'I wish you to know that Mr. Lacey spoke most highly of you and your sister Elizabeth. His objections rested exclusively with the behaviour of your mother and younger sisters, as well as your lack of connections. Mr. Lacey comes from a prestigious family, and I hold him in the highest regard. However, if I wanted a pedigree, I would buy a dog.
'When I met my wife, the daughter of my brother's tailor, I recognized in her all the attributes I could hope for in a marriage partner: honesty, integrity, industry, and I cannot emphasize this enough, common sense. I am happy to say that I have observed those very same qualities in you, and my wife concurs. In fact, I have found you to be agreeable in every possible way. My only regret is that I had to say these things to you, but it was important that you know them.
'For all these weeks that Charles has been in London, he has been perfectly miserable. I attribute this to his being deprived of your company. I hope that you understand the importance of the role Charles's wife will play, and for that reason alone, I have acquainted you with my reservations. I am now reassured.'
Lizzy, what am I to think of all this? Am I to anticipate an offer of marriage from Charles? I am flattered that George Bingham has such a high opinion of me, but at the same time, I am mortified by his opinion of our family. Is Charles so in love with me that he will marry me despite all of these objections? And what of Mr. Lacey? If Charles does marry me, will that be the end of their friendship? Please write as soon as you are able.
Love,
Jane
Beth had probably included this letter because it provided a quick study of both Jane and Charles's characters. I didn't think either of them came off very well. Charles appeared to be an immature young man whose main interests were dancing and riding. And Jane! What a docile creature she was, especially considering Charles's shortcomings. After Rob had a chance to read the letter, I asked what he thought about it.
“Whatever went on in Charleston that Charles and the planters' sons got into, George didn't like it one bit. It's pretty obvious that Charles was never going to be allowed to become a partner in the Bingham businesses, so George gave him the money to build a country house that would keep his little brother busy. Basically, Charles was all hat and no cattle.”
“I get the feeling that George wanted Jane to be his wife and mother.”
“Since Charles never had a mother, maybe that was okay with him. Besides, you told me that the job of the ladies in Pride and Prejudice was the 'getting of husbands,' and Jane had got herself a very rich one. She'd have been crazy to have turned him down. Look at it this way, Charles turned out all right. A lot of guys with too much money and time on their hands didn't. After I visited Blenheim, a guy at the village pub told me Randolph Churchill, Winston's father, liked booze and women and died of syphilis, and he was pretty typical of younger sons.”
At that point, I told Rob about my visit with Beth. After hearing about Edward Lacey's adulterous affairs and Trevor's illegitimate child, he let out a long whistle. Apparently, social prohibitions were very flexible if you belonged to the gentry or the aristocracy.
We were both so tired that Rob begged off sharing what Jack had told him at the Engineer's Club. Besides, learning about Beth's brothers had unsettled me. I told him I was still working my way through Beth's latest parcel, so any news from Jack could wait. To the sound of the Dawkins boys giggling, Rob kissed me good night and winked at the two pairs of eyes peeking out of the darkened family room.
As I was going upstairs, Mrs. Dawkins called me into the kitchen and pulled a postcard out of her apron pocket. It was a standard vacation postcard which said, “Greetings from Malta” and showed the capital city of Valletta. On the back, Michael had crossed out “Wish you were here” and had written “Wish I were there. Mike.”
“I didn't think you'd want your fellow to see that,” Mrs. Dawkins said with her arms crossed over her chest, “so I put it in my pocket.”
“Mrs. Dawkins, Mike is the Crowells' son. You know, the family I visit in Crofton. I met him one time when he was home on leave.”
Mrs. Dawkins's arms remained crossed.
“He's in the RAF. He's stationed in Malta.”
“Then he's not just there on holiday? He won't be coming back here?”
“Eventually, he'll come back here. This is his home, but his enlistment isn't up until the end of this year.”
