Chapter 10
Dining Room
Longbourn
Later
Fitzwilliam Darcy finished filling his plate from the vast spread of food on the table, picked up his wine glass, and retreated into the drawing room in search of a place to sit down.
Mrs. Bennet had arranged for small tables to be set up throughout the main floor of the house, and most of the chairs were full of people chattering and speaking loudly.
Those few empty seats were at tables with mere acquaintances or strangers, which was not appealing at all.
“Mr. Darcy,” a familiar male voice said, and he turned to observe Mr. Bennet standing a few feet away with an amused smile on his lips. “Would you care to join me in the library? There should be some space there, and it will be far quieter than here.”
“I would, very much,” Darcy said in relief and followed his host down one corridor and into another, which ended at the door of the library.
Bennet pushed the door open, and Darcy stepped within and allowed himself a moment to enjoy both the quiet and the ambiance.
He did love books so very much, and the Bennet library was a surprisingly large one.
When he had torn his gaze away from the elegant tomes, he discovered that Bennet was waiting at a table with Miss Elizabeth and an unknown couple.
The man was on his feet, while the ladies remained seated, and Bennet said, “Mr. Darcy, may I please introduce you to my brother and sister-in law, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, who live in Cheapside. Brother, sister, Mr. Darcy of Pemberley.”
The gentlemen bowed to one another slightly, and Miss Elizabeth said, “Please sit down, Mr. Darcy.”
He obeyed, caught between the pleasure of being at the same table as the tantalizing second daughter of Longbourn and the unease of being at the same table as the Gardiners, who were, based on the location of their home, likely in trade.
“The Lakes are supposed to be lovely,” Mrs. Gardiner said, picking up the thread of a previous conversation, “and we are hopeful that we will be able to go on holiday there either this summer or the next. When we do so, I hope you will come with us, Lizzy.”
“I would very much enjoy that,” Elizabeth said and then turned to Darcy and continued, “Mr. Darcy, I mentioned that I have an aunt who once lived in Lambton. Mrs. Gardiner is that aunt.”
Darcy relaxed. The couple in question might be of the lower classes, but they could at least speak of Lambton.
“Lambton is a charming little town,” he said, and Mrs. Gardiner responded, “Indeed it is, although I have not returned for more than a decade. Do you happen to know whether the sweets shop is still across from the park?”
“It is!” Darcy said, and now he was smiling genuinely. “My sister Georgiana loved that shop as a child. Well, for that matter, she still does.”
“And who can blame her?” Mrs. Gardiner said with a chuckle. “By the by, I had the honor of touring Pemberley when I was fifteen years old, and it is truly remarkable. I particularly appreciated the chapel beyond the rose garden. The stained glass windows are glorious…”
The conversation continued, and Darcy not only enjoyed it but discovered that the Gardiners were cultured, elegant, kind, and sensible. The Bennets were fortunate to have such relations.
***
Later
Christmas Day
Caroline leaned back against the plush squabs of the carriage with a contented sigh.
Her happiness was shared by the rest of the occupants of the carriage, as it had been a most enjoyable few hours.
Georgiana, beside her, wore a rather dreamy expression.
The three gentlemen sat across from the ladies who shared a rug.
The Darcy carriage really was wonderful, Caroline thought, well-sprung and well-upholstered and well-built and spacious.
It held heat adequately such that five people plus one hot brick were sufficient to render the temperature relatively comfortable.
She felt very much in charity with the world.
As a child she had loved Christmas, a blissfully magnificent day of greenery and light and feasting and gifts.
As she had grown older, a more solemn tone had covered the day; not only the inherent solemnity of worship, but also the sober awareness of appearances and the social obligations of their festivities.
Christmas in Hertfordshire had instilled the merriment back in Christmas Day, putting Caroline fondly in mind of her favorite childhood memories.
She was, rather guiltily, glad that her mother had chosen to remain at Netherfield Hall to care for Louisa.
Lady Bingley’s constant criticism of their neighbors grew tiresome and embarrassing, especially when she did not even attempt to hide her disdain.
It did not even make sense. As socially conscious as she was, Lady Bingley had to be aware that the Bennets, at least, were of higher status than the Bingleys, even if they were not as wealthy.
After all, there was a reason that Charles was leasing Netherfield.
The Bennets had, according to the neighbors’ talk, held Longbourn for almost two centuries, while the Bingleys had yet to enter the landowning class.
Yes, it was better for everyone that Lady Bingley had not come to Longbourn to throw a damper on a truly enjoyable day.
It had been delightful to spend time among so many friends and to share in the banquet prepared by the Bennets’ cook.
And what a banquet it had been! Turkeys, and chickens, and beef, and ham, potatoes, carrots, rolls, butter, pies, and ragouts had all jostled for position on the massive dining table.
It was not, Caroline had thought, unlike what her mother would have ordered to offer to her Christmas guests.
The two matrons really did share many similarities, though it would doubtless horrify both ladies to hear it said.
A prime example was that both had a tendency to order elaborate dinners with no regard to thrift.
Lady Bingley, at least, had a fortune to back up her extravagance.
Were Caroline in Mrs. Bennet’s place, she would have been carefully saving against the day that Mr. Bennet went to his eternal reward and Longbourn devolved to whichever male relation was the heir.
