Page 33 of Five Gentlemen at Netherfield (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

East Sitting Room

Longbourn

Noon

A large fire crackled briskly in the fireplace, bringing a welcome warmth to the room and its four inhabitants.

It would be hard to overstate Elizabeth's relief and joy upon receiving a missive from her uncle Gardiner some few days past, suggesting that he and his wife should visit Longbourn to see Mr. Bennet and lighten the load on the girls' shoulders for a time.

She could not deny that her father's need for constant care and the exigencies of the estate had become overwhelming of late.

Mr. Wallace was a fine young man and doing his best, but the tenant families did not know him, so perhaps it was not surprising that they still preferred to deal with Elizabeth.

The Gardiners' carriage had been greeted with great joy in the household when at last it pulled up to the door, with Elizabeth and Mary there to welcome it.

This had been, as their uncle commented, a fortuitous circumstance, for he wished to speak to both of them in private.

Now he sat on a couch near the fire, looking at his two nieces, his wife sitting beside him and smiling gently in support as Elizabeth gaped, flabbergasted by the news her uncle had brought.

“What?” Elizabeth demanded, staring in disbelief at her uncle, while Mary, who was standing by the fire, was apparently so shocked that she could not even speak.

“Mr. Darcy is in love with you, Elizabeth, and Colonel Fitzwilliam is desirous of marrying you, Mary.”

Elizabeth shook her head a little, and then more. “In love with me? Mr. Darcy? It seems quite impossible. He is so…”

She trailed off, and Mrs. Gardiner leaned forward and asked, “What about Mr. Darcy, my dear Lizzy? Your uncle said that he was courteous when he visited the warehouse, but he is, of course, wealthy and very well connected. Was he ever unkind to you?”

“No, not at all,” Elizabeth said with a slight smile. “It is more that he is a quiet gentleman, and while I think he is well mannered and certainly very clever, I had no idea that he looked on me with anything more than polite courtesy.”

Mrs. Gardiner nodded and turned to Mary. “What are your thoughts about Colonel Fitzwilliam, my dear?”

Mary bit her lip as she gazed into the fire and then turned back. “I am bewildered as well. He is the second son of an earl, and I am neither beautiful nor particularly accomplished. Why would he be interested in me?”

The Gardiners exchanged glances, and Mr. Gardiner said, “He was quite honest, Mary, that part of his reasoning for pursuing you is your fortune. As the son of an earl, his habits of expense are sufficiently lavish that he will not pursue a woman with a much smaller dowry. Having said that, he spoke of your kindness and your diligence, your honor and your intelligence, in a way which seemed, to my ears, entirely truthful.”

“Is he a spendthrift, do you think?” Mary asked, her eyes narrowed.

Mr. Gardiner nodded approvingly. “An excellent question, my dear. I do not know, and you would need to be certain that he is not before marrying. But you need not entertain his suit at all, my dear. You are a sensible girl and wise enough to know that high connections will not necessarily bring happiness. Do you like the colonel?”

Mary frowned thoughtfully and said, “I do like him very much, actually. He is not particularly handsome, but then neither am I, and he is well bred and charming, with a readiness of speech which is extremely attractive. I confess that I still can hardly believe this, Uncle.”

“My dear nieces, I beg you not to sell yourselves short,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

“You are both wonderful young ladies, and while your manners may not be those of the haut ton, I would suggest that perhaps both gentlemen find that a good thing. The question is whether either of you is interested in pursuing a courtship which may result in marriage.”

Elizabeth sighed and said, “I do not even have to think about it. I am far too busy with Father and the house to enter a courtship with anyone, no matter how…”

“No, Lizzy,” Mr. Gardiner interrupted kindly but firmly. “No.”

She stared at him, flummoxed. “No? I do not understand.”

“Then please let me explain,” her uncle said. “I can see how tired you both are, and Jane as well, and it is unacceptable that either of you would sacrifice your future in favor of caring for your father and the estate.”

