Teaching Eliza, page 11
“Indeed.” This was excellent information! “It was a pleasure, Lieutenant Wickham.”
As she closed the door behind him, Caroline thought she saw the corner of a wink in those lovely eyes of his. It was always most pleasant to get some air in the mornings after one’s duties keeping house were attended to, and the common provided a pleasant prospect. Perhaps a walk on the morrow would be in order. She returned to her previous occupation with a sly smile and a cheerful lilt on her lips.
SEVEN — LESSONS
~
MRS. PEARCE, DARCY’S HOUSEKEEPER FROM London, had arrived at Netherfield quite unexpectedly to everyone except for the professor himself. He had seen no reason to inform his host, for to his mind, her presence was of no matter to anyone but him and Eliza.
He was, therefore, rather surprised when Bingley seemed somewhat put out by the lady’s arrival. The three men were taking their early coffee and toast when a footman with an alarmed face scuttled into the breakfast room and handed his master a note. Bingley glanced at it, then read it more carefully, and finally turned a rather unattractive shade of red as he turned on his friend.
“Darcy, what on earth have you done?”
Darcy paused, his coffee cup halfway between its saucer and his lips. “Done?” His voice was uncharacteristically mild, and he resumed his task of taking his coffee.
“Done.” Bingley’s voice was not mild. “A carriage has only now arrived from London, a carriage bearing your crest and carrying your housekeeper!”
Darcy returned the cup to the table and dabbed carefully at the corner of his mouth with a linen napkin. “Oh yes, Mrs. Pearce. I sent her a message to come at once.” He peered at the sideboard. “Are there any eggs this morning?”
“You asked her to come? Without consulting with me? Darcy, do you know what this means?”
“Why yes, it means that we might take Miss Bennet’s measurements so the seamstress in London can begin making her wardrobe. Pearce will only be here for a day or two. She does not eat excessively; she shan’t be much bother.” He turned to confront his cousin. “Richard, what on earth was that noise? Are you laughing or choking on your tea?”
Bingley, by now, had called over the terrified footman and demanded that he find Bingley’s own housekeeper at once. “This is a disaster, Darcy. Caroline will have my head over this. Oh, the trouble this shall give! I must be sure to find Mrs. Pearce suitable accommodations—not so fine as a guest suite; neither so low as the servants’ rooms. Oh, and I must reassure my own staff that she is here merely as your housekeeper and as not a threat to anybody’s position. They must be told that she holds authority over no one at Netherfield, but that she should be treated with due deference, all the while not being a guest per se . Oh, bother Caroline, with her late morning habits. She ought to be dealing with this, not sleeping!
“Tell me, what am I to do with Mrs. Pearce, Darcy? Is she a servant or a guest? How do I treat her? What is her status in the house? We must find her a suitable room!” He repeated these words again and again, waving his arms wildly as he raved, running them through his hair until it fairly stood on end. He was still expositing thus when his own housekeeper entered the breakfast room and quickly took stock of the situation.
“Never you worry yourself, sir,” she assured her young employer. “I shall take more than adequate care of our newcomer, never you mind! She may take the room across from my own, for it is quite fine. I have wished to meet her for a long time. She is very highly regarded by those I know. Shall I wake the mistress? No? Leave it all to me!”
Darcy was completely unperturbed by the situation and continued sipping his coffee with equanimity. “Good, you have everything in hand, Bingley,” he stood and brushed an errant bread crumb from his coat. “It is time for my lessons to begin. Send Pearce in once she is settled, there’s a good man. Come along, Richard. And do stop laughing.”
Darcy strode through the hallways with long steps, oblivious to the chaos breaking out around him, and was gratified to find Eliza waiting for him once more. He glanced at his watch; it was only two minutes after ten. He did not consider himself, therefore, late by any real definition of the word, and had no cause to apologise to his student. He did, however, remember to ask her politely after her morning and the health of her family. These meaningless social niceties were becoming something of a habit now, and he seldom required Eliza’s pointed looks and promptings, although he also found that he missed her arch comments and the few moments of verbal sparring that inevitably ensued. Never before had he had a student who would dare speak back to him, and he had learned that he rather liked it. Her strength and wit challenged him and sparked something inside him.