“All right then. That's what I wanted to hear. There's no reason for any girl to have two men in her life at the same time.” And she turned off the light and told me she would see me in the morning.
I understood Mrs. Dawkins's concerns. Shortly after I had moved in, I found out about Debbie, the tenant who had immediately preceded me. Debbie had entertained a man above stairs, which Mrs. Dawkins had made very clear would result in the immediate termination of the lease. If that wasn't shocking enough, the man who had been visiting Debbie was not her boyfriend, which would explain why my landlady was unhappy about my receiving a postcard from someone other than Rob.
While I was getting ready for bed, I propped the card up next to my washbasin. It seemed so strange to me. Beth had said that Michael was asking questions about me, but I hadn't heard a word from her son since I had seen him four months earlier at Crofton Wood. After all this time, why now? Did it have anything to do with my telling Beth that my relationship with Rob seemed to have stalled, and the only discussion regarding our future consisted entirely of where we were going on our next date? Had she shared that with Michael? I had no answers, so I put the postcard in my dresser drawer. As Mrs. Dawkins said, there was no reason for a girl to have two men in her life at the same time, and I was already having problems with the one I had.
Chapter 15
AFTER CLIMBING INTO BED, I opened Beth's parcel, which contained several pages of transcriptions from Elizabeth Garrison's diary. In her note, she wrote that she wanted to take me back to the beginning of the story when Mr. Bingham had made his first appearance in Hertfordshire. “You will get a sense of the excitement his arrival caused in a neighbourhood lacking in eligible bachelors.”
17 March—While Jane and I were in Mrs. Draper's shop this afternoon, we heard news that a young gentleman has taken a lease on Helmsley Hall. We are told that Mr. Charles Bingham is quite handsome and of good height. He is very fond of horses and is pleased with the fine pastures he finds at HH. We returned home to find this was old news to Papa, as Sir William and he had already met with the subscribers, and all have agreed that the assembly rooms should be opened and a dance held to welcome the gentleman and his party. Mr. Bingham wrote immediately to Sir William, saying he would be honoured to attend the assembly and looked forward to meeting his new neighbours. I wonder what the gentleman will think of our country dances.
The events that took place at the assembly were very close to those described in Jane Austen's novel. Mr. Bingham had a great time, especially with Jane Garrison, Mr. Ashurst was a bore, and the two Bingham sisters tried to keep as much distance from the locals as possible. The only difference was that Mr. Lacey's insult packed even more of a sting: “Mr. Bingham's friend said within my hearing that the only thing worse than dancing with the present company would be the necessity of conversing with them.” Ouch!
As in the novel, Jane did have lunch with the Bingham sisters at Helmsley Hall, but that was where any similarities ended. Jane did not get sick, so Lizzy did not have to nurse her sister, and there were no snappy exchanges between Mr. Lacey and Lizzy during Jane's recuperation. But at that lunch, Jane learned who Charles's dour friend was: Mr. William Lacey of Pemberley in Derbyshire.
31 March—Jane found the gentleman to be in much better humour as he commented on how pleasant the local countryside was. Apparently, he has a large estate in the country near Matlock and belongs to one of those ancient Norman families who arrived in England with William the Conqueror. He is very proud, but with his wealth and superior situation in society, I daresay he has a right to be. Jane suspects Mr. Lacey exerts
a strong influence on his friend. Of that there can be little doubt.
In addition to Beth's diary transcriptions were undated letters from Will to his cousin Anne.
Dear Anne,
I pay a high price for being Bingham's friend. Each evening, Bingham and I must play cards with Caroline, Louisa, and Ashurst because, if I do not, I must listen to the sisters complain about the lack of society in the country or listen to Ashurst's snoring as he lays sprawled on the sofa.
