Page 20

Once Mrs. Bennet had retreated to her own rooms, quite overcome by the notion of such personages staying at Longbourn, Elizabeth had a quiet word with her sisters.

As a result, after showing Mrs. Jenkinson to Miss de Bourgh’s chamber, she returned to find dinner organized with surprisingly little effort on her part.

Kitty had set out to gather fresh flowers for the dining room and parlor while Jane determined the seating and Mary spoke to Cook about the unexpected dinner guests.

For a gathering with such a portentous (and potentially volatile) company, Elizabeth was surprised when the meal progressed with little out of the ordinary occurring.

She had been concerned to see that Jane had seated Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh beside Mrs. Bennet but Darcy’s aunt had not yet regained her voice and seemed reassured to have Mrs. Jenkinson beside her.

Miss de Bourgh appeared to actually enjoy Mrs. Bennet’s happy chatter as it required no response from her beyond an occasional nod and, even when the matron’s attention was distracted, Miss Mary Bennet’s serious demeanor demanded only an audience.

For the most part, Anne simply enjoyed the good food that was placed before her and observed the interactions of a family unlike any she had ever seen before.

By the time the soup was served, Elizabeth had finally allowed herself to relax and enjoy the conversation at her end of the table.

Looking around, she was pleased to observe her father making a genuine effort to know Mr. Darcy better.

At the center of the table, Georgiana and Kitty had their heads together and Lizzy suspected that her sister’s sketchbook would be brought out after dinner to be viewed by the more accomplished young lady.

Perhaps most amusing was Lydia’s behavior, bracketed as she was by the two lady’s companions.

After exchanging a few polite words with Mr. Bingley on her right, Mrs. Annesley appeared to have taken charge of the youngest Miss Bennet.

The spoiled child certainly did not look happy but at least she was quiet.

Lizzy was forced to hide a smile in her napkin when the older woman rapped Lydia’s knuckles smartly after the girl tried to reach across the table for a dish instead of asking politely.

“Elizabeth?” Darcy spoke her name softly with a questioningly look in his eye.

Lizzy smiled mischievously and, after checking that her father was distracted by Mr. Bingley, replied in a similar undertone; “I was only wondering if you might loan Mrs. Annesley to us for a time—she seems to be working marvels with Lydia.”

Mostly suppressing a most ungentlemanlike snort, Darcy was saved from responding when Bingley asked him question about a professor they had both had at university and whom Mr. Bennet appeared to know.

The evening continued in a similar vein until the dessert was brought in.

One of the guests must have praised it, for Mrs. Bennet’s shrill voice was heard across the entire length of the table.

“Oh, thank you for the compliment, indeed! ‘Tis a recipe I copied from my sister-in-law’s cook in London, though personally I believe our Mrs. Jones has a better hand with the pastry. But of course, you must know them—Madeleine was a de Bourgh before she married my brother, Mr. Gardiner.”

Seeing only confusion on some of her guests’ faces (and completely missing the shock on several others), Mrs. Bennet explained, “Her father was only a vicar but her grandfather was Lord Maxwell de Bourgh. It is quite an uncommon name—are you related?”

After a moment of complete and utter silence along the entire table, Miss de Bourgh’s soft voice intruded. “Lord Maxwell de Bourgh was my grandfather.”

“Well, then you must be cousins! Have you never met before?”

While Anne explained that she and her mother rarely left Kent, Elizabeth gave her father a sharp look but Mr. Bennet could only shrug helplessly. “I had no idea that she knew!”

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet revealed her source as she prattled on.

“My sister, Mrs. Phillips, told me of dear Madeleine’s connections when Edward was just engaged.

Of course, we don’t talk about it because her parents broke with his family when she was just a child.

Family disagreements are so unfortunate—just think of the parties and balls they must be missing! ”

Seeing his favorite daughter silently begging him to salvage the evening from his wife’s wagging tongue, Mr. Bennet took the path that promised the least inconvenience to himself.

Standing, he looked to the two gentlemen.

“Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley? If you are both finished with your pudding, I have some port in my bookroom that you might enjoy sampling.”

Even as Mr. Bennet and Bingley rose from their chairs, Darcy eyed his aunt carefully.

Although he felt no great affection for her at the moment, he was sensible that she was an elderly woman who had endured several significant shocks in a few short hours.

Lady Catherine had recovered slightly toward the end of the meal, even managing some tepid criticism of the roast partridge.

This last revelation, however, appeared to have reduced her to silence once again.

While Mr. Darcy was hesitating, he felt Elizabeth’s hand on his arm. “Go ahead. We will look after her.”

Looking at his fiancée, Darcy wondered once again what he had done to deserve the love of such a woman. How many would care for a person who had abused her so roundly only hours before? Taking her hand in his and raising it to his lips, he spoke softly. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”

With the gentlemen’s departure, it was relatively easy for the eldest Bennet sisters to usher the other ladies to the drawing room.

It was soon clear that Lady Catherine was quite unwell and, after a quiet word with Elizabeth, Mrs. Jenkinson gently guided her employer from the room and put her to bed.

When Elizabeth finished serving out the tea, she was amused to see that Miss de Bourgh had purposefully seated herself beside Mrs. Bennet instead of taking the empty space beside Miss Darcy and Kitty.

