by Lauren King
“Would you like to go home, Georgiana?” Elizabeth asks thoughtfully while holding her hand and ensuring her. “This is not a something to be overly worried about; it is only a dress.”
When Miss Winters hears Elizabeth’s statement, she gets angry and says, “Do you know how expensive this dress is? How would you like it if this happened to you? Obviously, your dress is not of the same quality, so you would not care, but I do care.”
Elizabeth looks condescendingly at Miss Winters and says firmly, “It was an accident, Miss Winters. Miss Darcy did not do it deliberately. By the way, your friend Miss Henderson is the one who grabbed Miss Darcy’s arm causing her to spill her tea, accidentally, on you. Therefore, in actuality, it is Miss Henderson’s fault for grabbing her acquaintance like that. Miss Darcy did not ask to be grabbed in such a manner especially by someone she barely knows. Now, is that the only expensive dress you have; therefore, you are this angry over a small tea spill and forgot your manners? Obviously, your manners are not of the same quality as Miss Darcy’s, so you would not care, but I do care that you are rude to everybody.” Elizabeth proclaims straightforwardly and sternly at Miss Winters like she is reprimanding a small child; her stare towards the ill-mannered Miss Winters is unwavering. There is no misunderstanding with Elizabeth’s bluntness; she never wants to sound coarse and degrading, but Miss Winters was too mean towards her and Georgiana.
Both Miss Winters and Miss Henderson are red-faced and speechless while glaring at Elizabeth in response.
Georgiana speaks up with sincerity, “Miss Winters, I am truly sorry for the accident. I can pay for your dress, please send your bill to Darcy House.”
Both Miss Henderson and Miss Winters are still speechless, thus they do not respond to either Elizabeth or Georgiana. Miss Winters abruptly turns and walks to Mr. Bingley and then demands that he takes her home. Mr. Bingley is embarrassed and rushes to bid everyone farewell; afterwards, he escorts both young ladies to his carriage.
Before leaving, Bingley looks at Darcy with discomfiture; Darcy gives Bingley money to pay for Miss Winters’ dress. Bingley refuses the money, but Darcy does not relent. He, unsympathetically, says that he will go home with his sister.
“I will contact you tomorrow, Bingley.” Darcy says discontentedly.
When Miss Winters sees this exchange, she is angrier and hastily turns without any farewells. Miss Henderson follows behind her with full embarrassment. Bingley nods at Darcy and then bows to everyone, before following the two young ladies outside.
Darcy cannot believe how badly Miss Winters acted because of such a small incident. This just shows how false Miss Winters and Miss Henderson were being when they were fussing over Georgiana earlier before the accident. Their true personality and behavior revealed itself under the strain of a problem. Darcy was glad to see that Miss Elizabeth was caring of Georgiana and stood up for her. Miss Elizabeth set Miss Winters down just as she deserved.
“Georgiana, do not worry about this anymore. I already gave Bingley the money to pay for Miss Winters’ dress.” Darcy says tenderly and then turns to address Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, thank you for your care of my sister. I am sorry you had to experience that from Miss Winters.” Darcy states frankly; he truly means to compliment her.
“I am fine, Mr. Darcy. I do not think it was right for Miss Winters to be so harsh with Georgiana for such a simple accident. I am sorry I had to be forthright with your friend, sir.” Elizabeth says candidly and confidently while looking directly at Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth did not want to offend Mr. Darcy’s friends, but she could not let Miss Winters’ snide remark go unchecked. Who does she think she is to talk to Elizabeth like that? If he is offended by Elizabeth’s conduct, then she will not associate with him. However, she knows that may affect her friendship with Georgiana. Well, if Mr. Darcy does not approve for Georgiana to be friends with her after this incident, then it was not meant to be.
“Not at all, Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy replies simply, but inside, he is rather taken by Miss Elizabeth.
All five people fit in Mrs. Gardiner’s carriage and are taken back to Darcy House. During the ride home, there is some talk about what plays are showing the next month at the theaters. When they reach Darcy House, Georgiana invites Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth to have some proper tea and pastries at Darcy House. Both ladies decline nicely; they are expected home for a previous engagement. When Darcy hands out Georgiana, he takes one last glance at Miss Elizabeth. This glance is misinterpreted by Elizabeth as disapproval because he was quiet, rigid, and unsmiling during the entire ride; unlike Colonel Fitzwilliam who was his amiable self.
