Page 26 of Reputation, an Easy Thing to Lose (Reputation Verse #1)

Pemberley, Derbys hire

20 August 1813

M rs. Reynolds was sitting in her office early in the morning, finishing a sizeable order for the Lambton butcher before tomorrow’s wedding breakfast. The triple wedding of Miss Jane Bennet to Mr. Charles Bingley, Miss Mary Bennet to Lord Bristol, and, the most surprising, Mrs. Lydia Wickham to Mr. Malcom Fitzwilliam was going to be a joyous event! Tonight, the Darcys were hosting a formal dinner with some dancing for the assembled family and friends. Then, tomorrow at eleven a.m., the Pemberley parish church would be filled to capacity with all of the well-wishers. While the family came back to Pemberley for the wedding breakfast, the assembly hall in Lambton would host a large event for all the Darcys’ tenants and the surrounding community members. Darcy had insisted on observing all the expected celebrations upon the marriage of his wife’s sisters as if they had each been born a Darcy.

The celebrations were a welcome change from the mood of the past few w eeks.

Pemberley’s inhabitants had a very sombre five days leading up to the one -y ear anniversary of the death of Mr. Bennet. The Bennet women and their close relations had observed a full five days of remembrance for Mr. Bennet, including daily services in the Pemberley family chapel and no formal entertaining. Though Mr. Bennet had not, in his whole life, set foot inside Derbyshire County and certainly not on the Pemberley estate, each of the Darcys’ tenants paid their respects to the mistress out of genuine affection and res pect.

On 14 August 1813, Mrs. Bennet put away her mourning clothes, donned her widows cap, and came to breakfast in a sweet yellow day dress. The dinner party held that night was certainly not the liveliest seen at Pemberley, but it was a nice evening with some lovely entertainment by all of the young ladies, and much welcomed by the Bennet fa mily.

Mrs. Reynolds put down her quill, sprinkled a handful of sand over her paper and stood to attend to the day’s duties. Before leaving her office, she performed her new routine, adopted in the wake of the “Caroline Bingley Incident.” Since discovering that Caroline’s maid had forced her way into Mrs. Reynolds’s office to steal the spare family wing master key, Mrs. Reynolds began checking that the key -b ox was appropriately full each and every time she either entered or left her office. After checking the box and locking the office door, Mrs. Reynolds spared a thought for that poor, stupid young woman then shook her head and went about her duties for the day.

Pemberley, Derbys hire

18 June 1813—Just past the Breakfast Hour

Upon hearing Caroline’s scream, two footmen who had been attending the breakfasting ladies dashed to the table to restrain her from laying a hand on their mistress. A third footman went to Louisa Hurst who had become much too lightheaded in the wake of Lady Sefton’s revelation regarding the Darcy marriage. Both Caroline and Louisa were taken to their rooms, forcibly in the case of Caroline, and kept there until Darcy and Bingley could provide specific instructions. Caroline’s temper had reached such a level that four footmen were required to guard the doors leading from her rooms. All the way from the yellow parlour to the guest wing she screamed about the treatment of the servants in what was surely soon to be HER HOUSE , profusely declaring that it simply could not be true that Darcy was already married to the LOW -B ORN CHIT , and demanding to be brought to her brother AT ONCE !

All the assembled ladies sat silently in their chairs until the door to the parlour was firmly shut by the butler. No one moved, or even blinked, for what seemed like an eternity to Eliza beth.

Finally, Lady Matlock broke the silence. “My dear Georgiana, I do not believe that I have been properly acquainted with your new sister. Would you do me the honour of an introduc tion?”

As shocked as both Elizabeth and Georgiana were at the civility of the words spoken by Darcy’s illustrious aunt, Georgiana readily jumped at the opportunity to formally introduce Mrs. Elizabeth Francine Darcy, neé Bennet, formerly of the Longbourn Estate in Hertfordshire and daughter to the deceased Mr. Thomas Bennet, Esq., to the women at the table. Following the example of Lady Matlock, all the other noble ladies swallowed their pride and requested an introduction. Even Lady Fiona and Lady Grace decided it was in their immediate best interest to bite their tongues, at least until their fathers and brothers could be interrog ated.

All the commotion caused by Caroline’s removal from the yellow parlour had the men in the master’s study dashing down the hall towards the women. Darcy was the first to reach the doors. He flung them open as Georgiana was completing the formal introductions and barrelled into the room, still looking an absolute fright in his sooty and singed work clothes, with smoke smudges across his face and h ands.

The sudden appearance of her husband in such a state startled Elizabeth, and she rose from her chair in such haste that she knocked it down onto its back. “William! What in the worl…?”

