In Want of a Wife: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Julia Middleton

  The rest of the family all looked at Elizabeth. Lydia had her fingers over her mouth and Elizabeth knew there would be a tantrum once Lady Lacey left, at her ill-fortune at not being the chosen one. Not even Aunt Phillips’ news that the militia planned to settle in Meryton for the winter would be enough to convince her that she was not very ill-treated. But fortunately for Elizabeth, she would not be there to listen to Lydia’s rages. She grinned at her benefactor.

  “I would be delighted,” she declared. “When do we leave?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Elizabeth woke the next morning and stretched contentedly. She lay for a few moments, watching the sun stream through the white curtains and spill across her bed. From her window, she could see Oakham Mount, where she enjoyed many a ramble. When she woke tomorrow, her view would be quite different. Lady Lacey told her she had a town house in the Circus. Tomorrow morning, Elizabeth would awaken to the sound of horses hooves and carriages, and of gossipy servants returning from the early morning markets.

  She could not believe everything was happening so fast. And although she made it very clear to her mother that her purpose in going was to enjoy what Bath had to offer and broaden her experiences, she secretly hoped she would meet someone special there. Someone she could love and be proud to spend her life with. She usually left such romantic notions to her sisters, and she would stubbornly deny it if asked. But she would be lying to herself if she did not own that she longed for love and a home and family of her own.

  And her mother was right. Mr Bingley would almost certainly be attracted to Jane. And if Elizabeth did stay in Meryton, who was there for her? Willis, the clerk? Smith, the constable?

  No, they would never do. In Bath, she would be exposed to many different men. She would have the opportunity to compare their characters and decide who most suited her. And maybe one of them would even fall in love with her too. How much easier it would be without her mother’s constant interference.

  Elizabeth rolled over and checked the clock on the mantelpiece. It was still too early for breakfast, but she could not lie in bed a moment longer. She threw the covers off and went downstairs.

  To her surprise, Jane was in the breakfast room still in her nightgown. She sat in the window seat, her gown tucked around her feet.

  “Good morning, Lizzy,” she called. “All ready for your grand adventure?”

  “As ready as I can be.” Elizabeth threw herself onto the sofa. “I have packed some things, but Lady Lacey was quite brutal about my possessions. She declared most of my gowns as not fine enough for Bath. First thing tomorrow, she is taking me to Milsom Street. Poor Papa will wince when he receives the bill.”

  “I am sure he shall not mind,” said Jane. “Our mother constantly gives little gifts of money to Lydia. You rarely ask for anything. Papa will not begrudge you, and Mama certainly will not. She sees it as an investment in our futures.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes with a smile as she tucked her feet under her. “And you?” she asked. “How will you fare with the excellent Mr Bingley? Mama will have you all wrapped up with a bow on top, and left on his doorstep if she gets her way.”

  “I am nervous, to tell the truth,” said Jane. She chewed her lip. “I know Mama thinks beauty is all a girl needs, and it was all she needed to marry a gentleman. But if Mr Bingley is a sensible man, surely he will want a wife who can bring him fortune? I have nothing to offer him. And I am so afraid of disappointing Mama if he should not want me.”

  “Do not distress yourself, Jane,” Elizabeth soothed. “Mama would sacrifice us all to wealthy men if she could. But before you even consider if Mr Bingley should want you, I believe you should ask if you would want Mr Bingley. Wait until you have met him. Get to know him and enjoy his company. If he falls in love with you, he will not allow a lack of fortune to stand between him and love. If the rumours are to be believed, he has more than enough wealth for both of you. And after all, you are a gentleman’s daughter. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Never allow anyone to think you are beneath them.”

  “Dear Lizzy,” said Jane with an affectionate smile. “I wish I could think like you do. You shall take Bath by storm.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “How about I give you some of my far too high opinion of myself and my judgment, and you give me some of your kindness and determination to see the good in everyone? Then we shall both be the most perfect creatures.”

  “I shall miss you,” said Jane. “I shall miss your ability to make me laugh at myself. You will write to me, won’t you?”

