The Gypsy Blessing

by Wendi Sotis

  “Yes, sir. Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet are visiting with Miss Darcy.”

  His heart fluttered at the mention of Elizabeth’s name. Darcy remained seated, looking up to the bank of parlour windows on the second floor, where Georgiana would most likely be entertaining her guests. The curtains billowed in the breeze of the open windows. They must have heard the coach—it would be rude to leave again now. He removed from the coach and entered the house, and the footman took his hat and cane.

  “I assume the ladies are in the front parlour?” He could not keep his eyes from moving towards the stairs—only a few paces more were separating him from Elizabeth.

  “Miss Darcy entertains in the music room this afternoon, sir,” Rupert replied.

  “Inform Mrs. Martin I shall visit with my sister and her guests.”

  The sound of music drifted down to him once he reached the second floor landing. Darcy distinguished Georgiana’s excellent fingering on the pianoforte accompanied by Elizabeth’s song. A powerful wave of anticipation coursed through him. As his footfalls reverberated down the staircase, he consciously slowed his ascent lest the footmen stationed in the hallways become aware of his eager enthusiasm to meet with these ladies. As one footman turned the door handle, Darcy placed his finger to his lips to indicate he should not be announced. The door opened slowly.

  As he entered the room, Elizabeth’s gaze met his, her eyes smiling in greeting as she continued her song, drawing him to her. He stepped forward and then, recognizing the Italian love song, halted. Filling his lungs fully, he thought, It is not possible that she understands what she says as she looks at me! Elizabeth blushed and broke the connection. Or perhaps she does. He blinked several times and then directed his gaze at Georgiana. His sister’s sly smile brought him back to his senses, and he turned to find Mrs. Gardiner’s and Jane’s eyes upon him, as well.

  He bowed his head to them both before making his way to an empty chair behind them, where he remained until the performance had ended. Phrases that had been used to refer to the relationship between Miss Muriel Ramsey and his friend, Lord Alcock, the night before echoed through his mind, “Ladybird” and “Gulled cully” among them. I must remove myself from the chance of seeing Elizabeth until I have become immune to her influence!

  Georgiana turned to Elizabeth. “Will you not sing again, Lizzy?”

  “I am sorry,” Mrs. Gardiner answered for Elizabeth, “but we are expected at home.”

  “Are you able to come again one afternoon later in the week?” Georgiana asked with anticipation.

  Mrs. Gardiner shook her head. “Tomorrow week, perhaps?”

  I am now convinced—we shall go to Matlock. If I am ever going to harden my heart to these feelings for Elizabeth, I must not risk another meeting so soon! Darcy thought, and then said aloud, “I am afraid I have just agreed to escort my aunt to her estate in Derbyshire. Georgiana and I depart London on Monday.”

  “Oh.” Georgiana’s disappointment was written plainly across her features.

  “We shall be travelling home to Longbourn at the end of next week, as well.” Elizabeth took Georgiana’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. “My aunt is at home for callers on Wednesday and Thursday. You would be very welcome.”

  ~%~

  August 26, 1811 ~ On the road to Matlock

  Since they had left London, the almost constant chattering of his aunt and sister was making it impossible to concentrate on his book—especially considering their chosen subject. This will not do! Why is Aunt Adelaide trying to learn all she can of the Bennets?

  At the next pause in their conversation, Darcy cleared his throat. “Ladies, I must point out that Hertfordshire is quite a distance from Derbyshire, and the Bennets rarely visit their relations in London. Given their connexions, it is highly unlikely we shall receive the same invitations as the Gardiners or the Bennets. In fact, Georgiana, you should not expect more from the acquaintance than the exchange of a few letters. I doubt you will meet with them again.”

  Georgiana’s smile disappeared along with the colour from her cheeks. Lady Adelaide reached across the bench and took her niece’s hand in hers.

  “Worry not, Georgiana; your brother’s distaste for travelling has him out of sorts. I found them charming and will extend an invitation for tea at Matlock House the next time they are in Town. Of course, you will be invited.”

  Darcy closed his book. “I thought you did not know them, Aunt?”

  “Knowing Georgiana was leaving Town, Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth came to take their leave while I paid a morning call on my niece on Friday.”

