Chapter 25
A comm arrived from their cousin requesting another visit. It was a topic about which Tom Ben could not find a way to joke his usual laconic style was missing when he announced the topic at the dinner table.
"Why in the world is he not staying at Lucas Lodge?" cried Fancy echoing all of their thoughts. "Such a visitor would be inconvenient and troublesome, especially with Ezra and Meg returning."
Tom attempted to explain though he appeared to have no opinion as to what they should do about it. "Everyone knows about the falling out between Charlotte Lucas and her father over her marriage and leaving the family business. Apparently there have been some attempts at reconciliation between her and Darren. I also hear rumors that three weeks of Phil in charge have been a disaster and that everyone realized how much LotE, er Charlotte, did for the store. So Charlotte is coming back for a few weeks to train Phil as a sign of good will on her part. The couple, however, doesn't wish to be housed under the same roof as Darren."
"Sounds like a good poker move to me," said Mark.
"It will be so crowded," snarked Luna.
"Why aren't Aunt Meg and Uncle Ezra staying at their own house," asked the ever-practical Mara.
"They leased it for six months. The tenants have it until the end of December," answered Fancy.
"We can air out the summer house," suggested LizE, "let them stay there."
"There's no insulation in the summer house," exclaimed Juno, "we can't ask them to stay there in the middle of December!"
"Hey! All the more reason to put unwanted guests there!" said Luna. "Let William and LotE stay there." She crossed her arms to make her point.
"Why couldn't we double up for a week?" argued Juno, "be civil?"
"It sounds like no one is suggesting we turn them away," said Tom. His family looked at him. They might joke about it, but no one spoke up to actually say so.
Their guests overlapped eight days and they all thought they could cope though Fancy fanned herself and predicted it would take quite a toll on her nerves.
Three days later, William C. and Charlotte arrived and they settled into their old spot in the rumpus room. It had formerly been where the Gardiner children had been bunked. Partly because it was large enough to fit four, but mostly because it was far away from Fancy's bedroom and their noise would not aggravate her nerves.
The disturbance on the Ben family turned out to be minimal. William Collins and Charlotte arrived on a Monday in his little funny car amidst a barrage of apologies on his side. They soon ran off again after unpacking and spent the chief of the day with Charlotte's family, not even partaking of meals. And so it went most of the week. LizE had very little chance to see her friend who was working hard to train her brother and set to rights The Lucas Import/Export for her to be gone from it for good.
There had been one fight when LotE had found her father insisted John return and not pursue his interest with the Gouldings and the power station. LotE had put her foot down, staying home (at the Ben's house) for a day and a half. LizE had been at work at the Institute most of the time and had missed most of the drama. But Charlotte had insisted that Darren agree to let any of his children, not just John, do what they wished—even if it meant less help in the store and that he might actually need to hire (and pay) for someone to come in to help.
On another Monday in December, Fancy welcomed her brother Ezra, his wife Meg and their four children home from their six month trip in South America. Now there was doubling-up to do and the five sisters initially all looked with envy at Mark as it was supposed he would not have to share, but Fancy said he must share with cousin Craig, who at age twelve was getting too old to share a room with his sisters. Four of the Ben sisters all doubled up to free up two bedrooms for the three young Gardiner girls leaving Juno as the only person in the house keeping her own room and not sharing with a soul. The fact that Tom would hide in his study meant he would be keeping a room of his own, in a way. Of course, one of the Gardiner girls would get her own room, but it wasn't possible to divide three into two evenly.
Ezra Gardiner was a talented, easy-going man who had the personality of one who should have been in sales, or possibly in a pulpit. He had the type of inviting personality that many would have imagined for a man of business. In LizE's mind, Uncle Ezra looked and acted far more like a CEO than William Darcy did. Aunt Meg was a peppy, intelligent woman who managed her position as Senior Scientist and a mobile household of four children, and husband with ease. She had always been a favorite aunt and between the two eldest and herself there was a particular bond.
There were so many tales to share back and forth, adventures in botany, adventures in home-schooling four children in a foreign country, tales of life in Meryton which too had its share of excitement that there was much to talk about. Fancy dominated her sister-in-law's time during the day (for Meg was taking some time off to help get the children settled). She related news about their other guests, the militia and especially about Chaz Bingley.
"My nerves can't handle all these disruptions, extra guests, and disappointments. I have not been able to figure this Bingley fellow out at all. Why did he leave? He loved Juno that was so obvious. She's been a miserable wreck ever since. Oh well, it is so good to have you and I am so glad to hear what news you have of seeds!" declared Fancy all in a breath.
Meg Gardiner knew most of the details about Juno and Chaz' relationship from her two eldest nieces and their comms to her; she changed the subject to something less nerve-racking for Fancy. Later, when she was able to find LizE along (which only happened because she followed her to the barn) she brought up the subject of Chaz.
"Juno seems to have fallen quite hard for Chaz. By everyone's account of him he is a good man. I am sorry her heart was broken. It is especially hard with the first one. But this Chaz, are you sure it wasn't more than just a mild flirtation? Just something to do to occupy his time in between reading dry business documents while on a trip away from home? I hate to be so blunt, but often that happens and then when his time is up he goes away and forgets about the pretty face he left behind. Men can be so inconsistent." Meg frowned.