Elizabeth’s exclamation was cut short as all the blood in her head could not follow the rapid ascent, and the mistress of Pemberley promptly fainted. Immediately, Elizabeth was swept into the arms of the nearest waiting servant and removed to the bed in the mistress’s chambers before she could fully come back to her self.

The hours between breakfast and dinner passed in a blur. The earls of Matlock, Nottingham, and Derby followed the Darcys upstairs and requested that their wives and daughters attend them in their rooms. The Dowager Countess of Bristol requested her son escort her to her rooms, and Lady Grace followed on the heels of her mother and brother, leaving only Georgiana and Lady Sefton at the t able.

In the weeks following the incident, no one would be able to accurately describe exactly how it had happened, but by dinner time, all the assembled earls had decided that the best thing was to support Darcy and his wife, and each ordered his family to get in line or skip the next London season. The wealth of Pemberley was too great to be shunned, and each had too intimate a connection to the Darcy family (or dearly wished for a much greater connection) to escape all ridicule if any of the events of the day reached the gossip mongers of the ton .

To Elizabeth’s absolute amazement, all her guests (except a few who were newly departed for the north) appeared at the appointed dinner hour, dressed in their finery, and proceeded to treat Elizabeth with the respect due the mistress of Pemberley. That evening, Elizabeth and Darcy sat at opposite ends of their large dining table and entertained their guests with good humour and no small measure of private joy.

While the earls had been handling their irate wives and petulant daughters, Darcy and Elizabeth had consulted with the Lambton physician concerning Elizabeth’s troubling symptoms and recent fainting spell. Mrs. Reynolds had taken the liberty of calling the doctor after her mistress fainted. Personally, she believed that the halls of Pemberley were shortly to be filled with the pitter -p atter of little feet. After the family’s return from town, Mrs. Reynolds had noticed a few pointed changes in Elizabeth’s food preferences. Though previously, Mrs. Reynolds had never seen Elizabeth eat more than a few bites of sugared cakes, much preferring Cook’s tart lemon bars, in the last week the mistress of Pemberley had more than once chosen and consumed a whole slice of cake with powdered sugar frosting and had turned her nose at the dish yesterday when presented with a lemon bar. Additionally, Elizabeth had not once eaten her formerly favourite dressed potatoes with the lemon -d ill salad cream, though Cook had included them at three different meals with the purpose of pleasing her mist ress.

Combined with her constant tiredness of the last few days and the morning’s fainting spell, Mrs. Reynolds was fairly certain Elizabeth was with c hild.

The doctor also concluded as much and told the Darcys that he expected them to welcome a new addition to the house about the first week of February, but of course nothing was certain until the babe quickened sometime in the next six to eight weeks. He also relayed that the fainting spell was perfectly normal for a newly pregnant woman who was overtaxing herself, and to avoid strenuous activity for a while. The knowledge that his pregnant wife had fainted from overtaxing herself sent Darcy into a panic. He was convinced that they needed to dismiss all their guests at once and place Elizabeth on bed rest immediately. Thankfully, Mrs. Reynolds and the doctor were able to disabuse him of those ideas before he informed Elizabeth, who was napping peacefully in her bed, of his reckless p lans.

The final resolution to the day’s mischief came before Mrs. Reynolds could show the good doctor back to his waiting curricle. Caroline had been shoved into Bingley’s carriage in the company of Louisa and Reginald Hurst and sent on her way to an estate near Carlisle in the far north of England, owned by one of Hurst’s cousins (on the non -S efton side of the family) who never came to London. Reginald Hurst had spent too many years living in a house filled with Caroline’s spies, believing that Bingley would never exert any control over his sister. A great many days had seen Hurst escaping into alcohol to drown out Caroline’s incessant gossip and demands. This morning, he had been awakened from his alcohol -i nduced sleep by his wife in a state of panic. After he derived meaning from Louisa’s hysterical speech, Hurst had rushed to the master’s study to try and stop a travesty from befalling Darcy, whom Hurst had always rather liked. Hurst was as amazed as his great -a unt to witness Bingley’s assertiveness with the e arls.

His brother - i n -l aw was not so blind to Caroline’s wicked nature as he had originally tho ught.

After the arrival of the elderly Pemberley vicar and his records book, Hurst had again mirrored his great -a unt ’s thoughts, this time regarding Darcy’s current marital status, and he immediately left to see to the removal of his family party from Pembe rley.

Informing the Pemberley staff to have their trunks packed and sent along, Hurst ordered Bingley’s carriage to depart as soon as possible. A small valise each was packed for Caroline, Louisa, and Hurst, then the three left without taking any formal leave of their hosts or the other guests. Hurst and Bingley had managed a rushed conversation regarding the handling of Caroline’s ruination, then Bingley relinquished all responsibility for his si ster.

