Chapter 24 #2
On Monday, the eighth day of June, a convoy of carriages and wagons pulled into the circular drive in front of the manor house at Bennet Park.
There were six carriages and two wagons.
The first was one of the Gardiner conveyances that contained the parents and the oldest two Gardiner children.
It was followed by one with the two younger children, the governess, and two nursemaids.
The third vehicle was that of the Earl and Countess of Matlock and their grandson, newly four-year-old David.
They were followed by Andrew, Marie, and eighteen-month-old Gillian Fitzwilliam and a nursemaid.
The final two carriages held the two families’ personal servants and Mrs Johanna McHugh, who had been hired as companion for Lydia Bennet.
Lady Longbourn had decided to retain the former governess, Miss Anita Jones, to be Kitty’s companion.
It was discussed to request of Mrs McHugh if she would take on both girls Helen and Lydia who were joined at the hip, for a significant increase in wages of course.
The three residents of Bennet Fields were part of the welcoming party.
In the last few days, the new wing that housed more than twenty suites and single chambers complete had been furnished at Longbourn, so if they ran short of accommodations for guests before the wedding, the Bennets and Gardiners would remove to Longbourn to free up chambers at Bennet Park.
As soon as she saw her parents, Tiffany was in their arms receiving hugs and kisses from her loving mother and father. Georgie, who was considered a daughter more than a niece received just as warm a welcome. The greeting was repeated for both girls by Tiffany’s older brother and his wife.
Helen was introduced as a new Bennet daughter to the family’s friends, her new Uncle and Aunt Gardiner, and four new cousins and was accepted without any reservation by one and all.
Lily Gardiner was over the moon that she had another cousin close to her own age, as she felt very grown up now that she was maturing and above twelve.
David Fitzwilliam and Peter Gardiner were already fast friends and had soon gotten over being peevish at their parents’ refusal that they ride in the same carriage together as both sets cared too much for the nursemaids to subject them to two rambunctious boys that fed off each other when together.
The party ambled into the house where the arriving guests were shown to their chambers by Mrs Hill and their hostess, the nursemaids and governesses were directed to the large nursery.
It was decided that as Lily was only two years younger than Lydia, she would have a bedchamber and no longer sleep in the nursery.
She was very excited that she would be part of the group of girls going forward, not in the nursery with her younger brothers and sister.
The other six girls accepted her as a peer and did not treat her like an interloper.
Lily was very sanguine that they did not treat her that way.
She was extra careful to make sure that her behaviour warranted the way that the older girls were relating to her.
She very quickly found that she liked her new cousin Helen very well.
Two hours later, the now sizable party met in the largest drawing room before dinner, which was quite a raucous affair that night as friends and family caught up on the lives of their loved ones.
After dinner, when the ladies were sitting in the drawing room while the men were busy with their libations and tobacco, the three Gardiner and two Fitzwilliam children were brought down from the nursery to wish their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins good night.
Almost eleven-year-old James Gardiner was gifted with the knowledge that John Lucas, just over two years his senior, would be with his mother and other ladies that were invited to tea on the morrow.
James and John had become close over the years during visits to Longbourn.
After hugs and kisses, the children were herded back up to the nursery.
Her younger brother was not envious of the fact that Lily had permanently vacated the nursery.
He would miss her, but he knew that his time would come soon enough.
As Mama always told him, ‘childhood is a very precious time in your life and once it is gone, it is gone.’
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The large group of riders left Bennet Park in the early morning not long after the sun rose.
Lily was on a Bennet horse as was Helen, who did not know it yet but was soon to receive her own mare.
The group consisted of one married couple, one betrothed, two courting couples, seven girls, and a bevy of companions, grooms, and footmen.
The three older couples had demurred and were spending the morning together at the house.
They rode across the land of all three estates to circumvent Meryton.
While the escorts and chaperones waited for them, the group climbed the path to the crest of Oakham Mount.
There they looked down on the three Bennet Estates, which stretched farther than the horizon on three sides, and the sleepy market town of Meryton.
It was not an exaggeration to state that the Bennets owned a good portion of Hertfordshire and were, by far, the single biggest landowner in the shire.
After they descended and joined the waiting retainers, they rode to a very pretty glade at Bennet Fields.
There was good natural shade, a pleasant area of soft grass, and an undulating stream that bordered the glade on one side.
The footmen spread blankets while the six companions situated the spread that had been brought along to break their fasts.
There was fresh bread and rolls, cold ham and beef, cheeses, and fresh fruits, with flagons of water and milk to drink.
The Fitzwilliam brothers and their ladies sat on one blanket, and the girls and their companions sat on two blankets that had been placed end to end.
Mary and Hugh found a log to sit on, and as for the last two, they decided to walk along the bank of the stream, one a great walker and the other who would follow her anywhere.
It was such a pleasant day and Lady Elizabeth wanted to enjoy a little stroll before sitting to break her fast, a footman and companion available if they decided to leave the immediate area.
They started off in companionable silence.
“Either you have not forgiven me completely or you are not sure if the changes that you see in me are permanent and are worried that the taciturn, arrogant hypocrite will emerge once again,” Darcy stated bluntly. It seemed to Elizabeth as if he had mind reading capability.
“Have you been speaking to Mary?” Lizzy asked with no little consternation that Mary could have breached her confidences in that way.
“Indeed not Elizabeth.” Darcy was confused that she would ask if he had spoken to her sister. “I would never discuss something so personal, except with you. Other than in greeting, I have not had the pleasure of a conversation with Mary since we were all in Town together.”
Lizzy stared at her suitor as if she was trying to see into the depths of his soul, ‘Is this man a lot more perceptive and self-aware than I have thus far given him credit for? I know that he will not lie to me, and it was unjust to think Mary would speak to anyone about a conversation that we held in confidence.’ She shook her head as a mental reset and turned to her company.
“I must apologise, William. After all of the wrong-headed assumptions and beliefs that I jumped to before Hunsford, one would think that I would be more circumspect. It is just that I was asking myself those same questions when I spoke to Mary recently. My only excuse is that I underestimated your power of perception and that caused me to jump to a conclusion with no facts to support it.”
“At least you are giving my suit serious consideration and have not yet decided irrevocably against me.” He gave her a smile as they stopped walking and faced each other, one dimple revealed, but not the other and she felt the deprivation of not seeing both, as he was so very attractive when he smiled in such a way.
As he paused, he looked into her fine eyes, wishing that he was allowed to kiss those lips that called to him, then the nape of her neck, and what he would not give…
“There is no need for you to apologise,” he cleared his throat as he regulated his thoughts.
“I can see how it would disconcert you for me to come so very close to a discussion that you had with Mary and for you to make the assumption that you did. If the roles were reversed, I would have made the same leap as you.”
“Why do you have to be so understanding?” She was looking into his eyes as she asked the question, getting more and more lost in those penetrating, dark deep cerulean orbs.
“I speak nothing but the truth. I did not contrive to say that to please you, it is my genuine belief.” He intended to stop talking as he did not want to push, then decided to continue.
“Your reticence is wholly understandable.
Although at the time I was blind to it, you did not like me, nay you thought me the worst kind of blackguard.
Yes, some was based on lies and manipulation, but it was my own arrogant behaviour that opened the door for you to want to believe the worst of me.
“It is an indisputable fact that in many ways I have changed, while at the same time returning to be the man that my parents would be proud of. It was at first the shock of seeing the truth in your reproofs to me. However, when Georgie and the Fitzwilliams pointed out how certain aspects of my behaviour mirrored my aunt’s, it felt like I had been kicked with all of the power of a stallion’s hind legs.