Kitty was cross, saying that Lydia should not have been allowed to go to Brussels. Or, at least, that Lydia should only have been allowed to go if she had taken Kitty with her.
Mary had cast her own particular brand of gloom over the table by saying that, the last time Napoleon had run amok in Europe, it had led to death and destruction, and that Lydia was certain to be killed before the summer was over.
At this, Mrs Bennet let out a loud wail and said that Mr Bennet was a heartless beast, and that poor, dear Lydia would probably be lying dead in a ditch at that very moment, without her mother to watch over her.
In vain did Elizabeth point out that Lydia had only just departed and that she would not even have left Meryton, let alone England, by this time.
Jane, too, tried to soother her mother, but it was no good. Mrs Bennet was determined to hide her face in her handkerchief and she let out a loud wail whenever Lydia’s name was mentioned.
Elizabeth could not blame her father for deciding to take breakfast in his library.
After ten minutes of this, the maid brought the mail in on a silver salver. She bobbed a curtsey and handed it to Mrs Bennet.
‘Ah! The mail,’ said Mrs Bennet, with a sorrowful shake of her head. ‘I wonder if there will be a letter from my poor, dear Lydia.’
Elizabeth did not bother to point out that such a thing was impossible, but left her mother to indulge herself in a fit of despondency.
Mrs Bennet picked up the letters and began to look through them.
‘A letter for Mr Bennet . . . a letter for Mr Bennet . . . a letter for Mr Bennet . . .’ she said. ‘Though why Mr Bennet deserves so many letters I cannot imagine.’
‘They are letters of business, Mamma,’ said Elizabeth patiently.
‘I am sure he is welcome to them, if he can put business ahead of the safety of his little girl.’ She looked at the next letter more closely and said, ‘This one is for you, Lizzy, though why my sister-in-law writes to you and not me I cannot say.’ She handed the letter to Elizabeth. ‘Ah!’ Her face brightened. ‘She has written to me as well. I will read it when I am sufficiently recovered.’
Elizabeth had finished her breakfast and so she took her letter gratefully from her mother’s wilting hand. She retired to the window seat where she sat down to read it. She always liked receiving a letter from her Aunt Gardiner and this morning it was particularly welcome. She no longer hoped for any advice about Lydia, since Lydia had gone beyond recall, but she hoped for some sensible sympathy, as well as some more details of their forthcoming trip to the Lake District.
Elizabeth was very much looking forward to the trip. Now that Mrs Bennet had a grievance, Longbourn was not conducive to happiness, and a tour of the beautiful northern lakes and mountains was just to Elizabeth’s taste.
There were the usual greetings and then the letter said:
You are right to be concerned about your sister. It would be the height of folly to allow her to go to Brussels without a suitable chaperon. As chance would have it, one of my old school friends has taken a house in Brussels as her husband was ordered there last month – he is an important official and he will be spending the spring and summer there, arranging supplies for the army. She invited your uncle and me to join her as she has taken a very large house. It is much larger than she wanted, but houses in Brussels are in short supply and so she was glad to find it. I turned down her invitation as your uncle could not leave his business for such a long time but when I received your letter I wrote to her and asked if I could change my mind. The result is that she has invited us all to go.
I am sure it will do Jane good to have a change of scene and you will not dislike it, I think. Your mamma and your other sisters are invited, too. We can, between us, keep Lydia out of mischief, I am sure. Your uncle cannot take the summer off work but he will join us for the first few weeks. I have written to your mother as well, although I have not written to her quite as freely as I have written to you —
Here Elizabeth was interrupted by her mother exclaiming, ‘Oh! My dear, good sister-in-law. It was a happy day when my brother married her. She is going to stay with a friend in Brussels and she has invited us all to go with her. What fun we shall have. We are to go as soon as the arrangements can be made and we are to stay for the summer. We will be able to see our good, dear Lydia and enjoy ourselves into the bargain. What times we will have! Mr Bennet!’ she called as she jumped up from the table and ran out of the room, waving the letter in the air. ‘Mr Bennet! What do you think? We are all going to Brussels!’