  “Do you not remember, Fitzwilliam? I told you they called—”

  “Yes, you did. I did not know Aunt Adelaide was there at the time,” Darcy responded. Though you may have told me and I was too distracted at hearing that I had missed my last opportunity at glimpsing Elizabeth...

  “Well, I was, and I cannot tell you how pleased I was with their manners,” Lady Adelaide said with a smile. “I should like to know them better.”

  I cannot recover from this infatuation if my aunt continues encouraging Georgiana to speak of Elizabeth. Perhaps we shall remove to Pemberley sooner than expected.

  ~%~

  August 30, 1811~ Longbourn

  Jane took a gown from her sister’s trunk and shook it out before hanging it in the closet. Turning back to Elizabeth, she said, “Lizzy, I have been thinking. How long has it been?”

  Elizabeth furrowed her brow. “Since what?”

  “Since you received a drawing?”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth looked down at the shawl she was folding, and then placed it in her dresser, using a little too much force to close the drawer. “Monday, it will be four weeks.” After a few minutes, Elizabeth broke the silence that had fallen over them, “It is possible that as the drawings led to our helping Georgiana, I will not receive another.”

  “But Lizzy—the gypsies promised your happiness, not Georgiana’s.”

  “I assure you that I am happy,” Elizabeth answered without looking up from her chore. “We have a new friend in Georgiana, and she is now safe from Mr. Wickham.”

  Jane sat on the edge of the bed. “Lizzy, you know I did not mean to say that you would not be happy about that circumstance. But what of Mr. Da—”

  “Jane... I honestly do not know,” Elizabeth interrupted.

  “You are disappointed.”

  Elizabeth closed the lid of the trunk with a bang, startling them both. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and looked at her sister with a forced smile. “Now that we are finished unpacking, I am eager to begin my walk. I have missed observing the changes summer brings to the grounds of Longbourn.” She walked over to the closet, donned a lightweight spencer, and fled the room—though she could not escape her own thoughts.

  ~%~

  September 3, 1811 ~ Matlock

  “Come in,” Lady Adelaide called out from her seat at the writing desk in her private sitting room. “Good morning, Fitzwilliam.” She rose and took a more comfortable seat, gesturing for him to do the same.

  “Aunt, I have a favour to ask of you.” Darcy settled into the chair across from her and held up a letter. “This was forwarded from my home in London. Do you remember Charles Bingley?”

  “Yes, I do. I hope you will not ask me to invite him and his sisters to Matlock, nephew. I would be happy to entertain Mr. Bingley, but his sisters are quite another story.”

  Darcy chuckled. “It seems that I shall be spending quite a bit of time with them in the near future. Before purchasing an estate as his father intended, Charles has taken a lease on a small property. I had promised to help him learn how to manage it.”

  Lady Adelaide replied, “A wise decision—and you are the perfect example.”

  He nodded his thanks and gestured to the letter in his hand. “I just learned that he takes possession on Michaelmas. There are too many in the area surrounding Pemberley who are willing to give
Wickham another chance. It is too risky to have Georgiana stay there alone. Bingley invites Georgiana, as well, but I shall not be able to spend much time with her at first—”

  “You do not wish to leave her alone with those two harpies Mr. Bingley is unfortunate enough to call sisters. I understand, Fitzwilliam. Georgiana is such a delightful companion; I would enjoy her staying on with me at Matlock. Richard shall join us later in the month—he will keep Georgiana well entertained.”

  “Thank you, Aunt.” He rose from his seat and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I shall speak to Georgie directly.”

  “Oh, Fitzwilliam—what property has Mr. Bingley taken?”

  He scanned the letter and answered, “Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire.”

  Lady Adelaide raised her eyebrows, curious at how he would respond to her next question. “Hertfordshire?”

  Darcy blushed slightly in spite of himself. “It is a large county, Aunt, and it is unlikely I should meet with them.” He bowed and left the room.

  Lady Adelaide stared after him. Following his glowing description of Elizabeth Bennet, she had paid close attention to his reactions every time Georgiana had mentioned her, and she was quite certain Darcy was enamoured with her. Her nephew had consistently hinted at the inferiority of the Bennet family’s connexions, causing her suspicion to deepen. To her, it sounded as if he were trying to convince himself instead of his sister that the lady’s situation was lacking.

