Page 37

The carriage rolled to a halt on Gracechurch Street gently, but as Elizabeth stepped down, she eyed the familiar brick house with uncharacteristic misgiving.

When Mr. Bennet and his daughters had arrived on the previous day, Lydia had been properly muted, still reeling from the revelation that Lieutenant Wickham was not nearly as devoted to her as she had assumed.

Unfortunately, the shock did not appear to last beyond a day, for on the very next morning the youngest Miss Bennet had joined the family at breakfast, acting as if nothing untoward had occurred.

The revelation that she was to be left behind while Elizabeth and Jane went shopping with Mrs. Gardiner had prompted a tantrum of truly epic proportions.

After giving his brother-in-law a pointed look expressive of how he would not put up with such behavior from his six year old daughter, let alone one who was nearly sixteen, Mr. Gardiner had departed for his place of business.

Jane and Mrs. Gardiner had tried to reason with Lydia, but their gentle coaxing had no effect.

Elizabeth had given her a wide berth because she truly feared that much more of Lydia’s thoughtless whining would cause her to strike the girl.

Mrs. Gardiner finally lost her temper when Lydia hissed at her, “You can’t tell me what to do! You have no right!”

Standing straight and tall, Mrs. Madeleine Gardiner pinned her niece with a look that conveyed all of her disgust. “ You are a guest in my house! Have you no manners at all, you spoiled child?!?” She turned to her other nieces and spoke decisively.

“Jane, Lizzy—go get your things. We leave in ten minutes.”

When Lydia began to whine anew, Madeleine turned on her brother-in-law. “Thomas, she is your daughter— your responsibility! Deal with her!!!” And with that, she swept Elizabeth and Jane out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her .

Elizabeth was uncertain what had occurred once Lydia and their father were alone in the breakfast room, but it hadn’t lasted long. Before the other ladies had finished readying themselves, the sound of Lydia pounding up the stairs and slamming her bedchamber door had reverberated through the house.

Lizzy was ashamed at how relieved she felt to be leaving the house and, from Jane’s subdued manner, she guessed that her sister felt much the same.

The three ladies had ridden in silence for several minutes before Mrs. Gardiner sighed and reached out to take her nieces’ hands.

“My poor dears. I apologize for brooding. This should be a happy time for you—shopping and planning for your weddings.”

Elizabeth held tightly to her aunt’s hand. “I’m so sorry to see her treat you with such disrespect, Aunt. It’s as if she is lost to any concept of propriety. I would have said something, but I honestly feared I would strike her.”

Mrs. Gardiner smiled wanly. “No, Lizzy—you mustn’t try to take the blame for Lydia’s poor behavior. It is your father’s responsibility. I only pray that he will finally take her in hand, for God only knows what will happen to her if she continues along her present course.”

In a wondering voice, Jane said, “I simply can’t understand her.

She seems to have no notion of the dreadful situation she would have been in, had we not been at that inn.

Her only regret seems to be that Mr. Wickham lied about loving her, and that now she will not be married first among her sisters. ”

The three ladies considered the truth of Jane’s words for several minutes, but eventually Mrs. Gardiner shook her head and forced herself to adopt a lighter tone. “Well, enough of that. Lydia is your father’s problem today. We are going shopping for your weddings, so no more gloomy thoughts!”

Their first stop was at Mrs. Gardiner’s preferred dressmaker, a seamstress named Mrs. Burke who had presided over her shop on Mill Street for nearly thirty years.

Unfortunately, the old woman’s eyes were growing increasingly cloudy and she sadly admitted that she could not take on such an extensive commission as Jane and Elizabeth would require.

Mrs. Burke’s daughter was taking over the shop but, after leafing through some pattern books, it was soon apparent that her style would not suit the Miss Bennets’ tastes.

Fortunately, the younger seamstress had more than enough work to do already and took no offense when the ladies indicated their preference to visit some other shops before deciding.

Old Mrs. Burke was commissioned to embroider some new petticoats and settled happily in a sunny corner with a granddaughter at her feet to sort threads by color; the designs she could stitch by touch.

After some pleasant hours browsing the shops to look at bonnets and gloves, the ladies returned to the carriage with much higher spirits (and more than a few parcels).

“That blue bonnet with the darker lining is truly lovely on you, Jane. It matches your eyes perfectly,” commented Elizabeth.

