Author's note: Thank you ever so much for your kind reviews – and your nagging to continue posting.
Meggie: Tease me? Never!
Rose: See I updated very quickly with a bit of bribery, that's probably all it will ever take. I'm flattered that at least for now you can't think of anything bad to say.
Isthia: By "she" you mean Lady Arabella right? Well she doesn't know anything specific about their past, so for the moment at least she's taking it fairly well.
To all my other reviews thanks, I think I managed to address all your specific queries by email. Hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the previous two.
Chapter 3
As it happened, there was no summons to Mr Darcy's study the next day, nor any message from Lady Arabella instructing me to return to my relative's home in shame. In short I was left to get on with the job of teaching the children, with very little interruption. My life was quiet, but little more could be expected as my only regular society was that of the children and Mrs Turner. My regular day was always the same. At seven Elsie came and helped me dress before I would make my way down to the House Keepers rooms for breakfast. At half past ten Priscilla and Roberta's lessons would begin, at first I concentrated my efforts on only a few things, reading, writing and embroidery. Having always thought, that history, geography and such would be too much to exert on young minds that were not in the habit of regular training. The lessons would break at midday when the children were given bread and cheese to eat and after Thomas awoke from his nap. Mrs Chambers or Martha took them out to the park in the square for a walk and some 'fresh air'. During this time I was permitted to employ my time as I chose, occasionally making use of the library but more often than not returning to my rooms. Lessons began again at two in the afternoon till half three when the children broke for tea, this is when my presence was no longer required and I would occupy myself until my evening meal was served. My evening would be spent in Mrs Turner's rooms with the upper servants mostly. Once a week the children would be sent for in the drawing rooms, other than that they saw as little, if not less than I did of their parents.
The children were sweet, for the most part though not without their idiosyncrasies. Priscilla had or would have had an affectionate heart had she spent time with a parent. She was always eager for her mother's attention or approbation, though it was rarely bestowed. The child took after her mother too, she cared far too much about her 'toilette' she refused to wear brown calico pinafores over her dresses as she declared the colour far too ugly. "Mamma would never be seen in such a beastly thing!" It seemed fruitless to forbid it. She took after her mother in more ways than one. She was listless, it was rare that she could be made to concentrate for more than half an hour on a task, yet she was clever and a good pupil if made to apply herself properly. Eventually I won the argument over the pinafore when I taught her to write in a pen and ink using a copy book, on several occasions she spilt ink down her front and despite finding that it was a good excuse to shirk her lessons for a while because she went to go and change. Her tactic soon stopped when the gowns returned from the laundry still stained with black ink. "Miss Bennet," She looked at me solemnly when she came in one morning, "from now on I shall always wear my overalls."
"Why would that be Priscilla?"
"Because four of my gowns are quite ruined and Mrs Chambers says that I cannot have anymore. I am very sorry for not listening Miss Bennet." She spoke stiffly.
Roberta was a far more complying pupil, although she did not have the intelligence of her sister, she was by no means stupid. Where as Priscilla was clever and understood immediately, Roberta required more assistance in learning, perhaps because she was younger. However, what she lacked in her mind was superseded by her willingness to try and her affection for everyone and her creativity. She did not excel in the more academic subjects but her needlework was neat and tidy soon she had finished a sampler with a very pretty little verse she selected herself. I had promised that after Christmas I would teach her pianoforte and she was more eager that Priscilla to learn. "It is lovely when you and Aunt Darcy play for us Miss Bennet, but it is best when you sing too." She exclaimed wriggling about on my lap.
"Then no doubt you shall become as proficient as Miss Darcy is Bobbie." I laughed at her eagerness, as a child I had been much the same but my parents had never pressured me to learn, or to practice, besides which Mary spent the greater part of her time on our instrument.
"Oh no Miss Bennet, I want to play like you."
"Do you indeed! Well then you shall not be a very accomplished young lady, for I play quite ill, your Mamma would insist that you play better."
"But Papa likes your playing, when you play he watches you all the time." Blushing at what Roberta had inadvertently allowed to slip about Mr Darcy (who it was so strange hearing called 'Papa') I managed to stutter something in reply.
