Chapter 1 #2
In anticipation of the girls coming, we had already employed a governess, a Mrs Anita Mulberry. The girls have already begun lessons, and both are keen to learn, especially without Fanny here spouting nonsense about a girl only needing beauty and no education to ‘catch’ a man.
It is hard for me to believe that my ‘little’ brother will finish his studies at Eton in just over a year from now. I am sure he will continue to do well, although I do worry about you rattling around in the parsonage on your own with Adam at school.
Write soon, Papa, you know I love news from Lambton. Yes, I am in communication with my friends, but it is not the same as hearing from you.
Before you ask, no, Papa; I am not increasing yet. When it is time, He will allow me to provide you with a grandchild.
With much love,
Maddie
P.S. Edward sends his warmest regards to both of you.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
13 February 1801
23 Gracechurch Street
London
Papa,
You are to be a grandpapa! Of course, by His Grace, if I deliver the babe I am carrying. I told Edward when I had missed my second month’s courses, but I just felt the quickening!
It has been 2 years since we married, and I began to doubt, and no sooner did I do that than I began to miss my courses, and now this. How wonderful it is that a life is growing within me. It is a miracle which repeats over again each day all around the world.
I will write to Adam at Eton as soon as I have completed this letter to you. I am sure at the ripe old age of 17, hearing he will be an uncle will be very important to him. You know me, Papa; just like my second-to-eldest niece, I dearly love to laugh.
Speaking of my Bennet nieces, you remember I told you that Fanny delivered a 5th daughter on the 14th day of December 1797?
I mention this to point out the irrationality of my sister-in-law.
Lydia was an extremely large size at birth, which caused complications.
Fanny was told that she will not be able to carry another child.
Her dreams of bearing a son to end the entail were at an end.
Strangely enough, Fanny does not blame Lydia for being born a girl or ruining her chances of ever delivering a son.
Even though she does not say it anymore, she still resents Lizzy, which is why I spoke on this now.
My guess is Fanny favours Lydia because, at least so far, she resembles Fanny in looks and character greatly.
Did I mention that Thomas Bennet agreed that Mrs Mulberry could move to Longbourn? As long as Edward is paying her wages, our brother-in-law does not object. Fanny was not so very sanguine, but her husband shut down her protests.
The governess has only been teaching Jane, who will turn 13 this April; Lizzy, who will be 10 in March; and Mary, who will be 8 in August upcoming, up until now.
Mary loves having lessons on the pianoforte.
Lizzy can play, but does not have the patience for practising.
Kitty just joined the governess’s lessons.
She was very keen to do so. Jane does very well in her lessons and is an intelligent young girl, but Lizzy is something else.
She reads and comprehends far more complex material than Jane, who is 3 years her senior.
She is better at languages and is learning more of them, and it seems that when she reads something once, she remembers it verbatim.
I always said she was a special girl, did I not?
You have met her, so you know of what I speak.
That being said, Edward and I are careful not to show any favouritism like Fanny and Thomas do.
Her favourites are Jane and Lydia, with the latter her clear favourite, and Thomas’s is Lizzy.
He is fascinated by her intelligence. Lizzy had never before played chess, and one day, she watched Thomas and Edward playing.
She asked to play against Thomas and to humour her, he allowed her to play against him.
That first time she almost beat Thomas as she remembered each move they both made.
A month later, she was winning consistently.
Edward’s business has gone from strength to strength. He has taken on two minor partners, so he does, in fact, have associates now. He is sought after by the same members of the Ton who decry trade so that they may invest with him. That way he can be very selective.
Veronica is very happy because she is 14 now and feels quite grown up.
I believe she has been invited to spend the summer with the Carlyles, who live in Lambton.
Each summer she accompanied me there; she became closer and closer with Lucy Carlyle.
My young cousin is counting the days until she is able to depart for Derbyshire.
I will write soon, Papa.
With much love,
Maddie
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
2 September 1801
23 Gracechurch Street
London
Papa and Adam,
(It is Gardiner writing while my wonderful Maddie dictates.)
I hope this best of news arrives before my brother leaves the parsonage to commence his next year at Eton.
Edward and I are parents! Papa is a grandpapa, and Adam an uncle!
In the small hours of the morning on the 1st of September, we were blessed with a son.
We have named him Edward Gerald after the two best men I know.
Adam, if we have another son, your name will be used.
We will call him Eddy so there is no confusion with two Edwards in the house.
I will write once I have been churched.