“And I still say that it looked even prettier on you, Lizzy,” replied her sister fondly. The eldest Miss Bennet then wrinkled her brow. “It’s very strange to think that we will not be able to share our things anymore.”

Before Jane might become melancholy, Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow and teased, “Well, we shall simply have to rely on the post! You may have the bonnet for the month of May and then send it along to me so that I may wear it in June. What do you say? Of course, I will change the ribbon on it before I return it to you; it would never do for people to think that Mrs. Bingley and Mrs. Darcy were wearing the same bonnet!”

Elizabeth was pleased to see her sister giggling when the carriage came to a halt. Looking out of the window, she looked questioningly at her aunt.

Mrs. Gardiner smiled, pleased with her surprise. “Miss Darcy has invited us for a late luncheon.” The happy look that infused her niece’s face was all the thanks she needed.

The door to Derwent House had barely opened before Miss Georgiana Darcy was there to greet them, looking more like an eager girl of ten than a young lady of seventeen.

Her enthusiasm was only slightly diminished when she apologized to Elizabeth and Jane, “I’m so sorry, but my brother and Mr. Bingley cannot join us.

My cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, arrived this morning, and they have taken Mr. Wickham to be locked up at the army barracks.

” Her pursed lips indicated precisely what she thought of that man, and Lizzy was glad to see that there was hardly any trace of the fearfulness that had ruled the girl in the months after Ramsgate.

Though disappointed not to see her fiancé, Elizabeth did not want Georgina’s thoughts to rest on Mr. Wickham for long. “Well then, we shall have a lovely ladies’ luncheon and talk about dresses and sashes and bonnets, and all sorts of good things; I dare say we will not miss the gentlemen at all!”

Miss Darcy grinned back and was just able to add, “Oh, and I have another surprise!” before they were met in the hall by both the butler and the housekeeper.

Suddenly realizing that this was Miss Elizabeth’s first visit to Derwent House as its future mistress, Georgiana instantly became flustered and only barely managed to make the introductions.

Fortunately, her stammers mattered little, as all parties were eager to be pleased.

Mr. Holmes was as solemn and quiet as Elizabeth had remembered from her visit in the spring, and Mrs. Wilkins was just as eager as Mr. Darcy had led her to expect.

They soon made an appointment for her to tour the private rooms of the house later in the week and in short order the housekeeper was bustling off to find Mr. Darcy’s secretary and confirm the Master’s schedule.

After watching the plump woman practically skip down the hall, Elizabeth turned to see the other ladies trading bemused looks.

“That was amazing,” breathed Georgiana. “She always makes me feel as if I am still ten years old.”

The others were laughing when a voice drew their attention to an older woman who had appeared in a doorway down the hall.

She stood tall with a stately carriage but there was humor in her face, as well as a sort of beauty that had begun in youthful prettiness and grown more handsome with age.

“Well, Georgiana, perhaps if you did not forward all of Mrs. Wilkins’ questions to your brother, she might be more in the habit of treating you as mistress of the house. ”

Elizabeth looked closely at the younger girl, concerned that she might take the woman’s comment too seriously. It was a relief when Georgiana merely smiled and replied in an overly innocent tone, “But Fitzwilliam is so much better at arranging the menus than I, Aunt.”

A life-long friendship was born at that instant, when the Countess of Matlock and Miss Elizabeth Bennet caught each other rolling their eyes over young Miss Darcy’s cheekiness, particularly when Georgiana added triumphantly, “Besides, Elizabeth shall be here soon, and she can handle both Mrs. Wilkins and my brother.”

As a result, Elizabeth and her relations were welcomed into the drawing room with a great deal of laughter.

Once formally introduced to Mr. Darcy’s aunt and two of the Countess’ daughters, Lady Margaret Hyde and Mrs. Lucy Wallace, Lizzy was pleased to discover Miss de Bourgh in attendance as well, although that lady seemed content to remain in the background.

Mrs. Gardiner and the Fitzwilliam ladies soon found that they were involved in several of the same charities and began comparing notes.

Mrs. Wallace was especially glad to discover Madeleine’s close association with St. Elmo’s home for injured soldiers and sailors, though Mrs. Gardiner did not go so far as to volunteer that her own father had been its founder.