6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
June 1799 Elm Grove, Chesire Elizabeth
E lizabeth tugged at the ill-fitting gown. Made for a much slenderer form, someone taller and with narrower shoulders, it pinched and pulled in all the wrong places. Mary, too, wore cast off gowns with fabric worn at the elbows and cuffs. The poor dear had it worse than her elder sister. By the time she received the gowns Elizabeth had outgrown, they had already been through two other girls.
“It is for economy’s sake,” Mama told them. Except she did not like it when Elizabeth and Mary called her that. “You may call me madam or ma’am,” she said whenever they slipped. Papa never heard the admonishments, and Elizabeth wondered what her dear father would say if he learned that his wife had commanded two of the children to be so formal.
“When will Uncle Mavery be here?” Mary asked. Just ten months Elizabeth’s junior, she and Mary were very near the same size. The gowns that had not fit one sister were positively dreadful on the other.
“I hope soon. I can hardly wait to go to Elm Grove.” Elizabeth bounced in her seat, sitting on her hands to help her stop fidgeting. Summers at Elm Grove were the best part of the year. For three blissful months, they were well-fed and spoiled. When they returned to Longbourn, Mary and Elizabeth often went without. It had only been recently that the girls noted the disparate treatment between the young ladies at Longbourn.
Jane, the eldest, had the best of everything. Mrs. Bennet dressed her golden child like a miniature version of herself, styling gowns to highlight her best features. The fabrics her mother chose for her gowns brought Jane’s golden hair and blue eyes into greater relief. The pale blues, yellows, and greens that suited the older girl looked positively dreadful on Elizabeth.
Kitty and Lydia likewise received new, unworn gowns whenever Mrs. Bennet felt the need. That is to say, the two youngest Bennets had new attire once a month at least. When Elizabeth first questioned it two months prior, Mrs. Bennet had flown into a rage, calling her stepdaughter all manner of cruel names and accusing her of being an ungrateful wretch. Papa had not been at Longbourn that day, and Miss Lane had been given a half day.
Elizabeth and Mary learned quickly that the best way to avoid their stepmother’s wrath was to be as small and insignificant as possible whenever she was in the room.
The best moments at Longbourn were when they were in the study with their father. He expanded their education, and with Miss Lane’s help, sought to broaden their minds beyond what typical ladies of fashion learned. Elizabeth practiced mathematics, her favorite being geometry. Mary developed a passion for astronomy, and Mr. Bennet eagerly bought her a telescope to look at the stars.
Miss Lane, or Gerty as they affectionately took to calling her, was the daughter of an impoverished baronet. Forced into service, she had been employed by many high-ranking families. Her knowledge of the ton and its inner workings would prove invaluable to the Bennet sisters as they prepared for their come out.
Despite her mother’s antipathy, Jane tried her best to befriend Elizabeth and Mary. Her calm, compassionate nature was a boon, bringing comfort to her stepsisters whenever they mis-stepped and upset the lady of the house. Elizabeth looked up to Jane as an example of kindness and goodness, privately hoping that she would not be poisoned by her mother’s bitter cruelty. Jane had recently gone off to London to spend time with her aunt and uncle Gardiner, leaving little comfort for her two young step-sisters.
Kitty and Lydia were quite the opposite of their half-sister. They were boisterous and wild, running around the playroom and destroying Elizabeth and Mary’s belongings. The almost three-year-old Lydia and her five-year-old sister were quickly becoming spoiled. They cried and screamed whenever they did not have their own way, making life in the nursery rather miserable. They did not hesitate to inform their mother whenever their half-sisters did anything wrong. Elizabeth hoped her father would allow her and Mary to have rooms in the family wing soon.
“Are you ready, my dears?” Papa entered the room, a smile on his face. “I am sure you are both looking forward to your time in Cheshire. Be sure to tell your cousins that I love them and miss them.”
“Why do you not come with us?” Mary asked quietly. “Uncle says you may come if you like. It would be very fun to have you there.”
“I have business here, my dove,” Papa replied, caressing Mary’s cheek tenderly. He sat on the settee and pulled her into his lap. “Besides, Mrs. Bennet and your younger sisters would not fare well traveling all that way. It disagrees with them.”
“That is because they dislike the earl and the countess. At least, Mrs. Bennet does.” Elizabeth spoke without thinking and then bit her lip, afraid she had upset her father.
“Mrs. Bennet?” Papa chuckled. “Are we so formal? And how do you know that your mother does not like the earl and countess?”
“She said she does not when she oversaw our packing,” Mary piped up. “She said Uncle is a cruel and unfeeling man, determined to see her in the hedgerows when you die. What does that mean, Papa?”
Mr. Bennet sighed. “It means she is afraid she will have no place to go if I die before her. Your uncle has secured your future because he is obligated to. His sister was your mother, and out of love, he made provisions for you both when I was too wounded to do so. I am very grateful to him for that.”
