Epilogue
After another month of building her wardrobe and sightseeing, they continued on with their travels, making stops in Bern, Switzerland, and Florence and Rome in Italy.
From there they chartered a private ship to visit Turkish Greece and Constantinople, Sicily, and Sardinia.
When they finally arrived on the island of Mallorca, Spain, to meet the Earl and Her Highness the Countess, Mary was immediately put at ease by the kind and welcoming couple.
The Spanish monarch was equally kind, though less welcoming, and it became obvious that he had hoped to broker a marriage between his nephew and another to strengthen his hold on his title.
Under his sister’s advisement, he had sent the woman and her displeased family away before the newlyweds had arrived, however, so there had been no scenes to mar their introductions.
Mary had immediately been invited to call the Earl and Countess mother and father and had never felt so accepted and loved, outside of her dear Johnny.
She blossomed even further into the lovely, intelligent woman she had always been meant to be under their outpouring of affection.
Mother had worked with her to ensure that her knowledge of court étiquette was firmly understood before they left the beautiful Mediterranean island for mainland Spain and traveled with the royal entourage to Madrid to be formally presented at court.
It had been an interesting experience for Mary, and she felt it likely would have overwhelmed her burgeoning self-confidence without the staunch support of her new family and the truly magnificent wardrobe created by Madame Courant.
Several young ladies attempted to bait her one evening, but she was proud of her reaction as she firmly repressed their pretensions and did not retreat.
They scattered like hens when Her Royal Highness the Countess appeared to support her.
After several weeks of finding humor in court intrigues, the new family made their way home to England where they planned to present Mary to Queen Charlotte at a private tea.
Many plans were also made for a ball of epic proportions to celebrate their marriage and present her to the Ton.
Word of her debut in Paris had reached English shores via all of the travelers betwixt the two places and Mary Rose had become the most sought-after color of the upcoming season, while everyone waited with bated breath to see the exquisite woman who had inspired it.
And if a few bitter debutants muttered about a patched-up marriage without the Earl and Countess in attendance, most ignored them, and those that had been in Paris to see the couple laughed in their faces.
∞∞∞
“Mr. Gardiner!” his wife cried excitedly as he returned from his warehouses to prepare for dinner.
“I have heard from our niece, Mary! They have just returned, and she dines with Prince George tomorrow evening. She has also invited us to her ball to celebrate their marriage. That is very sweet of her, but I do not know that we should attend. I would hate to cause her strain. You know how most of the ton looks down upon tradesmen.”
“I would hope that she knows her own mind on the matter,” Mr. Gardiner replied. “Lizzy and Jane will arrive today for the season. We shall ask their opinion when next we see them.”
“I am so pleased for them all. Our most deserving nieces have all found wonderful men to walk through their lives with them.”
“They have indeed!” Gardiner agreed. “Speaking of Lord Lingley, that vanity set of his has been gathering dust on my shelves for months! I will have it brought to the house and have it cleaned before we deliver it to Lingley House.”
“I would love to see them.” Mrs. Gardiner tapped her finger against her chin. “I hope that Mary did not invite Jane, or at least that she did not send the invitation to Netherfield.”
“Surely she would not be so silly. I love Jane, but she is so guileless that she would never keep it secret from her mother and Kitty. I suppose we shall learn soon, for my sister would never allow Mary to enjoy a London ball without her presence and oversight.”
“Heaven forbid!”
Not a half an hour later, the Bingley carriage pulled to a stop before the door of the Gardiner’s home on Gracechurch St. Jane and Bingley shared a guilty look as Kitty was assisted to step down to the street.
“I do not see why we must stay with the Gardiners!” Mrs. Bennet screeched. “Lizzy has a perfectly fine house on Park Lane, and you are staying with the Hursts on Grosvenor St! Should the mother of Princess Mary Lingley be housed in Cheapside?”
“We cannot invite you to stay with the Hursts, Mama,” Jane pleaded. “It is just not done.”
“But you could hint that I was coming with you to town!” She whined, “Surely they would then be forced to offer a room out of courtesy!”
They shared another look, neither willing to explain that they had attempted just that but had received a scathing letter stating that the Hursts absolutely refused to host such a person and they had best find other accommodations rather than just showing up with her, which was their second plan if they had not heard back in a timely manner.
