Chapter 3
The first three days at Pemberley passed in a whirlwind of activity.
Several tours of the house in order to see it all; introductions to the staff; the assignment of her responsibilities, including organising the staff which was lower in number than it had ever been in the last fifteen years; interviewing people to fill the vacant positions based on some clear requirements; instructing the new hires, if any; assigning new responsibilities to the existing staff in order to improve efficiency.
Also, the budget for daily procurements and the staff wages were in her charge—for which Elizabeth felt an enormous burden, as she had never managed such an amount of money—kept in cash, in velvet pouches, in a locked drawer for which only she and Mrs. Reynolds had a key.
Elizabeth was given a uniform very much like the one Mrs. Reynolds wore, but more appropriate for her young age.
The gowns were made of fine fabrics—finer and likely more expensive than her usual muslin dresses—but the style was modest. At her first glimpse in the mirror, she barely recognised herself, especially with her hair tightly pinned under the white bonnet.
She looked a little bit stern, a little bit commanding, but serious and professional—just as her responsibilities required.
With Elizabeth’s approval, Mrs. Reynolds revealed her connection to Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Templeton and Henry and Leah Barnes—well known and respected by the entire neighbourhood.
Suddenly, it became more apparent why a young lady of obvious good breeding and high education had accepted coming across the country to help Mrs. Reynolds.
It seemed now like an arrangement between friends, which satisfied Darcy’s household and made them trust the newly arrived housekeeper more readily.
Despite her dear wish to do so, Elizabeth had no time to meet in person with Mrs. Gardiner’s relatives in Lambton.
Henry and Leah—both Mrs. Gardiner’s age, in their mid-thirties—came to greet her briefly and the introduction was pleasant and warm.
But for Elizabeth there was little spare time for enjoyment and everybody seemed to understand that.
The Master of Pemberley—although expected to arrive in two days—had not come even on the third.
Elizabeth was quite eager to meet the man of whom every person and every object in the house seemed to speak.
She was impressed to hear that all the remaining servants had been with the family for a long time.
Even the married couples remained there, some after they had children, and all of them were given proper accommodations, either in the servants’ rooms or in small cottages with a piece of garden, spread around the estate half a mile from the manor.
Furthermore, two young maids seemed to also have children—one a boy and the other a girl—but neither had husbands.
Nobody spoke openly about it, but she heard rumours that, instead of being thrown out as usually happened in other places, the master had given Mrs. Reynolds complete liberty to keep them and to reassign their duties, so that they could take care of their children.
“Very few masters would be concerned with the staff’s wellbeing,” Elizabeth observed.
“Indeed, Miss Elizabeth. But my master is different—he always has been. I have known him since he was four years old and I never heard a cross word from him in my life; and many other servants and tenants would say the same. I have always observed that good-natured children are good-natured when they grow up. My master was always the sweetest, most generous boy in the world. And the most handsome.”
“How wonderful!”
“Indeed, Miss Elizabeth. He was the joy and pride of his parents. His kindness and generosity remained. And his handsomeness too; all the young ladies fight for his attention,” Mrs. Reynolds jested, then continued in earnest. “Anyone who has a problem and applies to him will receive the help they need. And when he is upset or displeased, you can only see it in his face. But we try to never upset him; he deserves nothing but our consideration and loyalty.”
Elizabeth struggled not to laugh. The description of the master was close to that of a saint and she doubted it could be entirely true and unbiased. ‘Surely he does not usually wear a halo above his head,’ she thought, amused.
“There are very few people of whom one hears such excellent accounts. You are lucky to have such a master,” she offered politely. The housekeeper smiled meaningfully.
“Do not believe me oblivious to your doubtful expression, Miss Elizabeth. But you will see for yourself that I speak no more than the truth. Everybody who knows him will say the same.”
