Chapter 4
"Thomas how do you think our daughter is faring in her marriage?" Fanny Bennet asked with concern one afternoon about a fortnight after the wedding.
"I was concerned for Lizzy, but I think they will end up doing well together," Bennet opined.
"How can you say that? I used to think that finding a wealthy man was the only thing that counted, but that was wrong-headed of me. Lizzy needs to respect her partner and she barely tolerates our son-in-law," Fanny Bennet worried.
"You will see Fanny, our second daughter will end up having all that she ever desired, and I do not mean materially. Did you not see how besotted William is with our Lizzy? He would walk though fire if it would make her happy. If our daughter can move past her prejudices against her husband and see the real man behind the mask, the one I have started to see, then I am confident that she will not only respect him but over time she will grow to love him," Bennet postulated.
"Mama and Papa, I have a letter from Lizzy," Jane told her parents as she entered the drawing room with the biggest of smiles. Both parents looked at one another and Bennet gave his wife an 'I told you so' look. "Here Papa, you may read it to Mama."
7 November 1811
Darcy House, Grosvenor Square
London
My dearest sister,
I can already hear you as you read this Jane saying that you told me that you knew how it would be. I believe that I am coming to like my husband. No, I do not love him, but Jane there is nothing that he will not do for me!
Before the wedding I dismissed his talk of falling on love with me as so much stuff and nonsense, but it is true Jane! No man would be as solicitous to his wife if he did not love her most ardently.
On the carriage ride to London I was still looking for the worst motives in anything that he said or did. I had an epiphany that first night at Darcy House that I hold the keys to my happiness in my own hands, that as long as I look to find fault, I will find it whether it is there or not.
"What did I tell you Fanny, as soon as she was willing to set her prejudices against our son-in-law aside, she would start to be happy," Bennet crowed in jest. More than being proven right, he felt a lot better to know that his daughter was not miserable. "Let me continue:"
Did you know that William has arranged for us to spend Christmastide at Longbourn? I was so embarrassed, I berated him for not asking my opinion first. He wanted to surprise me, and it helped me see that I was part of the problem. Do you know that I compared him to his late nemesis! I asked a legitimate question, but I did not need to bring that hated man's name into it.
When I saw the anger and more than that the hurt I caused him, it was enough to make me re-evaluate my attitude. Do you know what made me feel even lower? He did not remonstrate with me, rather he thoughtfully answered my question.
I woke up the next morning, and every morning since determined to make the best of our life together. Not only is William far happier, but so am I. We agreed not to make assumptions any longer; rather tan to speak to one another. He answers any question I pose fully and never condescends to me. He truly respects me, Jane!
That first full day in residence I went shopping, and no Mama, I did not get much lace on my dresses, with the Countess, her snarky daughter in law (a Miss Bingley with a title that no one in the family has time for), Lady Catherine, Anne de Bourgh, and our new sister Giana. (She wants to be called that name not Georgie.)
What I actually ordered, was in my opinion far too extravagant, but whatever I ordered, it seems like my new aunts tripled and quadrupled the orders! Until I saw Darcy House and the fact that the cost of things does not bother my husband at all, I do not think that I had an idea how wealthy he actually is. Remember I refused his invitation to sit with him and Papa when the marriage settlement was signed. I have seen a copy since then. Do you know that he settled fifty thousand pounds on me? I cannot even imagine how much that is and would not be able to spend such a sum in five lifetimes! Our daughters will have dowries in the same amount that Georgiana has.
"Thomas, you did not tell me that William settled such a sum on Lizzy," Fanny Bennet fanned herself. "How much does Miss Darcy have?"
"I believe that Georgie—no Giana has thirty thousand pounds Mama," Jane replied.
"He had more than ten thousand does he not Thomas?" Fanny Bennet asked in shock.
"A lot more than that Fanny. Let me continue reading."
We had a dinner at Darcy House to which Aunt and Uncle Gardiner were invited. The Fitzwilliams (the Earl, Countess, and Mr. Fitzwilliam) and the two de Bourgh ladies attended as well. Yes, I did not err, Richard is no longer in the army, in preparation for his marriage to Anne and becoming the Master of Rosings, he resigned and sold his commission.
We have had meals at Gracechurch Street twice and all of the Gardiners (yes, our nieces and nephews as well) have spent the day here with us and we had a family dinner at Matlock House a few days ago that the Gardiners were invited to.