Bingham's interest in Miss Garrison has grown, and he frequently rides over to Bennets End, the Garrison estate. I advised him that there was no harm in his visits as long as he recognized that Miss Garrison's position in society prevented any serious attachment. He replied that it was comments like these that made him glad he had not been born a Lacey. He said, 'It would require me to limit my circle of friends to those of my exalted rank.' Sometimes Bingham spouts the same egalitarian nonsense we hear coming from France. I asked him if Miss Garrison's ardour matched his own, and he replied that it did not. I believe this shows Miss Garrison to be a woman of good sense who does not encourage the affections of someone who is above her station.
Tomorrow, we are to dine with Sir William Ledger. Caroline and Louisa will not attend, and because of that, I will.
Yours,
Will
The next letter clearly showed that, despite his claims to the contrary, Will was finding it difficult to resist Elizabeth's charms. It also contained the news that Mr. Chatterton had returned to Bennets End with the intention of proposing to one of his cousins.
Dear Anne,
I cannot remember what I wrote that would cause you to believe that, like Bingham, I have become captivated by a Garrison sister. I confess everything to you, so I will tell you Miss Elizabeth has many fine qualities. Her conversation is engaging and, at times, impertinent. At a small private party held at the home of Sir William Ledger, she asked if I often traveled into Kent. I acknowledged that I did, as I wished to visit with my aunt and cousin as often as time and business would allow. She responded: 'I am sure you know that Mr. Chatterton, after receiving his ordination, was provided with a living by your aunt, Lady Sylvia, and I cannot imagine anyone more appreciative of such notice. We have heard such detailed descriptions of Desmet Park that I will never have to actually visit the estate.'
I asked Miss Elizabeth if she was aware that Mr. Chatterton came to dinner at Desmet Park on Thursday afternoons for the purpose of going over that Sunday's sermon with your mother, to which she replied, 'I am not surprised he seeks your aunt's opinion since he holds her in such high esteem.' When I asked if she had heard Mr. Chatterton preach, she said she had, 'but not in church.'
Knowing she was fond of teasing, I mentioned that Lady Sylvia was encouraging Mr. Chatterton to take a wife, as she thought it important for the pastor to set the example of marriage for his parish. Miss Elizabeth turned to me in alarm and asked: 'Has he indicated that this is his purpose in coming into Hertfordshire?' I answered that I thought it likely since he had been much impressed by his Garrison cousins from an earlier visit.
I will be the first to admit I am not as clever as Bingham or Col. Devereaux, who can engage in this type of discourse, and now I was convinced Miss Elizabeth was annoyed by the subject. She sat there silently for several minutes before saying: 'Mr. Chatterton is a good sort of man. From his description of the parsonage, he will be in a position to provide his wife with a comfortable home, and there certainly will be no lack of conversation. Yes, on reflection, I think an offer from such a man should be taken seriously, and why should he not choose from amongst those who have an interest in Bennets End?'
I do not know the lady well enough to say with absolute certainty that she was once again teasing me. Prior to joining Bingham in Hertfordshire, I had met Mr. Chatterton only that one afternoon at Desmet Park, and yet I know a woman as intelligent as she would never entertain an offer of marriage from someone of such meager intellect.
I admit that Miss Elizabeth possesses many fine qualities, but as to the matter of her family, other than her sister Jane, there is little to admire. As soon as I left Miss Elizabeth, her two younger sisters came running into the room, yanked a young man out of his seat, and demanded he dance with them. The quiet sister, I believe her name is Mary, played the pianoforte with a modicum of talent but lacked the proficiency necessary to perform in public. Their mother paid no attention to them, as if this was nothing out of the common, and their father appeared to be amused by it all. Mr. Garrison seems to be a man of sense, but he takes little care of his younger children.
Miss Garrison continues to draw Bingham's attention. I believe she is flattered by his notice, but surely she does not expect something more serious to come of it. Bingham is to host a ball at Helmsley Hall for his neighbours. After that, I shall return permanently to London. Many of my friends are already in town, and my absence has been noted.
