Endurance's End - Chapter 4
A/N: Thank you dear readers, for your patience. I had hoped to get this chapter out faster, but a trifling little cold interfered. I can't say I'm totally happy with it, since I resorted to describing events rather than showing them, but really... I just wanted to get through the boring stuff and introduce a certain very special someone. Please review - I don't have a beta and I'm not sure if everything in here made sense!
When the carriage finally arrived at the Upper Dorring parsonage, all the occupants were eager to get out and stretch away the cramps at last. Mr and Mrs James Phillips were both on the door step to greet them and cheerfully insist they be called Aunt and Uncle. Mrs Kettering took her leave; her cottage was only a few minutes walk away and she assured them they would see her again soon.
Elizabeth could not help comparing it all to parsonage at Hunsford and was quite relieved at the differences. Mr Phillips did not detain them beyond his succinct welcome and Mrs Phillips ushered them straight to the room they would stay in so they could wash. The house itself appeared much the same in size, but there was less neatness and more cheerfulness in evidence. The bedroom was small and they all understood at once that the three of them would be somewhat cramped indeed. Still, it would be perfectly tolerable for a stay of only five nights.
Once they were all presentable again, they ventured down the stairs and discovered the parlour, where Mrs Phillips reiterated her welcome and introduced a well dressed, plumply pretty lady of middle years as Mrs Stratton. Also present was a girl of about fourteen who was evidently practicing the art of serving tea; she was introduced as Sarah, the Phillip's eldest daughter. Everything was agreeable; the lemon biscuits were sublime and Mrs Stratton was voluble in her assurances that they should be dancing every dance tomorrow night.
The remainder of the day passed pleasantly. Mrs Phillips was a busy woman; once tea was done, she had to speak to their cook and check on the nursery, return to the still room to attend to tasks there before hurrying out with a basket to fetch some shopping. Sarah was left to entertain their guests , which did perfectly well until she had to walk out to fetch three of her siblings fomr the village school. The Bennets were very willing to accompany her for a walk, and when they were back and Sarah admitted she too had chores to see to, Jane immediately volunteered their help. In short order, Jane had gone to help Sarah in the nursery while Kitty and Elizabeth accompanied ten-year-old Henry and nine-year-old Lucy into the garden to weed and listen to stories of their family, from Jem*, the eldest, who was away at university, much missed and due home tomorrow for a short visit, to Frederick and Robert who bracketed Sarah in age and had both joined the Navy, down to their younger siblings, Timothy, Luke and Anna.
It became clear that the Phillips had only three servants – a cook, a housemaid and a nursery maid. Their situation, while obviously a happy one, was something of a shock to Kitty and that night, as the sisters settled into bed together, Kitty hesitantly broached the subject. "Do you think the Phillips have a good living?"
"Oh yes!" cried Lizzy, with wry amusement. "Nine children on only five hundred a year – I am glad you brought that basket from Longbourn, Jane!"
"Papa said that our uncle had mentioned and it isn't like we cannot spare it."
"I felt quite stupid today," interjected Kitty anxiously. "I have never done chores like they do. But five hundred a year! It's more than most of the militia have, and I had thought they would be good husbands, but I do not think I could live like this!" Her little outburst came out somewhat jumbled. "And we shall only have fifty pounds a year when Mama is gone!"
Jane looked at Elizabeth and they both sighed. "That is another reason I was so cross over Lydia," said Jane sadly. "You are right, the Phillips have a better income than most of the militia, and you can see for yourself just what would be demanded of a wife in such a situation. None of us have been educated for this, Kitty dear."
Elizabeth took up the subject. "It is not that one could not be happy in this situation, it is just… well, you are right. We have never been required to do such chores as Mrs James Phillips must. We've never been taught economy either, and I daresay we should have much to learn to try and make a small income go a long way. Truthfully, Kitty, we have little but our charms to recommend us to the men who would be able to keep us in a style like we live at Longbourn."
"But Lizzy…" Kitty struggled to find the words to express her sudden fears.
"But nothing," Jane answered gently. "We shall manage. However, we must not – dare not – behave without care for our reputations, Kitty. If one of us should be disgraced, it will materially damage the prospects of the rest. We have a chance here, to represent our family with credit, and while I hardly hold out hopes for any serious suitor from one dance and such a short stay, we cannot neglect to make the most of it."
With such determinations, the sisters settled to sleep.
The following evening, the three Bennets were attending to each other's hair in preparation for the ball when Elizabeth teasingly reminded Jane that their father had ordered her to find something to laugh at tonight.
"Oh but Lizzy!" exclaimed Kitty, "Jane is still violently in love with Mr Bingley! She has not laughed these six months put together and you cannot order her to do so now!"
Jane's smiles vanished and to Elizabeth's surprise, she saw guilt mixed with Jane's suddenly somber expression. "Kitty," said Jane as she set down her comb carefully. "Lizzy, I was not violently in love with Mr Bingley, and you mustn't say that I ever was."