  “As often as I can,” said Elizabeth. “And I hope you solemnly swear to write me detailed accounts of Mr Bingley. I want to know everything. What colour coat he wears, how good his appetite he is, how many times he treads on a lady’s toes while dancing…all of it. See that you are not negligent.”

  “Mr Bingley tread on a lady’s toes?” exclaimed an indignant voice. Mrs Bennet came into the room, followed by the three youngest daughters and an amused Lady Lacey. “What nonsense. He is wealthy!” She said it in a tone that suggested the size of his purse was somehow directly related to his movements in a ballroom. The girls had often complained of many a wealthy man who had left them bruised and limping after a reel. Elizabeth caught Lady Lacey’s eye and the countess gave her a most unladylike wink behind Mrs Bennet’s back.

  “I think we should be off first thing after breakfast,” she declared, as Lydia and Kitty bickered over the coffee pot. “Does that sound agreeable to you, Miss Elizabeth?”

  Elizabeth eyed Kitty as she splashed the hot liquid over Lydia’s lap. There was little to be spilled, but Lydia still rose with a roar of pain, screaming as if Kitty had stabbed her with the butter knife.

  “Perfectly agreeable,” she said.

  “And this is to be your room,” said Lady Lacey. She pushed the door open and stood back as Elizabeth went inside. Elizabeth gasped at the wide, airy space that was to be her’s alone. Her bedroom looked over the square, just as she’d imagined. A giant canopy bed dominated the room, covered in white duvets. Mountain of fluffy pillows scattered about the bed. The floor was covered in thick rugs and there was a large fireplace that had already been lit, giving the room a cheery aspect. Several Bennet ancestors peered down at her from oil paintings, recalling a time when the family had been far wealthier than they now were. Elizabeth turned to her benefactor with a grin.

  “Do you like it?” asked Lady Lacey.

  “I more than like it. It is perfect. Thank you so much, Lady Lacey.”

  “I am glad. I shall give you some time to rest and pack your things, then you must come downstairs and join me for coffee. I always find coffee helps after a journey. I shall see you in a few minutes.”

  When Elizabeth went downstairs, having changed into a light blue gown, the footman directed her to a small, sunny parlour. Lady Lacey sat before the fire with a small coffee set on the table beside her. She was examining some letters on her lap and she gestured for Elizabeth to sit opposite her. She poured her a cup of coffee, and Elizabeth had to hide her grimace at the bitterness of the liquid. Her attempt was unsuccessful. Lady Lacey laughed.

  “It is Turkish,” she said. “And it can be quite a shock if you are not used to it. But soon, you will grow to enjoy it and wonder how you ever did without it.” She sighed as she picked up a card and waved it towards Elizabeth.

  “Mrs Carmichael,” she said. “An invitation to a small card party at her house. She is a dull woman, but she tries to hide it as best she can by inviting plenty of young, exciting people. I was hoping to have tonight to rest, but I do believe this will be a fine way for you to start meeting people who may interest you. What do you say, shall we go?”

  “But I have nothing suitable to wear yet,” protested Elizabeth. “I had hoped to find something more fitting tomorrow before we started calling on people.”

  “Hmmm…” Lady Lacey tapped the envelope against her pursed lips as she looked at Elizabeth appraisingly. “I do not know that you need
to be so overdressed for the Carmichaels. They received all their wealth from trade, you know. While I have little patience for this snobbery that suggests a man is less than others if he has earned his bread - I do not see how it is inferior for a man to obtain wealth by intelligence and hard work rather than receiving it unearned by being born into the right family - the Carmichaels will not expect anything so very grand. I noticed a pretty green dress among your things that will do very nicely. I can offer you some of my jewels to give it some extra glamour.”

  Elizabeth was pleased to hear her hostess’s views on trade. She herself had little patience for snobbery, and had sometimes resented her father for not following in Mr Gardiner’s footsteps and improving their situation by engaging in trade. She did not believe anyone could look at her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner and not recognise their superiority and fine sense.

