Chapter 24
Lady Elizabeth Bennet-Fitzstuart came alive at the principal country seat, Kennington Castle.
It was, in truth, a large manor house adorned with turrets and towers to appear as a castle.
The original house had been a hunting lodge for King Charles II and had been expanded substantially by the fourth Duke, who added the castle-like embellishments.
For a finishing touch, he directed water from the Thames to form a moat around the house.
As a result, much of the house was newly built, and the ten thousand acres of ground originally used for the monarch’s hunting pleasure were left rugged and untamed.
“Our benefactor was definitely whimsical. I do not complain, however. This place is magical—a castle and yet so modern—not drafty at all, and so vast! This estate is larger than the whole of Meryton! I can spend my entire life here and not have enough time to explore every niche. I do hope papa will prevail in securing the dukedom,” Elizabeth said to Jane as they walked in the walled garden, a fantasyland filled with fresh spring flowers everywhere.
Jane smiled and said, “I love this garden, but how can I forget the one at Longbourn so soon? And our life there?”
“Do not blame yourself. It is only natural that we love the beauty God created.” Elizabeth looked around her. “Even the cultivated plants are so sensibly arranged that they augment nature without imposing an awkward taste.”
Jane nodded absentmindedly, looking into the distance.
“What is the matter, Jane? Are you homesick for Longbourn and miss our friends in Meryton?”
Jane looked resigned and turned to face Elizabeth.
“Lizzy, I have kept nothing from you since we were children. I shall not start now.”
Jane paused, and Elizabeth knew not to interrupt.
“I was surrounded by young, and not so young men after our elevation, and so many have vanished since papa’s right to inherit was challenged not ten days ago. Through all of this, you have shown no sign of even noticing. How do you remain so indifferent?”
“I am not indifferent; I am detached. Finding out that we are descended from royalty, albeit on the wrong side of the blanket, and having all this grandeur at our disposal seems so much… like a fanciful stage-play, and we are characters in it. No matter how real everything around us appears, and how immersed we are in the story, deep down are our true selves, watching every step, every expression we display to be sure that everyone in the audience will judge us well. At the end of the night, we wash away the powder, remove the wig, and go back to who we really are, prepared for when we will inevitably be called to play our character again. For me, I could be transported back to Longbourn in an instant to resume my life there and not regret any of this. But when we are here, there is no reason to repine the past… oh, Jane, is it possible that you are not mourning the past, but someone in your past?”
Jane looked resigned rather than startled when so directly confronted. She sighed deeply and said, “Lizzy, ‘All the world’s a stage.’ Have I quoted correctly?”
Elizabeth knew Jane was stalling and waited patiently. Jane never quoted Shakespeare.
Jane sighed again. For a young woman known for her even temper, she displayed an unusual amount of turmoil.
“You know me better than I know myself. Papa does, as well. He learned from Mr. Darcy what had happened after the Netherfield ball. Mr. Darcy had advised Mr. Bingley to wait until he was sure about his feelings before declaring himself to me. Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley was called away due to a family emergency in the north. He wanted to come to call on me at Longbourn when he got back, but he was delayed because his elderly aunt, the person he had hurried north to see, died, and he had to stay to take care of her legacy. Mr. Darcy said Mr. Bingley was still a young man and had been impetuous about matters of the heart in the past. He very recently returned to London, and I actually saw him…”
“Jane!”
“It was an accident, or it could have been intentional on his part—I do not know. I saw him through the window as he was pacing in front of Northampton House. Papa said he was given Mr. Bingley’s card.”
“Why did papa talk to Mr. Darcy about Mr. Bingley? Did Mr. Darcy try to exonerate Mr. Bingley’s ungentlemanly behavior?”
“Oh no. Papa thanked Mr. Darcy for all his help and his constancy of friendship to our family, unlike another young man of Mr. Darcy’s acquaintance.
You know papa cannot help being sarcastic.
This prompted Mr. Darcy to explain the circumstances under which Mr. Bingley had left so abruptly.
It is also possible that Mr. Bingley’s sisters neglected to convey any information about me to their brother during his absence. ”
“And papa felt you should know this?”
“Yes. Since papa’s elevation, he has seemed…
far more concerned about our well-being instead of caring only about his books and, perhaps, you.
He brought up the topic of my future marital prospects because of the large number of young men surrounding me every time I was out in public and was curious whether I had found someone I might favor.
He mentioned that my partiality for Mr. Bingley had been quite apparent.
Lizzy, was I such a shameless flirt even papa could see? ”
“Papa is observant, despite his exuding an air of indifference. I am not surprised he saw the depth of your feelings, even though others may be oblivious. Jane, I have been asking continually whether you still hold Mr. Bingley in high regard, for I could sense that you have not forgotten him, even though you deny it. So, none of the multitude of men pursuing you has any hope of gaining your affection?”