Eliza had answered his meaningless questions as these musings flitted through his mind, and he had some notion of responding to her before Richard made his own inquiries. He settled himself in his chair and was leafing through his papers when the door opened and Mrs. Pearce was ushered into the study.
“Professor Darcy,” she bobbed her head in a terse curtsey. “You requested my presence.”
Richard had leapt to his feet to greet the housekeeper and Eliza, too, had risen from her chair. Darcy remained seated.
In a few words, he introduced his protégée and explained the situation to his housekeeper. “Eliza will be spending much time at Darcy House in the coming months, Mrs. Pearce,” he explained, “as both a pupil and as the woman I will announce as my betrothed. Now, do not get yourself excited, for the engagement is a facade to rid myself of unwanted society in Town, but it is a facade the entire household must uphold, and you shall be the only one to know the truth of it.”
Darcy watched his cousin guide the older woman to a seat, bemused as always by how the colonel managed to smooth ruffled feathers before they even become ruffled. “We trust your discretion, Mrs. Pearce,” Richard bowed his head towards her. “We would not be confiding in you were we not to do so. And of course, I’m certain we do not have to ask for your assistance in preserving Miss Bennet’s reputation, for this ruse is temporary and the lady’s name must be unblemished.”
At Mrs. Pearce’s request, Darcy quickly explained the purpose of the ruse, watching as she tutted and shook her head, or sighed in exasperation. “You cannot do this to the girl, Professor,” she announced at last. “I cannot be a party to it.”
“Oh, it is already done, Mrs. Pearce. I merely need you to ensure that as little damage as possible results.” He leaned back in his chair and looked down his nose at the small gathering. “She quite relies on you,” he added, nodding his emphasis.
The colonel now took over the attempt to convince the housekeeper. “If Miss Bennet is to reap the benefit of this engagement, she must, of course, emerge with her character completely flawless.” He gave the housekeeper a conspiratorial grin. “Under any other circumstances, it would be almost impossible, but we have stronger resources: we have you! In this matter we were certain we could rely upon you.” His smile broadened.
The older lady grinned back at the colonel. She was, perhaps fifteen years older than him, but Darcy knew she had never been immune to his convivial charm. In true form, Richard reinforced her good opinion of him at that moment by suggesting he call in for some tea. Unused to being served, rather than serving, Mrs. Pearce put up some more token resistance, but eventually agreed to help the gentlemen with their plan. The matter was settled, and the lady now had only to carry out the details.
The main matter for the summons to Meryton, it transpired, was to begin outfitting Eliza with some suitable clothing for London, which task commenced once tea had been served and consumed.
“But I am to stay with my aunt and uncle!” Lizzy furrowed her brow and sat up straight with pride. “My current wardrobe is certainly adequate for that! They are fine people, with whom you would not be ashamed to associate, but they are not so fashionable as to require the latest styles!”
“That may be so, Eliza, but you shall be seen with me, and I require the finest in all I do. Therefore, if we are to be seen out together, at the theatre or taking a ride through the parks, you must look the sort of lady who would catch my eye. You would never do in your current ensembles.” Lizzy’s mouth gaped open at these cruel words, and Darcy could see that he had offended her. Quickly he added, “Do not be vexed, Eliza. Your general appearance is pleasing enough that one might be quick to forgive any sartorial lapses.”
“That is faint praise, Professor Darcy, but praise from you of any sort is meanly given, and I shall accept all scraps.” She gazed at him coolly from beneath her thick lashes, and he felt that strange tugging once more. She was a rather pretty thing, and he was beginning to delight in her wit.
Eliza had yet more to say. “All this aside, sir, are we not being presumptuous in providing for a wardrobe for Town? I am hardly ready to be presented in public with you. Whilst we have done much work, I am fully aware that my speech and manners still cry of the country.”
