Elizabeth’s blush gradually faded as she replied, ‘Thank you, uncle,’ before applying herself to her breakfast with determination and not looking up until she finished her meal.
~T~
11Family and Friends
On Sunday after lunch, the residents of Gardiner house were enjoying tea and conversation to while away the rainy afternoon, when Mr Hobson announced, ‘Mrs Carleton to see you,’ a moment before an elegant lady breezed into the room.
‘Edward, it is good to see you. Madeline, you are looking well. Motherhood certainly becomes you. You are quite glowing. It has been much too long since you last visited. I am so very pleased that you have decided to take up residence in Uncle Henry’s house, although you may come to regret it as it is most convenient for me to visit without even a moment’s notice,’ Mrs Carleton gushed as her eyes roamed over the occupants of the family parlour. ‘I assume that these lovely ladies must be your nieces. Will you not introduce me?’
‘Good afternoon, Amelia. I am pleased to see you too. It is good to see that you are in excellent voice today,’ Mr Gardiner, who had risen to his feet during the verbal deluge, replied with a bland smile which belied his mirth.
Mrs Gardiner also rose and added her welcome, only to find herself engulfed in an embrace.
‘Goodness me. Am I talking too much again? What can I say? I am thrilled to meet my cousins at last.’ She released Madeline and faced the sisters who were also standing and politely waited to be introduced.
Mr Gardiner did the honours, finishing with, ‘This force of nature is our distant cousin, Mrs Amelia Carleton, related of course to our Uncle Henry Carleton.’
‘Not so distant as all that. I still remember Uncle Henry and Aunt Mary. They were a lovely couple, and I could never understand why grandfather objected to Uncle Henry’s choice to make a living. Compared to Cousin Robert, who is a parson and a more unpleasant man I have seldom encountered, I prefer an honourable tradesman,’ thelady declared as Mr Gardiner escorted her to a chair while Mrs Gardiner handed her a cup of tea.
While Mrs Carleton took a sip of her beverage, Mrs Gardiner managed to ask, ‘How are you, Amelia. Are your family well?’
‘We are all in the pink of health. I thank you for asking. You too appear to be in excellent health judging by the glow about you.’ She tilted her head and took a closer look at the sisters. ‘It is too bad that my boys are still at school. If they were just a few years older I would be one of those unbearable matchmakers, trying to match these lovely ladies to my boys,’ she said with a mischievous grin.
The sisters learnt that the boys were three in number, ranging in age from nineteen to fifteen years, with the middle boy being seventeen.
Elizabeth’s answering grin was just as wide when she said, ‘there is hope for your matchmaking ambitions yet, Cousin Amelia. Our younger sisters are seventeen and fifteen.’
‘Excellent. In the meantime, would you all like to come to dinner the day after tomorrow? You will have a chance to meet them and gauge if any of them would suit.’
Mr and Mrs Gardiner declared themselves delighted to accept the invitation, even when they discovered the party would include a few more cousins and close friends.
Having arranged the important things, Mrs Carleton calmed down and happily settled in to chat with the sisters. ‘Pray tell, what kind of men do you seek as husbands? I have to warn you though, the competition for the higher ranks of the nobility is rather fierce.’
The girls exchanged glances and Jane answered for them all. ‘We do not care whether a gentleman is titled.’ She blushed prettily as she said, ‘We are all hoping to marry men for mutual affection and respect.’
‘You do not care for titles or wealth?’
‘Our dowries are sufficient to provide us with a comfortable life, should we not find any gentleman whom we deem suitable, as we are more interested in character.’
‘You would truly reject a man with good prospects simply because you do not find him pleasing? How quaint!’
‘We already rejected the heir to Longbourn.’
‘Ah, yes. Your estate is entailed to the male line, and you have no brothers. How did your mother feel about this?’
‘She was the one who told Mr Collins that she would not permit him to pay his addresses to Jane,’ Elizabeth related proudly.
‘Perhaps she hoped that you would make a more advantageous match?’
‘If by advantageous you mean a man who is not simultaneously pompous and obsequious, not stupid, and not more devoted to his patroness than he would ever be to his wife, yes, she wanted a better husband for me.’
‘Good heavens. You are looking for three paragons in the cesspool which is the bon ton? I admire your optimism,’ exclaimed the lady in mock horror.
‘Surely, there must be some decent men in town,’ Mary ventured to say quietly. ‘After all, I have heard that there are a million people in London.’
‘Yes, there are. I was just teasing you. It is refreshing to meet some sensible young ladies for a change. You should see some of the relentless social climbers I encounter wherever I go.’
Elizabeth gave her an impertinent smile. ‘I believe that we have encountered some of them in Meryton. The sisters of the most recent lessee of Netherfield Park… the estate next to ours,’ she added on seeing the puzzled expression of their visitor.
