Aside from Jane and the four cousins, they were escorted by a maid, a nursemaid, the governess, and two footmen. While the two footmen climbed onto the back bench of the coach Jane and the children rode in, the maid, nursemaid, andgoverness boarded the older and smaller Gardiner carriage. As it was less than two miles to a point close to the wide end of the Serpentine, the ride was only about fifteen minutes to Hyde Park.
As she sat with her cousins’ chattering flying back and forth between them—mainly between the twins, Lilly and May—Jane was disappointed there had been no new epistle from her younger sister. She wondered why Lizzy had not replied to the last missive Jane had posted to her. Her sister was usually very good at writing letters. Perhaps it was because she did not want to address what Jane had said about Mr Bingley. She loved Lizzy, but her sister was rather obstinate and hated to be proved wrong.
Since the conversation with Aunt Maddie, Jane’s opinions of that man and whether he truly loved, respected, and esteemed her had firmed. As much as she had always wanted to see only the good in every situation, her treatment at the hands of Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst coupled with Mr Bingley’s desertion had shattered her desire to only see the positive. The ‘why’ that Lizzy kept going on about any time they discussed what had occurred was not nearly as important as the fact he had. The heartbreak she had suffered and the Bingley sisters revealing their true natures to her had shown Jane how naïve she had been. If she ever saw Mr Bingley again, they would meet as indifferent acquaintances. More than anything Jane was certain that she did not want a boy to pay court to her, but a man. She wanted someone who knew his own mind, who would not be swayed by others, and most importantly, he would respect her. As long as he had enough that they could live reasonably, Jane cared not how wealthy the man was.
All these realisations had ejected Mr Bingley from her heart, and Jane felt far lighter for it. Instead of pining for a man who was far too irresolute, Jane could now be open to whatever Providence would bring her.
Once they all alighted from the conveyances, with their escorts trailing, Jane led her four cousins along the broad end of the Serpentine towards Rotten Row. It was well before the so-called fashionable hour, so most walking in the park now, did so for enjoyment of nature. Jane found a place to put their blankets on the grass between the water and Rotten Row.
Lilly, May, and Peter, with a footman, made for the edge of the water and opened the bags of stale bread Cook had gifted them. It took no time at all before the waterfowl were surrounding them begging for their share of the bounty.
Jane and Eddy sat on the one blanket. The second footman stood off to the side while the three ladies who had accompanied them sat on a bench nearby.
“Eddy, go join them. Studying at Harrow does not mean you cannot enjoy yourself like your sisters and brother are,” Jane told the eldest Gardiner son when she saw the way he was watching his siblings longingly. Her cousin did not need to be told twice and was soon having fun along with the rest of the young Gardiners. Jane stood to get a better view of the children.
She had been standing for a few minutes when she heard someone call out, “Priscilla! No! Watch where you are going!” Seconds later a young lady, somewhere around Eddy’s age, crashed into Jane. She felt herself falling, but she never reached the grass. She had been caught in the very strong arms of a gentleman, the one she believed, had called out to the girl who had run into her.
“Priscilla, I told you to watch where you were running,” another girl admonished. “And now the kite has crashed anyway.”
“Emily, you did no better,” Priscilla shot back, emphasising her words with a tongue stuck out at the other girl. Jane had to smile; the bickering reminded her of Kitty and Lydia.
“Priscilla Carrington, never mind the kite! You need to apologise to the lady you almost bowled over,” the man who was still holding Jane said.
“I think I am able to stand now, thank you, Sir,” Jane stated with a smile.
“Please pardon me, Miss…?” the man said as he released Jane and stepped back.
“Miss Jane Bennet,” she responded.
“That is our brother…” Emily began to say when the man shook his head.
“I am James Carrington, my sisters, Emily and Priscilla.” Jamey Carrington was entranced by the beauty before him, but it was more than her beauty. Most society beauties he knew were vain, and Miss Bennet was anything but. Where the insipid ladies would be calling compromise, Miss Bennet had not tried anything of the sort. “Miss Bennet, I think I need to come speak to your guardian. Some would say that I compromised you.”
“You are welcome to come see my uncle, but I was not compromised. There are many witnesses,” Jane indicated the governess, nursemaid, and maid, and then the footman, “who all saw an accident, followed by a gentleman saving me. You should not be forced into marriage for assisting a lady. If it will placate your sense of honour, my uncle’s house is at 23 Gracechurch Street. You are welcome to call on him.” Borrowing from Lizzy’s scepticism, Jane had mentioned the address on purpose. By Mr Carrington’s clothing and that of his sisters’, they were more than likely of high society and would therefore not appear at a house so close to Cheapside.
“That is the Gardiner residence, is it not?” Jamey verified.
“Indeed, it is, Sir. How do you know that?” Jane wasshocked that this man would know Aunt Maddie’s and Uncle Edward’s address.
“My father and I have known Mr Gardiner for some years. We invest with him. Are you related through him or Mrs Gardiner?” James enquired.
“Uncle Edward is my mother’s older brother,” Jane replied.
“We must away, Miss Bennet, but I hope to see you uninjured when I call at your uncle’s home.” Jamey turned to his sisters. “Collect the kite and string, we are going home. Try not to run over any more ladies on the way, if you please.”
When the three Carringtons had walked far enough away so they would not be heard, the older of the sisters turned to her brother. “Jamey, why did you not tell that pretty lady that we have titles?” Emily, who was sixteen, asked.
“She was ever so nice,” Priscilla, recently thirteen, added.
“I did not want to see her turn into a fawning lady as soon as she discovered we are part of the nobility.” Jamey said to himself, ‘I want to see if she behaves differently when Gardiner addresses me as Hadlock, and she discovers I am a viscount.’
Jane watched as the three walked away. She hoped he would call because she had an idea from their brief interaction that Mr Carrington was nothing like Mr Bingley.
Chapter5
Even though she did not want to invite the party from the parsonage for dinner on Sunday after services, Lady Catherine did so because her older nephew had been asking too many questions about Anne, and she needed to distract him.
The impertinent and pert Miss Bennet would be enough of a distraction. To that end when she left the church, with Mr Collins following her out like the obedient vassal he was, Lady Catherine had extended the invitation, ordering the Collinses and their guests to arrive no later than half after five.