“Oh, that is true,” the professor ran a hand through his hair to tame an errant lock, “but you shall not speak. You need merely be seen.” He turned to his housekeeper, “Now, Mrs. Pearce, measure the girl for a first set of clothing, enough to give the mantua makers a basis on which to begin their task. They can refine their measurements once Eliza comes to Town.
“When she arrives, you will take her and give her a good scrubbing…”
“Professor Darcy!” Eliza protested, while the colonel shouted out, “Fitz!”
“I may be a country girl, Professor, but do not take issue with my ability to clean myself. We have bathing tubs here just as well as in London; we may bathe more often, indeed, for we are out so often in the mud and dust, and not on the dry streets of the city.” She peered at him through narrow eyes and raised her chin in defiance. She was delightful!
“Really, Darcy,” Richard added, “must you be so rough?”
“Very well, it seems I am shouted down. But Mrs. Pearce, her hair certainly needs attention; arrange to have it cut and styled. What else need we plan?”
By the end of the day, Mrs. Pearce had been tasked with arranging for a wardrobe, an expert in hair styling, a shoe maker, a dancing instructor, a singing teacher, and a specialist in deportment. Since Lizzy would eventually be presented at Court, sponsored by Lady Grant, as well as be seen with the gentleman at all manner of social events around Town, it was imperative that she acquit herself splendidly were she to be accepted as Darcy’s intended.
“You plan to keep the girl busy, Fitz!” the colonel chided as they took tea later that afternoon. “Between your lessons and all the activities you have planned for her, she shall barely have time to eat, let alone enjoy the company of her aunt and uncle. Must you work her quite so hard?”
Eliza’s expression could only be described as thankful for the colonel’s words. “I am vindicated, Professor,” she sighed as she sank, exhausted, into her chair. “I have been voicing my concerns over this heavy schedule all day, and you have ignored my every word. Surely you will heed your cousin.”
“Nonsense!” Darcy responded with a shake of his head. “A bit of hard work shan’t kill you.”
“But when shall I see my family? And what of the Grants? You have me busy from dawn to midnight.”
“Your cousins may come and visit you at appointed times during the day, if they arrange their schedules with me in advance. I should not wish to remove you completely from your family. See, Eliza, I am not a harsh master at all.”
The colonel shrugged in defeat and rolled his eyes, and Mrs. Pearce sighed. Eliza summoned up a smile. “’Tis all for the best, I shall remind myself constantly,” she said. Darcy then thought he also heard her mutter something under her breath about cursing him and all his ilk.
Accepting her smile for what it was, Darcy turned to gaze out of the window whilst Eliza muttered more unintelligible things under her breath.
“By blazes, is that who I think it is?” he suddenly burst out.
“What are you talking about, Darcy?” Richard walked over to join him at the window and peered out to where his cousin was staring. “Well, he has some gumption indeed!”
“Wickham?”
“Wickham.”
“Who, pray tell, is Wickham?” Eliza asked, before Mrs. Pearce had the opportunity to hush her.
“A most unsavoury sort, Eliza. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in his charming snares. He looks an angel, but he is the very devil himself, mark my words!”
She looked up in alarm. “I would expect such admonishment from the professor. Coming from you, Colonel, it puts this man’s character in a different light. I shall take your words to heart, for I have never heard you speak ill of anyone until now. Such condemnation must be richly deserved.”
“It is,” was all Richard replied.
“What did Wickham think coming here?” Darcy stormed at the window. “Damnation…”
“Professor Darcy! Language!” Mrs. Pearce scolded. “There is a lady present.”
Darcy scowled and muttered an insincere apology to Elizabeth, who must surely be growing accustomed to the most ungentlemanly language he so often used. He mumbled under his breath again and stomped across the carpeted floor before coming to a sudden halt. A sly smile stole over his face.
“I say, Mrs. Pearce, have we received any more letters from those Quakers in Wales? The ones with the socialist cooperative based on the new morality and whatever-it-is they do? Yes? Perhaps I shall respond to the next one! I have a most splendid idea.” And he refused any further commentary on the matter.
