Page 10 of Mission to Meryton (Pride and Prejudice Variation #25)
“Good morning, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth, who had been writing busily, looked up at her friend with a smile, “Charlotte, how delightful to see you! Do sit down!”
Charlotte Lucas looked around the Longbourn conservatory with pleasure as she took a seat next to her friend, “It is always lovely and soothing in here.”
Elizabeth laughed and shook her head, “Not when Mother and Mary are huddling over seeds and bulbs in a frenzy. At those times it is glorious, but not soothing.”
“I suppose not. What are you doing?”
“I am making a list of all the tulip seeds and bulbs, their ages, their antecedents, and so on, for my Uncle Gardiner, who is visiting tomorrow along with his family. He oversees our tulip conservatories and fields in Kent and will be transferring some of the bulbs there soon.”
“How do you decide which bulbs to transfer?” Miss Lucas asked curiously.
“Well, I do not. Mother and Mary are the truly gifted ones in the family. You can see all the bulbs and plants here. They are the ones with the genius ability to make them break such that the resulting flowers are so valuable. I can do some of the journeyman gardening work and everyone agrees my handwriting is the easiest to read, and thus I am required to write the lists.”
“Poor Lizzy!”
“Not at all. The house is in an uproar preparing not only for the visit from the Gardiners, but also the descent of Mr. Collins, Father’s heir, on Longbourn in two days.
It will be a busy week, made even more exciting by the upcoming ball at Netherfield Hall.
I am entirely pleased to sit in this pleasant greenhouse making lists while Mother harries my sisters and the servants. ”
“Mr. Collins?” Charlotte inquired.
“Yes, he is a clergyman, a distant cousin, and regrettably, Father’s heir due to the entail. We have never met him as his father quarreled with ours, but he has extended the olive branch of reconciliation.”
“That is a kind thing to do.”
“I suppose, though his letter was rather peculiar. In any case, Mother is frightened he will learn of the tulips and has invited the Gardiners to come as a distraction of sorts.”
“I really do not understand your mother’s concern,” Charlotte admitted. “Your family’s abilities are remarkable, brilliant even — it seems a pity to hide your gifting under a bushel.”
“Mother is the daughter of a solicitor,” Elizabeth returned with a sigh, “and she knows well that our connections are thus already somewhat suspect. Yes, Mother and Mary have tremendous talent, but they also literally work with the soil to grow tulips, which is definitely closer to trade than the master of an estate who is supported solely from his tenants’ rents.
No, Charlotte, she wants the tulips to remain a secret to all; the only reason you know of them is that you stumbled across them by accident. ”
Charlotte chuckled. “I well remember the dismay on your mother’s face so many years ago! It was hardly my fault, Lizzy; you threw the ball that landed on the top of the wall which surrounds this garden. I was merely being a good friend in climbing up to retrieve it.”
“You are a very good friend, Charlotte, and I thank you again for keeping our secret from even your parents.”
“They would not care particularly either way, but would have difficulty in keeping the matter in confidence. My mother is a kindly woman, but also a garrulous one.”
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. “True enough. Oh, I believe my mother plans to send you an invitation to dinner the night after next. She wishes to have many visitors to better distract Mr. Collins.”
“I am certain my parents will accept with pleasure, Elizabeth. Tomorrow night we are invited to Netherfield for dinner, but the next night is free.”
“Are you indeed? Mr. Bingley is proving a most generous and hospitable neighbor, is he not?”
“Yes, he is a great addition to the neighborhood in general, and perhaps a special gift to your family in particular? He is obviously much taken with Jane, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth nodded and said, “Yes, and Jane quite likes him as well, but she is still feeling cautious after her broken engagement to Mr. Brisbane. We will see what happens.”
“I believe Jane could hardly do better than to pursue Mr. Bingley, who is both wealthy and charming, but I can understand her hesitancy after the previous debacle. By the way, Eliza, I heard that you were seated next to Mr. Darcy at dinner recently; what is your view of the master of Pemberley now?”
“How did you hear that I was sitting next to Mr. Darcy?”
“Come now, you must know that the activities at Netherfield are of vital interest to the neighborhood. Everyone knows.”
Elizabeth bit her cheek and ruminated as she wrote down a few more lines about tulips in her notebook.
“I believe that Mr. Darcy improves upon acquaintance,” she said finally. “We discussed estate management and farming methods. He is obviously intelligent and well read, along with being a good landlord and master. Of course, we did not agree about everything.”
“Of course not. I believe you quite enjoy taking the opposite position in debates. So do you think that perhaps you and Mr. Darcy ...”
Elizabeth looked up in astonishment at this. “Me and Mr. Darcy? Charlotte, what can you be thinking? I am but the second daughter of a country gentleman! I am quite certain Mr. Darcy will look no lower than the daughter of an earl at least!”
/
Elizabeth stood with Jane on her right and Mary on her left. Beside Mary was Kitty, followed by Lydia, and flanking their five daughters were Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.
The Gardiners had arrived the previous day, bringing laughter and love and small children along with periodicals describing the latest fashions in London.
Even now, as the carriage carrying Mr. Collins came to a halt, Elizabeth could hear the shrieks of joy and excitement from the four young Gardiners, who were running around in the west side yard with both parents and a nursemaid in attendance.
