Chapter Seven
“So, what did you think of Mr. Darcy. Was he kind? How were his manners? I have only read of him in the papers, but I did meet his mother a few times when I lived in Lambton.” Aunt Maddie asked eagerly.
“Until I received his note, I did not realize I would be meeting my cousin, and not my uncle. Apparently, none of our letters reached their destination these past years. He did not know I would be coming to visit until the day before. I found him to be kind and welcoming. At first, I was not sure if he was very arrogant, or as nervous as I was. I eventually realized he is a bit shy and reticent. I like him! He’s also rather good looking.
Well, he’s a Darcy, so of course he is! Haha! ”
Mamie gave Elizabeth a light tap on the arm but smiled. “Yes, I could see the similarity to your father and brother. The tall, dark good looks. I saw a young lady at the top of the stairs as we were leaving. I imagine that was your cousin Georgiana. She had the look of a Fitzwilliam about her.”
“There was a girl?! I did not see her. I wonder why she did not come down?”
“Her hair and dress were those of a girl not yet out. It would be typical for her to remain above stairs unless she was invited down.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth frowned. “I wonder if she will be included in supper tomorrow. I would like to meet her. She is family also.”
Madeline leaned forward and patted her hand.
“Things are quite rigid within the upper echelons, where the Darcys of Pemberley come from. His uncle is an Earl, and so was his grandfather on his mother’s side.
Your family is not titled, but they marry into the peerage quite regularly, from what I understand.
A young lady of that circle, not being out, often will stay above stairs until she has her come out. ”
“Hmmm…I wonder how well I will fit in with that side of my family. My Bennet cousins always seem ‘down to earth’ in their letters. Lizzy describes traipsing all over the countryside and enjoying all their neighbors. Are the Bennet girls all out? Lizzy has never mentioned.”
“If Fanny was still alive, they likely would be, but since Jane took over as the lady of the house at 18, she refused to let any of her sisters out until they turn 18. She and Lizzy are the only ones who came out at a very early age. Mary will be out this autumn.”
“Oh! Well, I hope to be there for her come out! My father threw a ball for me when I turned 18. There were only about twenty families there, but it was great fun!”
“How old are you now, Elizabeth?”
“I will be one and twenty in May. I am between Jane and Lizzy in age.”
“The perfect age for cousins to be. Oh, before I forget, our seamstress sent over the readymade dresses she hemmed and adjusted for you.”
“Wonderful! I am so very ready to put on color again. I will have something nicer to wear for the dinner at Darcy House tomorrow!”
“With the deep color of your hair, you look very striking in black, but you will look lovely in that lavender silk gown. I will make sure they are packed onto your carriage before you leave. And there is the maid calling us in to dinner now.”
Mr. Gardiner escorted Elizabeth and his wife into dinner, while John escorted Mamie.
They had a wonderful evening of good conversation and fellowship.
The Gardiners were just as Lizzy had described them.
They were very genteel and well educated.
They spoke of travel and the latest plays, of books and museums, and they made plans to all go to the opera together the next week.
Elizabeth and John had never been to an opera and looked forward to it.
~~~~~
The next day Cousin Darcy sent over a note asking them to arrive at 7:00 that evening. One of his Fitzwilliam cousins had arrived in town and wanted to be introduced to them if they did not mind. That was agreeable to all of them, so Elizabeth sent a note back to expect them at the requested time.
Georgiana had been very terse with William the evening before.
She could not believe he did not call her down to meet their American cousin.
He apologized. Said they had lost track of time while getting to know each other, and next thing he knew it was time for them to leave.
He told her everything they had spoken of.
Finding out she was an orphan too made Gigi even more eager to know her cousin.
She would have plenty of time to get to know Elizabeth this evening, so she worried more about what she should wear.
“How do I look, Mrs. Young? I do not look too much like a little girl, do I?”
“You look lovely in that dress, but why do you not let your maid put your hair up? It will look more elegant.”
“I do not believe my brother would approve of that before I am out.”