~
Time passed, as it is wont to do, and soon they had arrived at the final few days before Jane’s wedding. Lizzy was delighted for her sister, but more than frustrated at her mother. Mrs. Bennet was quite carried away in a fluster of activity, punctuated by attacks of her nerves, which required everybody to cease his or her activities to tend to her, after which she would fly into another tizzy about how nobody was doing any work to prepare but her. Between her mother’s demands and Professor Darcy’s, Lizzy felt she might well be fit for Bedlam by the day of the nuptials. Eventually she begged off her lessons for the duration, in order to better tend to her mother and to help her sister pack.
Another inducement to this temporary respite from the professor and his lessons was the arrival, two days before the wedding, of the Gardiner family of London. Lizzy had long been looking forward to their visit, and it was to her greatest delight and relief that she saw their carriage rounding the bend in the lane that led to Longbourn. Hopefully she would find some balm for her own overburdened nerves in Aunt Gardiner’s calm and sensible company.
The evening the Gardiners arrived, Mrs. Bennet had invited the party from Netherfield to dine, so as to introduce various family members to their new relations. The Hursts begged off, claiming a stomach ailment on the part of Mr. Hurst, and Caroline insisted she must remain behind to help her sister. They were not sorely missed.
Lizzy met the party in the entrance hall to the house, although the rest of the family were gathered in the salon. For some reason, she felt the need to greet the party quietly before the melee. Perhaps it was the desire to acquaint herself with the professor’s mood this evening, to determine whether he might be insufferable or endurable, so as better to prepare her relatives. Perhaps, she allowed a part of her to muse, she wished for a moment to converse with him removed from the necessities of public manners. She fussed with a vase for a moment until Mrs. Hill opened the front door and the three gentlemen from Netherfield filled the compact space.
Mr. Bingley sported a great grin and looked quite pleased with himself; he would, after all, be marrying the most beautiful girl in the county in a matter of hours. Colonel Fitzwilliam’s smile was of a different sort, broad and generous, radiating his good humour to all around him. But the smile that caused her to catch her breath was Professor Darcy’s. As his eyes met hers, he stopped still and allowed a slight smile to creep across his face. It was not proud like Bingley’s, nor exuberant like the colonel’s, but it was genuine and almost shy, and it reached his dark eyes which glinted their approval.
“Miss Eliza.” His voice was almost a whisper, and he bowed deeply. She curtseyed in return and found her feet unable to move as he handed his hat and coat to the waiting footman and crossed the small space to her side. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips in an elegant kiss, then offered his elbow. “Will you do me the honour of leading me to meet your relations?”
Somehow Lizzy led him through the house, although he knew the way well, to the salon where her family were gathered. As they reached the doorway, the professor stayed her with a hand atop of her own as it rested on his forearm, and he stepped aside to allow Bingley and the colonel to enter first. Such was the ado around the bridegroom’s entrance into the salon that Lizzy and Darcy were able to slip into the room relatively unnoticed.
She felt more than saw his eyes scan the room. In a low voice, he whispered, “Who is the couple seated on that green settee? Can those be your London relatives?” Lizzy nodded. “I confess myself surprised,” he clucked. “They are much more urbane and sophisticated than I had dared to expect from a family in trade. Do their manners match their appearance?”
Forcing herself not to react to this arrogant question, she began to walk over to her aunt and uncle, who rose as they approached. “They are much younger than I had expected,” Darcy whispered in her ear; “Your uncle is much your mother’s junior, I see, and your aunt looks not much older than I.”
Introductions were made and brief words were exchanged. Then Darcy made his pronouncements. “You, Mr. Gardiner, are an interesting study. London, born and bred, but well educated in Town, before being sent abroad to university. Not Boston… King’s?” Gardiner’s eyes widened, but he said nothing as the professor continued. “You travel, or have travelled, for your business, and have learned to moderate your speech to be easily understood and approachable wherever you are, but you have spent much of the last decade in London. Were I not to have my particular gifts and talents, I should never imagine you to be anything other than a son of a gentleman with a comfortable but not excessive holding.”
