Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
After dinner the following evening, the Darcys and the Gardiners, along with Georgiana, discussed the plight of the two Bennet girls who remained at home.
“Mr. Bennet has not written again since he asked us to help fund Mrs. Bennet’s sojourn to Ireland, and we never responded to that missive.
I do not know what he would say if I were to finally write to ask about having Mary and Kitty visit here.
Once they were with us, we could simply not send them back to him since I doubt he would stir himself to do anything about it,” Elizabeth proposed.
The heads around the table nodded their agreement. “I wonder if I were to write and ask them to visit if he would allow them to come,” Gardiner offered. “It is unlikely he would notice their absence, and I wonder how long he will leave his wife and daughter in Ireland after the baby is born.”
“With no one there to bother him, I wonder if he would even leave the library. Would the servants remain for long after that? What do you think would happen to Longbourn in that case? “Mrs. Gardiner wondered.
“Gardiner, I agree that the best solution is likely that you should write a letter inviting them to stay with you for a time. Then we can go from there,” Darcy offered.
“If they come to London, we can invite them to join us at Darcy House for a time and wait and see if Bennet even notices when they do not return. Eventually, they could accompany us to Pemberley if they desired.”
After discussing a few more details, including what steps to take if Bennet refused his permission, the two couples turned to happier matters.
“We are glad you could be here tonight because we also have news to share. We expect an addition to the family in June. I felt the quickening last night,” Elizabeth told them all.
Her aunt was aware of her suspicions, having been told at Christmas, and her uncle probably did as well, but they feigned surprise for the sake of Georgiana, who did not know.
Georgiana was ecstatic. “A baby?” she cried, jumping up and clasping her hands. Then, her face slightly downcast, she said again, “June? So long?”
The two couples laughed. “Yes, sweetling,” William answered. “It generally takes about nine months.”
Georgiana blinked her eyes at him, staring blankly for a moment.
“Oh, I knew that,” she replied after considering it momentarily.
“I am just so very excited, that is all.” She reached to hug first Elizabeth and then William.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. “Aunt Rebecca already knows, does she not? That is why you are leaving for Pemberley around Easter, and I am staying in London with her.”
“It is, Georgiana,” Elizabeth soothed. “Aunt Rebecca guessed at our suspicions, but we were waiting for the quickening to confirm it. You were the first we told after discovering it was for certain.”
“I would like to return to Pemberley with you in March,” she said. “I do not want to miss the birth.”
William shook his head. “It is better for you to stay in town with our aunt. You are not yet out, but she can still begin to introduce you to other young ladies attending events as quietly as you are. And you can become accustomed to social events and begin to know a few people, so you will feel more comfortable when you are officially introduced.”
Georgiana scowled at her brother. “I do not want to miss my niece or nephew being born,” she protested.
“Oh, yes, you do, Georgiana,” Aunt Gardiner inserted. “A maiden like you has no business at her lying in. It is better to wait until the baby is delivered and then return to Pemberley.”
“Besides, Darcy will likely be worrying enough without you being there as well for him to worry about,” Gardiner teased.
William’s eyes grew large at the thought. “That is likely to be true. I feel I will be terrified when Elizabeth’s time comes.”
Elizabeth reached over and grasped William’s hand. “All will be well, William. You must trust that and try not to worry so much about things you cannot control,” she said quietly to soothe his worries.
“I will try, Elizabeth,” he whispered back. “I love you so very much.”
“And I love you too, William,” she replied as she leaned her forehead against her husband’s.
Gardiner cleared his throat to recall the couple to their surroundings.
“I will write a letter to my brother and niece in the morning, asking the girls to come. I will send my carriage on Monday unless I hear back from him with a different date or a negative reply. As soon as we hear something, we will let you know of his decision,” he said.
“Maddie and I are very pleased with your news and will anxiously await your child. Perhaps we can find a way to travel to Derbyshire in July or August again this year.”
“Yes, uncle, please do,” Elizabeth said. “We would love to invite you and to have you stay with us for a month or so. Perhaps you can bring the children with you.”
William seconded the invitation. “Let us know if we can aid you, even if it is to borrow a second carriage to transport the children. I know it would please Elizabeth very much to have you at Pemberley with us, and I would enjoy the opportunity to fish with you once again, Gardiner.”
It was not long after that the Gardiners left, and true to his word, he sent a note around when he heard back from Bennet. Bennet had agreed to the idea of Mary and Kitty visiting London, expressing pleasure at having an empty and quiet house for a time.
As they waited for the girls to arrive, Elizabeth finished much of her shopping and made appointments at the modiste the following week for her sisters.
While Mary and Kitty were in London, Elizabeth had decided she would purchase them a few dresses as well.
Mary would receive more since she was 19, but Kitty, at just 17, would have dresses like Georgiana’s to indicate she was not out.
She idly wondered how Kitty would behave after all that happened at Longbourn and was determined not to reward her if she, like others in her family, were determined to believe the worst of her.
This was something she would need to discuss with her aunt before her sisters arrived in town.
Mary and Kitty arrived at Gracechurch Street the following Monday evening, terribly relieved to be away from Longbourn.
“It has been awful, Aunt,” Kitty cried nearly as soon as she exited the carriage.
“Papa would not let us go anywhere, and no one could visit since Lydia has been so sick. She and Mama kept to their rooms all the time, and all I had for company was Mary, and she never wanted to do anything fun.”
“We are glad to offer you a short reprieve, Kitty, but tell me, what do you think about all that has been happening at Longbourn?” her aunt asked quietly.
“Lydia returned suddenly from Brighton, and everyone was in an uproar when Colonel Forster returned her. She told me that Mr. Darcy was to blame for her early return and for preventing her from eloping with Mr. Wickham. He was terribly handsome, but he was also twice her age, and I do not know why Lydia thought it would be such a lark to run off with him, especially since doing so apparently resulted in her being so sick. A few weeks after she returned, she began casting up her accounts every morning, and Papa banished her to her room, so Mama took to her room in a nervous fit. Mr. Bingley returned, and Jane got engaged to him, which was not much of a surprise, except for how long it took him to return,” Kitty said in a rush of words, not considering what she was saying or its impact upon others.
“Then, the news came about Lizzy not returning home, and no one knew why she wasn’t coming home, and then suddenly, Mrs. Phillips brought us a newspaper that said Lizzy was married to that terrible Mr. Darcy.
But Mr. Bingley said Mr. Darcy was not so awful, and Jane said nothing about any of it, and there were all those horrible rumours in Meryton about him.
But then the rumours seemed to change, and everyone began to say it was really Mr. Wickham who had done all those terrible things and made it seem like Mr. Darcy did them.
“Mary says that Mr. Darcy is a very good man and that Lizzy is fortunate to be married to him, although how she knows that, I do not know. Papa says that we are not to talk to Lizzy any more, and now Lydia and Mama are gone to Ireland for their health, but we are also not to write to them. And Jane ignores us all now that she is married.” Kitty continued to run away in this manner for some time.
Mrs. Gardiner was uncertain about what Kitty knew or believed but also realised it would take several more conversations before she could begin to understand all that Kitty knew or thought she knew.
Based on her conversation with Elizabeth late last week, she determined to keep Kitty away from the Darcys until more time had passed and she had been taught what was appropriate to say and what was not.
Quite a few misunderstandings needed to be corrected as well, and Elizabeth, in her condition, was not ready to accomplish the task.