Chapter 1 #2
“She is not your responsibility, sweet sister of mine,” Elizabeth assured her. “You are nowhere near assertive enough to combat her. I am very displeased with my brother that he has left you to even attempt it. I had thought he grew a spine when he returned and proposed; how disappointing.”
Jane gasped quietly at the similarity of Elizabeth’s words to her vague feelings. Disappointment— that is what she was feeling. But why? Her life was ideal. Her husband was wonderful. She was spoilt, in many ways; there was no reason for her to be dissatisfied with anything at all.
“Jane.” Elizabeth placed a hand on her arm and drawing her attention. “Are you well? I called you several times.”
“Yes!” she cried, a bit too enthusiastically. She cleared her throat and began again. “Yes, I am very well. Has Darcy drug Charles off?”
“They decided to see the new litter of Danes before Bingley changes. You will likely go home with a new friend.”
“Charles has been talking of a dog for ages,” Jane agreed. “Caroline insists that the first circles only keep two types of dogs: hounds and lapdogs. The thought of a giant ‘beast’, as she calls Danes, sends her into spasms.”
“Well, when she realizes that William’s family has bred them since the Conqueror brought the D’arcys over with him from France, she will change her tune.” Elizabeth laughed.
Jane hushed her with a look, and they linked arms again as Elizabeth led her up to her room, having sent off the housekeeper when the gentlemen decided to go to the kennels.
It was quite a walk to the third floor, where the family rooms were, and down the west corridor.
She stopped part way down and opened the door to a lovely lavender and cream chamber.
Jane gushed over the beautiful surroundings and went directly to the window to look out at the view only to discover that they were actually glass doors in the French style.
“I thought that you and Bingley would enjoy the private terrace here.” Elizabeth groaned as she lowered her bulk to a comfortable sofa before the empty fireplace.
“Well, I—” Jane stuttered, turning to face her with burning cheeks.
“Jane?” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, knowing that her sister could never withstand such a look.
“Well, Caroline ran across Charles one morning as he left our room and was appalled that he did not use his own chamber and declared that it was absolutely unacceptable to share a bed. She said it was far too common.”
“She dared to comment on your sleeping arrangements?” Elizabeth’s voice rose to a squeak.
Jane picked at her nail as she looked away.
“The sheer arrogance of the woman! She, a spinster who absolutely no one can stand, feels that she has the right, and the knowledge, to make such a pronouncement.”
“Then you and Darcy—” Jane paused and then whispered, “share a bed?”
“Of course, Jane! We love each other.” Elizabeth insisted with a slash of her hand.
“Caroline may be correct about the usual Ton marriages, but then they do not spend any time with each other and have little in common, having married for dynastic reasons. She may desire that kind of marriage, but it gives her no right to dictate your relationship with your own husband.”
“I believe she is so worried about being accepted that she cannot allow even the smallest deviation in the collective actions of the family,” Jane explained, coming to join her on the sofa.
“She is very unhappy, you know. She was determined to be Mrs. Darcy as you are aware, and it shook her badly when he married elsewhere. She had bragged to all of her friends of the inevitable connection, for at least the last five years, and they have not let her forget it. They were quite vicious while we were in London— Not that she said anything to me, but several times I heard comments and she later appeared red-eyed at dinner.”
“It is a difficult lesson to learn,” Elizabeth said with a snort.
“What is?”
“That one cannot have everything that they wish just because they screech it is so at the top of one’s lungs.”
“Lizzy! That is unkind.”
“I did not force her to make such a cake of herself…”
“She is just lashing out because of her unhappiness,” Jane justified. “I am sure once she has settled into her new place that she will—”
“Oh, Jane. You are too much. Her dissatisfaction with her choices does not give her the right to spread her poison to the rest of her family.” Elizabeth leaned forward to intertwine their fingers.
“It is just like Lydia. Her letters at the first of the quarter are full of joy and excitement at the number of balls and dinners they are to attend and then, as the end of the quarter draws closer, they invariably devolve into pleas for assistance or at least more funds and when what you send is not enough, for it never is, she lashes out, doing all she can to ruin your happiness in your own life. Poor Kitty still has not learned to toss the letters into the grate until quarter day, and she is happy once more and pretends to have never said any of the things that we all heard for the past several weeks. William has threatened to burn anything with the name Wickham if I cry ever again. I do feel for Lydia. Her choices have brought her some very difficult consequences, and she is not pleased with them. William has helped me to see that I am in no way responsible for them or her; she chose Wickham for that position and there is nothing which I can do that would truly fix the problem of her marriage. I still send her what little savings that I can, from my own pin money, but I shall not allow her to force William, for love of me, to provide more than he already has.”
