Chapter III #2
‘Their poor families,’ said Lady Lucas quietly.
‘Imagine having a son out there, under such threat.’ She leant over to squeeze Edward’s hand, and he pulled away in embarrassment.
‘I have had friends separated for years from their military husbands, never knowing when the letter might come that brings bad news. I would not wish such a fate on my daughters.’
How particularly Lady Lucas intended those words was not clear to Charlotte. She thought she saw her mother give a side glance to Maria as she spoke, but if she intended the warning for her youngest daughter, it was felt keenly by Charlotte also, and by their guest.
A silence fell after she spoke.
Colonel Fitzwilliam broke it. ‘I agree with you, madam. It is a cruelty, I believe, to ask such a life of someone you love.’
Lady Lucas nodded, satisfied, while Charlotte stared at her plate, deep in thought.
‘There are exceptions, however,’ continued the colonel. ‘Susannah – I mean, Mrs Fontaine – came with us on campaign – through several campaigns actually, to be alongside her husband, Lieutenant Colonel Fontaine.
Charlotte was intrigued. ‘She did? How did she manage it?’
‘No one knows, really; she’s only a slight little thing, not built for that life at all.
But she did it. She was at Salamanca; I mean to say, she was there, in the thick of it.
In the night, she searched the battlefield, tending to those who had fallen but ultimately seeking her husband. She wouldn’t stop until she found him.’
The Lucas family were rapt by the story, awaiting the next sentence.
‘Was he dead?’ asked Edward loudly.
Lady Lucas tutted and shushed him.
Fitzwilliam grinned. ‘No. He was alive but gravely wounded; she took him back and tended to him, and they now live together, here. He does not serve any more.’
‘He was one of the lucky ones,’ said Lady Lucas.
‘In every sense,’ replied Fitzwilliam. ‘Lucky to live, lucky to find someone so devoted. I rather envied him,’ he said, giving a rueful smile.
He bashfully looked down now, the conversation coming to a close; they would soon leave the table. Lady Lucas watched him.
‘Thank you for sparing Alice, Mother. She will be a great help.’
Charlotte and her mother walked the grounds of Lucas Lodge, wrapped up against the late autumn chill. It was not really weather for a turn outside, but Lady Lucas had been rather firm in inviting Charlotte to accompany her.
‘Of course I can spare her, and it is the least nod towards propriety you can afford, Charlotte.’ From her daughter’s letter until this moment, Lady Lucas had not been afforded a chance to speak honestly to her.
She did so now, in no uncertain terms. ‘What are you thinking, Charlotte – travelling half the length of the country with an unmarried man – part of it with no chaperone! What will people say?’
‘It was an unusual circumstance – there was a miscommunication—’
‘Even so, even before this, you had planned to come alone – that, too, is very odd behaviour and not safe.’ She pulled her shawl around her. ‘You seem… different.’
‘If I am different from how you left me, that is exactly what you asked of me.’
‘I do not mean that. I mean, different from the daughter I know. That person would not ride miles in a carriage, either alone or with a stranger.’
‘He is not a stranger.’
‘No, I can see that.’
That stopped Charlotte short. Carefully, she replied, ‘We are neighbours. Over these past months, we have naturally become well acquainted.’
Lady Lucas turned to her daughter with a raised eyebrow.
‘Why do you keep looking at me so?’ cried Charlotte.
Her mother took her hands, standing in front of her. They stood in the same pose as they had almost a year ago, after Mr Collins’s proposal. ‘Charlotte, I will only say this. You are married. You are not wealthy enough to withstand a scandal, and neither are we.’
Charlotte scoffed. ‘And this is what you will “only say”. Mother, honestly—’
‘Let me say my piece first – then you may reply. Think hard on the consequences of any foolishness. The Bennets survived Lydia’s disgrace only because of the good luck of Eliza’s and Jane’s matches.
If a scandal hit our family, Maria’s chances, Edward’s chances, would all be destroyed. Not to mention, you would be ruined.’
‘Mother!’ cried Charlotte. ‘This is too much! Your warning is unnecessary. I value my marriage too highly to—’ She hesitated, then reconfigured her response.
‘And besides, there are no such feelings. You must know me well enough not to doubt it; I am not romantic. I have never had an interest in such matters.’
‘Yes you have. You have. You have not always been as averse to the attentions of men as you claim, or to your own desires. You have learnt to ignore this part of yourself, but you are a woman with feelings, just as I am, and I see some feelings there. I see it, Charlotte.’
Charlotte could not reply. Her mouth was set tight, as if holding in a response.
‘Alice will be with us for the remainder of the journey,’ said Charlotte rather lamely, as to do so seemed a tacit acknowledgment that her mother was right.
Lady Lucas nodded. ‘And I am glad. I really do wish that you enjoy your time away, my darling. I know you need it, and I understand why. Relish it. See your friend, share her joy, take in all that Pemberley has to offer. And then, go home.’ She said the final words with some meaning.
The next day, the carriage was packed and ready by eight, and Fitzwilliam, Charlotte, and Alice made themselves comfortable within it.
Alice, only slightly older than Charlotte, had been with the Lucas family for many years and knew Charlotte well.
She therefore noted the awkwardness between her mistress and her travelling companion, but she decided that was to be expected, given the length of the journey and what she presumed to be a lack of acquaintance between them.
On the second night of the trip, the ladies found lodgings at an inn in Leicester while the colonel stayed at a barracks nearby.
They reunited for the final day’s journey, which held a sense of anticipation for all.
The scenery through the Midlands was stunning, and when the first glimpse of Pemberley came, it was worth the wait.
Charlotte had never seen a house so grand; it rivalled even Rosings in stature, and it held a grace and proportion that Rosings lacked. Alice blew out a whistling sound as she saw it, the first time she had dared utter a sound all journey, and the other pair laughed, agreeing with the sentiment.
As the carriage approached, they were greeted by Darcy, while Elizabeth stood back a little on the drive, with a girl Charlotte assumed to be his sister Georgiana.
Some surprise was expressed at finding no Mr Collins present, and Charlotte received a piercing look of curiosity from Elizabeth.
But it all passed smoothly, and they were welcomed affectionately, Darcy heartily embracing Fitzwilliam which made Charlotte wince slightly on his behalf, considering his injury.
Elizabeth hugged Charlotte closely, giving the latter the opportunity to whisper into her friend’s ear, ‘I like your house.’
‘It is not mine yet.’
They walked idly through the grand entrance of Pemberley, Charlotte looking up and all around. ‘It is as good as yours! How many rooms do you have? Will you sleep in a different bedroom each night?
‘I will certainly try, which is bound to make me popular with the maids.’ Elizabeth grinned. As she led Charlotte into a drawing room, she said quietly but emphatically, ‘You must tell me about your journey…’