Chapter 40 Visit to Heathwood Park
“Mamma, I have brought Miss Mary Bennet for a visit. I wish to present her to you.”
Mr. Lewis crossed the drawing room to where his mother sat near the window. Offering his arm, he helped her rise carefully from her chair. Meanwhile, Mary had come forward, Elizabeth close behind her.
“Miss Bennet,” he said with quiet formality, “may I present my mother, Mrs. Emily Lewis?” He took Mary’s hand and turned toward his mother. “Mamma, this is Miss Mary Bennet of Hertfordshire. She is visiting Mr. and Mrs. Darcy at Pemberley for the summer months.”
Then, glancing at Elizabeth, he added, “And this is her elder sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.”
Both women curtsied. Elizabeth studied Mrs. Lewis with keen interest. The lady still retained much of her beauty; her wavy dark hair was only lightly touched with gray, and Isabella, she saw at once, was the very image of her mother.
Yet Elizabeth noticed a stiffness in Mrs. Lewis’s movements and wondered about the cause of her limp.
“Please, sit down,” Mrs. Lewis said graciously. James guided Mary to a seat on the sofa nearest his mother’s chair, while Elizabeth and Isabella took a settee opposite.
“James, will you ring for tea, son?” Mrs. Lewis asked, then turned to Mary. “Miss Bennet, where in Hertfordshire do you reside? I have an old school friend who lives in Meryton.”
Mary’s brows lifted. Elizabeth leaned forward slightly, curious to hear.
“May I know your friend’s name, Mrs. Lewis? Perhaps I am acquainted with her,” Mary said politely.
“Mrs. Harriet Talbot.”
Mary’s eyes brightened. “Indeed, Mrs. Talbot is our near neighbor, ma’am. Her granddaughter married my father’s heir not two months ago.”
Mrs. Lewis smiled. “And how is my dear Harriet?”
“She is very well, Mrs. Lewis. We see her at church each Sunday and regularly call upon her with my mother.”
When the footman had been summoned and tea ordered, James resumed his seat beside Mary, assisting the conversation between the two women.
On the settee, Elizabeth leaned closer and spoke softly to Isabella. “How do you hold up, my friend?”
The young lady’s face glowed. She whispered confidentially, “I am extremely ecstatically happy.”
Isabella’s face was serene, and Elizabeth wondered at her composure.
How can she be so calm, she thought, when the men we love may face danger because of this marriage?
Observing Isabella’s calm demeanor, Elizabeth forced herself to relax.
Because Mr. Lewis sat only a short distance away, and apparently engrossed in conversation with Mary and his mother, she still judged it wisest to avoid any mention of the impending nuptials, lest he overhear.
“Did you go away to school,” she asked with a smile, “or were you educated at home?”
Isabella’s eyes sparkled, and she asked confidentially, “Is a change of topic safer, my friend?”
Elizabeth replied in a whisper. “Yes, I fear being overheard. I confess I am not so sanguine as you are regarding the impending event. Need I be concerned?”
Isabella’s brow puckered. “I do not believe so, not if you and your sister are present when the announcement is made.”
“Then you may depend upon us,” Elizabeth said earnestly. “I desire nothing more than to promote peace and happiness, a celebration of wedded bliss, not a family feud.”
Isabella nodded. “If there are three of us women, I think all will be well.” Her eyes sparkled, and her tone lightened with amusement. “Now, as for my education, I had a governess.”
The two continued to speak quietly while James drew his mother and Mary into comfortable conversation.
When the visit concluded, James was satisfied. He handed the ladies into the carriage, then mounted his horse to escort them back to Pemberley.
As they arrived, Elizabeth said, “Do you ladies wish to go up to bathe and change your gowns before dinner?”
Both agreed, and the three women ascended the staircase together.
“Did you enjoy your visit, Mary?” Isabella asked.
“Yes,” Mary replied hesitantly, “but I am not certain your mother liked me.”
“Why do you think so?” Isabella asked. “Did she say anything unkind?”
“No, not at all,” Mary said quickly, “but she did not seem very pleased with the introduction or the ensuing conversation.”
Isabella paused thoughtfully on the landing.
“I should have warned you, my mother broke her leg some years ago in a riding accident. It never healed well, and she suffers from constant arthritic pain. She will not take laudanum, so she bears it as best she can. If she appeared strained, it was on that account.”
Both sisters expressed their sympathy.
Isabella added kindly, “From what I heard of your conversation, she seemed pleased. If you accept my brother’s hand, she will be very happy indeed.
She longs to see him settled and his nursery established.
If he were to die unexpectedly, the estate would pass to a distant cousin who has never cared for our family. ”
Mary looked troubled. “Why does he dislike you?”
“We have never met,” Isabella replied, “but perhaps he resents that my father and brother stood before him in the line of inheritance. His branch is a very distant one.”
They reached the upper landing, and Mary turned into her room. Isabella continued down the passage with Elizabeth.
“Elizabeth,” she said in a low voice, “do not fail us. You will stand as our witnesses even in the face of my brother’s anger?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied, “Fitzwilliam has said as much. Will the wedding be here, at the Lambton church?”
“Yes, under complete secrecy,” Isabella whispered. “Otherwise, my brother might create a disturbance or stop it altogether.”
“Do you know why he dislikes Richard so much?” Elizabeth asked.
“I have no idea. They were childhood friends, but a quarrel arose when they were at university, and since then, my brother has hated him.”
Elizabeth placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “Be assured, we will stand up with you at the church and again when the announcement is made. My only fear is that your brother will discover the plan before the seven days have elapsed.”