Elizabeth had also refused to countenance a visit at that time, with the excuse that she needed to establish herself in the ton before she attempted to introduce anyone else.
The footman assisted the still complaining woman from the carriage, and Bingley knocked to pull away before she could change her mind and climb in once more.
The Gardiners were at supper when the Bennet ladies were announced, and with a knowing look, Mrs. Gardiner invited the unwelcome ladies to join them if they wished or promised to order a tray in their rooms if they would rather.
Kitty immediately plopped down in a chair and began to dish herself some food, speaking of their travels, while Mrs. Bennet complained of ill use from the doorway.
“I cannot believe that my dear Bingley has not purchased a home for us in London! Mr. Darcy, of course, would be too dull to live with, but Bingley is everything obliging, usually. He dared to hint that it would not be quite the thing for me to show up uninvited at Mary’s ball.
Can you imagine? As if her mother needed a specific invitation.
She shall not know how to go on, AT ALL!
She will need me to oversee all the preparations and, of course, act as hostess that evening. ”
“Mary is not throwing a ball, Fanny,” Mrs. Gardiner attempted to temper her, always an exercise in futility. “Her mother-in-law, Her Royal Highness the Countess of Ashford is holding a ball to celebrate the marriage of her son.”
“I am sure she could use the assistance. I have heard that she is from some place in Spain, after all. Likely she has no idea how we do things here in England. We shall need to order new gowns as well, of course. The lace in Meryton is not nearly fine enough for London. You do not mind, do you, brother? Mr. Bennet was most unobliging and refused to advance my pin money for next quarter! If you do not take pity on me, I am sure I do not know what I will do!”
Mrs. Gardiner barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “I agree with Mr. Bingley, I think. Perhaps we ought to ask Mary her opinion before you buy any or all the lace in London.”
“There is a magnificent vanity in the hall!” Kitty declared, having ignored her mother completely. “Is it new? If not, I should gladly take it with me when we return to Longbourn. If you do not want it anymore, of course.” She qualified at the last.
“It is a gift for your sister from her husband,” Mr. Gardiner informed them.
“Lucky Lizzy!”
“Not Lizzy. It is for Mary from Lingley. Was it not handsome?” Mrs. Gardiner informed them with a flat smile.
“How do you like that?” Mrs. Bennet gasped.
“It is beautiful! Mary-Hannah’s face will crack the glass!” Kitty cackled.
“Catherine Theodora,” Mr. Gardiner barked. “That is enough of that. I will not countenance such talk in my house. If I hear it again from either of you, I shall send you to the post stop to return home immediately!”
Kitty, who was shocked at the vehemence of his words, only nodded, but Mrs. Bennet sputtered and flopped into a chair in order to better wave her handkerchief as she pretended a faint. “I have never been thus spoken to in my life,” she gasped.
“Well, it is about time that someone did,” Gardiner proclaimed. “Lingley shamed us all at the wedding for our treatment of his wife. While I never participated, I did not feel as if I could put a stop to it either. But in my house, it will be as I say! Am I rightly understood?”
Both ladies nodded, wide-eyed, while Mrs. Gardiner looked on with approval.
∞∞∞
The next day at when she finally deigned to appear for breakfast, Mrs. Bennet demanded the carriage but was told that she would have to order a hack or wait until the morrow, as it was needed by the master.
What she was not told was that the Gardiners had received a note from the Viscount inviting them to bring the vanity and accouterments themselves and join them for luncheon.
Mrs. Bennet, the note said, was not invited; Kitty remained unacknowledged.
Mrs. Bennet pouted all through the meal, but when her usual tricks did not bear fruit, demanded that a footman call a hack while she stomped out to fetch her own outerwear as her sister-in-law refused to allow her to order about the maids to her heart’s content.
Kitty had not appeared as yet, though it was nearing eleven, so the Gardiners were unhindered by their unwanted guests and they entered their carriage and, followed by a small cart, made their way through the streets and into Mayfair.
The houses grew larger and more elaborate with each turn they took and when they finally reached their destination in Berkeley Square, a beautiful five-story townhouse made of brick and limestone stood to greet them.
“I was told that the estate next door,” he gestured toward a palatial building they could only somewhat make out over the wall, “is owned by the Earl and is where the ball will take place.”
