A Mutual Accord

Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

L ydia Bennet had not intended to separate from her companion when they arrived at the confectioners. But as they entered, a display in the milliners window across the street distracted her. It was an enormous bonnet… With a stuffed bird on it! It was nearly the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen. Lydia was drawn to the shop window, wishing that she could draw so that she might sketch the hat for Kitty and Mama’s amusement. There was also a turban in the window, in a lovely sea foam green silk. Mama had always wished for a turban, though the milliner in Meryton never sold such things. Lydia could see the turban on her mother, perhaps at Mary’s wedding, and simply had to inquire about it.

“May I ask the price of that turban?” Lydia asked as she entered the shop.

“Bit mature for you, don’t you think, miss?” The milliner said smartly in reply.

“Oh, not for me! My mother has always wished for one, and my sister is getting married in August. I thought it might make a superior gift,” Lydia explained.

“Well! In that case, you should know that Mr Johnson has the matching silk at the haberdashery, a dress length for one and six. The turban is four pounds, miss,” answered the woman.

Lydia wondered how she could afford such a gift as she looked about the shop. “Your wares are lovely,” she marvelled. “What a delightfully colourful shop.”

“Thank you, my dear,” the woman replied with a smile, as she arranged an attractive display of colourful norman bonnets. There was a lovely bridal bonnet that would be perfect for Mary. How on earth am I to afford all of this? she thought as she asked for the price of the wedding bonnet.

“That one is two and seven,” the milliner informed her.

“My sister is safeguarding my funds, but I shall return, directly!” Lydia promised as she left the shop, and the milliner bid her good day. Lydia was just about to head across the street when she saw a familiar face duck into a nearby alley. She followed to the edge of the alley and peered around. It was Mr Wickham! He turned in another direction, and Lydia pursued him halfway up the market street, ducking in and out of alleys and behind buildings and shops. Finally Mr Wickham stopped in a secluded area, and began to talk to another gentleman.

Who was he again? Lord Buxton? Bixby? Bexley? Yes. Bexley. thought Lydia as she watched the two men speak. Wickham passed the man a heavy purse. Where would Mr Wickham get money ? Lydia wondered. Her eyes had been opened to the man’s true character by Georgiana, who was still ashamed of herself for her stupidity. Yet here he was, handing Viscount Bexley an enormous purse.

Lydia smothered a squeak as someone touched her elbow. The Comte St Germain pulled her away from the alley. “ Ma petite , you should not follow such disreputable men. Indeed, you should not follow any men.”

Lydia looked abashed as the comte regarded her sternly. “I should not have. I know that man in the uniform, and I was curious to know what he is doing here.”

“I know who he is,” the comte replied, giving nothing else away. “He is dangerous. You must remain with your sisters at all times, ma petite .”

“I am certain Lizzy shall send me home after I have been caught following an officer,” Lydia said miserably.

“I shall say nothing. You were in the milliner’s shop. That is all,” the comt e promised.

“Why would you do that?” Lydia asked curiously, wondering why the man had followed her so far.

The comte hesitated, then seemed to decide upon honesty rather than elusive speech for once. “I was terribly unkind to someone once, and I have suffered the consequences ever since,” confessed the man with a strange look in his eye. “The most important lesson I have learnt in my time here is that one ought never be unkind to those who do not deserve it.”

“What about those who do deserve it?” said Lydia with interest as they made their way through the market town, back to the confectioner’s shop.

The comte’s eyes turned hard. “You save all of your rage and malice for those who do, ma petite .”

“Who was it?” Lydia asked. “The one you were unkind to.”

The comte paused in front of the door to the confectionery. “You would not believe me if I told you. Suffice it to say that he was the most forgiving man who ever lived. He forgave all but me.”

Suddenly, the door burst open and Anne and Elizabeth emerged from the shop. “Lydia Bennet, where have you been! Papa specifically said no wandering or sneaking off!”

“I am sorry, Lizzy, but look at the lovely turban in the milliner’s window! Does it not make you think of Mama? I am wild to buy it for her, but it is so expensive!”

Elizabeth followed Lydia ruefully across the street. Of course, if Lydia disappeared, it would be because of either a hat, or a man. She was only grateful that it had not been a man. Darcy came out of the confectioners and followed, having stayed a moment behind to pay their bill. Lydia glanced around to realise that the comte had disappeared.

The small group stood on the pavement in front of the shop and viewed the turban. “Lydia, I must hand it to you, that turban is indeed perfect for Mama. But four pounds ?”

“And do not forget, the haberdasher has the dress silk for one and six! Lizzy, you simply must help me discover how I shall pay for it. And the wedding bonnet for Mary for two and seven! In fact, the woman has the most delightful display of colourful caps, I can just see us all the day of the wedding, she has one that is perfect for each of us!” Lydia insisted.

