Page 19 of A Life Diverted
C aroline Bingley was about to explode with anger at her brother. He had taken a lease on an estate in the backwaters of Hertfordshire. Worse than that, he had done so without consulting her.
As she was about to unleash her fury at his affront, some of what he had told her penetrated the fog of her anger. “Wait, did you say that both our dear friends Mr Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy viewed this place and approved of it?” Miss Bingley demanded shrilly.
“That is correct. Wendell was with us, and he, too, approved of the estate,” Bingley responded.
“Who cares about him? What did you say about Mr Darcy’s aunt?”
“I received a note from Darcy that his titled aunt, Miss Darcy, and Mrs Annesley, Miss Darcy’s companion, will arrive with Fitzwilliam and Darcy.”
“Is the Countess finally going to wait on me?”
Bingley could see the pretension for what it was, but Caroline’s mood was improving, so he said nothing to correct who would wait on whom. “Not Lady Matlock, but her sister-in-law, Lady Catherine. Surely you remember she resides with the Darcys for part of the year?”
“She is not a countess, but she is the daughter of an earl and a sister to Lord Matlock. Just wait until I tell Miss Grantly! She will be green with envy. The only reason they are having their aunt and dear Georgiana join us has to be that one of the men intends to offer for me. You have done well, Brother. I will need the coach; this calls for a whole new wardrobe. I am sure my modiste will have everything ready before we depart in…when is it?”
“We move in on the final Friday of September, two days before Michaelmas.” Bingley did not mention that the friends would not arrive until the final day of September, which was a Monday and the day after Michaelmas.
She was in too good of a mood now, so the last thing he wanted to do was to upset her.
It was the same reason he did not disabuse her of the reason for Fitzwilliam and Darcy’s family joining them or the fact she had never received permission to address Miss Darcy informally.
His friends’ warnings about what they would do if Caroline attempted to compromise one of them and the threat about their friendship if he supported her worried Bingley somewhat.
He told himself Caroline would not sink so low, and if she did, regardless of what they had warned, one of the two friends would take her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A sennight after Papa told her that Mr Bingley had signed and paid for a six-month lease, Jane knocked on her father’s study door.
“Come,” Bennet called out. He was making sure all of his work was done, as he would be leaving on the morrow to convey James to Eton to commence his second year at the school.
He smiled when he saw his eldest enter the study.
“Janie, what may I do for you, dear?” Bennet indicated the chairs before his desk.
Jane sat and cogitated for a few moments before she spoke. It was her way of considering her words carefully. “Papa, may I write to Aunt Maddie and request that I come to them at the beginning of the final week of September, and that I remain with them until they come here for Christmastide?”
“You know your mother and I would not deny you, but why now, Janie? ”
“I have been thinking about this Mr Bingley coming to Netherfield Park. As mortifying as it will be if he chases after me for my looks, as it is reported he will, it will be even more so when I reject him. If he is like a dog with a bone, then I will have to be rather forthright. If I am not here, neither he nor I will suffer the ignominy, which I am sure neither of us will enjoy.” Jane sat with her hands crossed in her lap.
“Janie, your mother will agree with me. If you feel you need to leave your home to escape the unwelcome and ineffective wooing by Mr Bingley, I will simply cancel his lease and return his money. Under the terms of the lease, I can do so any time before his six months begin.”
“I do not want to deny them enjoying the neighbourhood just so that I can avoid him. No, Papa, do not cancel the lease. You know how much we love spending time with the Gardiners. This way, I can then keep a promise to May. She will be eight, and I have vowed I would be in London for one of her birthdays. As much as I will miss all of you, it is never a hardship to be with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.” Jane paused as she thought of one thing.
“I have not prepared Lizzy that I will be away. We will need to have Mary sleep in the chamber which Lizzy and I share until I return.”
“Not that your mother will say no, but allow me to discuss this with her first, and then we will make a decision,” Bennet decided. “For my part, I see no reason why not.”
Within the hour Jane had permission from both of her parents and sat down to write to Aunt Maddie.
