Elizabeth grinned, “Wouldn’t that be as it should, though? Your sister will inherit Hartfield when your father passes. You and Knightley have Donwell Abbey to live in, do you not?”
“If it were not for the fact that my father needs looking after, I would gladly live at Donwell. Yet I fear that Isabella would not be able to look after our father. She is too like him she has not my energy and she is not able to always do the things for him that I can.”
“You have done your part for your father. If he chooses to replace you with your sister, then that is his choice.”
Emma looked away. What Elizabeth had said made sense, yet her father’s words still stung. After all that she had done for him, it felt to Emma as if he only cared about allowing her to do so when he could control her every move. Everything had to be oriented around him, and now that she had taken a step that secured her own happiness, he did not want to even know her. How could that be? “I know that what you say is right, I just... I cannot quite understand how it is that my father thinks that we should be as strangers to him. I could live with Isabella taking over as mistress of Hartfield, but not this, not being a stranger to my own father. I love Knightley so much, but my father’s words have taken away a lot of the joy that I should feel in my union.”
Elizabeth looked at Emma. Compassion was written over every feature. Yet Emma was sure that Elizabeth could not understand how much pain Emma felt over her father’s words. Knightley and Darcy came looking for the girls at that moment, and their private moment was over. “What have you done to my wife?” Knightley jokingly asked Elizabeth.
“She has done nothing. I was simply telling her the vicious thing my father told me as we sat at the wedding breakfast.” Emma stammered through her tears. Knightley sat next to his wife and pulled her into his arms.
“You know how your father hates change. He is simply reacting to the change that we forced on him.” Knightley gently soothed his wife. “If things are as you fear, then we can still walk over daily to see John and Isabella. We’ll see more of our nephews and niece.”
“I know. I just don’t know how Father could say such a thing to me on the day that should have been our day.”
“Emma, Emma, Emma, he had very little attention that day, you were getting it all. He was as jealous of your attention as much as he was hating the change that has been forced. We will see how things sit when we go back to Hartfield. Now, please let’s enjoy our time with our friends.”
Emma dried her tears and watched Elizabeth with Darcy. The two thought themselves to be unobserved, so Emma and her husband just watched. Love was written over every feature of the young couple standing in front of them. Their every move mirrored each other perfectly and they seemed to complete each other in a way that Emma and Knightley only wished that others observed in them. In society Elizabeth would sparkle and her husband would only benefit from his wife’s grace and charm. It was clear that these two were ready for their upcoming wedding.
Chapter 3 – 27th December 1812
Three French Hens
“Bonjour” The cook said when Mrs Hill opened the door. “Je vousdrais parler avec Madame Bennet.”
MRS HILL LOOKED AT the woman at the door with a blank stare. “I do not understand you.”
“Je viens de Monsieur d’Arcy” The strange woman said, hoping that would gain her entrance. Mrs Hill still looked confused, but stepped aside and allowed the woman to enter Longbourn. She meekly followed Mrs Hill through to the morning room where Mrs Bennet sat awaiting the visitors that she would receive that day.
“Excuse me, Ma’am, but there is a woman here to see you, I didn’t understand her so do not know her name.” At Mrs Bennet’s nod Mrs Hill motioned for the woman to enter.
“Madame Bennet?” The woman said, “Je suis Madame Montpelier.” Mrs Bennet looked just as bleakly at the strange woman who continued on, “Je suis le cuisinier de Monsieur d’Arcy.”
“I am sorry I do not speak French” Mrs Bennet finally stammered. It would be no use bringing in any of the rest of her family, as none of them spoke French either.
“Je suis désolé, Je ne parle pas anglais” The two women lapsed into an uneasy silence. Neither one understood the other, and neither one willing to make any more efforts to bridge the gaps between them. It was not until Mr Darcy arrived fifteen minutes later that any real progress was made as he translated for them.
“You realise that you have been called down to help out in my kitchen only for the next three days?” Mrs Bennet asked.