Caroline was given exactly two choices: Marry the first man with whom Hurst could contract and Bingley would give the full twenty thousand pounds of her dowry to her new husband, or establish herself with what was left of her inheritance after her years of overspending, which was considerably less than twenty thousand pounds. Bingley would never give Caroline one additional farthing, and Caroline was henceforth never to step foot in one of Bingley’s or Hurst’s homes ever again. While Louisa visited her sister at least once a year and Bingley and Jane managed to visit Caroline every few years, more due to Jane’s forgiving and kind nature than any familial affection from Bingley, no other person at Pemberley that day ever heard from or saw Caroline Bingley a gain.

The remainder of the Darcys’ summer house party was an overwhelming success. Although Elizabeth had been sure that their noble guests would leave Pemberley before the day was done and never again acknowledge any of her family in public, they did not. Thankfully, any awkwardness from the revelation of Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage was put aside during that first dinner. Elizabeth was altogether too fond of laughing at the folly of the world to hold a grudge against the women who had previously treated her with such little respect. Besides, the Darcys really had put on a fabulous holiday, and everyone was looking forward to the final week’s scheduled entertainments, so why ruin a good holiday with a few dashed h opes?

As conversations of such an intimate nature were highly irregular amongst the upper set, only Lady Matlock ever directly addressed an apology to Elizabeth. On the morning of the second day following the incident , Lady Matlock requested a private interview with both Elizabeth and Darcy after break fast.

Lady Matlock apologized for her prior treatment of Elizabeth and her interference in Darcy’s private dealings. She revealed that she had been feeling pressure from her sister - i n -l aw to secure Lady Fiona the match she desperately desired and the added stress of her own children’s continued unwed states was beginning to take a toll on her poor nerves. Elizabeth nearly spat her tea all over Lady Matlock upon hearing her mother’s favoured expression come out of the lady’s mouth. First Aunt Gardiner and now Lady Matlock had exhibited ridiculous and hurtful behaviour when faced with the responsibility to secure marital felicity for five young people. Perhaps her mother was not so absurd after all.

Lady Fiona and Lady Grace were the only two guests that never quite regained their full enjoyment of the entertainments. With now five failed seasons behind her, Lady Fiona was feeling all the desperation and pressure of an old maid. Her aunt’s connection to Darcy had been her last hope of catching a young man with a proper estate. Her father had given her until her twenty -t hird birthday to choose a man of her own before he contracted for her marriage. The leading contender was the old, fat, and generally unappealing Earl of Southwark, who was looking for a replacement to his first wife who died birthing his third daughter. With her twenty -t hird birthday coming shortly after the New Year, Lady Fiona would have to beg her youngest brother to let her stay with him in London all winter to attend every single society event between now and her birthday, in hopes of finding someone more appea ling.

Lady Grace was less disappointed at missing out on Darcy’s person than his pocket book.

Additionally, after hearing of her brother’s intention to court and marry Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lady Grace was exceedingly worried that she would be sent to live in the Dower House, due to her exceptionally rude and demeaning treatment of the future countess’s sister. Much to Lady Grace’s confusion and relief, she found Mary and Elizabeth to be kind and forgi ving.

The crowning jewel of the summer was a fabulous ball on the final night of the Darcys’ house party, which included the assembled guests as well as all the prominent Derbyshire families. William was overjoyed to introduce his wife to the quality gentry in the area. Elizabeth donned her wedding costume for the first time since the day they were married, and welcomed her guests with all the splendour that Pemberley had to o ffer.

Since their marriage was no longer a secret, Darcy decided that as many members of their respective families as could make the trip should also be in attendance for Elizabeth’s grand debut as the mistress of Pemberley. He had sent several express invitations to the Gardiners, the Phillipses, and L ydia.

The whole evening had been an unqualified suc cess!

Everyone in attendance had been charmed by the new Mrs. Darcy, and more than one person mentioned that they had never seen Darcy in such a grand mood or dance so many sets. The first half of the evening was fully dedicated to revelling in the hostess’s uncommon skills and her twinkling laug hter.

At supper, the Darcys decided that the night was too wonderful, and such a grand occasion deserved even more felicity. So, before the dessert was to be set out, Darcy called for a round of champagne, then raised his glass to toast the engagements of his wife’s three sisters. Just the day before the ball, Bingley, Bristol, and Malcolm Fitzwilliam had each come to Edward Gardiner, asking for formal permission to marry Jane, Mary, and L ydia.

Georgiana and Bernard Finch had also come to their own understanding in the days leading up to the ball, but since Bernard was not in a position to marry for another year or so, they decided to enter into an extended courtship instead of a formal engagement. Darcy was glad that his sister was going to be well matched, but also glad not to be losing her quite yet.

