A Constant Love: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation, page 4
“My cousin – Colonel Fitzwilliam – your Majesty,” Georgiana said, her voice quavering.
“Lady Brandon’s son, I believe.” She looked to Lady Ellen to affirm her statement, and Lady Ellen did so with a decided nod.
“We thank your family for his service,” Queen Charlotte said. “We should not have defeated Bonaparte without the contributions of men such as your son.”
“I thank you, ma’am,” Lady Ellen said.
“Well, Miss Darcy, I look forward to seeing you out in society, as well as your new sister.” Her gaze fell on Elizabeth only momentarily this time, but Elizabeth caught in full the question there: Who was she, and how had she managed to marry Mr. Darcy so quietly?
“We thank you, ma’am,” Lady Ellen said, taking just the slightest step backward. Elizabeth and Georgiana caught what she as at and stepped backward themselves, until Lady Ellen paused near the doorway and they saw that it was time to curtsey for the last time, Elizabeth dropping down so deeply she could feel the ostrich feathers in her hair bobbing back and forth, so that she felt both ridiculous, and relieved.
When they had exited the drawing room, they had only to make their way out of the waiting room and back out of the palace, to the safety of the carriage. As they left the waiting room, Elizabeth heard something she had no reason to believe her companions overheard, and still it gave her great unease.
“Who are they?” asked an unidentified female voice. “They look quite elegant.”
“Oh them,” answered another female voice. “One is Miss Georgiana Darcy, who has thirty thousand pounds. The other is the nobody who married Mr. Darcy. I do wonder if she will have an impact on her new sister’s prospects.”
The carriage returned to the Fitzwilliams’s house on Half Moon Street; Lady Ellen had long ago arranged that they should all have dinner there to celebrate Georgiana’s presentation, and so Darcy and Catherine were to meet them there. For young Georgiana, there was only relief that the event was over, and that she had made no mistakes, nor said anything that should hamper her entrance into society. For Elizabeth, however, there was a more subtle worry that she must at all times endeavour to be equal to her company; she must prove those who would expect nothing of her wrong.
These things were soon forgotten, though, in the comfort of the Fitzwilliams’s home. It was exceedingly well-appointed, to be sure, but even in such noble spaces, to be around family who wished her and Georgiana well was a relief to Elizabeth. Although Colonel Fitzwilliam was still on the continent, helping to complete the final arrangements of Napoleon Bonaparte’s abdication and the ensuing peace, Lord Brandon and his elder son and daughter proved to be excellent company. It was clear to Elizabeth that Lord Fitzwilliam had from an early age been groomed to inherit the earldom, and he displayed a thorough knowledge of current affairs and how they might impact the family. If he was not quite as light-hearted or as easy in conversation as his younger brother, she could not find it in herself to hold it against him.
Lady Ellen, as usual, was everything polite, and Lady Fitzwilliam followed her lead. She encouraged both Georgiana and Catherine to join in the conversation, as did Elizabeth, and by the end of the evening Elizabeth felt more assured in having such connexions and allies. She was especially proud of both sisters for making confident and well-informed contributions to the conversation. If anyone had any regrets on the evening, it was simply that Elizabeth and Georgiana had to remain in far more restrictive corsets than they were used to. And yet Elizabeth could not help but feel a swell of happiness for her new sister as Darcy handed her into the carriage to go home – Georgiana had survived perhaps the most difficult part of coming out into society, and now she would have access to all the more enjoyable aspects.
By the time they returned home to Curzon Street, Elizabeth was exhausted, and barely aware of Sarah’s motions to remove the great expanse of dress from her. She felt the increase in air, though, when Sarah removed the corset. Sarah had proved so far to be a most careful and dedicated lady’s maid, and Elizabeth resolved she must speak to Mrs. Wright about her promotion soon; she did not know how she could possibly do without Sarah’s kind company and melodic Irish accent every day, and Sarah was most diligent in all of her duties.
