A/N: Thank you so much for the overwhelming positive responses to Chapter 1. I am a first timer so it is awesome to see. If I missed anyone comments-wise please know that I am immensely grateful that you took time out of your day to read this little tale borne out of my insatiable need to live in Jane's world. Apologies I had to reupload to include the Author's Note & to reformat. If you want more clarity about the structure of this story please revisit chapter 1. Also I could not respond to some comments as they were made by non-guests but I appreciate any and all feedback. I love how some of your minds operate - I hope any enquiries made will be clarified or satisfied as the story unfolds. Hope you enjoy chapter 2 :D (I am also posting on AO3 if you like that platform).
Chapter Summary: Elizabeth's new adventure begins.
Track Recommendation: "Duneagle" - John Lunn (Downton Abbey)
When Elizabeth was roused by Anna later that morning to prepare for the journey to Pemberley, she did so begrudgingly. The promise of adventure added excitement to her journey but leaving her family brought a deep sorrow that Elizabeth had now mastered to conceal from them. Following a late breakfast, a few tearful hugs, well wishes and promises to write from the ladies of Longbourn house, Elizabeth and her father made their way in the family carriage to her Aunt and Uncle Phillips' house in Meryton. From there Elizabeth would await the stagecoach bound for Liverpool with a stopover in Derby. Elizabeth would then change for another stagecoach that would take her to the village of Lambton where she would be received by Mr Darcy's coachman to make the final leg of the journey to Pemberley.
The stagecoach would not leave until late afternoon, with most of the journey being by night to reach Derby in the afternoon the following day. However, Elizabeth did not want to leave anything to chance and preferred waiting at the Phillips' home for the stagecoach's arrival. Coachmen were notorious for leaving behind passengers.
Before seeing Elizabeth off Mr Bennet had gifted her a novel - Gulliver's Travels.
"Something to keep your mind occupied," he smiled. His eyes were already brimmed with tears.
Elizabeth returned his smile but found it difficult to speak, only managing to reach through the coach window to hug her father. Leave it to Mr Bennet to add humour and sentiment to her journey. The novel was a shared love for both of them. The copy held great significance for Mr Bennet as it had first been owned by his own father and now everytime Elizabeth set off for a new governess position he would give it to her as a conditional gift to bring back to him. For Elizabeth it was a good luck charm.
"I will bring it back to you in pristine condition," Elizabeth promised as she let go of her father.
"You always do my dear," Mr Bennet's smile did not quite reach his eyes this time.
"Thank you, Papa," Elizabeth tried to return his smile.
Father and daughter were interrupted when the coachman secured the door preparing for departure. As the coach made its way out of Meryton, Elizabeth only looked away from the window when the town and Mr Bennet had disappeared from view.
Settling in her seat Elizabeth offered weak smiles to her fellow passengers, a married couple and an elderly man who had all looked on curiously at the display with her father. To calm her heart already ailed with a feeling of longing for familiar company and surroundings, Elizabeth occupied herself with the novel from her father. It did not matter how many times she had read the book; she would always find joy in it.
It was only after the coach had made its first stop in the town of Allthorpe, some 16 miles from Meryton, that Elizabeth turned her mind to her destination and in particular her new employer and home for the foreseeable future. Elizabeth knew the house would be grand but just how grand she would have to wait and see. Her Aunt Gardiner, who grew up in Derbyshire, had once mentioned Pemberley and how it was situated on a large estate. At the time she had not mentioned the family that resided there. Elizabeth wondered if the Darcys were recent occupants or the home was a family seat stretching back generations.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth hoped she would have the opportunity to roam the grounds and explore all that nature had to offer. One never quite knew what the working conditions would be as a governess. Each family had different expectations; with the Goulds, Elizabeth had been given free reign with the children which gave her the opportunity to come and go as she pleased but with the Turners, there was a strict schedule that had to be followed. That was partly the reason why Elizabeth did not hesitate to accept the offer to work in France. If the Darcys were a combination of the Goulds and Turners, Elizabeth would be satisfied.
