A Virtue of Marriage Page 16

  CHAPTER ONE

  Five Years Later – November 10, 1811 - Officer’s Quarters – Meryton, Hertfordshire

  The two handsome, young gentlemen mounted their waiting horses outside the officer’s dining hall. “Darcy, I just do not understand how you can be uncomfortable in such excellent company. The officer’s were pleasant, the food was tolerable, and the stories were entertaining.” Charles Bingley shook his head at his friend. They turned their horses and headed to Bingley’s leased estate, Netherfield Park.

  “I had no prior acquaintance with any of the men, Bingley.” Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was a private man; taciturn by nature, who did not make friends easily. They were an odd combination; Bingley with his ready smile and pleasant outlook and Darcy with his brooding stare and rigid posture. Darcy’s manner did not invite approach. The fortnight they had been in Hertfordshire, Bingley had accepted all manner of invitations: card parties, public assemblies, dinners, and musical evenings where little talent was displayed. It had been a frustration to the ever unsocial Darcy. Bingley was delighted with the country society.

  “Well, no matter,” Bingley grinned. “We have had pleasant company at home. Miss Jane Bennet was to have tea with my sisters and I long for a report of her visit.” He had a dreamy look on his face. “She is an angel, Darcy, an absolute angel.”

  The Following Morning

  Gracechurch Street – London

  Breakfast in the Gardiner household was a family affair. Two times each day the family would gather for a meal and conversation which centered on the news, plans for the day, and hopes for the future. Elizabeth loved her two cousins fiercely and viewed her beloved aunt and uncle as the best examples of reasonable, thinking, gentle people. Her uncle, Mr. Edward Gardiner, had a large import/export business with warehouses in the Cheapside district of London. They were convenient to his home. His wife, Madeline, was kind, intelligent, deeply in love with her husband, and a true partner in every sense in the marriage.

  Having lived with the family for the past five years since her abrupt removal from the home she had grown up in, she delighted to see how her 12-year-old cousin, Michael, and his 10-year-old sister, Marie, were involved in these family discussions. Young opinions were sought after, listened to, and reviewed with the weight usually given to learned adults. It was an atmosphere rich in love and intelligence and Elizabeth thrived along with her cousins.

  Four of those five years had been spent in travel, expanding business contacts in the international markets. It was a half a year’s journey along established trade routes to reach India, a country of diverse cultures, rich in gemstones, spices, silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea, and other items demanded by the wealthy matrons and peers of British society. The return trip, after a stay of just over a year, included stops in other areas abounding in resources; ports on the African coast that supplemented the spices already contracted for in the Indian cities of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, stops in the Mediterranean for fine wines, glassware, delicate fabrics, leather goods, and metals, and a final stop in Portugal for the most desired port wines and lacework. Business had been brisk and the adventure, the different climates and cultures, the variety of peoples thrilled young Elizabeth as she broadened the scope of her known world.

  Visiting Verona, she could not help but imagine herself as Shakespeare’s Juliet Capulet on a medieval balcony in a lovely courtyard awaiting her lover, Romeo. In Venice, she was on constant lookout for Shylock, the Jewish moneylender in Merchant of Venice, and in Rome, while touring the ruins of the ancient Holy Roman Empire, she imagined happening upon members of the Roman Senate or one of the Caesars wearing a toga or a Cardinal in their clothes of state. In Athens, while her uncle visited warehouses, she and her cousins and aunt toured the ancient buildings and temples that housed the gods and goddesses that had so enraptured her when she had listened to her father read Homer’s Odyssey and other classics in their original languages so many years ago. Finally, in Egypt, she imagined Queen Cleopatra and her consort, Marc Antony, resting on a barge as they floated the river Nile, just as the whole Gardiner family had opportunity to do. The ancient pyramids were impressive in their grandeur and the only regret Elizabeth had was that she could not share these wondrous experiences with her father.

