Darcy's Delay Before Michaelmas

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Elizabeth Bennet always enjoyed her time with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. Although she preferred the freedom of her country home in Hertfordshire, particularly the ability to take long, unaccompanied walks, the company in London was often preferable to that at Longbourn.

However, her time in London was coming to an end. Two days earlier, her uncle had received a letter from her mother insisting that Elizabeth return home as soon as could be arranged, for “Netherfield has been let at last.”

Elizabeth could only be glad not to have heard the news in person, for she could easily imagine how shrill her mother’s exclamations must have been.

Mrs Bennet knew little about the man leasing the large estate only three miles from Longbourn, the home of the Bennet family for generations, but she had already determined that he must be single, for a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

In truth, Elizabeth had little interest in marriage, or at least not marriage for the same reason her mother would wish her married.

Having spent her life observing her parents’ marriage and comparing it to that of her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth vastly preferred the latter.

Her parents were like oil and water, preferring to spend as little time as possible in each other’s company, rarely mixing unless required.

She did not know why the couple had married, but was convinced that, whatever it had been, it had certainly been the wrong reason.

On the other hand, her aunt and uncle had married for love and did not hesitate to show their affection for one another.

Elizabeth had long ago learnt not to blush when her uncle kissed his wife in front of the family, but their affection was evident in far more than such demonstrations.

It could be heard in the way they spoke to one another and was apparent in the way they considered each other’s wishes.

She had never heard them quarrel, though she had certainly witnessed her aunt angry with her husband.

Even then, Elizabeth had observed that they always managed to settle such matters between themselves.

That morning, Elizabeth watched her aunt and uncle embrace as the Gardiner carriage was being loaded with Elizabeth’s trunk, her aunt’s smaller valise, and several other parcels and hat boxes.

Mr Gardiner drew his wife close and kissed her before releasing her, murmuring something into her ear that caused her aunt to laugh and touch his cheek.

Elizabeth grinned and looked away. Such small displays of affection were so common between her aunt and uncle that she scarcely noticed them any longer, but they remained precisely the sort of marriage she hoped one day to have—if she married at all.

She had long since accepted that, amongst her sisters, Jane was the most likely to marry well, if any of them did.

The Bennet girls had no dowries and little beyond themselves to recommend them, while her mother regularly proclaimed that Jane’s beauty was certain to attract notice.

Still, Jane was two and twenty and had yet to attract a serious suitor—or, if she had, the gentleman quickly ceased his pursuit after meeting Mrs Bennet.

Shaking these thoughts away, Elizabeth made her way to the carriage, accepting the footman’s assistance as she climbed in and took her seat.

Her aunt would accompany her to Longbourn and remain for several days.

In her last letter, Mrs Bennet had entrusted her with a number of purchases that could only be acquired in London, and Mrs Gardiner had readily agreed to deliver them herself and spend a little time with her nieces before returning home.

The purchases included several items for Longbourn’s contribution to the neighbourhood’s annual Harvest Home celebration, including gifts for the tenants, as well as a few things needed for the Michaelmas assembly and other social events expected with the new arrivals to the area.

Her husband would have liked to accompany her, but business prevented him from travelling at present. Instead, he would remain in London, while the children were left in the capable care of their governess and nursery maids, most of them still being too young for such a brief journey.

“Well, Lizzy,” her aunt said as she joined her in the carriage, her cheeks as rosy as a girl’s, “we shall have a pleasant journey, I think. Mr Gardiner was a little concerned about the possibility of rain today, but so far, the morning seems clear.”

Elizabeth looked out the window as the carriage lurched into motion. “I cannot see any clouds, so I trust we shall arrive in Hertfordshire safely enough. I only hope last night’s rain has not made the roads too muddy. Perhaps the worst of it did not fall north of Town.”

Her aunt’s expression softened. “Yes, your uncle expressed a similar concern, which is why he delayed our departure until nearer midday. We shall stop at the Falcon at Waltham Cross, about halfway through our journey, for a brief rest and something to eat, but we should arrive in Meryton well before dinner.”

