Chapter 4. Miss Gardiner’s Arrival
The carriage stopped outside of the grand house in Mayfair, the most affluent residential area in London, and the two passengers stepped down to the street.
From the window of his office, Fitzwilliam Darcy noticed the young woman’s appearance and her face–not symmetrical but interesting.
She was dressed appropriately for a social call though her clothes were not new.
‘Why do I think ladies wear new gowns each time they call at my home?’ he wondered for a moment before the image of Caroline Bingley appeared in his mind. ‘Miss Bingley keeps two dressmakers in business the whole of the season with her never-ending demand for new gowns.’
He noted a resemblance between the man and woman; enough to establish the familial connexion. Darcy returned to his desk and summoned Mrs Banks to interview the young lady…
‘I do not even know her name,’ Darcy realized.
Luckily for the master of the house, Mr Gardiner and his niece were let into his office before Mrs Banks arrived.
Gardiner introduced his niece as they waited for the housekeeper, “Mr Darcy, allow me to present my niece, Miss Beth Gardiner. For the last several years she has lived with my wife and I to broaden her education and give her experience in London society.”
The man turned to his niece and said, “Beth, this is Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy. His family holds a large estate in Derbyshire where Aunt Madeline calls home.”
Darcy saw the smile on the girl’s face with the mention of Derbyshire.
“I have spent many days dealing with his stewards to purchase the wool from his flocks of sheep,” Edward informed his niece.
“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Gardiner. May I ask why you smiled so broadly when your uncle mentioned Derbyshire?” Darcy asked the young woman.
With a grin on her face this time, Miss Gardiner explained, “At least once a week, Aunt Madeline mentions Derbyshire as the most beautiful corner in the whole of Britain. Each winter, she begs my uncle for a trip in summer to visit Lambton and even mentions ‘Pemberley’ as a most magnificent house.”
Mrs Banks arrived at that moment and spent several minutes talking with Miss Gardiner. After she left to procure a tray of refreshments, Miss Gardiner spoke with Mr Darcy, and then her uncle provided Miss Gardiner with more information concerning her coming task.
“…after five years without payments, the bankers have demanded payments, and the Darcy estate is the only source of reliable funds. Mr Darcy has a cache of goods in the house that can be sold for ready money but before we can begin, we need an accurate inventory.”
Miss Gardiner asked, “What kinds of items are stored here?”
Darcy grimaced slightly and explained, “My mother, Lady Anne Darcy, was renowned in the first circles of society for her extravagant purchases. She bought entire shops of clothing, rooms of furniture, chests of spices, rugs, and artwork. For many years, these purchases were lugged up three flights of stairs by footmen and carelessly stored in a haphazard manner in the ballroom.”
Glancing at her uncle, Miss Gardiner asked, “Are you planning to move everything to one warehouse? Delancey Street is empty if my memory is correct.”
Gardiner nodded and added, “That warehouse may be the primary centre of operations when we begin sales.”
Miss Gardiner narrowed her eyes but did not ask more questions at that moment.
Mr Gardiner continued, “Before we finalize our plans, we must have an inventory the items for sale. And we need someone to oversee shipping items to the warehouse without drawing attention to the Darcy family.”
“Who will you have at the warehouse to take delivery?” Miss Gardiner asked. “We must reconcile each day’s shipments to ensure nothing slips away from us.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy remained silent as Miss Gardiner made a favourable impression.
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In the first week, Miss Georgiana Darcy grew curious about the young woman who appeared in her home and disappeared up the stairs to the third floor each day.
Workmen appeared and began carrying trunks, barrels and boxes down the stairs and then out through the kitchen late in the afternoon.
Her tall, dark-haired brother said nothing except that it was time to clear out the ballroom.
On the fourth day, Georgiana wandered up the stairs from her rooms on the second floor to the third floor. There were only three workmen, and the woman present in the ballroom and Miss Darcy noticed immediately that the men took direction from the young woman without question.
When she noticed her standing just inside the door, the woman greeted the girl saying, “Good morning, miss.”
“Are you going to order me back below stairs?” Georgiana asked.
“Has Mr Darcy told you not to come above stairs?” was the question asked in reply.
“My brother has not said anything about you and your workmen,” complained the girl.
“But has he told you not to come upstairs?”
“No, but he will be cross with me if I ask too many questions.”