“If he does,” Isabella said gravely, “I am prepared to elope. I have waited for Richard since I was eighteen. I refuse to wait another year; I can scarcely wait these seven days.”
Elizabeth smiled faintly. “Then I shall keep my distance from your brother. My treacherous eyes will not betray us. But, Isabella, take care not to spend too much time with Richard. Your brother’s attentions are fixed upon my sister at present, but he may yet notice your absences, grow suspicious, and remove you from Pemberley altogether. ”
“Yes, that is my fear as well,” Isabella sighed. “I shall spend my time with you and Mary this week to protect our secret.” She turned toward her chamber. “I will remain in my room for the next hour and will join you downstairs for dinner. I mean to bathe and rest a little.”
Elizabeth watched her go, a quiet fear stirring within her. What would the marriage between Richard and Isabella bring to them all, happiness in their union or turmoil born of Mr. Lewis’s wrath?
She entered her own bedchamber with relief and asked Ellis to prepare hot water for her bath. As the maid withdrew, there came a soft tap upon the door. Ellis opened it to reveal Mary, hesitantly standing on the threshold.
“Lizzy, have you a few minutes to speak with me?”
“Of course, my dear. Come in.” Elizabeth gestured toward the fire. “What is it?”
Mary’s expression was troubled. “Lizzy… what did you think of Heathwood Park?”
Elizabeth looked at her curiously. “It was very grand.”
Mary wrung her hands. “That is just it. I am not grand enough to be the mistress of such an estate.”
Elizabeth smiled and led her sister to the couch. “Come, tell me what you fear.”
Mary sank beside her. “You know how to manage servants, to keep the household ledgers, and prepare menus. You were forced to perform many of those duties for years when Mamma meant to punish you. Instead, she did you a service, for you learned how to manage a household. I… I am not so capable. I have spent a little time with Mamma, but she could be reserved with those she did not favor. At my insistence, she taught me a little, yet Heathwood is far larger than Longbourn. And I have never visited tenants. Mamma did not allow me to go with you and Jane.”
Elizabeth took her sister’s hand. “Never mind, Mary. It is true that Heathwood Park is larger, but the work will not be more difficult, only more of it. You will learn in time. Mrs. Lewis is still living; ask her to instruct you. It would please her, and she will respect you for your humility. As for the grandeur of the house, it is no greater than Pemberley, and you have comported yourself elegantly here. Behave as though you were still at Pemberley, and before long, you will feel quite at home.”
Mary’s lips trembled. Elizabeth continued softly, “If Mr. Lewis believes you good enough to be his wife, then you must also believe yourself worthy. There is no hurry, my dear. Take all the time you need to know him better. His estate is not far; perhaps he will invite us again. Each visit will make you more comfortable, unless, of course, his mother should turn against you. In that case, the sooner you learn it, the better. You will then see whether Mr. Lewis will stand by you, and if he does not, you may refuse his hand without regret.”
Mary nodded slowly. “Yes, I will take my time before I give him an answer. I shall ask for another visit to his home. His mother seemed very strained with me, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth thought back over the afternoon.
“I did not notice any particular reserve on her part. When next we visit, I will pay closer attention. In the meantime, you will accompany me when I meet with Reynolds and Cook. I will review the ledgers with you, and we can visit the tenants together. It is not difficult work, Mary. You will learn quickly because you are Papa’s daughter.
Remember what I said before. He is very intelligent, and we are his daughters.
And, as for his mother’s arthritis, let us spend some time in the stillroom.
We can make a blend of powders for her to ease her pain.
You shall take it, prettily dressed in a jar, and present it yourself. ”
Mary rose, her face brightening. “Thank you, Lizzy. Will learning how to run a household take longer than one summer?”
Elizabeth pressed her sister’s hand. “Not at all. You will take notes of all you learn. It will be very similar to writing the extracts of the books you read. I believe that if you spend every day for a month with me, and if your notes are complete, you will have a guide to follow when you have your own home to run. My little sister shall not enter the married state in ignorance of household matters. We shall begin tomorrow morning. You shall accompany me when I confer with Mrs. Reynolds.”
Before returning his mount to the stables, Mr. Lewis stopped to speak with the butler.
“Walters, has the American visitor arrived?”
“Yes, sir,” the butler replied. “The gentlemen are out on the shooting range, testing the rifles.”
“Thank you. I will join them there.”
Lewis mounted once more and rode toward the range. When he arrived, the men were still engaged in target practice. He dismounted and handed the reins to a waiting footman.
“See that he is watered,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
Lewis walked across the field to join the others. Hurst turned as he approached.
“Lewis! Allow me to introduce Mr. John Dudley, of Massachusetts. He brings these remarkable rifles for our inspection.”
Lewis bowed slightly. “A pleasure, sir.”
Hurst handed over the firearm he had been using. “Would you care to try it?”
Lewis examined the polished weapon and accepted it with a nod, but his attention was soon drawn to Richard, who stood a little distance away, loading another of the Americans’ rifles.
The colonel’s easy manner, the casual strength of his stance, and the self-assurance with which he handled the weapon, all of it grated.
Lewis’s expression hardened. Matters with his mother and the woman he hoped to marry had gone smoothly enough; if only he could keep the colonel at a distance from his sister, he might yet be at peace.
He resolved to keep a watchful eye upon the pair.
At least for today, the man was not living in Isabella’s pocket.
Richard, meanwhile, had caught the direction of Lewis’s glare. He grunted softly and muttered to himself, “It will not be long now before you have no power over Isabella. When she bears my name, perhaps you will learn civility at last.”
Richard turned away, set his jaw, and loaded the weapon once more. The next shot rang clean and true, echoing across the Derbyshire hills.