“I do not know my own mind. Just now, you described our lives as staged. That aptly explains how I view these gentlemen. I smile at them, and they smile back. I cannot tell one from the other. They are all important men from distinguished families, and they single me out because I am from an even more distinguished family than theirs. If you count how many who no longer court my favor since the birth of the potential heir, you will know I am right. Papa said there was no rush for me to marry. I have the luxury of waiting for my one true love because papa was sure that he would win the court battle for his inheritance. He feels this way because of his confidence in Mr. Darcy. He also said Mr. Darcy did not know whether Mr. Bingley had meant to convey his regrets for leaving so abruptly as Mr. Darcy himself became occupied with his own sudden marriage.”
“How did you feel when you saw Mr. Bingley walking in front of our house?”
“My heart leaped! I am very confused. I have been trying so hard to forget him and even believed myself to have succeeded. Yet, seeing him obviously seeking an interview made me glad… and comforted.”
“Dearest Jane, could it be that Mr. Bingley is a link to a time when you felt comfortable? If that is the case, tell papa and he could invite Mr. Bingley to visit us here at Kennington Castle. Without the gossipy eyes of the ton watching, you could sort things out and be at peace with your feelings.”
“No, that would be too obvious. Besides, what if I decide he is not the one for me after all? That would be extremely awkward.”
Jane paused for a long while, but Elizabeth did not interrupt because Jane was not finished speaking her thoughts.
“Even if I decide he is the man who will make me happy, then what? He is still from trade.”
“Where there is a will, there is a way. Let me propose a potential solution for your dilemma: papa can invite Mr. Darcy to bring Mr. Bingley with him next time he comes to visit, which should not rouse any suspicion as these two gentlemen are friends.”
Elizabeth lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Papa just needs to hint at the invitation being extended only to Mr. Bingley and not his sisters.”
Jane looked uncomfortable hearing that but did not object. Elizabeth continued. “Afterwards, if you decide in favor of Mr. Bingley, all will be well. As a ducal family, we have more leeway in whom we marry, as we cannot climb much higher…”
“Will mamma agree with you?”
It was Elizabeth’s turn to think for a long moment.
“Mamma may have initial objections. On the other hand, she is not yet familiar with the ways of the haute ton and has not formed a disdain for… people of a lower rung of society, no matter how much she proclaims that we must marry dukes. When our ducal future is not yet set in stone, she may be persuaded, but that may not be possible once it is certain papa is the only heir to the dukedom.”
“And if I decide against Mr. Bingley?”
“Then life goes on. After showering you with marked attention, he simply disappeared—for whatever reason. It would be fair for you to have your turn to decide against him. Since he is in a different sphere, the chances of your seeing each other would be small. Mr. Darcy can be discreet in his invitations to gatherings where we shall be present.”
Jane did not answer. Finally, she murmured unconvinced, “Fair.”
“Jane, you have seemed burdened since papa’s elevation. You used to be the most serene person in the world. Perhaps doing something out-of-character will allow you to regain your tranquility.”
“In truth, I have felt unsettled since last November, well before papa’s inheritance.
Lizzy, you always know what to do, no matter what happens.
Even all this,” Jane swept her arm around the enormous garden, “has not made you shrink back. Not even papa is as unaffected by our new circumstances. Mary and Kitty are so overawed that they are willing to forgo society to pursue their interests at home; Lydia went to the other extreme, embracing her new status to the point of being arrogant—uncharitable, even. I am heartened that she has taken to seminary life so well. She did not object too much to going back to school after visiting Kennington Castle this past week. Mamma seems uncertain about everything, so different from the assertive mistress of Longbourn she had been. You, of all of us, carry on as if nothing had happened.”
“You have heard me say often enough that my courage rises at every attempt to intimidate me. It is also possible my mind is in such constant turmoil that you have never seen me calm and composed!”
Jane could not help laughing out loud at Elizabeth’s proclamation.
“Oh, Lizzy, you are being silly. You are lively without being brash. I wish I could learn that. Well, you have diverted me from the ever-present anxiety I have been feeling these past months. Come, let us go over to Kitty and see how she is getting on with her drawing.”
Elizabeth followed, but her own comment had sent her mind into upheaval.
Since Mr. Darcy had left to rescue her maid’s betrothed, she had not seen him.
Unfortunately, she could not keep him out of her mind.
His saving nine young men wholly unconnected to him out of the goodness of his heart was such an uncommonly noble act that she simply could not help admiring him.
She had dressed with particular care for the Richmond Ball, and when he had not shown, the disappointment she had felt was so acute that, for the first time, she understood that her admiration for the master of Pemberley could be considered more than proper.
He is married!
According to his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, he had gone directly to Rosings.
When he came to Northampton House at the summons of her father, she had already gone ahead to Kennington Castle with her mother and sisters.
Deep down, she had this inexplicable yearning to see him, his handsome face and noble bearing, and to breathe in his goodness…
his honor, justice, and good humor. Unlike Jane, she, regrettably, could tell no one about her irrepressible longing for a married man.