Chapter 12
After a sen’night of nothing but gruel, eggs, brown bread and butter, and a watery vegetable stew, tempers began to flare.
No one complained, at least not in Jane’s hearing, but it was obvious that the expected letter from town was anticipated by all.
Two days after they had expected the letter, Jane asked for one chicken to be cooked into a heartier soup for the evening meal, hoping to raise spirits.
They were certainly grateful, but the return of the same meals each day after brought them even lower that the funds had not arrived.
Jane and Mary were discussing visits to the tenants while they hemmed sheets when the bell rang. Jane was horrified that a neighbor might have come and she would have nothing at all to offer for tea, when Elizabeth swept into the room with Darcy on her heels.
“Oh, Jane!” Elizabeth cried, pulling her up and into her arms. “Why did you not send for us! What need had you to starve yourselves while you waited, you silly girl!”
Jane burst into tears of relief and embarrassment. “I thought that Charles would make it right! How did you know? Has talk gone as far as Pemberley? Does the whole district know of our shame?”
“It was me, Ma’am,” a masculine voice announced from the doorway.
Jane wiped away her tears as she turned to see a gentleman whom she did not recognize. He had a kind look about him, despite his ruddy cheeks, and Jane gave her brother a questioning look.
“Jane, this is your steward, the Right Honorable Mr. Jeffery Yates,” Darcy informed her. “He is a friend of mine from school and agreed to assist Bingley.”
“Mrs. Bingley,” Mr. Yates bowed. “I am sorry to meet you under such circumstances, but I could not allow it to continue.”
“No, I should have swallowed my pride and done it myself, Mr. Yates,” Jane nodded her appreciation. “Thank you for your care of the estate, sir.”
“Of course. Darcy, I shall be in the estate office when you are ready to leave.” He bowed once more and left them to their greetings.
“Jane, I shall go with Yates to town and set up your accounts and replace the missing funds. Bingley will return them to me when he returns, so I do not want you to worry over it any longer. You have much to do, sister, growing our niece or nephew, Elizabeth tells me it is not good for you to be under so much strain.”
“No matter my feelings, I can only thank you on behalf of the entire household, William, Lizzy. Everyone is very tired of vegetable soup. While you are in town, might you see if the Inn could provide a joint of beef for the evening meal? The servants deserve a treat.”
“Of course, Jane!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “I believe that you should join us in doing some shopping to restore your reputation amongst the shop keepers. I cannot believe the gall of that woman. I swear, were she before me I would slap her without regret!”
“You would have to stand in line,” Jane growled. “This was no mistake. It was a calculated attack on my household, and I shall not forgive it easily.”
“I am so proud of you, Janey. That was the most unforgiving speech I have ever heard from you.”
“She has grown a great deal,” Mary informed them. “She sent off all of Miss Bingley’s servants you know.”
“Truly?” Elizabeth asked, surprised but pleased. “Well, go dress sisters dear and we shall go to town!”
∞∞∞
Darcy filled the strong box nearly to bursting, despite Jane’s assurances that she only needed a little to get by until Bingley sent funds. He also, via Elizabeth, supplemented her pin money which her husband had forgotten to disperse for half a year.
“I truly do not need much, Lizzy.” Jane cried when she felt the weight of the purse. “Charles buys me whatever I wish so he just has not thought—”
“He seems to do a lot of that,” Elizabeth muttered. “Jane, you are legally entitled to your own spending money by your marriage articles. I can guarantee that Caroline never went without her pin money.”
“No, you are right. I need to stop enabling my husband’s lack of mindfulness. I will be more assertive in my letters. He must return soon or he shall miss the arrival of our babe.”
“No matter what, I shall be here,” Elizabeth promised, hugging her tight. “Now, let us go. You have funds to spend and a good reason to do it!”
Jane laughed happily, a strange feeling as she had had little to be happy about recently.
They linked arms and Jane led the little parade of Bennet daughters down to meet the carriage.
Darcy met them in the foyer and assisted Jane, his wife, and Mary into Jane’s lovely new carriage before mounting his horse and he and Mr. Yates led them into town.
Their first stops were the butcher and greengrocer, who both effaced themselves upon meeting the Darcys and learning that Jane was a sister to such august personages.
Jane was everything kind and understanding and the accounts were quickly created.