The carriage door swung open, and Mr. Collins ponderously descended. He was tall, dark haired and dark eyed and rather heavy, his demeanor grave and stately. Upon attaining the ground, he bowed to the assembled family and, once the introductions had been made, hurried into speech.
“It is a great honor and pleasureto be here, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and I thank you for your kindness in inviting me, not to mention the honor of meeting your most lovely daughters. The reports of their beauty are not exaggerated in the least, and I have no doubt you will see them all favorably disposed of in marriage!”
Mrs. Bennet compressed her lips in irritation at this remark, but Mr. Bennet, his eyes twinkling, stepped nobly into the breach, “Thank you, Mr. Collins. We are honored to have you here, and are grateful to Lady Catherine for permitting you to come. Please, do come in.”
/
Mr. Gardiner was five years younger than his sister, Mrs. Bennet, and was amiable, intelligent and pleasant in company.
He had married a woman five years younger than himself, and he and his wife were deeply attached to one another and their four children.
Mrs. Gardiner was a charming woman, young enough to be a companion to the Bennet girls but also able to provide guidance and wisdom due to her additional years on the Earth.
Elizabeth loved and appreciated her aunt, and never more so than now.
“What are the gardens like in Rosings?” Mrs. Gardiner asked Mr. Collins, who was seated next to her in the formal dining room of Longbourn.
“Oh, Mrs. Gardiner, they are utterly magnificent!” the man cried out, lowering the fork which held a chunk of potato. “Lady Catherine oversees the disposition of the flowers and shrubs themselves, and they are the best example of their kind in all of Kent, perhaps all of England ...”
Elizabeth took a bite of her own potatoes and relaxed slightly as her talkative cousin continued rattling on about his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Thus far, Mr. Collins had proven an irritating guest. His first hour he had waxed loquaciously about the delights of Longbourn, but given that he was the heir to the estate, his enthusiasm seemed more avaricious than courteous.
His second hour he had rhapsodized on the glories of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
In the half hour before they were called into dinner, Mr. Collins had focused his attention on Jane, and based on the admiring look in his eye, he found the sight of the eldest Miss Bennet delightful indeed.
Elizabeth was used to men appreciating her beloved elder sister, but there was an air of propriety about the man which could not fail to make her uneasy.
The Gardiners only met Mr. Collins at dinner as Mrs. Gardiner had been busy with her children, and Mr. Gardiner was working on the tulip lists provided by Elizabeth.
Mrs. Gardiner obviously sized up the rector within a minute, and was now shielding her dear nieces from the necessity of talking to Mr. Collins.
She kept up a steady flow of questions to keep him chattering about Lady Catherine and Rosings, which he was entirely delighted to do.
Elizabeth had Kitty on her other side, and the two sisters conversed cheerfully about Kitty’s latest art project, a painting of a portrait of Mr. Bennet’s grandfather, which had been temporarily relocated to a work room in the southeast corner of the second floor.
“So you are copying the portrait?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“Not precisely,” Kitty explained happily, taking a bite of bread and chewing it rapidly.
“I am painting the portrait and its surroundings, which includes the frame of the portrait, of course, and a vase of begonias on a small table directly in front of the portrait. I am working not straight on, but at an angle, so our great-grandfather’s face is effectively narrowed. ”
Elizabeth blinked, “It sounds ...”
“Odd?” Kitty inquired with a rather too loud gurgle of laughter.
“It is, of course, but it is a marvelous test of painting with an accurate perspective. I have to overcome my natural desire to draw the ancient Mr. Bennet’s face correctly.
Mr. Swinton said it would be most helpful in improving my skills.
The final painting will be quite peculiar, but I will have learned a great deal. ”
“It sounds splendid, Kitty,” Elizabeth declared truthfully, as she had no artistic skills at all. “It seems you like Mr. Swinton very much?”
“Yes, he is far more skilled an art master than Mr. Agar, who is a splendid artist in his own right, but was not good at explaining how to draw and paint and sculpt.”
“I am glad,” Elizabeth said, looking up to see Mrs. Bennet rise to her feet to signal the withdrawal of the ladies. She stood up thankfully and left her father and uncle to entertain Mr. Collins.
/
The cook of Longbourn was a middle aged woman of vast experience, but she looked quite uncomfortable as she gazed at the list of meals planned for the rest of the week.
“I will have the baker’s daughters come every day this week to help in the kitchen,” Mrs. Bennet declared. “You will need some assistance with our additional guests and entertainments.”
The cook relaxed openly, “Thank you, Mrs. Bennet. I did wonder how I was going to manage.”
“If you need more help, you need only tell me,” the lady of Longbourn directed. “Good night.”
“Good night, Madam.”
Mrs. Bennet stepped out of the warm kitchen and let out a squeak of surprise. Mr. Collins stood in the doorway which led to the dining room, obviously waiting for her.
“Mr. Collins? Were you looking for me?”
“Indeed, I was, Mrs. Bennet. Might I take a few moments of your time, though I realize you must be fatigued, but I wish to share with you the purpose for my visit to your fair home.”
Frances Bennet was indeed weary, but she recognized that if she put off Mr. Collins, she would lie awake at night worrying. Was there any chance that Mr. Collins knew of the tulips?
A moment later, she had a rather good idea. “Of course, Mr. Collins. Please, will you step with me into the library?”