Mr Bennet, when he heard the news, was not as excited as his wife. Indeed, he did not agree that they were all going to Brussels as he refused to go.
‘There will be quite enough excitement here for me in my library. And I think you had better not go either,’ he added to his wife.
Elizabeth and her sisters heard the exchange through the open library door, for their mother had neglected to close it behind her.
‘Not go! Why, Mr Bennet what do you mean, not go? Of course we must go.’
‘It will be too dangerous. And besides, I need someone here to look after me.’
Elizabeth knew at once that her father was teasing. He liked to tease their mother and Mrs Bennet, despite the fact she had been married to Mr Bennet for three and twenty years, still did not know when she was being teased.
Mrs Bennet’s voice dropped.
‘In that case, I suppose I must stay behind, unless Mary —’
‘No, no,’ her father protested, quickly realising his mistake. ‘That will not be necessary. You have been invited and it would be rude not to go.’
‘That is exactly what I think! How well you express it, Mr Bennet. It would be rude not to go. I will tell Hill to start packing our trunks at once. Hill must come with us, for I cannot do without her.’
Kitty was in nearly as many raptures as her mother. She pronounced her new bonnet ugly and pulled the flowers off, saying she was sure it would not be in fashion in Brussels, then complained about all her gowns as Hill neatly folded them and placed them in the trunk.
Elizabeth and Jane took over all the household preparations their mother was too excited to make. Elizabeth wrote to Charlotte Collins, telling her they would be on the Continent for the next few months, and Jane went into Meryton to tell their Aunt Phillips. Their Uncle Phillips very kindly offered to make all the travelling arrangements, as he had a friend who had travelled to the Continent before and so he knew what must be done.
Once back at Longbourn, Jane gave Hill and the other servants some sensible instructions and then she and Elizabeth helped with the packing.
It took some time for all the arrangements to be made, but in a few days - far sooner than they had thought possible - they set out for Ramsgate where they were to take the ship to the Continent.
Chapter Four
Elizabeth looked out of the carriage window with curiosity as they arrived in Ramsgate. Her interest was not sparked by the bustling harbour or the sailing ships or the sight of the sea. It was sparked by something quite different, for this was where Mr Wickham had tried to elope with Miss Darcy.
‘What is it?’ asked Jane, seeing her sister’s unusual concentration.
Elizabeth had told Jane something of the incident but she had not gone into any great detail. When they went into the inn where they were to stay the night, however, she told Jane that this had been the very place from which Mr Wickham had intended to elope.
‘I do not wish to be uncharitable, but I am glad we will never see him again,’ said Jane. ‘By the time we return, the militia will have left Meryton and removed to Brighton, and Mr Wickham will be with them.’
‘You could never be uncharitable,’ said Elizabeth to her sister affectionately. ‘I, too, am glad we will not have to see Mr Wickham again. He took advantage of Miss Darcy’s youth and inexperience and he toyed with her affections. She was almost alone here and away from the protection of her family. Her companion and the few ser
vants she had with her should have been enough to keep her safe, but when her companion turned out to be Mr Wickham’s friend then Miss Darcy’s fortune was in jeopardy.’
‘Not only her fortune, but her whole life,’ said Jane. ‘If Mr Wickham had succeeded in his plan then she would have been ruined.’
‘Yes, she would,’ agreed Elizabeth. ‘Perhaps not morally ruined, for Mr Wickham intended to marry her, but she would have soon learnt her mistake. I have no doubt that the handsome and charming suitor would have quickly disappeared once they were married and the true Mr Wickham, a vain and selfish villain, would have emerged.’
‘Then let us be thankful Mr Darcy found out in time,’ said Jane.
‘Yes indeed.’