The amount of time that was spent with Thomas was limited; Mr Darcy had said that his lessons would not begin until after Christmas, shortly after his fifth birthday. So I saw him only intermittently throughout the day, when he barged into the school room determined to show his sisters something or other. He was something of a handful at times his sprits were somewhat exuberant, particularly when he was taken for a walk in the park and prone to out burst of temper which ran poor Martha off her feet. He was sweet though, he had already declared to me that when he grew up he was going to marry me. I laughed out right at this, "By the time you are grown up I shall be an old maid Tom."
"But you're such a nice lady." He lisped
"Surely you will dance with plenty of young ladies at balls and marry one of them."
"Urgh!" He stuck out his tongue, "Girls are silly."
"Does that mean that I am not a girl?"
"Yes!"
"Well, what am I then?"
"I don't know, but you aren't a lady like Mamma or a girl like Priscilla or Bobbie." He frowned a little and then went back to playing with a wooden dog.
Their mother, Lady Arabella was just as I had first supposed. She was a society lady, with nothing better to do with her day than worry about the latest fashions and gossip. She had little to no interest in her children they were left to eat breakfast alone and were summoned into her presence once a week when for the hour we were there she ignored them blithely. Little interest was shown in anyone unless they were the source of some scandal, in which case she found an infinite source of delight in gossiping about them with her sister Lady Augusta Arbuthnott, the Countess of Newlyn, they were like two peas in a pod, that had been the impression they gave on the one occasion I had met Lady Arabella's sister. Sometime I wondered at Mr Darcy's decision to marry her, for she seemed just like every other woman of my acquaintance it did not seem possible that she had met with Mr Darcy's exacting standards. Unless she was very clever. Equally hard to comprehend was why she had married him, for she had security. Thomas was the heir to his father's estates and fortune why would a woman of eight and twenty re-marry? But then who was I to speculate on his decisions.
Mr Darcy? Well now he was more of a puzzle to me than he had ever been. I was more confused than ever by his actions. As Roberta had pointed out to me he continued to stare at me! It was so infuriating, for I could not understand it. At one time I had thought it to be a look of scorn, then after his proposal realized that is was tinted with a look of what I assumed to be love. So then why would he stare at me now? Why when I had refused him and he had wed another? The only possible explanation was that he saw me as being at fault. From time to time I thought him a little more amiable, yet there was that in his manner that confused me still. With the children he was far more affectionate than his wife; he played with them, occasionally visiting them in the nursery. He had quite the admirer in Roberta, who would always sit on his knee and give him a kiss, she referred to him a 'Papa' where as the others called him father, some times I wondered why she liked him so much but then Roberta seemed to like everyone. From a conversation quite early on I had managed to determine that at present Mr Bingley and his sisters were not in the country, but I had some hope that the situation between Bingley and Jane would soon be resolved.
"Miss Bennet, you have a letter." His voice interrupted my reverie as I sat at the table next to Priscilla who was puzzling over some figures.
"Papa!" Roberta, who had been diligently writing jumped from her seat to greet him, taking his hand and dragging him into the room, I grinned, she was such a dear sweet child. He sat down in her chair and then picked her up and placed her on his knee looking down at her indulgently.
"You have post Miss Bennet." He repeated handing it over to me, "I was on my way up here already when it was delivered so I thought this would be quickest, and it would save the footman a journey too."
Taking the letter out of his hand I looked down at the return address, "Oh 'tis from Kitty." Finally, it had taken her three whole weeks for her reply to my missive, I did not know her to be so negligent but then she had married only a week before I arrived here, no doubt she was busy. Slipping it into my pocket to read later I looked back up at the rest of the room.
"What are you two girls up to today?" He asked still looking at me, I turned away blushing as they informed him of their current occupation. Priscilla got out of her seat.
"Priscilla, where are you going now?"
"To show Father the sampler, which I finished yesterday." She said proudly running off to the sowing baskets which were kept in the corner.
"Fetch Bobbie's too then." I instructed knowing that Priscilla would be unwilling to show hers next to her sisters, which was the superior of the two, for Priscilla always liked to be best. She presented them both to him laying them down flat on the table.
"My, these are fine; we shall have to have them framed."
"Which do you like the best Father?"
