Page 29 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Darcy Carriage

On the Way to the Estate of Greenon

A Few Days Later

Darcy scowled out of the window at the passing landscape, with the beauty of the scene having little impact on his sour mood. It really was lovely, the snow draped liked a blanket over the grass and the trees, while the carriage rolling along the familiar lane that traversed the west side of the Pemberley estate. Huge fat flakes drifted in lazy swirls, like feathers falling from a shaken pillow.

As much as he loved his estate, Darcy’s thoughts were wholly consumed with the upcoming dinner, which he thought would likely be extremely tiresome. It was a pity that he had been unable to produce an appropriate excuse, but then, to do so would have been unpardonably rude. Greenon was small compared to Pemberley, a mere eighth of the size with the income to match, but he could not afford to cut such close neighbors to no good purpose.

The problem was that Lady Ladson shared many similarities with Miss Caroline Bingley. They both showed off their wealth in the finery they wore, and both were eager to climb the ladder of society through any means necessary. Both, therefore, flattered Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley to bolster their own positions, which was extremely tiresome.

“I am certain you will enjoy yourself very much,” Mrs. Annesley remarked suddenly, and Darcy turned to look at his sister, whose brow was furrowed with worry, and whose fingers were engaged in plaiting the fringe of her shawl.

He felt a sudden surge of remorse that he had not thought a great deal about Georgiana’s concerns regarding the upcoming visit. She was a timid young lady and did not know the Ladsons particularly well.

“Even if you do not enjoy it,” he remarked, reaching out to place his strong hands over her restless ones, “I will be there, and Mrs. Annesley as well.”

Georgiana’s forehead smoothed, and she managed a smile. “I know, and I am aware this is no great thing, not compared to tonnish parties, but…”

She trailed off, and Darcy smiled and leaned back. “I know, my dear; Lady Ladson is, perhaps, overly proud of her position in society, but Sir Wilbur is a very good man. As for the son and heir, I have not seen him in some years, as he has been at school.”

“There are daughters as well, I believe?” Mrs. Annesley suggested.

“Yes,” Darcy agreed, “though I have not seen them in some time either. I suppose that the younger must be eighteen years of age, and the elder…”

He trailed off, and his eyes flared wide in horror. How could he have been such a fool? He had not even thought about the Ladson daughters, but they were of marriageable age, and he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the land!

“Brother, what is it?” Georgiana demanded.

“I, well, the eldest must be around twenty. I confess that I had forgotten about the two Ladson daughters, as Lady Ladson far prefers London to the country and generally stays in Town as much as possible.”

Georgiana was no fool, and she immediately said, “Mrs. Annesley and I will protect you from rapacious females, Fitzwilliam.”

Darcy could not help but laugh at this fervent statement, and a moment later, Georgiana laughed as well.

“I thank you, my dear,” he said when he had recovered, “but it may not be required. For all I know, the Misses Ladson are still in London visiting a relative or something of the sort.”

“We can only hope,” Georgiana said with comic solemnity.

“Indeed.”

***

Greenon

Dining Room

An Hour Later

Darcy focused on his glass and the burn of the Madeira inside, as he rolled his sip of wine across his tongue before swallowing. It was excellent, quite as good as anything he would serve at his own table, and the bite of beef roast that followed was equally delectable. Focusing on the food allowed him to take a couple of deep breaths and forcibly relax his shoulders, which had tensed incrementally with his increasing discomfort.

The Ladson daughters were not, in fact, in London to visit relatives or friends. Darcy had no doubt at all that they were, almost certainly, their mother’s motivation for inviting him and his sister to dinner. He sat sandwiched between the elder Miss Ladson and her mother, with Miss Almeria – the prettier of the two sisters – across from him. Not that Miss Ladson was unhandsome, as her mother had already pointed out with a doting look and flattering words. Indeed, Lady Ladson had been hard at work all during dinner, extolling the virtues and accomplishments of both her daughters in equal measure, while Miss Almeria batted her lashes at him ad nauseum.

