surely that was the most appropriate word for it, was all but won. John, much to his discomfort sported a livery that was slightly too big for him and the butler as well was back to his formal attire, wig and all.
Only a short while now and dinner would be served. The platters, terrines, bowls and gravy boats were all placed neatly on the table, ready to be filled and the fruit displays were already arranged to their best advantage. Nothing too fancy Darcy noticed, merely oranges, apples and some pears; nothing in comparison to what could be purchased in London even during the deepest winter.
However, all of them had been meticulously polished and looked as tempting as any pineapple, melon or other exotic fruit ever could. While Pemberley did have a well-stocked hothouse with quite a variety of different trees, in his opinion there was little that was more delicious than an apple straight from the tree.
'Ah, for you, dinner will be a while, still,' Smith remarked, while on the other hand, that she did not chase them out of the kitchen was yet another good sign that despite everything, all had gone well. 'I first need to get all this stuff out of the way and then prepare for the second course, which thankfully isn't all that much anymore. With all this food, I have to wonder why a second course is even necessary. Ah, and Tom, Charlie, Bob and Henry will have to take care of the horses...'
She trailed off before turning back to her pots and pans on the stove.
'Is there anything I can help you with?' Darcy could not help himself asking.
But perhaps they needed more coal or water or the like.
'Ha, why don't you clean yourself up and help us serve,' John piped up sullenly. 'After all, you like to put yourself forward and mingle with the ladies, don't you? Think you can do everything better than the rest of us.'
'That's enough, John!' Mrs Hill interrupted him before he could say any more, while cook, unfortunately, seemed to think it quite a good plan, ignoring the faintly malicious smirk that had spread over the boy's face, clearly indicating that all John's design was to get his fellow into trouble. - And successfully so.
'Now, that's a very good idea, John. This way the food would be out of the way a lot faster and I could start preparing for the second course, and there is still Hill's old livery that doesn't fit him anymore. It might not fit you perfectly, William, but perhaps with a little adjustment, it'll do just fine. Besides, you are handsome enough to be a footman.'
'He sure is,' Leah giggled and Fanny nodded in agreement.
Oh dear! That was most certainly not what Darcy had expected nor intended. Beside him, Peters shrugged, his expression one between concern and amusement. Well, in for a penny in for a pound. At any rate, before he knew it, Mrs Hill had dragged him with her, poured water into a wash bowl and wandered off again to get her husband's old livery while Peters had been asked to get Johnson's wig.
'What if I drop something?' Darcy tried to reason. 'After all, I've little experience carrying plates and I wouldn't know from which side to serve and...'
It was the first time he kind of had to agree with Caroline Bingley. In town, no-one would ever consider sending a mere under-gardener to serve. Even the thought was preposterous. Yet it was hard to deny that sending the maids to help would raise just as many eyebrows there than sending a gardener. And as it was Miss Bingley would find fault at any rate, no matter what. From what Bingley had said, she already was determined not to enjoy herself.
'Oh, don't you worry, you won't need to serve, only help bring the food upstairs and leave the rest to John and Mr Hill. - Oh, don't bother with your fingernails, you'll be wearing gloves anyway. As long as your face is clean all will be well,' Mrs Hill assured him as she was returning with a well-used livery slightly smelling of lavender to keep the moths at bay.
No, all would not be well. He was in trouble and yet, there was no time explaining matters. If she would even believed him, that was.
Soon enough after taking his time cleaning himself up, Darcy found that in any event, he would have been in a right dilemma, seeing that just now Bingley's groom and footman stepped in through the backdoor where they would wait until the carriage would be called for again. And as it was, while neither of them knew him personally, they had seen him often enough to be able to recognise him. Yet another thing he had stupidly not thought about. He was truly trapped between a rock and a hard place.
After putting the wig on, there was little to do but pick up the terrine Mrs Smith held out for him and follow Hill and John up the little staircase and through the house and over to the dining room. It was the first time Darcy saw any of the house itself. It was by no means grand, but well and comfortably furnished and all in all surprisingly modern considering that the outside was such a broad array of styles spanning several centuries. Just like Pemberley, this was a home, not a display to impress others and he had to admit that he quite liked it. Not that it mattered right now. From within the dining-parlour he could hear voices and at any moment, Hill would open the door...
Chapter 41
Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and the let the food fight it out inside.
- Mark Twain
Just as Elizabeth had expected, Miss Bingley was much less pleasant than her brother. To be quite frank, she was insufferable. From the moment she had stepped into the house, she had made it perfectly clear that in her opinion this visit was anything but a pleasure and that, had she been given the choice, she would have preferred to stay at Netherfield even if it meant that she would be bored to bedlam.
'I have to say, this is a very comfortable room,' Miss Bingley cooed, and not for the first time.
It was a little like watching a well-trained parrot repeating the same pleasantries over and over again while not knowing what they actually meant. Even her attire fit that picture quite perfectly.
While the colour of her dress was a breath-taking shade of lavender and the fabric the finest silk to be had, the cut was a little daring and the adornments decidedly over the top. The pink and purple roses, abundant ruffles and golden lace nearly smothered th
e rather petite and slender woman underneath and the fashionable turban sporting a gaudily dyed ostrich feather did not really complement the dress. Then again, what did Elizabeth know about high fashion? And seeing some of the bonnets at the haberdasher's down in Meryton, or Mary King's rather odd hairstyle during the last assembly, perhaps it was she herself who had it all wrong.
At least they had managed to persuade Mary to wear one of Elizabeth's gowns again and style her hair a little less sternly. Even a couple of curls escaped her pins. If there was nothing else to take joy in during this dinner, then Mary’s small achievements in improving her looks was to be her pleasure for the night. Well, that and that Jane was pleasantly engaged in a conversation with Mr Bingley, who once more paid her the utmost attention.
'Oh, that is very kind of you,' her mother presently replied, seemingly unaware of the insincerity of their new acquaintance's remark. 'Especially seeing that you must be used to the most elegant of saloons. But as it is, I try and do my best to have everything as comfortable as I possibly can, and my girls are just like me. Always trying to improve things by covering the screen in the latest fashion. And only last week did Jane finish the matching cushions. They turned out rather well, do you not agree? But she is, without a doubt, my most accomplished daughter and so gentle, elegant, and beautiful.'