  As this thought filtered through her mind, Elizabeth forced it back into the obscure recesses where it belonged. The continued animosity of her father no longer weighed as heavily on her heart as it had five years previously. An irregular correspondence with her old friend and neighbor, Charlotte Lucas, warned her that the same attitude prevailed over Longbourn, as it had five years previously. During the lengthy travels, Elizabeth took opportunity, especially in India where they had long felt the ravages of smallpox, to learn as much as possible about treatment and prevention of many diseases. She kept a journal, not only of the places she saw and the people she met, but also included step-by-step preparations for many preventatives and treatments available with the wider variety of herbs, plants, and organics native to the areas she visited. Not gifted or trained in drawing or painting, she endeavored to search out other young ladies skilled in those arts to illustrate these journals. At her uncle’s suggestion, she also collected vials and samples to carry back to England for any future use. It was a comprehensive collection and very much treasured by the entire family. Elizabeth also included in the journal recipes and instructions for the many different foods they had sampled. It had been a wonderful journey.

  It had taken the three months they had been back in England to determine a proper location for the many remembrances they had brought back and to establish a routine that the Gardiners would cling to for the rest of their married life. The movement and sounds of the ship, the creaking of the wooden hull, the snapping of the sails, the calls of crewmembers from one to another, were now just a pleasant memory. Hearing English spoken was no longer a longed-for novelty, but was now expected. The sights and smells of London, even those upon their arrival in the sweltering August temperatures, were welcome to the weary travelers.

  After breaking her fast with the rest of the family, Elizabeth settled into the large, overstuffed chair in her aunt’s smallest sitting room to finish a needlework project. Thinking of the changes that the past years had brought stimulated her thinking as to what the future might hold. She set her embroidery down on her lap, pondering other journeys that would be pleasurable; the Americas, the South Pacific, or the Orient. Elizabeth was well aware that her uncle and aunt had allowed her many freedoms not typical of a girl her age. In just over seven months she would reach her majority and have the decision as to what her future would be. She had diligently saved any spending allowance given her by her uncle, being frugal in her purchases. Her uncle then invested her meager funds until she had some savings; which she kept in a drawer by her bedside. Elizabeth was just tying off a thread when a footman entered. “An express for you, Miss. The rider is waiting for a reply.”

  “An express letter? For me?” She had never received any post by express. Charlotte was her only correspondent. For someone to go to this expense, it had to be either the best of news or the worst of news. Before she could lay claim to the missive, the butler, Mr. Harrison, walked up behind the footman. “Miss Elizabeth, another express rider has just arrived and he has another letter for you.”

  This was clearly too much. “Please, Mr. Harrison, send for my aunt and uncle. I fear this news.” Mr. Harrison and the footman retreated immediately.

  While she waited for the Gardiners, she thought back to Charlotte’s last letter. There had been much news from the area of Meryton. She had written that after years of vacancy, Netherfield Park had been let at last by a young, single man from the north who had family members and close friends in residence with him for the past fortnight. According to Charlotte, the young man was handsome, friendly, rich, and enthusiastically pursuing 23-year-old Jane Bennet. A Mr. Charles Bingley, she noted. In other news, Charlotte’s younger brother, Mr. Robert Lucas, had just ret
urned from his studies in Cambridge and would be taking over the responsibilities of stewardship of Lucas Lodge from his father, Sir William Lucas. And the militia was coming to Meryton. Elizabeth considered how pleased her mother must be with those circumstances. Single gentlemen in the neighborhood would be viewed as a gift from God to all mothers with unmarried daughters. Charlotte had also mentioned that the heir to Elizabeth’s former home, Mr. William Collins, was due for a lengthy visit to Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet had told Lady Lucas, Charlotte’s mother, that they were not looking forward to the visit, as she felt he was there to determine Mr. Bennet’s health and project when and if he might inherit soon. It must certainly be a distasteful prospect. Elizabeth did not recall if Charlotte mentioned when her father’s cousin was due to arrive.