Although she was terribly sleepy, she still passed into Darcy’s chamber – he had made it clear to her early on that he enjoyed her presence even if either of them was too tired for marital relations, and so she was no longer comfortable sleeping without her husband at her side. He pulled her close and kissed her hair as she entered the bed beside him, and she found all the discomforts of the day melting away: she had a husband who loved her, a sister newly out in society, another sister newly reasonable in company, and a well-placed relative who had been nothing but kindness to her so far. She felt the benefit of all of these things, but most of all, of a husband who every day provided her with new caresses, new nuances, of his very private self.
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Elizabeth woke late in the morning, to find Darcy already absent from his bedchamber. She made her way back into her own rooms, rang the bell for Sarah, and found her lady’s maid prompt as always in entering the room.
“Let us go with something very simple and plain, for my day dress,” Elizabeth said to her.
“Yes ma’am,” Sarah smiled. “That was rather a lot of dress for you to wear all day yesterday.”
Elizabeth laughed softly as she thought back to the two of them, trying to manage the unfamiliar corset and determine how the complex dress was to go on, as Sarah had dressed Elizabeth the previous day.
“Certainly it was – I must say I am glad I should never have to wear such a thing again.”
When Sarah had finished dressing Elizabeth in a blue day dress that was very plain indeed, Elizabeth requested that she send Mrs. Wright in if the housekeeper was available. Sarah flushed, and said she certainly would, and Elizabeth realised too late that the young maid might have thought Elizabeth wished to censure her work. Sarah had grown more comfortable in Elizabeth’s presence, and more willing to converse, which was partly why Elizabeth enjoyed her company in the morning. Sarah was always very careful to stay within the bounds of propriety, never departing from innocent and appropriate topics, and so she should have had nothing to fear. Elizabeth consoled herself that soon enough Sarah would know of her promotion, and no longer be worried.
Mrs. Wright bustled in a few minutes later and asked what she could do for Mrs. Darcy.
“I wanted to speak to you about Sarah,” Elizabeth said. “She has done excellent work as my lady’s maid thus far, and if you are still amenable to her promotion, I see no reason to delay it any longer.”
“Very well, ma’am,” Mrs. Wright said, looking very pleased. “I will let her know.”
“Please do inform her as soon as possible,” Elizabeth said. “And I thank you for recommending her.”
“You are most welcome, ma’am.”
“We will soon need to begin preparing for Georgiana’s coming-out ball,” Elizabeth said. “I would appreciate your assistance in the planning, and I thought perhaps we might also include Mrs. Annesley, as she has helped several other young ladies come out before Georgiana.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
Elizabeth waited a few moments after Mrs. Wright had left her rooms to go down the stairs to breakfast. She felt satisfied by the interaction, which indicated a growing trust between Mrs. Wright and herself. They had certainly agreed on Sarah’s qualifications and skills.
Darcy had already breakfasted and was attending to correspondence, but he sat with Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Catherine as they ate; Mrs. Annesley, knowing Georgiana to have no fixed engagements for the day, had requested permission to visit a friend of hers, and Darcy had sent her off in the carriage. The group went to the drawing room after breakfast, and Elizabeth was delighted when Mr. Miller came in to hand her a letter that had just been delivered.
“A letter from Jane!” she exclaimed, and eagerly opened it. The two sisters continued to correspond frequently, and Elizabeth found that although she very much enjoyed the company of Georgiana and Catherine, she still missed the companionship of her elder sister. They had been together for most of their youth, and although Elizabeth knew that their own sisterly bond and their husbands’s friendship would still have them together frequently, it was not quite the same.
“She writes they are to come to London, and will be staying with the Hursts.” Elizabeth felt a twinge of disappointment that they would not stay at her home, but with Catherine and now Mary coming to visit, she could hardly begrudge that the guests would be balanced between the two houses. If anything, the greater disappointment was that she would have to spend more time in the company of the Hursts and Caroline Bingley.