It was a night that none of the assembled members of Darcy’s families would ever fo rget.

Pemberley, Derbys hire

21 August 1813

Over the past five days, Pemberley Manor had been slowly filling to capacity with all of the wedding guests from nearly every county in the whole of England, and a few from Scotland. A welcome surprise guest had been Charlotte Collins. Charlotte rolled up in a fine carriage with the Fitzwilliam Crest on the side on 15 August and alighted with Lady Gwyneth, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Bernard Finch, and her young sister, Maria L ucas.

A fortnight before, Lady Gwyneth, Richard, and Bernard had left Pemberley on some business in London. Elizabeth had never asked the details, but since she was overly busy with preparations for the wedding, she was not concerned with their trip. In truth, Darcy, Bingley, Bristol, and Malcom had sent Richard and Lady Gwyneth to Bernard Finch’s law firm in London to renew the male line entailment on Longbourn for the next generation. Lydia’s son, Thomas, was legally the closest male issue to Mr. Bennet and, in the event Collins never had a male child, Thomas should be the next in line to inherit. Darcy, Bingley, Bristol, and Malcolm, being the husband and fiancés of Mr. Bennet’s daughters, had legal standing to insist that their children be in line to inherit Longb ourn.

Upon calling on the Collinses to present them with the entailment renewal, Charlotte decided she wished to see her particular friend and witness the joyous wedding of the three Bennet sisters. Collins refused to go because Darcy’s marriage to Elizabeth had upset Lady Catherine very much. She had advised Collins to cut off all communication with the Bennets and the Darcys immediately. She was not temperate in her abuse of all the former ladies of Longbourn, and Elizabeth in partic ular.

Though Charlotte did not regret her marriage, she was tired of her husband’s idiocy. She told him in no uncertain terms that she would be traveling to Pemberley for the wedding and staying for a nice long holiday with her particular friend. She did not anticipate returning to Longbourn for at least two months comp lete.

The last thing Charlotte left behind were words for her husband to seriously consider over the length of her absence: “I know that you shall always commiserate and console Lady Catherine as well as you can, but I believe we should stand by the nephew. He has infinitely more to give.”

On the day Mrs. Bennet gave away three of her daughters to men of quality and money, she was ever the same as she had always been. It would be a good ending, and a happy thing for the sake of her family, if the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of her children produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well -i nformed woman for the rest of her life, but such fundamental changes in one’s character are rarely seen. Though Francine Bennet and her sister, Phillips, stood too much in awe of Pemberley and its master to speak with much familiarity, whenever they did speak, it must be vu lgar.

Long after all the fairy cakes had been eaten, and the three grand coaches carrying the newlywed couples had strolled down the lane towards wedding trips, which would take the sisters all across the whole of England, Elizabeth and Darcy lay in their bed in a comfortable, loving re pose.

“There is a piece of correspondence of which I would speak to you, if you would hear it,” Elizabeth murm ured.

“If you are speaking of the letter from my Aunt Catherine, I will not! She will not be recognized by me until she renders a full apology for the hurtful things she has said. It was her own fault for arranging a wedding for Anne and myself at the end of July. Stupid, ridiculous woman! If she feels abandoned by our family or humiliated in society, it was of her own making. That is for sure!”

“William, please. I know you are terribly upset by Lady Catherine’s hurtful words and unfair expectations, but this missive is one you should perhaps read for yourself.” Elizabeth took a folded letter out of a book on her nightstand and handed it to her hus band.

After several minutes of perusing the contents, Darcy sighed heavily, rolled to his side and pulled the servant’s cord for his valet. A few moments later brought Connor’s knock upon the bedchamber door, and the Darcys bid him entr ance.

“My man, we’ve had news today that my cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh, is set to marry Captain Thurston Finch, the second son of Lord Nottingham, at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Kent County in less than two weeks’ time. We shall need to be ready to depart for London as soon as the last of our own wedding guests leave in two days. Please start the preparations for our departure in the morning, and find something for me to wear that is not so heavy around the collar. The temperature will undoubtedly be unbearable in Kent this time of year, and the coat I wore today will not do at all. Thank you.”

A giggle escaped his wife as soon as the door was shut. Darcy arched one eyebrow at her in an attempted imitation of his favourite expression of hers, which only increased Elizabeth’s giggles to gales of laughter. “Perhaps,” she said through large gulps of air, “we should purchase you a few more formal morning suits in a variety of fabrics and colours. With all the marital felicity going around, it would not do to have you appear at each function wearing the same coat. Just think of the gossip such a travesty would inspire! Our reputation would surely never sur vive.”

The End