Chapter 10 #2
"It was your father's idea that everyone should believe I was only a distant cousin."
Mary lowered her eyes. "I imagined as much."
"I wanted to know all of you. I wanted to be part of your lives." Eleanor sighed. "But Thomas made it very clear that, if I wished to become acquainted with my nieces, I would have to accept his conditions. If I revealed the truth, he would never have allowed me to see you again."
Mary looked at her aunt with compassion. "So you accepted the lie... for our sake?"
"I did." Eleanor gently squeezed Mary's hand. "It was a painful choice, but I could not bear the thought of losing the opportunity to know you."
"And do you know why Father does not wish us to know that you are his sister?" Mary asked hesitantly. "Forgive me if I am being too inquisitive."
Eleanor was silent for a moment before replying.
"There are many reasons, my dear, and I cannot explain them all to you just yet. But I can tell you this much: your father has chosen to blame me for many things instead of accepting responsibility for his own actions."
Mary lowered her eyes but did not interrupt.
"There is another reason as well," Eleanor continued with a faint smile. "Believe it or not, Thomas told me he had no desire to explain to the neighbourhood how his sister had suddenly returned after everyone had believed her dead for more than twenty years."
Mary sighed softly.
"Yes... that sounds exactly like Father."
She looked at Eleanor with gratitude.
"Thank you for trusting me, Aunt."
"There is no need to thank me, my darling," Eleanor replied gently, caressing her niece's cheek. "You deserve the truth far more than anyone else."
Once everything had been explained, Eleanor returned to the subject that had prompted the conversation.
"Mary, believe me. With the right gown, a graceful hairstyle, and a little confidence, every young lady can look beautiful. Allow me to help you."
She gently took Mary's hand and once again explained why she believed it was so important for her to gain confidence and become more comfortable in society.
"Very well, Aunt. I shall do it for you." Mary smiled shyly. "Besides, I hope I may live with you forever. You are an important lady, so I suppose I must become accustomed to balls and parties."
"You may stay with me for as long as you wish, my dear, beautiful, and clever niece."
Eleanor embraced her warmly.
For the first time in her life, Mary felt that someone truly saw her, valued her, and loved her simply for who she was.
She returned her aunt's embrace with all her heart.
◆◆◆
Matthew Andrews de la Garza was waiting at the entrance to the botanical garden when he saw Lady Campbell approaching with her four nieces, Mrs Gardiner, and her two children.
After exchanging warm greetings, the party began strolling through the magnificent gardens, filled with beautiful flowers and rare plants.
Jane was fascinated by everything around her and delighted her young cousins by explaining the growth cycles of various plants and the flowering seasons of different species.
Everyone was impressed by the extent of her knowledge.
"I must conclude, my dear Jane, that you are the one responsible for Longbourn's gardens," Eleanor remarked with a smile. "They are always beautifully kept."
She could not help reflecting that they were the only part of the estate that had escaped neglect.
"Yes, Aunt. I love spending time there," Jane replied shyly. "But all my sisters—and Mama as well—help me."
She was keenly aware of Matthew's gaze upon her. She longed to meet his eyes, yet somehow lacked the courage to do so. The attraction she felt towards him was so unexpected and so powerful that it frightened her.
After exploring the first part of the gardens, they entered a large greenhouse filled with exotic flowers that could never survive the cold English climate.
"I have never seen flowers like these before. Their colours are extraordinary!" Laura exclaimed in delight.
"Where I was born, flowers like these bloom all year round," Matthew said with a smile.
"And where were you born?" Lady Campbell asked with interest. Then she immediately added, "Forgive me. I hope I am not being too inquisitive."
"Not at all, Lady Campbell. I was born in the Bahamas, one of the islands in the Caribbean. At the time, my father served as Senior Adviser to the Board of the British West Indies Company."
"And your mother was Spanish?" Mrs Gardiner asked.
"Yes. Her father worked for the Spanish Crown on the island of Cuba."
As they continued walking, Matthew told Laura a little more about the Caribbean climate and explained that he had lived there until he was eight years old.
Elizabeth had noticed that Jane and Matthew constantly stole glances at one another. Smiling to herself, she decided to give them an opportunity to talk.
The party naturally divided into smaller groups as they wandered through the vast greenhouse.
