Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
At Pemberley, the new family was settling into a routine.
Mrs Gardiner had departed, but their two sisters remained and provided a lot of help to the new parents, particularly Elizabeth, as she still needed help with her duties as mistress of such a large estate as Pemberley.
For much of that spring and into the summer, Mary and Georgiana visited the tenants and took care of concerns outside of the house, although they met with Elizabeth each morning as they discussed what was needed.
Elizabeth appreciated this help, and although she knew she could do what was needed, she thought it was good for the girls to practise the skills these visits required.
Eventually, summer arrived and along with it came several visitors. The first to arrive, early in June, were Jane and her new husband. Although many letters had been exchanged between the two, they were delighted to see each other after having not been in company for over eight months.
Elizabeth hurried down the steps as Jane stepped from the carriage to meet her. “Oh, Jane,” she cried as she wrapped her arms around her sister. Both women had tears streaming down their faces when they separated while their husbands stood watching, their amusement apparent on their faces.
Quietly, Darcy welcomed his new brother to his home.
“Welcome to Pemberley, Mr Hastings,” he said in his grave tone.
“We are pleased you and Mrs Hastings could join us for a few weeks. My wife was most upset that we could not attend the wedding, and she has been greatly looking forward to your visit.”
“I do believe that my attendance is less important than my wife’s,” Hastings replied, his voice not masking his amusement. “I believe it will be several minutes before either notices us, and I feel that once Jane meets your son, our presence here will be even more de trop.”
Darcy chuckled. “Then, perhaps, I should escort you into the house and offer you a drink in my study. I doubt our wives will notice if we leave them here. Elizabeth will eventually remember me, and you are newly married enough that your wife will miss you soon enough.”
Hastings laughed, and the two gentlemen made their way towards the house. They were only a little surprised when the ladies followed them.
“Mr Hastings, I have been remiss in not greeting you as well,” Elizabeth said as she hurried forward to take her husband’s arm as they walked up the steps and into the manor.
“Rarely have I gone so long without seeing my dear sister, and I have missed her so much. So many things have changed in our lives this time—she has married a dear man, and I have a son. Despite our letters, we have much to catch up on. You and William should plan to become friends on this visit, as I fully intend to take up much of my sister’s time. ”
They all laughed at that, and despite her words, Elizabeth sent them to their rooms to refresh, informing them that tea would be served in the family sitting room in an hour.
“And, if you are too tired from your journey, take all the time you need to rest before dinner. You will be here above a fortnight, and while I have much to share with my sister, this is also your wedding trip, and I know you will wish for time away from our company. Do not feel you must spend all your time with us.”
Both Mr and Mrs Hastings denied this claim and arrived for tea, taking slightly more than the hour suggested to join the rest. Once there, the groups divided between the sexes, the four sisters (Georgiana was easily included among the Bennet sisters by now) speaking together about this and that and the two gentlemen coming to know each other better by speaking of their time at Cambridge and the sport to be had while visiting the country.
After speaking as a group for some time, Jane and Elizabeth soon separated from the group for a more private conversation. “How are you finding married life, dear Jane?” Elizabeth asked quietly.
Jane blushed brightly. “I am finding it very … pleasant,” she replied after hesitating for a moment. The two ladies laughed a little but then proceeded in quiet conversation to discuss married life. However, this conversation soon turned from pleasant topics to more difficult ones.
“I had expected that my giving birth to a son would have softened Mama towards me somewhat, and she would have written to me by now,” Elizabeth began.
“Kitty and Lydia both have said that she seems subdued and that she crows about my son to the neighbourhood, but she has still not written anything to me.”
“We stopped briefly at Longbourn on our way to Pemberley,” Jane sighed. “Mama is … well, I am not certain what she is. She seems aware of the gulf between the two of you, and I think she realises she needs to apologise, but she is as yet unwilling to do so.”
“Do you think she will ever apologise?” Elizabeth asked.
Jane attempted to frame a reply but was interrupted by the door opening.
The baby had awoken from his nap, and his nursemaid’s instructions were to bring him down as soon as he was ready.
“Jane, Frederick, I would like you to meet our son, Alex,” Elizabeth said as she stood and walked to the door to take her son from the maid.
“Oh, Elizabeth, he is so precious,” Jane cried, following Elizabeth and reaching out to take him from his mother’s arms. Elizabeth reluctantly surrendered him and allowed Jane to cuddle him for several minutes.
The gentlemen approached their wives. Darcy stood behind his wife to embrace her, while Hastings stood beside Jane and looked down at the babe in her arms.
“I believe he looks very much like you, Darcy,” Hastings laughed. “I believe he even has your scowl.”
Elizabeth laughed at the comment. “He is my husband’s twin, or at least that is what some older servants and tenants claim. I carried him for nine months, but he comes out the perfect image of his father; there is not a bit of his mother in him at all.”
Darcy barked a laugh. “I am not certain I agree with that, my dear,” he interjected. “He is as troublesome and opinionated as his mother.” He squeezed her waist as he spoke, and she turned to him to accept a kiss.
“And you delight in having such a troublesome wife, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and well you know it. Had you wanted a complacent wife, you could have married one of those persistent society women who chased you all those years,” Elizabeth retorted.
The couple were momentarily lost in their teasing while their guests merely rolled their eyes at their antics and continued admiring the baby. After a few minutes, the child became heavy in Jane’s arms, and the group moved back to sit.
“He is very handsome, Lizzy,” Jane said.
Elizabeth beamed. “We certainly think so,” she replied. Darcy merely nodded from his seat next to his wife, his arm wrapped around her waist.
Conversation remained on the child for a short time until Jane requested to show her husband around the gardens before they needed to dress for dinner.
Jane spent the previous summer at Pemberley and had a few favourite spots she wanted to show her husband.
Understanding the need to walk for a time after such a long journey and seek some time alone, they graciously excused their guests, retiring to their room for their own private time.
“What did your sister say of her visit to Longbourn?” Darcy asked as they made their way upstairs.
“Not much. We spoke of other things and only just began speaking of my parents when Alex was brought in,” Elizabeth sighed. “I am certain we will speak again.”
With that, the two made their way to their bedchambers for a rest before dinner.
The two sisters found additional time to speak a few days later.
“Jane,” Elizabeth began. “We began to speak of our parents, and, obviously, we have not seen them since our last conversation with them. How are things there? Letters only say so much, and Papa, well, Papa is not the best correspondent in ordinary circumstances, and his letters now seem to say even less. We still receive reports from Mrs Hill and Mr Todd, and Papa writes of the estate but not much else.”
“I am certain you know that both Kitty and Lydia are presently at home,” Jane began.
“Kitty and Lydia assist Mama with her tenant visits, and Mama was very surprised to learn our sisters frequently assisted you and me when we were still at home. Lydia apologised to the Lucas family at Christmas, and while that relationship is still strained, I think that has as much to do with Charlotte as anything else. The Lucasses are unhappy that your husband offered Charlotte her own cottage and that she chose to live in Derbyshire rather than nearer to Meryton.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Lydia wrote of her determination and her reception when she did so. She knew it would be difficult, and Lady Lucas made it no easier, but Lydia anticipated that. Charlotte has settled well here and will likely visit us while you are here. She enjoys having her own home and received word recently that Mr Collins has arrived in Africa safely.”
“Yes, well, Mama and Lady Lucas no longer visit with each other and are very cool towards each other now. They do not openly disdain each other, but it is a near thing,” Jane said.
“Of course, both women seem to recognise the danger of openly speaking out against the other.” She stopped and sighed and turned back to the topic of their parents.