Darcy’s glance was, in fact, not disapproval but admiration for Miss Elizabeth. Darcy did not smile, so it looked like disapproval. In retrospect, he thought that it was careless of him not to have given a small friendly smile, but he does not think that Miss Elizabeth will be offended because he thanked her for defending Georgiana which means he approved of her actions, not disapproved of her.
All the pleasantries are conveyed, and then Richard candidly asks Elizabeth if he could call upon her this Saturday morning. Elizabeth does not know how to decline him after what just happened. She really only has friendly feelings for him; consequently, she does not want to lead him on in any way. However, she does not want to embarrass him by declining his visit in front of her Aunt. She will let him call upon her, and then she will indicate to him that they should be friends.
“Oh…Colonel Fitzwilliam, please do not feel that you have to apologize again for someone else’s rudeness. I am quite fine, but if you are inclined to visit me and my family, then you may call upon us at half past eleven o’clock on Saturday.”
“I will not apologize for Miss Winters’ rudeness. However, I do want to finish telling you about the countries that I visited throughout Europe.” Richard replies pleasantly.
“I look forward to it, then. Good day, Colonel Fitzwilliam.” Elizabeth smiles attractively.
“Good day to you both, Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth.” Richard displays his own charming smile and then bows confidently before their carriage moves away from Darcy House.
Inside Darcy House, the three cousins discuss what occurred. Georgiana is worried that Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth were offended by Miss Winters’ and Miss Henderson’s conduct; consequently, that is why they did not come in for tea at Darcy House.
“Maybe they think we associate with ladies like that, and they are offended that Miss Winters spoke rudely to Elizabeth. Did the ladies seem upset or offended when you left them, Richard?” Georgiana asks with concern.
“No, they did not, Georgie. Do not worry. Miss Elizabeth does not seem to be that kind of person. She defended you; she will not turn around and be angry with you afterwards. She knows that those two young ladies are not your personal friends.” Richard pats Georgiana’s arm to reassure her.
When Georgiana goes upstairs to rest for a while, Richard is able to speak more freely with Darcy about Miss Elizabeth.
“Well, Darcy? What do you think of Miss Elizabeth? Did I not tell you that she was beautiful? Did I not say that she was sophisticated, caring, considerate, and intelligent? Today, I can also see that she is forthright, fair, and helpful to all. She will defend what is right; she is not intimidated by others who are arrogant or haughty.” Richard says proudly for being right in his assessment of Miss Elizabeth.
“You are right on all accounts. You are quite taken with her. You know that her Father’s estate is small, right? And he has five daughters to marry off.” Darcy reminds Richard tactfully. He knows that his cousin must marry some young lady with a decent dowry in order for them to maintain the lavish lifestyle of a titled family in the first circles.
“Is that what you heard from Bingley?”
“Yes. There was also some other gossip that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst also heard. Obviously, I listened to all of that with some understanding that the information may be askew a bit. However, there is no denying that
the Mother is uncouth and embarrassing; I saw it and heard with my own eyes and ears. Fortunately, Miss Elizabeth’s Father is a gentleman.”
“Well, I trust your judgement about Mrs. Bennet, but I do not see Miss Elizabeth being anything like that. Miss Elizabeth has agreed for me to call upon her this Saturday. I will speak to her more and further assess everything. I like talking to her. It is very easy and fun to talk with her. I have never talked to any other ladies as I do with Miss Elizabeth. And she is very easy on the eyes, is she not, Darcy?” Richard chuckles openly.
Darcy must forget about the idea of pursuing Miss Elizabeth, especially now that Richard will seriously seek her out for himself. Darcy does not want to affect his relationship with Richard; Darcy will have to bury his feelings for her. He still wonders about her ties to trade on her Mother’s side and the effect that it could have on Georgiana if she continues her friendship with Miss Elizabeth. However, he has no good reason to advise against it. Miss Elizabeth seems confident, responsible, reasonable, and astute – all the things that Georgiana could learn from and emulate.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8th – GARDINER RESIDENCE
“Welcome, Mr. Allston, how are you this morning?” Mr. Gardiner says genially, and then everybody relays their courtesies.