  He has no desire for a title and has no reason to require a marriage only to add to his wealth or consequence. Why should he not wed the daughter of a country gentleman if he prefers her over any other lady?

  She sighed. Duty to family was a high priority to Darcy, as it was to all of Fitzwilliam blood. She had already hinted at her approval of the lady, and Darcy should know that if she approved, her husband surely would stand behind the match.

  ~%~

  September 13, 1811~ Longbourn

  Elizabeth was sitting in the window seat of her room when she heard a knock on the door. Quickly hiding the page she was holding behind a pillow and lifting another, she beckoned, “Enter.”

  Jane slipped in and closed the door behind her. “Was it a drawing, Lizzy?” Jane asked expectantly.

  “I believe this is from Georgiana,” Elizabeth answered as she broke the seal on the letter in her lap and unfolded it.

  “Oh. Seeing your expression when Hill brought the letters, I was sure that the gypsies had resumed their correspondence.”

  Elizabeth smiled politely and asked, “Would you like to know what Georgiana says?”

  “Yes, please.” Jane sat in the chair at the dressing table.

  “Lady Matlock’s spaniel has birthed the puppies, and Georgiana will have her pick of the litter! Two caught her fancy, a blonde and a black, and she cannot decide between them.” Elizabeth paused as she read ahead. “Her uncle, the earl, has now joined them, as well as her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam—that is the gentleman wearing regimentals in one of the drawings. The colonel is on leave and will visit at Matlock for a few weeks.” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “Mr. Darcy will be leaving soon to visit a friend who has taken an estate. Georgie enjoys the gentleman’s company, as well, and had almost decided to go along with her brother, but... oh—she does not say as much directly, but I believe she prefers to avoid the gentleman’s sisters. She will remain with her aunt and cousin instead.” Elizabeth attempted to contain a smile.

  “What is it, Lizzy?”

  Elizabeth’s eyes opened a little wider. “Hmmm?”

  “Why are you smiling?”

  “I umm...” Elizabeth blushed and ran her finger down the letter. “Oh, here it is, Georgiana said that her uncle has offered both puppies, and her brother has agreed.”

  Jane’s countenance brightened. “That is very generous of them.”

  “Yes, it is happy news.”

  A knock sounded out. Jane answered the door to find Mrs. Hill standing there. “Miss Jane, you are wanted in the sitting room.”

  Jane replied, “Thank you, Hill; I will be there in a moment.”

  The housekeeper curtsied and left them. “Excuse me, Lizzy.”

  Waiting until she heard Jane’s footsteps on the staircase to make certain she would not return, Elizabeth reached behind the pillow to retrieve the drawing she had hidden before Jane came in. “I am sorry, Jane, but I do not believe you were meant to see this one.”

  Although it was not at all uncommon to see a gentleman moon-eyed over her beautiful sister, it was a novelty to see Jane gazing at him in a similar fashion. A smile spread across Elizabeth’s face as she bowed her head to the gentleman and said, “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bingley. Georgiana has spoken highly of you.”

  While Jane’s admirer was attractive in his finely tailored blue coat, he was not nearly so handsome as his friend, who was looking at the Elizabeth in the picture in a way that made her heart flutter. She traced the line of his jaw with her finger and blushed.

  “I look forward to seeing you again soon, Mr. Darcy.”

  ~%~

  September 27, 1811

  Upon her mother’s return from the village of Meryton, Elizabeth could see from the twinkle in her mother’s eyes that she was practically bursting with excitement. Even before all the family was seated, Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, “You will never guess what I have learned from my sister Phillips, my dears—Netherfield Park is let at last! To a Mr. Bingley... a single gentleman of four or five thousand a year, at least!” Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands. “He will do nicely for one of our girls, will he not, Mr. Bennet?”

  “How do you know that he is not a rake or a numbskull, my dear?”

  “Oh, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Phillips met him when he signed the lease. My brother reports that Mr. Bingley is a gentleman of the highest calibre.” Mrs. Bennet sat taller in her seat, nodding.