“Mrs. Reynolds, I meant no disrespect,” Elizabeth said with embarrassment. “I do not doubt your words or your judgment, but I did feel a little bit amused and intimidated at the same time. Mr. Darcy sounds like a saint, which is very rare among the gentlemen I have met in my life.”
The housekeeper laughed. “Oh, he is not a saint. He can be rather resentful when he feels deceived or betrayed. Disguise of any sort has always been his abhorrence. And he is sometimes too hasty in his judgment, but once he sees his faults, he is always ready to remedy them. Some people call him proud, but I am sure I never saw anything of it. They call him so because he does not rattle away like other young men. And if he is proud, he has every reason to be so, more than any other gentleman I know.”
“Now I am truly intimidated and I speak in all earnest. I am grateful that Mr. Darcy granted me his trust and allowed me into his house and I will do everything to help you in any way,” Elizabeth said genuinely.
The older lady lowered her head in approval and suddenly coughed.
“Oh, I am sure you will be fine, my dear. You seem intelligent and lively and a quick learner. Besides, Mrs. Templeton has been my friend since we were your age. She highly recommended you and I need nothing else. Now let us go—there are some important things you must learn before the master returns.”
“Of course… Unless you are not feeling well—”
“I am quite alright, my dear, thank you. Now, I think that the library is a good place to start. Let me show it to you,” the housekeeper said, leading Elizabeth down the hallway until they stopped in front of a heavy, wooden door.
“Keep in mind that nobody enters this room, not even for cleaning, except for Mr. Darcy’s personal valet and his butler.
And the two of us, if necessary. The library is his pride—it is a family legacy and the master put much effort into improving it even further.
There are several very rare and exceedingly valuable volumes, as well as some other expensive family objects.
If anything is destroyed, the loss would be irreplaceable. ”
The lady spoke with such solemnity that Elizabeth felt slightly intimidated again.
But her emotions overwhelmed her when the door was opened and she stepped inside.
The room was stunning and impressive in its size, its elegance and in the feel of it.
The walls were all covered in bookcases, where books on all subjects were arranged in perfect order.
A heavy rug covered the floor from the fireplace to the enormous desk placed by the window.
The desk was also flawlessly neat, with not a trace of dust anywhere.
“This is amazing. My father and I share a great love for books and this would be our dream library. In fact, I am sure it is anyone’s dream library,” she said with all honesty and deep consideration.
“I am glad to hear a young woman so enchanted with a library. That is quite peculiar but in a satisfying way,” a hoarse voice spoke and both turned to the door in alarm.
Almost filling the door frame, a tall gentleman of impressive stature entered, stepping forward and looking at Elizabeth with a slight frown.
She met and locked her gaze with his, with interest and curiosity, for just a moment but long enough to notice his handsome but severe countenance, his strong jaw line, and his dark eyes.
And then she remembered her position and lowered her gaze demurely.
“Master, welcome! How lovely to finally have you home. Sir, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet—she arrived three days ago and she is already taking over her responsibilities.”
He took a seat behind his desk and poured himself a drink, then turned to her again and bowed his head a little. She curtseyed formally.
“Miss Elizabeth Bennet—you travelled safely, I hope?”
“Very much so, sir, thank you for the excellent arrangements.”
“I am glad to hear that. You may thank my butler; he is in charge of such arrangements even for my own travels. I trust he did his best as always.”
“He did, sir.”
“Good. I was told your aunt grew up in Lambton?”
“Yes.”
“Her father is a gentleman, he owns a small estate. Her aunt is Mrs. Templeton’s niece and Henry Barnes is her aunt’s cousin,” the housekeeper interjected, and then tried to quell a sudden cough.
As Mr. Darcy looked worried, the woman made an accommodating gesture with her hand, showing that she was alright.
“Yes, thank you Mrs. Reynolds, I remember as much from the letters you showed me,” the master said. His words might have sounded like a scolding, but his friendly tone and warm countenance said otherwise.
The housekeeper smiled. “Yes of course, silly me.”