"Oh! Well…" He looked at me desperately for an answer. "They are both very good."
"They shall be covering screens in no time." I added slyly.
"But you must say which one is the best, Father!"
"How much help did Miss Bennet give you?"
"Hardly any." Priscilla drew herself up straight, in truth she had had a fair bit of help getting started and her curlicues were still rather wobbly.
"And you Roberta?"
"Not much, did I Miss Bennet?"
"No, Bobbie's very good at embroidery and I dare say sketching and drawing too." I smiled at her.
"Well I am glad to hear it." Roberta leaned up to whisper something in his ear and he laughed, "I should compare them with Miss Bennet's sampler, really!" He raised an eyebrow at me. Before I knew it Priscilla was out of her seat again and returned baring an old piece of cloth, groaning I knew exactly what it was. I had had Jane search out old samplers from our belongings, to show Priscilla my first meager attempts, and cheer her up when she was having difficulty with hers. Mine was very poor indeed, the flowers and birds looked like…well lets just say when Mamma saw it she nearly had a fit, particularly when compared to Jane's.
"Now which one is best?"
"I like them all equally," he said, "Priscilla's is very tidy, Roberta yours has flair and Miss Bennet's… it has a lovely verse."
"Very diplomatic I am sure sir." I laughed, "Can you actually make out the verse?" I asked impertinently.
"Of course I can: 'The industrious bee extracts from ev'ry flower, Its fragrant sweets, and mild balsamic power, Learn here with greatest care and nicest skill, To take the good, and to regret the ill.' Are you questioning my abilities to read?" He asked me with a smile.
"No indeed, for I was once informed that you never neglected your library at Pemberley, sir."
He regarded me silently, earnestly as if unsure of how to reply, that was the second time in a matter of a few minutes I had brought up the conversation that we had once had at Netherfield to tease him, surely my impertinence was misplaced, in front of the children and all. How could I be so foolish? So abominably rude to the man who had shown such a great kindness to me by taking me into his home after all that had passed between us. I looked back up and he was still watching me, "I beg your pardon sir. Thank you for delivering my letter. Bobbie, where did you leave your primer?"
"Is Papa going to listen to me read?"
"If you want me to I shall stay Roberta."
He stayed and listened to Roberta read in a stilted voice a dull little story about Mamma taking James and Annabelle to the park and reading a passage from the bible to them after James complained about something or other, although normally he was a very good a virtuous little boy. And while the three of us listened I checked through Priscilla's work carefully. When she had finished they were excused to leave for their break and Mr Darcy rose to leave also. He walked to the door then turned back. "Miss Bennet, I came as an ambassador not a diplomat, yours and the children's presence is requested this evening at the usual hour."
I sat back down again in the window and opened my letter from Kitty. It was a fairly lengthy package, with the envelope another sheet written right through.
Millwood Cottage, Nr Caltringham, Somerset
December 2nd 1813
My dearest Lizzy,
I must apologies for not writing sooner, but I must confess my time has been most agreeably engaged, do not think however that I mean you are less important than those of us here but there has been much for me to see and do, this will no doubt be a lengthy letter, but the whole morning has been set aside for that purpose.
Firstly I believe that I must condone with you, imagine ending up in the care of Mr Darcy, you must be quite uncomfortable I know that I should be truly embarrassed to be living in his home but not as his wife after refusing the position so adamantly. And how does he behave? As if it had never happened I suppose, it is not the type of thing he would want his wife to know, certainly I would quite despise it if Jonathan had a woman in the house he once professed to be violently in love with. It is at least a hundred times worse to be in you position though, how you must long for a confident. Does Jane know everything? You two are so close, so I suppose she must. How are Jane and all the Gardiners?