Elizabeth could not think of Mr Darcy with any degree of comfort, for thoughts of him produced conflicting emotions. She was still angry with him for having proposed to her in such an insulting fashion, but she had to admit that he was a good brother and that he loved his sister sincerely. He had spoken of Georgiana lovingly when they were at Rosings and although it was difficult to believe, she knew that he was a man who had a warm heart beneath his arrogant breast – at least where his sister was concerned.
But I could have valued his attachment to his sister more, if he had he not wounded my sister, she thought.
They dined in a private parlour that evening and went early to bed, for they needed to rise early in order to board the ship, which travelled with the morning tide.
Elizabeth woke to the sound of seagulls cawing and the lapping of the water as it plashed against the harbour wall. It was exciting to be by the coast. As she ate her breakfast she looked out of the window at all the sights of a busy port. There were sailors tying thick ropes to mooring posts. There were tall sailing ships coming into the harbour, their white sails billowing in the breeze. There were horse-drawn carts clattering across the cobbles as they carried supplies to the ships, which were speedily loaded on board. There were seagulls wheeling overhead, uttering their distinctive cries, and there was a smell of salt as the wind carried the scent of the ocean in through the cracks in the window frame.
Elizabeth was so engrossed that she did not immediately notice that her mother had stopped talking, for she had managed to screen out the incessant chatter. But she could not mistake her mother’s noisy exclamation as Mrs Bennet said, ‘What is that disagreeable man doing here?’
Elizabeth looked in the direction of her mother’s gaze and saw a familiar figure appearing from behind one of the sailing ships. His greatcoat was flapping around his ankles and blowing open to show his black tailcoat and cream breeches beneath.
Her heart skipped a beat. If she had accepted him, she could now be engaged to Mr Darcy. What would her mother have said then!
He walked along the quay and then joined another gentleman whom Elizabeth recognised.
‘That is his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam,’ she said. ‘They were both at Rosings Park and now I suppose Mr Darcy is wishing his cousin well, for the Colonel must be travelling to the Continent.’
‘A Colonel, you say?’ asked Mrs Bennet. ‘If he is bound for the Continent he must be going to Brussels. I wonder if he will be travelling on our ship? I would not say no to a smart young Colonel for one of my girls.’
She looked significantly at Kitty, who blushed and giggled, then cast a less hopeful glance at Mary and sighed.
‘No. I do not believe we are to have the honour of the Colonel’s company,’ said Jane. ‘See, he is boarding one of the troop ships.’
They all looked out of the window at the back of the retreating Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was being swallowed up in a mass of red coats.
‘Oh, yes.’ Mrs Bennet was evidently disappointed. But then she brightened. ‘However, we will be sure to see him in Brussels and then you must introduce us, Elizabeth.’
Elizabeth had no desire to do any such thing but she thought it wiser not to say so. Mrs Bennet became peevish when crossed, and Elizabeth had no wish to endure her mother’s ill humour for the length of the sea crossing.
They were soon joined by Mr and Mrs Gardiner, who had travelled with them from London. Mr and Mrs Gardiner had been out early that morning to learn the precise arrangements for boarding the ship. Mr Gardiner explained everything to the ladies and asked them all to return to their rooms to collect their things.
The last thing Elizabeth saw through the window, as she rose from the table, was the sight of the Darcy carriage rolling past and heading out of Ramsgate.
So Mr Darcy had departed, after seeing his cousin on his way.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
She had had a few uncomfortable moments as she thought she might bump into him as she boarded the ship. But now she was safe and she could relax, for the English Channel would soon be between them and there would be no chance of her seeing him again.
Mr Darcy saw his cousin off on the troop ship and then returned to the civilian packet ship that was to carry him to Ostend. He had embarked with his sister half an hour before and then left her there while he bid farewell to his cousin and sent his carriage back to Pemberley, for he would be using his aunt’s carriage when he was in Brussels. But now he boarded the packet ship and went down below to see that Georgiana had everything she needed.