As she closed the door behind him, Caroline thought she saw the corner of a wink in those lovely eyes of his. It was always most pleasant to get some air in the mornings after one’s duties keeping house were attended to, and the common provided a pleasant prospect. Perhaps a walk on the morrow would be in order. She returned to her previous occupation with a sly smile and a cheerful lilt on her lips.
SEVEN — LESSONS
~
MRS. PEARCE, DARCY’S HOUSEKEEPER FROM London, had arrived at Netherfield quite unexpectedly to everyone except for the professor himself. He had seen no reason to inform his host, for to his mind, her presence was of no matter to anyone but him and Eliza.
He was, therefore, rather surprised when Bingley seemed somewhat put out by the lady’s arrival. The three men were taking their early coffee and toast when a footman with an alarmed face scuttled into the breakfast room and handed his master a note. Bingley glanced at it, then read it more carefully, and finally turned a rather unattractive shade of red as he turned on his friend.
“Darcy, what on earth have you done?”
Darcy paused, his coffee cup halfway between its saucer and his lips. “Done?” His voice was uncharacteristically mild, and he resumed his task of taking his coffee.
“Done.” Bingley’s voice was not mild. “A carriage has only now arrived from London, a carriage bearing your crest and carrying your housekeeper!”
Darcy returned the cup to the table and dabbed carefully at the corner of his mouth with a linen napkin. “Oh yes, Mrs. Pearce. I sent her a message to come at once.” He peered at the sideboard. “Are there any eggs this morning?”
“You asked her to come? Without consulting with me? Darcy, do you know what this means?”
“Why yes, it means that we might take Miss Bennet’s measurements so the seamstress in London can begin making her wardrobe. Pearce will only be here for a day or two. She does not eat excessively; she shan’t be much bother.” He turned to confront his cousin. “Richard, what on earth was that noise? Are you laughing or choking on your tea?”
Bingley, by now, had called over the terrified footman and demanded that he find Bingley’s own housekeeper at once. “This is a disaster, Darcy. Caroline will have my head over this. Oh, the trouble this shall give! I must be sure to find Mrs. Pearce suitable accommodations—not so fine as a guest suite; neither so low as the servants’ rooms. Oh, and I must reassure my own staff that she is here merely as your housekeeper and as not a threat to anybody’s position. They must be told that she holds authority over no one at Netherfield, but that she should be treated with due deference, all the while not being a guest per se . Oh, bother Caroline, with her late morning habits. She ought to be dealing with this, not sleeping!
“Tell me, what am I to do with Mrs. Pearce, Darcy? Is she a servant or a guest? How do I treat her? What is her status in the house? We must find her a suitable room!” He repeated these words again and again, waving his arms wildly as he raved, running them through his hair until it fairly stood on end. He was still expositing thus when his own housekeeper entered the breakfast room and quickly took stock of the situation.
“Never you worry yourself, sir,” she assured her young employer. “I shall take more than adequate care of our newcomer, never you mind! She may take the room across from my own, for it is quite fine. I have wished to meet her for a long time. She is very highly regarded by those I know. Shall I wake the mistress? No? Leave it all to me!”
Darcy was completely unperturbed by the situation and continued sipping his coffee with equanimity. “Good, you have everything in hand, Bingley,” he stood and brushed an errant bread crumb from his coat. “It is time for my lessons to begin. Send Pearce in once she is settled, there’s a good man. Come along, Richard. And do stop laughing.”
Darcy strode through the hallways with long steps, oblivious to the chaos breaking out around him, and was gratified to find Eliza waiting for him once more. He glanced at his watch; it was only two minutes after ten. He did not consider himself, therefore, late by any real definition of the word, and had no cause to apologise to his student. He did, however, remember to ask her politely after her morning and the health of her family. These meaningless social niceties were becoming something of a habit now, and he seldom required Eliza’s pointed looks and promptings, although he also found that he missed her arch comments and the few moments of verbal sparring that inevitably ensued. Never before had he had a student who would dare speak back to him, and he had learned that he rather liked it. Her strength and wit challenged him and sparked something inside him.
