Chapter 29
Anna was as nervous as she was excited about hosting the Gardiners and Lizzy for the dinner at Darcy House. Thankfully, she had the help and support of her companion Mrs Annesley, Aunt Elaine, and Cousin Marie.
Uncle Reggie and Andrew had returned from Kent before the sabbath so the four Fitzwilliams who were in London would also attend Monday evening.
Both her uncle and Andrew knew Mr Gardiner, and Mrs Gardiner was a friend of Aunt Elaine.
She was also well known to Cousin Marie.
Anna agreed with William that the Fitzwilliams would enjoy meeting Lizzy and would be charmed by her.
The menu was planned; the house sparkled from Mrs Killion overseeing an additional cleaning of all of the rooms they would use. William reminded her that Lizzy and the Gardiners had previously been to the house, so they knew what to expect. That reminder had helped soothe Anna’s nerves.
She intended to keep her promise to Lizzy to play some music at the pianoforte after dinner. Even though Anna had never performed before so many, she would do it. She refused to let Lizzy down.
All that remained was for her to change her gown and to join William to await the arrival of their guests.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Just before she went to change, the Gardiner’s butler presented Elizabeth with a letter. She would have waited until she had changed, except she identified the neat hand as that belonging to Jane. As soon as she closed her bedchamber door, Elizabeth broke the seal and began to read.
7 December 1811
Longbourn
My dearest sister, Lizzy,
Colonel Fitzwilliam asked me to enter into an official courtship with him. Of course, I granted his request without delay.
Honourable man that he is, his first worry before he declared himself was whether or not my heart was engaged elsewhere. He would have retreated from the field had that been the case, but I assured him that any former attachment had been evicted from that organ.
I was far braver than the old Jane would have been when I told him the only man I was interested in was himself. (Those are not the words I used, but he understood what I meant.)
Papa gave his blessing, and Mama added her approbation, but with none of her former vulgarity. Yes, I said that! I know it is the most unforgiving thing I have ever said or written about Mama, but that is the truth and facts I refused to own in my na?veté.
As harsh as it sounded at the time, I will never be able to thank Aunt Maddie enough for taking charge of me and forcing me to open my eyes and see the world as it is. That enabled me to see the truth of Mr Bingley’s attachment, as well as mine to him. As you well know, I found both lacking.
Richard (as he has asked me to call him when we are out of earshot of others) has been honest about his prospects.
Even being the second son of an earl, he is not very wealthy, but he has saved up a fair amount over the years, and when added to a legacy his late Uncle Darcy left him, he is comfortable.
He told me that if I accept (I am sure I will), when—not if—he proposes, he will resign and sell his commission, which will give him another significant amount to add to his savings.
I informed him that I would never demand he leave the army, but Richard told me this is what he always planned when he met the woman who would make him want to settle down.
The day after we announced the courtship, Mama and Papa called me into the study.
Do you know what our dear parents intend to do?
I will tell you, but only if you agree. If you do, I will canvass Mary, Kitty and Lydia as well.
When I accept Richard, Papa will name me the heir to Longbourn in his will!
When that sad day that Papa is called home to God comes to pass, there will always be a home at Longbourn for Mama and any of my sisters who need it.
He told me he has always resisted his family trying to gift him money and property, including Mr Darcy, who offered Richard one of his satellite estates to have him leave the army. However, thankfully, he does not see my inheriting the estate as charity.
Even though he does not see himself as handsome, I do, but his character and honour are the most attractive parts of him to me.
Now I must tell you some good news about our mutual friend, Charlotte! She has been very sly. Just yesterday she and Lady Lucas came to call on Mama and me and announced that Charlotte is engaged to Colonel Forster!
Do you remember we all thought that he was enamoured of Miss Harriet Jamison, who is just 18? Evidently he realised that she was far too silly and vapid for him.
He met the Lucas ladies one day in Meryton and had a conversation with Charlotte, which, it seems, greatly impressed him with her good sense and practicality.
Not long after, they began an unofficial courtship.
After experiencing disappointment in the past, Charlotte kept the information to herself in case this courtship ended like the two previous ones. From my news, you know it did not!