“Then he has?” Jane asked in confusion, accepting a glass of water from her maid.
“Do you remember speaking with Papa about how much my uncle had likely paid Wickham to marry Lydia?” Jane nodded.
“I learned through Lydia’s inability to keep a secret for any longer than an hour that William had attended her wedding and from there, with the hints from my aunt, I discovered that William paid the whole— over fifteen thousand pounds! ”
“No!” Jane choked, having breathed wrong.
“Yes, indeed. And he was able to put a great deal of it into an annuity for them, managed by my uncle,” Elizabeth continued.
“They have ￡550, plus his pay from the military. and the ￡100 a year from Papa. Not to mention the house which William pays for in Newcastle as he did not trust Wickham to offer a stable home for his bride.”
“So at least ￡750 a year, and no rents, a reasonable sum for the two of them,” Jane murmured. “How do they overspend as they do?”
“William pointed out that between the presents from my mother, you, Kitty, and I, it is likely that Lydia receives another one hundred to two hundred pounds outside of her generous pin money!” Jane gasped and Elizabeth raised her brows and nodded in agreement.
“She is practically doubling her income each quarter and using our guilt to do it. And what do we have to be guilty for, I ask you? She is the one that nearly ruined the entire family! I have written to my sisters and forbade them from sending her further funds, at least out of guilt. Should they wish to make a gift, as my mother often does, that is up to them, but we cannot allow her to continue to play on our sympathies. If you are anything like me, I am certain that you have been going without in order to support her love for bonnets and lace!”
Jane squirmed a bit, drawing Elizabeth’s interest. She raised a brow at her more reticent sister and then poked her in the side with a finger, making Jane jerk away with a squeal and frown at her.
“I do not want to admit my silliness,” Jane groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I had no idea that they earned so much and have been sending Lydia ￡200 or more just myself.”
“Jane!”
“I thought she was starving!” Jane cried, slapping her hands on her thighs and crushing the fabric of her traveling gown in her fists. “I feel so stupid! I have been working my fingers to the bone, doing my own embroidery on my gowns in order to save as much as I could!”
“I shall slap her!” Elizabeth growled. “That child needs a good shaking! You must not send her anything else, Jane, promise me!”
“I will not.” Jane sniffed as her eyes welled with tears.
“Oh, Jane, you can hardly help your trusting manner. Do not cry, my love.”
“It is one thing to be trusting, but entirely different to be known to be a dupe. I am certain that the Wickhams laugh about her stupid, gullible sister every night! I am certain that they are allowed to share a bed!”
“Caroline is a mean, nasty woman! You need not allow her the power she has taken. You are an intelligent, fiercely loyal lady, but you need to be more discerning in your loyalties, Janey.”
“I know, but I cannot be happy viewing everything, and everyone, and every interaction with constant suspicion. I find it exhausting.”
Elizabeth pulled her into her arms and began to stroke her head. “You should be able to rely on your husband and family to do so on your behalf but—”
She paused as if searching for the right words.
“Jane, I am afraid that there is little hope that your new family will behave in a supportive or even a kind manner. Both of Bingley’s sisters are supercilious and condescending.
They treat you, and all of us, with barely concealed disdain.
I am sure you noticed William’s reaction to Caroline.
When we discussed the possibility of her once again attaching herself to her brother’s invitation, he swore that he was finished allowing her to disrespect me and my position as his wife out of some ridiculous idea of courtesy.
For how is allowing incivility to a loved one truly courtesy? ”
“That is very true,” Jane sighed, leaning harder into her shoulder.
“Would you mind if I asked William to speak with Bingley about it? He is a husband now and needs to require his family to show better manners than they have done.”
“Would you, Lizzy?” Jane asked, hope blooming in her heart. “I am certain that he will listen to his friend.”
Elizabeth placed a kiss on the crown of her head, but her look was troubled. Jane may have had unwavering faith in the goodness and strength of her husband, but her sister was far from agreeing with her.