Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
T wo days later, the merry party of ladies were on their way to Eastbourne, with Priscilla, Georgiana, and Lydia keeping Lady Catherine company in her carriage, and Anne and Elizabeth following in the phaeton. Georgiana’s carriage followed with the luggage. The distance was just over forty miles, but it was made easily with horse changes. A full carriage pulled by two horses might have only made the distance of thirty miles in a day, but Lady Catherine’s carriage and four made light work of the trip, and Anne’s neat phaeton and two had no trouble keeping up. Lady Catherine insisted that once the horses changed, and Anne was no longer familiar with the beasts pulling her carriage, that the two young ladies repair to her carriage with the others, and to leave the rest of the drive to the grooms. Anne’s horses would follow them to Eastbourne. Elizabeth and Anne had no objection. They had enjoyed the adventure, but after stopping for a rest and a meal while the horses were changed, they were all too pleased to join the other ladies in the carriage, and to have some new conversation.
Lady Catherine had rented an enormous house. She had been unsure of how long they would stay, or how many relations might turn up, so she ensured that it would be large enough for anyone who travelled to visit them. The house even had a bachelor’s wing, miles away from the family wing where the ladies were housed, making it more appropriate for Darcy to stay in the house while courting Elizabeth. The house was perhaps a half mile from the sea, and the delights of the town. The ladies dined together and retired early, some planning to rise early and begin attending to the pleasures of their new residence immediately. Elizabeth was aching to see the chalk cliffs and the sea, never having done so before, and Lydia was no less eager. Lydia was eager enough to be willing to walk out with Elizabeth at dawn. Georgiana and Lady Priscilla, having visited the coast before, intended to sleep a little later, but would ride out to the cliffs later in the day, both eager to employ their pencils to the scenery.
Anne had promised each of the ladies a drive in her phaeton in their turn, one per afternoon, and the women planned their adventures with excitement. Lady Catherine was rather more sober, for her adventure in Eastbourne was to be rather more solemn, but she was glad to see the delight of the young women, and took heart from their enthusiasm and company.
Elizabeth and Lydia returned from their walk the following morning barely in time for breakfast, blowsy, and in fine spirits. Elizabeth had much to write to Jane about, and Lydia wished Kitty might have been invited to see the place. Her sister, who had recently rediscovered an interest in drawing, would have loved the views they had discovered this morning. Elizabeth wished she might walk to such a place every day, though she acknowledged that the proximity to the coast must be bitterly cold in winter. They described their adventure to their companions as they ate, then the ladies discussed their day. Georgiana and Lady Priscilla would go in the carriage to the cliffs and begin some sketches. Anne, Elizabeth, and Lydia would spend the morning with Lady Catherine, who wished to visit the market town and the assembly rooms. Later, in the afternoon, Elizabeth would go for a drive with Anne in her phaeton.
The women enjoyed their visit to the town, which was small and not at all the equal of Ramsgate or Brighton, though this meant nothing to Lydia and Elizabeth, who had never seen either. There were only a few genteel amusements, for Eastbourne had not received the attention of society yet. Only those who came to visit a particular physician, or who wished to avoid the crowds of the more popular seaside resorts visited. There was a small theatre, and Lady Catherine said that when Darcy arrived, that they might go.
The ladies visited the library, and each purchased a subscription. They visited the Assembly Rooms, and Lady Catherine purchased a subscription for their household. Lady Catherine met two of her acquaintances there, people she had not met since her husband was alive, and the de Bourghs still travelled to London for the season. Sir Alfred Fletcher was a gentleman who had been friends with Sir Lewis. He had two daughters already married, and his youngest, The Honourable Miss Amanda Fletcher, was a sickly girl who had come to take the cure of bathing in the sea. Mr Woodhouse was a man whose late wife had come out with Lady Catherine, though their families had lost touch when the woman died. This was on account of Mr Woodhouse becoming a hypochondriac when his wife passed, turning reclusive, and imagining himself ill for years. His eldest daughter had escaped by marrying one of the only two suitable gentlemen in the vicinity of her village. His youngest, Emma, had remained with her father for lack of other opportunities, and out of love and obligation. Thus was their life, until Miss Woodhouse became ill, and all thoughts for himself left Mr Woodhoouse. He was determined to do anything to help her, and had brought her to Eastbourne to take the sea air and consult a specialist.
Anne also planned to sea bathe as often as possible. She had been building her strength since visiting Hertfordshire, and she was interested to see what the cure would do for her. She made plans to visit the young women, and to take the cure with them the following day. Elizabeth and Lydia were happy to agree to join them. They none of them spoke of their reason for visiting Eastbourne in the company of their new acquaintances. They all knew that Lady Catherine had an appointment to visit the physician in two weeks. Anne was determined to accompany her mother and would brook no argument. They did not speak of the event, but it loomed over them all like a dreaded shadow, and they were all filled with trepidation of the choice their hostess was contemplating.