“Yes, Madam, Monsieur d’Arcy was very clear in his letter that after the wedding I was to return to Pemberley.” The cook answered. Mrs Bennet asked several more questions before dismissing the cook to the kitchen, where she sat in a corner without being able to talk to a soul or make herself useful. Mrs Bennet’s cook, Mrs Grange did not speak French, nor did she like Mrs Bennet bringing in foreigners to aid her with the preparations. She had taken it as a gross insult, so did not even try to talk to this new interloper.
It was midmorning when a new cook arrived in the kitchen. “Get out of my kitchen” was all that Mrs Grange said.
The thick French accent was impossible to miss, but the English was flawless, “I am sorry, but Mrs Bennet has arranged for myself, Madame Montpelier, and another cook to aid yourself in the preparation for the wedding breakfast.” She explained quietly.
“Well, you better be more use than that one over there. She has done nothing but sit in that chair since she arrived earlier. Must be mute or something. I can’t get her to talk.” Mrs Grange grumbled.
Madame Montpelier did not understand what was being said, but knew that it was her that was being talked about. Embarrassed she said “Je suis désolé, Je ne comprends pas.”
Understanding and compassion came into the new cook’s face. “You madame, could not make her talk because you do not speak the same language.” With that she turned to the other cook and introduced herself as Mrs Fredericks. The two French cooks exchanged a quick detailing of their experience and soon they were chattering together like old friends.
“Yes, yes. Now that we have established that, perhaps we can all work together? I have the evening meal to prepare as well as the preparations to make for the wedding breakfast.” Mrs Grange grumbled. “I have, of course, already made the wedding cake.”
“Mrs Grange, you will never believe the news!” Nancy, the chambermaid burst in on the kitchen. Ordinarily Mrs Grange would have stopped to listen, but not today.
“Nancy, do you not have work that you should be doing?”
“I do, Mrs Grange. I just thought...”
Mrs Grange held her hand up, “I don’t want to hear it. You know how much work there is to be done still, I think it best if you return to your work, I will hear your news tonight.”
“Oh, but you will want to hear it now. Sarah was out for a walk and she saw Miss Lydia’s betrothed walking down the lane on the other side of the road, she thought nothing of it until he met with Mr Darcy’s sister. Apparently, they seemed to be very intimate if you know what I mean.”
“No, I do not know what you mean and if you do not get back to work,” the threat in Mrs Grange’s voice was very real, but she knew that Nancy wouldn’t listen to any but Mrs Hill.
Mrs Fredericks had translated the news to Madame Montpelier, who clutched her breast. “My God. Miss Georgiana is the apple of Monsieur d’Arcy’s eye. He’s virtually raised her. Monsieur Wickham is a bad man. This will kill Monsieur d’Arcy”
When the maid heard the translation she just laughed. “It is true, I saw the two of them together on the lane outside of Longbourn. Just yards away from where Mr Darcy and Miss Elizabeth met to walk the lanes.”
Mrs Hill came in at that moment, “Nancy, that is enough! Now get back to work. Otherwise you will find yourself out on your ear, for speaking ill of your betters.”
“Mr Wickham is no better than us, he is only the son of a steward.” Nancy barely finished what she was
saying before Mrs Hill’s palm connected with her cheek. Her shock was not enough to stop her.
“You’re dismissed.” Mrs Hill would not have any servant speaking ill of their betters, no matter who they might be. It was a betrayal of the family that they worked for.
“Please don’t do this Mrs Hill, not now, not at this time of year. It is not me but me mam that needs the food that me wages buy!” Nancy’s panic was genuine and the noise that she made was pitiable indeed. Madame Montpelier’s heart was touched by the plight of the young girl, but Mrs Hill stood firm with her decision to dismiss the girl. It was into this noisy situation that Mrs Bennet arrived in the kitchen with another woman. She was younger than the other two, and yet seemed to have a sadder look about her.
“Mrs Hill, what is the meaning of all this? Do we not have enough to do without being distracted at this time?” Mrs Bennet’s efficiency was at its height and she would not have the servants embarrassing her.
