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“Everyone has embarrassing relatives. I will introduce you as Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the niece of Sir Edward Gardiner. Any follow up questions will merely state that the family is from Hertfordshire but you are a ward of your uncle. I doubt that any scandal, although of significance in Meryton, will travel to London.”

“Do you think that is true? I was taught, and have seen it reported in the newspapers many times, that the misfortune of one reflects and impacts on all the other siblings, especially daughters.”

“If the family were residents of London then that might be the case. And I am sure it would be the case in Meryton. I am not trying to dismiss the risk but although your surname is Bennet, you will be tied to Sir Edward Gardiner.”

“He is still a tradesman. Will the Miss Bingleys of the world not be looking for skeletons?”

“There was quite the investigation into his background. Are you aware of the Gardiner family history?”

“My mother, aunt and uncle are the three children of a country solicitor, also called Edward Gardiner. But before that I have no knowledge.”

“Yes, confusingly the men were, and are, all called Edward. Your grandfather was himself the grandson of the gentleman who established the business. He was the fifth son of a minor country squire, from Bedfordshire I believe. Second and subsequent sons have to go out into the world and establish themselves and your great, great grandfather chose the law. It is a respectable career for the son of a gentleman, although training as a barrister is preferred. That was not an option for your ancestor. As a result the descendants are deemed to be tradesmen even although the first was the son of a gentleman. There are two intervening generations but your uncle is now once again a gentleman. They are being ignored, Sir Edward is the descendant of the original Gardiner family from, I do not remember the name of the town, Dunstable maybe. Regardless he is being presented as a lost gentleman returning to his birth right.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Bathurst mentioned it when he and my sister were visiting one day. I suspect if you check back far enough, most country solicitors are descended from the families of gentry.”

“Do you think it will work?”

“To an extent. There is a degree of sophistry to how I have described it yet at the same time Sir Edward has performed services to the crown that demand recognition. And let us not forget the importance of transporting into the country the first legal brandy in nearly 10 years. That might be the most important service of them all.”

Elizabeth was enough of a cynic to know that was the truth. But at the end of a long gruelling day she returned to Gracechurch Street having agreed to allow Lady Maria present her to society. As the carriage rumbled from Mayfair back home Elizabeth did wonder if she had made a mistake.

Her sponsor had no doubts about the arrangement. Even before the carriage had reached its destination she was writing a note to her good friend the Countess of Matlock. There was much to discuss.

--

“William, you seem unhappy to be returning to London?”

Georgiana Darcy’s voice was quiet, almost lost in the noise of the carriage on winter roads. Her brother considered his sister’s words. She was shy, what little confidence she once had, lost from the events of the previous summer, and rarely questioned him. He would answer any questions she raised if it would aid the recovery of her spirit.

“I cannot pretend that leaving Pemberley is not painful. Listen to me, painful is too dramatic. It is the place that I am most happy and leaving it, to travel anywhere, saddens me. But it is necessary, part of my duty to the family.”

“How do you mean?”

“Taking part in society is not something that I enjoy. And to the extent that you can be good or bad at it, I do not think I am very good.”

Georgiana considered the way her brother phrased his response.

“Could you explain that last point further brother?”

Darcy was happy to talk, engage his sister in an extended conversation.

“As the Master of Pemberley, I have two main responsibilities. There are countless others but these are the two that I have come to realise are the most important. The first is as the guardian of the estate. The family came to England with the Conqueror and have owned the lands that comprise the current estate since the end of the 15th century. So I have 300 years of history to continue, to live up to. When our father died suddenly I did not feel ready to take over. I had hoped, thought, that there would be at least two more decades for me to learn at his side, gradually come to understand all the aspects of the estate. Sadly that was not the case. I was not yet 23 when he passed and the first two years after that event are nothing but a blur. I was fortunate to have a good steward, a young industrious man, and I think that we learned together. We did not repeat our mistakes, and were fortunate the mistakes we did make were not too serious. After more than five years I am more comfortable in my position and understanding.

“All of this has taken place at Pemberley, with people I have known all my life, and where there is forgiveness for mistakes. It has been hard work, there have been tough times, yet I am not daunted by the role thrust upon me. It was far too soon, and I miss our father every day, but you deal with life as it is, not as you want it. Which brings me to my second key responsibility, to provide an heir to carry on the Darcy name and to maintain Pemberley and its surrounding estate. And that process is almost the exact opposite of learning to be the Master of the estate.

“Coming into my inheritance at the age of only 22 transformed me into a prize worthy of a serious chase. As the heir I was already in the sights of the matchmaking mamas but now that I was the Master in my own right, well I was extremely eligible. And I do not deal with this situation at all well. The whole process is just so. I am not sure I can find the right words. I mean I just called courting and marrying someone a process. The largest obstacle is the chasm between what I am looking for in a wife and the Mistress of Pemberley, and how the ladies vying for that position present themselves.”

“Again, can you explain that?”

Darcy might have happy to engage his sister in conversation but Georgiana Darcy was finding this equally fascinating.

“There is little substance to them. I know this will sound silly but it feels like there was a meeting where it was decided what young ladies should discuss. I do not know if any men were invited but I definitely was not.”

Georgiana giggled and her brother basked in that simple sound.

“I know, I did say it was silly. It comes across as insipid. And I do wonder at how much of it is real. The closest example of a married couple in our lives is our aunt and uncle. The Countess is the furthest thing from an insipid young debutante. Did she hide her competence, did she have to hide her competence, to make a good match? I do not feel I can ask the Earl why he married his wife, although with each passing season I come closer to asking the question, whether it is inappropriate or not. So to return to your original question, I do not think I am very good at taking part in society because I find a large section of that same society to be of no interest to me. Despite the fact, by far, the most important remaining responsibility I have is to continue the family.