  “Well then, if Phillips has spent all of an hour or two in Mr. Bingley’s presence, I am sure he must be aware of all there is to know about the young man.” Mr. Bennet caught Elizabeth’s eye and winked.

  Mrs. Bennet ignored her husband’s statement. “Mr. Bingley is to take possession just after Michaelmas. Already the butcher has received an order to be delivered on Monday next. Jane! I am so relieved I had the presence of mind to have your new gown ready before the assembly ball on Wednesday.”

  Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrows. “Has Mr. Bingley agreed to attend already, even before he enters the neighbourhood?”

  “You speak nonsense, my dear. I do not know whether he is aware of the ball at all, but surely he will come and meet his new neighbours.”

  “If you say so,” Mr. Bennet replied.

  When Mrs. Bennet went on to itemize Mr. Bingley’s order from the butcher, Mr. Bennet removed to his study. After a while, Mrs. Bennet said, “I do not like to think that your father might be correct, girls, but I begin to wonder if Mr. Bingley will attend the ball. After all, it is scheduled only two days after his arrival at Netherfield.”

  Elizabeth lowered her head to attend her embroidery in order to hide her smile. Oh, I am sure he will attend, Mama, and he will bring friends, as well.

  Chapter 11

  October 1, 1811 ~ Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

  Shortly after his arrival in Hertfordshire, Darcy found his friend and host, Mr. Charles Bingley, with Bingley’s family in the parlour. Bingley soon announced that their party would be attending an assembly ball on the morrow.

  “Really, Charles,” exclaimed Bingley’s eldest sister, Mrs. Louisa Hurst. “After being accustomed to the finest society in London, I am certain none amongst the present company would enjoy such an event. Must you be so willing to embrace the locals’ customs?”

  “Yes, I must—as should you, Louisa, for my sake. Since arriving here, I have met several gentlemen, and I would like to get to know them better and meet their families. The mayor of Meryton himself, Sir William Lucas, gifted us tickets to the ball to make us feel welcomed to the area.”

  Bingl
ey’s other sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, asked, “Does Sir William have an unmarried daughter, perhaps?” She exchanged an amused glance with Mrs. Hurst.

  “Two, in fact, although I think Miss Lucas is the only one out in society. Both are remarkably pleasant young ladies.”

  “He brought his unmarried daughters with him to meet you?” Mrs. Hurst asked with a snicker. “How typical of unpolished society.”

  “No, he did not. I met most of his family when I rode into the village today, just before your arrival, Darcy.”

  Darcy asked, “You have already accepted the invitation?” At Bingley’s nod, Darcy continued, “Then I shall accompany you. There is no way of declining now without proffering insult.”

  Miss Bingley smiled too sweetly. “Your show of support for a friend’s blunder is proof of your superior breeding, Mr. Darcy.”

  Bingley raised his brows in surprise. “Blunder? These are my neighbours, Caroline—our neighbours, since you will act as hostess here. How could I disregard such a particular invitation?”

  “By saying that we are too fatigued from our journey or that we are too busy setting up house, Charles.” Mrs. Hurst sniffed. “I am certain we would have been excused from this savage occasion.”

  “Fatigued? Did we not, at your insistence, send an army of servants ahead to open the house and unpack our belongings? I daresay, even the most delicate lady would not require more than three days to recover from travelling a mere three hours in a well-sprung coach. I cannot agree—my neighbours would think us deceitful if I followed your recommendation.”

  “You are correct, Bingley,” Darcy stated, knowing the ladies would stop abusing their brother with his proclamation of agreement.

  Since entering the county of Hertfordshire, Darcy had experienced an odd mixture of hopeful anticipation and anxious apprehension at the chance that Elizabeth Bennet might live near his friend’s estate. Now that the required knowledge was only a question away, or so he hoped, his need to know became urgent. Should he expect his visit here to be spent in as much ease as could be afforded whilst staying in the same household as Bingley’s social-climbing, marriage-minded sister? Or, in addition, would the majority of his days be utterly consumed by an attempt to steel himself against the compelling wealth of Elizabeth’s charms? The nagging, unanswered question as to which he would prefer would no longer matter once he knew.