Chapter 6
Chapter Six
In the last fortnight, the Darcy and Bennet families had become intimate friends. The gentlemen had enough in common by way of books and chess that they never ran out of conversation, and the ladies were all so amiable that everyone got on uncommonly well.
Lady Barry had called upon Charlotte, to the surprise of a few local ladies who said that she had never called upon them, and when they sent their cards, they had gone ignored.
“We knew the lady in Hertfordshire many years ago, but I consider it a great compliment that she found it worth coming out to see my son, for I know that her health is quite indifferent,” Charlotte explained while serving tea to some local matrons who were kind enough to call after becoming acquainted with Elizabeth and Jane in the assembly rooms.
Charlotte had, to the family’s great relief, quickly begun to build her strength.
She left her bed every day, and every morning, Elizabeth, Jane, or Mary accompanied her to the warm sea baths or sea bathing machines.
The ladies found sea bathing invigorating, and Charlotte was often well enough to stroll the promenade afterwards.
Though she did not make it far before they called for the carriage, she was getting stronger and walking farther every day.
After sea bathing, Charlotte would have a light meal and rest, then in the afternoon, she accepted a caller or two.
She joined the family for dinner nearly every evening, and they had even hosted the Darcys twice, though Charlotte retired immediately after dinner both nights.
She had obtained Mr Bennet’s promise to accompany her to some shops in the afternoon the following Monday, and she hoped to visit the assembly rooms herself in the afternoons later in the week to widen their circle a bit.
Elizabeth’s activities in the afternoons varied.
On Monday and Friday, she visited Lady Barry.
Miss Darcy and Lady Priscilla called upon the lady as well, but on a different day, for Lady Barry was possessive of the time she spent with her-Lizzy-girl.
Her particular attachment to Elizabeth was more particularly noted when some matrons she had been ignoring for years attempted to call when it was known Elizabeth was visiting, hoping to gain entrance because the lady was already entertaining a caller.
Their cards were sent back via the butler, who informed the ladies that “Lady Barry is entertaining a particular guest, and not at home to callers.”
Nearly every day that Elizabeth was not visiting Lady Barry, she was either with one of her sisters or doing something with Miss Darcy and Lady Priscilla.
She also frequented the assembly rooms with her father, Jane, and Mary, who had both–with surprising energy–thrown themselves into meeting people and hoping to find husbands.
Mr Bennet found himself at the Assembly Rooms more often than his wish. Worse, he even attended assemblies by night, both public and private balls. He lamented the necessity, but agreed with his wife that he would do his duty.
“I look forward to when your stepmother is well enough to take my place,” Mr Bennet grumbled to Elizabeth.
“That will change nothing other than you will be accompanied by your wife,” Elizabeth teased.
When her father glared at her, she laughed.
“You know that even when Charlotte begins to attend parties at night, you would never let us go out without you. What if she were to take a turn for the worse? What if she collapsed? You are a great deal more considerate to your new wife than I ever saw you being to your first, but then, Mama kept such good health until she was taken down with fever. Perhaps she was never so ill after childbirth.”
“She was after Lydia, but not for nearly as long,” Mr Bennet replied as he watched Jane spin around the floor with a young man who appeared struck dumb by her beauty.
“Mr Bennet.” The master of ceremonies approached. “Mr Pyne has asked for an introduction to your daughter, Miss Mary.”
Another young man approached and invited Elizabeth to the floor as her father turned agreeably to Mary, who was seated nearby watching the dancing.
Elizabeth mostly enjoyed her set with Mr James, who had asked her to dance a week before at another assembly.
He had called upon their cottage twice since, and she had thankfully not been home to receive him, to Charlotte’s chagrin.
Gentlemen called upon the house daily, mostly to deliver flowers to Jane, but occasionally for Mary or Elizabeth as well.
“I feel odd welcoming such attentions, when I know that had we arrived in Ramsgate not knowing that we had dowries, that we would have little to no interest in us at all,” Mary confessed to Elizabeth a little while later as their dance partners went to obtain punch for them.
