Chapter 33
Elizabeth arrived in Meryton at noon and hurried from the carriage, certain she would find all her family gathered in Mrs Phillips’s drawing room.
She did not stop until she reached her aunt, who looked at her in surprise, then immediately took her into her arms without a word.
Only then did Elizabeth realise that she was alone.
“Is Mama upstairs?” she asked impatiently. Now that she had arrived, she had only one wish: to embrace her dear ladies. It was only during the long, monotonous hours of the journey that she had realised how much she missed them.
“The carriage is waiting outside. Shall I ask Rose to bring down my trunks?” she continued, scarcely pausing for an answer.
At last, Mrs Phillips touched her cheek and gently compelled her to sit down.
“Has something else happened?” asked Elizabeth, suddenly alarmed.
Her aunt shook her head slightly and replied almost in a whisper, “They are not here.”
As Elizabeth attempted to rise again, Mrs Phillips caught her hand. “Be patient. I shall explain everything quickly.”
“The carriage? What am I to do with the carriage?” asked Elizabeth in agitation.
“It will wait for a few moments while we talk, and then we shall go together.”
“Go where? What is happening? Did something happen with—”
Mrs Phillips immediately placed a finger to her lips. It was not silence in general that she demanded, but silence regarding that particular name.
Only then did Elizabeth calm herself. Something had happened, certainly, but not something new or disastrous. The secrecy surrounding Lydia pleased her, and she forced herself to let her aunt speak, however impatient she was to see her family.
“Everyone is at Netherfield,” said Mrs Phillips at last, smiling at the astonishment upon Elizabeth’s face.
“At Netherfield?”
“Yes, though not in the way you imagine. Under ordinary circumstances, it would have been a surprise awaiting you when you returned for Jane’s wedding.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes. Your mother has proved as resourceful during this crisis as she has always been in your household. When Mr Bingley proposed to Jane, the idea of renting Netherfield arose quite naturally.”
“Who rented Netherfield?” asked Elizabeth, still unable to believe it.
“Your mother rented Netherfield,” replied Mrs Phillips emphatically, as though she wished the entire house to hear her.
Elizabeth leaned heavily against the back of the sofa, uncertain whether to laugh or cry. The mystery was certainly strange, yet not alarming, and if one momentarily forgot Lydia, it was almost comical.
“We shall walk to Netherfield,” continued Mrs Phillips. “The exercise will do you good after such a long journey.”
Elizabeth nodded, recognising one of the little ruses shared by the two sisters. Whenever there were matters that ought not to be overheard, they proposed a walk. They rarely concealed anything from the girls; it was the servants from whom secrets required protection.
Servants were often the quickest means by which a secret spread through the neighbourhood.
Maids met at market, footmen courted servants from neighbouring houses, and before long, every household knew what was happening in every other.
Her father had often called the servants the Meryton newspaper, for they seemed to know everything.
It was evident that Mrs Phillips had avoided the subject of Lydia while they remained indoors. Still, once outside, Elizabeth found the matter of Netherfield considerably more interesting.
“You said that Mama rented Netherfield?” she asked again after Mrs Phillips had sent the carriage ahead.
“Yes. Mr Bingley held the lease until August, and from September, Netherfield has been rented by your family for at least a year.”
“Good heavens!” exclaimed Elizabeth, her eyes filling with tears of gratitude.
In the end, it might appear a reckless decision, for they had little money to spare, yet it was precisely what her family needed.
Netherfield would restore their confidence and preserve their place in the community at a moment when both seemed in danger of being lost.
“Your mother decided it together with Jane and Mr Bingley. She rented the house, all of you will live there, and the newly married couple will remain as well until they establish themselves in London. Even Kitty will stay there after her marriage, since the work at Longbourn will not yet be completed. They intended to wait until after Kitty’s wedding before moving, but Lydia’s foolishness changed everything.
We thought it wiser to show the world that the family was prospering and to provide people with a more pleasant subject of conversation. ”
“Yes, moving to Netherfield is certainly an important subject,” said Elizabeth, approving wholeheartedly of everything they had done in her absence.
“What news have you of Lydia?” she asked at last.
The answer did not come immediately, for they were already meeting ladies from Meryton, all delighted to see Elizabeth and eager to discuss the Bennets’ removal to Netherfield. Some had already heard the news.