Yours,
Will
“Lizzy is intrigued by Will,” Beth wrote in her notes, “but I'm convinced she did not entertain any idea of his being attracted to her because of his elevated rank in society. However, you will see from Lizzy's diary entries how much she writes about Mr. Lacey.”
8 April—Much to everyone's surprise, Messrs Bingham and Lacey came to dine at Ledger Lodge, and Mr. Lacey chose to sit by me. He is quite handsome, with his black hair and gray/ green eyes. Since he sought me out, I thought I should remind him that there was a time when he found such company beneath him. 'If I recall, you do not care for dancing—at least not in Hertfordshire—but what stratagems will you use to avoid conversation?' I thought my directness would drive Mr. Lacey away, but instead he told me he chose very carefully the people whom he sat next to. I cautioned him that he had chosen unwisely, and he accused me of teasing him, which was exactly what I was doing because it is obvious he has had little experience with it. But then he had his revenge by telling me Mr. Chatterton had come to Hertfordshire for the purpose of getting a wife. My discomfort was clear. So that he should not savour his victory too long, I pretended such a proposal should be given serious consideration. Then it was his turn to be alarmed. He thought I should not consider an offer from Mr. Chatterton. What a strange man he is! He looks at me with the most quizzical expression. His face was less difficult to read when Lucy and Celia ran into the room demanding that John Ledger dance with them.
When I remarked that Mr. Chatterton was about to ask me to dance, Mr. Lacey quickly stood up and claimed the dance. He took me by the hand, and I cannot explain it, but I felt something unfamiliar, something that made me uncomfortable. The gentleman is handsome, intelligent, and carries himself with an assurance I have seen in no other man. I am sure he will soon leave for London, as I understand many of his friends are already in town.
Based on this entry, it seemed unlikely that Mr. Chatterton had ever made an offer of marriage to Lizzy. Her comments about the parson were confined to his long-windedness and the length of his visit, but it also included the interesting tidbit that Mr. Chatterton had been invited to dine at Ledger Lodge on two occasions.
In hopes of moving things along for Jane and Bingham, Mrs. Garrison extended an invitation to all the residents of Helmsley Hall to attend a dinner party at Bennets End. After dining at the Garrison home, Will wrote to his cousin summarizing that evening's events. Jack called it an “after action” report, and it was not flattering.
24 April 1792
Dear Anne,
Bingham, Caroline, the Ashursts, and I were invited to dine at Bennets End. Mrs. Garrison, without embarrassment, praised her daughter, Jane, as the most beautiful girl in the county. Served with the second course were additional compliments about her daughter's intelligence, ability to paint tables, embroider, etc., etc., etc. Miss Garrison was deeply embarrassed by this itemization of her abilities, and despite her sister Elizabeth's best efforts to change the subject, her mother continued at every opportunity to add to her long list of her eldest daughter
's charms.
As for Mr. Garrison, he is well informed and a very agreeable man. However, he seems to find his wife's undisguised pursuit of Bingham for their daughter to be diverting, and since it provides him with amusement, she is free to chatter on endlessly. The two youngest daughters announced that the militia were now encamped nearby, and it was their hope to meet every officer in the regiment!
Caroline Bingham made no attempt to disguise her contempt for Mrs. Garrison. She points out how the behaviour of the two younger sisters is an embarrassment to her family and anyone associated with them. It is rare that I find myself in agreement with Caroline, but even if you disregard Miss Garrison's inferior position in society, you cannot turn a blind eye to the inappropriate behaviour of the mother and younger sisters.
It became painfully clear as the night wore on that Miss Elizabeth knew what a disastrous impression her family had made on their company. She rarely looked at me, but when she did, it was with embarrassment. I spoke briefly to her and then only to discuss political news from the continent. (She was aware of France's declaration of war against Austria.) She informed me that Mr. Chatterton was dining with the Lucas family, which made me realize the evening could actually have been worse. I hope to convince Bingham to quit Hertfordshire after the ball. I have never felt so ill at ease as I have since coming to Helmsley Hall.
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