  She was also relieved to find she did not need to worry about finding a suitable gown for tonight’s party. She was very eager to know what Bath had to offer.

  “I understand you have been out for some time,” Lady Lacey continued. “But we shall introduce you to the Bath social scene at the Westons’ ball. The Westons throw excellent parties, and the cream of society will be there. You shall have new clothes by then and it shall be a fitting place for you to make your debut.”

  Elizabeth nodded and took another sip of the thick coffee to hide her nervousness. Launched onto Bath society. From what she had heard, Bath could be a lion’s den. How would she measure up? For all her talk to Jane of being just as good as anyone else, to attend a Bath ball was still a nerve-wracking prospect. But it might also give her the opportunity to change her life for the better. The right introduction could make or break a lady’s fortune.

  “What is it?” Lady Lacey’s dark eyes missed nothing.

  Elizabeth placed her cup down. “I am nervous,” she admitted. “I can normally hold my own in new situations, but this is different.”

  Lady Lacey nodded. “Yes, I agree. These can be nerve-wracking. But I must be honest with you Lizzy and tell you that from the moment I met you all yesterday, you were the one I hoped to bring here with me. Jane is beautiful, and I have no doubt would do very well. But you are very much your own person. It is refreshing. People in society are bored and jaded, whatever they might say. I shall help you with costumes and hair styles and all that. But I would like to see you be your own self at the ball. You have a quick smile and a lively sense of humour. You are no carefully bred princess who needs to look to her mama to know what she should say or not say. I have a feeling you’ll do very well.”

  Elizabeth found this somewhat comforting. And she reminded herself that it had never been her plan to live among Bath society. So what did it matter to her if she did not go down as well as Lady Lacey hoped? She would be no worse off than she had been before. She smiled at the countess.

  “Well, if being myself is all that is required, I can certainly do that,” she said. “Mama tells me men do not like ladies who speak their minds, and who tramp about as I do, but I always feel that I should not like a man who is so weak that the idea of me having opinions will make him fall apart completely. I could never love or respect a man like that.”

  Lady Lacey’s eyes gleamed with approval over her coffee cup. “I quite agree,” she said. “And so did my dear husband. Do you know, I was quite pert with him when we first met. Every other lady fell over themselves for him but I thought he was a dreadful snob and did nothing to hide my opinion of him. It turned out that was precisely why he fell in love with me.”

  Elizabeth smiled, her heart lightening. “And why did you fall in love with him?” she asked.

  “Oh, he was most shocked when he learned that his manners were not given a free pass everywhere on account of his rank. But to his credit, he showed me no resentment. Instead, he changed his previous attitudes and proved himself to be one of the best men I ever knew.”

  “I love that,” exclaimed Elizabeth. “Even though he was so far above you in rank, he recognised that worth and quality comes from character, and worked to prove himself to you. I can’t imagine many who would have done such a thing. He sounds like an excellent man.”

  Lady Lacey’s eyes filled with tears for the briefest moment, but she swallowed them back. She glanced up at a portrait above the fireplace. Elizabeth had noticed it when she first came into the room, but had given it little attention. Now, she noticed the fine picture of a tall, dark haired man with the briefest hint of a smile on his face. He must have been young when it was painted as the earl had been some years older than the countess and she was now in her fifties. This was how he must have looked when the countess first knew him and caught his eye as the only lady who did not fawn over him.

  “He was,” she agreed. “The finest of men. We were very happy. It was all I could have asked for in life.”

  Elizabeth put her cup down and reached across to take the countess’s hand.

  “You have been very lucky,” she said. “And I am only sorry you lost him before you needed to. I hope I will have the same good fortune in love. I do not need an earl. But I desire a very good man, who is honourable, and kind-hearted, and devoted to me.”

  Lady Lacey smiled, a little embarrassed by her tears. She gave Elizabeth’s hand a gentle squeeze.

  “I am sure you shall, my dear,” she said. “I know your mother is determined that you make a fine match, but you shall have all my support in finding someone truly worthy of you.”

