Pemberley

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  Mrs Annesley, however, was not very much impressed by a mere Lady de Bourgh, she reserved her awe for her introduction to Prince George. He kept things short and formal, which probably suited Mrs Annesley much better than his familiarity would. They would have plenty to talk about once he had studied her work. Too bad she had only this one piece to show him.

  Soon everyone was concentrating on the centrepiece, Fitzwilliam, his aunt and Georgiana seeking resemblances between the portraits the artist was using, the work itself and Georgiana, Prince George not hesitating to join the discussion, despite not having known the subject personally. He was an expert on the subject of art, after all.

  Since Elizabeth was neither a relative nor an expert on art, she busied herself studying the scene before her, until Mrs Annesley joined her at the slight distance Elizabeth was keeping. She took one good look at the group, still very pleasantly occupied, then said calmly and with a certain decisiveness Elizabeth had never heard from her, not even when she advised her master and mistress to take personal staff to Jane's wedding at Netherfield, 'I need to tell you something private about your father, Mrs Darcy, it is very important.

  Can you excuse me ignoring propriety this once? I know you don't like our intimacy, but this may end in tears and even bloodshed, I cannot keep it from you to prevent us both from being embarrassed.'

  Elizabeth was shocked, but managed to keep a straight face.

  'That sounds rather urgent, Mrs Annesley, please tell me what has happened.

  I love my father, you know, whatever he does that I don't particularly care for. I am his daughter, I admire and respect him, I am not exactly old enough or experienced enough to judge him.'

  'Your sense does you and your father great credit, Mrs Darcy. I will keep it very short since we're in company. Mr Bennet told me your aunt is here to enable you to find out whether Lieutenant Wickham is in fact Mr Darcy's brother. If that is the case, your father plans to convince Mr Darcy to not tell the lieutenant, for fear of his newly revealed half-brother trying to take advantage of the situation, in particular trying to come between you and your

  husband. Lieutenant Wickham wrote to your father about a certain scene in his and your sister's house in Newcastle, where he tried to take advantage of you and failed. If Mr Darcy cannot be convinced that Lieutenant Wickham will do his very best to destroy your marriage from the inside if he is let back in the family, Mr Bennet plans to let your husband read those paragraphs for himself. He is convinced it will save you and your husband a world of trouble.

  I think I know Mr Darcy better, and I fear he will fly in a rage and challenge the lieutenant, inevitably destroying his own life and that of those he loves.

  No gentleman can best an officer of the rifles in a duel, and your husband will be disgraced as well as killed or gravely injured, since duelling is strictly forbidden. I beg you to talk to your father and tell him to desist, nothing good can come of telling your husband what you so rightfully kept from him. I know I am overstepping all boundaries of propriety by telling you this, but I cannot keep my silence at the risk of seeing a family I care for being torn apart.'

  With the little group still watching the portrait and Georgiana in turns, Elizabeth thought she managed to keep her shock from her face. A dry, disengaged part of her noticed Lady Catherine had never looked so genuinely pleased in her presence, it seemed the hurt had mostly gone out of the memory of her sister, and talking of her had become a true pleasure. But she had to process what she'd just heard, and she had to do it quickly.

  'Wickham wrote to my father and told him what he'd done? Why? Is he an idiot? If Fitzwilliam ever finds out he will set out to murder Wickham with his bare hands and die in the trying. I love my husband more than anyone in this world, and I despise Wickham, even more so since that incident. I handled it, you know, called his bluff and came out on top. It is in the past and should stay there. Why would he tell papa?'

  'I suppose he needed to tell someone, Mrs Darcy, he was probably eaten up with guilt over it. Mr Bennet is the only person he could trust with such information.'

  'Well, apparently not, if papa thinks it will gain anyone anything to tell Fitzwilliam. Papa has no idea how much of a temper Fitzwilliam has, since he is so indolent himself. Thank you for telling me this, Mrs Annesley.

