Chapter 23
As Elizabeth’s wedding gown was being made by the local dressmaker, it was not urgent for her to visit modistes and mantua makers in London, but in the end her betrothed convinced her of the need to do so.
The Tuesday before Christmas, the large Darcy travelling carriage departed for London with Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet joining Darcy.
As much as Elizabeth would have loved for Jane and Mary to accompany her, she understood their desire to remain with their betrotheds.
When the coach slowed to a halt in Grosvenor Square, Elizabeth was awed. She knew her betrothed was wealthy, but she did not expect the enormous home where they halted. “Welcome to Darcy House,” Darcy intoned to his guests.
“William, your house is so large,” Elizabeth exclaimed as they stood in the entrance hall.
“In less than two weeks this will be our house, Elizabeth,” Darcy pointed out.
Elizabeth, her father, and her stepmother were introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Killion, Darcy House’s butler and housekeeper.
While Darcy led her father to the library, Elizabeth and Charlotte followed Mrs. Killion on a tour of the house.
Elizabeth was impressed with the understated elegance of the public rooms, and could not help but compare Charlotte’s quiet, appropriate comments with those her late mother would have made.
Elizabeth winced as she imagined her late mother’s effusions about the cost of the furniture and how embarrassed she would have been at her vulgarity.
Not for the first time, Elizabeth wondered if she and William would have come this far together if Fanny Bennet had still been alive.
As they walked from the drawing room to a smaller parlour, Elizabeth tried to push thoughts of her late mother’s probable behaviour out of her mind.
“I do not see anything you would need to change so far. What say you, Eliza?” Charlotte asked, snapping Elizabeth out of her reverie.
“You are correct, Charlotte. It is all so elegant. The furniture I have seen looks most comfortable; this a home for living in, not a house decorated to impress.” Elizabeth opined as she looked around.
The housekeeper showed them into the large ballroom.
“Does this room get much use, Mrs. Killion?” Elizabeth enquired.
“The last time there was a ball at Darcy House was before my time, when Lady Anne Darcy was alive, which was before little miss Darcy’s birth,” the housekeeper explained.
“I will have to convince my betrothed balls are not to be eschewed. We will have one when Miss Darcy comes out, if not before” Elizabeth responded.
They toured three dining parlours after the ballroom, and then the three ladies climbed the grand marble staircase to the first floor—the family floor.
The housekeeper pointed out the entrance to the library as well as the master and mistress studies, after which she directed them to the left towards the master suite.
As they toured, Mrs. Killion was becoming more and more impressed with her soon-to-be mistress.
So many would want to put their stamp on their new home regardless of whether change was needed.
The housekeeper had heard that, when compared to Pemberley, the master’s betrothed was from a modest estate without a great deal of wealth, yet she was not planning to spend Mr. Darcy’s funds just because she could.
She had promised Mrs. Reynolds, her counterpart at Pemberley, a letter with her impressions of Master William’s betrothed after the tour. Mrs. Killion was discovering more positive aspects of Miss Bennet to put in her letter as they continued.
The housekeeper showed the two Bennet ladies into the mistress’s chambers. There was a large bedchamber, a cavernous walk-in closet compared to hers at Longbourn, a dressing room, and a bathing room with a screen in one corner that hid the chamber pot.
The décor was not compatible with Elizabeth’s tastes, for it was a pallet of pastels with light pink as the base. It was the only room in the house they had seen so far with ostentatious furniture, and when Elizabeth sat on the mattress, it was so soft she felt like she was sinking in quicksand.
Neither Charlotte nor Mrs. Killion missed the look of distaste on Elizabeth’s mien. “I would be surprised if you did not want to make changes to this set of rooms, Miss Bennet,” the housekeeper shared. “Lady Anne Darcy decorated the suite more than thirty years ago.”
“I see nothing in here which would suit your tastes, Eliza,” Charlotte encouraged her.
“Other than the mattress, which is far too soft for me, I can live with the rest. I am loathe to cause so much unnecessary expense,” Elizabeth informed the ladies.