Then again, Caroline was not privy to all the finances of Longbourn, and hopefully some savings was set aside for the support of the ladies after Mr. Bennet’s death.
In any case, it was Christmas! If a bit of extravagance could ever be expected, it was today of all days. Caroline could not complain, as she had certainly partaken heartily and enjoyed every bite.
Her gaze tracked thoughtfully across the carriage to Darcy’s profile, where he sat looking out the window.
She had not seen much of the man to whom she was technically betrothed after he had departed to find Mr. Bennet.
Even then, his attention had been not on the woman to whom he was nominally engaged, but on the piquant, pretty face of Miss Elizabeth.
Caroline smiled at the thought of Darcy’s tendency to gravitate towards Elizabeth, to engage her in conversation when he could and to stare at her at every opportunity.
As for Elizabeth herself, unless Caroline much mistook the matter, she was fighting her own heart, trying very hard not to fall in love with a man who was already spoken for.
The lady was not a flirt, and her character would not permit her to encourage or express an interest in an attached man.
Yet to those who had eyes to see, Elizabeth could not hide how her face brightened when Darcy spoke to her.
Caroline looked out at the shadowy woods and sighed with satisfaction. When the engagement between herself and Darcy came to an end, she would encourage him to pursue his attraction to the lovely, intelligent second daughter of Longbourn.
***
Longbourn Land
The Next Afternoon
Boxing Day
26th December, 1811
It was a cloudy and chilly day, but there was no wind, and soft, fat flakes of snow drifted slowly down from the heavens. Elizabeth was thankful that there had been no substantial snow for some days, which meant that the lanes on Longbourn land were clear.
She was pleasantly tired after a busy day, starting with an early breakfast, followed by helping distribute gifts to the servants and, along with her sisters, the laborious task of delivering Boxing Day gifts to the tenant farmers.
Some of the families lived close enough to Longbourn that their gifts could be easily carried by a strong servant, and Jane and Mary had accompanied those men to the nearby cottages and presented the boxes on behalf of the Bennet family.
Elizabeth and Lydia had agreed to accompany Coachman Jack to the farms farther away, and they were currently sitting side-by-side on a rough seat behind Jack, who was driving Pat and Pugget, the two Longbourn horses. The rest of the presents were in a cart behind the girls.
They had almost attained the Simmons cottage now, and Elizabeth turned to her youngest sister and asked, “Are you getting tired, Lyddy?”
“Not at all,” Lydia said promptly, and indeed, her brown eyes were full of life.
Elizabeth was only five years older than Lydia, and energetic enough, but Lydia surpassed them all by far.
According to Mrs. Gardiner, she had been a terror as a child, and even now at the age of fifteen, she was inclined to be overly boisterous.
Thankfully, her years with the Gardiners had tamed her such that she was lively but genteel.
“I am certain the Simmons children will greatly enjoy their gifts,” Lydia continued, bouncing in her excitement, and Elizabeth, turning to look at the box behind her, could only agree.
The Simmons had six children under the age of twelve, and she thought fondly of the joy on the children’s faces when they opened their gifts.
“Oh,” Lydia suddenly cried out, her eyes fixed on something to their right.
Elizabeth turned with her sister and squinted. Horse and cart and passengers were currently on the top of a small hill, and they were able to see over the trees to observe another cart crawling towards a cottage on Netherfield land, though it was too far away to spy who was in the vehicle.
“I think it is marvelous that the Netherfield party has arranged for Boxing Day presents for the tenants there this year,” Lydia remarked. “They have gone without since the Platchetts departed five years ago.”
“I am glad too,” Elizabeth murmured, scooting a little closer to her sister, both out of fondness for her sister and a desire to share warmth.
“Our new neighbors are very nice,” Lydia continued, “except for Lady Bingley, who is rather proud.”
Elizabeth stiffened and cast a warning look at Coachman Jack, who was in front of them, stolidly guiding his horses down the hill and around a curve.
Lydia laughed and said, “You have heard all of my indelicate gossip, have you not, Jack? I know you will not pass it on.”
“I have heard some of it, Miss Lydia,” the man said in a gruff tone, “and I will thank you to behave like the lady that you are.”
Elizabeth grinned and relaxed. Coachman Jack had been overseeing the Longbourn stables for longer than she had been alive, and he was as devoted and discreet a servant as she could imagine.
“Not that you are wrong about Lady Bingley,” Jack continued. “My cousin’s son works at Netherfield and says that the party is by and large courteous save for Lady Bingley, who looks down on all the servants.”
“That is a pity,” Elizabeth said, “but at least the rest of our neighbors are kind and honorable. I am very glad about the Boxing Day gifts. Given that the Bingleys are only leasing the estate, it would not have been surprising if they had neglected to purchase Boxing Day gifts for the tenants.”
“Yes, they are delightful,” Lydia agreed. “I do hope that Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam make a match of it.”
Elizabeth winced at these bold words but did not speak.
She knew that Jane rather liked the colonel, and he inevitably gravitated to Jane in company, but whether it was a genuine romance or a mere casual flirtation, she did not know.
The colonel, while not rich, was the son of an earl and would be able to find a wealthy lady of the haut ton if he so wished.
A moment later, her mind swerved to the colonel’s handsome cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy. He really was incredibly attractive in so many ways, and she only hoped that her friend Caroline knew how fortunate she was to be betrothed to such a man.