  Fortunately it turned out that Lieutenant Wickham is not in fact related by blood to Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, but if he had been, Fitzwilliam would indeed have let him back into the family, and papa might have done

  something foolish. Do you want to tell papa all is well, or do you want me to pretend you never said anything and tell him myself?'

  'With your permission, I will tell him as soon as we are done here, I suppose he will still be in the library. It is probably the quickest way to let him know there is nothing to fear, it will be such a relief to him. But I also want him to know I am not afraid of interfering in his business, not if he is about to do something so dangerous. That incident was not his to tell anyone about, you decided to keep it to yourself and he should respect that.'

  'You are so right, I have never kept anything from my beloved before, but this has been adequately addressed and yet would cause him such anger and such doubt if he knew, I decided to just forget about it myself. Again, thank you for your concern, Mrs Annesley. I want you to know I do not fault you for what you and my father are doing, I blame him. When I think of my mother, I cannot approve, but I know my father, it is hard to refuse him anything.'

  'Please do not think he forced me into anything, Mrs Darcy. We took an instant liking to each other, and one day, when we were both feeling vulnerable, things happened which we both let get further every time we met since. He has helped me through a very difficult time, and please do not underestimate how empty your father's life has been since you and your elder sister moved out. He will never admit to being at odds with a life he has no-one to thank for but himself, but he is often very unhappy. I have been mostly released from the folly of my youth, soon forever, and though it has cost me my best years I look forward to the future. Your father has nothing to look forward to, his honour demands he bear the consequences of his own behaviour as long as he yet lives, his daughters fortunately well-settled, but his own life lacking every expectation of improvement. Please don't fault him for trying to make it a little less desolate.'

  Elizabeth still couldn't really accept what her father was doing to her mother, and yet she couldn't help thinking it would do him good to have a woman in his life on a more equal basis, who'd confront him with his behaviour if that was called for. Such torn feelings, her beloved father really needed this woman in his life to be happy, but the impropriety, the breach of trust!

  'You have given me a lot to think about, Mrs Annesley, and I certainly will talk to my father. But I approve of the idea of someone giving him a piece of their mind about this foolish scheme and I would infinitely prefer it to be you, you have such a claim on his respect, I'm still his daughter, he might not

  listen to me at all. And yet this is my life he was going to meddle with, my beloved whose life he was risking. Thank you, and good luck. Now let us see to our company, I think they are ready for some work.'

  'Mrs Annesley,' Prince George offered as soon as their attention was back to the rest of the group, though he hadn't seemed aware of their head-to-head at all, 'this is exquisite! I've always considered needlework a pastime for ladies with nothing else to do, until I got familiar with Mrs Darcy's ways and saw how she managed to put her skills to actual use. But this is so much more even than Mrs Darcy's excellent work! This is true art. The expression in the eyes is just like a real eye, it's as good as this one painting and significantly better than the other.'

  Poor Mrs Annesley was used to receiving compliments, but not from an actual prince who was also a connoisseur of the fine arts, and an important patron to English talents. She managed a reply but not with her usual eloquence.

  'Thank you, Your Highness.'

  But when
she curtseyed to acknowledge his attention, some courage seemed to take hold of her and she continued much more easily.

  'Your compliment is worth much since you have such a reputation as a connoisseur and lover of all the arts. I would have thought needlework below your notice.'

  'Dear Mrs Annesley, nothing is beneath the notice of someone truly interested in beauty. I try to find it wherever I can, which means not limiting where I look for it. The smallest things can sometimes outdo the grandest for beauty.

  Though this is certainly not small in any way, the hours you must have put in it alone make it much more.'

  'That is certainly true, Your Highness, I have spent many hours on this piece so far, and there are many more still to go, but I love working on it. As soon as I have solved the mystery of the diverging paintings.'

  Here, Lady Catherine could no longer control herself, and she observed, 'I am absolutely certain that this painting here has the right of it, look at my niece's beautiful face, it is a perfect likeness of this exquisite work of art.'

