Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
The Christmas season rapidly approached, and although both William and Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed this time in each other’s sole company, they found themselves looking forward to the arrival of their families to celebrate the holiday.
First to arrive were the newly wedded Bingleys.
William and Elizabeth were both waiting just inside the massive front doors when they arrived at the gate—it was simply too cold to meet them outside—and greeted them warmly when they entered.
“Welcome to Pemberley,” William said happily as they entered. “You are our first guests, and we are so very pleased you could come to celebrate the holidays with us.”
After hugs and handshakes were exchanged, Jane and Bingley took a few minutes to refresh themselves before joining them in the drawing room for tea.
Elizabeth and Darcy had gone there immediately after showing the couple their rooms and were quietly talking when the others entered.
A few minutes of general conversation gave way to the couples separating into pairs, the sisters together on one settee and the men in a corner talking about possible estates.
“Oh, Lizzy, it has been so difficult with Mama,” Jane cried nearly as soon as they were alone. “She visits so frequently and always complains about her nerves and persists in blaming you for Lydia’s foolishness. No one can convince her otherwise.”
“With luck, you will be leaving Netherfield soon enough, as William’s agent has found several not too far away that he believes may be good possibilities for you,” Elizabeth answered.
“But Jane, I confess, I have heard quite enough of Mrs. Bennet’s abuse of me.
Come, tell me of your time in London and Netherfield.
How are you doing with managing the estate?
And most importantly, how are you finding married life? ”
“Lizzy, what do you mean by referring to Mama so?” Jane asked.
Elizabeth sighed. “My parents have declared me dead to them. From what you have said, Mrs. Bennet continues to abuse me and speak poorly of me despite this edict. I want nothing more to do with her, and even Mr. Bennet, who said he wanted to restore our relationship, has written me one letter since your wedding, more or less asking if my husband would send money to maintain his wife and youngest daughter in Ireland throughout her confinement, and beyond if someone—my husband or yours—would be responsible for their upkeep.”
Jane just looked shocked, so Elizabeth continued.
“Jane, I do not understand what has come over you. Surely, you see that I cannot continue a relationship with a woman who utterly hates me and disparages me at every turn. The only reason the whole of Meryton does not know of her complaints against me is that her pin money was threatened if she spoke against me outside the family. Mr. Bennet has made no attempt to keep her from speaking ill of me within the family. Why should I continue to honour them as my father and my mother when they want nothing to do with me except to abuse me?”
“It is the Christian thing to do, Lizzy,” Jane protested.
Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking.
“I have forgiven them, although I confess the subject is brought up, I still struggle with anger toward them. With time and distance, I do hope that will become easier. However, while I can forgive them, which our Lord has commanded us, that does not mean I will accept them back into my life without considering their behaviour and its consequences.”
“But Lizzy…,” Jane began.
“No, Jane, no more!” Elizabeth nearly yelled.
“Just as my father declared me dead to him, my mother and father are as good as dead to me. Do not expect me to pretend that all is well when you have just told me Mrs. Bennet continues to speak ill of me and blames me for things that are in no way my fault, nor my husband’s.
Do you even know what she said of me, Jane?
Have you heard the names she calls me? Has she made any efforts to apologise to me for any of it?
Why, Jane, why should I pretend none of it has happened? ”
Hearing her sister’s words and the raised tone of voice caused Jane to cry.
William and Charles had both turned to look as they had noted the tense conversation, but it was not until Elizabeth raised her voice that they began to move toward their wives.
Jane, feeling Charles touch her shoulder, turned to him in tears.
With a look at their hosts, he led Jane from the room.
Elizabeth, still angry, turns her glare to her husband.
“How can she be so blind, William? She believes me to be in the wrong for my treatment of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet while she continues to listen to Mrs. Bennet abuse me at every turn. Surely, she could ban the woman from the house or correct her when she speaks ill of me or, or something.” The words burst from Elizabeth as she paced back and forth in front of him.
William reached out to stop her in her tracks as he pulled her into his chest. “Bingley and I spoke of it as you ladies were talking, at least until the conversation took a turn. Jane does not see it; she does not want to blame her parents for the distance between you and them. He fears she will never accept it, and he worries for her.”
Elizabeth leaned further into her husband’s chest. “I attempted to redirect the conversation away from Longbourn, but she insisted on continuing the conversation. She questioned why I referred to them as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and accused me of being unchristian in not accepting them back into our lives.”
Taking a deep breath, William continued to attempt to soothe her. “Dearest, please calm yourself. I cannot imagine this stress can be good for the baby,” he said as he rubbed his hands up and down her back in a comforting manner.
She did as he asked and took several deep breaths.
“I know I am likely more emotional because of the baby as well, but, oh William, I do not even want to share this happiness with Jane after this. Even though you and I both know this baby was conceived within the bounds of our marriage, I worry that Jane will be unable to not say something of it to Mrs. Bennet, which will only confirm for her how I have ‘played the harlot’ to gain your favours. I can imagine the stories she will tell when she discovers our news.”
“Soon, she and Lydia will be in Ireland, where they can tell no one,” William soothed.
“But what will prevent them from writing letters to their friends and neighbours when they are in Ireland?” She sighed once again.
“I cannot continue in this way, or I will grow angry and anxious once again. We were looking forward to our guests, but now I wish we had not asked them to come ahead of everyone else.”
“I will ensure you are not alone with her again, my love,” he said gently.
“We will forgo the separation of the sexes after dinner while we are a small party, and I will contrive ways to keep you in my company. It is just for a few days, and perhaps I can write to Matlock and suggest they come earlier than they had planned.”
“You are so good to me, William,” she sighed, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I do love you so very dearly.”
“I love you as well, Elizabeth,” he said, tucking her hand under his arm and escorting her to their rooms, where he continued to work on relaxing her.
Dinner that night was mostly pleasant, if a bit tense at times.
For her part, Elizabeth did not speak to Jane directly but kept the conversation general and light.
She was aided in this by her husband and his friend, but her sister remained quiet.
Charles had confessed to Elizabeth that she had spent much of the afternoon thinking about their conversation.
The next several days passed pleasantly with only a slight hint of the quarrel between the sisters.
As he had said he would, William shielded Elizabeth from being alone with her sister, and while there was ample conversation between the parties, little of it was directly between Elizabeth and Jane, and the topic of Longbourn was avoided entirely.
However, on the fourth day of their stay, Jane cornered Elizabeth in an empty room as she worked to prepare the Christmas baskets for the staff.
“This summer, I received a letter from Caroline Bingley shortly before her brother returned to Netherfield,” Jane began.
“I was rather surprised at it since I had not heard from her since her short visit to Gracechurch Street in the winter. The letter said some truly awful things, but then you married Mr. Darcy so suddenly, and I had not heard anything from you.”
“Mr. Bennet intercepted those letters, Jane,” Elizabeth said heatedly. “You did not hear from me because he consigned any letters I sent to the fire.”
Jane nodded in reply and then continued her tale.
“Miss Bingley, Caroline, said that you had coordinated your visit at Pemberley knowing that Mr. Darcy would be in residence and that you had tricked him into inviting you to stay. Once you were ensconced in Pemberley, she said you constantly flirted and teased, and she told me that she saw you come from his study several times with your hair and gown mussed and that on the last night she was here, she saw you slip from his bedchamber in the middle of the night.”
“And you believed this nonsense of me?” Elizabeth demanded.
“I confess I did not know what to think,” Jane admitted. “It seemed so unlike you, but why would Caroline lie to me about it? And then you married Mr. Darcy in such a rush.”