Chapter Nineteen
Elizabeth handed her outerwear to a waiting footman.
“Has my sister risen from her bed?” she asked Burke when the footman retreated with her belongings.
“I understand her maid went upstairs to assist her twenty minutes ago, ma’am,” he said, after closing the front door.
“Excellent, that gives me some time to freshen up before I meet her in the breakfast room.” Burke gave her a polite half-bow. She called him before he had a chance to leave. “Burke, might I have a word with you, in my private study?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He followed her up the stairs to the second floor and down the hall to the previous Mrs. Darcy’s inner sanctum. Elizabeth walked over to the desk but did not sit down, instead, she turned and faced the silent butler.
“I am well aware my husband has passed down word that I am to be respected as mistress of the house and this has ruffled the feathers of some senior servants. I wish to speak with you privately and assure you I have the highest regard for you as a person and as our butler.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy.”
“I am not one to sing my praises, but it behooves me to advise you that I am the owner of a substantial estate and have run it successfully for over eight years on my own.”
At the raised brows of the butler, she smiled.
“I was but twelve when I took over the reins of Netherfield Park, however, my uncle felt it was important I understand how an estate is run and how to deal with servants. I had to fire my first steward at the age of fifteen. The experience was quite traumatic, but taught me a lot in the way of being responsible not only to my family but also to my tenants.”
“I have no complaints with how you run this house, Mrs. Darcy.”
“I chose to speak with you in private because I am well aware Mrs. Whittaker is more than a little upset over changes I have initiated, and sometimes a word from a trusted co-worker and friend goes further than me explaining my background as I have done with you.”
“I do believe I could put a subtle word in her ear, ma’am.”
“Then we are done here. I do not wish to embarrass her and cannot change the way I was introduced to this household. I can only move forward.”
“I have known Mr. Darcy from the time he was a lad in short pants and I can tell you, with the utmost confidence, he has the highest regard for you. It was not evident at the beginning of your marriage, but it is now. He has found joy in your union.”
“Thank you, Burke. We are a work in progress.”
With that, the butler gave her a low bow and left the room.
She stood silent for a few minutes, thinking about what he had said about Mr. Darcy.
Even the servants noticed his change of behavior.
Was this the sign she was looking for? Could she trust that his change of heart was not a whim, but something of long duration, as in a lifetime?
The chiming of the clock let her know it was coming up to ten o’clock and surely Jane would have come down to break her fast by now.
She moved toward the breakfast room and met her cousin as she descended the main stairs.
Arm in arm they walked together and were soon seated in the sunny room, talking over the events of last evening.
“I am so sorry you were subjected to the company of Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”
“Now that this first meeting is over, I feel perfectly at ease. I know my strength, and I shall never be embarrassed again by his coming. It was publicly seen that, on both sides, we can meet as common and indifferent acquaintances.”
“Of that, I have been assured and I know you will have the ready assistance of the colonel to aid you in that endeavor.”
“Tease me not, Lizzy. I like him very much.”
“And the feeling is reciprocated, I assure you.”
A companionable silence fell between them as they finished breaking their fast and then stayed to enjoy another cup of tea.
“I did not have the time to ask you yesterday how things were going with Mr. Darcy. Richard has very high regard for him, as did Mr. Bingley if you recall.”
“I do believe he is a good man, yet I find it hard to forget his behavior immediately following the ball. No, that is not entirely true. I cannot forget his behavior before the ball. He was abominably rude and has always held such disdain for our family.”
“You cannot know that for a fact.”
“But I can. I did not tell you what I overheard between the five of them when you were so ill at Netherfield Park. First, I did not want to cause you concern when you were not at your best, and second, I was trying in some way to mitigate the nastiness of Miss Bingley. If she were to become your sister, I did not want to heap more bad behavior on her scrawny shoulders.”
“This sounds quite ominous.”
“I had gone to retrieve my shawl and upon reaching the entrance to the drawing room where everyone was still assembled, the door was ajar and I heard their conversation from the hall. As did any servant who happened to be in the room, I might add.” Elizabeth huffed out an angry breath at the memory of the sniping of Miss Bingley and the derogatory opinions expressed by her now husband.