Lady Campbell, Mrs Gardiner, and Mary stopped to admire a collection of exotic fruits, while Elizabeth, Kitty, John, and Laura hurried off to see an exhibition of carnivorous plants.
Neither Matthew nor Jane realised that the rest of the party had quietly agreed to leave them alone so they might have the opportunity to converse.
"Miss Bennet," Matthew said, offering her his arm.
Jane blushed and accepted it.
They walked in silence for several moments before Jane spoke timidly.
"Mr Andrews de la Garza, I still find myself wondering what you said to me at my aunt's dinner."
Matthew was thoughtful for a moment before replying.
"Some words belong only to the moment in which they are spoken, Miss Bennet. I do not believe there is any purpose in returning to them now."
Jane looked at him curiously.
"Do you often say things without thinking and later regret them?"
Matthew smiled.
"I do not regret what I said. Indeed, I could repeat it if the occasion required." His smile broadened. "But I believe we came here to admire the flowers, not for me to give you Spanish lessons. Do you not agree?"
Jane laughed softly.
"That is hardly fair, Mr Andrews. I do not possess the advantage of speaking another language and saying mysterious things to intrigue you."
Matthew met her eyes.
"You do not need another language to intrigue me. You..."
He stopped abruptly, inwardly cursing himself. Once again, he had nearly allowed his feelings to outrun his judgment.
"Perhaps," he continued with a smile, "we should walk over to that part of the greenhouse. I can tell you a little more about tropical plants."
"Yes, let us go," Jane replied, smiling in return.
For more than an hour, they spoke of plants, geography, and books.
Jane asked Matthew about his work as a solicitor, and he explained that he devoted much of his time to drafting contracts for international companies and that his knowledge of several languages often proved invaluable.
In turn, Jane spoke about life at Longbourn and confessed how little she knew of the world beyond Hertfordshire.
Matthew was delighted to discover that Jane possessed not only beauty but also intelligence, curiosity, and quiet strength.
She had an irresistible mixture of shyness and courage.
At times, she seemed ready to flirt with him, only to grow suddenly self-conscious the next moment.
She was eager to learn, thoughtful in her questions, and genuinely interested in everything he told her.
Only a few days earlier, the idea of marriage had scarcely crossed his mind. Now he knew he could not let the opportunity to win Jane Bennet's heart slip away.
Jane, for her part, felt both fascinated and frightened. Mr Andrews was not merely the most handsome gentleman she had ever met. He was kind, cultivated, and sincerely interested in her thoughts. Few people had ever cared to hear what she had to say or wished to know more about her life.
She could not help remembering Mr Bingley's visit the previous day.
He had always seemed pleasant and well-meaning, yet their conversations rarely ventured beyond the most ordinary subjects.
Whenever he appeared about to speak more openly, one of his sisters interrupted him, and he invariably fell silent.
For the first time, Jane realised that her own inexperience had led her to admire the first gentleman who had shown her a little attention. Compared with the man walking beside her now, Mr Bingley seemed little more than a kind-hearted young man who had not yet learned to think or act for himself.
The walk through the gardens continued for another hour, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They spoke of plants, books, travel, and many other subjects. Lady Campbell and Matthew, in particular, found themselves exchanging stories about their years spent on the other side of the Atlantic.
“It has been a delightful afternoon,” Lady Campbell said warmly. “Thank you, Madeline, for such an excellent suggestion.”
"I believe I shall have nightmares about those carnivorous plants tonight," Kitty declared, making everyone laugh.
"Luckily for you, Cousin Kitty, they only eat insects," John said.
"And you are certainly not an insect," Laura added with a laugh.
"It is time to go, children. Say goodbye to your cousins and to Lady Campbell," Mrs Gardiner said with a smile, interrupting the conversation before John and Laura could continue teasing poor Kitty.
Before taking his leave, Matthew turned nervously to Jane.
“Miss Bennet, may I have the pleasure of calling upon you at Mr Gardiner’s house?”
Jane blushed but immediately responded, “Certainly. Though I shall be staying with Aunt Eleanor for the next few days.”
Elizabeth would be returning to Hertfordshire after Lady Westcliff’s ball, and Jane wished to spend as much time with her as possible before they parted.
Having overheard the exchange, Eleanor smiled.
“My house is always open to you, Mr Andrews de la Garza.”