Another thought that occurred to her was the lack of reference to a Mrs Darcy. Elizabeth did not want to fall into the trappings of her mother who focused a great deal on the marital status or lack thereof of all in society but it was a detail that she believed Mr Thorpe would have mentioned in the letter. All reference was to "Mr Darcy's children".
Soon, Elizabeth succumbed to the demands of her body with these thoughts present in her mind. She woke up occasionally when she was jostled by the coach stopping for the horses to be changed or at an Inn where passengers alighted or boarded the coach. Occasionally she conversed with one or two other passengers but mostly she kept to herself.
After changing coaches for the last leg of her journey into the village of Lambton, Elizabeth took advantage of the light and read her father's novel to distract herself from the pains of sitting so long in one attitude. When the coach finally reached Lambton, Elizabeth was grateful for the reprieve. However, this was short lived as upon enquiry at The Greengate Inn Elizabeth was informed by the Innkeeper that Mr Darcy's coachman, a Mr Trent, had already arrived to collect her. The Innkeeper directed one of the serving girls to fetch Mr Trent from a shop nearby that he had ventured to while waiting for Elizabeth.
"Miss Bennet?" Mr Trent, a young man, much younger than Elizabeth anticipated for a coachman, approached Elizabeth where she was seated near the entrance of the Inn. Mr Trent was equally surprised at Elizabeth's appearance for he had anticipated a governess who was much older as had been the case with the previous governess who had served Mr Darcy. Mr Trent regretted not having put much thought in his appearance. If he had known that he would be collecting a beautiful young woman, he might have presented himself better.
"Hello Mr Trent," Elizabeth said, smiling at who she believed was Mr Trent. He in turn resolved that Elizabeth was the most beautiful woman he ever beheld.
"I-," Mr Trent said. He cleared his throat for he found that it was suddenly parched. "I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I was instructed by our cook, Mrs Price, to bring her back some products for the kitchen, so I thought to kill two birds with one stone. I did not realise you would arrive early."
"Please do not apologise. I was surprised that we arrived much earlier than scheduled. I am happy to wait while you finish all your errands," Elizabeth said to Mr Trent who could not maintain eye contact with her.
"No. There is no need to wait any longer. I have all that Mrs Price needs. I will bring the coach around and we can make our way to Pemberley." Mr Trent rushed out of the Inn nearly colliding with the patrons making their way inside.
Puzzling at Mr Trent's apparent clumsiness, Elizabeth moved her bags to wait outside. Elizabeth was grateful that she had found the person assigned to collect her, but she also wished she would have had a few moments to refresh before she met her employer.
When Mr Trent returned, Elizabeth was surprised to see that he indeed was driving a coach. She had assumed, perhaps mistakenly, that her employer would send a hack chaise or a two-person carriage especially considering he did not yet know who Elizabeth was. Elizabeth was not one to be easily seduced by finery and decadence but even she could appreciate beauty when she witnessed it. She could only imagine what Mrs Bennet would say if she saw Mr Darcy's coach which was decorated with seats not marred by years of use and a lack of repair as was the state of the Bennets' carriage. Drawing the coach where two well-groomed horses, the closest of which Elizabeth could not resist but pat down. Elizabeth chuckled as she concluded that her mother would next want to know if Mr Darcy could be secured for one of her daughters. Sending two horses was surely a sign that he could afford to spare some from any farm duties. A luxury the Bennets could not afford. For the first time in her journey, Elizabeth looked forward to a ride in a coach.
"We will be there soon Miss," Mr Trent informed her as he secured the door and made his way to the driver's box. Elizabeth wished she could join him so she could better view the beautiful hills and fields she had seen but she had to temper that desire as she knew it would not work in her favour to be seen riding into her place of employment sitting with the coachman.
Even with the restricted view of the coach, she took in all she could of her surroundings as they drew closer to Pemberley. Elizabeth found her spirits lifting even though the sun was slowly setting, taking away some of the light that would surely add to the scenery's beauty. She had already etched into memory places to explore if the time permitted.
"You might want to look out of the window to your left Miss Bennet. We are coming to one of the best views of Pemberley. You won't want to miss this," Mr Trent shouted over the noise of the coach and horses.
