Page 57

Before Mr Bennet could give his permission, Darcy admitted, “We hope to get to know each other better during my visit with Mr and Mrs Bingley at Netherfield. But my ultimate goal is to win her heart and if I can persuade her to marry this summer, I shall.”

Now Mr Bennet replied, “You have my permission to court my Lizzy.”

The young man brightened for a moment before Thomas warned him, “As soon as Mrs Bennet is made aware of the courtship, be prepared for her inquiries as to your house in town… From Mrs Gardiner we have heard stories of your house in the north.”

“And if you can persuade Lizzy to marry this summer, you will break my heart taking my brilliant daughter from my house but save us both many months of hearing about lace and trousseaus.”

~~~

Georgiana became concerned when the conversation lagged for a moment because Miss Elizabeth gave Mr Darcy her full attention while Mr and Mrs Bingley were speaking about the notion of producing ceramic tea caddies at the Bingley pottery.

Miss Darcy was unsure if she should speak of music with Mrs Bingley and her sisters, of if she should ask Mr Bennet about his tenants.

In a moment of desperation, Georgiana asked the gathered persons in the Longbourn parlour, “We speak of tea and how to brew it often enough, but do we know of the origin of the tea leaves?”

Their attention captured for a moment, Mr and Mrs Bingley denied any idea of the source of the drink, and Mrs Bennet considered her mind for a moment before she stated, “My brother brings tea from the other side of the world.”

Even Miss Mary, a fairly well-read young woman, was unable to answer the question. When the problem was brought to the attention of Miss Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, the gentleman explained that the world’s tea world was grown in China and brought to England by the East India Company.

Wishing to display the depth of her knowledge to Mr Darcy, Elizabeth rose and approached her father who seated in his usual chair near her mother. She asked, “Papa, may I bring the Atlas into the parlour?”

Indulging his favourite daughter, Mr Bennet gave his permission and Lizzy disappeared out of the door. After a moment, she returned with a large tome in her arms and laid it on the table near her father’s chair.

“Come Miss Darcy – Miss Georgiana – I shall show you where tea grows,” Elizabeth said finding the pages with a map of China and then a map of the world. The younger woman stood with her brother beside Elizabeth to examine the maps in the atlas.

First, they examined the map of China while Elizabeth stated, “In his youth, my Uncle Gardiner sailed twice with the East India Company to the other side of the world.”

Seeing she had Miss Darcy’s attention, she continued, “On both trips, Uncle Gardner visited the Chinese province of Fujian. That is the area where tea was supposed to have originated. The landowners there have plantations of tea trees and British merchants purchase every leaf the farmers bring to the markets.”

Nodding his head to confirm Elizabeth’s assertions, Mr Darcy speculated about growing tea in other lands.

He explained, “I understand the Chinese protect the plants carefully and refuse to sell any seedlings. But I am certain that eventually some merchant will successfully smuggle some tea plants to plant in another land – one that Britain controls.”

Curious, Georgiana asked, “Why would we do that?”

“China is not under our control and in the future, there could be wars that affect supply or access to tea from Fujian,” the gentleman answered. He teased by asking, “How would we survive without tea to drink in the afternoons?”

The ladies and gentlemen smiled at the jest but then Elizabeth brought everyone’s attention back to the map.

“Uncle Gardiner spoke of ships filled with tea and spices on voyages that last six to nine months to sail from China to the docks of London. He was gone for almost two years during each voyage.”

This prompted Mr Darcy to suggest, “Let us look at the route the ships must sail to reach China and then return to London.”

The party consulted the world map in the atlas, and Darcy pointed out the coast of Fujian.

Tracing the route with his finger, the gentleman told his sister, “Our merchants sail south through the Dutch East Indies, then across the Bay of Bengal to our new possession of Ceylon or older British holdings on the coasts of India.”

Keeping the attention of the audience, he continued, “Then the ships sail across the India Ocean to our trading posts along the coast of East Africa and the new British colony at the tip of Africa. Once they reach the South Atlantic, they sail northwards and cross the equator. They sail beside Africa for many weeks before they pass Portugal, Spain, and France.”

“No wonder the trip takes many months,” Georgiana said.

