The November air was cool, with a slight drizzle that seemed to make it even colder, as Lizzy and Mary looked out the window of the carriage that had just stopped in front of a house on Gracechurch Street in London. Despite the moisture, soot from the many chimneys hung in the air, giving it an unpleasant, grimy feel. The two girls looked at one another doubtfully once again.
Although they had said nothing during the trip, each knew the other was intimidated by all the new sights, sounds and smells they had experienced since the carriage had entered the city. They had never seen so many buildings crowded together, not to mention all the horses, vehicles and people. Great crowds of people were everywhere – more people than they had ever thought existed in the world!
On the other bench, the maid the Gardiners had sent to accompany them for the trip had already put away her handwork and was preparing to exit the vehicle. "There is your aunt," she told the girls with a nod to the house. The door had just opened, and Madeline Gardiner stepped outside even as the footman opened the carriage door.
"Lizzy! Mary! I am so glad to see you made it here safely," Madeline exclaimed. She dismissed the maid with a few words of thanks before engulfing each of her nieces in a warm hug after they descended from the carriage. "Come inside, girls. I will show you the room you will be sharing for this visit."
To Lizzy, the warmth of their aunt's greeting took away some of the chill in the air and the strangeness of the city street. Madeline wrapped an arm around each girl's shoulder as she led them up the steps and into the house.
~o~
"Our cook baked these biscuits fresh this morning," Madeline said, offering the plate first to Lizzy as the eldest of her visitors. "Take a few. No need to be shy."
Lizzy took one each of the three different types of biscuits and put them on her small plate next to the cup filled with weak tea her aunt had poured for her. Mary did the same when the biscuits were offered to her. Finally, Madeline made her own selection and they settled in to talk while they enjoyed their treat.
"Thank you for inviting me to come on this trip when Jane decided to stay at Longbourn," Mary said before taking a bite of her first biscuit.
"I am glad to have you here, Mary," her aunt replied. "I wanted to have the two of you together so neither of you feels overwhelmed or lonely. Given my interactions with Jane in the past, I was not all that surprised she turned the invitation down. I expect she will want to visit later when she is out and I can introduce her to a wider circle of potential matches than you girls will be able to find in Meryton."
"That sounds like she would just be using you and your connections, Aunt Madeline," Lizzy objected. "Would you go along with that?"
"In a way, it would be, although I hope my relationship with Jane will improve as she gets older, just as I hope you and Mary come to a closer relationship with her as well. Even if it does not, so long as she is civil and behaves well, I have no objection to introducing her to my circle of acquaintances. She is my niece, just as much as you two are, and I want the best possible opportunities for her."
"She will be the first to tell you that she always behaves well," Lizzy pointed out. Mary nodded her agreement.
Madeline chuckled at Lizzy's comment before asking seriously, "Do you still feel that Miss Stanton is trying to drive a wedge between you and your older sister? Since you told me she has been chastising you less and praising you more, I thought that might reduce some of the tension."
Lizzy shook her head. "No, she still makes little comments about Jane being superior to all her sisters. I cannot figure Miss Stanton out at all sometimes. I suppose that is because she is working for Lady Catherine as well as for our family. She has goals beyond just seeing to our education."
"What do you think about Miss Stanton, Mary?" her aunt asked.
Mary thought about the question as she finished chewing the bite she had just taken of her biscuit. She answered, "I think Miss Stanton is not worried about what I learn as long as I am quiet and cause her no trouble. She likes Jane best of all, but she concentrates on teaching Lizzy even more than she does Jane. Maybe it is because I am younger, but she does not spend very much time on me at all. I do not think she will be happy when Kitty and Lydia are old enough to be taught by her instead of Miss Parks."
"I talked to Papa about that," Lizzy chimed in. "Miss Parks is smart and very kind. Teaching five girls at once is a large burden to place on any governess, even if she were more pleasant than Miss Stanton. I asked Papa if he might hire Miss Parks to become a sort of under-governess working with Miss Stanton. That way my younger sisters will also get a good education when they are no longer young enough to need Miss Parks as a nursery maid."
"That was a good idea, Lizzy. What did your father say?" Madeline asked.
"He told me he would talk to both Miss Stanton and Miss Parks about it soon. I have noticed that Mary does not get nearly as much training in the various accomplishments as I did. She deserves to learn just as much as we did."
"You are correct about that. Have you thought about helping Mary yourself?"
"I already do. Papa said the best way to learn is to teach. He suggested I help Mary with her studies, which would help me with mine. It has been harder than I thought it would be sometimes. Mary has to remind me to be patient with her." Lizzy looked down at her plate a little sheepishly. She picked up her second biscuit and took a bite of it.
"Does it bother you that you have to be reminded?" Madeline asked.
Lizzy shrugged. After she finished chewing, she added, "I just thought I would do better from the start. I have to remember I am learning just as Mary is. Patience has been difficult for me."
"It is difficult for most people," Madeline admitted. "It is also probably one of the most valuable lessons you will learn. And you will have to learn to be patient with yourself as well as being patient with other people."
"That is what Papa said," Lizzy agreed.
"I like having Lizzy help me, even if she does sometimes get impatient." Mary said. "Often what she tells me makes more sense than what Miss Stanton has said. And Lizzy gives me more attention."