“Do not worry, more information can do no harm,” he replied and then turned to Elizabeth again.
“Have you made yourself comfortable, so far?”
“Yes, sir, perfectly so. I am trying to learn as quickly as I can, to help Mrs. Reynolds immediately.”
“Your enthusiasm is much appreciated, Miss Bennet. We wish for Mrs. Reynolds to work as little as possible until the doctor declares her completely recovered.”
“That is my goal too, Mr. Darcy.”
“Good. I must say I enjoy your conversational skills and your attitude. Your recommendations were also excellent, so I trust all will be well.”
“As much as it depends on me, I trust it will, sir,” Elizabeth declared.
“Splendid. That will be all for now,” he dismissed them politely but decidedly.
As they were about to leave, he asked unexpectedly, “Did I hear that you were fond of books, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Very much so, sir,” she replied, puzzled.
“If you wish to, you may indulge yourself, anytime. I mean, whenever your duties leave you time for reading. Being a book lover, I am confident you will take good care of the books you read. Other than that, you may choose anything you like.”
His offer dumbfounded both Elizabeth and Mrs. Reynolds, who looked at him with bewilderment for a long moment.
“That is very generous of you, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth almost whispered.
“Not at all. It is rare to find someone with a true love of books and your reaction when I first entered was quite eloquent. This is a small reward for you travelling across the country to help us.”
“Thank you, sir,” Elizabeth said with genuine gratitude, and the gentleman inclined his head.
“Mrs. Reynolds, if you have time, would you be so kind as to join me shortly before dinner, to discuss some affairs? Miss Elizabeth will not be needed for the time being.”
“Of course, sir,” the housekeeper said, and then left the library, closely followed by Elizabeth. As soon as they closed the door, they looked at each other in mutual amazement and finally Mrs. Reynolds said, “The master seemed to approve of you. All will be well, I am sure.”
As they departed, Elizabeth was still fighting her surprise. The master was indeed just as Mrs. Reynolds described him, except he did not look at all as sweet-tempered. Quite the opposite, in fact.
His invitation to use the library was very generous though, and it proved that he was treating her with respect and consideration.
She smiled as she remembered his statement about the library as a small reward and she wondered if he realised how much he was paying her for the trouble of travelling across the country.
Her puzzlement and wonder about the master troubled her a little, but she tried to put it aside and focus all her attention on her duties for the rest of the day.
***
Alone in the library, with his first drink almost finished, Darcy reflected on the young woman he had just met.
From the very beginning, he was suspicious that the daughter of a gentleman would accept such an assignment, but Mrs. Reynolds had revealed to him what she knew from Mrs. Templeton: her father had five daughters, a wife with rather improper connections, and he owned a small estate that was entailed to a distant cousin.
It was easy to guess that the family were experiencing some financial struggles and he appreciated a young woman who had decided to help her family.
But he also doubted that a gentleman’s daughter—young and not accustomed to hard work—would have the knowledge, the skills and most importantly the willingness to put in the effort required to meet the challenge.
But since she seemed the only proper candidate and considering her relationship with people in Lambton in whom Mrs. Reynolds fully confided, he had decided to accept her application.
So he was curious to meet her in person and judge for himself.
The meeting was all he had hoped for—in a way—and rather different in another.
Her reaction of pure enchantment to the library touched him precisely because of its obvious sincerity.
During the last few years, Darcy had met many young ladies who claimed to have a love of books only to impress him, from his cousin Anne de Bourgh to his friend’s sister Caroline Bingley, and many others in between.
This Miss Elizabeth was simply lost in admiration and he was happy to offer her the free use of the library.
During their brief conversation, another thing had impressed and troubled Darcy: a glimpse of Miss Elizabeth’s eyes that lasted only for a moment but did not go unnoticed.
Whether it was a sparkle of liveliness, of brightness or of simple curiosity, he could not speculate.
But he found himself thinking of it more than he wished to, more than he knew he should.