Eliza had answered his meaningless questions as these musings flitted through his mind, and he had some notion of responding to her before Richard made his own inquiries. He settled himself in his chair and was leafing through his papers when the door opened and Mrs. Pearce was ushered into the study.
“Professor Darcy,” she bobbed her head in a terse curtsey. “You requested my presence.”
Richard had leapt to his feet to greet the housekeeper and Eliza, too, had risen from her chair. Darcy remained seated.
In a few words, he introduced his protégée and explained the situation to his housekeeper. “Eliza will be spending much time at Darcy House in the coming months, Mrs. Pearce,” he explained, “as both a pupil and as the woman I will announce as my betrothed. Now, do not get yourself excited, for the engagement is a facade to rid myself of unwanted society in Town, but it is a facade the entire household must uphold, and you shall be the only one to know the truth of it.”
Darcy watched his cousin guide the older woman to a seat, bemused as always by how the colonel managed to smooth ruffled feathers before they even become ruffled. “We trust your discretion, Mrs. Pearce,” Richard bowed his head towards her. “We would not be confiding in you were we not to do so. And of course, I’m certain we do not have to ask for your assistance in preserving Miss Bennet’s reputation, for this ruse is temporary and the lady’s name must be unblemished.”
At Mrs. Pearce’s request, Darcy quickly explained the purpose of the ruse, watching as she tutted and shook her head, or sighed in exasperation. “You cannot do this to the girl, Professor,” she announced at last. “I cannot be a party to it.”
“Oh, it is already done, Mrs. Pearce. I merely need you to ensure that as little damage as possible results.” He leaned back in his chair and looked down his nose at the small gathering. “She quite relies on you,” he added, nodding his emphasis.
The colonel now took over the attempt to convince the housekeeper. “If Miss Bennet is to reap the benefit of this engagement, she must, of course, emerge with her character completely flawless.” He gave the housekeeper a conspiratorial grin. “Under any other circumstances, it would be almost impossible, but we have stronger resources: we have you! In this matter we were certain we could rely upon you.” His smile broadened.
The older lady grinned back at the colonel. She was, perhaps fifteen years older than him, but Darcy knew she had never been immune to his convivial charm. In true form, Richard reinforced her good opinion of him at that moment by suggesting he call in for some tea. Unused to being served, rather than serving, Mrs. Pearce put up some more token resistance, but eventually agreed to help the gentlemen with their plan. The matter was settled, and the lady now had only to carry out the details.
The main matter for the summons to Meryton, it transpired, was to begin outfitting Eliza with some suitable clothing for London, which task commenced once tea had been served and consumed.
“But I am to stay with my aunt and uncle!” Lizzy furrowed her brow and sat up straight with pride. “My current wardrobe is certainly adequate for that! They are fine people, with whom you would not be ashamed to associate, but they are not so fashionable as to require the latest styles!”
“That may be so, Eliza, but you shall be seen with me, and I require the finest in all I do. Therefore, if we are to be seen out together, at the theatre or taking a ride through the parks, you must look the sort of lady who would catch my eye. You would never do in your current ensembles.” Lizzy’s mouth gaped open at these cruel words, and Darcy could see that he had offended her. Quickly he added, “Do not be vexed, Eliza. Your general appearance is pleasing enough that one might be quick to forgive any sartorial lapses.”
“That is faint praise, Professor Darcy, but praise from you of any sort is meanly given, and I shall accept all scraps.” She gazed at him coolly from beneath her thick lashes, and he felt that strange tugging once more. She was a rather pretty thing, and he was beginning to delight in her wit.
Eliza had yet more to say. “All this aside, sir, are we not being presumptuous in providing for a wardrobe for Town? I am hardly ready to be presented in public with you. Whilst we have done much work, I am fully aware that my speech and manners still cry of the country.”