“But surely, Uncle, is it not our duty to honor our parents?” Mary demanded.

“Honor, yes, but that does not mean that you should immolate yourselves. Now if there was no money at all, and the only option was for you girls to rise early and stay up late to care for the rest of the family, I might understand, but that is clearly not the situation, and you know it! There is plenty of money to tend to your father and mother and younger sisters and the estate as well. Moreover, with Mr. Wallace in residence, you should not have a great deal to do with the tenants and farms anymore.”

Elizabeth sighed mournfully. “The tenants do not know him well,” she explained, “and they do not trust him. They come to me often with questions.”

“Well,” her uncle replied, “that is unacceptable. Perhaps I need to drive around with the steward and tell the various families that they need to go to him, not you.”

Elizabeth compressed her lips and then said, “That would help, without a doubt, but I am the one who can soothe Father most easily.”

“Your father would not wish for you to sacrifice your life,” Mrs. Gardiner said.

“With all due respect,” Mary said drily, “I am not at all confident about that. I love and respect our father, but he is, at heart, a selfish man.”

Mr. Gardiner nodded and said, “That may be true enough, but it does not mean that you ought to set aside your own futures in such a way. My dear nieces, please listen to me. In the days after the apoplexy, I truly thought it likely that he would die shortly. Now it has been many weeks, and while he is not healthy, he is not at death’s door either.

This situation may last for months and maybe even years.

Are you both planning to live this twilight existence of fatigue and anxiety until he passes away? ”

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and lowered her gaze to her fingers, which were intertwined with one another.

“I had not really thought beyond the next few days,” she confessed. “I have been so tired…”

She trailed off and lifted a hand to rub her weary face.

Mrs. Gardiner, her own expression concerned, said, “Lizzy, I do not wish to press you, but if all was well, if your father was healthy, would you be interested in a courtship with Mr. Darcy?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth said immediately and then smiled wistfully. “Yes.”

“And what about you, Mary?” her uncle demanded. “Are you interested in pursuing a possible marriage with Colonel Fitzwilliam?”

“I would like that,” Mary replied simply.

“Then we will make the appropriate arrangements,” Mr. Gardiner said.

“But,” Elizabeth said and then fell silent obediently at the determination in her uncle’s face.

She was uneasy and fearful about the care of Longbourn and her father, but deep inside her, she felt a great well of relief that some of the load would soon be removed from her shoulders.

***

Gracechurch Street

9th February, 1812

Dear Elizabeth,

I am enclosing two letters in this packet, one for you from Mr. Darcy, and one for Mary from Colonel Fitzwilliam. I am aware that correspondence between an unmarried gentleman and an unmarried lady is not entirely decorous, but unusual times call for unusual measures.

I suggest you and Mary hide your suitors’ missives. I do not trust your mother or younger sisters to be quiet if they come across them.

By the bye, Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam visited us at Gracechurch Street yesterday, and we enjoyed a meal together. I do not know either of them well, but my first impressions are good. Among other topics, Mr. Darcy and I enjoyed discussing Lambton and the surrounding area.

The children are calling for me.

With Love,

Madeline Gardiner

***

Darcy House

7th February, 1812

Dear Miss Elizabeth,

Thank you for permitting me to write to you directly. I am well aware that with your father’s health, the situation at Longbourn is a difficult one, and I am grateful that you are taking time to consider me as a possible husband.

I love you very much, but…

I have never courted a lady, and I know that I am not adept at expressing myself. I fear that I am not writing as a gentleman with any sense at all. I apologize for that.

I admire you greatly and wish to know you better. I will leave it at that and look forward to a letter in return.

God’s blessing on you and your entire family, and I am praying in particular for your esteemed father.

Fitzwilliam Darcy

***

Matlock House

7th February, 1812

Dear Miss Mary,

I find myself in an awkward position, as I have never attempted to woo a lady. I was greatly impressed by your uncle, Mr. Gardiner, and am hopeful that he conveyed my thoughts and reasoning well.