“It is just for an evening with family. You will be sitting as hostess. You should look like it.”
Georgiana often felt like she was at cross purposes.
Her brother treated her like a little girl, and her companion wanted her to act more as a grown woman.
She never knew quite how to behave. The past couple of years, she never knew how she felt about anything.
She would get angry or cry for no reason at all!
Other times she wanted to run and play like she always had.
Her old governess was not very strict. She was knowledgeable and taught her a great deal.
She was also very kind. Mrs. Young gave the appearance of kindness…
but she would say snide and scathing things when Georgiana behaved in an ‘immature fashion.’ William thought she needed to start learning the manners of the ton, so her governess was retired, and Mrs. Young was hired.
Most of the time she was not so very bad, she was just very strict with her lessons and sometimes contradicted what her brother had told her.
“I would like to see my hair up…if you do not think my brother would mind.”
Gigi was still sitting at her vanity when she heard the booming voice of her cousin, and guardian, Richard. As soon as the last pin was in her hair, she rushed down the stairs to greet him. “Richard! It has been an age! Are you well? Are you in town for long? Will you be staying here?”
“Slow down poppet! Yes, I am well. Yes, I will be staying here. Ratcliff has already taken my things upstairs…and what have you done to your hair?”
“Oh, well, Mrs. Young thought, since I am acting as hostess tonight, I should put my hair up.”
Darcy came gliding in the room and said curtly, “Mrs. Young was incorrect. You will not wear your hair up until your come out. I will speak with her.” He turned his gaze up the stairs where Mrs. Young was still coming down and gave a forbidding frown.
“Mrs. Young, meet me in my study.” He pointed in an imperious way.
“Hello Richard. We are happy to have you back. Would you like to visit your room before our guests arrive, or come to my study to speak to Mrs. Young?”
Georgiana was trying to hold back tears as she spun and ran up the stairs.
“No running Georgiana!” William bellowed and was ignored. “Good lord. Raising a teenage girl is torture, and having her companion countermanding me will not be tolerated! I think we made a mistake with her.”
As William was stomping down the hall to his study, Richard was thinking maybe they had been hasty with hiring Mrs. Young.
They were trying to get hiring a companion out of the way before Richard had to leave for the far north to train new troops.
They did not even check but one of the references.
His mother would be appalled. Luckily, she had never asked.
He slipped in behind his cousin as he was already admonishing the companion.
“Mrs. Young, if you countermand my wishes, just one more time, I will have to let you go. You are here to teach my sister the manners of the ton and correct her comportment. Her governess was quite knowledgeable, but too lax in her training. Young girls, who are not yet out, do not wear their hair up, and do not wear low cut dresses! I made myself quite clear on the manner of her clothing, no matter what the modiste says is in fashion! That I am allowing her to act as my hostess is part of her training, NOT permission for her to act as a grown woman! Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear!”
Unfortunately, the study was on the ground floor, not too far from the entry, and Richard had not closed the door all the way when he came in.
The very loud voice of Mr. Darcy had just started admonishing the companion when his dinner guests arrived.
William’s voice carried, even when he was not upset.
Now, it was clear to half of the house. Radison took their guests outerwear, while Mrs. Radison shooed the maids downstairs.
“I will show you into the gold parlor. Your hosts will be with you shortly.” Ever the professional, Radison led them to the first-floor lounge and poured them all the beverage of their choice.
“I will return shortly. Please make yourself comfortable.”
A short time later, Mr. Darcy and an unknown man entered the parlor. Elizabeth thought Cousin Darcy looked just a bit embarrassed. She had noticed yesterday that he had many of the expressions her brother did. She thought she likely could read him rather well.
“I apologize I was not available to greet you. Please let me introduce my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard, this is my American cousin, Miss Elizabeth Darcy. Her companion Mrs. Mamie Russell, and her man of business, Mr. John Smith.” He just then noticed both the ladies were dressed quite elegantly, and Elizabeth was no longer dressed in black.
“You are no longer in mourning?” Darcy could have hit himself for being so abrupt.