They heard a carriage outside, and Elizabeth bounced to her feet in excitement. “He is here!” she cried. “Uncle Mavery!” She ran to the door, for Mrs. Bennet was not present to scold her into walking. She tugged on the handle and heaved the heavy front door open. Her uncle stepped down from the carriage and turned just in time for his niece to launch herself into his arms.
“Elizabeth!” he said, laughing. “My, how you have grown since we were last in company! Let me look at you.” He released her from his embrace and stepped back, placing his hands on her shoulders. His brow furrowed, and some unexplained emotion flickered in his eyes. Elizabeth wondered what he was thinking, for his jovial manner had faded, leaving behind something more serious. “Where is your father?” he asked at last.
“Inside! Come, Mary is waiting. We are ready to leave now!” Elizabeth took his hand and pulled him toward the door and into the parlor.
“Bennet,” Uncle greeted Papa. “Mary, my dear, it is good to see you. Looking more and more like your mama every day, I see. Now, if you girls will excuse me, I must speak to your father. Please inform Hill to have your trunks loaded. I shall be along in a moment.”
Mavery took Papa’s elbow and led him from the room. Elizabeth watched it all with a puzzled look on her face. “Mary,” she said, “you go deliver the message to Hill. I… forgot something in my room.”
“Lizzy, you will not go listen at the door, will you? Papa says it is not polite, and that we often hear things we should not when we do.” Mary bit her lip nervously.
“I only want to know what caused Uncle to be so upset,” she insisted. “I shall be back directly.” Hurrying away, Elizabeth went down the hall and stood outside the study door. It was open just a crack, enough that she could hear the conversation.
“Confound it Bennet, how can you be so blind? What manner of household are you running? The nieces of an earl, dressed in that way? Why, I have tenants that are better attired! Miss Lane wrote to inform me, of course, but I thought she exaggerated."
"I cannot understand what you mean. They are in gowns, just like the other girls.” Papa sounded genuinely confused. Lizzy understood her uncle’s anger, for had she not expressed the same sentiments to her aunt a few months ago?
“Mary’s gown is positively threadbare. Elizabeth’s is no better. They are ill-fitting and the colors make them both look sallow. Come, man, surely you are familiar with the accounts. What has been spent on them in the past year?” Uncle sounded frightfully angry. Elizabeth felt glad that his fury was not directed at her.
There was a shuffling sound and silence for a minute before her father spoke again. “I have only one amount here for clothing,” he murmured. “It is nearly a hundred pounds this quarter.”
“I would wager not a penny of that was spent on my nieces,” Uncle growled. “Before I leave here, you and I are going upstairs to the nursery. I wish to see how that woman’s offspring are attired.”
Elizabeth backed away from the door and then rushed upstairs, determined to hide outside the nursery to witness the display. Uncle and Papa came moments later. They opened the nursery door and the two men stood there silently.
“Now, let us go find Mary and Lizzy.” Uncle turned and stalked off, leaving Papa to trail behind.
“You can come out now, Elizabeth.”
Sheepishly, she emerged, hands folded in front of her and eyes cast down. Papa crouched down and took her hands, urging her to look up.
“I can see it now,” he said. “I know nothing of women and cloth and gowns. But now that I am aware, the difference is obvious. Is this what Lady Lucas meant when she urged me to take you and Mary shopping?”
Lady Lucas, from what Elizabeth gathered, had been her mother’s first friend in Meryton. Elizabeth liked her, and her daughter Charlotte. Both were always kind to her and Mary.
“Well, we shall remedy the situation. I would wager you return from Elm Grove with a new wardrobe. I shall see to it that your stepmother no longer has the dressing of you.” Papa straightened and took his daughter’s hand. “Let us go down. Your uncle is eager to depart.”
They met Uncle Mavery and Mary in the entry hall. The two gentlemen exchanged heavy glances, and then Uncle put his hat on. “You know my position, Bennet,” he said ominously. “See to your household, or I shall intervene. Miss Lane, shall we?” With that, Lord Elmwood led his nieces and their governess out of Longbourn and into the waiting carriage.
Once they were situated and the journey had begun, Mavery peppered his nieces with questions about what they had learned since last they met. Mary answered shyly at first, and then more eagerly as she told her uncle all about the stars and constellations. “Papa allows me to stay up late to look through my telescope,” she related. “It is very interesting.”
“And you, Lizzy?” Mavery asked. “What has captured your attention?”
“Horses,” she replied instantly. “Papa says I may not have one of my own. Can I ride at Elm Grove?”
“I have arranged for you and Mary to both have riding lessons.” Uncle Mavery grinned. “Your mother loved to ride. But the first thing we shall do when we arrive is order you and your sister new gowns. Would you like that?”
“Oh, yes!” Mary cried, before clapping a hand over her mouth. “I apologize for my outburst, Uncle. I ought to be more grateful for my clothing.”
“Whatever are you about, saying such nonsense?” he asked, laughing to soften his words. “Every girl likes to have new gowns never worn by another. I think you would look pretty in blue or yellow, Mary. What say you, Miss Lane?”
Elizabeth watched her governess and her uncle exchange an unfathomable look, and she wondered at how adults could communicate so effectively without words.