A week after the wedding, Giana and Mrs. Annesley moved back into Darcy House. She is such a sweet girl. I believe that she would enjoy Mary and Kitty's company, unless Mary has a reason not to leave Longbourn at this time if what Jane tells me about the attention that our Cousin Collins is paying to my sister.
Anyway, I digress, no one has looked down and Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward because of their ties to trade. They are treated as they now are, honoured members of the Family! Aunt returned the day after the first dinner with the girls and was with me when the housekeeper (Mrs. Payton) conducted the tour. You know what a good eye my aunt has for décor.
You will see, soon I hope, that although everything is the best quality, it is a home, not an ostentatious display of wealth like Miss Bingley would have created had she been able to sink her claws into my husband and his wealth. My husband gave me carte blanche to make any changes that I see fit, but Aunt Maddie agrees that besides my chambers, there is little to change.
I believe that the housekeeper was afraid that I would turn the house into some countryfied monstrosity, lacking in class or taste. She breathed a sigh of relief when besides my chambers I only ordered a little updating of four guest chambers that had the wallpaper peeling a little.
My husband overheard two maids commenting on my being out of my depth given my 'country upbringing and clothes.' He wanted to dismiss them on the spot, but I restrained him. We assembled all of the staff and William told them in no uncertain terms that he will not tolerate any gossip about me or any other member of the family. He also informed them that any more rudeness to me, who has his full and unreserved support, would lead to summary dismissal without a character. He offered anyone who felt they could not work under the rules a character if they chose to leave. No one did. The two maids are now my biggest supporters after William told them if it were not for me, they would have been let go.
Hello Papa, for I am sure that Jane is allowing you to read this missive. I decided to leave the best for last. I know that you prefer not to leave Longbourn, but I am about to provide the incentive for you to do so. Darcy House has a library that houses ten to twenty times as many books as you have crammed into you book room. That on its own, would be enough, but for one Miss Bingley did not lie.
The library at Pemberley holds hundreds of times MORE tomes Papa! As much as I love you, I will not place a bed in any of our libraries for you. You cannot believe the number of first editions that William has Papa!
Jane, please, you must let me know how your courtship with Mr. Bingley is proceeding and I cannot wait to see you. William joins me in inviting all of you to Darcy House if you feel up to a trip before Christmastide.
Your loving sister,
Elizabeth Darcy
"In my opinion we must make the journey to assure ourselves that our second daughter is truly well," Bennet stated with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"And I assume Lizzy's description of the library at Darcy House has nothing to do with your sudden urge to travel to London, a city you dislike intensely, all of a sudden," Mrs. Bennet smiled. It would do her good to see her second daughter and assure herself that Elizabeth was doing as well as the letter intimated.
It had never sat well with Bennet that there had been no choice but to force Elizabeth to accept her marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy. Bennet had believed it the right thing to do so seeing the genuine feeling that his favourite daughter wrote with assuaged a lot of guilt that he felt about her forced wedding. Yes, he wanted to see the library, but his main concern was seeing his daughter.
"Should I write and let Lizzy know that we are accepting her invitation?" Jane asked.
"No Jane do not inform your sister, you know how I like to surprise people," Bennet replied.
"Thomas!" his wife admonished him. "Should we not allow Jane to write?"
"I am sure that Lizzy expects this, I will wager that everything will be ready for us as she knows her old father too well," Bennet grinned. So it was that the order was given to pack and the carriage made ready for travel the next day.
Later that day, Bennet's prediction was proved correct when a large and extremely plush Darcy travelling coach pulled up at Longbourn. The driver stated that his mistress had ordered him to wait until the family wanted to journey to London! "Yes," Bennet lamented knowing that this time Elizabeth had managed to thwart his desire to surprise her, "Elizabeth definitely knows me far too well!"
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If it were not for the fact that she would have to clean up after herself, Caroline Bingley would have ripped the offending London gossip pages to shreds and broken any glassware in sight. "That should have been my life!" she said aloud to no one.
There had been a steady diet of articles that mentioned the new Mrs. Darcy and how she was seen all over town with the Countess of Matlock, Viscountess Smithson, Lady Catherine, Miss de Bourgh, and Miss Darcy. How could that country nobody be accepted so readily by people she had long wanted to meet but had never gained an introduction?
The tirades over what her niece read had reached an alarming level, so Aunt Hildebrand told her butler that after the papers were read by herself, they were to be burnt. With the colour that Caroline became when she read the news, the aunt was concerned that the younger lady would give herself an apoplexy.