“I have been in half mourning for the past week but had nothing that was not black. Mr. Gardiner hurried his seamstress so I would have something less dour to wear.”
Richard’s ears perked up, “You are not speaking of Edward Gardiner of Gardiner and Associates, are you?”
“Why yes! He is the uncle of my Bennet cousins. Completely by accident, Mamie met Mrs. Gardiner at a teashop the day we arrived. Fate must have lended a hand, because now we have a fashionable wardrobe! How do you know the Gardiners?”
“I invest my army salary with him. His business makes prodigiously good returns. Remember Darcy? I told you about him!”
“This is a very small world indeed.”
Elizabeth looked at her cousin closely. That expression would have been ‘disdain’ on her brother’s face.
Was cousin William prejudiced against tradesmen?
She would watch him closely. Mamie warned her that the classes kept quite separate in England.
She could not approve, but maybe it wasn’t for her to approve or disapprove. This was not her country.
Just then a shy young lady came into the room. She did not look up but for a second. She was blond, and about Elizabeth’s height, or a bit shorter.
“May I introduce my sister? This is Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana, this is our cousin Elizabeth Darcy, her companion Mrs. Russell, and her man of business Mr. Smith. Elizabeth, Mrs. Russell, Mr. Smith, my sister Georgiana.”
Elizabeth barely heard her say, “It is nice to meet you.” Georgiana scarcely looked up at any of them.
Her eyes were a bit red-rimmed. ‘Well, we cannot have this.’ Elizabeth thought and walked straight over to her and grasped both of her hands.
“William said you like to be called Gigi. May I call you Gigi? My family and friends call me Beth. Please do call me that. My brother and I have lived so long without extended family around. I am quite excited to finally meet you both!”
“Ummm...yes...you may call me Gigi. Is your brother not with you?”
“No. Like your brother, when papa died, he was left the responsibility of our estate. It will likely be some time before he can leave it. I am the family emissary. You will have to make do with me.” Beth tried to tease her but did not get the reaction she hoped. Georgiana looked devasted.
“Oh no! I did not mean…I am so happy you are here…you are very welcome…I…I.”
“Gigi, look at me.” The poor girl looked like she was about to burst out in tears, but she did look up.
“I am so pleased to be here, and to know I have such wonderful cousins. I hope we will become the very best of friends. Now! Do tell me who the lovely couple in the painting over there is. Come.” Beth grabbed her by the arm and led her over to the fireplace where a large painting was hung.
They spoke softly while the others in the room began conversations.
Richard and John Smith discussed Mr. Gardiner’s business, while Mamie spoke softly with Darcy.
“Girls of her age can be quite difficult at times, can they not? Beth went through several years where she never knew if she was happy or sad, a lady or still a girl. I barely remember being that age myself, but it is a difficult time in a young lady’s life.
It must be very hard for you to be both brother and father to her. ”
Darcy relaxed slightly, “Yes, it is difficult. I do not know a thing about raising a girl. Her companion seems to want her to grow up too quickly, but what do I really know about it?”
“As the father figure of the household, you set the rules. The companion should follow your orders and discuss with you, privately, if she believes you are too severe. From what little I heard, she was in the wrong. That your sister had an emotional reaction is to be expected and overlooked…in this instance. There are times when you will need to listen to her opinions, and times when you will need to enforce rules. Is there a grown woman who has raised children you can consult? A family member or a close friend?”
“Yes. My Aunt Camile, but…well…I just felt I was failing…”
“By consulting her? Not at all. How would you know about raising a daughter? Ask someone you trust to give good advice and then figure out if it might work for you and your sister. You do not have to know everything, young man.” Mamie tried not to smirk as she gave him a gentle grin.
Just then Radison came in and said, “Dinner is served.”
Even though Darcy really ought to have offered his arm to his cousin, he instead held it out to Mrs. Russell and led her into supper. Beth shrugged and grabbed John’s arm as the Colonel led their hostess, Gigi, into the dining room.