Before long, the carriage had left London proper behind and entered the countryside. The roads there were considerably worse than they had been in Town, forcing the coachman to slow the horses until the carriage seemed almost to pick its way through the deep ruts and muddy pools.

By the time they arrived at the inn, it was well past midday. To the north, the darkening sky promised a possible storm, and Elizabeth glanced towards it with concern as she and her aunt alighted from the carriage.

“Aunt Maddy, the roads have been difficult enough as it is, but if that—” she indicated the gathering clouds “—reaches us while we are still travelling, we may find ourselves stranded in the middle of the road.”

Aunt Maddy looked in the direction she indicated and obviously noticed what Elizabeth had.

“Yes, I believe we ought to rest longer than we had intended. The inn appears safe enough, and we have our footman and driver with us to offer protection if we need to stay the night. I would prefer not to be stranded upon the road with a broken wheel or anything of that sort if it can be helped.”

She turned and spoke to the coachman for a moment before turning again to Elizabeth.

“Come, Lizzy, let us go inside and see if we can procure a private parlour, and perhaps ask the innkeeper to hold a room for us should it become necessary to stay. I would like to think the storm will not delay us for long, but one can never be certain.”

Elizabeth looped her arm through her aunt’s as they made their way inside. As she had promised, Mrs Gardiner spoke with the innkeeper and made the necessary arrangements. Within a few minutes, they were shown into a private parlour and assured that refreshments would arrive shortly.

While they waited, Elizabeth and her aunt spoke cheerfully of the newest tenant of Netherfield and, more particularly, how Mrs Bennet was likely to react to his arrival.

“Your mother appears quite convinced that Mr Bingley intends to marry one of you,” Aunt Gardiner said, amusement evident in her voice. “Her letter seemed to imply that Jane would be his target and that she expected a wedding before Christmas.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Mama has not yet met the gentleman, but I suspect that is a minor inconvenience for her. She has already determined that he is young, handsome, wealthy, and desperately in need of a wife. And, of course, he and Jane will suit very well.”

Aunt Gardiner chuckled. “She was not so fortunate with the last tenant.”

“Lord and Lady Glenross.” Elizabeth’s eyes warmed at the memory of the couple.

“All that consequence and a wife very much alive and apparently in excellent health. Mama could find no use for him at all. Of course, he was also quite old, but that would not have stopped her. She would have been delighted to have Jane styled as ‘Lady Glenross.’”

Her aunt laughed. “While you seemed to find both Lord and Lady Glenross quite useful. I believe you became rather good friends with them.”

“I liked them,” Elizabeth said simply. “Most particularly Lady Glenross. She was very kind, and her arrival was timely, since Grandmama Bennet had died only a year before. I was missing her something dreadful.”

“You did rather more than like them,” her aunt recalled. “By their second year there, I believe you spent nearly as much time at Netherfield as you did at Longbourn.”

“Mama never realised how close we became,” came Elizabeth’s laughing answer. Her mother had paid little attention to Elizabeth’s friendship with the Glenrosses, and over the four years of their residence, Elizabeth had spent many an entire day at Netherfield in Lady Glenross’s company.

“Naturally not. Neither Lord nor Lady Glenross could marry one of her daughters.”

Elizabeth laughed again, though her expression softened as she thought of the older couple. She had been only fourteen when they first arrived at Netherfield, but Lady Glenross had taken an immediate liking to her, and Elizabeth had quickly returned the affection.

Lord Glenross’s duties in Parliament had required him to remain within reasonable distance of London for much of the year, while his wife had little affection for Town.

Netherfield had therefore proved an agreeable compromise, allowing Lady Glenross the country life she preferred while her husband could travel to London whenever his responsibilities required it.

“I was sorry when they left,” Elizabeth said. “Especially for the reason they left.”

“As was I. Though by then, I believe Lady Glenross wanted nothing more than to return home.”

Elizabeth nodded. “She told me so before they departed. Netherfield had been a pleasant residence, but it was not home. She wished to be in Scotland if—”