Her Mama's birthday came while everyone was in residence, and Elizabeth couldn't wait to present her with the gift she'd made her. The dress had been a simple evening gown of a deep wine colored red that her Mama favored. She had then taken a gold filigree thread to embroider little roses around the hem and the base of the sleeves. She had also embroidered roses across the bodice, with vines trailing down into the skirt in different places. It was one of her best works, and she hoped her Mama liked it, and feared she would hate it as Mrs Bennet had hated everything she had ever made her.
Georgiana had been so happy when she found a ribbon that matched the dress perfectly during a trip to the milliners. The little girl had practically vibrated with excitement as Elizabeth bought her the ribbon, with a promise to her her embroider it to match the dress. Even now she watched as Georgiana proudly held her gift for Elizabeth's Mama.
Finally, it was her turn to give her gift, having asked for her and Georgiana to go last, and she nervously handed it over. She watched as her mama opened the box, gasping when she saw the dress, "This is just lovely, don't you agree girls." She spoke as she stood, holding the dress against her body.
"Wait, there were no flowers on the dress when we bought it." Her papa sounded confused, and Elizabeth couldn't help but study her feet.
"I did the embroidery myself, I wanted to give you something special for your Birthday." She spoke, and felt a finger under her chin, forcing her to look in her mother's tear filled eyes.
"You did this just for me?" The woman asked, trying to contain her emotions. Elizabeth nodded, and was pulled into a tight embrace. "This is the most...I have never...thank you my dear, this is the best gift anyone has ever given me." He choked out, and Elizabeth almost cried in relief that her mother loved her gift.
When they pulled apart, Georgiana's excitement could no longer be contained, and Lady Catherine gladly accept her gift. She couldn't contain her surprise when she saw the matching ribbon, with the roses obviously done by a child's hand. "I thought you could wear it in your hair when you wear your dress." Georgiana spoke excitedly.
"It will be the perfect thing to finish off my ensemble, thank you my dear, it is a most wonderful gift." Lady Catherine giggled the little girl, the child beaming with joy at her gift being so well liked.
They had a dinner party that night to celebrate her Mama's birthday, and Elizabeth couldn't help but smile from her spot at the top of the stairs as she watched her mother greet their guest. She had woven Georgiana's ribbon through her hair, and the girl had been practically giddy when she had noticed.
"Catherine, that dress is absolutely stunning, and where ever did you find a matching ribbon?" One of the ladies asked as she hugged her mother.
"Would you believe your nieces a responsible for both items? They were gifts for my birthday." Her mother gushed, turning to motion where the two of them were watching the festivities, as they were not yet out.
"I know Georgiana of course, but which one is your Beth?" The woman asked kindly.
Her mother motioned for them to all come down, and she proudly introduced her and Caroline to the new lady, "Eleanor, this is my daughter, Miss Elizabeth de Bourgh and her friend Miss Caroline Bingley, girls, this is Beth's aunt, Eleanor Fitzwilliam, Lady Matlock."
"Your Ladyship..." Caroline tone sounded like one she had used early on when she had fawned over Lady Catherine, hoping it would gain her approval. Fortunately, her mother picked up on it, and with a soft clearing of her throat Caroline corrected her behavior. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
"I am very pleased to make yours as well, both of you." The woman smiled at them, "It will be such a joy to help you launch such lovely girls into society, though I hope you don't plan to do so for quite a few years. I fear they will not be in your care long after. They will be snapped up quickly."
"If it happens as you say, perhaps seventeen is too young to launch them into society. Maybe we should wait till they turn twenty. I for one am not ready to lose them to husbands." Her mother was teasing, but Elizabeth didn't mind the plan, not eager to leave her parents and Anne.
George Wickham was not pleased to not be allowed to partake of the festivities. He knew he was close to achieving his goal of seducing the mousy daughter of the master of Rosings, and tonight would have been the perfect opportunity to seal the deal. He had seduced many girls in his past, many as a bet from his friends from school. He was proud to say that he had won every bet thus far.
However, he was supposed to be graduating soon, and it was likely his godfather would find out that he had failed out of school. He'd been told to leave months ago, and had thus far kept it hidden from the older man whom he saw much like a father. He knew once the man found out, that not only would he be disappointed on him, he could also quite possibly cut him off. That was the reason he needed to marry an heiress, as there was no way he would be giving up his lifestyle.
