Chapter 16 #2
Lydia and Kitty attended Mrs Forster’s party, which proved to be as entertaining as was hoped.
They came back the following morning loud and boisterous, though somehow sleepless, with plenty of new gossip to share with Mrs Bennet — details of the officers and gowns and dances that made their father escape to his library after a hasty breakfast. The mourning for Mr Wickham — if it ever existed — ceased shortly, while life resumed its usual course.
After a week, another express arrived from Mr Bingley, announcing to Mr Bennet that his affairs had been successfully completed and he would return to Netherfield in two days’ time.
He had been away longer than he had promised, so the news of his return was received with great joy and shared that evening with the Gardiners, who arrived at the same time as the second snowfall.
For the last five years, after the birth of their third child, Mr and Mrs Gardiner had always come from London to spend Christmas at Longbourn — a tradition that both families enjoyed.
Mr Gardiner was entirely different from his sisters, Mrs Bennet and Mrs Phillips.
The youngest of the three, he was calm, well-educated, determined, with impeccable manners and an excellent sense for business.
He made a good living in trade, having a comfortable house and a happy marriage with three children.
He was a good friend to Mr Bennet and an affectionate support for his nieces, especially the two eldest.
Mrs Gardiner was a favourite with all her nieces, but with Elizabeth and Jane, she had formed a strong bond.
A happy marriage for her nieces was everything that Mrs Gardiner hoped for, and Jane’s engagement was the best start, providing even more reason to celebrate the festive time of the year.
“Therefore, dear sister, we have great hopes that Mr Bingley will return with a licence. How happy I would be if they married before Charlotte Lucas and that annoying Mr Collins. That calculating Lady Lucas would have no reason to ever boast again of her daughter’s good match!”
“My dear sister, you should not excite your nerves so much and with no reason. All that matters is that Jane will be happy in a marriage of love and affection to a worthy man who admires and respects her,” Mrs Gardiner tried to calm her.
“True. Mr Bingley is as good as a gentleman should be — and very handsome. But that annoying Mr Collins! He kept talking about his patroness — Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But Mr Bingley’s friend is Lady Catherine’s nephew, Mr Darcy! That is ten times worthier, I am sure.”
“Mr Darcy, you said? I wonder if he is somehow related to the Darcys of Pemberley,” Mrs Gardiner replied.
“Mr Darcy is the master of Pemberley,” Jane explained. “He is Mr Bingley’s best friend.”
“How astonishing! Mr Darcy? I would have never imagined that!” Mrs Gardiner continued.
“Why, Aunt? Are you acquainted with Mr Darcy?” Elizabeth asked with curiosity.
“No, my dear. But I grew up in a village only five miles from Pemberley, and I knew, of course, of Lady Anne and the late Mr Darcy. I was never introduced to them, naturally, although I believe they greeted me a few times in the village. Such admirable people. Mr Darcy was said to be the best master and the best landlord — all his tenants and servants agreed. It was such a tragedy when Lady Anne passed away so young. And few years later, Mr Darcy too.”
“Mr Bingley praises Mr Darcy highly. He said he is the most intelligent man he knows and an excellent landlord. He looks up to him with admiration,” Jane added.
“Well, I hope he is, my dear,” Mrs Gardiner replied.
“Pemberley is not only a fine house but an enormous property, and a lot of people depend on it. The tenants, the farmers, the market towns around, not to mention the servants and their families. It would be a pity to suffer from a poor master. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen — and I have seen a few. Simply stunning!”
Elizabeth listened to her aunt intently while feeling her father’s scrutiny on her face. She made to meet his eyes and saw his arched eyebrow, as Mrs Gardiner’s enthusiastic description added more to their previous knowledge.
“Mr Bingley has visited Pemberley often in recent years,” Jane said, blushing at her own words. “And Mr Darcy has invited us to spend a few months there, after our wedding.”
“Truly? My dear Jane, how wonderful! Spending a few months as particular guests at Pemberley? I never imagined that someone in my family would be invited inside the great house — except for the public tour, which I have done a couple of times.”
“Really? Is a mere invitation to Pemberley so important? If I had heard anyone else say that I would have laughed at them,” Mr Bennet interjected with another meaningful glance at Elizabeth, who averted her eyes.
“Yes, it is, my dear brother. Very important. It is not just a large estate and a fine house, it is the legacy of many generations, remarkable by its natural beauty, so happily situated and enhanced by tasteful human interventions and by the Darcys’ position in Derbyshire.
If the young master is like his father, being his friend would mean quite a lot. ”
“My dear sister,” Mrs Bennet intervened, “as rich and important as Mr Darcy might be, he is an unpleasant sort of man. I am sorry to say that. Nobody likes him in the neighbourhood — at least nobody did until recently.”
“I beg to differ, madam,” Mr Bennet interrupted her seriously. “I like Mr Darcy very much. I enjoy his company more than anyone else’s, except for my brother Gardiner.”
As he spoke, he observed Jane’s slight paleness as a sign of her distress and immediately added, “Of course, I like Mr Bingley too, but this is expected, as everyone likes Mr Bingley. He is truly the most likeable person I know.”
Mr and Mrs Gardiner, as well as Elizabeth, smiled with amusement while Jane seemed pleased by the appreciation of her betrothed. Not to be silenced, Mrs Bennet wanted to have the last word.
“Mr Bennet, you might like Mr Darcy, but you are the only one in the neighbourhood who does.”
“I enjoyed Mr Darcy’s company too, I confess,” Elizabeth suddenly declared. “He has been nothing but friendly and respectful lately, and I believe he is a loyal friend and affectionate brother, not to mention a very well educated and honourable gentleman.”
“Yes, he was friendly, because you cleared his name when everybody thought he had killed poor Wickham,” Lydia cried. “But before that, he was rude to everybody, and he called you tolerable and refused to dance with you at the assembly! Mama is right, nobody really likes him.”
Mr and Mrs Gardiner were now completely stunned and confounded by the contradictory reports, glancing at each other and then at the rest of the family.
“I believe you have plenty of interesting stories to tell us to clarify all this,” Mr Gardiner finally uttered.
“Indeed, we have, Brother! Thank goodness dinner is ready. Let us eat — you must be starved,” Mrs Bennet invited them.