You are all sorely missed, but there is plenty to make up for it here, both my dear Thursfield and Rachel keep me so well occupied. Jonathan and I have been becoming acquainted with all the parishioners, they are a very friendly crowd, once a week I visit the sick and the poor with care baskets and they are all quite thankful for it, Rachel pines for me when I go on these visits because I have to leave her with our maid, for she is still sickly, but I believe she is improving. Jonathan says it is the fresh sea breeze, but we are quite in land here, do you think he is teasing, for you know I never can tell. He teases me all the time, particularly about my cooking, last night we had burnt offerings again. Fortunately once, maybe even twice a week we are invited to dine at Thursfield's friends' (or should I say his patron's) home, Lord Tyndale, is a most gracious his, his sister and mother likewise and they make sure that both ourselves and Rachel are well cared for – Lord I sound like Mr Collins. He is a very agreeable young man, Jonathan, who knows him from Cambridge, says you will quite like him, no Lizzy I am not matchmaking, I have quite outgrown that phase, however, it would sound very well to introduce you as my sister the Countess of Tyndale.
Another household matter which plagues me is the accounts. I cannot seem to make them workout at all. Papa would be disappointed in me. I was working through them the other day and there is twenty pounds which I cannot account for. It will not sit anywhere and I cannot make out where it came from. Jonathan says I am not to worry about it. But I cannot help but worrying, twenty pounds is a great deal of housekeeping money, perhaps I have forgotten to pay someone for something. Then the will be quite cross at me. Oh what a poor housekeeper I make! Burnt food and poor accounts, Jonathan shall wonder why he ever married me.
Rachel, as was mentioned before, is improving in heath, although still not at her best. At present she is little ill-tempered, the poor dear has started teething, and she is drooling and biting everything she can lay her hands on, I have to keep telling her that books are not for eating. I confess I am a little worried that her teeth have gaps in them, I may write to our Aunt Gardiner for advice. She is growing quite attached to my husband as well whenever he comes into a room with her in she bounces up and down, no wonder for he is quite the doting Papa, the other day he gave her some building blocks to play with, unfortunately instead of making towers she chews them too and when I say no the little monster just laughs at me. She is growing quite vain to and has become enamoured with her reflection in the windows, she is much like her mother in that respect and I predict she will grow into quite the beauty. I told her that I was writing to her Aunt Elizabeth and she sends you all her love.
There is a young widow living in Millwood Village, Mrs Blythe lives with her two young daughters, Emily who is three and Amy who is a few months Rachel's senior. I quite pity Mrs Blythe her husband was a Colonel and died in France, they had no estate and there was only an adequate sized fortune on her side, she and I call on each other quite often, she reminds me very much of a cross between Jane and Charlotte, you shall like her very much as well. Mrs Blythe regularly advises me on how I ought to look after Rachel and I am quite pleased that Rachel will have such a good play pal when she is older, Rachel and Amy sit on the floor quite contentedly when we visit, and Miss Emily plays with them too. Everyone here is so welcoming and I am quite glad of it.
It shall be Christmas soon, I have discussed this with Jonathan and we would be much obliged if you and Jane and the Gardiners would come down to Millwood to visit us. It will do you good to get out of London, the air in town did not agree with me much and I have very little desire to go back there, and I know how much you love the country Lizzy, you must miss it greatly especially as there is nowhere for you to walk in Town. Do say that you will come; it will be pleasant to have the family together again. Has anyone heard from Mary recently? She must quiet envy me marrying a clergyman; she would certainly enjoy helping to write sermons with her spouse, although my dear Thursfield's would hardly be considered her cup of tea. Please say you shall come.
Your affectionate sister Kitty Thursfield & Rachel.
PS. Maria Lucas sent me a letter last week; she sends her greetings and love and hopes that you are all in good health. I might invite her down soon. She says she spends a lot of time with Charlotte and baby Lucy, who Mr Collins still insists on calling Catherine!
After reading the letter through twice I chuckled, although Kitty had grown up there were still some definitively 'Lydia-esque' phrases in the letter particularly the comment about Mary, but it had all been meant in good humour. Certainly I would visit them for Christmas, it was quite true that I longed to escape London, with all its bad air and confinement, and I wished just as much to see my niece and the happiness of my sister and her husband. Kitty was correct it would be pleasant for the family to be together again, it was just a shame that this year it would not be at Longbourn and in absence of both my parents and Lydia, also there would be no Philips's there. Or at least this is what Kitty's missive seemed to imply, Aunt Philips had always been a great favourite with Kitty so I wondered at this but then surely the parsonage would not have that much room, it would be quite a squash anyway.
