Chapter 27 #2
“Papa and Mama speak now, although it is mostly the business of the estate.
They meet at breakfast each morning and discuss their plans for the day and any needs around the estate.
Mama is doing well as the Mistress of Longbourn and has given her role a new life.
She stays busy with the tenants and spends more time in the kitchen garden and the still room.
The kitchen garden needed work, as none of our sisters ever did much there, so it remained untouched for most of the year.
I showed Mama some of what we used to do in the still room with the plants, and she enjoys working in the gardens.
She is becoming better at aiding the tenants with illnesses and the like, as you and Mary used to do, and spends time with the children on the estate.
“I think she wants to apologise but is uncertain how to do so,” Jane finally said. “She feels ashamed for how she has treated you—she has said as much—but does not know how to fix things between you.”
“Or she simply does not want to,” Elizabeth interjected.
“She writes to Mary, and I have occasionally read some parts of those when Mary has insisted. She knows she has been wrong; she has apologised to all the rest of her daughters, but she simply cannot bring herself to do the same to me. Admit it, Jane, she has apologised to all the rest of her family.”
“She apologised for always pushing me to be more forward and for encouraging Kitty and Lydia to flirt. She admitted that her insistence on our all finding husbands, regardless of how we did so, was wrong.”
“She has also apologised to Mary for slighting her and undervaluing her, but she cannot bring herself to do the same for me,” Elizabeth stated.
“I do not know why she hates me so much, but I know that it irks her to know I was the first to marry and to marry well and that my husband is the one who saved them. She cannot bring herself to apologise because she cannot admit that I have done well.” No longer able to remain still, she stood up and began to pace the room.
“Calm yourself, Lizzy,” Jane said. “It cannot be good for you to get so worked up over something you cannot do anything about.”
“I am calm, Jane,” Elizabeth retorted. “I have always known that I was my mother’s least favourite child and that she has always resented me for not being born a boy—as if I could have done anything about that.
I have not heard a word since I told her I would no longer tolerate her abuse of me, especially after my husband saved the family from ruin.
She will never accept that she is in the wrong, so I think I can consider our relationship severed.
I do not anticipate that ever changing.”
“She knows she was wrong, Lizzy,” Jane insisted. “Perhaps if you were to visit at Longbourn or invite her here …”
Elizabeth cut her sister off. “No, Jane, I will not invite Mama here. With their need to retrench to repay the loan, they do not have the funds for such a journey, nor will I ask William to send a carriage to retrieve them to bring them here. Since we wed, my husband has almost constantly fed, housed, and clothed at least one of my sisters, paid for Lydia to attend school, and covered the cost of a companion to educate my sisters since neither parent seemed willing or able to do so. Additionally, he loaned my father a significant amount to cover debts that should never have arisen had he acted responsibly at any point during his marriage. Why would I ask my husband to assume yet another expense to bring my parents here when my mother cannot be bothered to pick up a pen for any purpose except to complain about how terrible a daughter I am for forcing them to cut back on selfish spending to pay back the substantial loan he asked for as some sort of ‘payback’ for allowing William to marry me? No, Jane, I will not ask my husband any such thing.”
“But Lizzy …” Jane tried again, only to have her sister stop her again.
“No. I will not relent. Mama will not see my son until she apologises. I said in October I would not step foot in Longbourn again until I was welcomed there by both my parents,” Elizabeth declared.
No amount of Jane’s pleading would change Elizabeth’s mind, and Elizabeth was unwilling to discuss it further.
She would visit with Kitty and Lydia when they were in London and invite them to visit her in town, but nothing Jane said would persuade Elizabeth to take the first step to restore the relationship with her mother.
Despite this conflict, Jane and Elizabeth did manage to have a good visit with each other, and their husbands enjoyed getting to know each other better.
The two gentlemen found much in common and a shared interest in discussing books and estate management and spent several pleasant afternoons fishing together or riding the estate.
During their visit, the entire party enthusiastically engaged in multiple picnics and other outdoor activities as the weather remained fine.
In keeping with a promise made months prior, Darcy took on the role of teaching Mary how to ride a horse.
Jane eagerly joined these lessons, with her husband providing support and guidance.
While all three Bennet sisters received basic instruction in childhood, practical experience was limited before Elizabeth’s marriage.
Jane had, on occasion, been afforded the chance to ride, but the absence of suitable horses in the Longbourn stables hindered frequent practice.
