“I do applaudyour defence of your sister, Miss Elizabeth. I have known a few pairs of sisters in my time, and not many are as loyal as you,” said Miss Crawford as the three ladies made their way around the garden to the folly.
“I know my sister was never so loyal,” said Miss Bertram. “Mysister had to have the best prize for her husband, because she was the eldest, the most beautiful, and had the best dowry. Mine was only half of hers. Then to make it all worse, she could not be content with the kind and vastly rich husband she had. Shewouldtake every prize. Instead of being happy with her lot, she panicked that the moredashing suitor paid court to me after her nuptials, and she had to takehimtoo! She was willing to ruin us all in order to have every man for herself. They never even thought, the pair of them, that they were even harming not only me, but also poor Mary.”
“Jane could never behave like that,” Elizabeth insisted. “She truly is an angel. She would never harm another or even speak unkindly, and I will defend her with my last breath against anyone.”
“You are so fortunate to have such a sister,” said Miss Crawford. “Are the others all as amiable? I understand that there are five of you.”
“Well, none of us could be considered as good and kind as Jane, but all the same, Mary has her merits,” mused Elizabeth. “She used to be rather pedantic, though in recent months, she puts more effort into being amiable. She is certainly kind, though in a different manner than Jane. Mary has greater expectations of her fellow man, and is more likely to see the imperfections of others. My other two sisters are good girls, but they are full young, and have much growing up to do.”
“Have you found a gentleman that you like here yet?” asked Miss Bertram.
Elizabeth laughed. “Hardly. A few of the gentlemen have made themselves agreeable, but I am certain I could not make any selection so soon. We know only what is practical about them so far, nothing about their characters.”
“I agree with you completely, but I would not object to more notice from Mr Mercer,” observed Miss Crawford.
Elizabeth gave another peal of laughter. “It is a good thing that we all appreciate different qualities, or we would be at one another’s throats. I think the gentleman talks far too much.”
The three ladies explored the folly and gardens thoroughly, and by the time they returned to the others, were fast friends.
CHAPTER 22
Ever After End
Near Glastonbury,
5 June, 1812
Dear Uncle Edward,
I do hopethat the best uncle in all the world has enjoyed his time fishing in the country. Will you return to London, or shall you linger in Somerset on the grassy bank of a well stocked river? The last female guest is to arrive today, and everyone is already waiting on pins to see who the last character in our plot is to be.
Jane is still beset by gentlemen, and receives so much attention that she cannot select a suitor to favour, but I keep assuring the other ladies that the men must disperse at some point, as they always do. There are a few men here who must marry with some attention to fortune, but none seem decidedly avaricious.
Once a week, the ladies and gentlemen separate for a day, and two days from now, the men will go fishing and you are invited tojoin their party. The ladies will remain at home and receive Mrs Darlington’s neighbourly callers with her, help sew for her poor basket, and attend our correspondence. Mrs Sprague and Mrs Abernathy have been sent a note inviting them to join us, along with the vicar’s daughter. Mary has deemed it an excellent opportunity to practice her harp-lute with Miss Marmaduke.
I feel that I am looking forward to the afternoon, as odd as that seems. The gentlemen are all very nice, and obviously we came to enjoy their company, and we do, but the ice has not broken amongst us as a group, and the expectation, though the chaperones display little interest in our affairs other than to see to propriety, wears on everyone, I think. It will be a relief to escape it for an afternoon.
You should attend the fishing party. Some local men are to attend as well, I believe. The magistrate, the parson, and a few other local gentlemen. Perhaps if you got to know the men from the house party a little, you might feel comfortable returning to London. Do you not wish to spend three weeks with your favourite nieces, Kitty and Lydia?
Your Most Troublesome Niece,
Lizzy
Three daysafter the garden party, Elizabeth Bennet found Mrs Darlington in the hall. “Good morning, Mrs Darlington, are you well today?”
“I am, Miss Elizabeth, thank you for asking,” the older woman smiled. “I have just received an express from my godson confirming that he arrives today. I did not realise that he was bringing his younger sister with him. I hate to do it, but I must move someone from their room, and I do not know what to do. My niece is accompanied by a close family friend, and they ought to have an apartment with two bedrooms, but the family wing and guest quarters on the second floor are completely full of ladies, and I simply cannot put them on the third floor with the men.”
“My sister Mary is in a two bedroom apartment with no one in the other room,” said Elizabeth.
“She is the only one I paired that way, it was the only room left in that wing, and I did not wish to place her too far from you,” said Mrs Darlington.
“Well, there is our solution. I will invite Mary to share my room. Or perhaps one of us will share with Jane,” said Elizabeth. “We have been accustomed to sharing our beds with one sister or another our entire lives.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you did not pay one hundred and fifty pounds to share a bed,” laughed Mrs Darlington.
“Oh pish,” laughed Elizabeth. “I am not so spoiled, I assure you!”
“I could not possibly allow you to share rooms,” said her hostess. “I believe I shall bunk with one of my chaperones. We have never had the call to do so before, but Georgiana may have my room, and we shall open the master’s suite for her friend.”
