Chapter 15 Visit From The Gardiners
In the morning, two days after Darcy left for London, Mr. Bingley and the three Bennet sisters set out to walk toward the pond at the back of the property. The air was bright and fresh, the lawns still glistening from the dew. They had scarcely gone halfway when Bingley stopped and shaded his eyes.
“There is a carriage approaching,” he said. “It is too early to be Darcy.”
All turned to look.
Mary was the first to speak. “It is Uncle Edward!”
At once, the three sisters quickened their steps toward the road. The carriage came to a halt as it reached them, and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner descended from it. There were embraces and affectionate exclamations all around.
Jane turned to the gentleman beside her. “Uncle Edward, allow me to introduce Mr. Charles Bingley, our host here at Netherfield Park.”
After the introductions were made, Elizabeth asked, “Have you come for my wedding?”
Mr. Gardiner smiled. “Yes, Lizzy, we have. We left the children in London with Lydia and their nurse. Your aunt has brought your wedding dress and is most anxious that you should try it on for fitting.”
Elizabeth felt her eyes sting, though she laughed through the sudden emotion. “Did Papa arrange this?”
Aunt Madeline laughed softly. “You know your father too well, Lizzy. He sent us an express. I have brought three gowns for you to try on. You shall decide which one to wear, and we must begin work at once so that it will be ready for the wedding.”
She turned to Mr. Bingley. “You will not mind, sir, if we take Elizabeth away from you for the day? We shall leave Jane and Mary to keep you company.”
Mr. Bingley responded with his usual good humor. “If Miss Elizabeth requires her sisters, I will relinquish their company, though I shall be very sorry to do so.”
Mr. Gardiner laughed at the young man’s sincerity.
“That will not be necessary. We have brought an able seamstress with us. We need only fit Elizabeth to her gowns. From what I understand, it will be a tedious business, and her sisters would be happier remaining in your company, sir, on such a fine morning.”
The Gardiners excused themselves, and Mr. Gardiner handed the ladies into the carriage. Soon, they were rolling up the drive toward the mansion.
Aunt Gardiner looked grave as the carriage moved along. “Elizabeth, we know very little, only that you have been compromised.”
Elizabeth’s composure gave way. She burst into tears and buried her face against her aunt’s shoulder.
Between sobs, she poured out the entire story, how she had fled the ball in anger, how Mr. Collins had found her alone, and how her father had insisted that she must marry to save her reputation and those of her sisters.
“I begged Papa to let me come to you,” she cried, “so that I might find employment, but he said that if I did not marry, all my sisters would be ruined as well. And so I must marry a man who does not care for me.”
Her sobs grew heavier until she could speak no more. Mrs. Gardiner looked anxiously at her husband.
“Perhaps we should stop the carriage until Elizabeth has regained her composure,” she said softly.
Mr. Gardiner rapped on the roof with his walking stick, and the coachman drew the horses to a halt. They alighted and walked together to a stand of trees, located just off the road.
After a few minutes, Elizabeth began to speak again, her voice steadier now.
Her relations listened in silence as she told all that had passed, from Mr. Darcy’s insult at the Meryton Assembly to the repetition of a second insult at the Netherfield ball.
She told of her withdrawal to the library and the compromising situation in which Sir William found her.
When she finished, she drew a shuddering breath.
“Mr. Darcy told Papa and Sir William Lucas that we were already betrothed, and that therefore I could not marry Mr. Collins. Aunt, I could not have married Mr. Collins; he is not a gentleman. As for Mr. Darcy, he once said I was tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt him to dance. Another time, he made a jest to the Netherfield party, saying that Mama had more wit than I had beauty. You can imagine how dreadful that makes me feel, and yet he is the man I am to marry at the end of the week. I blame this entire embroglio on Mr. Collins and Sir William Lucas.” She stopped speaking while she sobbed, then, after a moment, looked at her aunt.
“Well, to be completely honest with you, I must also take some blame on myself, for I was so angry that I lost command of my own emotions and ran into an empty room and left myself open to compromise.”
Her aunt and uncle were silent for some moments.