Elizabeth takes a seat next to her Aunt on the sofa.
Mr. Allston smiles handsomely directly at Elizabeth then he turns to Mrs. Gardiner and says, “My parents send their best to the both of you, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner.”
“Oh, how nice. Please, send them our best regards, Mr. Allston.” Mrs. Gardiner says warmly.
“I will, Ma’am.” Mr. Allstons’ smiling gaze is back on Elizabeth.
“Have you had this new South American coffee, Mr. Allston? Mr. Gardiner is beginning to import them. Many people enjoy the taste, and many shops are asking for it daily.” Mrs. Gardiner is sweetly amused at Mr. Allston’s partiality towards Elizabeth.
“I believe I have and I also enjoy its taste, Mrs. Gardiner.” Mr. Allston is cheerful and confident when conversing with others; with a beautiful incentive such as Miss Elizabeth, he is more than willing to be talkative.
They have nice general conversations along with their coffees, and then Mr. Gardiner excuses himself for a bit to write a letter. At this point, their eldest child, Athena comes into the drawing room looking very lady-like and shy; she sits near Mrs. Gardiner and shows her the drawing that she drew. Everyone compliments her work. Athena becomes shyer but smiles gaily. Then, Mrs. Gardiner and Athena go to sit at the table by the window to read.
“Mama, I want to read the book to you. I want to be very smart and beautiful like cousin Lizzy.” Athena says warmly and seriously.
The three adults smile at her innocent comment. Mr. Allston glances at Elizabeth and sees her pretty blush. There is no doubt that he wants to pursue her. She is well liked by everybody – even children.
“Of course, sweetheart. You are a smart and talented girl already. Lizzy always says that you are a pretty girl.” Mrs. Gardiner states with a mother’s pride.
Elizabeth comes over to hug Athena and joyfully guides her over to the chairs near the windows overlooking the back gardens. “You are an adorable, pretty girl, and you will be smarter than me, Athena. All you have to do is keep studying, alright, sweetie?” Elizabeth kisses her all over her cheeks playfully. Both cousins giggle in contentment.
“All right, Lizzy.” Athena laughs because of the ticklish kisses. Then, she lowers her voice and sweetly asks, “Is he your gentleman friend, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth replies, “Yes, he is our family friend, sweetie.” Lizzy tweaks Athena’s nose and then leaves her at the table with Mrs. Gardiner.
Elizabeth and Mr. Allston continue their conversations while Athena softly reads to Mrs. Gardiner. They enjoy talking about art, about where Mr. Allston has gone for holidays, and about his university days. In turn, he asks her about Hertfordshire and her family. Elizabeth tells him a little bit about her family, and then she talks about some of her experiences with helping her Father’s estate.
Mr. Allston is impressed when he hears of her assisting her Father with his estate. She reads the sales and purchase contracts; she reviews the expenditures for their estate and for the tenants. She is humble about her beauty and praises her elder sister as being the very pretty one of their family. Naturally, he thinks Elizabeth is beautiful, thus he wonders how much prettier can her elder sister be? Additionally, he ponders if all four sisters are as pretty as Elizabeth.
The more he talks to Elizabeth, the more he likes her. He feels that she is responsive to his partiality. He contemplates on whether she has any suitors currently in London or in Hertfordshire. At his family’s ball, he saw several gentlemen speak to her on a knowledgeable level. He saw how she was admired by them, but she was not apparently inclined towards any particular gentleman. This is a positive sign for him; he can show his attentions towards her and not be worried about competing with many other suitors.
After an hour, Mr. Allston bids the ladies farewell and promises to extend the Gardiners’ and Miss Elizabeth’s greetings to his parents. Mr. Allston leaves the Gardiners’ residence with joy of befriending such an admirable young lady who he will pursue for his future. This has been a fine day, indeed.