  Her aunt and uncle entered the room together. Both showed deep concern on their faces. Mr. Gardiner took the two letters from the butler and examined the addresses on the outside before suggesting that the two ladies be seated. Anxiety, suspense, and trepidation radiated from Elizabeth’s eyes as her gaze focused entirely on her uncle. Unnoticed was the retreat of the servants, the voices of the cousins from the library, the firelight flickering in the fireplace in the wall by the window, and the branches of the tree outside the window tapping against the glass in the wind.

  “Uncle?”

  “Yes, Lizzy,” he glanced down at the letters again. “It appears that one originated from Netherfield Park and the other is from your father.” Both he and his wife looked to see Elizabeth’s reaction to this stunning news. Longbourn. It had been five long years since she had had any contact with her family. Elizabeth always asked of the family when she wrote to Charlotte, but the replies were always the same, brief and vague. They were enough to let Elizabeth know that the circumstances and attitudes were unchanged. Therefore, the news could not be good. The residents of Netherfield Park were unknown to her and she could not begin to wonder who or what that missive might contain. How and why did they contact her, and by express? Strong emotions roiled in Elizabeth’s mind and heart, making her breathing shallow and causing the blood to rush from her face. “Please, Uncle, please read the post from Netherfield Park. I am all curiosity.”

  November 11, 1811

  Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

  Dear Miss Elizabeth Bennet,

  Please pardon this lapse in propriety for writing when we have not been properly introduced. I am Miss Georgiana Darcy. My brother and I are guests of Mr. Charles Bingley and his two sisters, Mrs. Louisa Hurst and Miss Caroline Bingley.

  Yesterday, your sister, Miss Jane Bennet, was invited to tea. Shortly after her arrival, she became ill and I am sorry to tell you that her condition has worsened. We applied to Longbourn for assistance, but received a return note that Miss Bennet would need to remain here at Netherfield Park. As you may be aware, there is no apothecary or surgeon available in the area. Throughout the night, your sister called for you.

  My brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy, happened upon Miss Charlotte Lucas this morning as he rode to Meryton seeking medical help and she gave him your directions. My brother and I, along with Mr. Bingley, feel that Miss Bennet will not improve without you by her side. Please accept this plea from strangers as an expression of sincere concern for your sister’s health.

  If you require assistance in travel, please advise the express rider, as he is to wait for a response and is authorized to assist you in any way you require. Mr. Bingley has offered lodging here at Netherfield Park for as long as you need. Please come soon.

  Yours respectfully,

  Miss Georgiana Darcy

  Elizabeth had not realized she had been holding her breath the whole time her uncle read. “Oh, poor Jane,” she thought as she slowly released the air from her lungs. Her sharp mind quickly assumed that her father’s express must contain the same news. “I must go immediately.” She rose at the same time as her aunt and they quickly climbed the stairs to the family quarters to pack the few items she would need to travel to Hertfordshire.

  Mr. Gardiner ordered the carriage to be brought around and offered the post rider sustenance in the kitchen while they waited. As he stood in the hallway, listening to the increased activity, he mindlessly broke the seal on the remaining letter. The note from Thomas Bennet was brief and abrupt. It was a summons. A summons to Longbourn. After five long years, this was entirely unexpected and would come as a shock to Elizabeth. He walked back to the sitting room as he heard his wife and niece descend the staircase. Taking a seat, he waited, listening to Madeline’s final instructions and smiling slightly at the close bond between the two women. This was going to be hard on both of them. And it was hard on him. He loved his niece as if she were one of his own. In the years they had traveled together, Elizabeth had proved to be the best of companions to the whole Gardiner family. She enthusiastically accepted each adventure and gloried in meeting new people and seeing new things. She enjoyed learning, both by reading and study, and by experiencing whatever life had to offer. It had taken many months after first arriving in London for her to let go of the resentment she had of her parents and recapture the joy of life that was her character. At times, melancholy set in. The autumn and beginning of the winter months were particularly hard, as it was at this time of the year that the Bennet family had suffered the loss of four children, in particular, the heir. Mr. Gardiner shook his head as he looked unseeingly at the floor. How Thomas Bennet could possibly blame his own, favorite daughter for deaths that he himself had done nothing to prevent was far beyond the thinking of his brother-in-law.