Elizabeth quite unintentionally became a hero in the little town on the very first afternoon. She was exiting the assembly room with Lady Catherine, Anne, and Lydia, when suddenly there was a yapping in the street, followed by a woman’s scream.
“Charlie! Stop!” screamed a lady on the other side of the street, as a small puppy ran into the road, followed by a small boy, directly into the path of an oncoming cart.
Elizabeth jumped into action immediately, with Lydia close behind. There was an ear piercing scream from the lady as Elizabeth rushed into the street and snatched the boy to her as Lydia scooped up the puppy he was chasing, and the ladies drew back just in time to be missed by the pounding of the horses hooves and the terrifying wheels of the carriage as the beasts reared up..
The man driving the carriage jumped down and began to rage at the boy, who began to sob as his mother rushed across the street and swept him into her arms. Lady Catherine began to berate the driver emphatically for driving too fast in the middle of the market town, and when the boy’s mother took up the charge as well, the man quickly boarded his cart and drove away.
Introductions were exchanged with the assistance of a new acquaintance from the assembly room, and they learned that their new friend was Lady Gordon, the wife of Sir Charles Gordon, the local magistrate, and the little boy was her youngest son, Charlie. Lydia placed the puppy, dubbed Sir Galahad, back into the arms of young Charlie, and advised him to obtain a proper lead for his young hound. Lady Gordon declared that her family would be indebted to Elizabeth forever, and the ladies made promises to exchange invitations.
The next days followed nearly the same pattern. Elizabeth and Lydia would walk out early in the morning, then join the household for breakfast. Lydia was not particular about their destination, but there were two routes Elizabeth preferred. One was along the cliffs, and to see the Martello Tower, also known in the area as the Wish Tower. The other was rather deeper into the countryside, where there was an imposing stone castle that the locals said was actually inhabited by a reclusive elderly woman of foreign descent. The grounds were not well kept, and there did not seem to be any harm in going close enough to see the great building, which was an incredible sight. The stonework seemed in good repair, though they never saw any servants outdoors. The locals said that orders came from the castle to the shops by a local boy who lived in the cottages, and deliveries were left at the back door, but that the farms attached to the place were not inhabited or in use. There were many squatters on the property, but its owner never had them evicted. Elizabeth and Lydia both found the edifice to be romantic, and made up stories about the reclusive lady who lived within, to amuse themselves as they walked.
After breakfast, some of the ladies would accompany Lady Catherine in whatever endeavour she wished to pursue, the others would go sea bathing with their new friends, or out to draw or enjoy the scenery. Georgiana and Priscilla enjoyed donkey rides, and all of the ladies enjoyed parading about on the beach with their parasols. Each day, Georgiana and Lydia would practise the harp. Lydia surprisingly showed promise very quickly in the endeavour, and was wild to become proficient. She had been abominable at pianoforte, and swore off instruments when she was a very young girl, but now she had found something at which she might excel. Lady Cartherine enjoyed their playing, and as promised, gifted the harp to Lydia to take home with her. By the time they returned to Rosings, the new instrument would have been delivered. Even Anne was inspired to make an effort at the harp, and was surprised that it was not as difficult as she expected.
Late each afternoon before dressing for dinner, Lady Catherine took her rest, for her condition exhausted her, and she could no longer make it through the day without lying down for some time before the evening meal. Each day, the ladies visited the assembly rooms, the tea house, the confectioner, the book shop, or haberdashery. Each of the Bennet daughters had come with an incredibly generous sum from their father, though Lydia’s was entrusted to Elizabeth for safekeeping, and close budgeting, for Lydia could spend any sum in under a week, if she were not prudent.
Sir Charles and Lady Gordon hosted a dinner party in honour of Elizabeth and Lydia’s heroic rescue of young Charlie. Elizabeth was embarrassed by the attention, though Lydia was not, and told and retold the story many times with great relish. Lady Gordon was an estimable woman in her early thirties, she quite reminded Elizabeth of Charlotte, with her practical nature and good humoured disposition.
There were dance assemblies every other week, but Lady Catherine preferred to wait for Darcy before attending them. They attended the assembly rooms by day, and not long after arriving, had been introduced to several matrons and their offspring, and a few gentlemen and noblemen. Lady Catherine preferred not to do too much socialising, and so they exchanged invitations mostly with the households that she already knew. The others, Lady Catherine was content to receive calls from but once a week. Two of the young noblemen were persistent; Lord Albert Swinton paid a great deal of attention to Anne, which she ignored, and Lord Henry Russell, the Earl of Lennox seemed positively smitten with Priscilla, and was also ignored. The primary local nobleman was the Earl of Amesbury, who lived nearby at his estate, Harefield, with his wife and family of five sons who were rumoured to be wild. The ones who had not yet married were presumably all off gambling in the capital. His family never visited the assembly rooms, but the countess did send her card around to select noble visitors to the area, and so Lady Catherine and her household did call upon her at her invitation.