At last, Mrs. Gardiner said gently, “It is a sad business, Lizzy, but if this Mr. Darcy is indeed from Derbyshire, if he is the master of Pemberley, then he is a man of immense fortune and consequence. That must explain why your father sent so large a draft and required that we bring you a gown fit for a wealthy gentleman’s bride. ”
All three of the day dresses were lovely. Elizabeth ran the silk between her fingers. “Aunt, I have never owned such an expensive day gown, let alone three.”
“It is not every day that you marry the master of Pemberley, my dear. Which do you prefer?”
Elizabeth studied the gowns as they hung in the dressing room. “They are all lavish, expensive silks, but I believe I would like to wear this soft rose-colored gown with the lace overlay.”
“It is a fine choice, Lizzy,” said Mrs. Gardiner.
“The seamstress will arrive in about an hour. Your father will send her in the carriage. I brought you slippers to match each dress, silk stockings, ribbons, gloves, and this little pearl circlet to wear in your hair.” She placed it in Elizabeth’s hand.
“It is lovely, Aunt, simple yet elegant, not ostentatious, such as something Mamma would select.” The two ladies grinned at each other.
Mrs. Gardiner pulled out several night shifts. “These are for your wedding night, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth flushed. “Aunt, it will be months before I have a wedding night. Mr. Darcy agreed to allow me to wait, since we have not had a courtship yet. We do not know one another, and he does not even like me. Remember, he does not think me attractive. To him, I am only tolerable. It makes me wonder about the London beauties he is accustomed to. They must all be as beautiful and elegant as Miss Bingley, but more amiable, for though she is handsome and her hair striking, her dress always expensive and elegant, he does not like her at all.”
“Nonetheless, Elizabeth,” said Mrs. Gardiner, “you must bear in mind that once you are married, if he is faithful to his vows, he may not look to another except for you. If you withhold yourself from him, you may push him to seek solace elsewhere. I do not understand why you must wait months.”
Elizabeth was struck silent. “Aunt, I do not want my husband to look elsewhere. But I do not yet know Mr. Darcy, and he does not like me. How long do you suppose I have before he strays?”
“A man who is welcomed regularly into his wife’s bed is unlikely to stray, especially if you are both in love.
Or, if you do not love him yet, you may still meet his needs and be welcoming to his caresses.
But if you are cold and withholding, he may indeed stray.
In your situation, if you speak openly to him, he will be more likely to wait until you are ready.
My dear Lizzy, I have every confidence that you can keep the lines of communication open with your husband.
You are one of the most articulate girls I know, as well as spirited and brave.
You can do this for both your sakes. Will you make me a pledge to try?
Speak to him every day and keep those conversations going.
If you do, you will know him better than most couples know each other, for most do not try to understand one another. ”
Elizabeth considered this. “Like my parents. They never speak. Papa makes jests at Mama’s expense, and she argues with him, but they do not know or understand one another.”
“Just so, my dear. You have taken my meaning. Lizzy, do not make him wait longer than two months, and each day give him hope that you will welcome him to your bed very soon.”
Elizabeth grew thoughtful. “Yes, Aunt, I will. I will make it my first duty each day to speak with him, that we may come to know one another as soon as possible. But if he finds me repellent, Aunt, I do not know what I shall do, how I shall bear it.”
“Lizzy, to be honest, I do not understand how any man could find you repellent. It is simply not possible. But since I have not yet seen the two of you together, I will reserve judgment. I must tell you, my dear, of the nature of intimate relations between a man and a woman. I would not have you face your first night with your husband completely unprepared.”
The conversation that followed was intensely embarrassing, yet when it was over, Elizabeth expressed her gratitude. “Aunt Maddie, I do not know how I have reached the age of twenty without any knowledge of something so basic to procreation.”
“Lizzy, you do not have a home farm, you have never been allowed to keep hounds, and your father owns but one horse. In other words, all of you have been very sheltered. I am not surprised you have reached this age without any such understanding. Do you have any other questions before we return to Longbourn? Your uncle must be anxious to be off; he cannot sit still for long.”
“No, but if I think of anything, I would like to be able to ask you later. May I?”
“Of course, my dear. Now come, escort me out of this great house.”