“Oh, that is true,” the professor ran a hand through his hair to tame an errant lock, “but you shall not speak. You need merely be seen.” He turned to his housekeeper, “Now, Mrs. Pearce, measure the girl for a first set of clothing, enough to give the mantua makers a basis on which to begin their task. They can refine their measurements once Eliza comes to Town.
“When she arrives, you will take her and give her a good scrubbing…”
“Professor Darcy!” Eliza protested, while the colonel shouted out, “Fitz!”
“I may be a country girl, Professor, but do not take issue with my ability to clean myself. We have bathing tubs here just as well as in London; we may bathe more often, indeed, for we are out so often in the mud and dust, and not on the dry streets of the city.” She peered at him through narrow eyes and raised her chin in defiance. She was delightful!
“Really, Darcy,” Richard added, “must you be so rough?”
“Very well, it seems I am shouted down. But Mrs. Pearce, her hair certainly needs attention; arrange to have it cut and styled. What else need we plan?”
By the end of the day, Mrs. Pearce had been tasked with arranging for a wardrobe, an expert in hair styling, a shoe maker, a dancing instructor, a singing teacher, and a specialist in deportment. Since Lizzy would eventually be presented at Court, sponsored by Lady Grant, as well as be seen with the gentleman at all manner of social events around Town, it was imperative that she acquit herself splendidly were she to be accepted as Darcy’s intended.
“You plan to keep the girl busy, Fitz!” the colonel chided as they took tea later that afternoon. “Between your lessons and all the activities you have planned for her, she shall barely have time to eat, let alone enjoy the company of her aunt and uncle. Must you work her quite so hard?”
Eliza’s expression could only be described as thankful for the colonel’s words. “I am vindicated, Professor,” she sighed as she sank, exhausted, into her chair. “I have been voicing my concerns over this heavy schedule all day, and you have ignored my every word. Surely you will heed your cousin.”
“Nonsense!” Darcy responded with a shake of his head. “A bit of hard work shan’t kill you.”
“But when shall I see my family? And what of the Grants? You have me busy from dawn to midnight.”
“Your cousins may come and visit you at appointed times during the day, if they arrange their schedules with me in advance. I should not wish to remove you completely from your family. See, Eliza, I am not a harsh master at all.”
The colonel shrugged in defeat and rolled his eyes, and Mrs. Pearce sighed. Eliza summoned up a smile. “’Tis all for the best, I shall remind myself constantly,” she said. Darcy then thought he also heard her mutter something under her breath about cursing him and all his ilk.
Accepting her smile for what it was, Darcy turned to gaze out of the window whilst Eliza muttered more unintelligible things under her breath.
“By blazes, is that who I think it is?” he suddenly burst out.
“What are you talking about, Darcy?” Richard walked over to join him at the window and peered out to where his cousin was staring. “Well, he has some gumption indeed!”
“Wickham?”
“Wickham.”
“Who, pray tell, is Wickham?” Eliza asked, before Mrs. Pearce had the opportunity to hush her.
“A most unsavoury sort, Eliza. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in his charming snares. He looks an angel, but he is the very devil himself, mark my words!”
She looked up in alarm. “I would expect such admonishment from the professor. Coming from you, Colonel, it puts this man’s character in a different light. I shall take your words to heart, for I have never heard you speak ill of anyone until now. Such condemnation must be richly deserved.”
“It is,” was all Richard replied.
“What did Wickham think coming here?” Darcy stormed at the window. “Damnation…”
“Professor Darcy! Language!” Mrs. Pearce scolded. “There is a lady present.”
Darcy scowled and muttered an insincere apology to Elizabeth, who must surely be growing accustomed to the most ungentlemanly language he so often used. He mumbled under his breath again and stomped across the carpeted floor before coming to a sudden halt. A sly smile stole over his face.
“I say, Mrs. Pearce, have we received any more letters from those Quakers in Wales? The ones with the socialist cooperative based on the new morality and whatever-it-is they do? Yes? Perhaps I shall respond to the next one! I have a most splendid idea.” And he refused any further commentary on the matter.