“I am sorry ma’am” Mrs Hill said, “This situation has just arisen I have had to dismiss Nancy, our chamber maid.”
“It is alright ma’am, I am happy to fill in as a chamber maid as well as help in the kitchen, until a new chamber maid can be found.” The new younger cook offered.
“Thank you, Mrs Michaels” Mrs Bennet said. Then she turned to the occupants of the kitchen and introduced Mrs Michaels, who spoke no French but was of French descent and her cooking skills had been gained from both her mother and from the French cook that she learnt under the cook at Matlock house.
The kitchen was friendly. Once Mrs Bennet had finished instructing the new cooks, she left the kitchen. At first, they all worked together well, but the old saying that too many cooks spoil the broth proved to be too true, and soon the cooks were arguing between themselves.
It had all begun when Madame Montpelier had turned on Mrs Michaels. “Madame, you are not really a true French cook, and by volunteering to be a chamber maid you are disgracing us. You will leave us with extra work all so that you could look better than us.”
“How dare you?!” Mrs Michaels raged. “I worked my way up to this position from a simple scullery maid. You will find that I will leave you no more work than you would otherwise do.”
“I had not need to work my way up. My mother was the cook at Pemberley, and I was trained specifically to take her place, trained from childhood.” Madame Montpelier was obviously proud of her heritage, but Mrs Michaels felt the offence that had been intended, and the argument did not let up at all, especially when Mrs Michaels left the kitchen to finish the chamber maid’s duties. “See she leaves us with all the work. Two days before the wedding and one of our helpers is off playing the chamber maid.”
“Now, now Madame” Mrs Grange said, “By doing the work of the chamber maid, Mrs Michaels has kept my scullery maid here to keep up with our washing up and do our running around. The loss of Nancy would be sorely felt in a house with so few servants.”
“Why would you have so few servants that the loss of a single chamber maid should be so significant? This estate cannot bring in much money. Why did Monsieur d’Arcy bring me here? This kitchen is really nothing compared to the Pemberley kitchen.”
“I don’t know exactly what Mr Bennet is worth today, it is been a while since the yearly income was spoken of in the village. However, I believe it is not above two or three thousand a year.”
“That’s not much”
“It is enough to pay us a nice wage, though there is not many of us.” Mrs Grange answered.
“What of the daughters? What are their dowries? Will one of them inherit this Longbourn?”
“No, I understand that Longbourn is entailed on a cousin of Mr Bennet’s.”
“Nasty things entailments” Madame Montpelier said. “They rob women of security and of a home.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, and Mrs Bennet had more reason than most to worry about her daughters. Much of her hysterics are simply related to this entailment.” The gin that Mrs Grange accompanied her cooking with was beginning to loosen her tongue, which was dangerous with a few strange servants in the house. “Miss Jane and Miss Lydia, there’s something strange about them. They don’t seem to be able to keep up with their quick-witted sisters. Sometimes it is like they look right through you. I don’t know what it is.”
“You would be wise to stop gossiping, Mrs Grange, and cook tonight’s supper.” Mrs Hill said as she bustled into the kitchen arms full of linens and her head full of Mrs Bennet’s commissions. “Mrs Bennet wants to have a nice supper to impress her guests. Though why family should have to be impressed I do not know. I guess it must be the extra guests that she wants to impress with her fancy menus. Goodness it will be the death of us down here as many instructions as Mrs Bennet gives us. Now before I forget,” Mrs Hill put down the linens on the chair at the kitchen table. “Mrs Bennet had told me to remind you that you are to have a pheasant held in readiness for dinner if Miss Mary and Miss Catherine’s betrotheds arrive tomorrow. No substituting it for colly birds! Mrs Bennet knows if we pull any stunts like that!”
“She’s not had any problems with my switching before.”
“The twelve days of Christmas are not normally filled with such frantic preparation nor so many visitors.” Mrs Hill replied.
“Aye, why the girls had to arrange for such a large wedding in the middle of the twelve days of Christmas I will never know. Mrs Bennet is always entertaining at this time of year.”