I know, however, that secondhand information can be confusing, so allow me to present my reasoning for pursuing you as a possible bride.

I admire you very much, Miss Mary. You are a sensible woman, and kind, and honorable, and intelligent. I have observed how much you care for your family.

You are also rich, and it would not be fair for me to pretend that does not matter.

As you know, I am a colonel in the Regulars, and my commission is worth four thousand five hundred pounds.

I wish to sell out, as I have had my fill of war, which would provide one hundred and eighty pounds a year in the four percents.

My father also provides me an allowance of three hundred pounds a year.

That is not a legal requirement on his part, so when my brother Zachary becomes earl, I may lose that assistance.

I could manage well enough with nearly five hundred pounds a year in income, but to support a wife and children would be difficult.

I am not a gamester and do not have expensive tastes, but I am the son of an earl and am accustomed to a moderately high standard of living. If you wish for more details, I will gladly provide them.

I believe that is enough, except to say that I respect and admire you, and also am praying for you all as you manage your father’s grievous illness.

Sincerely,

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam

***

10th February, 1812

Dear Mr. Darcy,

I appreciate your letter from a few days ago.

My father continues to be about the same.

It is a peculiar situation, although not unique.

I am well aware that there are many families with a sickly relative, but my father has always been healthy, so it is still rather a shock even though it has been many weeks since his collapse.

There is, of course, the additional complication that if my father passes on, we will lose Longbourn.

I have known for many years that, given the entail and lack of a brother, I will eventually be required to leave the estate.

Thankfully, because of inheritances from our aunt Amelia, my sisters and I will survive and even thrive.

It is certainly a great comfort and gives us more freedom than I would have believed possible even two years ago.

All of this is to say that I find myself in, I think, an interesting place to accept a courtship with you. I like you and admire you, but I do not love you. Indeed, I was all astonishment at my uncle’s claims regarding your feelings for me, which were confirmed by your personal letter.

I do not know you well enough to love you, Mr. Darcy, and in truth, I had no idea at all that you looked on me with anything more than courteous indifference.

But I do remember our conversations about books, especially our shared delight in Robinson Crusoe . I have vaguer memories of the occasional conversation about your estate and your sister, which proved to me that you are a diligent master and a good brother.

And of course I am thankful for your work in removing a villain from our midst.

It is my habit to spend an hour with my father before dinner, so I must finish this letter so that I may do so. He cannot read anymore, which is a great sorrow for him; it seems his vision was affected by the apoplexy, though he is not blind, thankfully.

At any rate, he enjoys being read to, and I am pleased to serve him in this matter.

Respectfully,

Miss Elizabeth Bennet

***

10th February, 1812

Dear Colonel Fitzwilliam,

Thank you for your letter.

I am interested in possibly marrying you. I admire you for your easy manners, which are counter to my own. I wish to be friendly in company but am shy and often awkward. Are you prepared to wed a woman like that?

May I also ask about your parents? You are the son of an earl and can reach high in society for a bride. Would they be content with a daughter-in-law who is not of the haut ton, with poor connections, who is not even beautiful, whose only attraction is her considerable fortune?

I entirely understand your perspective about income.

I am, I think, the thriftiest of my sisters, but I am also aware that my style of living is far higher than that of most people here in England.

Even the purchase of books and music is too much for many families.

I am used to comfortable clothing and good food, and when I visit the tenant families here at Longbourn, I see how fortunate I am.

May I inquire as to your idea about where we would live if we are married?

Do you prefer Town to the country? I like London because I enjoy access to libraries and museums. I am not someone who greatly enjoys dances, but for many years, I was the only plain Bennet daughter and was rarely asked to dance.

That changed, of course, when everyone in the area learned of my fortune.

It is peculiar having a courtship through correspondence, but when I think of the circumstances, I believe this is the best way to proceed. The situation at Longbourn continues to be difficult, with my mother in a continual pother and my father so very unwell.

Speaking of that, I must talk to Cook about meals for the next few days.

God’s blessings,

Miss Mary Bennet