The afternoon was spent as it always was with little or few interruptions I went for a walk with the children out side in the squares pleasure grounds and returned to lessons then dinner. At eight that evening the children and I went to the drawing room to await the entrance of their elders. Thomas and I were quietly reading The Butterfly Ball together, the girls making artificial flowers and wasting gold paper, Miss Darcy headed straight for the pianoforte, Mr Darcy his own book and Lady Arabella her typical pursuit of nothing although this evening she seemed troubled by a cough. And thus we continued for quite some time, with no conversation only the gentle tinkling of music, the murmur of my voice and the girls'. At one point Roberta and Priscilla did present their mother with an artificial flower which she graciously took then laid aside, Miss Darcy and myself were far more willing, their Aunt Darcy exclaiming that she would have it put it a vase and I allowed them to arrange it as a decoration in my hair.
"Miss Bennet, is your sister in good health?" Mr Darcy broke the silence and after establishing that he meant Kitty I told him that yes she was in the highest of spirits judging by her letter and that Rachel seemed to be making good progress too by all accounts.
"She has asked me to visit them in Somerset over Christmas if that is acceptable to you." I had planned to go and see him in the morning to speak with him about a leave of absence but now seemed as good a time as any, after all Lady Arabella did deserve some input into the decision too for they were her children and she should decide how long their holiday should be.
"Yes of course." Was his only reply and after a brief pause, "Where is Mrs Thursfield situated in Somerset?" Roberta who was still playing with my hair at this point, tugging at the curls so that they would spring back into place looked up in interested and spoke.
"Papa, Mamma, don't we live in Somerset and Uncle Tyndale?" A bell went off in my head; could I not escape these people?
"Lord Tyndale?" I asked slowly.
"Yes indeed, my brother the Earl of Tyndale. Surely you are not acquainted with him?" Lady Arabella seemed to have found something of interest to her.
"No not personally, he is my brother, Mr Thursfield's patron. I believe they went to Cambridge together."
"Oh then it is settled, you will not need leave you shall stay with us at Allcotte Abbey." Lady Arabella continued.
"But Fitzwilliam…" Here Miss Darcy spoke for possible the first time in my presence.
"I thought we had decided we were going to Pemberley for Christmas?" The all commanding voice stated.
"You had decided, for I still wanted to journey to Allcotte to visit my brother and now Miss Bennet will be in that part of the country for Christmas, there is no sense in her traveling all the way up to Derbyshire at all. We had just as well stay in Somerset so she will not have to travel at all."
"We have not seen Pemberley in a considerable amount of time; the estate cannot be neglected any longer."
"And it is nearly as long since we have been away from Allcotte."
"Your brother is in close enough proximity to observe the work carefully, I have not that advantage."
My they argued almost as admirably as Mr Darcy and me.
"The weather in the north is quite bitter, it shall ruin my complexion."
"You never leave the house anyway, unless it is to make social calls or go out shopping and as you have so frequently pointed out there is not a great deal of society in Derbyshire for you to amuse yourself with or that you believe deserve your condescending presence, though goodness knows why you should even think that they are all your equals in status and they are your neighbours they do not deserve your scorn." Mr Darcy stated angrily.
"They are all angry and bitter old women trying to marry their daughters off, to you sir." Lady Arabella responded.
"You have no reason imaginable to be jealous of them so why do you act so. And madam might I point out that one of these days it shall be you trying to marry off your daughters, probably to the very same families you now scorn!" He raised his voice, in a manner he had never done when we had argued.
Quickly I rose from my seat, looking pointedly at Miss Darcy as I gathered the children up to escort them out of the room, now was certainly not the best time to have them present. As the door clicked shut behind us Lady Arabella's voice crescendo to the same volume and as we hurried the children along the hallway. Miss Darcy softly singing a nursery rhyme with them as Lady Arabella said, "It is not as if I asked for daughters!"