Remembering the discussion of tea caddies from the previous day, the young woman asked, “How do the merchants bring the tea England? Is it stored in large sacks or boxes?”

Again, it was Elizabeth who answered, “I have been to my uncle’s warehouses in London when tea arrives in the merchant ships.

The holds of the ships are filled with wooden chests of tea leaves, which were lined with lead to prevent moisture from affecting the tea during the long ocean voyage.

The ships are often in storms and the cargo might be damaged by the salt water. ”

Georgiana asked, “Why lead?”

Sharing the information she had been told by her uncle, Elizabeth explained, “The metal seals the leaves away from all moisture and the air. And the tea is packed in very tightly.”

Her natural curiosity engaged by the interesting information, Georgiana continued her questions, “How do you know this?”

With a smile, Elizabeth explained, “I have been in my uncle’s warehouse in London when workers opened a chest of tea.

When the lid was lifted, the aroma of the tea leaves is overpowering for several minutes, but the lead lining kept the tea leaves dry.

My uncle told me that every chest or barrel is opened before it leaves the ship to check for signs of mould and mildew that would lower the value of the item. ”

Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth both noticed the girl thinking before she turned to Elizabeth and asked, “Is that why the housekeep always keeps the tea leaves inside a porcelain jar with a lid?”

Smiling, Elizabeth replied, “Yes. Every household has a tea caddy to store their fresh tea leaves, and I know the cook at Longbourn dries our used leaves beside the fire and stores them in an old tea caddy to hold their flavour and aroma before using them a second and then a third time.”

“Where does your cook keep the tea caddy, Miss Elizabeth?” asked Mr Darcy.

The young woman answered, “It is under lock and key in the pantry with the rest of our expensive food stuffs like sugar, molasses, and meats.”

Georgianna was solemn when she whispered, “At both of our houses, the housekeeper and butler have keys to secure rooms. The butler holds the keys for the expensive porcelain, silver, and pewter, while the housekeeper holds the keys for the food pantries and the wine cellar.”

Now Mrs Bennet interjected her comments, “My brother did make the trip to the East Indies twice and he secured his fortune. He came back to England a rich man.”

That statement from Mrs Bennet caught the attention of her two youngest daughters for a moment but they dismissed any questions when their father added, “While it is true that Mr Gardiner made money as a result of the voyages, it was not a great fortune. The money allowed him to invest in a business with good contacts in the East India Company. He is able to contract for tea, spices, and cloth from their ships to sell to shops here in England. When he started, he had a circuit of merchants he called on – I believe today he has apprentices who travel the roads securing orders and transporting goods.”

Elizabeth added, “In addition to tea from China, Uncle Gardiner sells pepper and cinnamon from the East Indies. And he sells Indian calico and chintz across England.”

“Those cloths are woven from a plant called cotton that grows in India,” Mr Darcy said.

Jane spoke up, “And they are cooler in summer and more colourful than wool.”

“But they are not warm in the winter,” added Mary.

Georgiana smirked and remarked, “Brother, with you and Miss Elizabeth in the same room, everyone begins to share information that is interesting and educating.”

Mr and Mrs Bingley laughed as did Mr Bennet and Mary. Lydia, Kitty, and Mrs Bennet were not paying attention and missed the comment. Then, Mr Darcy explained that a hundred years ago, Parliament passed laws to forbid the import of cotton textiles into England.

“But there was a black market for the cloth and demand remained high. Eventually some enterprising men began importing raw cotton and built factories that spun the cotton into thread and then into cloth here in England. There are a growing number of textile mills in England weaving fabrics from raw cotton imported from India. Now the factories spin thread from wool, linen, and cotton across the north.”

Mr Bingley commented, “The mills are good investment opportunities.”

Elizabeth asked, “Mr Darcy, do you have investments in cotton mills?”

The gentleman was not surprised by the question, and replied, “I am gathering information from knowledgeable men and there are four sites on my lands in Derbyshire where a cotton mill could be built. But I should not limit myself to cotton spinning. There is ample wool on my lands.”

Elizabeth asked more questions about the places and where the workers would live. The discussion between the two blunted the interest of the other persons who turned their attention to the tea that Mrs Bennet had ordered for the afternoon.

~~~