“No, Fanny, I mean aside from our family. Mr Darcy and his sister, the Earl and Countess of Matlock, and Lord Hilldale will all be with them.”
“But Thomas, we do not have the chambers to accommodate all of them, and how can the men reside in the same house as their betrotheds? It will cause a scandal.” Fanny wrung her hands as she felt her nerves creeping up on her.
Bennet took her hands and made sure she was looking at him. “Fanny, do not let that concern you. The Fitzwilliams and Darcys will be residing at Netherfield Park. Did you forget that Mr Bingley has the lease for a year? He has permitted his friend and family members to use the estate. You remember that the former Miss Lucas is marrying Lord Hilldale’s younger brother, the former colonel?”
“Yes, I was very happy for Charlotte. After being married to that odious man, she deserves happiness,” Fanny agreed.
“They, and hopefully Miss Anne de Bourgh, will be present as well. Charlotte will reside at Lucas Lodge. At last, we will have four of our daughters home.” Bennet paused. “We will have to entertain our new family.”
“Of course, we will.”
“Fanny, Jane and Lizzy went to St Mary’s to see Lydia. It is not far from the estate where they were being hosted. The report about our youngest is very favourable.”
“That is thebest news. Thank you, Thomas.”
Bennet crossed to where his wife stood and kissed her. While Fanny blushed, he made his way to his study.
Chapter 31
Due to the fact that there would be six more with them when they reached Meadowbrook, the Jamison’s estate, the journey had been planned so the travellers arrived at the Golden Goose Inn in Wokingham the previous evening. That way, when they told their friends they did not need to impose on their hospitality, it would be the absolute truth.
To that end, the convoy of carriages departed the inn at first light, and they reached Meadowbrook before seven o’clock. As had been expected, the Jamisons claimed that hosting the expanded party was no trouble for them. In the end, they accepted that everyone would depart soon, as the intention was to reach Longbourn that same day, which was about three and forty miles distant. Everyone stretched their legs while the younger Bennet sisters, Gardiner children, Nurse, and Mrs Taylor—the Bennet companion and governess in one person—were informed of their impending departure.
It was not difficult to see the questions Mary and Kitty wanted to ask, but thanks to Mrs Taylor’s tutelage, they knew they needed to wait until they were in private. During the introductions, the two had maintained their equanimity, but they were burning with inquisitiveness.
Even before they boarded the convoy of conveyances, which added one more carriage at Meadowbrook, Mary and Kitty found they liked Gigi, as they had been invited to call her, very well. Mary bonded with her over music—her playing had improved significantly with the lessons from Mrs Taylor. Kittyand Gigi shared a love of drawing and painting. Thanks to her aunt and uncle having arranged for a master to come once a week while she was in Berkshire, Kitty’s skill was much better than it had been in early June when they had arrived.
Knowing that their younger sisters would have many questions, Jane and Elizabeth were permitted to ride in a coach with Mary, Kitty, and Gigi. No sooner had the conveyance been pulled into motion than the questioning began.
“No offence to you, Gigi, but Lizzy, how is it you seem so close to Mr Darcy?” Mary enquired.
“And Jane, you and Lord Hilldale look very comfortable with each other. Also, why are his parents, an earl and a countess no less, travelling with us to Longbourn?” Kitty added before any reply was forthcoming from Lizzy.
“You did not offend me, Mary. I know my brother did not acquit himself very well when he and Lizzy first met,” Gigi responded.
“Mary and Kitty, we will tell you all. I am engaged to Andrew, Lord Hilldale, and Lizzy is Mr Darcy’s betrothed. He has asked us to call him William. Now, you may ask any questions. Unless they are too personal, we will answer them as best we are able,” Jane stated.
Until they reached the first rest stop, a little more than two hours later, Mary and Kitty asked their questions, and for the most part Jane and Lizzy, and at times Gigi told them all they wanted to know. When reminded, they did remember that Mr Darcy and Lizzy had a rapprochement, and after apologies to one another, they had decided to begin over again. They would have to think of him as William because they were to be his sisters. As surprised as they had been that Jane had met Andrew—as they had been told to call him—hearing the tale about Lizzy’s growing regard for Mr Darcy had shocked them.
Elizabeth did not share the first proposal William had made her with Mary and Kitty. If they asked directly about it, she would not prevaricate.
Another shock had been when the younger Bennet sisters had enthused about their learning to ride; Lizzy, who they had believed would never willingly sit atop a horse, had informed them that William had taught her to ride, and she now enjoyed the exercise. To them, that was the clearest sign that Lizzy loved and trusted her William.
Before departing the first stop, Mary and Kitty joined Jane and Andrew, along with Mrs Taylor, in a coach to come to know their future brother. Darcy and Mrs Annesley rode with Elizabeth and Gigi.
At each stop, two of the Gardiner children rotated in and out of the Gardiner conveyance so they could regale their parents with everything they had enjoyed during the almost two months they had been hosted by the Jamisons. What excited all of the children the most was that they had been taught to ride ponies.
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In the later part of the afternoon, the convoy of carriages travelled through Meryton. Not a few denizens of the town stopped and stared at the sight of so many fine coaches, and some of them with coats of arms emblazoned on their doors. Thanks to a notice in theTimes of London, it was known that the two eldest Misses Bennet had made very advantageous matches. Hence, when the convoy made the turn to the east on the lane which led to Longbourn, most of them correctly assumed many of those were the Bennets’ soon-to-be family.
That announcement had surprised those in the neighbourhood. When the engagement of Mrs Charlotte Collins to the former Colonel Fitzwilliambecame known, that notice had shocked all of them greatly as well, especially when they learnt that the Colonel was the owner of a great estate.
Without knowing the other was worrying about the same thing, mainly because Jane and Elizabeth were in separate coaches, they were not sure how their mother would behave. They worried even with the improvements they had seen before embarking on the holiday, she may yet embarrass them with vulgar effusions. They both prayed she would not.
It only took a few minutes after their arrival, and seeing how calm their mother was, without a single vulgar utterance, for Jane and Elizabeth to feel greatly chagrined that they had doubted their mother. Before anything else, she was genuinely grateful to have four of her daughters at home once again.
After brief introductions, all of those who would be residing at Netherfield Park, save the two engaged men, departed for that estate so they could wash, change, and rest before returning to Longbourn for a family dinner. As would be expected, Hilldale and Darcy requested meetings with Bennet.