Madeline nodded thoughtfully. "I am curious, Lizzy. With your busy schedule of lessons, how do you find time that you and Mary can work together?"
"It is difficult sometimes. But I think I told you how Charlotte was injured when the river bridge collapsed a year and a half ago. Once her injuries healed, Lady Lucas insisted Charlotte could walk with me no more than three times a week and only if the weather was at its best. I was able to go along with Papa sometimes when he walked out to work with the tenants, but it still left a hole in my schedule. That was when Papa suggested I start working with Mary to help her along. Charlotte turned fifteen two months ago, and Lady Lucas put her out in society, including taking her along for social calls. Sir William did not allow our walks to be cut out of Charlotte's schedule entirely, but we are limited to only one a week, which leaves me even more time with Mary, who is also now included in the lessons with Papa. I guess I had just not mentioned that in my letters to you and, of course, when you came to Longbourn last Christmas, we suspended our regular lessons and other activities during your visit so it did not come up."
"I see. Well, it sounds like the two of you do spend a great deal of time together."
Lizzy nodded enthusiastically and both girls shared a friendly smile. "Mary has even conquered some of her fear of being outside and will occasionally join me on a walk."
"It is easier in the autumn and winter when most of the insects are gone," Mary admitted.
"I am proud of you, Mary. It can be very difficult to face your fears and you have a good reason to be frightened of bees. I am glad you are able set aside that fear at a time when the threat is less likely to be present. I just hope you will not push her too hard to go out in the spring and summer when the threat returns, Lizzy."
Lizzy shook her head. "No. I do not want Mary to be hurt or to become afraid of going outside again."
"Good. I was hoping we could all go on a walk in Hyde Park if there is a reasonably pleasant day during your visit. I would also like to take you to Hatchards book store one day and we can find a good book for each of you."
"That would be lovely, Aunt Madeline," Lizzy said enthusiastically, accompanied by a pleased look from Mary. "Papa sent a list of books he would like and some money to pay for them in case you would be willing to send someone over to Hatchards for him. Now we can find his books as well and carry them back to Longbourn when we return."
"We will consider it a plan, then. How about another biscuit or two each?" Madeline said as she took another biscuit from the plate for herself.
~o~
"Are you sure you both have everything?" Madeline asked the two girls standing with her in the entryway as they waited for the carriage to be brought around to the front door for the return trip to Longbourn.
Lizzy looked to Mary, who nodded. "I think so, Aunt Madeline. We both checked our room carefully this morning and Papa's books are packed away in our trunk. I know we thanked Uncle Edward before he left to go to his work this morning, but please tell him again how much Mary and I appreciate that you and he invited us for this visit. It was a very special time."
"I will tell him for you. We both enjoyed having the two of you here," Madeline replied. "I am certain the invitation will be extended again, and we will find more fun activities to do as you get older."
"It was not just the activities," Lizzy said and, again, Mary nodded agreement. "Although the walk in Hyde Park, the trip to the menagerie and the stop at Hatchards were fun, they were not the best part of the visit. Most of all, it was pleasant just to be with you and to have the time to talk over the problems that worry us without fear of interruption or censure."
"Do you feel ready to go back and face those problems now?" Madeline asked.
"I think so," Lizzy replied. "You helped me see that I do not have to fight so hard against the lessons Miss Stanton is teaching just because I do not trust her or Lady Catherine. I understand now that I truly do need to learn what she has to teach me about proper deportment and all the various accomplishments of a lady if I want to become the kind of woman that will make you and my father proud. In rebelling against those lessons, I only hurt myself."
"And you can count on Mary and me to help you avoid the kind of pride she seems to have been teaching Jane, which I know is another of your worries."
Lizzy nodded. "I love Jane, but I do not want to become too much like her. Her disdain for our family frightens me sometimes. I hope that by improving my own behavior I can become closer to her and help her be more tolerant. If she sees Mary and I both behave well, maybe that will change how she thinks of us all."
"Good girl. Just remember, there is no need to fight openly with either Miss Stanton or Lady Catherine. Bide your time and remain attentive. Eventually you will discover what plans they have for you, and all the sooner if they think you are falling in line with their wishes. So far, nothing Miss Stanton has tried to teach you is actually harmful beyond the false pride she has instilled in Jane. If you become concerned about any of your lessons, ask your father or me and we will help guide you."
Lizzy was nodding her agreement when they heard the sound of the coachman calling the horses to a stop outside the door. The time had come for the two girls to return home.
"Thank you, Aunt Madeline," Mary said softly. "I am happy you asked me here to visit and sorry we have to go home."
"I am sorry you both have to go as well. Still, your uncle and I will see you when we visit at Christmas and I expect you both to write to me before then. Now, let us get you on your way. Jenny is already waiting in the carriage and she has a basket of goodies for you to enjoy later in the trip. I wish you both safe travels."
Madeline accompanied them down the step despite the drizzle of rain that was once again falling. She hugged each girl before helping her into the carriage where the maid waited to accompany them back to Longbourn. Once she had closed the carriage door behind them, she quickly retreated up the stairs to the covered entry where she turned to wave them off. Lizzy and Mary's first visit to London had come to an end.