With a small curtsey, the young woman introduced herself saying, “Perhaps I can answer your questions then, though I am certain you must speak with your brother. I am Miss Beth Gardiner. My uncle is the merchant helping your brother dispose of these items. I am here to create an inventory of the items in the ballroom.”
Staring for a moment at the woman, the girl did not return the curtsey or provide her name.
She did however wrinkle her nose as though some offensive odour had just appeared.
However, unlike girls in the shops who blushed when reminded of their ‘place’, Miss Gardiner actually smiled.
Her courage failing, Miss Darcy turned and fled the room.
One of the workmen commented, “Careful there Miss Gardiner. Swells don’t like us teasing their young lads and ladies.”
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When a footman and chambermaid arrived with luncheon, Miss Gardiner ate quickly and returned to work. She allowed the workmen fifteen minutes of rest and then set them to staging the boxes and barrels that would be removed today.
“The wagons will bring empty boxes to carry above stairs today. We shall pack the bolts of cloth better before they are moved,” she reminded the workmen.
From the doorway, a voice called, “Miss Gardiner, I would have a word with you.”
Turning, she found the master of the house standing there with his sister just behind him, a smirk appearing on the girl’s face each time she caught Miss Gardiner’s eye.
“Of course, Mr Darcy,” Miss Gardiner said as she approached the doorway. Before the gentleman could say anything, she asked, “And is this your sister? The young lady did not identify herself earlier this morning when she came into the ballroom.”
“My sister has a complaint…she said you were rude to her,” Mr Darcy stated. “I believe an apology is required.”
Miss Gardiner paused only a moment before she turned to the girl and said, “Miss…”
“Miss Darcy,” the gentleman completed the name quickly.
“Miss Darcy, I apologize for introducing myself to you this morning. I was unaware that there was a child in the house who wandered about without her nanny. My offer to answer any questions about our tasks here in the ballroom remains but I must insist you only come with your nanny. You could…”
“I am out of the nursery, girl! Mind how you speak to your betters, or I shall have you thrown from the house!” declared the girl stepping around her brother.
Mr Darcy suddenly found himself with Mrs Banks and more workmen behind him, his rude sister beside him, and a young woman standing in front of him with a perplexed look on her face.
He turned to the housekeeper and said, “Mrs Banks, if you would escort Georgiana to her rooms and wait with her there, I shall be along shortly.”
“But brother…” Georgiana whined as only a girl of ten and five years can when thwarted in her plans.
“Come along Miss Darcy,” the housekeeper commanded and pulled the teenager from the room and around the workmen.
On the stairs when Miss Darcy objected to being treated as a child, everyone heard the voice of the housekeeper ask sternly, “Do you wish a return to the nursery? Where have you ever heard someone speak like that to another person?”
Loud enough for everyone to hear, Miss Darcy replied, “Mrs Young encouraged it that one time we went shopping with Miss Bingley. She speaks to shop girls in that manner and my brother admires her!”
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Darcy allowed Miss Gardiner to direct the workmen to begin moving boxes down the stairs after showing them where to place the empty boxes.
Then she directed the workmen already in the ballroom to also begin moving boxes down the stairs.
Miss Gardiner stood at the door and wrote notations concerning each box that passed through the door.
“Allow me to apologise for myself and for my sister, Miss Gardiner. We are unused to having strangers in our home.”
“Certainly, Mr Darcy,” the young woman replied graciously.
Noticing her attention to the boxes and crates being removed from the ballroom, Darcy added, “You are singularly focused.”
“Indeed. I must correctly catalogue every box leaving the room, Mr Darcy,” she explained. “I am sorry to have upset the young lady, but she offered insult upon hearing that I was ‘working’ here.”
“You must admit that it is unusual for a woman to be working,” he said.
“Mr Darcy, I am not ‘working’. Unlike these workmen, I am not paid a wage by my uncle, nor am I an apprentice. I am simply Edward Gardiner’s niece who enjoys numbers and puzzles,” she explained motioning toward her papers and the room of boxes and barrels.
“This may cure me of puzzles though. After four days, I continue to discover new items hidden in chests and boxes.”
Then she looked directly into Darcy’s eyes and said, “My father is a gentleman and if I wish to remain respectable, I am barred from ‘work and wages.’ But as a favour for your patronage over the years, my uncle asked me to create this inventory for you.”