“It was plain to me that the sisters had been harping on your mother’s family connections, because as I approached the room, I heard Mr. Bingley say, ‘If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside, it would not make them one jot less agreeable.’ To which Mr. Darcy said, ‘But it must very materially lessen their chances of marrying men of any consideration in the world.’”
“Mr. Darcy was not wrong, dearest. We do have low connections.”
“Sheer hypocrisy! Miss Bingley and her sister decry our low connections and what of them? Who was their father? Who was their mother? It makes me furious.”
“Mamma’s family ties do lower our social currency, and Lydia and Kitty did not aid our cause with their wild behavior. I, for one, am so glad Papa relegated them back to the schoolroom until they reached the age of seventeen.”
“I thought they were banished until they turned eighteen.”
“He has agreed to a soft come out at local assemblies and dinner parties when they turn seventeen. Lydia is extremely vexed because this means Kitty will have a full year and a half on her before she makes her debut.”
“What of Aunt Frances? Surely, she is not in favor.”
“No, Mamma has been quite vociferous in her complaints. Papa always counters her by saying, ‘I have heard your many complaints, Madam, and yet I remain unmoved.’”
“I can hear my uncle saying those very words,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle.
“Lizzy, you promised to tell me your great secret and I have waited patiently. Why do Mamma and my sisters need not worry about our future? Longbourn is still entailed and even with Charlotte by our cousin’s side to facilitate a peaceful transition, we will still be moved from our home on the passing of my father. ”
“Your words are true, but your father and I have been setting aside funds for all of you. When uncle passes, almost everything within the walls of Longbourn will be removed and transferred to whatever house we purchase.” Elizabeth paused for a brief moment.
“I believe the beds in the master and mistress chambers remain as well as the dining room table, and some of the silverware. Everything else has been replaced over the years and will not go to Mr. Collins.”
“Mamma does not have the kind of funds to purchase a house.”
“She does. Through our joint efforts, Aunt Frances has about twenty thousand pounds to her name.”
“Twenty thousand!”
“Aye, and all four of you have five thousand as your portion when you marry.”
“How… How could we have such vast sums? Longbourn barely clears two thousand pounds per annum. At least that is what Papa has told us.”
“Uncle and I may have led you on a merry chase these past few years.”
Elizabeth then revealed to Jane how she and her uncle diverted funds into her name and then re-invested the money into trust funds for his wife and daughters.
“Is that fair to Mr. Collins and Charlotte?”
“Only you would worry about Mr. Collins.” She placed her hand on Jane’s arm in an attempt to soothe her.
“Longbourn clears a little over five thousand pounds per annum. With no money being diverted toward Papa’s own family, Mr. and Mrs. Collins will be quite wealthy, and Charlotte is wise enough, having learned to economize from both her parents, to keep her husband from behaving foolishly with his newfound wealth. ”
“So that is why you promoted Charlotte over any of your cousins.”
“Partially. None of the younger girls were remotely ready for such responsibilities. As it is, Mr. Darcy has agreed we will attend Charlotte’s wedding and I plan on telling her everything so she can plan accordingly.”
“What of yourself, Lizzy? You have contributed greatly to our comfort. What of your own?”
“Fear not, Jane. I have been well taken care of not only by my father but also by Abuelos.”
“Your grandfather? How do you mean?”
“I have over eighty thousand pounds in the bank, along with family jewels which are passed down from mother to daughter. I have not seen all of them, but have been told their value exceeds sixty thousand pounds.”
“Oh my…” Jane whooshed out softly before bringing her hand up to her throat.
“Yes, oh my.” Elizabeth smiled. “I also have an estate.”
“I heard as much last night. You said it was in Hertfordshire. Where is it located? Have I ever been there?”
“You spent almost a full week there, although you were not in the pink of health at the time.”
“Netherfield Park?” Jane’s eyes widened. “You own Netherfield Park?”
“Yes.”
Complete silence fell between the cousins, then Jane began to laugh. She laughed until tears formed and then laughed some more. Elizabeth could not help herself, so she joined in. This was how the two gentlemen found them.
“What is so funny?” Darcy demanded, even though his lips quirked in tandem with their laughter and subsequent hiccups.