***Hi All! I hope you like the new chapter! 3***
The departure from Hunsford was bittersweet for Elizabeth. As eager as she was to see her sister Jane, she would miss her friend Charlotte dearly. Before coming to Huntsford, she worried about finding Charlotte regretful having married Mr. Collins. To Elizabeth, her cousin was a man that seemed incapable of genuine affection. His compliments and expressions were more for his own benefit to improve people's opinion of him rather than earnest observations.
To Elizabeth's surprise, Charlotte was thriving.
Over the weeks she stayed with Charlotte she observed how content her friend was to finally have her own home to run. Even without the romantic love, Charlotte understood Mr. Collins. They managed fine on their own with respect and shared goals to guide them.
Perhaps I have been wrong. Perhaps it is better to settle for a man that is good and steady on. Maybe all that is needed to have a successful marriage is faith in your partner…
Elizabeth ruminated over her understanding of marriage on their way to London. She did not want a marriage like her parents, one without passion and compatibility.
Well, it cannot be said my parents are completely without passion. Mother is passionate about every little thing that catches her attention. Father takes great care in his books and subjects of study. They just do not seem to have the same passion for each other.
Her travel companion, Maria Lucas, was not privy to Elizabeth's thoughts. The lighthearted girl was content to softly snore beside Elizabeth as the carriage rocked back and forth down the road.
Maria was always closer to Mary Bennet than Elizabeth and Jane. She preferred to be a quiet flower in the corner than part of the centerpiece on the main table. Mary was excellent for keeping company, she had much to speak on of her observations to any that would listen.
Elizabeth thought to speak to Maria about her conflicted feelings but decided not to. Although working it out verbally may help set her mind one way or another, she did not want to put Maria in the position of hearing her speak ill of her sister's marriage. Elizabeth might not mean to say something rude, but sometimes she found herself being too truthful.
Arriving late in the afternoon, the girls were met by Mr. Gardiner and his man, Mr. Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence assisted with the luggage while Mr. Gardiner offered Elizabeth his arm.
"There she is, my cricket!" Mr. Gardiner exclaimed, beaming a smile directly at her.
"We aren't far from the house, mind the step now, 'fraid I don't have a crossing sweeper to accompany us." Elizabeth's uncle said pointing to some refuse on the ground.
Elizabeth was thankful for her thick heeled boots she wore for travel. Elizabeth wrinkled her nose at the smell of city streets in need of good rain.
"Hello, Uncle!" Thank you so much for coming to fetch us. This is my good friend Miss Maria Lucas," she responded ignoring his arm for a hug.
Maria wore her feelings plainly on her face regarding the pungent odors from the heavy horse traffic. As her expression teetered back and forth from disgust to warm greetings of a friend's family member, Mr. Lawrence had to stifle a laugh.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gardiner. I heard so much about you and Mrs. Gardiner. I believe you have met my father and mother before when you came to visit Hertfordshire." Maria managed to say with a forced smile.
Mr. Gardiner turned to address the girl next to his niece.
"I have indeed! You take after your mother I see. How fortunate for you, she was a great beauty when I knew her. Your father is a lucky man." He said earnestly.
Maria blushed in response and shuffled her feet uncomfortably.
She did take after her mother, but that was not something she liked to speak about. Her mother was a great beauty when she was younger. It caused contention in the Lucas household as her sister was as much like their father as Maria was like their mother.
Often when in his cups, Mr. Lucas would blame himself for Charlotte going so long unmarried. If he had been more handsome, he conjected, she would not suffer so. This was something to be all forgotten about now that Charlotte was married, but it still caused Maria to feel uncomfortable when likened to her mother.
At least when she was with the Bennet sisters, she was not the prettiest in the room. Elizabeth was considered a great beauty in the county, second only to her sister Jane.
Sensing Maria's shyness, Elizabeth stepped up to her uncle to take his arm.
"Shall we then? I cannot wait to see how big your little sprites have gotten!"
"Oh yes, they are growing bigger every day as children are want to do. I fear they will eat me out of house and home soon!" he said as they made their way home.
"Just wait till you see the improvements your aunt has made to the house! I will not give anything away as I am sure she will want to tell you herself." Mr. Gardiner said stepping over a foul puddle of questionable origins.
Some seven blocks later and they had arrived in a quaint neighborhood. The Gardiner's home was two stories with six rooms and a sizable backyard. It was not the largest on the street but it was the most manicured with rose bushes in the front and neat masonry. The family warehouse was a little down the lane, but could still be seen from the front of the house. Elizabeth noticed there were small rose bushes in front of the warehouse too, though skinny and nearly bare.
