Chapter Seventeen
Lambton Parsonage
Dear Sisters, plus Matthew,
I was comforted indeed to receive Lizzy’s letter on Saturday, letting us know that you are settling in at Hawthorne Vale.
Although we knew he was unwell, I am grieved to hear confirmation of Mr Denny’s illness, it seems a terrible shame.
William and I hope that we might call upon you tomorrow, if it is convenient.
Kitty, I know how you depend upon Lizzy just now, but might I borrow her?
If Lizzy could return with us tomorrow to Lambton and stay for a few days, I would be so grateful.
I know I am a goose, but I met most of the parishioners yesterday.
They were all so welcoming, and dear William’s Easter sermon was inspirational.
I am grateful to begin my new life at such a time of rebirth.
I sent my cards around today, and my first afternoon at home to callers will be Wednesday.
We dined at Pemberley yesterday for Easter, and Georgie says that the local dowagers are very preoccupied with propriety.
William says I have nothing to fear, but Lizzy, you are always so composed, I shall feel so much braver if you are with me.
Mr Darcy says that he has an appointment to call upon Matthew tomorrow, so if you are agreeable, we shall accompany him in his carriage, and he has generously offered it again to return Elizabeth to you as soon as she chuses.
I have never heard of a more generous patron before, and quite wondered if it was proper for a man to do so much for his incumbents, but William has explained that Mr Darcy is also his good friend, and appreciates that if his parson has all he needs to do his work comfortably, the whole parish benefits.
Mr Darcy also provides William with a gig or a carriage when he must travel to Kympton or Hunsford to serve his other parishes.
I am grateful to have such good friends.
I will be grateful to have you with me, Lizzy, if you will come for a few days, or as long as you like.
Mary
“I would like to throw myself upon the floor and cry like a child at the idea of your leaving, Lizzy, but it is hardly fair. You planned to help Mary and I both, and it is not right for either of us to make you a workhorse, you should go where you like,” Kitty said, passing the note to Elizabeth late Tuesday morning.
“I cannot abandon Mary, but it is a terrible time for me to leave you,” Elizabeth tutted as she skimmed the message. “As much as I wish to spend time at Lambton Parsonage, I must ask to return to you on Thursday. I cannot leave you alone to tend Mr Denny at such a time.”
“You are too good to worry so about how Kitty and I will manage.” Matthew told Elizabeth. “Kitty is right, we ought to send you off for as long as you like, but I cannot deny how relieved I am by your devotion and support for both of us, for I do not know how Kitty would do without you.”
Caring for Mr Denny was supremely difficult.
They learned on their second day there that he had dismissed his valet without any pension or gratuity, after thirty years of service.
The old man had barely been doing for himself, which Elizabeth would not stand for.
He could not be permitted to wallow in a filthy bed and nightshirt.
Unfortunately, the man would not allow women or a footman to attend him, and Matthew thought that if he attempted to assist his father in the bath, there might be violence.
Mr Walters was far too old himself to be doing battle with his friend.
Mr Walters, who had come to Derbyshire at Mr Denny’s request two months before, went out in search of the valet, and found him retired in a boarding house in Derby.
Obviously after having been dismissed in such a fashion, the last thing the man wanted was to return to work for the same employer, but he was made an offer by Matthew that if he returned to care for his old master until the man’s death, he would be given a cottage for life at Hawthorne Vale, and later a pension, if Matthew could possibly improve the estate enough to afford it.
It was plain to see the relief on the face of Mr Denny when his valet reappeared to resume his care, though he voiced no such sentiment.
The two men had been together for years as man and servant, and Mr Wynters slipped back into his old role with much less fuss than when Elizabeth and Kitty had attempted to coax the old man from his bed so that he might have fresh bedsheets.
Now Kitty and Elizabeth took turns going in and reading to the gentleman, ignoring him when he made unkind remarks, though there was a terrible shouting match when Matthew found Kitty leaving his father’s bedroom in tears one afternoon.