They will marry from Lucas Lodge in December, before Christmas. That way Charlotte will be well established as his wife before the regiment relocates to the summer encampment in Brighton.
As you can expect, our friend is caught up in the planning of her wedding, but she will write to you soon. However, when I told her I would be writing, Charlotte requested I inform you.
As would be expected, Lady Lucas is beside herself with joy. Mama was genuine in her wishes for a happy future. Where Charlotte’s engagement in the past would have caused Mama to complain that a man was stolen from one of her daughters, there was no evidence of that at all.
Before I complete this letter, please pass on my deepest gratitude to Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward, not only for opening my eyes but also for the changes they helped make in our family. They have made all of our lives so much better.
I will write to Aunt Maddie soon. Kiss my cousins for me. With all of my sisterly love,
Jane
Although she was very pleased about Charlotte’s news, Elizabeth was ecstatic that Jane’s heart had been repaired and was now open to a good man.
The handsome image of Mr Darcy flashed before her eyes as soon as she had thought about the term ‘good man’. Elizabeth wondered what it meant. Since they had made their mutual apologies, Mr Darcy had been very solicitous of her. Was she reading more into that than there was?
Only now, as she changed and prepared herself to attend the dinner at Darcy House, Elizabeth finally admitted that her visceral reaction to Mr Darcy’s words at the assembly had been because she had felt an attraction to him at first sight.
That slight had done more than prick her vanity; it had killed a new and delicate hope to know the devastatingly handsome man better.
Elizabeth already knew that the looks he gave her were not to find fault.
Her heart screamed that they were indicative of an attraction.
But she reminded herself of the gulf between the Bennets and Mr Darcy in both consequence and wealth.
While she was determined to be cautious, she still allowed hope to grow.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy and his sister stood just inside of the door to welcome the Gardiners and Miss Bennet after Killion and some of his men had relieved them of their outerwear.
After welcoming them, Anna walked with Mr and Mrs Gardiner while he had the distinct pleasure of offering Miss Bennet…
no, Miss Elizabeth as she had told Anna—if only he too was allowed to address her informally—his arm, which she took with no hesitation.
With her dainty gloved hand resting on his arm, Darcy did not even remember the walk up the stairs to the drawing room on the first floor.
As the Gardiners had met all the Fitzwilliams before, he had no need to make introductions between them.
He did need to do the honours for Miss Elizabeth, except for Aunt Elaine, who she had met the day they sent the Bingleys on their way.
The atmosphere was far more relaxed than Elizabeth would have suspected with an earl and countess and a viscount and viscountess present.
She supposed she should not be surprised that the other three Fitzwilliams were this way, because on meeting Lady Matlock the first time she had been in this house, she had been very down-to-earth, with no put-on airs and graces.
“We had a letter from Richard earlier today,” Lady Matlock reported. “Maddie, it seems we are to be family, as Richard is courting your eldest niece, and he will not be happy until she becomes his wife.”
“Yes, Lizzy told us that before we departed, she had a letter from Jane,” Maddie responded.
“Does that mean my brother will finally resign from the army?” Marie asked.
“Indeed!” Lady Matlock and Elizabeth chorused. They looked at one another and giggled.
A countess giggling. It only made Elizabeth like Lady Matlock more.
She could not think of a better mother-in-law for her dearest Janey.
Remembering that Mr Darcy had looked down on the possible union between Jane and his former friend, Elizabeth looked across at him.
She saw no disapprobation or disdain in his look; rather, it appeared to her that he approved wholeheartedly.
Darcy did not miss the way Miss Elizabeth was studying him. This was good news because he now knew that Miss Bennet would never marry without inclination, and his hope was that in the not-too-distant future, he and Richard would be brothers, each married to his own Bennet sister.
Maddie was watching the looks passing between Lizzy and Mr Darcy and had a knowing smile on her face. If she were to guess, she would say that Lizzy had detected Mr Darcy’s interest in herself, and she was not unhappy about it.
She gave Edward a knowing look where he was standing with Matlock, Hilldale, and Mr Darcy. He nodded that he had noted the same thing as her.