Apologies for the long delay everyone. The floods in northern France following the recent storms, culminating with storm Elisa have hit the town where I have a house (my dream home that I am slowly restoring), and while the damage to my house appears limited to a flooded basement, some of my neighbours have lost everything. We now have storm Debi hitting the UK, which will spill over to northern France too, and the ground cannot cope with more water. As you can guess this has impacted my mood and my writing, and is likely to continue over the next couple of weeks, until the waters recede and I can go and assess the damage myself.
There are only a couple of chapters left for this story, but I cannot say when I will be posting them. This chapter may be reworked as well, as I am unsure if I am fully concentrating on the story. Sorry for that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The end of August saw the return of the travellers from Bath. Her sisters and mother welcomed Lydia at the dower house, where she had time to refresh before joining the Darcys and Bingleys at Pemberley.
"Lizzy, I can't believe how pretty our new home is," Lydia exclaimed enthusiastically, "Thank you so much for marrying William so we could live here."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Of course, Lydia dear, that was absolutely my primary purpose when I accepted William's proposal."
"And here I was thinking you said yes to ensure I could have my best friend and all my new family close to our new home." Bingley loudly sighed. "Jane, my love, your sister did not even consider us in her choice, only Lydia's new bedroom; I feel entirely unloved now."
"Well, Charles," Elizabeth replied while still laughing, "You are the one who decided that two sisters were not enough for a man and you wanted more. With Louisa and Caroline away, you need the rest of us to step up and tease you, not pander to your wishes. Jane is far too nice to do it."
Bingley snorted before growing more serious. "Talking about nice, I received a letter from Farley just before we left Bath, with a surprisingly polite and seemingly heartfelt apology. I suspect there is a story behind that missive; I hope you will share it at some point."
"He must have written soon after our sisters confronted him if it reached you in Bath." Darcy mused, "That story is for Georgiana and Catherine to tell. Thanks to these two lovely young ladies, I think there might be hope for my cousin's future."
The story was shared, questioned and exclaimed over suitably before long and the rest of the afternoon and evening were filled with happy discourse, and descriptions of Bath and of Caroline's wedding.
Jane and Charles departed after breakfast the following day to settle in Crowhole before the last of their possessions arrived from Netherfield Park, with some of the servants who had elected to follow their master and mistress to Derbyshire.
"It has been far too long since we have walked together, just you and me, little sister," Elizabeth said as she was stepping out of Pemberley with Lydia one afternoon in early September, "I have missed you, my dear."
"I know, but I had to go to Bath, you know. I do not mean because I told Louisa I would go, but for me, I had to go there and be without any other Bennet for a time." Lydia huffed in frustration. "I don't know how to explain it, Lizzy."
"We left you alone with Mama for several weeks at the start of the year; do you feel this feeling came from your isolation then?"
"No, I don't think so," Lydia was hesitant, "I have wanted to escape Longbourn and Meryton for as long as I can remember. I fear it will not take long before I want to escape Derbyshire too. I love all my sisters, and I love Mama, but I am not like any of you, and I always crave excitement, parties and dancing. Kitty used to follow me and we would be safe together, but she did not enjoy the same things as me, and I had to see life in town without her. Jane and you went to stay with our aunt and uncle, but they are very much behaving like other people in the country despite being in London. I needed to see what life was like for folks with a decent income but no land and no wish to buy an estate."
Elizabeth smiled at her sister. "I believe you are like Caroline in this. She was told her whole life that she must join the gentry, become the wife of a landed gentleman, if possible one of the first circles; she hated that life, and it made her bitter and quite disagreeable."
Lydia nodded, "Yes, I think that is what I am trying to express. I am not quite as sociable as Caroline; she is something special, you know, Louisa and I could never completely follow her. But I was happier in Bath than I have ever been. It is odd, as I really like working with the tenants. But when we were there, Louisa took me with her when she visited different charities and ladies' societies, and I think I can get the same satisfaction from these types of work. The pace of life though; the morning calls, the parties, the balls and the concerts; everything was so much faster than life in Longbourn, and it was just right."
Elizabeth remained pensive for a few minutes, before addressing Lydia's comments. "You are still very young, only sixteen, and you may still change your mind. Can I suggest using the next year to discover whether there are other activities you enjoy? Perhaps Louisa or Caroline will be happy to host you again from time to time, so you can compare your life in town and life here in Derbyshire."
"Will you help me talk to Mama?" Lydia looked uncertain and Elizabeth's heart constricted at seeing how young her baby sister was despite being the tallest of her sisters already. "I am not sure she will be happy if I do not wish to wed a gentleman when I am ready to marry."
"Of course, Lydia. I do think Mama will surprise you; now that she is safe and no longer worried about us being in danger, you will find it much easier to talk to her about many things, including the idea of not just getting married to be away from Mr Bennet. Do you know, Caroline had similar worries at the start of the year, she feared she would disappoint her brother and sister, just as you worry about Mama's reaction. It worked out very well for her, did it not?"