Elizabeth did not share the more private parts of the letter, which indicated that the cause for their departure to London was that Mrs. Bennet had finally worn down even the heroic patience possessed by Charles and Jane Bingley, and they desired a break from her daily calls to Netherfield, and frequent requests that they all dine together at Netherfield or Longbourn.
“I cannot criticise my mother too much,” Jane wrote. “She has grown used to a house full of daughters and now finds herself lonely. But her constant company has become difficult to bear.”
Jane wrote on to say that she missed Elizabeth greatly, and would have the added advantage of being able to convey Mary with them in the carriage, as they were to remove from Netherfield quite quickly. Elizabeth hurried to get her writing things and pen a response to Jane, telling her of Georgiana’s presentation at court, and how delighted she was to soon be able to see Jane and Mary.
The family passed the day in this quiet way until Darcy suggested they all take a stroll in Hyde Park. They agreed to this scheme readily; Elizabeth was desirous of fresh air and the opportunity to walk a little, and she also knew it to be one of the things done by the circles she would now be moving in during the season. A fine day was not complete without a stroll or a ride through Hyde Park, for those who most mattered in town.
Everyone went upstairs to change into suitable attire for a promenade, and Elizabeth found Sarah seemed even more nervous upon entering her dressing room, curtseying deeply and approaching Elizabeth with shaking hands. Had Mrs. Wright not yet informed her of her promotion?
“Ma’am,” Sarah said. “I hope I do not speak out of turn, but I wished to convey my deepest gratitude on my promotion. I cannot thank you enough.”
“You need not thank me, Sarah, you have earned it yourself. You have done very well in your work and I am very glad to have you. Although I find I have addressed you incorrectly; now that you are a lady’s maid, you are Miss Kelly. Please accept my apology.”
“Oh, but ma’am, I feel so odd not being called Sarah. I would prefer it if we continued on as before, at least in private.”
“Very well, but then you must also call me Elizabeth, in private.”
“It might take me some time to adjust to that, ma’am,” Sarah said, in a tone indicating she might never adjust to it. Still, she seemed to relax, and helped Elizabeth change with even more than her usual cheer.
The house on Curzon Street had the advantage of being very close to the park, and once parasols had been found and spencers donned, the group made the short walk there. Elizabeth had spent much of the past week inside, preparing for Georgiana’s presentation and learning the ways of the household, and the vast expanse of the park made her realise how much she had missed being out of doors. It was the fashionable hour, and the park was filled with walkers, but it did not feel at all crowded.
They had been walking for a while when Georgiana recognised an acquaintance, Miss Harriett Grantley, and introduced her and her companion to the group. Miss Grantley was a delicate young girl, nearly the same age as Georgiana, but about to enter her second season. Elizabeth could not recall Georgiana mentioning Miss Grantley before, and realised even before they had said their goodbyes and walked on that Georgiana must not have favoured the young lady’s company.
Once they were far enough away, Georgiana confessed to Catherine and Elizabeth that Miss Grantley was fiercely competitive, always wanting to be the most accomplished lady in the room, and Georgiana did not care much for her company. Georgiana had once looked upon Miss Grantley as a potential friend, but had realised her overtures of friendship were only to find someone to compare herself against, and so now they were only polite acquaintances.
Catherine felt a certain, but healthy, amount of pride in hearing this; she had sought Georgiana’s friendship because she liked the lady, she had no desire to be competitive for accomplishments, although she realised that it would be better for her to be more accomplished. It might help her find the sort of husband she wished to find. For the time it was but a momentary thought, gone soon enough, and she took up her friend’s arm and patted it in sympathy, as the two young ladies walked on ahead of Elizabeth and Darcy.
Chapter 5
The first few days leading up to the Bingleys’s arrival with Mary passed with nothing more eventful than a few morning calls between the Darcys, Fitzwilliams, and Gardiners. As Lady Catherine was to arrive at nearly the same time as Elizabeth’s more-preferred family, Elizabeth had suggested to Darcy that perhaps they should have them all over to dine; he agreed, and so with equal parts anticipation and trepidation, Elizabeth went calling to deliver the invitations. She had taken on the planning of the family dinners with little difficulty and helpful assistance from Mrs. Wright, but had never planned a meal on such a large scale. Still, she looked forward to the idea of hosting so many people whose company she enjoyed, and had been most pleased when Darcy suggested she include the Gardiners in the invitation before she could even ask about them herself.