~
Time passed, as it is wont to do, and soon they had arrived at the final few days before Jane’s wedding. Lizzy was delighted for her sister, but more than frustrated at her mother. Mrs. Bennet was quite carried away in a fluster of activity, punctuated by attacks of her nerves, which required everybody to cease his or her activities to tend to her, after which she would fly into another tizzy about how nobody was doing any work to prepare but her. Between her mother’s demands and Professor Darcy’s, Lizzy felt she might well be fit for Bedlam by the day of the nuptials. Eventually she begged off her lessons for the duration, in order to better tend to her mother and to help her sister pack.
Another inducement to this temporary respite from the professor and his lessons was the arrival, two days before the wedding, of the Gardiner family of London. Lizzy had long been looking forward to their visit, and it was to her greatest delight and relief that she saw their carriage rounding the bend in the lane that led to Longbourn. Hopefully she would find some balm for her own overburdened nerves in Aunt Gardiner’s calm and sensible company.
The evening the Gardiners arrived, Mrs. Bennet had invited the party from Netherfield to dine, so as to introduce various family members to their new relations. The Hursts begged off, claiming a stomach ailment on the part of Mr. Hurst, and Caroline insisted she must remain behind to help her sister. They were not sorely missed.
Lizzy met the party in the entrance hall to the house, although the rest of the family were gathered in the salon. For some reason, she felt the need to greet the party quietly before the melee. Perhaps it was the desire to acquaint herself with the professor’s mood this evening, to determine whether he might be insufferable or endurable, so as better to prepare her relatives. Perhaps, she allowed a part of her to muse, she wished for a moment to converse with him removed from the necessities of public manners. She fussed with a vase for a moment until Mrs. Hill opened the front door and the three gentlemen from Netherfield filled the compact space.
Mr. Bingley sported a great grin and looked quite pleased with himself; he would, after all, be marrying the most beautiful girl in the county in a matter of hours. Colonel Fitzwilliam’s smile was of a different sort, broad and generous, radiating his good humour to all around him. But the smile that caused her to catch her breath was Professor Darcy’s. As his eyes met hers, he stopped still and allowed a slight smile to creep across his face. It was not proud like Bingley’s, nor exuberant like the colonel’s, but it was genuine and almost shy, and it reached his dark eyes which glinted their approval.
“Miss Eliza.” His voice was almost a whisper, and he bowed deeply. She curtseyed in return and found her feet unable to move as he handed his hat and coat to the waiting footman and crossed the small space to her side. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips in an elegant kiss, then offered his elbow. “Will you do me the honour of leading me to meet your relations?”
Somehow Lizzy led him through the house, although he knew the way well, to the salon where her family were gathered. As they reached the doorway, the professor stayed her with a hand atop of her own as it rested on his forearm, and he stepped aside to allow Bingley and the colonel to enter first. Such was the ado around the bridegroom’s entrance into the salon that Lizzy and Darcy were able to slip into the room relatively unnoticed.
She felt more than saw his eyes scan the room. In a low voice, he whispered, “Who is the couple seated on that green settee? Can those be your London relatives?” Lizzy nodded. “I confess myself surprised,” he clucked. “They are much more urbane and sophisticated than I had dared to expect from a family in trade. Do their manners match their appearance?”
Forcing herself not to react to this arrogant question, she began to walk over to her aunt and uncle, who rose as they approached. “They are much younger than I had expected,” Darcy whispered in her ear; “Your uncle is much your mother’s junior, I see, and your aunt looks not much older than I.”
Introductions were made and brief words were exchanged. Then Darcy made his pronouncements. “You, Mr. Gardiner, are an interesting study. London, born and bred, but well educated in Town, before being sent abroad to university. Not Boston… King’s?” Gardiner’s eyes widened, but he said nothing as the professor continued. “You travel, or have travelled, for your business, and have learned to moderate your speech to be easily understood and approachable wherever you are, but you have spent much of the last decade in London. Were I not to have my particular gifts and talents, I should never imagine you to be anything other than a son of a gentleman with a comfortable but not excessive holding.”
