“Will we only learn boring subjects?” Lydia queried.
“I will not prevaricate, Lydia, you may findsomenot very stimulating. However, with the companion we will all discover where your talents lie, and they shall be developed as accomplishments,” Bennet informed his daughters. As they had no more questions, Bennet made his way up the stairs.
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After he had given a perfunctory knock, Bennet entered his wife’s chambers. She was lying in her bed sniffing and waving one of her lace handkerchiefs about in the air. Seeing him only increased the speed at which she was doing so.
“Mrs Bennet, did we, or did we not agree, starting today you would no longer be hiding in your bedchamber, but return to your family and take up your duties once again,” Bennet demanded. “You have always been so proud to flaunt the fact you are the mistress of this estate to one and all, but here you are not fulfilling the role you boast about so openly.”
“You just want to vex me,” Fanny cried. “When that wilful girl spoke to us in that disrespectful manner, you did nothing!”
“Please tell me one thing Lizzy said which was false? Did you, or did you not order Jane to ride out on Nellie when we all knew it was to rain? Did I or did I not do nothing to override your order? Did Lizzy or did she not warn us of the danger to Jane because of the damage to her lungs from when she had influenza? Please, Mrs Bennet, I invite you to refute a single one of the accusations Lizzy flung at our door. As much as I would like to, I know I am not able to do so without lying to myself,” Bennet revealed.
“But what if ladies from the neighbourhood come to remonstrate with me like Hattie, Lady Lucas, and some of those I thought were my friends did the day of the funeral?”Fanny wailed. “How am I to face them again?”
“Like I do,” Bennet averred tersely. “I do not cower before our neighbours. I do however, own to them I have erred which blunts most of the animus directed at me. If you took responsibility for your actions instead of attempting to blame Lizzy, who is blameless, you will weather this. For a while there will be few callers, which is proper during mourning in any event. It is my belief, however, once word is spread you are truly remorseful and did not intend Jane any harm, talk will go away. There is always something new for the harpies in the town to harp about.”
“Of course, I never desired Jane would get sick, never mind that she would lose her life!” Fanny sobbed. The tears were coming in waves now. “I thought I was helping her to catch Mr Bingley, but I was so wrong…”
Bennet had never seen his wife so overset with sorrow and remorse before. He sat on the bed and pulled her into a hug. “It will not be easy, but we all need to change, myself especially,” he told his wife gently. “In the meanwhile, as hard as it may be, we need to give our two eldest daughters time and space to work out their grief and whatever else they feel they need to do. It will be counter to our inclinations, but we must allow them to come back of their own free wills, if that is what they choose to do. If we do anything else, we will push them away permanently.”
“Do you think Lizzy will ever forgive me?” Fanny wondered.
“For myself, I have to believe she will do so if we are sincere and honest in our apologies, and not only to her.” Bennet saw the look of confusion on his wife’s face. “In her presence, we will need to beg Jane’s forgiveness.”
“Things will never be the same again, will they?” It was more of a statement than a question from Fanny.
“No, Fanny, they will not, and we should not want themto be. With your assistance we will move forward.” Bennet leaned over and did something he had not for years. He kissed his wife’s forehead. He stood and held out his hand to his wife. “Come Fanny, there is no time like the present to begin.”
Fanny allowed her husband to lead her from her bed before she rang for her maid.
Chapter 19
Elizabeth and Mary chose to share a room and forwent the offer of separate bedchambers. They had not shared for very long at Longbourn, but it had become comfortable for both of them in a short span of time. They had arrived in time to have the midday meal, which they consumed before they went upstairs to wash and change.
As much as she loved being at Gracechurch Street with the Gardiners, for Elizabeth there was one major drawback: it was a city and other than the small park across from her aunt and uncle’s house, there was nowhere close by to take her morning constitutional. In addition, unlike at Longbourn where she was permitted to enjoy solitary rambles, in Town she had to walk with a maid and footman escorting her. This meant Elizabeth had to walk slower than was her wont, but she supposed it was not so very consequential seeing that in the park opposite the house all she could do was walk on the path which circumnavigated the pond.
If she wanted to walk even one mile, a short walk for her under normal circumstances, she would have to make between twenty and thirty circuits around the pond. She disliked walking the same path for so long, ignoring the fact she jested with herself that she would eventually become dizzy. She knew that was not true as it was in no way comparable to spinning around like a top, but that did not stop her telling herself it could happen.
Every now and again, they would make a foray into Hyde Park. There Elizabeth would be able to walk for some miles without making circuits. Knowing the maid would not be ableto keep up with their niece in the large park, the Gardiners allowed her to walk with only the footman as long as he was close to her at all times.
While she and Mary unpacked, Elizabeth was thinking about when they would go to Hyde Park. She was well aware it was not ideal weather for a picnic—which happened quite often in spring and summer—but she prayed for some good days before the snow fell and made a slushy mess.
In their master suite, the Gardiner parents had just washed and changed. “Before we join Lizzy, Mary, and our children, what think you of my idea, Edward?” Madeline asked.
“Did I not tell you before we departed Hertfordshire I thought it was a capital idea, as long as your brother and sister-in-law are willing to host them,” Gardiner reminded his wife. “Like you, I am fully aware our nieces are used to the country and will be far happier at Lambert Hills.”
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Madeline Gardiner née Lambert’s father had been the vicar of All Saints church in Lambton. He had been a second son, and he had grown up on the estate of Lambert Hills, a little more than half way between Lambton and the border of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It was due east of the town where the church was located. The older Lambert brother had inherited the family estate, as was his right. The younger brother had gone to Oxford’s Divinity School, and eventually been awarded the living in Lambton by the current Mr Darcy’s grandfather .
Both brothers, who always kept a warm and close relationship, married. Unfortunately the older Lambert and his wife were not blessed with any children, in fact she had never fallen in the family way, while the younger brother’s wife gave him Timothy and then three years later Madeline. Reverend Lambert had always planned for Timothy to follow him into the church, but due to him being the only heir afterhis own father, after university Tim moved to Lambert Hills and learnt how to manage his future estate .
When Madeline married Gardiner and moved to London, she was two and twenty. Some months after the wedding, Tim travelled to London to visit his sister and new brother. During that time, their parents had gone to visit their aunt and uncle on the estate when there had been an outbreak of cholera accompanied by one of dysentery. Both Lambert couples had lost their lives to the illnesses. It had cost many lives on that estate, and a few others surrounding it. Thankfully it did not reach the nearby market town of Metting. After waiting until it was sure the twin illnesses had burnt themselves out, Timothy returned to his estate.
Two years later, he met Miss Gweneth Paulson. Her father was the master of a neighbouring estate—Green Hill, one which had been spared the diseases. Tim and Gwen were married and to date they had a daughter and two sons. As Gwen had been the only child and her father’s estate was not entailed, the younger Lambert son would one day inherit his grandfather’s estate.
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