“Elizabeth,” came the deep baritone voice of her betrothed from behind her, “as much as I appreciate you not wanting to spend money without a perceived need, these are your chambers and therefore must reflect your tastes, not my late mother’s.
I know you will not, but you could decorate the whole house over again multiple times and not put us in danger of insolvency.
In this I must insist—I want you to have these chambers made over to your tastes.
That includes the furniture,” Darcy stated evenly.
Elizabeth was about to object, but one look at Charlotte who gave a slight shake of her head killed the words in her throat. “Thank you, William; that is most generous of you.”
“It is my pleasure to do anything which will make you happy, Elizabeth.” Darcy’s voice was steady as he took his fiancée’s hands in his own, almost forgetting they were not alone until Charlotte cleared her throat. “I will return to your father in the library,” Darcy stated, and as he departed.
It did not take long for Elizabeth to articulate her tastes to the housekeeper, who took copious notes.
New furniture would be ordered and be in place when Elizabeth returned for her wedding night, after which they were to travel to Seaview Cottage near Brighton.
Elizabeth chose various shades of green accented with a little yellow for her chambers.
In the shared sitting room between the mistress and master chambers there was nothing Elizabeth wanted to change.
After testing the sofa, loveseat, and two wingback chairs, she determined all were comfortable.
In one corner next to the windows overlooking the back garden was a table with chairs and a sideboard.
There were four bookcases, each one loaded with books.
Elizabeth could envision sharing meals with William at the table and spending many companionable hours with him in their shared sitting room. After a quick peek into William’s chambers, where Elizabeth spied the biggest bed she had ever beheld, they joined the two men in the library.
Much to her father’s delight, he would remain at Darcy House with Darcy while Charlotte and Elizabeth went shopping for more of Elizabeth’s trousseau. Before they departed, Darcy asked for a word with Mrs. Bennet.
“I know Elizabeth is frugal by nature, but I am sure she does not realise all she will need as Mrs. Darcy, not to mention the cold of the north. The shops you are going to all have accounts in my name and have been instructed to charge all of Elizabeth’s purchases to me.
I am asking that you make sure she orders what is needed,” Darcy requested once the two were away from his betrothed.
“I will leave you and my husband to deal with the finances, but I will do as you ask. I too am frugal, but you are right that as Mrs. Darcy she will have many demands,” Charlotte agreed.
It was more than six hours later when Charlotte and Elizabeth returned to Darcy House. The next morning, just after sunrise, the Darcy coach returned to Meryton. Another trip would be undertaken the Thursday after Christmas for fittings and alterations, if needed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Gardiners would be hosted by the Bennets for Christmastide, as was their tradition. To make room at Longbourn, the three younger girls, two Bennet and one Darcy, moved to Netherfield Park the day before the guests from London were to arrive.
After arriving in London the previous afternoon, Richard contacted the Gardiners and was told they would depart for Longbourn the following morning, so they decided to travel in convoy.
To make more room in the Gardiner carriage, Lilly, ten, and Eddy, eight, rode in the large Matlock coach with Richard, Andrew, and Anne de Bourgh.
The group from Town arrived at Longbourn a little before midday. The best surprise for those waiting to welcome the arriving family, was to discover that Anne looking healthier than they had seen her in years.
“Doctor Starkey does not bleed me or insist I drink the useless tinctures his predecessor used to insist I take while my mother blindly followed the quack’s advice.
I am better than I have been for many a year.
Do not be fooled, however, for the underlying issues with my heart and lungs cannot be cured and I will keep getting weaker.
The difference is now I can enjoy whatever time God allows me.
I do not feel nearly as weak as I have in the past. It is still hard for me to exert myself, but I feel like I am living rather than simply existing,” Anne related.
None of her relatives had heard her string more than a few words together before, and her uncle especially felt guilty for not intervening sooner. “Anne, I am so sorry I did not remove you from your mother’s control years ago. I should never have believed her without talking to you.”