Chapter 10 Audley Street
The coach pulled up in front of Gardiner House. Mr Gardiner who had been waiting for the arrival of his nieces, exited the house to assist them to disembark while Mrs Milford remained in the coach to be conveyed to her own home.
The sisters who had expected to be taken to Gracechurch Street were somewhat confused by the different destination and awestruck at the size of the mansion, which was even larger than the other house, particularly Jane when she saw the plaque declaring their new residence to be Gardiner House.
‘Gardiner House?’ she exclaimed. ‘Did you buy this house?’
Mr Gardiner smiled as he said, ‘I will explain later. This is not the time and place for such a discussion.’
As the sisters entered the foyer they were amazed and delighted by the understated elegance of their temporary home.
Mr Gardiner introduced Mr and Mrs Hobson, the butler and housekeeper.
Mary noticed that the couple were giving her a peculiar look and asked, ‘Do I have a smudge on my face?’
‘No, Miss. It is just that you look so much like your aunt, it took us quite by surprise,’ Mrs Hobson answered for both of them.
‘I did not think that I looked much like Aunt Phillips?’ Mary mused aloud and wondered how Mrs Hobson could think that.
‘Pardon me, I suppose that I should have said your great-aunt, Mrs Carleton.’
‘You knew our great-aunt Mary?’
‘I should hope so. We were happy to serve her and Mr Carleton in this house for nigh on thirty years. But pardon me. I had not meant to keep blathering on and keep you from freshening up after your journey. Please allow me to show you to your rooms.’
~T~
An hour later the sisters joined Mr Gardiner in the family parlour where a tea service had just been delivered.
‘Is Aunt Madeline not joining us?’ Elizabeth asked their uncle while Jane served the tea.
‘Not right now. She is upstairs spending time with the children to give me an opportunity to explain the situation.’ Mr Gardiner took a careful sip of the hot beverage before settling back in his chair.
‘As you have probably guessed, this house used to belong to your great-aunt Mary.’
The sisters nodded and Elizabeth asked, ‘Are you living here now? What about your house in Gracechurch Street?’
‘Your aunt and I still live in our own house, but Aunt Mary suggested that this house should be made available to you if you wanted to spend a season in town. Since it would be improper for you to be here on your own and your parents are needed at Longbourn –‘
‘You mean that papa does not wish to come to town and mama would not be the best person to introduce us since she does not know anyone here,’ Mary interjected.
While she was quieter than her sisters, she had observed the family and had no illusions about their suitability to introduce their daughters into society, although she still tempered her comment.
Mr Gardiner raised an eyebrow at the interruption but merely shrugged and sighed. ‘Just so, but if you all would kindly allow me to explain in my own way, all will be made clear.’
He took another sip of tea before continuing. ‘As I was trying to tell you, Uncle Henry used to live at Gracechurch Street until he took this house. When he made me a partner, he gave his former house to me. Your aunt and I have been very happy to live there.’
Gardiner paused for a moment in case one of his nieces wanted to ask a question.
When none was forthcoming, he said, ‘After Uncle Henry’s death, this house belonged to your aunt and since her death has been held in trust by your Uncle Phillips and myself.
Since you expressed an interest in spending some time in town, your aunt and I thought it best to open this house as it is a little larger than our own and in a more convenient location. ’
As the gentleman took another sip of tea, Elizabeth took the opportunity to ask, ‘Where exactly is this more convenient location?’
Mr Gardiner pointed out the window towards the right. ‘Just beyond that corner is Grosvenor Square. Perhaps you have heard of it?’
The eyes of all three sisters widened and their jaws dropped in shock, causing their uncle to chuckle. ‘I gather you have heard of it.’
‘Aunt Mary used to live in one of the most fashionable parts of town?’ gasped Elizabeth before she started to laugh.
‘Forgive me. I just remembered how Miss Bingley denigrated our relatives in trade and crowed about the horror of being forced to live in Cheapside, while she was situated in a more fashionable part of town.’
‘Lizzy, it is not nice of you to laugh at our acquaintances,’ Jane admonished her sister although there was a suspicious twinkle in her eye.
‘Indeed, it is most uncharitable of you to do so. Especially as the good book says that we are supposed to be kind to those less fortunate than us,’ Mary adjured Elizabeth with a pious expression which she managed to maintain until confronted with a disbelieving look from her sister.