“I think Miss Mary would look very nice in those colors,” Miss Lane replied. “Elizabeth would do well with a dark rose and dark green. It would suit her coloring.”
“And hide more dirt, I wager.” Uncle Mavery chuckled.
Later, when Uncle thought his nieces slept, she overheard a whispered conversation between the two adults in the carriage.
“What else has that termagant been up to?” Uncle whispered angrily. “It has been almost a year since I last visited. They were properly attired then.”
“Their clothing is the same as when I arrived,” Miss Lane replied. “I wondered why they were so poorly attired, but I did not feel that I had enough rapport with Mr. Bennet to address it.”
“In the future, please continue to write me directly when anything untoward happens in that house.” Uncle Mavery sounded angry again, and Elizabeth did not like it. “Mrs. Bennet has formed a grudge against my nieces, and I will not see them mistreated. She is a mean woman, but her arts are subtle. Bennet had not the slightest idea that his girls were being so mistreated.”
“Mr. Bennet is often sad, though he tries to hide it,” Miss Lane observed. “Autumn is the worst.”
“His wife—my sister—died in October. It is natural that he would suffer more at that time of year.” Uncle sighed. “Whilst you teach my nieces, I want you to work to instill a strong sense of self-worth within them. They will need it regardless of their stepmother’s actions, but learning now will help them all the sooner. Counter her attacks as best you can. She cannot dismiss you, so do not fear upsetting her.”
“Yes, my lord,” Miss Lane replied.
Several days of travel later, the group arrived at Elm Grove. Awaiting their arrival was their Aunt Marie and their cousins, Susan and James. James let out a whoop when Elizabeth and Mary climbed out of the carriage.
“You are here at last! Come and see my soldiers!” James shoved a tiny tin soldier in Elizabeth’s face, waving it in a way that made it impossible to see.
“James, my love, let them come inside and refresh themselves,” Aunt Marie admonished. “We can see your soldiers later.”
James grumbled, but agreed. He trailed after his mother and father, speaking animatedly to Elizabeth whilst Mary and Susan spoke together. Elizabeth felt pleasantly surprised when she and Mary were escorted to family rooms instead of the nursery. Her aunt and uncle explained that since Susan and James had moved, it made sense for the girls to do so as well.
“I am to go to Eton when I am older,” James proudly said later as they ate lemon tarts with their tea. “Will you go with me, Mary?”
“Eton is for boys, James,” Uncle said, chuckling. “Lizzy and Mary have a governess, just like Susan. They will go to finishing school later, if that is their wish.”
“I do not want to go if Lizzy and Mary cannot come.” James crossed his arms and frowned.
“But James, you are a viscount!” Elizabeth said seriously. “You must go to school and learn everything so you can be an excellent master!"
Her cousin considered this and then nodded. “You are right, Lizzy. I shall do so.”
Elizabeth considered her two cousins. James favored his mother, with golden blond hair and startling green eyes. He was already very tall for his age, and his arms and legs seemed overly long. Susan, on the other hand, looked very much like Mary. Both girls favored Olivia Mavery, with dark hair and dark, sparkling eyes. Elizabeth envied them. Papa said she looked more like her paternal grandmother. The only part of her mother she had were the eyes she shared with Mary and Susan. Aunt Marie called them ‘fine eyes,’ and fondly remembered Lady Olivia’s.
The four children rambled around Elm Grove all summer long, picnicking by the pond and climbing trees. Mary and Elizabeth were properly attired within the first two weeks of their arrival, thanks to her aunt and uncle and the army of seamstresses they hired to do the job. Their lessons continued, and each day their confidence grew and their happiness multiplied. All too soon, it was time to depart for Longbourn. Though she missed her father, Elizabeth knew that the happiness she felt at Elm Grove would be all too elusive when she returned to Hertfordshire.
She and Mary both cried as they hugged their cousins in parting. The carriage was silent as it drove away. Even Uncle Mavery had tears glistening in his eyes as he observed his nieces’ clasped hands.
“You must write to me if you are in any distress,” he informed them. “I will come for you as fast as possible.”
The girls nodded. Together, they turned and looked out the carriage windows, determined to catch one last glimpse of Elm Grove, their refuge from life’s storms.
When they arrived at Longbourn, they were surprised to find that their belongings had been moved to two of the largest family chambers. Jane had been in the largest one since her arrival at Longbourn, and Papa had not seen a need to make her move. Elizabeth and Mary’s chambers had an adjoining door, allowing them to go back and forth between the two with no need to go out into the hallway.
Mrs. Bennet did not seem pleased with the change, and her displeasure mounted when she noted the very fine wardrobe her unwanted stepdaughters brought with them from Elm Grove. She made one attempt to purloin the belongings before Mr. Bennet put her in her place, declaring that if any of the new garments went missing, he would take her pin money for a quarter.
Jane alone seemed happy to have her stepsisters join her in the family wing, and they became friendlier with each other, given their convenient proximity. Nightly discussions commenced, and the girls were often awake into the wee hours of the morning, sharing secrets and growing closer.