“Oh, bother,” Elizabeth exclaimed, roughly shoving the letter back into her bag. Across from them, she noticed her uncle’s mouth twitch. “You are awake!” she accused.
“Only just long enough to hear Jane revive your conscience,” he said, sitting up and glancing out the window. “Your curiosity will be satisfied soon. We should reach the inn within the hour.”
Sure enough, the party reached the Black Swan a short time later, just before dusk began to coat the road in darkness. The girls smiled broadly as the proprietor and his wife usheredthem to their private rooms. Jane had never slept in any bed but her own and Elizabeth’s experience was scarcely more extensive, consisting only of a night in this very inn last summer and of course her months at Barlow Hall. The family was served a simple but hearty meal in their sitting room, and then the girls eagerly sought their shared chamber, exhausted from the excitement as much as the travel.
The next day’s journey was expected to be slightly shorter than the day previous, which had included two stops to change horses and travel from sunup to sundown. The party set out after a light breakfast with the expectation of arriving at Barlow Hall after one additional stop to change horses, in the late afternoon. Several hours into this final leg of the journey Mr. Gardiner reflected on what amiable travelling companions his nieces were. They chatted with him readily about an array of topics but were also able to entertain one another when he slept or read. Even when not occupied by one another, each girl seemed well able to occupy herself. Prior to this journey, Edward Gardiner primarily knew Jane through Elizabeth’s stories. Stories he was sure had exaggerated her in every way. Elizabeth loved Jane fiercely, but this was not a real surprise as he had quickly come to see whatever Elizabeth did, she did with a kind of reckless abandon that might one day land her in trouble. But for now, that fierce loyalty and surety were primarily focused on her family, especially her sisters. Therefore, he imagined she was in no real danger.
As to Jane, having not seen her since she was eight or nine, he was uncertain what to expect. He remembered her as eager to please, a beautiful girl who seemed quiet, especially when contrasted with Elizabeth, who at six was already entirely too sure of herself and seemingly attracted to mischief. Hisinitial impression of the young lady before him was of a kind, honest, gentle young girl who loved her sister as much as she was loved by her. He was curious to see how each lady fared this summer.
Late in the afternoon, as the carriage ambled down the long, tree-lined drive towards the manor house, Elizabeth pointed out to Jane the sites she felt were of interest. The edge of a wooded path she had favoured, the stable where they could visit and feed the horses, the window of the bedroom she had slept in last summer; a look to her uncle seemed to ask if it would be hers once again. He confirmed she would have the same room, with Jane in the adjoining.
“Oh, Uncle, we do not need separate quarters,” Jane said. “We are used to sharing and would not want to give your staff more work or take up a chamber that might be needed.”
“Do not worry, Jane,” her uncle assured her. “Barlow Hall has more than enough rooms and I do not imagine having you in your own chamber will overburden the staff, but I do appreciate your concern.” He smiled at Jane, and she nodded her acceptance.
When they arrived at the front entrance several servants seemed to have anticipated them and were about the luggage before they had even descended. Shortly, Sims and Mrs. Gladden were there as well. They greeted Mr. Gardiner as he alighted. Alerted by the commotion, Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Barlow soon emerged from the house. After quickly greeting his wife and cousin, Mr. Gardiner turned to help Jane down. Before he could perform the same office for Elizabeth, she burst from the carriage and was in her aunt’s arms in an instant.
“I missed you terribly,” she said, clasping her close.
“And I you,” Madeline replied fondly. “Now will you introduce me to this lovely young lady?” she asked, stepping back slightly from Elizabeth and nodding her head at Jane who stood beside her uncle several steps away.
“Of course,” Elizabeth said, going to take Jane’s hand and lead her to their aunt. “Aunt Gardiner, may I present my sister, the eldest Miss Bennet, Jane. I am certain you will simply adore one another as you are both quite the best people I know.” Though she had begun formally, it was impossible for her to hold in her enthusiasm and no one here, aside from perhaps Sims, had ever seemed to require it of her. The ladies curtsied to one another but then Elizabeth tugged them both into a hug. Mrs. Gardiner laughed with delight as she participated in the three-way embrace.
Jane was next presented to Mr. Barlow, who, though more restrained than his younger cousin was just as welcoming.
“Please consider this your home, Miss Bennet,” he said after the introductions were made and pleasantries exchanged. “We are so delighted you are in health now and able to join us for the summer.”
Jane’s thanks were all that was good and proper and though Elizabeth wistfully wished that she had half of Jane’s poise and grace, she did not begrudge her sister her natural or cultivated gifts. She simply loved her for them.
The time between their arrival and dinner was spent unpacking, mostly. Aunt Madeline was there to supervise, and though Elizabeth intended to take part and help, she found shecould not withhold her many questions past the emptying of one half of one trunk.
“How is Delilah’s foal? In your last letter she was still sickly; I am ever so anxious to meet her and I must assure Delilah she is still my absolute favourite horse in the world. Papa’s mounts simply do not compare. Do you think there is time to go to the stables before dark?”
There was no time to visit Delilah, Madeline assured her niece. Though Elizabeth was disheartened by this she knew she had the entire summer. She was soon onto other enquiries. Her aunt, uncle and Mr. Barlow were all faithful correspondents so she vacillated between enquiring after minutiae that might have been left out of letters—had Mrs. Gibbs tried that new soup recipe?—to following up on threads from the letters—when was the pig thief caught?
Aunt Madeline was more than patient with Lizzy’s eager inquisition. She responded not with perfunctory answers but stories, elaborations and humour. In addition, she returned Elizabeth’s curiosity with her own and in her careful questioning Elizabeth was reminded of why she loved Barlow Hall beyond its grandeur, fields and gardens. Here she felt not like a misunderstood nuisance, but like a valued and important member of a family.
A week after the arrival of the Bennet sisters found Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner alone by the fire in the drawing room after the others had gone to bed. After some discussion regarding a neighbour’s upcoming wedding and the menu for the following week, they moved on to a topic that delighted them both: their nieces.
“I must confess I did not expect Jane to be the absolute paragon of all things good and lovely that Lizzy described last year,” Edward said. “The sister she told us about seemed too good to be true and with Lizzy’s inherent optimism . . .”
“Yes, exactly,” his wife agreed. “In addition, I’ll admit that your sister’s letters also coloured my impression of what Jane is like.”
“How so?”
“Fanny only ever speaks of her beauty, of her meekness and how everyone said they were so alike. I suppose I assumed Jane would be like Fanny . . .”
“A little silly and quite vain?” her husband asked with a smile. Madeline chuckled lightly at his frank and accurate assessment.
“Yes, it was uncharitable of me.”
“But not without foundation. Fanny does delight in calling attention to how like her Jane is and I confess when I first beheld her at the Inn in Bedford, I was struck by how much she looked like the little Fanny I remember from our childhood. I too wondered if the resemblance was more than skin-deep.”
They looked at each other and smiled, a smile they had been sharing quite a bit since the arrival of their Bennet nieces—it was fond and a little hopeful. They had already grown quite attached to Elizabeth and now they found Jane staking out a place in their hearts as well. In addition, as much as they loved the girls on their own, they could not help but feel some elation at the ability to practice those parental arts that they hoped would be put to use on their own brood soon enough.
“I think we can anticipate a very enjoyable summer with Jane’s sweetness and Elizabeth’s wit to enliven Barlow Hall,” Mrs. Gardiner predicted.
“I am in agreement,” her husband said as they ascended the stairs together. “Though I do not believe anyone will supplant Elizabeth in his heart, Cousin Andrew is already quite taken with Jane.”