“We are so pleased that you have found such a beautiful home,” said one neighbour. “We were all concerned for you, but everything appears to be arranging itself most happily. Congratulations on the two weddings.”
Elizabeth glanced at her aunt, who pressed her arm discreetly.
It was extraordinary. The pity Elizabeth had heard in her neighbours’ voices before leaving for Derbyshire had vanished entirely.
In its place was something almost like envy, though without malice, for in Meryton people generally liked one another and were quick to share both troubles and good fortune.
“Lydia,” whispered Elizabeth as soon as they were beyond earshot.
“Nothing. We are waiting for a letter from your uncle or from Mr Bingley.”
“And Mr Bingley has not altered his intention of marrying Jane after hearing the news?”
“Not in the least. He is an extraordinary man. But James Lucas knows nothing, and we have decided not to mention Lydia until after his wedding to Kitty. We do not know how Sir William and Lady Lucas might react to such a misfortune. By fortune, Colonel Forster came directly to my house, and I had just sent all the servants to Netherfield to assist your mother with cleaning and preparations. I received the news first, and together we decided that neither James Lucas nor his family should learn anything.”
“I believe you acted wisely.”
“Jenny then decided to move immediately, even though everything was not ready. The bustle of Netherfield is exactly what we need. Any anxiety we feel is hidden beneath the excitement.”
“A sensible plan. But good heavens, what shall we do if Lydia returns alone and dishonoured?”
“We shall live, Lizzy. We shall simply live.”
“How? With the entire family disgraced?”
“Do not exaggerate. Jane and Kitty will be married. Lydia…I do not know. Perhaps she will go away for a time, perhaps to London if your uncle will receive her.”
“And Mary? And I?”
“Mary has not moved into Netherfield, though she spends most of her time there. Our house is her home now. I do not know whether she wishes to marry or whether she ever shall, but Mr Phillips and I have decided that everything we possess shall one day belong to her.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Elizabeth, deeply moved. “That is wonderful.”
“While you…dear. You are the only one I am not worried about.”
“Aunt Phillips, why are you telling such a thing?”
“Because my dearest, in a month or a year, you will find a man who will be interested only in you, completely unaware of anything else around you—”
“How do you know this?”
“Because I know you and I know what you want from life.”
“And if I will end up unmarried, old girl—”
But Mrs Phillips did not bother to answer; instead, she laughed from all her heart as they entered the gate of Netherfield.
∞∞∞
Netherfield was surrounded by extensive grounds, and there were nearly five hundred yards between the gate and the house.
Elizabeth crossed them at a run, for upon the steps she saw her mother and sisters waiting for her.
They hurried down to meet her, and soon they were all embracing one another, weeping together.
They then made their way to the dining parlour, where Elizabeth stopped in astonishment upon the threshold. Many of the furnishings from Longbourn were already there: sofas, chairs, sideboards, and small tables, all repaired and arranged with taste amongst Netherfield’s own furniture.
She embraced her mother and whispered,
“Thank you.”
The room, transformed in this manner, scarcely reminded her of the drawing room once ruled by Mr Bingley’s proud sisters.
“How did you accomplish all this?” she asked.
Mrs Bennet smiled through the tears that still flowed freely.
“After you left, I resolved to have everything repaired. I had to occupy myself with something, for at Mrs Phillips’s house I was treated like a princess. I believed we should find a house to rent in Meryton—”
“As we had planned.”
“Exactly. And wherever we settled, I meant to bring our furniture.”
“And the library?” asked Elizabeth with some apprehension, for she had hoped that room might remain untouched for a future day when she possessed a home of her own.
“I brought everything. We have a vast attic here, perfectly dry, and clean.”
Then, to the surprise and delight of the ladies, Elizabeth opened a trunk and began distributing gifts amongst them.
Having left Derbyshire in haste, she soon realised that there was little purpose in rushing.
It was unlikely that Mr Darcy would find the fugitives immediately.
She had therefore stopped at Leicester, renowned for its leather goods and shoes, where she committed the extravagance of purchasing presents on a scale rarely seen in their family.
She had felt an irresistible desire to bring them some happiness, and for a long while, the room echoed with their thanks and delight.