That must be the work of my uncle. He takes great care in appearance.
Inside, the rest of the Gardiner brood plus Jane were in the parlor awaiting their arrival. The children were tidy, though the youngest boy squirmed to go play. Jane read to the children to keep them occupied while waiting for her sister. At the sound of the front door opening, the children broke to jump on their cousin Lizzie as they entered the home. They did not even wait for them to enter the parlor, running to greet them with a cacophony of sounds.
"Cousin Lizzie! Do you remember me? Jane couldn't recognize me I have grown so much." the eldest Mary exclaimed running up and putting the youngest down.
"Why aren't you as tall as cousin Jane? Are you fully grown yet?" said Catherine, the fearless second born who was still working on her manners.
"Do you bring sweets?" the youngest Phillip clumsily asked as he pulled on Elizabeth's skirt. He looked to be about three now.
"Come see the kittens. Phillip stop, you will rip it," said Edward, with one hand pushing Phillip away and the other pulling Elizabeth to the back of the house, where presumably, there were kittens.
From the couch in the parlor, the matriarch's voice called her children to order.
"ENOUGH. Give her space and settle yourselves right now or we will not go to the park tomorrow."
Elizabeth squeezed Edward's hand and mouthed "I will later" before letting go. Mary Gardiner scooped up the sulking Phillip while looking guilty herself for being spoken to so harshly by their mother.
Elizabeth could not have asked for a better welcome.
"Come," Mr. Gardiner said, "let us join them. Lawrence, bring the trunks upstairs to the room at the end of the hallway. Wait for me outside and we will go back to the warehouse together."
When Elizabeth and Maria walked into the parlor, their mouths fell open in surprise.
The parlor was located in the front of the house facing the lane. It was furnished with two couches, two plain-backed chairs, and a small writing desk in the corner facing the window. There was a table against the far wall and a small table between the couches facing each other, perfect for serving tea. It was a highly functional room with an ample-sized fireplace to stave off the winter chill. Elizabeth could imagine the family spent many days here reading to each other or studying their letters. That was all expected of her sensible aunt. What was not expected was the wallpaper dominating the room.
Each wall was covered in bright citrine. The bold look shocked the senses. Neither Elizabeth nor Maria had ever seen so much bright green before not in nature.
"You will forgive me for not rushing forward with the children, I just could not help but want to sit here so I could see your reaction so clearly." Mrs. Gardiner said with a laugh.
"Aunt, this is… I had no idea… Jane, you did not mention this at all!"
"I promised Auntie to keep silent so she could surprise you," Jane said getting up to embrace her sister.
Elizabeth and Maria continued to stare about the room, almost in a daze. The color was so vibrant, that Elizabeth thought she could close her eyes and still see the brightness coming through. Mrs. Gardiner stood up from the couch to join Jane in embracing Elizabeth and Maria.
Mrs. Gardiner was closer in age to Jane than their mother, Mrs. Bennet. She was the same age as Charlotte Lucas. She had the wisdom of running a household but recent memory of what it was like as an unmarried maid. It was only natural the girls had an easy time with her.
"Charlotte, Mary, take your brothers outside to the kittens. We will have plenty of time to visit later. Do not let Phillip hold any one of them for too long. They need to be with their mother more than a little boy."
Mary looked disappointed while Charlotte and the boys approved with squeals of delight. Kittens were infinitely more interesting than family visiting.
Mrs. Gardiner looked expectantly at Mr. Gardiner as the ladies sat down on the couch. A servant came with tea while Mr. Gardiner continued to stand oblivious.
"Dear, did I hear the door?" Mrs. Gardiner questioned.
"Right you did. That would be Lawrence, he is waiting for me. Suppose I best be off. I will see you, ladies, at dinner then?"
"Yes, dear. We will be having cream soup with ham hock to celebrate Miss Lucas and Elizabeth joining us."
"Jolly good! Goodbye, my dears, I will see you later," he said as he bowed and took his leave.
Jane sat next to Elizabeth on the couch, her blonde hair catching the sunlight from the front window. Elizabeth took a moment to admire how gentle and poised her oldest sister appeared. There was not a hint of rejection on her face, just warm expressions toward her. If Elizabeth had been the one in London, heartbroken and ignored by the object of her affection, she would have been a disheveled sight. Feelings always came naturally to Elizabeth, the way that pleasing others came naturally to Jane.