By half past eleven o’clock, Richard greets the Gardiners and Elizabeth in their drawing room. He is handsome and jovial as usual. The four people happily talk about Richard’s adventures in the military. He regales his stories of fighting in foreign countries when he first started in the military. After some tea and pastries, all three Gardiner children come into the drawing room and ask that Elizabeth play with them. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner take the two boys out to the garden to play. Athena asks to stay behind and draw at the window table.
After conversing with Elizabeth for an hour, Richard senses that he and Elizabeth can be good friends. There is no awkward flirting or discomfiture. They talk with ease and contentment. They understand each other and clearly respect one another. Is this a good sign for a future together as something more than friendship? Is this enough for him? Will other emotions develop with time? Is this what she wants? Is this what he wants?
Athena comes over and asks Elizabeth and Richard what they think of her drawing. They both compliment that her drawing room picture is good given she just started to work on it not too long ago. Athena shyly thanks them and says that she will try to draw Elizabeth and Richard sitting in their seats.
“Sir, your outfit is more colorful than the other gentleman’s.” Athena states innocently.
“Really, Miss Gardiner? What color was the other gentleman’s outfit?” Richard asks with a teasing smile. His Colonel’s uniform is red and gold on the jacket. It does look more colorful than a gentleman’s suit.
“His outfit was gray and black, right, Lizzy?” Athena asks candidly and naively.
“Yes, it was, Athena.” Lizzy smiles at Athena and then at Richard.
“Gray and black…I do not think he is a colonel like me, then. Is that right, Miss Gardiner? What title does he have?” Richard is fishing for information on this man; he thinks that this other man is another caller for Elizabeth.
“I do not know about Mr. Allston’s title. What is a title, sir?” Athena asks adorably.
Richard smiles then explains to Athena as simply as possible, and when she is satisfied, she goes back to the drawing table. Richard smiles at Elizabeth but does not say anything about this Mr. Allston, although he can guess that this must be Mr. Lucas Allston from the ball. If Athena has seen Mr. Allston, that means he has called upon Elizabeth already. Well, well, well.
“How long will you be staying in town, Miss Elizabeth?” Richard asks cheerfully.
“My Aunt and Uncle have invited me to stay into the New Years.”
“That is nice. I think Darcy and Georgiana are also staying in town this Christmas. My regiment is staying put for now, so I will be able to enjoy this Christmas season in town too.”
At t
he end of the hour, Mrs. Gardiner comes back into the drawing room, and Athena shows her the drawing. Richard knows his visit is at an end; hence, he bids everyone a good day. Elizabeth walks him to the foyer, and after the maid, retrieves his outer wear, she leaves the two friends alone.
“Miss Elizabeth, thank you for allowing me to call on you today. I hope I did not bore you with all the talk of Europe and the future.”
“Absolutely not, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Thank you for visiting today. I sincerely enjoyed our talks. I rarely get to talk to any of my family or friends about those things; therefore, I am glad to have this opportunity to talk with you and learn from you. Today was special – two friends enjoying their talks with each other.” Elizabeth smiles demurely and warmly; she hopes that Colonel Fitzwilliam heard what she said just now. “I hope that we will always stay friends, Colonel.”
“I would enjoy us staying friends, Miss Elizabeth – good friends.” Richard smiles cordially. “I would like to have a lady friend so that I can have access to what a lady thinks. I would be glad to have your honest advice when certain issues arise.” Richard says amiably and openly. He definitely does not want to lose Elizabeth as a friend. They will be life-long friends if he can help it. “However, I think if we are friends and we are amongst close friends and family, then you can call me Richard instead of Colonel Fitzwilliam.” Richard wears a friendly, contagious smile.
“Well, that means you will call me Elizabeth, then.” They both chuckle in acceptance of their new status.
Elizabeth confides in her Aunt about her feelings for Richard and Mr. Allston. She and Richard have just agreed to be friends, and they will address each other by their Christian names when they are in the presence of close friends and family. On the other hand, Elizabeth is still not certain about Mr. Allston; she will have to see when they talk more. Mrs. Gardiner is glad that Elizabeth knows her mind and is forthright with Colonel Fitzwilliam. He seems to be a good, honorable man.
