Page 33 of Searching for Elizabeth (A Pride and Prejudice Variation)
—five years later—
Elizabeth Darcy answered Question Number 34 about Blackthorn Cottage. This question, like all the other questions, came from the lips of Master Alexander Darcy, age four.
“And it is a whole house that has just one room?”
Her husband, William, chuckled from the opposite side of the carriage. He was holding their six-month-old daughter, Rose Anne, because experience had proved that he was much more capable of helping her take an adequate nap during a jouncing ride than either Nurse or Elizabeth.
Elizabeth patiently explained, “Yes, it is a very tiny house. I believe that most people who have very little money are able to afford at least two rooms. Of course, some people have no house at all.”
Alex looked up at her and said, “And you work on helping them with that So-Sigh-place.”
Elizabeth corrected, “The Society for the Relief of the Distressed.”
“How many rooms does Pemblee have, Papa?”
“I thought you told me you were going to count them all. What happened to that plan?”
“Well, Nanny said I could not go up to the top floor to count, because those rooms belong to the servants, who deserve their privacy, and Cook said I could not go down the basement nor the kitchen wing to count, because there is too much dang’rous things everywhere. And when I tried to count all the other rooms, I got to one hundred, and then I could not remember how the next biggest number goes.”
“Oh, dearest,”
Elizabeth said, “you go on with one-hundred-one, one-hundred-two, one-hundred-three….”
Alex’s face was beaming.
“That is so easy! I think I will have to start over again, though, because I do not remember which rooms I have counted and which ones I have not yet counted. It would make it a lot easier if you would just tell me the answer, Papa.”
William’s smile was wide.
“There are more than three hundred rooms, Alex. But I want you to remember what Nanny said. Those rooms are not for just you and your sister, we parents, Nurse and Nanny, and your Aunt Georgie, and Aunt Mary, before she was married and moved away. We have more than one hundred other people living in the house as well.”
“I know, Papa. And I like the littler houses where some of the others live; they are part of Pemblee, too, right? And then there are all the tenant farms, and their houses.”
“That is right.”
“Maybe I can count all the houses that are on the ‘state, Papa. Maybe you can drive me all over so I can do that.”
“I do need to start driving you all over the estate, Alex. Someday you will be the master of Pemberley; you need to know the land and all the people who depend on it.”
Elizabeth watched fondly as her little boy nodded. He was much loved and had had a very happy life so far; she noted that he did not seem at all worried about being the future master.
Of course, he had an excellent example. William had learnt to balance his responsibilities with family times and joy quite beautifully. In part thanks to her, she was sure.
“Here is the new road,”
William told her. The carriage turned off the road that would eventually lead to Longbourn; the new road was very smooth and led to quite a thick part of the forest.
“There it is!”
Alex shrieked. Unfortunately, Rose Anne woke up, and William quickly passed the baby to Elizabeth and scooped up Alex so he could see out of the window better.
Blackthorn Cottage was no longer hidden or badly overgrown. Honeysuckle and ivy still wound their way charmingly up the walls, and of course there were still blackthorn bushes—Elizabeth insisted that a few remain! Deciduous trees such as oaks, hornbeam, ash, and beech still grew between the pine trees, but no branches encroached on the cottage. A miniature rose garden and brand-new well appeared near the front door, and the entire cottage shone in the sun, it was so well swept and so freshly painted. There was a brand new, shiny padlock on the door.
Elizabeth was delighted with the aspect. William had personally overseen the changes during a week-long trip away from home, a month ago; Alex had missed his papa dreadfully but kept saying to himself, “He’s fixing up the cottage; he’s making it all nice. We get to see the cottage soon.”
Remembering his self-soothing litany, Elizabeth found her eyes filling with tears.
Alex said, “Mama, you are smiling and crying at the same time!”
William kissed his son’s forehead and said, “Blackthorn Cottage is very important to me and your mama. Especially to your mama.”
Alex nodded solemnly, and his father went on, “You know the story about your mama being the Angel of Longbourn, and how she single-handedly saved the very decrepit cottage, fixing the walls and the roof and the chimney all by herself. She was just a little girl when she started. She is a perfect example for you and your sister, when you get older, to realize that you can work hard and get things done, even when you are a child.”
The carriage stopped, and the steps were lowered, and William stepped out and handed his family and Nurse out of the carriage.
He put a shiny key in Elizabeth’s hand, and she saw that he had threaded it onto a brand new satin ribbon. Her heart was full as she stepped up to the freshly painted door and turned the key. Before she opened the unlocked door, she turned to her family and said, “Welcome to Blackthorn Cottage!”
As she turned back and opened the door, she felt Alex’s hand tuck into her own, and the two of them stepped inside, knowing that William and Rose Anne were right behind. They were ready to make new memories of Blackthorn Cottage.
The End