"The children have gotten so big, Phillip is already talking and Mary is so tall," Elizabeth said, feeling relief in her body upon sitting on the comfortable couch.
"You have a lovely family, Mrs. Gardiner. They are very well-spoken." Maria said reaching for a cup of tea.
"Thank you, Miss Lucas. If you are comfortable with it, I would like it if we could address each other by our Christian names in private."
"Ah, I would very much like that." The quiet girl sat up straighter in her seat being addressed as an equal by the elegant woman before her.
Well done Maria. We will make a centerpiece of you yet, Elizabeth thought.
"Very well Maria. You may call me Madeleine when it is just us."
"Oh Lizzie," said Mrs. Gardiner, "You think the children have changed, just wait till I show you the rest of the house. We have papered all throughout you see. If your mother has a care to make improvements, your uncle has a man that will give you a great deal. He used to share storage space with your uncle, now on his own he is doing very well for himself but remembers his friends. Jane and I plan to stop by his store on the way home from the park tomorrow. Would you ladies care to accompany us?" Mrs. Gardiner said looking at each lady. "I hear there are indigo-colored fabrics available and I plan to redo the pillows in indigo."
"Oh, that would be lovely! My body is a bit sore but I think I should be recovered enough tomorrow." Maria said happily.
I suppose she is no longer worried about 'foul humors' in the London air, Elizabeth thought smiling to herself. She marveled at how well her Aunt could easily bring out the best in people around her.
"Aunt Gardiner, I would love to see more of the city tomorrow. Regarding Longbourn, I am not sure If mama is interested in doing anything with the house right now. She is so beset with grief over the entailment. I am sure you heard our house is to go to our cousin Mr. Collins."
"Ah yes, the entailment. How unfortunate there are no sons in your family, though I dare say your mother would not conceive to give up one of her wonderful daughters for a son. It is not the children who are wrong, but that the laws are unjust." Mrs. Gardiner said, reaching for a sandwich that was put out for the women to enjoy.
Mrs. Gardiner reached across the table to offer a sandwich to Maria, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable speaking of the inheritance law her brother-in-law was to benefit from. Maria accepted the sandwich with a nod of thanks.
"Aunt, you do not really mean that," Jane said in a soft pleading, "The Laws were put in place for a reason. A man is needed to take care of things the way they ought to be, even if we were to inherit the house, we would need someone to take care of the field and see to the running of the estate."
"I am not so sure I completely agree with you," Elizabeth replied sipping some tea. "You have a sound point but I have just been to a large house run by a Lady and her daughter. There is no sense in a law that will turn out poor Mary and Mother once father passes just because that is how it is always done."
"Rosings is a much larger estate than Longbourne, those homes have economies themselves and systems in place that will run even without an active hand guiding them." Jane said between sips of tea."I just think It is unwise to find fault in something that cannot change, you will only make yourself unhappy. It is better to think of how you can improve upon yourself." She said with a slightly trembling hand. She looked at her hand and set the tea down feigning distraction by something outside.
"Right. Of course Jane, it is not good to dwell on things that you cannot change." Said Mrs. Gardiner catching Lizzie's eye. "I think I will go check on the children for a moment, give you girls a chance to catch up. Maria, would you like to come to see the new kittens with me?"
Once Mrs. Gardiner and Maria left the room, Lizzie turned to her sister. Jane was still gazing outside. Elizabeth did not say anything, just waited for Jane to settle her heart. Finally, Jane turned to meet Elizabeth's eyes, her face as serene as ever.
Clearing her voice Elizabeth began, "So, have you met with the Bingley's at all since your last letter to me?"
Jane tilted her head with a small smile.
"I am alright, really." She said almost wistfully, "I have no feelings towards him other than friendship."
If Elizabeth did not know her sister better, she might have believed her, she might have thought, 'oh yes you are alright, there is nothing different with you at all. You are completely over that tall red headed man who has captured your attention all of this year. The man you chased to London.
"I see. So, if we received an invitation to meet with him for, let's say dinner at his household, you would be absolutely fine to go, no ill feelings?"
"None whatsoever. I would be delighted to renew the acquaintance. I have only had the pleasure of seeing Caroline Bingley once since I've come to London. It would be nice to see Mr. Bingley and all his sisters again."