Anne de Bourgh was the perfect target to meet his goals. Not only was she wealthy, she would inherit her own estate. Even better, she had a weak constitution, so all he had to do was get a child on her, and after her and the child perished, everything would be his as was his right. Of course he would have to wait to get her with child till her father passed on, so that her sister couldn't be made heir. Already he was thinking of potential accidents that could befall someone Anne's father's age.
However, first he had to convince the girl she was in love with him. He was sure she was already almost half in love with him at least, for why wouldn't she be? She was not handsome, or even pretty, so was likely never the interest of any young man, let alone someone as handsome as him.
At times he thought the other young ladies were eager for them to be together, but that was mainly when Darcy was around. It was clear the youngest of the girls took a strong disliking of his childhood playmate, so was always kinder to him when Darcy was around just to be contrary with Darcy. It was when Darcy wasn't around that he had trouble reading him. She never left them alone whether Darcy was there or not, all the girls eager to protect each other's reputations. However, she was young, and the young were always gullible if manipulated correctly. The proper amount of charm and flattery, throw in a dash of imagined victimization from Darcy, and she would be eating out of his hand, and possibly help him to arrange private time with her sister once he gained her trust implicitly.
He knew that it was unlikely that he would not attain his goal in this visit, as it was coming to and end, but there would be more to come. He had also already attained the services of a maid to help him sneak letters to his Anne. He would attain his goal in the end, he always did.
"Do you mind if I join you on your ride?" Fitzwilliam looked up in shock at the voice, wondering what could have possibly pulled Mr Hurst from his bed this early in the morning. He half expected to see the man disheveled and bleary eyed, but to his surprise he seemed to be alert and well put together.
"I don't mind, my uncle spoke of some fields he was starting the process of crop rotation on, and I wanted to see how they were yielding." He explained and waited for the grooms to saddle Hurst's horse.
The two rode in silence for a while before the other man finally broke it. "I spoke with your uncle, he does not approve of my suit of Louisa."
"I don't see how that should matter, he is not her father." So many men in Hurst's position would not care at all what his uncle thought.
"No, but she looks to him as if he were, and I would like to prove to him that I could be a worthy husband to her." The man just rose in his estimation by even admitting as much. "He spoke to me of many of my faults, and I have decided to address the ones I could, mainly my drinking." He had noticed the man had got without alcohol the past few nights, but hadn't really thought about the cause.
"I have been in love with Louisa, sorry, Miss Bingley since I have met her, and am willing to do anything to make her happy. It is clear to me that she respects, maybe even loves, Sir Lewis and Lady Catherine quite a lot, so I would also like to earn their esteem. I was hoping you could help me attain some of that."
He was surprised to hear anyone would look to him for advice on how to better themselves. It was well know within his group of friends that he was painfully shy, which made him seem socially awkward. It was one of the reasons he clung so tightly to his cousin Richard and Bingley when he ventured into the realm of matchmaking mamas, and their eager to marry daughters. They helped him to relax, and steered the conversations into topics he could participate comfortably in...well, as comfortably as he could. He liked to think he was getting better at being out in society, giving less offense when his shyness got to be too much for him.
"What is it exactly you are trying to learn to do?" He asked, wondering if it was even within his capabilities to teach.
"I was hoping you could teach me what it takes to manage an estate well." That had surprised him.
"Why not ask my father or uncle?"
"Your uncle's estate is vastly different from my own. Mine is up north, much like yours. I would ask my father, but the estate now yields half what it did before he took over. I don't think that speaks well of him being a capable master." No, it most certainly did not in Fitzwilliam's opinion. "As for your father, I had considered asking him, but he always seems so very busy with running his own estate, even from afar, that I would hate to be a burden on him."
All very sound reasons in his opinion, and he didn't pick up even a breath of deceit from the man, something he had become very adept at with all of his dealings with Wickham. "Our visit is coming to an end, if it is alright with you, I would travel to your estate and have a look once we leave here."
The relief was palpable, and neither realized this would be the start of a close friendship between the two.