One question: have you seen Veronica of late? Uncle Peter delivered her to the Carlyles at the end of June. I received letters from her, and towards the end of July they ceased, and Aunt Dolores and Uncle Peter have deflected whenever I have asked about her.
Please let me know she is well; I worry for my cousin, who was a little sister to me for the years I lived with the Bellamys.
With warmest regards from Maddie.
On her behalf,
Gardiner
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
6 September 1801
North Star House
Lambton
Maddie,
I am more pleased than I can say that you have survived the travails of childbirth and have delivered Eddy safely.
Adam and I could not be happier and prouder of you.
Veronica has got herself into trouble. She was badly misled. I cannot say more at this time as your aunt and uncle have sworn me to secrecy. You must speak to them.
With love,
Your Papa
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
19 February 1803
23 Gracechurch Street
London
Papa,
Why will no one discuss what happened to Veronica? I know she passed away in March of last year, but no one will tell me why.
When I try and discuss it with Aunt Delores, she cannot speak of her daughter and breaks down in tears.
Uncle Peter is a shell of himself; he does not take interest in any of his concerns.
In fact, shortly after it became known Veronica had been taken from the mortal world, he practically gave his business to Edward.
You need to come speak to your brother and sister.
I believe they have given up and are wasting away.
At this rate, they will be gone within months.
Papa, I am imploring you, come and see them.
Something must be done, and they will not see me any longer, as they refuse to mention Veronica and what happened to her.
Life does go on even though my cousin, who was so full of life, is no longer alive.
I cannot allow the negative to override my life or allow the melancholy to rule me like my aunt and uncle have. I have a husband I adore and a son who is my life, so I cannot indulge myself so.
On the positive side, I am with child again and should be taken to bed in May or June. Being heavy with child will, I am afraid, not allow us to travel to Lambton this year.
I still cannot accept that my ‘little’ brother, who now towers over me, will be 19 this year and begin his second year of studies at Cambridge in late September.
It is good that he is still friends with William Darcy and his cousins.
I understand that the viscount who graduated in May 1801 is still enjoying his grand tour.
Is what Adam wrote to me regarding the Darcy heir’s widowed aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh true?
Does she claim a non-existent cradle betrothal between her sickly daughter and Adam’s friend?
My brother said that she only raised it after her sister was dead.
I do not know about the Darcys, but for myself, I would have hated not to be married to Edward and instead be in some arranged marriage.
Thankfully I have you for a father who would never allow that.
As I always pass on, here is some news of my Bennet nieces: Jane is soon to be 15, and Fanny is right about one thing: she is a beauty.
Lizzy will be 12 in less than a month, and although not traditional in looks, she is no less pretty than Jane.
Fanny wants to push Jane out at 15; Edward and I are working on Thomas to not allow that.
That Lizzy is just as beautiful cannot be said in Fanny’s hearing, as she will have one of her ‘nervous’ attacks.
Mary will be 10 in the coming August; she is also very pretty and loves the pianoforte.
Lizzy plays well too, but, as previously mentioned, is not as diligent in practising as Mary.
She had been sent to us with Lizzy the last time they came, and Mary very much enjoyed coming to London.
The older Lizzy gets, the more she amazes with her intellect.
Mrs Mulberry has recommended masters for her because Lizzy is already beyond what she can teach.
By the by, Mary had recently become enamoured with the drivel in Fordyce’s Sermons. Edward and I have gently convinced her that the man is a misogynist and directed her away from his writings. I know you share my opinion of the writer of that nonsense.
Kitty (Catherine) is soon to be 9 and excels in drawing and painting.
Lydia will be six in December and is about to begin lessons with the governess.
Fanny did not want her to, but Thomas insisted.
Thanks to Fanny indulging her, Lydia is well on her way to becoming an unmanageable and extremely spoilt child.
Father, I will end where I began this letter. Please tell me what occurred with Veronica.
With love,
Maddie
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the eighth day of June 1803, Beatrice Lillian Gardiner was born. Like her namesake, she was called Bea.
After first her Uncle Peter, then her Aunt Delores passed away in August of that year, all Lambert told his daughter was that her cousin had died of complications of childbirth.
She had joined with a man out of the bounds of wedlock, but beyond that, he knew no more, as Veronica had refused to speak about it to anyone, so they knew not who the man was.
Maddie vowed she would visit Veronica’s grave the next time she was in Lambton. She would go see Lucy Carlyle because if anyone knew more, it would be Lucy as she and Veronica used to be the best of friends.