To one household, however, Elizabeth went with only trepidation, and a great deal of reluctance. Lady Catherine received her with apparent disgust, and proceeded to ignore her and Mrs. Annesley, whom she had brought along with Georgiana. That young lady was the entire focus of Lady Catherine’s conversation: what balls she must attend, whom she must be introduced to. Lady Catherine seemed to already have an entire string of young gentlemen for Georgiana to meet, and Elizabeth watched her sister’s discomfort grow increasingly throughout the course of the visit. Elizabeth and Mrs. Annesley both attempted to deflect some of the conversation from Georgiana, but Lady Catherine would not have it.
Elizabeth did feel the slightest twinge of sympathy for Lady Catherine; it was clear her daughter Anne, who had stayed behind at Rosings due to her ill health, would never come out into society, and so Lady Catherine could only help a niece through this process, instead of a daughter. She would be in a position to do so frequently, as well; Rosings Park was an easy distance to London, and so she might come and go throughout the entire little season and full season whenever she felt herself needed.
When they returned to Curzon Street, Darcy informed Elizabeth that he had learned another friend of his family, the Dowager Viscountess Tonbridge, was in town, and asked Elizabeth if she might like to include the viscountess in the invite. He described her as a woman of great sense, powerful enough to keep very liberal company, and someone who could be a very helpful acquaintance for her and Georgiana. With such a recommendation from a man who generally did not favour company, Elizabeth readily agreed to going with him for a morning call. Viscountess Tonbridge was a broad woman with a happy countenance and yet very good manners, readily welcoming to Elizabeth and desirous of being introduced to those acquaintances she had not already met. She had no children of her own and enjoyed the company of young people, and as she had no engagements for the evening of the dinner party, would be delighted to attend.
Elizabeth came away from the introduction pleased that she now knew another person with a noble title who had readily welcomed her into an acquaintance. She might still be a nobody, and certainly everyone would not receive her so well, but she was not without friends.
The next day brought the Bingleys’s carriage to the front door shortly after the noon hour, and with great joy, Elizabeth welcomed her sisters into the house. Jane and Charles agreed to stay for some refreshment before heading on to the Hursts’s house, and soon enough Elizabeth and Jane had sequestered themselves in a private corner of the drawing room so that Jane could tell her of news from home, and they could exchange their impressions of married life. Jane was clearly every bit as happy as Elizabeth, and the two sisters’s felicity increased even more as each heard how content the other was.
They were interrupted by the sound of the pianoforte. Mary and Georgiana had been corresponding occasionally, and upon learning that Mary was to join them in London, Georgiana had written to suggest they play duets together. They had landed upon a few selections that pleased them both, and had been practising their parts independently. Now, they were eager to play together, and they did so with much delight. It was clear to Elizabeth that Georgiana was the superior player, but she was such a modest girl that she continually complimented Mary on her playing, and only occasionally suggested an easier way to do the fingering on difficult passages. They had mastered one piece by the time Jane and Charles rose to take their leave, and sounded quite well. The wooden, technical sound of Mary’s playing was quite softened by playing with a friend, and Georgiana’s skill was, as always, delightful.
Elizabeth, Catherine, Mrs. Annesley, and Darcy continued to listen to them after the Bingleys had left. Later as they went upstairs to dress for dinner, Darcy pulled Elizabeth aside.
“Mary and Georgiana play quite well together,” Darcy observed. “Perhaps we could ask Mr. Palmer to fit Mary into his schedule either before or after Georgiana, when he comes for her lessons.”
“I do not think there is anything Mary would like quite so much as that,” Elizabeth said. Her sister had always laboured away at the pianoforte, with no instruction aside from what little help Elizabeth could give her.