  Elizabeth looked at Georgiana, then at the painting indicated by Lady Catherine, and had to agree with the old lady. Georgiana did resemble the woman in the picture uncannily, and yet Elizabeth had never before noticed the likeness. Looking at Fitzwilliam it was clear he was experiencing the same feelings, and he didn't hesitate to put his thoughts into words.

  'You were so right, aunt Catherine, Georgie does look exactly like mother at a similar age. And not just the mouth and cheeks, which will please Mrs Annesley I am certain, but also the eyes. Especially the eyes.'

  'In that case, Mrs Annesley, I will be at your disposal for as long as you are here. And since we have plans to spend summer in London after all, it may even be that you can take a look at my face whenever you need one.'

  'You are planning to return to London for summer, Mrs Fielding? That would be such a help! I will make the preparations as soon as I have returned myself. All of you?'

  'Just Mr Fielding and myself, I think. The others are enjoying life in the country far too much to spend summer in the sweltering heat of a large town.'

  'Then I am certain I will be able to finish this piece as it deserves. With your permission I will spend today and tomorrow studying the other representations of the late Mrs Darcy, and make sufficient sketches to remember her likeness. But I'd love to have a real live model to perfect my work.'

  'And when you have finished this beautiful piece, Mrs Annesley, would you make one like it for me? I'll pay you handsomely to bring my beloved sister back to life for me as well as for my nephew and niece. Maybe you could visit Rosings to study her favourite dress at that age, I still keep it and I'd like my piece to be wearing its likeness.'

  Well, that was Mrs Annesley's pleasure of course, to perfect this work even further but with some differences to keep it interesting.. A visit to Rosings would not take her far from London, and it would help her gain an insight in where her work would end up, and where its subject had lived so many happy years of childhood.

  'And when you have finished that work, I'd like to be the next in line to commission my own. Something really challenging for you which we will choose the subject of together, to be on display amongst the best of my paintings. Maybe I may visit you and see some of your finished works?'

  See, Prince George loved art in all its shapes and couldn't resist such beautiful work.

  'But Your Highness, I live in a very poor neighbourhood. Though I'd love to show you the works I have held onto so far.'

  'If I wear pantaloons such as my valet-on-loan has shown me, and have Enrique mess up my hair in one of those weeping-willow hairstyles no-one will recognise me. Believe me, without the out-of-date clothing I look just

  like any other man. One who likes his dinner, of course.'

  It was clear that Mrs Annesley didn't believe he would do it, but Elizabeth was rather certain he would. And frankly, she was a bit envious, she'd like to see Mrs Annesley's best works as well. Maybe she'd dare ask coming winter when they returned to town for a few weeks. But first they'd have a really nice time with the family, and enjoy their last summer as a young couple without children. Next summer, everything would be different.

  For an old man like Mr Bennet this had been quite an exciting day. Having Lizzy find out about his impropriety, fearing Mrs Annesley's reaction to this discovery, meeting the Prince of Wales and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, having to treat the latter with less respect than he usually offered ladies of her age, simply to avoid any misunderstandings. Fortunately, Mrs Annesley's reaction to being found out had been much milder than he expected, but then there was this thing with Wickham, it might ruin Lizzy's happiness and she didn't have a clue. Or did she? According to Wickham she had faced him down quite admirably, maybe she could take care of herself despite her tender age. She had certainly grown immensely.

  And maybe the excitement of his day wasn't due his age, he felt younger than he had in years. He just wasn't used to things happening in his life, he'd gone through the motions of living for years and years, merely coping with his situation, not doing anything about it. Maybe it was time for him to get used to some excitement, step back into life, or rather, finally start to live, though it was late it was never too late. He was only a few years past fifty, plenty of time left to make new acquaintances with a semblance of conversation and enjoy them. Apparently Earl Spencer was an admirable fellow, why not try to befriend him the coming weeks, and maybe spend more time with his brother-in-law Mr Gardiner in London this winter?

