Chapter 23 #2
The coach came to a halt in front of a house, and one of the footmen efficiently extended the step and opened the door. He offered his white-gloved hand to help the lady from the cabin. He then assisted the maid as well.
Elizabeth approached the front door and did not need to knock because it was opened as soon as she climbed to the second of four steps leading to a relatively large area before the front door but smaller than one would term a verandah.
“Miss Bennet?” the butler verified.
“Indeed, I am Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” Elizabeth confirmed. She waited as the butler took her outerwear, and then she and the maid—she had learnt her name was Jenny on the way to Matlock House—followed the butler into the house to a very grand staircase.
When the butler reached the first floor, he turned right and stopped at a set of double doors. He rapped once and entered when bidden to do so. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” the man intoned. He stood aside and allowed the lady to enter.
“Lady Elaine, Lady Catherine,” Elizabeth greeted as she curtsied to the ladies. As would be expected, Lady Catherine was in black.
“Elizabeth dear, your maid may go to the kitchens and wait until she is informed it is time to join you again. Catherine and I will be with you at all times so propriety will be observed,” Lady Elaine stated.
She pulled a cord which rang a bell. The housekeeper soon entered and guided the maid out of the room. “Please be seated.”
There were many open places to sit, but Elizabeth chose one opposite the sisters-in-law.
“I am aware that it is your family who are the new owners of Rosings Park,” Lady Catherine said evenly.
“Is life not full of ironies? There I sat in my gilded chair, trying to crow like I did to any who entered my domain. You were the only one, other than my insolent nephews, who had the gumption to stand up to me, albeit with perfect manners. Ironically, now, it is you and your family who own the estate.” Lady Catherine paused as she looked at Miss Bennet speculatively.
“I neither intimidated you nor impressed you, did I?”
“I have been told, perhaps once or twice, that I can be a touch impertinent,” Elizabeth responded. “I always tried to be respectful while seeking to find entertainment at the same time.”
“You are nothing like I first thought,” Lady Catherine remarked. “If what I heard is true, then you have a strength of character second to none. Did my nephew Darcy propose to you, and did you turn him down flat?”
“That did occur, yes,” Elizabeth owned. “All of the Fitzwilliams and Mr Darcy are familiar with the facts; they could have enlightened you.”
“That is true, but since my daughter went to her final reward, they have not wanted to say anything in my presence that they thought would upset me,” Lady Catherine related. “Do not look at me so, Elaine; you know it is true.”
Lady Elaine looked away, acknowledging that Catherine’s words were correct.
“I knew that you would not dissemble to me; hence, I requested your presence,” Lady Catherine continued.
“Had I known of it before Anne was close to her end, I would have accosted you with the nonsense that Fitzwilliam was engaged to my late daughter. He never was. I was only speaking of my desires and not facts. That you turned him down, given his wealth and connections, speaks loudly to the strength of character you possess. If I may ask, why did you refuse him?”
“It may sound silly to you, but my older sister and I pledged to never marry without respect and love. I did not love or respect your nephew; in fact, at the time I quite disliked him…” Elizabeth stopped when she heard Lady Elaine almost snort as she tried to control her laughter.
“That is a little bit of an understatement, is it not?” Lady Elaine postulated. “Would you not say that your feelings were close to hate? Oh, and we should not forget that he insulted you before you were ever introduced.”
Now it was Lady Catherine’s turn to have her eyebrows shoot up. “Explain,” was her succinct command.
Elizabeth did so. She began her tale with the assembly but left out certain facts which she was aware had not been shared publicly. “In fairness, we have apologised to one another and agreed to begin again. It is fair to say that we are on our way to becoming friends.”
The sisters-in-law shot each other knowing looks.
Without being aware what the other was thinking, they both thought that Miss Elizabeth would be the making of their taciturn nephew.
Lady Catherine was finally willing to think of Fitzwilliam aligned with a woman who was not her daughter, or failing that, the daughter of a noble.
“There is also another reason for my request. On more than one occasion, you have shown me warmth, compassion, and kindness when you had no reason to do so,” Lady Catherine said to change the subject.
“As I said then, I had done nothing to gain your approbation.
The generosity of spirit you showed me was what I needed at my lowest point when I was questioning my purpose in continuing to live in the mortal world.
I did not know who I was when I was no longer a mother or the mistress of Rosings Park.
Your tenderness showed me that there was much for me to live for.
“As hard as it has been to give up my position at Rosings Park, I am pleased that you are part of the family who will live there now. At least you will not have to put up with the man who I should have never preferred to the Hunsford living. I do not celebrate his death, but I am aware that I erred with him.”
Hearing Catherine admit she was wrong about something caused Lady Elaine’s jaw to drop in surprise.
“Close your mouth, Elaine,” Lady Catherine jested. “It is not so uncommon for me to own that I made a mistake, is it?”
“I have not heard you do so before,” Lady Elaine returned.
“We leave for Rosings Park in about ten days. When we arrive there, Papa will begin looking for a good man to take the living,” Elizabeth related. “Perhaps you have a recommendation I can pass on to my father?”
“I think we can all agree I am not the best person to help chuse a parson for Hunsford,” Lady Catherine jested self-deprecatingly.
“However, the curate who would stand in for your late cousin when he was away, Mr Nicholas Hoult, did not please me then because he refused to allow me to change or write his sermons for him and no amount of browbeating made him relent. He is like you, Miss Elizabeth; he knows his own mind. He is the curate at St Kentigern’s Church in Westerham.
As loath as I was to admit it at the time, he is loved by the parishioners, whereas Mr Collins was reviled. ”
“I will pass the information onto my father. I am sure he will interview Mr Hoult,” Elizabeth responded gratefully.
“It is certain that your mother will want to redecorate the manor house. I know that how it is decorated is not for everyone,” Lady Catherine stated wistfully.
Lady Elaine had to fight the giggles which bubbled up at Catherine’s understatement.
“Mamma will reserve judgement until she sees the mansion,” Elizabeth said diplomatically. “We are having Longbourn’s manor house practically rebuilt, so I am sure my mother will want to concentrate on the décor in that house first.”
“You are wasted as a young lady. You should have been a politician in the House of Lords or the Commons,” Lady Catherine said with a smile. “I wanted no one to be in doubt of my wealth, but now when I look at it, I can see that that was rather gauche of me.”
Soon enough, Lady Elaine called for tea, and they were joined by her husband and second son.
Sometime after tea, Elizabeth departed. She left the house with a newfound respect, and if she was honest, a little affection for Lady Catherine.
Elizabeth did not know if it was the loss of her daughter or the house, or a bit of both, which had caused such a change in Lady Catherine.
In the end, it was unimportant. As she was now, it was pleasant to be around her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Jane found almost nothing she wanted to change at Hadlock House in Portman Square. Lady Edith had helped Jamey redecorate two years past, and as far as Jane was concerned, all had been done in a style that she would have chosen for herself.
The only change she wished for was the furniture in the mistress’s chambers. The wood was far too dark for Jane’s taste. Jamey had assured his beloved that she had nothing to be contrite over when she had apologised for making any changes.
As Hadlock was in Derbyshire, very close to the Derbyshire – Staffordshire border, Jane was not sure she would see it before she arrived there as Jamey’s wife.
Every time Jane thought of her future with Jamey, she could not but smile.