Page 106 of The Mistress of All & Torn

“Lady Barrington, there are still some matters that need to be settled,” Mr. Hoskins intervened. Mr. Mullen, the manager of Old Oak School has obviously defrauded the trust of a significant sum of money in the last few years. This was Lady Sedgewick’s money. He must be taken to court if he does not repay it. Also, you must ask for an inventory of Barrington’s country estate and the London house or else, I am afraid, Lady Augusta will be induced to sell everything to pay questionable debts.”

“Gentlemen, I am counting on your experience. I trust that you will take the necessary actions to follow the legal requirements. Any measure that you consider appropriate in the mentioned cases, I will approve.”

∞∞∞

Elizabeth completed her travels with the visit to the Warwickshire estate and Withingstone boys’ school in Sheffield.

On that journey, Cece, Mr. Hoskins, and her uncle Gardiner joined her, as Jane seemed affected by fatigue. As previously, Darcy preferred to remain in London.

The estate in Warwickshire was similar to the one in Kent in terms of size and employees and the visit was pleasant and friendly. The management was less successful though, and most of the estate’s potential remained unexplored and provided opportunities for future improvement.

As expected, the situation at the boys’ school was significantly better than at Old Oak.

Elizabeth was received with apparent excitement by the manager, superintendent, the teachers and the pupils. There were twenty-five boys, varying in age from six to fourteen and with situations similar to the girls at Old Oak. The school was presented to Elizabeth as being a cradle for brave men’s education.

While appearances were encouraging, Elizabeth took one action that nobody expected and caused much concern among the staff.

She gathered the boys—without the presence of any teachers—talked to them in a friendly manner, and then asked each of them to mention two things they liked about the school and would like to keep and two things they would like to change.

At first, the boys were confused, reluctant, even frightened, and remained silent.

Then she proceeded with small questions, asking if they liked the colour of the walls, what they ate on a regular day and so on. The youngest children were the first to open up, then the older boys followed them. Then the voices burst out, happy to be listened to by their benefactor and allowed to voice their opinion.

Two hours in the boys’ company was a revelation to Elizabeth, providing useful information for improvements to the school. The small, amusing things were mixed with important ones regarding the length of the classes—too tiresome for the youngest pupils—the length of time spent inside, the coldness in the winter and the same dishes repeated over many days.

She asked about punishments and the boys became vocal again. In educating young men, discipline was required and obviously, no child would ever approve it. Unlike Old Oak School though, Elizabeth did not observe any sign of fear on the boys’ faces.

She also had the confirmation that many things had improved in the last month—apparently after the news of her visit to Surrey.

After the meeting with the boys, another one followed with the teachers, treasurer and superintendent. The encounter ended with a set of new rules, written and agreed, in the presence of Mr. Hoskins, meant to enhance the estate’s income and the boys’ accommodation. Regarding the education provided, its appearance was satisfying.

Elizabeth returned to London with a sense of deep accomplishment. Her main objective was to take measures that could allow the schools to shelter and educate as many children as they could, offering them as good a life as possible. And the first steps towards that goal had been completed.

Her return to Sedgewick House felt like coming home. The sensation of comfort, of being welcome, of people missing her, was deeply rewarding. She was beginning to find her place and to regain some peace.

What would follow next was to finish all her business in London and return to Longbourn. Travelling in the winter was forbidden for Mr. Bennet and to spend Christmas away from her family was inconceivable for Elizabeth. Therefore, an entire month in Hertfordshire was the best and the only choice. The Gardiners would join them too, as they did every year.

With unconcealed happiness, she received the news that Darcy and Georgiana had accepted Bingley’s invitation. It was, however, under a strict condition which Bingley and Jane happily accepted: they would all have to spend the next Christmas at Pemberley, with the Bennet family included! A condition that was more of a promise, a hope, a dream.

The daily routine returned in the Sedgewick house. Being within the first six months of mourning, Elizabeth barely left the house at all, but she did receive calls.

Bingley’s sisters, she met only once. She invited them for tea and they accepted. Their superior impertinence was diminished by Elizabeth’s new situation and their manners towards her were as polite as required.

But their behaviour remained as unpleasant as ever towards Cece and even towards Jane and Bingley, which induced Elizabeth to exclude them from any further invitations.

Darcy and Georgiana were daily visitors. Elizabeth’s statement about marrying Darcy, during the meeting with Lady Augusta, was mostly taken as a joke and nobody mentioned it again.

Elizabeth never had the chance to tell Jane about Mr. Darcy’s failed proposal and decided to leave the past behind entirely, but the present she could not conceal. Despite their mutual agreement to delay any examination of their relationship, their growing intimacy became apparent to all their friends. Their business conversations—although in the presence of others—were always private; small gestures such as brushing fingers when handing over a paper, or sitting side-by-side at the table or on the sofa while Cece and Georgiana played, or small attentions like filling a glass of water or a cup of tea, the moment it was emptied, were so common that they became invisible to Elizabeth and Darcy but quite enlightening to others. Even Colonel Fitzwilliam, a man experienced in matters of the heart, was stunned to discover how their relationship had evolved from Darcy being her severest critic—as Elizabeth had declared in Kent—to being completely enchanted by her. Discreetly, the colonel stepped back, resigned to enjoying the friendship of the two, instead of attempting a courtship destined to fail.

The little season had begun and London was much more crowded than in the summer. Darcy, the colonel, Mr. Hoskins and even the trustees spread the word about Elizabeth’s efforts discreetly but efficiently, so Elizabeth’s story drew more attention and curiosity amongst the ton. People talked about her horrid marriage but also about her accomplishments, efforts and unusual generosity. However, she had to face strong opposition too. Lord Barrington’s old friends and relatives were drawing her portrait in the most repulsive colours and blamed her for the earl’s death. Nevertheless, the evidence could not be denied—Lord Barrington’s behaviour had been notorious for years and the number of detractors was much smaller compared with those indifferent or supportive of her.

Elizabeth even received a most surprising note from one of Almack's patronesses, offering support for the clinic and the schools—which was an important step for her into high society.

Lady Matlock had also become a regular visitor, eager to hear about Elizabeth’s progress in the charities. During the lady’s first call, Cece chose not to attend, despite Elizabeth’s invitation.

On the second visit, her son, the colonel, joined her ladyship and he especially asked about Cece, expressing his desire to greet her. On Lady Matlock’s third visit, Georgiana was there and the lady witnessed her niece practising at the pianoforte with Cece. It was the image that finally settled things.

In the middle of November, a week before their journey to Hertfordshire, Elizabeth hosted a formal and elegant dinner for the Matlocks and all four of them attended. There were also the Darcy siblings, her uncle and aunt Gardiner, the two trustees and Mr. Hoskins, the solicitor. And of course, Elizabeth’s best friend, Miss Cecilia.