She took her sister's arm and pulled her forward a little faster. "Now, Come to the woods with me, there is something I would like to show you, something you may want to use from time to time. When they were young, William and his cousin built a treehouse, and it has been well maintained, yet it is seldom used. Only Georgiana and I ever come, so you can take refuge here when the dower house gets too noisy or too mundane for your tastes."
"I would like that, Lizzy, but will you not show it to Kitty or Mary?" Lydia asked.
"Mary has her pianoforte and the music room at the dower house for herself mostly; Kitty has claimed the little folly on the east side of the estate for herself as she loves the views and the light for her painting. I think you should have somewhere that can be your refuge. There is a little chest there where you could keep some fashion plates, bonnets and ribbons, papers, or anything you like. You will need to take Adam with you when you come from the Dower House, as many paths are looking very similar and you could get lost; I am certain he would happily carry some supplies for you."
Lydia simply smiled and followed her sister through the trees.
Harvest was upon them and September disappeared in a whirlwind of activities and day trips between Pemberley and Crowhole. In the middle of it all, Georgiana celebrated her seventeenth birthday and was showered with gifts from her new sisters and Mrs Bennet. Her favourite present was a beautiful cerulean blue pelisse Elizabeth had discretely commissioned from the seamstress in Lambton and then decorated with bunches of lily of the valley flowers around the neckline and the wrists.
By the middle of October, most of the work on the fields was complete and the estates regained their more leisurely rhythm, slowly preparing for the winter and the upcoming frosts.
"Jane, my love, you look utterly done for. You must rest more!" Mrs Bennet exclaimed as her daughter and son-in-law arrived for a family dinner at Pemberley.
Jane smiled at her husband, who nodded once in response. "Mama, sisters, we have the most wonderful news to share with you all. Charles and I will have a baby sometime in late February or early March."
The whole room erupted in congratulations and the happy couple was hugged and fussed over for many minutes. At last, the family settled back and a bottle of French Champagne was opened to toast the arrival of the future little master or little miss of Crowhole House.
Georgiana sat next to Mrs Bennet. "Are you not happy, Aunt Fanny?" she quietly asked, using the address the older lady had begged her to adopt.
"I am, my dear, extremely happy indeed. I was simply lost in my memories for a moment." She patted the young girl's hand. "I remember when my Jane was born. I wish I had a talent for drawing as Kitty does. Jane was such a pretty baby, so sweet and gentle from the first. My sister Phillips was with me, cooing over the bundle the midwife placed in her hands, and I do not think I stopped smiling for well over an hour."
Elizabeth laughed. "And then you had to ruin the peace of the household by having a noisy unruly daughter as your second child not even two years later. Should we wish for Jane to have the angelic child first or a noisy baby to prepare her for a large brood?"
Mrs Bennet shook her head. "You were not that bad my dear, none of my girls were, although Jane and Kitty were most certainly the quietest ones."
Mary joined in the teasing. "That is not what Aunt Martha says when she shares her memories of our childhood, Mama. Jane was indeed a sweet little angel and Kitty a quiet cuddly doll everyone adored, but her description for the rest of us is less charming. Shall we tell poor Charles what he might expect?"
"Having grown up between Louisa and Caroline, I am prepared for active, lively children. I am not scared of your words, Mary." Bingley stated confidently.
"Oh, you should be, brother," Lydia exclaimed. "I have spent months with your sisters, and they told me many tales of their childhoods. You have seen nothing yet."
Mary sat back and crossed her hands in front of her. "Our aunt's description of the younger Lydia is quite apt I believe; a cheeky inquisitive kitten with boundless energy and no respect for boundaries."
Lydia retorted, "Well, perhaps we should share what you were, Mary. Let me remember, the noisiest toddler ever observed, constantly attempting to convert every object into a musical instrument while singing as loudly as a screeching fishwife."
It took some time for the hilarity that followed this description of Mary as a child to subside. Bingley was looking at his sister-in-law questioningly. "But you are always so poised and composed; I cannot believe that of you, Mary."
Jane sighed. "Mary calmed down drastically once she learned to play the piano and had a way to express her musical talent properly. Before that, however, Lydia is correct, Mary was rather noisy."
Mary gave her brother-in-law a positively wicked smile. "I do not think there was a pot, pan or box in the whole of Meryton I did not hit with a stick or spoon to see what sound it would make. And yet I was not the one you should worry about." She turned a little to look at Darcy. "But perhaps I should stop there, as I would not want to scare William and Georgiana; after all, you will be sharing a house with Lizzy's children, and if you are very unlucky, they will resemble their mother."
Elizabeth laughed and walked over to take her husband's arm. "The marriage papers have long been signed, so there is no escape. Do your worst, dear sister."