Darcy began Elizabeth’s riding lessons the previous summer, but her pregnancy prevented her from continuing.
Therefore, she relished the opportunity to resume her lessons and the pleasure of riding alongside her husband again.
Too soon, it was time for the Hastingses to depart. Jane made a final plea encouraging her sister to visit their parents, but on this, Elizabeth was firm—she would not step foot in Longbourn until her mother apologised.
The next visitors to Pemberley were Lord, Lady Matlock, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.
After Anne’s death, Lady Catherine attempted to reclaim her place as Mistress of Rosings, but the family quickly made it clear that was not to be the case.
According to Anne’s will, the estate was left in its entirety to Richard Fitzwilliam, although Lady Catherine retained the right to the dowager house and her remaining dowry for her lifetime.
The funds from her dowry were to be used to maintain her household, although major repairs would be paid for by the estate.
The cost of decorating and paying for servants was to come from her own funds, which meant that she was not able to decorate as ornately as she would have wished.
She had a substantial income for one in her position, more than fifteen hundred pounds per annum, but she would not enjoy the same access to the estate funds as before and would have to be more prudent in her expenditures.
When Anne came into her inheritance almost a year ago, her mother was moved to the dower house, and the Matlocks and Anne hired servants who would be loyal to her to replace those whose loyalty might remain with Lady Catherine.
Now, after Anne’s passing, the Matlocks and Fitzwilliam made certain the servants would refuse Lady Catherine admittance to the manor house or grounds, particularly when no one was in residence.
Just as they were departing Rosings, they received an express from Darcy requesting they stop in Hertfordshire to escort Kitty and Lydia Bennet and their companion, Mrs Martin, to Pemberley.
The Darcys received word of the carriages’ imminent arrival and were waiting at the grand staircase when their guests arrived.
Once again, they welcomed their guests to Pemberley, paying particular attention to Lydia, who had never been there before.
Lydia was duly impressed with Pemberley and, as the last Bennet sister to see it in person, she heard much about its grandeur.
Nonetheless, she was taken aback by the sheer size of the estate and had much to say about how surprised she was at the size of the park.
While she was not nearly as interested in the hills and trees that surrounded the estate, she was struck by its design and the architecture of the manor house itself.
Soon, everyone was shown to their rooms to refresh.
Elizabeth escorted her two sisters to their rooms, and after only a moment to refresh themselves, the girls asked to meet their nephew.
Leading them to the nursery, they found Alex was awake and ready for company, so they spent a half hour together with him before carrying him down to meet his great aunt and uncle.
It was the colonel, however, who was most interesting to the baby, and the former colonel kept his attention for some time by making silly faces and telling ridiculous stories.
Fitzwilliam kept the entire room entertained, not just Alex until the child began to loudly insist on being fed.
Elizabeth took the child back to the nursery, and the rest of the party disbursed to rest or work until it was time to change for dinner.
Lady Matlock, being particularly fond of the child whom she endearingly referred to as her “grandson,” relished every moment spent with him.
As Darcy’s parents were dead and her own children not yet married to give her grandchildren of her own, she gladly embraced the role of surrogate grandparent to her nephew’s infant son.
During their visit, she dedicated a substantial amount of time to the nursery, enjoying precious moments with Alex.
Lord Matlock, too, found delight in the company of the young child, joining his wife in the nursery whenever possible, although he also spent a great amount of time consulting with Darcy about estate matters.
The three gentlemen also spent several afternoons fishing, and Darcy and Richard rode out on the estate several times.
Soon enough, it was time for Lord and Lady Matlock to retreat to their own estate, which was only a few hours away.
They left the girls there, as previously arranged, and even Richard decided to stay for a longer visit.
Once again, his attention was drawn towards the Bennet ladies’ companion, the widow of a soldier who became a companion.
Mrs Martin was very ladylike and genteel, as expected of a companion, but something about her caught the former colonel’s attention.
They spoke often when they were in company and found much in common.
Fitzwilliam, despite all his claims that he would never marry, finally began to feel that marriage was in his future and the more time he spent with Mrs Martin, the more interested he became in that state.
He wondered how his parents would react were he to suggest he would marry a companion, but it was clear she was a gentlewoman who fell upon hard times.
Since the Bennet sisters were not known amongst the ton, and it was rather unlikely that others knew she had been in service, perhaps they could marry without anyone knowing.
These thoughts, and others, drove the former colonel to take part in several long, punishing rides during his visit to Pemberley.