Elizabeth looked and spotted the house situated in the park. It was difficult to miss. It was certainly grander than any of Hertfordshire's country houses that Elizabeth had visited. Rows of windows were dotted around the house whose facade Elizabeth could swear almost glimmered against the backdrop of the setting sun. Upon further inspection Elizabeth realised, the glimmer might have been due to the light reflecting from the pond near the house.
"So what do you think?" Mr Trent asked. The coach had now stopped completely allowing Elizabeth to take in the beauty before her. Mr Trent descended from the driver's box and approached the window where Elizabeth was peeking out, admiring the view.
"I do not think anything I say will be satisfactory," Elizabeth said. She resolved to try and bring Jane to this exact spot one day if the opportunity presented itself. Jane's painter's eye would enjoy all that Pemberley's grounds had to offer.
"Best view in all of England, that is," Mr Trent grinned. "I would say the whole world, but I haven't travelled much outside Derbyshire so might be jumping ahead of myself there."
"I would still say with all that I have seen, nothing compares to this," Elizabeth said. Mr Trent's smile widened. Elizabeth's statement though had not been to only console Mr Trent of his assertion that Pemberley offered one of the best views in England, but it was also an acknowledgement on Elizabeth's part that the view was unique.
"I would be more than happy to show you around more than just Pemberley once you get settled and the warmer months roll in. I mean it depends on if Mason can spare me at the same time as you are free but I am sure that can all be worked out. If you are willing that is?" Mr Trent had avoided meeting Elizabeth's eye as he spoke and now looked tentatively at her waiting for a response. To spare him any further discomfort Elizabeth returned a warm smile.
"That would be lovely. Thank you, Mr Trent," she said.
"No problem at all Miss Bennet. Anything for a beautiful lady," he said.
Elizabeth did not want to dwell much on the compliment but was nonetheless appreciative. Mr Trent seemed kind and his generosity to want to familiarise her with the house and local areas was already more than Elizabeth could have asked for. Perhaps he would be her first friend at Pemberley. Anything more was not of concern to Elizabeth. She never confused her position as a worker with her role as a marriageable woman. If it so happened that whoever decided to marry her would do so while she was still in employment, then Elizabeth had resolved that she did not have much control over that. However, Elizabeth would not entertain any notions with any and all of the opposite sex who expressed interest in her.
Thoughts of marriage and romance were soon forgotten when the coach neared the house. By this time the sun had nearly disappeared behind the horizon and footmen were about lighting the torches outside the house. Mr Trent assisted her to alight the coach, helped her carry her bags up the beautiful stone stairway that led to the entrance and introduced her to the butler, Mr Mason and housekeeper, Mrs Reynolds.
"Welcome to Pemberley, Miss Bennet. I trust you travelled well?" Mr Mason said perfunctorily. Elizabeth did not have an opportunity to respond to Mr Mason's lukewarm reception as Mrs Reynolds interjected, shaking her head at Mr Mason and offering a warmer welcome to Elizabeth.
"It's lovely to meet you Miss Bennet. Mr Thorpe told us to expect you any moment from late afternoon. Lennie, our gatekeeper spotted the coach returning and alerted us. I hope the journey was not too arduous. Travelling all the way from Hertfordshire!" Mrs Reynolds said.
"Thank you, Mrs Reynolds, Mr Mason," Elizabeth said. "Yes, the journey was long, but I thank God that it was not eventful. Mr Trent was also wonderful on the way here."
"He is a lovely young man. Always so polite," Mrs Reynolds acknowledged.
Mr Mason in the meantime had proceeded to the door and waited for the ladies as they followed behind. Elizabeth was prompted by Mrs Reynolds to remove her gloves, pelisse and bonnet which were handed to a footman who had materialised to attend to this task. As directions were given to the footman by Mr Mason, Elizabeth took in Pemberley's interior and had to suppress the urge to laugh at how most of Longbourn would fit in the entrance hall alone. A mural adorned the ceiling and even by candlelight its beauty was impressive. A large carpeted staircase led to an upper floor. Elizabeth was certain the railing was made of gold. All round were gold accents on the walls and curtains giving the room an understated elegance.