With a promise of delivering her orders within the hour, they bid them farewell and the gentlemen paid a visit to the baker, miller, blacksmith, and chandler while the ladies visited the more usual haunts of the milliners, booksellers, drapers, and haberdasher.
Cheadle was quite large compared to Meryton and had a much wider variety of shops and they made sure to make at least a small purchase in each of them.
The bookseller, a Mr. Knighton, was especially pleased as Jane gave Mary over ￡100 and she was able to add greatly to the library at Ivy Well.
The visit to the haberdasher, unfortunately, was not as pleasant due to the presence of one of Jane’s own maids.
Jane and Elizabeth were perusing threads to match the handkerchief fabrics they had bought at the draper when they became aware of the conversation taking place at the counter between the shopkeeper’s girl and another young maid.
“She is practically starving us! Mrs. Ghent told me that she had spent all of the money on her hideous rooms and then blames Mrs. Ghent. I saw them myself! Floor to ceiling orange if you can imagine! My stomach is practically eating itself! I have had nothing but watery soup in weeks!”
Mary stepped forward with an angry harrumph, but Jane stopped her with a soft hand on her arm. At the noise, the maid turned and seeing her mistress, flushed brightly as she curtsied.
“Eliza,” Jane greeted. “Would you please attend me by the window?”
The girl shuffled after her to a quiet corner of the room.
“Eliza, it is unacceptable in our household to spread malicious gossip about any person, let alone your employer. You will return to Ivy Well and inform Mrs. Toole what I overheard and remain below stairs for the rest of the day. I shall speak with her when I return to decide on which position, if any, you will have going forward. It will not be above stairs, however, I will assure you of that now.”
The girl bit her lip to keep from complaining and stomped from the shop.
When Jane returned to her party, Mary loudly declared, “I cannot believe that she would spread such lies! Especially considering their source! You fired that woman, and rightly too. Of course she would wish to harm your reputation with your new neighbors.”
“Peace, Mary,” Jane hushed her. “People will believe what they will. Our family and our servants know the truth of the matter and that is all that is important in the long run as we are the ones affected.”
They paid for their purchases and gathered the gentlemen before returning to the conveyance.
Jane sighed in relief as she settled into the squabs of her luxurious carriage and the horses were turned back toward Ivy Well.
It had been an uncomfortable few hours going from shop to shop but she hoped that it would have the desired effect.
While the others cleaned up, Jane rang for Mrs. Toole to discuss Eliza’s untruths.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Bingley,” Mrs. Toole exclaimed as she bustled in. “I was just coming to find you when I was informed you wished to speak with me. We lost a maid, you see.”
“Indeed?” Jane exclaimed, surprised. “Did someone wish to leave us or were they forced by circumstance?”
“Eliza Greene said that she had found a position closer to her family in Matlock,” she explained, accepting the seat which Jane offered.
“Oh dear.”
“It is not such a thing as all that,” Mrs. Toole chuckled. “Honestly, the girl was more trouble than she was worth. She required twice as much oversight as the other girls to keep her from gabbing instead of dusting.”
“Apparently, she does the same in town,” Jane sighed and explained what she had overheard and her responses. “Honestly, I am tired of disciplining others and glad that she took herself off without any further action on my part.”
“You deserve a break from such things, for certain,” Mrs. Toole replied.
“If you have nothing further to discuss then I shall return to my duties. I nearly have all the linens counted and put away. I think we will need only two more sets for the rose and ivy rooms and all will be prepared for as many guests as you could wish.”
“Excellent! Mary and I will finish them this week then,” Jane promised, bidding her a good day and going to find Elizabeth and Darcy as they intended to return to Pemberley the same day. Elizabeth was uncomfortable leaving the twins overnights and her husband catered to her every whim.
After a simple tea, at which Jane nearly cried as she had missed the taste of good tea, Darcy and Elizabeth bundled back into their coats and, to Jane’s complete shock, mounted their horses to take the newly finished trail back to Pemberley.
She was pleased to see Elizabeth on a horse as her sister had refused to even attempt to ride since she had broken her arm as a child.
“You look very handsome atop a horse, Lizzy!” Jane teased. “Thank you both once more, I shall never be able to thank you enough for all you have done for us. Please, be safe and I shall send for you as soon as I enter my confinement.”