"Hrmph," fumed LizE "what a consolation, to dismiss such behavior, if that was his motivation because other men have done the same thing before! But that will not do for us, for me, for Juno! I am convinced that Chaz was persuaded to leave by his family and friends. If you had seen them together you would have seen how violently in love he was!"
"But that expression of 'violently in love' is so over-used LizE, and I can't actually picture Juno in love she's such a workaholic. Tell me, how violent was his love?"
"He had eyes only for her. At his party, he forgot to welcome half the guests because he was holed up with Juno talking. Isn't that a sure sign of love when you lose sight of the rest of the world and can only focus on the object of it? I think the party would never have happened if Darcy and Lois and Caro hadn't ironed out all the details. Juno and Chaz had to have talked to each other for hours every evening beforehand. I can't see how he could have been dealing with caterers or the wine merchant or any of the last minute details if he was occupied with Juno all the time."
"Well, it does sound as if he loved her. Poor Juno, with her sweet nature she may not get over him quickly. It should have happened to you, LizE, you would have just laughed yourself out of it. Hmm. Shall I get Dr. Nishino to approve some field work for her? A change of scene might be just what she needs, and a little relief from the chaos of home."
LizE said that would be an excellent idea and Juno would welcome it.
"We have some urban landscapes to tackle, first Los Angles, then San Francisco. I hope she won't mind if we move around LA. We are likely to be all over the place, so the chances of running into her former beau are slim."
"I doubt she would; for he is in the custody of his friend, Will Darcy, CEO, who has let me know how lowly he considers us scientists, far below the ranks of the business class. Darcy is probably still under-going some cleansing ritual now, as it is, for having spent so much time in our company when he was in Meryton. And I can bet you that Chaz would never do anything without Will Darcy's permission."
"I hope they won't meet at all. If Juno is to get over him she needs time apart. But isn't she in touch with a sister?"
"Lois will stop comming."
LizE wasn't as convinced herself by what she told Aunt Meg. It was possible that Lois, whimsical like her brother would pick up Juno's friendship again if she was close enough, and convenient enough to her.
Dr. Nishino gave Juno permission for field work. Her help with the break-in and the fact that some equipment had yet to be replaced made him happy to send her off. And for any of those who doubted Charles A. Bingley's interest in the Netherfield Institute their voices were quieted when a huge endowment check arrived the third week in December with established quarterly payments for the following year. New equipment was ordered and the N.I. board was able to set down some new goals for the coming year beyond those originally stated.
Juno looked forward to the change in her assignment. She saw it as an opportunity to take on new responsibilities for her job and to re-focus herself on her former career goals on obtaining tenure before her thirtieth birthday. She also thought of the possibilities of seeing Lois, and maybe Caro when in Los Angeles.
The week with the Gardiner family was loud and joyful and while Tom did hide, the rest of the Ben family made merry with their relatives. LizE and Juno even took a few days off at the end of the week to begin the holiday season. Fancy planned lots of activities, large and small, with Aunt Lily and various neighbors making up even more guests, and of course, members of the militia. For while she had complained of her nerves since the moment that William Collins' comm arrived, she had also been busy with planning and then entertaining once her brother and sister-in-law arrived. And adults around meant they helped drown out the noise of the Gardiner children. Why a woman with six of her own (and the destructive twins at that) should seem to fear four younger children did not make sense to some, but with their additional connection with the Lucas family they had more than enough parties to fill their hours over the winter holidays. The Lucas and the Gardiner children alone could take up one table but somehow Fancy did not mind so long as everyone was enjoying themselves and the children sat at a different table.
And whenever anyone felt too claustrophobic with so many people in the house, Aunt Lily's house with its three darling puppies became a favorite destination. At seven weeks old they were fat, stumbling, charming playthings for children and adults. Snow begged for one, of course, as did KitE and Luna. Aunt Lily still had a soft spot for William C. made even more sympathetic when Charlotte's issues with her father were added in and maintained that one of the litter would be going to them.
On Friday evening, the Bens hosted a large dinner with the Gardiners, the Lucases and some of the militia. The party was packed into the many living areas of the Ben home and they had the good fortune of fine weather so that some, armed with jackets, might escape outside from the heat and the noise.
Aunt Meg had noticed that whenever there was a party or a dinner at the Ben house, George Wickham was always one of the militia members to be invited. She watched LizE and George with a critical eye over the course of several evenings and could not suppose them to be very much in love though their preference of each other was plain enough to make her a little uneasy; and she resolved to speak to LizE about it.
Aunt Meg could be charmed by George Wickham not in his usual way, as the neighbors found him, but because she had seen Pemberley and knew of its contours and features and its inhabitants. For many years, before marrying Ezra, she had worked at the Lambton Institute which was located on the edges of Pemberley Estate. Meg and George had been able to exclaim over shared acquaintances and talk about their love of the local landscape, but especially of Pemberley. LizE considered, in listening to them talk about Pemberley, that they both described it with some reverence which she dismissed as some sort of fan worship; like groupies who so love a celebrity that they also hold up that celebrity's estate as equally worthy of praise.
Aunt Meg, could, however, give some credence to Wickham's story by relating and backing up the character description he had painted. Meg agreed that the late Mr. Darcy was, indeed, the best of men, and that though she only heard tales of Will Darcy as a youth, that he was known as a proud, ill-natured boy.