  “So we are in agreement, then,” said Elizabeth with a laugh. “I must find a good man, or none at all. My mama will have another attack of nerves if she were to hear our conversation right now.”

  “Oh, as to that,” Lady Lacey released her hand and waved a handkerchief carelessly. “She has plenty of daughters, and I do not doubt that the youngest two care for little else than a fine match. She can afford to sacrifice one or two on the alter of love. And now, enough of this conversation. We must prepare you for the party tonight…”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Elizabeth peered at her reflection in the mirror. She twisted and turned to get a better look of herself and smiled. She was more than satisfied with what she saw. If Mrs Bennet had been there, she would have told Elizabeth that she would never be as pretty as Jane, but Elizabeth was quite content with her appearance.

  As Lady Lacey had suggested, she wore the green silk gown which made her eyes look darker than ever and picked up the rich red highlights in her chestnut hair. The shimmering silk made her skin look creamy and smooth, and was further flattered by the diamond necklace Lady Lacey had given her to wear. Her hair was swept up with little tendrils left loose to soften and frame her face. The diamond earrings, also a loan from Lady Lacey danced as she turned her head this way and that. Last but not least, she rolled up the elbow length white gloves and took one finally look at herself. Yes, she would do quite nicely.

  Lady Lacey’s eyes gleamed in approval when her young charge came down the stairs.

  “Yes, you look very well,” she approved. “Does she not, James?”

  James, her devoted butler of many years looked at Elizabeth and nodded. “She is just what a young lady ought to be,” he said.

  Elizabeth had never heard a servant comment so frankly on a guest’s appearance before. The informality was another one of Lady Lacey’s eccentricities. She shot him a confused but pleased smile. The good opinion of a servant was something she had always held in high regard.

  The Carmichaels lived in a large townhouse in fashionable Milsom Street. It was there Lady Lacey had told Elizabeth she would take her in the morning to purchase new gowns. Elizabeth stepped out of the carriage and tightened her wrap around herself as she gazed up at the imposing building, burning with the light of candles in every window. Such a habit was considered an extravagant expense in Meryton.

  “What do you think, my dear?” Lady Lacey asked as she joined her side.

  “It is very beautiful,” Elizabeth admitted. “But I do
not believe I would like to be so very in the heart of things. Always to hear noise and comings and goings. I daresay it would be exciting for a week or so, but as one’s residence?”

  Lady Lacey laughed heartily. “Oh, my dear. If only you had been there to support me when Mrs Carmichael first told me of their plan to buy the place. She could see no value in the Circus. It seemed pointless to her to be so far back from all the action. But it is a smart house,” she added. “And they are happy here, so that is the main thing. Shall we go up?”

  Elizabeth was soon placed in the middle of a card game with a small table made up of one other lady and two gentlemen. The lady was called Miss Long, and she was a lively, flirtatious girl who seemed to have mixed feelings about Elizabeth’s presence in the group of men.

  “Oh, Miss Bennet, I am so glad you’ve joined us,” she declared, flashing her dimples at the two gentlemen, a Mr Price and a Mr Black. “It has been so dull here, all alone with these young men. A lady needs the company of other ladies, I always say.”

  Elizabeth watched her with some amusement. If Lydia had been here, she would have turned the young woman into an arch nemesis and gone out of her way to win all the men’s approval and desire for herself alone. Fortunately for her, she had no interest in these young men. They were pleasant enough fellows, and had arms and legs enough between them. But Mr Price showed an interest in cards that made Elizabeth slightly uncomfortable, even though it was nothing more than a small stake’s game. She had a cousin who had married a man who was a keen card player, and it caused her unknown misery. Elizabeth had always promised herself she would never marry a man prone to vices. As to Mr Black, he was simply empty heady and slightly idiotic with a childlike smile that was endearing but not attractive. Miss Long was more than welcome to them.

  “Yes, I am fortunate to have the company of my dear cousin, Lady Lacey,” she said. “She is an interesting companion. She has been very kind in offering to bring me here.”