Matthew attempted to forbid Kitty to return to his father’s rooms, but she would not heed him, for the old man was in great pain, and while he did not wish for comfort and company, he needed it.
Matthew spent time with his father each morning, attempting to understand estate decisions that had been made, and why, as well as how it seemed that the tenants all claimed that they paid their rents, but the steward denied it and forced them all to pay twice.
Mrs Chalton was probably also skimming from the household budget, though Kitty had yet to accept it, for the housekeeper had not produced her ledgers though they had been requested more than once.
Kitty had naively believed that if she began with kindness, that her servants would respond in kind.
Unfortunately, all of the staff had been hired from London years ago, and none of them had close loyalties to any tenant families or the locals.
Not having family on the estate made many servants who had been treated poorly before Kitty and Matthew arrived view the family they worked for and the estate they worked on with indifference, and a distinct lack of maturity and sternness from their new mistress did not motivate them to show their best work.
Most of the servants viewed Kitty as too young to be managing an estate, and to add insult to injury, would come to Elizabeth to confirm whether they ought to follow Kitty’s orders.
Tasks were often left undone, even when Elizabeth told them they must obey their mistress and stop asking for her opinion.
The staff were all taking merciless advantage of Kitty and Denny, and Elizabeth would not humour them.
One such example occurred just after breakfast. Matthew took his leave of the ladies, then left to ride to a tenant’s farm to discuss terms for the farmer to remain and not abandon his tenancy.
Elizabeth entered the hall and handed her reply to Mary’s letter to the housekeeper. “I understand that my sister’s messenger is waiting in the kitchens. Please give him this reply.”
Of course, Miss Bennet.” Mrs Chalton looked about the hall. “If you have a moment, I thought I would ask you what you think we ought to do about the menu Mrs Denny has requested for tomorrow…perhaps she is unaware–”
“No, Mrs Chalton.” Elizabeth was extremely firm. The housekeeper blinked in surprise. “Whatever it is you think she does not know, it is your job to tell her. You must deal with Mrs Denny.”
“But you are so much more mature, she is but a child-”
“This is Mrs Denny’s house, or it soon will be, and you must accustom yourself to that, Mrs Chalton.” Elizabeth would brook no argument. “I am a grateful guest, but I am only Mrs Denny’s sister. You must accept your mistress. You cannot choose who will run this house.”
Elizabeth left the housekeeper in the hall to find Kitty in the drawing room, wiping away tears. “I did not intend to eavesdrop.”
“Kitty, this is your home. Mrs Chalton has no expectation of privacy in any room of this house other than her assigned servant’s quarters, and even there, her expectation of privacy is limited.
If she chose to speak wrongly so openly in the middle of the hall, it is not your fault if you overheard her. ”
“Yesterday she informed me that the butcher would not make any more deliveries until he was paid. Instead of disturbing Matthew over the matter, I took what was needed from the last of the pin money I brought with me from Longbourn, a whole half-sovereign.” Kitty twisted her handkerchief with anxiety.
“And Lizzy, I do not know what to tell Matthew, but I was summoned to the back door this morning just before breakfast. The butcher’s boy was there to tell me his father would not fill the order I sent yesterday.
When I told him I had ordered the bill to be paid and sent funds with the order, he said only the new order arrived, not any money, and then when I questioned Mrs Chalton, she said she did not know what I was speaking of, for I had given her no money to pay the butcher, and that this was evidence that I am truly too young to run a house. ”
“What audacity! She cannot think that she will get away with such behaviour.” Elizabeth was outraged. “Stealing ten shillings from her mistress, as bold as brass! You simply must sack her now, Sister. It would be an invitation to rob the silver if you allowed her to remain.”
“Half of the servants ignore me when I give an order.” Kitty sniffed. “I thought that if I was pleasant to them, that they would wish to please us. But every time I give an order, they look to you to confirm if they ought to obey me.”
“I am older than you, and am more naturally authoritative, considering that I have three younger sisters and you only have one,” Elizabeth said.