Mary continued in a high-pitched voice, similar to her aunt's when she was excited or upset. "That child will be the death of me. She is just impossible. Why, she is an exhausting bottomless well of questions, more curious than a Spanish Inquisitor and more relentless than a starving dog with a bone. And she is scared of nothing! Oh, sister, the trees she climbs, and riding the cows and bulls as if they were ponies! I swear my heart nearly stopped when she jumped from branch to branch down the old oak by the church."
Georgiana gasped. "Oh, but Mary, that is perfect. Richard and William were always climbing everywhere, trees and rocks all over the Peaks. They even taught me but I don't really like heights. Now my brother and Lizzy can go everywhere together and teach all their daughters when they have some!"
Mrs Bennet sighed. "Oh Lord, I will not sleep again once I have granddaughters, will I?"
Georgiana took and squeezed her hand. "I'm sure Jane's baby will be a perfect little angel like her Mama."
Charles smiled and said. "I hope you are right, I would love to have a little girl looking like Jane."
His wife did not agree. "I want our first to be a little boy that I can spoil. Having only had sisters, I wish for my future daughters to have a protective big brother like Charles or William."
Fanny looked at her oldest daughter and asked. "Do you want me to stay in Derbyshire for the next few months, my love?"
Jane beamed in response. "Would you, Mama?"
"Of course, Jane dear, the girls will have Lizzy and William in London, as well as Mrs Annesley and the Gardiners, they do not need me. I will stay at Pemberley and go visit you at Crowhole when you need my help."
After some more discussions, it was agreed that Mrs Bennet would move to Crowhole while the Darcys and the younger girls went to London for the little season, and the whole family would come back together to Pemberley for Christmas.
Lady Helen Fitzwilliam had planned a multitude of events and activities for her nephew and his wife's first fortnight in London. The four younger girls shared their time between the masters that had been organised for them and the Gardiners, who were happy to escort their nieces and Miss Darcy to parks and museums suitable for young ladies not out in society. Lydia would have preferred an opportunity to attend concerts or assemblies; after a long sermon from the Countess, however, she accepted her fate in good grace with the promise of a full season the following year with Kitty and Georgiana.
"Are you not exhausted from all the evening parties you are attending?" Mary asked on the first evening the Darcys had managed to spend at their home, sixteen days after reaching London.
"Indeed I am starting to wish for a long walk in the countryside followed by a comfortable chair, a good book and a cup of sweetened tea, and I suspect William is missing Pemberley more than ever," Elizabeth replied with a warm smile for her husband who was sitting close by with a letter from his cousins in Kent. "I have asked Aunt Helen to let us enjoy a little more free time twice already, but I suspect I will need to insist more."
"Are you not enjoying the dinner parties?" Lydia asked. "I know I would love to come with you to some of these events."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Of course, you would dearest, and if I look at each evening in isolation, I would say I have enjoyed most of them; we have met some delightful people who, I believe, could become good friends given time. There are some I would be happy never to see again, but overall the company the Earl and the Countess keep is what I would call good society. As you know though, neither my husband nor I are as sociable as you are, and the wonderful half year we spent at peace in Derbyshire, with only the company of our families and a few selected neighbours spoiled us."
Lydia shook her head sadly. "I do not understand you; William and Mary are even worse."
"Aunt Gardiner and the Countess accept and respect my wishes, Lydia," Mary interjected. "I have no desire for a season, but will join you for some events next year. Probably not every event Kitty, Georgie and you attend, but enough to avoid getting a reputation as an oddity."
William put his letter away and joined his wife on the small sofa she favoured. "I will talk to my aunt, my love, and get her to limit the invitations she accepts on our behalf to three per week. We will be in London for another five weeks on this visit and will be back in March for the season, so she will have to be content with this. And on Friday, if you are agreeable, I was hoping to tempt all of my sisters with an outing to the theatre. Our box is large enough to accommodate the six of us and Mrs Annesley."
Lydia nearly jumped for joy. "Oh please, I would adore that. I saw in your newspaper that The Taming of the Shrew is on at the moment, and I love comedies so much."
"How could I refuse, then," Elizabeth answered. "Shakespeare it is. Do you expect the Countess to plan a similar schedule for next year? We may need to let her know this is too much sooner rather than later."
"Anthony will be in London for the season as well," Darcy added, "perhaps we will be able to use him to distract his mother."
"Yes, please. I will talk to him myself when he joins us for Christmas. May I assume the letter you just received confirmed who will come to Pemberley from Kent?"
"Everyone. Aunt Catherine, Anne and Richard will arrive at Pemberley only a few days after we return." Darcy enjoyed the bright smile on his wife's pretty face.
"Very well, then, Mrs Annesley," Elizabeth said turning towards Georgiana's companion, "Will it be acceptable if I take the girls shopping on Wednesday? They could all do with new dresses and if we go in small groups over the next few weeks, with your help of course, they can choose or get supplies to make presents for the celebrations."
This time all four girls reacted excitedly to their sister's proposal.