  But first he would fulfil a duty he felt he had to Lizzy, which was to keep Mr Collins out of trouble. Somehow he felt responsible for the impression his nephew made on the Prince of Wales, though in fact Collins wasn't here as a relative at all but as Lady de Bourgh's servant. Of course a minister wasn't supposed to be anyone's servant except the Lord's, but his nephew's position was certainly very dependent, at least until Mr Bennet deigned to die and leave him Longbourn, which he wasn't planning on doing anytime soon. Still, it would be a small sacrifice to ask Mr Collins about his son and heir and let him rant on about the little fellow for what was left of the afternoon. Then

  tonight he might entertain Darcy's aunt for an hour or so whilst his daughter spent time on Prince George, the heir to the throne would be a good connection for Lizzy and Darcy but it wouldn't do to let the man find out how silly their closest relatives were, from both sides. Such a fortunate coincidence that he'd decided to send Mrs Bennet and Mary to Brighton.

  Filled with righteous determination, Mr Bennet made his way from the library to the drawing-room, which to his surprise was empty. On his inquiry, the ever-present butler could tell him exactly where everyone was.

  'The master and mistress are in the dining-room with Mrs Annesley, the London housekeeper. Mr Fielding and his friends are at headquarters with the Prince of Wales, Lady de Bourgh has retreated to her private quarters and your youngest daughter is in her own room with Mrs Fielding and the seamstress.'

  'My youngest daughter? Lydia is here?'

  'About an hour ago a young lady arrived who introduced herself as Mrs Wickham, and of whom Mrs Reynolds later said she was Mrs Darcy's youngest sister.'

  Oh my, Lydia, just the person they needed to complete Lizzy's current mismatched company! Now he really had no chance to escape the drawing-room tonight to spend a few more hours with Mrs Annesley.

  'That is indeed my youngest daughter. You say she is in her own room with the seamstress and Mrs Fielding? Have you any idea when they will be finished?'

  He'd better take care she didn't follow Mrs Fielding back to the second floor!

  Lydia in the company of Prince George without Lizzy or Darcy to introduce her properly, the very thought made his heart grow cold, Fielding could do it but he was much too modest to even think of it. Manners had no connection to Lydia, nor did Mrs Manners. Suddenly a terrifying though struck him.

  'And my nephew, Mr Collins? Do you know where he is? Maybe visiting the local m
inister?'

  The butler smiled kindly and replied, 'Mr Eliot would love that, he is always patient with us but I'm certain he sometimes wishes to discuss his beliefs with someone as learned as himself. But no, as far as I know Mr Collins is at headquarters with Mr Fielding, he seemed part of that particular group of friends so I didn't mention him separately.'

  That did it, Mr Bennet had to intercept his daughter before she got bored and decided to find the young people upstairs. For unfortunately, Mr Collins was

  the most likely person to take it upon himself to introduce his cousin to Prince George, but he was also the least suitable to do so. His obsequiousness provoked Lydia to even further familiarities, just to aggravate him.

  Had Mr Bennet known of his daughter's arrival, he would have left the library with Mrs Annesley and taken care of his youngest daughter instead of sitting in that nook daydreaming, woolgathering more likely. An adult man, infatuated as if he was a boy, as if he was free to love. It was even easier to forget Mrs Bennet when she was at least three hundred miles away, but he was married and not at liberty.

  But that was not the issue now, now he needed to save Lizzy's reputation from Lydia's disastrous familiarity. Where was she now, already on the second floor or still busy with the seamstress and safely in Mrs Fielding's company? He had no invitation to the young people's so-called headquarters, and he frankly didn't dare go there when he couldn't stop whatever foolishness Lydia would do to herself and her family anyway. He did not want to add to his favourite daughter's shame, as he had done in the past when trying to restrain Lydia in the only way that actually worked. Best try Lydia's room first.

  'Can you tell me in which room Mrs Wickham is receiving the seamstress?'

  The butler was pleased to give him directions, and he knocked with the resolution of despair. She had to be here!