One slender comfort was that the table was not long, and Darcy could see with a glance that Georgiana, at least, seemed at her ease, placed as she was between Mrs. Annesley at her one hand and Sir Wilbur, seated at the head of the table, at her other. Sir Wilbur was chatting easily with Mrs. Annesley, with Georgiana shyly interjecting enough comments of her own so as not to be rude. The sight brought a measure of peace to Darcy’s heart, which he used to gather his strength before turning back to his own battles.

“I think that I have heard from your dear aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, that Miss Darcy is an excellent performer on the pianoforte?” Lady Ladson said, casting an approving look on Georgiana, who was carefully cutting up a slice of ham.

“Georgiana plays very well,” Darcy agreed courteously.

“I daresay neither of my girls is quite as elegant a player as Miss Darcy, but Almeria is reasonably adept, and my dear Patricia has, if I do say so myself, rather one of the loveliest singing voices in all of England.”

This caused Miss Almeria to preen, and Miss Ladson to blush, and Darcy had to work hard to keep from frowning hideously.

“I am certain they are very accomplished young ladies,” he said in a noncommittal tone.

“They are, they are,” Lady Ladson agreed and then, apparently sensing his discomfort, changed the subject to one that was even more fraught with difficulty. “Now, Mr. Darcy, I did not wish to ask inappropriate questions at church, but I must inquire about Mr. Wickham’s new bride. She seems very young!”

Darcy’s uneasiness increased tenfold, and he took a moment to take another sip of wine and another bite of bread before answering.

“Mrs. Wickham is the daughter of a respectable gentleman with a good estate in Hertfordshire,” he said. “The rector came to Meryton, the little town near Mrs. Wickham’s father’s estate of Longbourn, to spend time with his elder brother, who had recently entered the militia and was stationed there. I happened to be in the same area visiting a close friend, and thus I was an integral part of Mr. Wickham’s pursuit of Mrs. Wickham.”

These facts were true enough, and he forced himself to lean back casually in his seat, whereupon he drained his glass and held it out to one of the servants, who immediately stepped forward to refill it.

“I see,” Lady Ladson said, her tone most definitely deflated. “Who was the lady with Mrs. Wickham in the rector’s pew box?”

“That is her sister, Miss Bennet,” he replied and was confident that his tone remained courteously bland. “The rector decided that it would be pleasant for Mrs. Wickham to have a companion in her sister, at least for some time as she settles into her new home, since he is often away from home performing his duties.”

“I see,” Lady Ladson repeated. “Well, Mr. Darcy, we often attend church in Kympton. Mr. Wickham speaks so very well, and I daresay we will meet you there again soon. Of course, we will be returning to Town for the Season. I expect we will see you there?”

“Perhaps,” Darcy said coolly. “Georgiana is not yet old enough to be presented to the queen, and I am in the habit of visiting Kent in the spring.”

“Ah yes, to visit your aunt, Lady Catherine, and her dear daughter, Miss de Bourgh. Such a lovely estate, Rosings. I was fortunate to have attended a house party there during my youth, and it is truly a glorious place.”

“It is very fine indeed,” Darcy agreed and had to fight a strong impulse to consult the watch hanging on his chain as to the time. This evening was proving even more exasperating than he had expected.

At least Georgiana did not look distressed, and he could bear the rest of the evening, though in the future, he would refuse invitations to Greenon. One tedious dinner like this was quite enough!

***

Elizabeth’s Bedchamber

Parsonage at Kympton

More than a Week Later

Elizabeth touched her lit candle to the kindling of the wood in her fireplace, which had been carefully laid by Molly, and held out her hands as the kindling lit. It was chilly in her room, and she relished the sight of the flames growing from the small pieces of wood to the log, and within ten minutes, there was substantial heat billowing out, which she welcomed with enthusiasm.

The fire was sufficiently hot that she retreated a few feet and sank into a chair next to a small desk, which had been moved from Alexander’s bookroom to her own bedchamber. She was grateful, as this permitted her to write and read in privacy when she so desired.

Two letters were lying on the desk, one from Jane and one from her mother, and after a moment, she broke the wax of her mother’s missive. It was likely to be more annoying to read than Jane’s, and she would rather get it over with.