“You have spent little of your pin money, Lydia, you have nearly enough, but they are so dear ! Are you certain you wish to spend all of your funds at once on bonnets?” said Elizabeth, sceptically. She then laughed inwardly at her own thoughts. Of course Lydia wished to spend all her funds on bonnets. “Although, Mary has her own funds, and would probably prefer to pick out her own wedding bonnet. She could purchase her own. But if you purchase Mama’s and the silk, it would leave you with less than a pound for the rest of our time here.”

“I have an idea. Why do you not return to Bourne House for now?” suggested Darcy. “Speak with your sisters tonight. Perhaps tomorrow they might like to accompany you to the shop, and maybe you can all share the cost of a gift to your mother, if they like it.”

“I would not mind contributing if Jane does,” agreed Elizabeth. “And Papa gave each of us generous funds to have a dress made before the wedding. Now is as good a time as any to decide what we shall wear, and I have seen the yard goods at Mr Johnson’s. They are the equal of anything in our uncle’s warehouses.”

The ladies returned to Bourne House, where Mary and Jane quickly agreed to the outing. The following morning, the Bennet sisters sailed into the milliner’s in high spirits, ready for a morning of shopping, and possibly even selecting gowns, if they found fabrics and fashion plates they liked. The milliner’s jaw dropped as they entered. “How many sisters do you have?” she asked Lydia.

“Four, but one is sadly missing today,” Lydia answered happily. The four sisters quickly agreed that the turban was perfect for Mrs Bennet. The others tried not to allow Mary to contribute to it, since it was for her wedding, but Mary insisted, and so they each contributed a pound. Mary adored the sempstress bonnet in white satin, and purchased it with the funds her father had gifted her for the purpose. Jane and Elizabeth exclaimed over the norman bonnets, Jane favoured one in Maria Luisa blue, with straw coloured French trimming, while Elizabeth was quite in raptures over the rose satin, ornamented with alternate quiltings of white crepe and rose ribband, and perfected with a small bunch of ranunculus.

All three sisters agreed that the norman bonnet in amber satin with pleated ribband in the same colour, with a small plume of ostrich feathers was perfect for Kitty, and the sisters each chipped in to buy it for her. Lydia selected the norman bonnet in parma violet for herself, trimmed with a scarf of the same colour, with a full rosette. The milliner assured them that Mr Johnson had the matching fabrics for each of the bonnets in question. When the Bennet sisters left her shop, Miss Gilbert put the closed sign on the door, and went directly to the butcher, to order something nice to treat her mother. It was not every day that one sold nearly half of the contents of one’s shop at once. And the turban! Miss Gilbert had given into inspiration when she saw the sea foam green silk, but she had expected the item to grace her shop window for some time, given its price. There was a lovely periwinkle blue silk at Johnson’s, and Miss Gilbert was keen to try her luck with another turban.

The Bennet sisters proceeded to the haberdashery, where, as promised, they found the silks and satins to match their bonnets. They each bought a dress length, for Kitty and Mrs Bennet as well, and took the gifts to the post office, to be sent express to Meryton, so that Mrs Bennet and Kitty could have the gowns started by the dressmaker there. The young ladies then proceeded to the tea house. Jane treated them all to tea, sandwiches, and cakes, and they all made merry as they looked over a book of fashion plates that Lydia had just purchased from Johnson’s.

Miss Pearl and Miss Ruby at The Modest Modiste were delighted to see the Miss Bennets arrive with the intention of creating gowns for their sister’s wedding. Mary had found a dress length of shimmering white satin at Johnson’s, and intended for the trim on the gown to be red. Lydia promised to help her trim her new bonnet with the same colour.

Darcy and Georgiana went for a ride that morning, then to the village to take tea at the confectioner’s. Georgiana waited upon her horse as Darcy went into the crowded establishment to speak for a table before they took their horses to the livery. From atop her horse, she surveyed the little market street. From the corner of her eye, a small wave caught her attention. She glanced over, then did a double take to see Richard at the corner. Her cousin was in his regimentals; he tipped his hat and grinned at her, then vanished.

“The wait is only twenty minutes, would you care to stroll a bit while we wait, Sister?” said Darcy as he returned and helped her down from her horse.

“Brother, I just saw Richard,” Georgiana told her brother.

“Richard? Where?” Darcy looked about. “Richard could not be here, Georgie, he is on a special assignment from the war office.”

“I know, William, but I am certain it was he,” insisted Georgiana. “He tipped his hat to me.”

“It was probably some soldier being impudent, Sister; you forget how lovely you are.” Darcy smiled. “Come, let us stroll a bit.”

Georgiana was slightly irked at being told what she saw like a silly little woman by someone who had not even been present, but she was not in the habit of being disrespectful to her brother, so she bit her tongue.