  It had taken years for Elizabeth to face some hard truths about her father. Her love no longer blinded her to his utter selfishness and his lack of concern for even his closest family members. He had been a poor master of Longbourn estate until he had a son. The entail was then broken and he had then resolved to invest his time and effort to establish an inheritance worthy of the new heir. His habitual self-indulgent, self-involved lifestyle was gone as he closely reviewed account books and discussed crops, saw to needed repairs, and tried to rebuild relations with the tenants that worked to support Longbourn. All of his efforts ended when little Thomas James succumbed to the plague. It truly was not his nature to accept responsibility for his own failure. He needed someone to blame and that someone was the only person that had worked tirelessly to try to bring some comfort to those ailing. It had taken years to release the weight of that blame from her slender shoulders; a blame that never should have been there in the first place.

  Madeline and Elizabeth entered the room as the butler announced the carriage was waiting and the post rider was ready to leave. “One moment, please.” Mr. Gardiner looked at the two women. “I need to have a word with my wife and niece.” Mr. Harrison backed out of the room and closed the door. “Please sit for a moment.”

  As they sat together on the settee, Mr. Gardiner closely observed Elizabeth as he held up her father’s note. “Lizzy, you need to hear this. I don’t believe any of us thought that it might be any different from Miss Darcy’s letter. Yet, why he would want you to nurse your only surviving sister after the blame he carries for you in the loss of your siblings should have prompted us to believe differently.” He paused to see if Elizabeth caught his meaning. Observing her close attention, he volunteered to read its contents aloud.

  November 11, 1811

  Longbourn

  Miss Elizabeth Anne Bennet,

  It has come to my attention, from speaking with Miss Lucas, that you are at this time unwed. My cousin, the heir to Longbourn, is in residence and desires to marry into the family, so as not to inconvenience your mother by turning her out of her home upon my eventual passing. Therefore, I have arranged for your betrothal and demand you return to Longbourn immediately to be wed. The first of the banns will be read Sunday next and the wedding will take place in four weeks. It is the least you can do for the harm you have caused this family.

  Mr. Thomas Bennet

  Silence filled the room. The hush
seemed to last indefinitely. “Uncle, can my father do this to me? Does he still have authority? What am I to do?” The questions fired rapidly from Elizabeth. Her mind was swirling with the need to know immediately where she stood. When she had left Longbourn all those years ago, she had assumed the letter that had been handed her by Hill was written by her father to her uncle, assigning him all rights and authority over her. He stated clearly, she thought, that she was no longer considered his offspring. Elizabeth was now just twenty years old and would not reach her majority for almost another year. “Uncle?” she said into the quiet.

  Anger poured from Mr. Gardiner. He wondered to himself how his intelligent, educated brother–in-law could possibly continue to blame Elizabeth for a poor decision he had made to not have his other children protected from harm. Thomas Bennet’s failure to accept responsibility and to pass the blame on to another reflected poorly on the Bennet name. His passing the blame on to a beloved, favorite daughter was unconscionable. “I do not know, Lizzy. I shall have to contact our solicitor, Mr. Haggerston, to find out if Bennet has the right to sign a marriage contract in your behalf and whether you are legally obligated to follow through with this wedding. I shall write for an appointment immediately and send the answers Mr. Haggerston provides to you at Netherfield Park. Do you have all you need for your travels?”

  Thinking of the apothecary case with the herbs and tinctures mixed and ready for use, her two journals, one with the notes from her study of the healing arts and the other she kept of their ocean voyages, the few precious volumes she had collected that Jane might find intriguing to read while she recovered…. if she recovered… and her personal items, she felt she was as ready as could be. Her uncle and aunt looked at the small valise and realized their niece had no idea as to staying in Hertfordshire for any longer than necessary, and nodded to one another in understanding. She would be back in London with them soon. Mr. Gardiner took a small purse with coins from his pocket and pressed it into Elizabeth’s hands. “Just in case, dear, just in case.”