As worried as she was for her father, Elizabeth offered to join the Gardiners in London. They were ready to hire some help and she was ready to do everything in her power to save them from more expenses.
At dinner, the Gardiners’ spirits were quite high; Elizabeth could still not abandon her concerns so she was in a rather low disposition.
“I have received a letter from my brother Bennet. There is a note for you too, Lizzy,” Mr. Gardiner said.
“And I have received one from my aunt Templeton—quite strange I must say,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “You remember her, do you not, Lizzy? She is the one who lives in Surrey, married to a doctor. She has been very fond of you since you were little.”
“I do, of course. I last saw her three years ago—I was not so little then as to forget her,” she smiled. “I hope she is well.”
“She is—in regard to her health—but she has sent me some strange news. Her son, my eldest cousin, is still in Lambton—the small village where I grew up. He is a tenant on a nearby estate—Pemberley—and his wife runs a shop in the village. Apparently, there was some sort of influenza, brought in by one of the villagers who returned from the army, and many people have been unwell. The disease has passed, but apparently it caused some major financial troubles for everyone. They are worried how they will survive this year.”
“Oh dear…” Elizabeth whispered.
“Indeed. Even more strange, she said she has received a letter from her good friend Mrs. Reynolds—the housekeeper at Pemberley Manor. Mrs. Reynolds is unwell and she is seeking someone to help her with the management of Pemberley’s household for three months. Apparently, there are some troubles there too. Mrs. Reynolds is asking for a recommendation, but they are looking for someone more accomplished than most young ladies. Do we know anyone like this, husband?” she asked in jest, handing the letter to her husband, who took it with amusement and curiosity.
“So they are searching for a highly accomplished maid?” Elizabeth joked.
“Well, not just a simple maid, it seems,” Mr. Gardiner answered as he read. “The person they need will occupy the same position as Mrs. Reynolds, will be responsible for themanagement of the entire household, including expenses and salaries, the hiring of new staff, and will have access to some highly valuable things in the house. To be honest, I would not dare recommend anyone; the responsibilities are huge and that person must not be just highly qualified but eminently trustworthy too.”
“This is a strange request, indeed,” Elizabeth uttered. “Why cannot some of the other servants help Mrs. Reynolds? I assume there is at least one maid and butler who have proven their loyalty over the years.”
“I cannot answer that,” Mrs. Gardiner replied. “But it does sound strange to me too.”
“Oh, dear!” Mr. Gardiner exclaimed. “I am ready to go there myself. Or to send you, my love,” he addressed his wife, laughing. “It says that if the person is found and complies with her duties accordingly, the master is willing to pay her as much as five hundred pounds per month!”
“What?” Elizabeth uttered unceremoniously.
“This must be an error. Or a joke,” Mrs. Gardiner said, rolling her eyes. “Perhaps it is fifty pounds. I am sure Aunt Templeton must have added an extra nought by mistake.”
“It might be, but I doubt it. The letter says ‘the shocking salary of’…” Mr. Gardiner read. “Well anyway, let us not bother too much with it. We know nobody who might meet those requirements, so we can only wish them good luck in their daunting quest.”
The rest of dinner passed in light conversation, but as the evening progressed, Elizabeth became less voluble and more tormented. What she had first considered unthinkable slowly made its way into her mind, fighting its way through her reasoning. Hours ago, she was praying for a chance to help her father. And out of the blue, fate seemed to have sent her a sign. She did not consider herself accomplished or skilful at anything.But she knew she could work hard, she could easily bear effort, she was a fast learner, and reasonably good at calculation. And on top of everything, she was certain and proud of her loyalty, her honesty and her commitment to anything she promised to do. Three months, with a payment of five hundred pounds a month—or even less would suffice—would equal almost the income of Longbourn in a year. Of course, her parents would never agree to her engaging in such employment, but about that, she had time to consider her arguments and to convince them.
“Lizzy? Lizzy darling, are you unwell?” Mrs. Gardiner’s voice startled her and she turned to her companions, two people who she loved dearly and admired even more.
“What is it, my dear? You look pale and quite disturbed,” Mr. Gardiner said.
“I… I was thinking…” she hesitated, looked at them, then averted her eyes and finally looked at them again. They both seemed deeply worried about her reaction, and their concern turned into the deepest amazement and disbelief, when she spoke further.
“Uncle, Aunt… Would you mind… Could you recommend me to be Mrs. Reynolds’ help? This would be my best chance of helping Papa. Do you think I could rise to the expectations of the job? What I do not know, I will learn! I promise I will not disappoint you!”
Bonus Story – Chapter 2
Elizabeth looked out of the window absently, listening to the perpetual sound of the carriage moving in a steady motion. She was quite tired after two full days on the road, despite the fact that the journey was as comfortable as one could hope for. But the last three weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, with many challenges and very little rest.
After the revelation that stunned her uncle and aunt, as well as herself, endless discussion followed, moving from a place where it seemed utterly unacceptable to the point where she succeeded in convincing her relatives to whole-heartedly support her. Many enquiries had been carried out by Mr. Gardiner among all his business acquaintances regarding the character of the Master of Pemberley—allegedly the nephew of the Earl of Matlock—and several letters were exchanged by Mrs. Gardiner and her aunt before the notion of Elizabeth moving to Derbyshire for three months was even considered.
The universally favourable reports were the starting point for more detailed arrangements. After thorough consideration, Elizabeth wrote to her father, carefully explaining her decision and asking for his permission. Moreover, she begged him to keep the whole matter secret from everyone, except for Jane, to whom she would write herself.
A daughter looking for employment to supplement her family’s income was a harsh punishment for Mr. Bennet’s life of leisure and would be a shade on the family name, if by chance any of their friends in Meryton discovered it. Elizabeth understood that very well and she used all her affection and knowledge of her father’s nature to obtain his approval.
Mr. Bennet’s reluctant acceptance was granted in the third express, after much hesitation and many pertinent questions and requirements addressed to Mr. Gardiner. Mrs. Bennet, her younger daughters and all their friends were told that Elizabeth would stay three more months in town, helping her uncle. Only to Jane did Elizabeth write an honest letter, delivered through Mr. Bennet’s correspondence in order to avoid any indiscretion. At first Jane panicked, worried for her sister, and subsequently she tried to convince Elizabeth and their father to renounce their decisions. But all her efforts were in vain.
From that moment on, things progressed quickly. Mrs. Gardiner wrote to Mrs. Reynolds directly, whilst Mr. Gardiner took it upon himself to write to the Master of Pemberley. He received a reply written in the master’s name, but not from the man himself, as he was not at home. However, Mr. Darcy’s solicitor from London contacted Mr. Gardiner, offering him a legal written arrangement regarding Elizabeth’s three months of employment.
By the middle of May, with everything settled, Elizabeth was ready to travel across the country to Pemberley, in Derbyshire. As they were making the arrangements, a stunning surprise arrived from Pemberley: a Darcy carriage—large, elegant and incredibly comfortable, with two coachmen and a maid—had been dispatched to carry her safely to her destination.
The journey went smoothly; they travelled only during the days and stopped twice to spend the nights at inns. There, alone in her room, Elizabeth usually sat near the window, looking outside and thinking about the daunting task ahead, while the moon silently passed behind the trees. Then, still absorbed in her thoughts, she went to bed deeply longing for her family and her home.