"What a beautiful home Mrs Reynolds," Elizabeth managed to say after moments of absorbing her surroundings.
"Thank you my dear. More than twenty years and its beauty is still not lost on me," Mrs Reynolds said smiling as she also became lost in the mural Elizabeth was observing.
Mr Mason cleared his throat to bring the attention of the women back to him.
"Mr Darcy and Mr Thorpe are waiting to meet you Miss Bennet. I will direct you to the drawing room. After your meeting the footman will direct you to your room, your bags have already been placed there. Mrs Reynolds will take care of any of your needs. Follow me," Mr Mason said.
Elizabeth marvelled at how he did not take a breath. He reminded her of the stern school master at the boys boarding school adjacent to the school she taught at in France.
Elizabeth followed Mr Mason to another section of the house, passing multiple doors and more items for Elizabeth to admire. Every item, be it a painting or sculpture or flower pot seemed to fit into the aesthetic of Pemberley seamlessly. Elizabeth tried to imprint as much as she could to memory so that she could share it later when she wrote to her family and also to prevent her from getting lost once she did not have the aide of Mr Mason and the footmen. Mr Mason left Elizabeth in the drawing room, the only instruction being for her to wait.
She waited, scanning the room and its beautiful furnishings, among which was a piano, one of the finest Elizabeth had seen. Perhaps she would be teaching the children on this very instrument but considering the size of Pemberley, Elizabeth was certain there would be another piano, one less grand, for the children to learn on. Families like the Darcys were notorious for purchasing things for the sake of filling a space rather than utility. The drawing room Elizabeth was waiting in was a testament to that. Nevertheless, Elizabeth still hoped for the opportunity to play the instrument.
After a half hour of waiting Elizabeth grew restless and gave in to her curiosity to walk around the room to closely inspect some of the furnishings and ornaments. When she found herself situated in front of the piano she reasoned that the instrument was calling to her. Elizabeth's fingers brushed over the lid which was raised revealing the machinations that allowed for the instrument to function as it did. Hesitating only for a moment, Elizabeth took a seat on the bench and observed the music sheet displayed before her. It was not a familiar piece and the notes were intricate; that made it more of interest to Elizabeth. Although the fallboard was down Elizabeth could not resist the temptation to raise it to reveal the keys concealed beneath. She was not going to play, she told herself. She would only look. So instead she pretended to hit the keys following the notes of the piece before her. Even though there was no sound she could hear how the piece would sound.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and slowly visualised playing a piece that was familiar. Her fingers brushed over the keys lightly not producing any sound, her imagination carrying her away to her days in France where she would showcase to her pupils. Elizabeth's love for music had developed slowly. Where Mary had latched on to the skill obsessively as an attempt to have something of note that would distinguish her from her sisters, Elizabeth had not required much study to master the instrument nor to discover that her musicality stretched to her voice. Much to Mary's vexation. It was a case of Elizabeth's natural talent going against Mary's skill. Although to Elizabeth there was never any competition. She simply loved music and music seemed to flow through her.
Elizabeth continued in that manner, oblivious to her surroundings until a throat cleared, jolting her out of her reverent state. In her panic Elizabeth screamed and leaned too far back on the bench. Hands secured around her forearms in a vice like grip preventing her descent to the floor. Elizabeth, whose eyes had closed fearing impact, slowly pried her eyes open to make contact with the blue eyes set into the face of her rescuer. Even in her state of panic, Elizabeth knew two things. Her rescuer was most definitely Mr Darcy and he was not very happy with her at that moment.
A/N: So a little spin there on Elizabeth's talent being music & Jane's being painting/art (I know the history of certain families being able to afford certain things but in my story please suspend disbelief and roll with it (hahaha)). I am just having a little fun with Miss Austen's world.
And in case you were wondering, I only picked Gulliver's Travels because it fits with the travel aspect of Elizabeth's journey and it was published long back enough to have been owned by Mr Bennet's father (at least in my story). Otherwise I've never read the book but it fit my story so yeah..(lol).
Thank you once again for taking the time to read! 'Til next time x.