Curious, Lizzy moved toward her mother just in time to hear Miss de Bourgh reply, “Actually, I see very little of my father’s family; he’s been dead for nearly twenty years now and Mama only stays in touch with our Fitzwilliam relations, as far as I know. ”

Mrs. Bennet clucked sympathetically. “You poor girl! But of course your mother would be closer to her own family.”

Before her mother might add anything indelicate, Elizabeth spoke up; “Mrs. Gardiner is a kind, friendly woman. I’m sure that she would be pleased to make your acquaintance, if you wished to meet her.

” She observed that Miss de Bourgh greeted this offer with more enthusiasm than she had displayed in the entire period Elizabeth had been in Kent.

“She has a family?”

Lizzy smiled. “Yes, indeed! A husband and four young children—two boys and two girls.”

“So many!

Jane had drawn close and offered, “They are adorable children. I spent a great deal of time playing with them when I stayed at Gracechurch Street last winter and I miss them.”

Elizabeth teased, “Do your own sisters not provide you with enough entertainment, Jane?”

“Oh, Lizzy…”

Before the eldest Miss Bennet could speak further, their mother began telling Miss de Bourgh of Kitty’s recently discovered artistic talents and so Jane and Lizzy shared a smile and turned their attention back to the guests.

Anne retreated into her usual silence but she had not missed the affectionate look between the two sisters.

After several minutes of observing the room, Anne finally identified the twinge in her heart as jealousy.

What would it be like, she suddenly wondered, to live in a house where affection was shown so easily and openly?

Where family members spoke as they found, whether with wit or folly?

Anne was not so slow as to be deceived by Mrs. Bennet’s silliness or Lydia’s spoilt nature but neither showed any tendency to be vicious and the others appeared to treat their behavior with amusement rather than anger or condescension.

The house’s furnishings might be bare of the gilt and ornaments to which she was accustomed but the cheerful arrangements of fresh flowers somehow seemed much more appropriate for the amiable family.

Anne sighed slightly and felt a little of her tension melt away.

When the gentlemen returned, Darcy moved directly to Elizabeth’s side and was reassured by her smile that all was well. After learning that his aunt had returned to her room, he turned to his cousin and noted an odd expression on her face. “Cousin Anne? Are you well?”

Having been watching Mr. Bingley clandestinely brush the eldest Miss Bennet’s hand and that lady’s blushing response, Miss de Bourgh was rather discomposed when she realized that her tall, intimidating cousin was studying her intently.

As Mrs. Bennet had moved to the other side of the room (having determined that her presence was necessary to encourage her eldest daughter’s suitor), Elizabeth took the seat beside Miss de Bourgh and smiled reassuringly.

“I believe Mr. Darcy is attempting to determine if you are comfortable here at Longbourn or if you would prefer to remove to Mr. Bingley’s house for the night?

We are more than happy to host you, your mother, and Mrs. Jenkinson, but I understand if you would prefer Netherfield; Longbourn is a great deal more boisterous than what you are accustomed to. ”

At that moment, giggles bubbled up from the corner where Georgiana and Kitty had retreated to view the latter’s sketchbook.

Miss de Bourgh would have been mortified to know that the longing she felt to be part of such gaiety was so easily read on her face. When she had composed herself, she answered briefly, “I am not accustomed to such behavior but my room is comfortable and I would prefer not to move again.”

With a pleased look lighting her face, Elizabeth responded simply, “Then it shall be so.”

His mind jumping ahead, Darcy demanded, “And tomorrow?”

Instantly Anne’s face became shuttered. “My mother will wish to return to Kent.”

Elizabeth reached out and pressed the other woman’s cold hand with her own, marveling at how frail she was. “But what do you wish? You are welcome to remain at Longbourn for a time, if you need to recover your strength.”

Darcy added, “Or you and Mrs. Jenkinson could accompany Georgiana and myself to London.”

His cousin looked at him for a long moment before speaking softly, “Lady Eleanor suggested that I might stay with them… that there might be a doctor I could see… but she is still in Derbyshire.”

“Then you are more than welcome to stay with us at Derwent House.”

Catching her breath, Anne glanced from Darcy to Miss Elizabeth and back again. “Are you truly to marry?”

A look of heartfelt happiness flashed across her cousin’s normally stern countenance. “Yes, on the fifteenth of September.” He turned to his fiancée and their connection was palpable. “I spoke with your father just now and set a date; he said that he would leave it to you to inform your mother.”

Elizabeth smiled happily but there was a twinkle of mischievousness in her eye. “Ah, then shall we announce it now? I could pass out bits of wadding for people to put in their ears as I offer around the biscuits?”

She was pleased to see that Mr. Darcy felt comfortable enough with her family to laugh aloud but it was quickly obvious that his cousin was not so easy.

“Miss de Bourgh, please forgive me my impertinence. I forget that you do not know us yet; in this family, we each have our faults and foibles that the others are unlikely to let us forget. My mother is often very… exuberant… when confronted with a happy surprise (which my engagement to your cousin will most certainly be); we tease but we also love her for it.”

After studying the young lady very carefully, Anne looked around at the room. “I’ve never seen such a family.” She considered the situation for a few minutes but eventually turned to her cousin; “If you’re certain that my mother can’t force us to marry, I should like to come to London with you.”