Longbourn

14 th January, 1812

Dear Lizzy,

Your father informed us that you are the heiress of Longbourn. Such a relief that is to me, as I feared it might be Lydia. Of course, as the youngest, that seemed unlikely, but then I had thought Jane must be the heiress, and that turned out not to be true.

Now, my dear, with Jane and Lydia well married, there is no need at all for you to wed! You have always been my favorite daughter, you know, and I very much like the idea of living in harmony together until that unfortunate day when I pass on, you with your books and me overseeing the household as I have since your father brought me home.

Not, of course, that your father is ill or anything of the kind. I am merely saying that on that tragic day when he leaves us for his reward, I am confident you and I can continue on in perfect friendliness and amity.

Now I must speak to Cook, as Jane and her husband are coming for dinner.

With love,

Your dear mother

Elizabeth folded the letter, carefully placed it in the drawer of the desk, and then spent a few minutes in silent contemplation. She loved her mother, of course; how could she not care for the woman who had given her birth? But for as long as she could remember, she had vied with Mary for the title of least favorite daughter, in her mother’s eyes, anyway. She had been her father’s favorite, whereas Mary was no one’s. Thus, she did not feel sorry for herself, but she was exasperated with Mrs. Bennet. Could her mother truly believe Elizabeth would be such a fool as to accept that her mother considered her the most treasured daughter?

It was nonsense and a bit exasperating. She would feel insulted if she did not recognize that her mother truly was not a particularly intelligent woman and entirely incapable of understanding the thoughts and behaviors of her own daughters.

With a shake of her head, she forced herself to forget her mother’s letter in favor of her sister’s, which would doubtless be far more pleasurable.

Netherfield Hall

14th January, 1812

Dear Lizzy,

I am pleased to hear that the Kympton parsonage is comfortable and that you and Lydia and our new brother are doing well.

My dear, I miss you so very much, though I am grateful for your willingness to stay in Kympton for some time to assist Lydia and our new brother by marriage.

The Gardiners visited Longbourn for two weeks, and we enjoyed our visit with them very much. Our little cousins are growing so rapidly! Aunt Gardiner spoke at length of Derbyshire in general, and Lambton in particular. Have you visited there yet?

Charles and I are blissfully happy together. We have a great deal in common, and I feel like he understands me in a way which only one other person in the world does, and that is you. I am so grateful for his love.

You asked about Miss Bingley and the Hursts. I have neither seen them nor exchanged letters with them, and I have no intention of doing either in the near term, at any rate. I felt rather unhappy about the break in relationship between them and my dear husband, and even some responsibility for it, but after much thought and discussion with Charles, I realized that they really are rather spoiled individuals – especially Caroline – and it would be good for them to stand on their own feet. Both ladies have a dowry of twenty thousand pounds, which produces eight hundred a year in Consuls, and yet they had been consistently going into debt and applying to Charles for his assistance. He has provided those funds in the past, but we have Netherfield to think about now, which has been neglected for some years, and we also have our future to consider.

So yes, for now, we are maintaining a cool distance. I hope at some point we can be, if not friends, at least agreeable acquaintances, but we will spend our time and attention and money on our new union and the estate of Netherfield.

Father told us recently that you are the heiress of Longbourn, and I am pleased about that. You are so clever, Lizzy, and sensible, that the estate will be in good hands. I could have taken on that role, but would rather not, especially given that Charles and I may well decide to eventually move away from Hertfordshire. Of course, you are not obligated to stay here at Longbourn either. Indeed, I hope and pray that someday you will meet a man who will be your perfect husband, and that you will find happiness just as I have.

I must dress for a dinner at Longbourn, so I must go.

Much love,

Jane

Elizabeth closed this letter with a sigh of pleasure and placed it in the drawer on top of Mrs. Bennet’s more exasperating communication. A quick glance at her watch showed that she had time to write a letter to Jane in response, and after stirring the fire, so dipped her pen in ink and began writing on a smooth piece of foolscap.