Obviously, they did not wave their dowries above their heads like flags, but their father had to let their situations be known to one or two people, otherwise men would not know who they could afford to approach and who they could not.
It was odd, but it was the way of society.
The first thing that was told upon discussing a man was his income.
The first thing told upon discussing a lady was her dowry.
“It is not that they are all mercenary, Mary, but men who have a care for their future wife’s maintenance must take some consideration for her fortune, if they do not have enough funds of their own to give her a grand widow’s pension, and only the richest men can do that.
It seems odd to us, because our father married without much care for his first wife’s security, only for her looks, or so we have been told.
Considering the entail, marrying a lady who could not support any daughters she might have was imprudent and careless of Papa.
And then it was made to seem normal to us by him acting as if it did not matter that he would be secure his whole life, but we would not.
As though it were all perfectly natural, and not of particular concern.
It makes all the men who never approached us before we knew of our dowries appear guilty of self-interest. The truth of the matter is that many of those men had too much honour to attach themselves to a wife who they would be content to use until they die with no thought to what would happen to her later. ”
“Hopefully such husbands are more diligent with their responsibilities as well.” Mary sniffed. “Papa spends far too much time with his books.”
“I would not be surprised if Charlotte did not soon curb his library time in favour of more attention to the farms, or take over the entire estate herself. She has Lucas to work for, though I think Papa will have a greater care now as well.”
“It makes me sad that he never took a care before because we were only girls, but he will now, because he finally has a boy,” Mary grumbled.
“Take my advice and remember the past only as it gives you pleasure, Mary,” Elizabeth advised.
“You know that it would be grand to marry, and I hope you will, if you want to, but you must know you are not obligated to do so now, if you do not wish it. Our portions are enough to provide for us. Before, it would have been inconsiderate not to at least try to find someone to wed, or we would become burdens. But we have no need to burden ourselves now with husbands if we do not want them.”
“Lizzy, you spend too much time with Lady Barry,” Mary murmured. “Do you not wish to have your own establishment and be a mother?”
“I am certain that I would eventually have some small establishment of my own if I did not marry. I could not expect Lucas to keep me forever.” Elizabeth grinned. “But that is precisely my point. I could afford it without being married, perhaps less grandly.”
“You did not answer my question, but I suppose that is answer enough itself.” Mary shook her head.
“I would not mind being married and having children, Mary, but only if I meet a gentleman that makes me want to be married, not for the sake of home and children only,” Elizabeth replied.
“Jane and I wish to marry for love too,” Mary said.
“Of course you do, and so I should hope,” Elizabeth said. “Perhaps one of you will fall in love with Miss Darcy’s brother. She speaks of him very highly, and then we might all be sisters. That would be agreeable.”
“He is to arrive any day. Miss Darcy told me so this afternoon.” Mary accepted a cup of punch gratefully with a smile as their dance partners returned. “I suppose there is reason to hope.”
Saturday 4 July 1812
Fitzwilliam Darcy’s face looked like a thundercloud as he paced around his father’s study.
Upon his arrival in Ramsgate, he had stopped in several likely establishments and made inquiries.
What he learned filled him with a fury that he knew would go unrelieved, for this problem had been a thorn in his side since he was a boy.
It did not help that he spied his father’s godson whispering to a housemaid as he entered, or that George Wickham smirked as Darcy brushed past him, knowing that anything he did that caused concern would be promptly cleaned up by his godfather.
“He is nearly two hundred pounds in debt already, Father, and I only stopped in half a dozen shops. There is almost certainly more.” Darcy turned back to his father with a grim expression.
“Is that what you do the moment you enter a neighbourhood? Begin an investigation of my godson?” Darcy Senior objected.
“By God, yes!” Darcy cried. “The bounder has cheated dozens of merchants out of thousands of pounds since we entered university. He has ruined dozens of girls. He has swindled men you begged to employ him, and he manipulates my father, his own godfather, out of more money than he ever deserved. The very moment I enter a new market town, I immediately inquire about his debts. It is necessary, since I must head off every disaster before it implicates the Darcy name.”