She sighed. ‘I know that is how we should feel and act, but I am forced to admit that I too found Miss Bingley’s attitude to be vexing. ’
Elizabeth grimaced and changed the subject. ‘I believe that Grosvenor Square is also not far from Hyde Park.’
‘It is but a quarter mile from here,’ Mr Gardiner confirmed with an indulgent smile. ‘As long as you take a footman and a maid to accompany you, you may walk there as much as your heart desires… provided you have no other commitments.’
Mary raised a more practical aspect. ‘Uncle, if Aunt Mary could afford this house, is there anything else which we should know about?’
Gardiner nodded and proceeded to explain the history of Henry and Mary Carleton.
At the end he added, ‘The old fogies who objected to Uncle Henry’s choice of profession have died off and the latest crop of cousins is quite pleasant.
Admittedly, the relationship is now quite distant, but the current Mrs Amelia Carleton will be happy to introduce you to her friends. ’
‘Why did you never before tell us?’ Jane asked with a surprising edge to her voice.
‘We wanted to protect you from fortune hunters.’ Gardiner grimaced. ‘Do you think that if we had told your mother, it would have remained a secret?’
~T~
That evening before going to bed, the sisters congregated in Jane’s sitting room.
‘How do you feel about being heiresses?’ Elizabeth asked her sisters.
‘Torn,’ was Mary’s succinct answer while Jane hugged her arms about herself.
Their sister chuckled. ‘Most girls would be jumping for joy if they found out that they are extremely well provided for.’
‘Perhaps I will do so, once I get used to the idea,’ Mary replied. ‘At present I am worried that people will try to take advantage of us if they should learn of our expectations.’
‘You heard Uncle Gardiner explain that our inheritance will only be given to us if the trustees approve of our husbands and we are properly married, rather than having eloped.’
Jane perked up a little at that reminder. ‘It also means that if we choose not to marry, we will be most comfortably situated.’
‘You would choose not to marry?’ gasped Mary.
‘It was bad enough when men only saw my so-called beauty without consideration of me as a person. Now they might see beauty and wealth. I shudder to think what kind of men will approach me and how I will be able to distinguish if someone is genuinely interested in me.’
Elizabeth looked thoughtful. ‘You know that I always railed against the custom amongst the haute ton of marrying for money. Now I have to admit it has a certain kind of logic. If you have a choice of two equally rich partners, you can choose the one whom you like better.’
‘Are you suggesting that we should only consider wealthy men as potential husbands?’ Jane cried in outrage.
‘I merely thought that if you are concerned that a man might only offer for you because you are wealthy...’ Elizabeth trailed off.
Mary had a different opinion. ‘There is a flaw in your logic, Lizzy. I believe that most wealthy men only marry a woman of wealth so as to preserve or increase their fortune.’
Her sister threw her hands up. ‘It is ironic that mama used to worry about us not finding husbands because we did not have enough of a dowry. Now we worry that there might be too many men who would want to marry us because we have large dowries.’
Mary, of all the sisters was the most practical. ‘There is a simple solution. While we will not lie outright, we can imply that we each have a dowry of a few thousand pounds. A respectable amount but not uncommonly large.’
‘We all know that it is terribly gauche to speak about money in social situations,’ Elizabeth added.
She and Mary turned towards Jane, who dropped her hands into her lap and her posture became less rigid as she gave a relieved smile.
‘Thank you, Mary. Although disguise is my abhorrence, but as you suggested that we should not have to lie, I can go along with your scheme. You greatly relieve my mind.’
~T~
The next few days were exceedingly busy for the ladies.
The first stop was the Gardiner warehouse where the sisters selected fabrics, ribbons, and lace for new outfits.
Jane was horrified at the sheer number of fabrics Mrs Gardiner insisted on for each of them. ‘But Aunt, you cannot be serious. Even the ribbons alone cost more than I normally spend on dresses in a year,’ she exclaimed.
‘Aunt Mary charged me with ensuring that you will be a credit to her. She was an elegant woman of excellent taste.’ Mrs Gardiner smiled.
‘To ensure that you appear just as elegant, she put money aside for just this purpose. When it is their turn, your sisters will also be provided with a complete new wardrobe.’