Elizabeth brought her teacup to her lips right before her next words. Though fixating on her tea she could still see her sister's reaction in the corner of her eye. "And if perhaps the invitation was also intended to introduce you to the new fiance of his.."
Jane's face stumbled just a bit. She blinked away the crestfallen look on her face a moment later.
"Then I would be happy, no, I would be honored to meet her. Surely someone as kind-hearted and wise as Mr. Bingley would choose someone who is likewise. She would make a great acquaintance."
"Yes, if only he would choose someone as wise and kindhearted… I am so sorry Jane. I know he is in your heart. I just hope you know the fault lies not with you, but with the company he keeps. You are more than just kindhearted and wise. I believe Mr. Bingley saw that too, but, well, let us just leave it there." Elizabeth said reaching out and taking Jane's hand.
Elizabeth knew Jane meant what she said. She truly would be happy to meet the woman who would become the future, Mrs. Bingley. She also knew Jane's heart was still hoping for Mr. Bingley to call upon her.
Bile welled up from within Elizabeth. The entailment, her sister's unrequited love. She too would need to marry and settle down. Such a thing seemed a monumental challenge seeing how if two people who were so very much alike, Jane and Charles could not be together, what hope did she have? Even if she met someone who was a good match, would she recognize it? She was so mistaken about Mr. Darcy and Mr. Whickam, that she was not sure she had any ability at all.
Perhaps Lady Catherine was right, it is better to pick a man of substance, be done and settled rather than risk a fate of uncertainty.
"Oh no Lizzie, what a serious look you have! I am fine, I mean it. What I want to know is how is Charlotte? Does marriage life agree with her?"
"Yes, she is so content running her own household. I do not think I have ever seen our friend in such a state of bliss," said Elizabeth with her face relaxing.
Elizabeth went over the things she could not fit in her letters regarding her trip to Rosings. She described the manor and the great lady at length, not leaving out a single detail regarding the strict recommendations of Lady Catherine. She even spoke of the lonely Miss Anne, all by herself, starved for a friend.
"Poor thing," said Jane wistfully, "We must always remember to count our blessings. We are very fortunate to have had each other while growing up. I do hope you keep a correspondence with her. Maybe we can go and visit Charlotte and I might become acquainted with Miss Anne."
"I believe you two would get along very well! I am sure Lady De Bourgh would invite you for dinner often if you were to visit Charlotte. You can depend upon my good recommendation while I was there to Lady de Burgh. If nothing else, I believe the lady would like to have all my sisters over for her own review. She seems to be someone who enjoys company for the sole purpose of pointing out their flaws rather than appreciating the good as you do."
There was a knock at the door pulling the sisters from their easy conversation. It was their aunt with an unexpected missive. "Girls, this just came," said Mrs. Gardiner handing Jane the letter. Jane took a moment to read, her head cocking to one side as she finished.
"We have been invited to join Miss Caroline Bingley for tea in two days' time," Jane said handing the note to Elizabeth. Jane tightened her face as if receiving a small pain, like stubbing a toe.
Mrs. Gardiner sat down across from Lizzie and Jane.
"Well," Elizabeth began trying to meet Jane's eye for permission to indulge what this could mean for her; renewing the acquaintance of Mr. Bingley… "Miss Caroline Bingley may have heard that I have come into town but I cannot imagine how that could have happened unless perhaps Mr. Darcy has written Mr. Bingley and mentioned I would be joining you? Aunt, that is a family we became acquainted with in Meryton this past year. They were considering buying Netherfield Park you see."
"Yes, yes I know! Do you think your mother does not write to me asking how goes the hunt for Mr. Bingley goes? Honestly, I was expecting some noise of joy from you two, and instead, I just have this reluctant acceptance. Jane, do you want to be married?" said Mrs. Gardiner reaching for tea as she sat down on the couch across from the Bennet sisters.
Jane blushed a crimson hue, suddenly finding the teacup in her hand the most interesting item in the room.
Lizzie and Mrs. Gardiner burst into laughter and Jane just continued to study the cup. Maria joined soon after asking what was all the fuss about, her arms full of squealing kittens.
"Not to worry Maria, we are just laughing at how silly we all are. What a cute kitten!" Elizabeth said getting up and wiping the tears out of the corner of her eyes. She came to Maria to pet the kitten in her hands, happy to be stretching her legs again.
I am just glad that I am invited as well. I do not trust Caroline Bingley to be kind to Jane, Elizabeth thought smiling at the wide-eyed black and white kitten.