“But just because there is a firmer female hand in the house does not mean that your servants ought to ignore you. I hate to tell you this, sister, but your experiment with Mrs Chalton is not working. She is no more grateful to, nor respectful of you than she was when we arrived. Nor are half of the maids and footmen. I believe that you will continue to face difficulties unless you let most of them go, and hire young people from the farms who are grateful to find work near their families.”
“Half of the tenant farmers do not trust us enough to stay on, let alone send their sons and daughters to work for us.” Kitty was despondent.
“Your husband is using all of his abilities of persuasion to convince the tenants that, although it may take time for him to sort out all of the estate’s problems, things will begin to improve as he takes over completely as master,” Elizabeth reassured Kitty.
“Once he has convinced them, they will see your offers of employment as a sign of goodwill. The tenants have not received the proper employment opportunities from the estate in the past, but they might find it worth their time to stay if they see that you are trying to change what is broken. Tenancies are not always easy to find. In the meantime, you must be more firm with the staff you have.”
“I cannot bear to be cruel.” Kitty shuddered.
“I spent enough time with Lydia and her awful ways. I have been so relieved since she left for Newcastle. We were never properly suited to each other’s company, but we were the youngest, and she was the playmate that I had.
And I cannot deny that since we have escaped from whatever has gone wrong with Jane, that I never wish to hear an unkind word again.
Not even one that sounds falsely concerned. ”
“There is no need to be cruel, only firm and unyielding,” Elizabeth advised. “Kindness without limits teaches others that you are easy to ignore.”
“I might as well begin afresh now.” Kitty rose from the settee the two sisters had used during their talk, and rang the bell.
When the footman answered, she asked him to send in Mrs Chalton and to ask her to bring the ledgers that Kitty had been asking to see for days. The housekeeper appeared empty handed.
“Mrs Denny, I thought that I informed you that with the master ill, it is a very bad time to go over the ledgers, it is hard enough looking after an invalid-”
“Mrs Chalton, you have mistaken my youth for weakness, and my kindness and civility for permission to ignore my orders.” Elizabeth had never heard Kitty speak with such resolve, but she was impressed by the seriousness of her tone, which had finally caught the housekeeper’s attention.
“You will bring me the ledgers. And you will explain the moment you have returned with them why the butcher is still unpaid.”
Mrs Chalton gave a grudging curtsey and left them. Half an hour later, Kitty rang the bell again and inquired why Mrs Chalton had not returned.
“Why, she fell ill, Mrs Denny,” the footman reported. “Just after she left you, she collapsed in the kitchen from anxiety. I’m told she has a powerful megrim. Not very surprising if you consider all she must now put up with.”
“Indeed?” Kitty replied, appearing as if she would soon start steaming from her ears. “You may leave us, James, I believe the silver is in need of polishing.”
“The silver was just done last week,” James objected.
“All of it, I think. I am certain that the entire collection could use a proper polishing, and since I have only just arrived, an inventory of all of our pieces would be so useful.” Kitty glared at him, daring him to object.
“I expect the job to be complete and to have the list in my hand by tomorrow at breakfast.”
James left, looking green around the gills.
“I noticed when Matthew gave us a tour that Hawthorne Vale’s collection of silver is extensive indeed. A truly surprising amount considering the income of the estate.” Elizabeth covered her mouth in an effort not to laugh. “Kitty, two footmen could not polish and list it all by morning.”
“James will keep that in mind when he considers voicing his thoughts on what Mrs Chalton must put up with again. And a list will be useful. There is so much silver because Matthew’s grandmother brought an enormous quantity as part of her dowry, but we will never need so much.
The collection is apparently quite well known in the county, and I may encourage Matthew to sell some.
Even if we sold half, we will still have far too much.
” Kitty stood and put out her arm to Elizabeth.
“Now come with me, and we will go into the housekeeper’s office and find the ledgers ourselves. Will you help me with them?”