12 September 1811
Longbourn
Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward,
I know you said any of us may come visit you without a special invitation, but you know me; I like to ask .
May I arrive at 23 Gracechurch Street on 23 September and remain with you until you travel to Longbourn to celebrate Christmastide with all of us?
There are certain reasons why—reasons I will happily explain when I see you, but I would prefer not to commit to writing them down.
If you agree, I will be with you for May’s birthday on the 8th of October.
As you know, she has been asking me to come to one of her birthdays for a few years now.
I know she would like Lizzy present as well, but we know the limitation of one of us at a time.
I will bring all of her presents from her family at Longbourn with me.
I will await your reply.
With love,
Jane
Once her letter was sanded and dried, Jane sealed it, wrote the direction, and placed it in the outgoing post salver. There was no need to spend the money for an express. As it was London, it would arrive the next day.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two days later, Jane received an affirmative reply from her Aunt Maddie, not that she expected it to be anything but a yes.
Now that it was certain, she sought Lizzy out to discuss her departure with her.
She found her next younger sister practicing a duet on the pianoforte with Mary.
Jane sat and waited until her sisters completed the piece.
Every now and again giggles would erupt when one or the other would strike a discordant note, more likely than not on purpose.
Jane clapped when they came to the end.
Elizabeth and Mary looked up, not realising they had had an audience. They looked at one another and broke into giggles .
The age difference between Mary and her two older sisters did not mean they were not close; they were; all six of the Bennet children were. When Papa had left with James to return the latter to school, the other five Bennet children had been sad to see the eldest of their brothers leave.
“Lizzy, when you are finished being silly with Mary, may I speak to you?” Jane requested.
Elizabeth knew that Jane never asked to speak to her in that formal way unless there was a weighty issue they needed to discuss. “You know I always have time for my favourite older sister,” she quipped.
It was not a secret she needed to keep from Mary, so Jane patted the settee she was seated on and waited for Lizzy to join her.
“Lizzy, I will be travelling to the Gardiners in about ten days. I wanted you to know I spoke to Papa, and you will not be left alone at night. Mary will remain with you until I return before Christmas.”
“This was not scheduled, so why now?” Elizabeth asked, her tone slightly sharper than she had intended. She did not like sudden change.
“You remember our discussion about what I would do so I do not come to Mr Bingley’s notice?” She saw Elizabeth nod, “Rather than…” Jane told Elizabeth of her reason for deciding to go to Gracechurch Street and of the discussion with Papa.
After Janie was done, Elizabeth sat and cogitated for a few minutes before speaking. “I understand, Janie. I thank you for telling me and loving me enough to make sure I will not be alone when I sleep,” she stated sincerely.
“You know I will do anything for you, Lizzy. If you had begged me not to depart, I would have found another way. I appreciate your understanding.”
The sisters hugged. “I will attempt not to hold your absence against Mr Bingley, but I cannot promise that it will not be so. I will write at least once a week. You will be away for a little more than two months. I envy you that you will be in London for May’s birthday.
She will be overjoyed.” Elizabeth appreciated that Jane had prepared her ahead of the departure.
Jane departed Longbourn the Monday after Bennet had returned to the estate from Eton. He had arrived on the Wednesday previously.
As a treat, Elizabeth rode with Papa and Janie to the Gardiner’s house. It had been a surprise for the Gardiners, who were overjoyed to see Lizzy. May had begged her to remain for her birthday, but she had understood it could not be so.
After resting for a few hours, Bennet and Elizabeth began the return trip to Longbourn.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the Wednesday before William, his cousin, and the ladies were to depart for Hertfordshire, Mr Wendell—he and Mother had arrived two days previously—and the eldest Wendell son knocked on the door at 23 Gracechurch Street.
It was a cold, but clear, day. As the two Wendells were handing their coats to the butler, the front door opened, and in ran the four Gardiner children, followed by their attendants.
Jane thought she recognised the younger man as one of the men she and her brothers and sisters had seen looking at Netherfield Park during this past summer . However, she was not sure. She handed her scarf, warm bonnet, wool-lined gloves, shawl, and thick winter coat to a footman.