Even though for some reason Caroline never saw another London broadsheet or gossip rag, she had seen enough to renew her resolve that she would find a way to get her revenge on country nobody who had taken the life that she had dreamed of for so long.
Unlike her brother's study, her aunt's office was always kept locked. It did not enter her consciousness that her brother would have warned Aunt Hildebrand of Caroline's penchant to steal. The frustration of not being able to rifle through the office and find funds to make her escape was another of her failures that she laid at Eliza Bennet's feet. There was nothing that would induce Miss Bingley to use the hoyden's supposed married name!
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Bingley, having a standing invitation to Darcy House joined the Bennets for their first journey to Grosvenor Square. "Good Lord!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed at her first sighting of her daughter's house in Town. "I thought that Lizzy's letters prepared me, but if anything she understated the magnificence of this house!" In the not far distant past Mrs. Bennet's effusions would have been vulgar about the cost of all that she beheld. That was not the case, she was intimidated.
Bennet had shared the truth of their son-in-law's true wealth with his wife, but until the instant she saw the house, it had been abstract to her. She had a hard time grasping how wealthy a man with more than twice his reported income was. Fanny Bennet started to get an idea as she looked around the square. There was only one other house that she spied that seemed to rival Darcy House in size.
As soon as the most comfortable coach that any of the Bennets had ever ridden in came to halt at the base of the steps, it was attended by several footmen. With the steps in place, Bennet exited first and then handed his wife and three younger daughters out. Bingley was next out and he had the honour of handing his angel out. The front door was held open by Mr. Payton. When the awestruck Bennets entered the hall, they found the master and mistress of the home waiting for them.
"Welcome to Darcy House," Darcy intoned as he shook his father-in-law's hand. "I trust that your travels were comfortable Mrs. Bennet." The matron was beyond surprised when the man that she remembered being taciturn and aloof was most welcoming and even kissed her cheek!
As Elizabeth hugged her father, she did not miss how welcoming her husband was to her family. "As soon as I mentioned the library, I asked William if I could send one of our carriages," Elizabeth told her father happily.
Fanny Bennet did not miss that her daughter's day dress was of the finest quality and as she looked around Darcy House, she understood what her daughter meant by 'understated elegance.' As she waited her turn to hug Elizabeth Fanny relaxed. I was obvious to see that her daughter was happy.
"I was complaining to one and all that you know me too well Lizzy. You spoiled my surprise," Bennet mock scolded his second daughter.
When Fanny hugged her second daughter, she held the embrace for a long time. "How well you look Lizzy. I am so happy to see that I need not be concerned about you."
"Thank you Mama, I too missed you, it is pleasurable to see all of you," Elizabeth answered not yet relinquishing her mother.
"Is it acceptable that I made use of your open invitation to me Darcy?" Bingley asked.
"My wife anticipated that you would be with the party from Hertfordshire, so your usual chambers are ready for you my friend," Darcy welcomed his best friend.
"Who are you and what have you done with Darcy?" Bingley ribbed his friend. Something had changed, he could not remember Darcy ever being this ebullient.
"Mary where is Mr. Collins?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged her middle sister.
"He has returned to Hunsford to assist his curate prepare for Christmastide." Mary blushed becomingly when she mentioned the man that she was beginning to have tender feelings for. "He will return the day after Christmas."
Elizabeth hardly recognised her two youngest sisters. They were neither boisterous nor were they vulgar. They waited patiently and demurely until it was their turn to greet their sister, new brother, and his younger sister. 'I will have to ask Jane what changed.' Elizabeth told herself.
"Mrs. Payton will show you to your chambers, you are, of course, being housed in the family wing. When you have washed and changed just ask any of the footmen or your maids to direct you to the Yellow drawing room," Elizabeth told her family.
"We have our own maids," Kitty blurted out for a moment forgetting her manners. "Sorry Lizzy, I was caught unawares."
"No harm done Kitty," Elizabeth responded. Once her family had ascended the stairs and Georgiana made her way to the music room, she turned to her husband. "Thank you for the warm way that you welcomed my family and made them feel at home William."
"They are my family too Elizabeth and it is their due to be treated with the same respect as members of my side of the family are," Darcy told his wife.
"You will not have to wait much longer William," Elizabeth blushed a deep violet.
"What do you mean…Oh. When you are ready you will let me know Elizabeth." He leaned toward his wife and she lifted her head toward him not averse to experiencing the first kiss that she desired. The butler cleared his throat before their lips met reminding them that they were not alone. The footmen on duty in the hallway looked everywhere but at their master and mistress.