“I do not believe I have ever had cause to travel down this street,” Mrs. Gardiner whispered, as if fearing that the very air might be contaminated by her words.
A fractious voice drew mortified looks from both as two footmen carried the caterwauling Mrs. Bennet down the front steps toward the hack she had rented and instructed to wait for her.
“You have cheated me!” she cried at the top of her voice!
“Unhand me you brutes! She is worth ten cows! You cheat me!”
They tossed her into the carriage and waved the man on before Mrs. Bennet could discover who else had arrived. Her words were only slightly muffled by the thin walls of the coach as it lumbered away, and the Gardiners unapologetically hid behind their own conveyance until it had left.
“What on earth could she be speaking of?” Mrs. Gardiner wondered aloud.
The footmen fetched the crates and wrapped vanity, carrying them through the front doors and setting them in the front sitting room overlooking the street. The butler accepted the couple’s outerwear and showed them to the room where they waited only a moment for their nephew to appear.
“Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner!” Lingley cried happily as he entered the room. “It was very good of you to visit. Mary just returned from assisting my mother with preparations for the ball. I do hope that you will be joining us.”
“We wished to ascertain your thoughts on the matter, my lord,” Gardiner accepted a hearty handshake. “It is kind of you both to invite us, but we do not wish to intrude. We have no wish to force ourselves into the Ton nor to ride your coattails.”
“Not at all; we wish for you there. We may not be able to include you in invitations we receive, but we wish for you to know that you are accepted and welcome when we throw our own.”
Mr. Gardiner thanked him and led him to the vanity which had just been uncovered by one of the footmen. Lingley inspected it with excitement.
“No one in all of England will have a gift so fine!” he declared.
“No, it is truly worthy of an eight-cow wife,” Gardiner agreed, opening one of the crates to expose the solid gold vanity set.
Mary soon joined them, floating into the room in a beautiful rose morning gown with a set of exquisite pearls about her neck.
“Good morning, Uncle Gardiner, Aunt Gardiner. I apologize for the delay; I was just fixing my appearance. Mother had me in the attics, inventorying the tablecloths for the state dining room. They were perfect, of course. As if Mrs. Tulle would allow anything else.”
“Maaary?” Mr. Gardiner nearly choked on his breath while his wife was so lost that her mouth had gaped open.
She blushed and patted her coiffure, as if checking that it had remained in place. Lingley led her toward the crate and presented her with her gift, explaining he had purchased it with the funds he had won from Fitzwilliam.
“Oh, you!” Mary exclaimed, poking him in the side and making him jump. “It is beautiful, Johnny! Thank you so much!”
Mrs. Gardiner joined her, having finally got over the shock, and they embraced softly before continuing to dig through all the crates, exclaiming over every new treasure.
“My Lord, I can’t get over it.” Mr. Gardiner shook his head in wonder. “She is beautiful!”
“Please call me John. She truly is,” Lingley agreed. “I have adored her since we were children. She was always beautiful, I think. The trappings of wealth only highlight that which was already there. Tell me; do you think 8 cows was too high a price for her?”
“Oh, no!” he exclaimed. “Even Jane’s is nothing to her exotic beauty.”
“Neither does Mrs. Bennet; in fact, she was just here before you came. Mary Hannah, she declares, is worth ten cows if she is worth a hoof!”
The men laughed heartily together. “What changed?” Mr. Gardiner asked.
“It was the cows, certainly,” he teased playfully, watching the joy dancing across his beloved’s face with each new discovery.
“Think what it must mean to a woman, her future husband meeting with her father to discuss the lowest price for which she can be bought. And later, the women gather and they boast of what their husbands paid for them. 3 cows or 5! How does she feel? The woman who was sold for one or two? This could not be allowed to happen to my sweet May.”
“John, I misjudged you. I thought you were thinking only of how important you would look to your friends, honestly; doing the most to outdo Darcy.” Mr. Gardiner clapped him on the shoulder. “You only wanted to make Mary happy.”
“More than happy, Gardiner! I wanted her to be an eight cow woman. Many things can happen to make a woman beautiful. The most lasting of changes is how she thinks about herself. In her father’s hovel she was worth nothing.
And now she knows: To me, she is worth more than any other woman on this island.