"But you have been pining for him!" cried Kitty in surprise, as Elizabeth looked at Jane in astonishment.
"No." Jane's denial was absolute. "I liked Mr Bingley. I respected him, esteemed him… I was infatuated even, but I was not in love with him. Rather, he was my first real prospect for a good match, and given what I believed of his character and situation, I certainly was eagar to prefer him. He was very amiable and his attentions were such that could attach any young woman. Since I was so ready to be pleased by him, is it any wonder that it appeared I was? But I was ever complacent, you must know that I was. We conversed much but there was never much of great substance in what we said. There was no solidity to any of my visions of a future life with him and he never seemed to have any particular notions of it either. In truth, what I have been pining for is not Mr Bingley but rather the prospect of leaving Longbourn, the security of an excellent income and the hope of having children of my own. I have no doubt he and I could have made a happy marriage, and that my esteem would have deepened as it should, but… Lizzy, Mr Darcy was right. My heart wasn't touched and I am now convinced that if it had been, I could not have concealed it."
As Elizabeth sat dumbfounded by Jane's confession, Kitty exclaimed over the mention of Mr Darcy. Some explanation was necessary, but Elizabeth gave as little as she could. Their time was running short and they only just descended the stairs in time for the arrival of the Stratton's carriage.
Inside the carriage was the younger Mr Townsend, the cousin of the Strattons and it turned out, a long time friend of Jem Phillips. The two shared lodgings at Oxford and despite their youth, escorted the Bennets with impeccable manners. They were some of the last to arrive at the ball, for the carriage had had to first bring Mr and Mrs Stratton before being sent round to fetch the guests from the parsonage.
The assembly rooms of Upper Dorring had been recently refurbished and they had been most fashionably decorated for the evenings entertainment. Mr Townsend and Jam very correctly took their charges directly to Mrs Stratton who immediately assigned Mr Townsend to dance the first with Kitty. Jane and Elizabeth were bustled across the room and presented to their hostess's choices: for Jane, it was Mr Giles MacKendall, cousin of Miss Stratton's suitor, and for Elizabeth, Major Chanuer, brother of the new Mrs Stratton. The first set was forming and all three Bennets lined up together.
Contrary to the fears expressed in the letter from Mrs James Phillips, there was no lack of young women at the ball. However, Elizabeth quickly discerned that the vast majority were not gentry. She, Jane and Kitty were clearly more fashionably and expensively dressed than most and consequently, they were in much demand as dancing partners. When they broke at last for supper, Kitty was in high spirits as she chattered about how much fun she was having and how much she was being admired.
Elizabeth gave Jane a most expressive look as Kitty eagerly declared that she had never had so many handsome partners and that she would have so much to tell Lydia about when they returned home. Without Lydia's noisy presence, Kitty's expressions, while no less giddy and giggly than normal, were not nearly so indecorous.
Jane smiled.
To Elizabeth, a smile from Jane was quite insufficient and she turned all her wit to teasing Jane about the not-inconsiderable admiration she had received. As supper ended, Elizabeth's increasingly outrageous comments succeeded at last in drawing a heartfelt laugh from Jane.
At that moment, the Honorable Mr Alexander Chanuer, happened to be looking in the direction of the Bennets. He had vaguely noted Miss Bennet from a distance but they had not yet been introduced, a matter he knew that instant that he had to remedy as soon as possible. She was a beauty when she smiled to be sure, but when she laughed, she was incomparable.
It took very little time to procure the introduction that Alexander wished for – he needed only to apply to his younger brother who had danced with all three Miss Bennets earlier. Unfortunately, it was too late for him to secure either of the two next pairs of dances but to his great relief, the last set of the evening was unclaimed and Miss Bennet somewhat shyly promised it to him. To keep himself busy while he waited, Alexander successfully attained Elizabeth as a partner for the next set, and spent it asking about her family in general and her sister in particular. Therefore, when he was at last able to stand up with Miss Bennet, Alexander had no need to waste his precious half hour on inanities; he leapt directly into asking Jane about herself.
As for Jane, she had not taken particular note of Mr Chanuer before they were introduced; he was sufficiently handsome to meet with general approval but not so striking that he had stood out. Yet for the two pairs of dances with perfectly amiable partners, she found her thoughts returning again and again to the look in Mr Chanuer's dark green eyes when he had asked to dance with her. Discovering she could not put it from her mind, she resolved to decipher it.
Their dance did not help one whit towards that end as it passed much too fast. It seemed like they had only just begun when Jane found she was curtsying at it's conclusion.
"May I call on you tomorrow?"
The question brought a blush to Jane's cheeks but she assented to Mr Chanuer's request. As he escorted her to the carriage – and her sisters – and handed her in, she felt giddy, dazed and altogether discomposed.
* Jem is a nickname for James; the eldest Phillips son is named James after his father and called Jem to easily distinguish him.