“You know young people today, quick weddings and even quicker to start their families.” Mrs Hill commented.
“Aye, we were not in quite such a rush, but then we did not base our weddings on the romantic notions that youngsters today seem to think so necessary to their happiness.” Mrs Grange said. “For us, it was the case of finding someone who could provide well for us, something stable.”
“Yes, I was very lucky when I met Mr Hill, for he already had the butler job here, I was trained up to be housekeeper.”
“Mr Grange was an old man, but he gave me the security I needed. When he died, I stayed single and took the cook’s position. We rubbed along tolerably. We had to.”
“You two talk as if love is unnecessary. For those of us who are French, we know that love is an art. It is beautiful. Those who are truly in love when they marry are more likely to have happy healthy marriages. They have little need of mistresses, something that seems to be taken for granted by your great Lords over here.” Madame Montpelier interrupted them.
“What would a Frog know about our English ways?” Sneered Mrs Grange.
“I have seen things, madame. I am not young, and I have seen the results of marriage without love. It never ends well.” The conversation lapsed as none of them wished to debate something that was clearly the case that all of them had fixed ideas about.
Chapter 4 – 28th December 1812
Four Colly Birds
Mary had begun her day the same way for the past twelve years. She would awake early and spend two hours in her devotions before her family would pull her away from the more religious activities of the day. She would then tug on the bell pull no later than seven in the morning, dressing and arriving in the morning room by eight. This morning, however, Mary had struggled to concentrate on her devotions. For twenty minutes she sat looking at her bible and her copy of Fordyce’s sermons, but she had to be honest with herself. She was getting concerned. Her wedding was to be the next day, but still her betrothed had not arrived. Still she was waiting on Thomas Bertram. Mary finally put down her books and got dressed. She then descended downstairs and sat by the window of the morning room.
“MAMA!” CATHERINE RUSHED into the morning room not long after Mary had arrived. “Mama,” Catherine’s distress was the equal of Mary’s.
“She’s not here. You know Mama doesn’t rise before eight.” Mary answered.
“Yes, I forgot that. Oh, Mary do you think they’ll arrive today? Everything is ready for the wedding, but they are not here
.”
“I do not know, Kitty. If they do not arrive in time, then we will have to make sure that we postpone the weddings until they arrive.” Catherine moved across the room and the two girls hugged each other tightly. They were in this together. The men that they were to marry were brothers and both were delayed. Their sisters could not understand, not with their betrotheds coming to see them every single day and showering them with gifts. For their sisters this was a time of happy anticipation. For them, though they were happily anticipating their marriages, they were anxious whether or not they would have their betrotheds arrive in time. For Mary and Catherine this time had been a time of worry since the report of the carriage axle breaking down. Had anyone been injured? Both of them were concerned, Catherine especially so, although she did not say so.
The time had come for Catherine to speak of her worries. “Mary, there’s something else about Edmund.”
“Oh Kitty, I have seen how much he loves you, there’s nothing for you to worry about. He loves you.” Mary reassured.
“I know that, but I cannot shake this feeling. There is just something about the way he looks at that cousin of his, Miss Price. I cannot help but think that if they are given enough time...” Catherine couldn’t carry on.
“Nonsense, Kitty. Edmund was smitten with you!”
“I know that, but is it a lasting smitten? Or am I just a passing fancy that as soon as I do something that does not agree with his piety and morality will see me cast aside?” Catherine worried.
“Catherine Frances Bennet, that is just your nerves speaking.” When their mother had arrived neither girl was aware, but they were grateful for her arrival. “I was just the same the day before I married your father. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was rushing around from here to there making sure that everything was just so. Of course, we were an exception back in our day - it was not fashionable to be besotted with one’s marriage partner, such romantic notions were viewed as being complete foolishness - but your father and I were not to be dissuaded.” She was drawing her breath to continue, when both her daughters rushed from the room. Mary had spotted something from the window that had set her worries to nothing. The undignified bustle was completely ignored, in the joy that pervaded the house with the new arrivals.
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