She was seated in her private cabin with her companion, a respectable lady by the name of Mrs Annesley. She was looking a trifle nervous and Mr Darcy was not surprised, since Ramsgate held unpleasant memories for her. It was in Ramsgate that Mr Wickham had tried to elope with her. As he thought of Mr Wickham, his anger rose inside him once again. That villain had almost ruined Georgiana’s happiness for ever.
And Miss Elizabeth Bennet had been his friend, Mr Darcy thought bitterly.
No matter how much he tried to avoid thinking about Elizabeth, there was always something to remind him of her.
How could she like a scoundrel like that? Although, he admitted, she had not known of Mr Wickham’s villainy.
His thoughts towards her softened for a moment. He remembered her as she had looked, not at their disastrous meeting in the parsonage, but at Rosings Park. He remembered how she had teased him, smiling up at him with that particularly attractive smile that was part impertinence and part challenge. How he wished that things could have gone differently between them. If so, he could not be engaged to her and about to marry her.
Perhaps he had been at fault . . . But no! Of course not. How could he be at fault? He was Mr Darcy of Pemberley.
And yet her words stung him. Perhaps his proposal had been rude. Perhaps he should have said less about her family’s faults and more about her own virtues. Perhaps he should not have blamed her for befriending Mr Wickham, since she had not known the truth about the man, and since she would have behaved very differently if she had known about it, he was sure.
‘We will soon be setting sail,’ said Mrs Annesley. ‘Would you like to go on deck, Miss Darcy?’
‘Not yet, I thank you,’ she said. ‘I think I will make a sketch of the cabin first. I would like to have something to show my aunt when we reach Brussels.’
Georgiana’s words brought him out of his thoughts.
‘There will be better subjects for your pencil than this cabin,’ said Mr Darcy.
‘Perhaps. But I should like to have a series of sketches as a record of the journey.’
‘That is a good notion,’ he said. ‘I will sit with you for a while. I like to see you draw.’
‘In that case, I will add you to the picture,’ said Georgiana with a smile.
She took out her pencils and began to sketch the proud visage of the man in front of her. She caught his noble forehead and his firm jaw, and she made a very creditable attempt at his fashionable clothes. She had just reached his boots when she felt a lurch and almost dropped her pencil.
‘The sailors have cast off,’ said Mr Darcy. ‘We are on our way.’
Up on deck, Elizabeth and her family were watching the coast of England slip away
as the beautiful ship set sail for the Continent. A stiff breeze was blowing and there was a swell on the water. Jane, Kitty and Mrs Bennet did not like the movement of the ship and soon went below. Mr and Mrs Gardiner remained on deck with Elizabeth and Mary.
While Mr and Mrs Gardiner reviewed the practical arrangements, reassuring themselves that nothing had been forgotten, Mary read passages from a learned book about Napoleon which she clutched in her hands. A sudden pitching of the ship caused Mary to drop the book, and one of the young gentleman standing in a group close by picked it up for her.
‘This is interesting reading,’ he said, as he handed it back to her.
‘I like to be well informed,’ said Mary gravely.
‘An unusual thought for a young lady, but a refreshing one,’ said the gentleman. ‘Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mr Manningham.’
He turned to include the Gardiners in the introduction and soon the four of them were talking together. To Elizabeth’s surprise, she saw Mary blush and she thought how pretty her sister looked with some colour in her cheeks, for usually Mary’s complexion was sallow.
Poor Mary was not favoured with beauty like her sister, Jane, nor was she favoured with a lively wit like Elizabeth. She was not boisterous and her mother’s favourite, like Lydia, or anyone’s special friend, as Kitty was Lydia’s special friend. She was just Mary: the not very clever and not very pretty member of the family. But away from her family circle, on a deck with very few ladies and quite a few gentlemen, she began to quietly shine.
Elizabeth saw it and was happy for her sister. She herself knew heartache, and so did Jane. Perhaps Mary would turn out to be the lucky member of the family after all.
Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 3 Page 21