Miss Darcy led us to a second music room, the one she used in the day when there were callers in the house, and it was quiet and did not adjoin to the drawing room. We amused the children, keeping them distracted with simple duets that they could sing along to if they wanted, effectively blocking out the noise their parents were making. Poor Miss Darcy looked incredibly nervous, her fingers were actually shaking, where as the children. Thankfully seemed completely oblivious to it and I took over and taught them a comical song from the opera The English Fleet in 1342:
"Deserted by the waning moon,
When skies proclaimed night's cheerless noon,
On Tower Fort or tended ground,
The Sentry walk's his lowly round,
The Sentry walk's his lowly round,
The Sentry walk's his lowly round,
And should a footstep haply stray
Where caution marks the guarded way,
Where caution marks the guarded way,
The guarded way, who goes there
Stranger quickly tell, a Friend
The Word good night all's well
All's well the word good night all, all's well.
Or Sailing on the midnight deep,
While weary messmates soundly sleep,
The careful watch patrols the Deck,
To guard the Ship from Foes or wreck,
To guard the Ship, from Foes or wreck,
To guard the Ship, from Foes or wreck,
While his thoughts oft homeward veer,
Some friendly voice salutes his ear,
Some well known voice salutes his ear,
An lures his ear, what cheer
Brother quickly tell, above below
Good night all's well all's well,
A-bove be-low all all's well."(1)
They only really got the hang of the parts that needed repeating but we laughed over the pickle we made out of the song. When we did manage to keep the children in tune they did sound very sweet and even Miss Darcy seemed to relax a little. This was the first time since I had met her that she had not been formal and cold with me. There is nothing as relaxing as being around happy children. We had just finished another rendition and absolved in to fits of boisterous laughter. Our merriment was interrupted by a round of applause from the doorway, and there stood, Mrs Turner, Evans and Mr Darcy who was wearing a grin that would certainly rival one of Mr Bingley's. Never before had I seen him so at ease and it astonished me. Especially considering he had just moments before been in a heated argument with Lady Arabella, as usual he seemed completely unaffected by everything. Miss Darcy stepped forward eagerly and he took her hands in his squeezing them. Did I mention that he was always a very good brother? He leaned in and whispered something in her ear, a small, tentative smile inched across her lips, "Pemberley in January?" She asked and he nodded his head.
"Yes my dear. Now are you five going to perform for me again?"
We gathered back around the instrument and he came in and took a seat while Evans and Mrs Turner left the room, to return to their duties. Our performances were as bad, if not worse than any previous to this but we enjoyed ourselves why even Mr Darcy laughed, although I found that somewhat unnerving, the tables had been effectively turned and I could not like the feeling of being laughed at by him, even if it was all in good spirit. When we had finished that and Ring a Ring O Roses and Rock a By Baby, from Mother Goose's Melody (2) he rose once more from his seat and suggested that it was time the children retired since it was already long past the usual bed time. Just as I was about to leave the room he stopped me and said, "Miss Bennet, the offer to stay at Allcotte Abbey still stands, it is not more that 10 miles away from Millwood."
"Thank you, sir." I replied as I turned to leave, "I shall consider it."
"Good night Miss Bennet and thank you." He returned bowing his head in a slight acknowledgement, "Goodnight Priscilla, Roberta, Thomas." He said as he kissed them all on the head and they all bade him good night as well along with their Aunt Darcy.
"Good night Fitzwilliam, I believe I shall retire too."
"As you wish, my dear." He kissed her forehead too. I lead them all up the stair case and escorted the children to the nursery, handing them over to the care of Mrs Chambers before returning to my own rooms. Elsie came in to help me prepare for bed and after blowing out the candle I lay back and thought of my up coming holiday. Did I want to stay at Allcotte or would I prefer the comfort of being with my own family. Well whatever it was that I decided on it seemed that my destination was fixed. I would be in Somerset over Christmas. I wondered what new things I would learn while I was there.
1)All's Well from The English Fleet in 1342 Words by Thomas John Didbin Music by John Braham written 1805
2) Mother Goose's Melody c. 1765 and can still be found in print today. Note they would not have sung the version of 'Ring a Ring O Roses' we all know, these words have not been found in children's literature before 1881 instead something along the lines of this:
'The cows are in the meadow
Lying fast asleep
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all get up again.'
There is no 'fall down' it would have been a bow or a curtsey apparently. 'Rock a Bye Baby' had in the footnotes: 'This may serve as a Warning to the Proud and Ambitious, who climb so high that they generally fall at the last.'
