Page 38 of Great Uncle Henry (Pride & Prejudice Vagary)
Henry and Felicity were hosting the rest of the Taylors and the three eldest Bennet sisters in the drawing room. Felicity had ceded the duties of pouring tea and providing the pastries and tea cakes to her daughter-in-law. For the first time, she was truly feeling her eight and seventy years.
Once everyone had had their tea and treats, Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Since that first meeting at Longbourn with the Taylors, Mama has been rather subdued,” she reported. Her two sisters in the room nodded their agreement.
“Has she had any of her nervous attacks of late?” Henry asked.
“Not one,” Jane responded. “My hope is that now that she knows she will never be thrown into the dreaded hedgerows, she is a lot calmer. I would like to think that the way Aunts Felicity and Debby confronted Mama regarding her behaviour may have given her something on which to think. That also could be my former desire to only see good asserting itself.” Since she had the epiphany regarding her mother and her own way of dealing with the world, a never-before-seen self-deprecating humour had emerged as Jane changed her character.
Those who had known Jane before chuckled. Seeing her aunts, uncle, and cousins looking on questioningly, Mary explained. She was seated next to Roger, which for some reason, they always ended up seated next to or close to one another.
In the months since meeting Roger, Mary had to admit, if so far only to herself, that she was developing tender feelings for her third cousin.
She knew that he was not indifferent to her, but so far, other than always seeking out her company, he had not spoken of any intent to pursue her as his future wife.
Mary prayed that it would be so one day.
“Lizzy, today I received a letter which Mrs Bellamy told me is from an old friend of mine who you have met, the Earl of Matlock. Will you read it to us? I am sure there is nothing within which is private, as all of you here are privy to all of my secrets,” Henry requested.
“I miss my secretary, but I understood his need to go care for his ailing parents. With Felicity and all my family around me, I did not feel the need to replace him.”
“By asking you, my much younger brother is being kind to me; he knows that my eyesight is not what it used to be,” Felicity stated with a smile.
“Uncle Henry is aware that it is always my pleasure to be of assistance.” Elizabeth stood and took the letter from the table next to Uncle Henry. She broke the Matlock seal and began to read.
17 July 1811
Snowhaven, Derbyshire
Bennet,
If we are not imposing, we would like to take you up on your offer to host us if we were ever in the area.
If it is agreeable to you, we plan to arrive the Friday before Michaelmas, the 27th of the month of September, and if you are able to host us, we will remain for a fortnight until we make for London.
We have an ulterior motive, besides your scintillating company, that is.
As you own the property, I am sure you are aware that a Mr Charles Bingley will take up residence at Netherfield Park on the 17th of the same month.
My youngest son Richard and nephew, William Darcy, will be part of the Bingley party.
Why, do you ask, would we not be hosted at that estate?
The answer is simple. Miss Caroline Bingley!
A more grasping, high-in-the-instep, social climbing, fortune hunter you have never had the misfortune to meet.
Andrew will be with us, and, much to Elaine’s consternation, at the age of 31, he is yet to find a woman he will agree to marry.
He has been avoiding women of Miss Bingley’s ilk for many years, and like Elaine and me, he refuses to be introduced to the harridan.
In addition, you are aware that Anna Darcy is our ward, and we have no desire for Miss Bingley, who has set her cap for my nephew, to meet her.
The reason we and Andrew refuse the introduction to the harpy is that she will use our names to be invited to events in London to which the daughter of a tradesman would not be admitted.
As you know from my friendship with Gardiner and how much I have invested with him, I have no objection to those earning an honest living in trade.
We simply abhor Miss Bingley’s behaviour.
By the by, before I forget to mention it, Anna (who cannot wait to see your great-nieces again) and her companion, Mrs Younge (Yes, it is the same Miss Younge who was her governess. As a companion, it is preferable she be Mrs.) will be with us, so there will be five of us.
“Anna will be here!” Elizabeth and Mary chorused as soon as the former finished reading the paragraph.
The Taylors all looked on quizzically. Jane was aware of the friendship and the correspondence by letter but had never met Miss Darcy. She was pleased she would finally meet the young lady who was a friend to her next three younger sisters.
“Anna is a good friend to Mary, Kitty, and me,” Elizabeth explained.
“We met her in London some years ago, and I saw her in Derbyshire, but the rest of our friendship has been conducted via the post. Like Mary and me, Kitty will be inordinately pleased that Anna will be here.” She went back to the letter.
Richard and William tolerate her machinations, but neither will gratify her even if she attempts a compromise. I should warn you that, based on what my son and William have reported, Bingley is not a resolute man. In fact, he is rather capricious and easily led by his younger sister.
I remember something Richard said. Mr Bingley falls in and out of love rather easily.
He is not, from what my son said, a rake, but rather very immature and does not consider the consequences of raising and not fulfilling expectations.
The women he ‘falls in love’ with are of a certain type: blonde, blue-eyed, very pretty, and willowy.
All eyes in the room turned to both Jane and Elli who, from the description of the looks Lord Matlock described, fit rather perfectly.
“If that man-boy tries anything with me, I will lay him out,” Elli insisted.
Those who had never lived in the Americas looked confused until Cousin Henry Taylor explained it was slang for to hit someone and knock the person senseless. Elli’s Bennet cousins did not doubt she would do so without a thought. Elizabeth picked up the pages once again.
The above being said, I am told that otherwise Mr Bingley is an honourable and amiable man. You should judge for yourself, but I do not think that some forewarning will go amiss.
Please write and let us know if it is convenient for us to take advantage of your hospitality.
Matlock
“You will not refuse them, will you, Uncle Henry?” Elizabeth questioned. “The Earl and Countess can have the suite on the second floor and there are more than enough bedchambers for their eldest son, Anna, and Mrs Younge.”
“I have no desire to reply in the negative. Lizzy, if you will write a letter in my name inviting them to stay as long as they choose, I will appreciate it,” Henry said.
“It will be my pleasure. As I always do, I will read it to you before it is posted,” Elizabeth responded.
She excused herself and made her way to her great-uncle’s study and composed the letter for him.
After reading it to Uncle Henry and receiving his approval of her wording, Elizabeth wrote a final draft, sanded it, and when dry, she folded the epistle, sealed it, and wrote the direction on the front.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lady Catherine was seriously displeased. Her disobliging nephew refused to gratify her by coming to visit.
How dare he be so disrespectful as to accuse her of subterfuge in wanting him to come to Rosings Park? He even had the temerity to write that he would never gratify a compromise, even if it were between him and his cousin.
She was at her wit’s end. Andrew, too, had refused to come to Rosings Park, and as a last resort, when she had condescended to visit Richard at Rivington, she had been told he was away from the house, and even worse, they would not allow her to wait in the manor.
Richard once told her that if he ever agreed to marry Anne, his first action as the master would be to relegate her, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, to the dower house.
Until she had been turned away from his estate, she had told herself she would be able to work on Richard.
What was she to do now? It was then she had a brilliant idea.
There was one man she knew who would do anything she ordered, whether he was single or married.
It was time to have her lackey summoned to come see her.