“I saw that,” Jane said. “He was clearly unhappy with you.”
“Well, he is gone, and hopefully, we will hear no more about him. Besides, I want to think about rocks and mountains and gardens and tree-lined paths, not Mr. Wickham.”
It gladdened Jane’s heart to see how happy Lizzy was in preparing for her journey, especially now that she had been assured by Miss Darcy that her brother would remain in London. After first being opposed to going to Pemberley, Lizzy was now eager to visit the manor house and bask in all the delights the landed gentry took in their stride.
“Miss Darcy has mentioned there is a dappled gray in Pemberley’s stables that will do very well for me, and that she will turn me into a first-rate horsewoman. She is being overly optimistic there, but I am agreeable to the idea of becoming an equestrian,” Lizzy said, laughing. “She has also arranged for a picnic in the Peak District, and if we choose, she said that one of her grooms will take us to some of the caves that are actually on the Darcy property. And the gardens! If they are anywhere near as beautiful as her description, then I shall truly be in heaven. It has been two years since we visited Woburn Abbey.”
Lizzy came and sat next to her sister. “It has been five days since Mr. Darcy left to go up to town, and in that time, I have recovered my senses, and I have taken stock of my prospects. Mr. Peterson was very attentive to me at Aunt Susan’s in August, and when a man mentions the size of his fortune, it shows some interest on his part. I wish I had given him more encouragement, but I am confident that if he had become engaged, Aunt Susan would have written to us as she dearly loves sharing neighborhood gossip.”
Looking out the window, Lizzy saw that Miss Darcy and Mr. Bingley had arrived for dinner. Both sisters hurried down the stairs, one to greet her beloved Charles and the other to make welcome a new friend.
Shortly after dinner, Mrs. Bennet gave out a cry announcing the Gardiners’ arrival. Being of an amiable temperament, she loved having guests, but this time her excitement was due in large part to the mode of transportation rather than the people being transported. The Gardiners had arrived in the Darcy carriage.
Every Bennet, Miss Darcy, and Mr. Bingley went out to greet the Gardiners. Once the carriage came to a complete stop, a footman jumped off the back of the carriage and assisted a smiling Mrs. Gardiner as she exited from the luxurious conveyance. Mercer spoke with Miss Darcy, assuring her that the maid had sent the requested items and handed her a letter from her brother.
“I am sure he will begin his missive by telling me how confident he is in my abilities, and then proceed to give me a dozen more instructions as to how to entertain our guests.” Mercer smiled and nodded. His master was a man who paid attention to the details, which was why he found his courtship of Miss Montford so puzzling. It was higgledy-piggledy, a word Mercer had never before thought to apply to Mr. Darcy, but he suspected that the reason for his unsettled behavior was now admiring his carriage.
Pointing at the shiny black coach with the Darcy coat of arms emblazoned on its side, a giggling Mrs. Bennet asked Mercer if she could get in, and an unembarrassed Mr. Bennet climbed in after his wife. After every Bennet enjoyed the comfort of the carriage and after every servant had taken a peek inside, all returned to the parlor for a short visit, as Georgiana needed to return to Netherfield.
But before she departed, Georgiana wanted to warn the Bennets about the Crenshaw children. After listening to tales of syrup on chairs in the servants’ hall, puddles filled in with pine needles to hide the water beneath, pine cones in pillows, et cetera, Mrs. Bennet said, “Surely, Miss Darcy, you are having a little fun with us. After all, they are only children.”
“They may be children, but they think and act like adults—very, very mischievous adults. If you see them near a stream or collecting acorns, be on your guard.”
Jane glanced at Mr. Bingley. Surely, Charles would expect civil behavior from any guest, but most particularly from the children of his sister.
“Where is the father?” Mrs. Bennet asked.
“Safely in London at Lincoln’s Inn. Apparently, Mr. Crenshaw visited Pompeii as a youth and was disturbed that so many people died. He blamed it on a lack of preparation, so he has brought up his children in a way that they might survive an epic disaster.”
“But we do not have volcanoes in England. A heavy snow and a rather nasty flood are all that we have ever had in Meryton. I am afraid they will be disappointed,” Mrs. Bennet said in a concerned voice.
Georgiana knowingly shook her head. “I will leave you to judge for yourselves, but as my brother often says, ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’ I hope you will have no need of this information, but you might want to tell your neighbors.”
Chapter 19
When it became known about the village that Jane Bennet was engaged to the handsome, not to mention very rich, Mr. Bingley, the news was greeted with smiles from the ladies and huzzahs from the men because Jane, along with her sister Lizzy, was among the neighborhood favorites. No one could describe Jane without mentioning the words “kind” and “sweet,” but under that gentle exterior was a determination that would have surprised many.
There were many times in Jane’s nearly twenty-three years when Mrs. Bennet’s nerves or heart flutters had caused her to take to her bed, which usually resulted in Mr. Bennet retreating to the safety of his study, leaving the care of the younger children to Jane and Lizzy. Although the sisters shared responsibilities, it was decided that it would be best if Mary, Kitty, and Lydia looked to one person as the ultimate authority, and they had agreed that it should be Jane by virtue of her seniority. While Lizzy liaised with Papa, Jane would see to their mother and sometimes assume her duties. Her first meeting with the cook regarding the evening meals had been when she was thirteen.
In preparation for the arrival of Charles’s sister, Diana, and her six children, Jane decided to have a talk with Mr. Bingley. She wanted to know exactly how much of what had been said about the Crenshaw children was true and how much exaggeration. When Jane asked for an accounting of any misdeeds they had actually committed, Charles had answered, “Just those done to me or to anyone?”
What followed was a litany of horrors perpetuated on family members as well as the general population by the Crenshaw brood. In a tone Charles had never heard from Jane, she asked for an explanation as to why such behavior was tolerated.
“I feel sorry for Diana because she is married to an eccentric,” Bingley answered defensively. “First, Crenshaw thought he needed to prepare his family to survive a natural disaster. When none occurred, he instructed them as to what they should do in the event of a French invasion: rearguard actions, foraging, sabotage, and so on. The problem is, he considers himself to be a theorist, and as such, leaves it to Diana to execute his ideas. Unfortunately, she is always with child and has very little energy, and so the children run wild. I am the only one who will have them for a visit.”
But then Bingley broke out into a smile. “I have taken the precaution of warning the staff and have given them permission to respond in kind,” Charles said, “and I have doubled their monthly salary for the length of Diana’s visit as compensation. Besides, I expect that my sister and her children will return to their home in about three weeks’ time.”
“Mr. Bingley, that is all well and good, but in three weeks, they can cause a lot of aggravation and possibly damage to an estate you are leasing. I think we should come up with our own plan and not wait upon them to act.”
When the Darcy carriage arrived at Longbourn, Lizzy could hardly believe that she was going to spend her holiday at Pemberley with its extensive gardens and views of the Peak, and she had to fight the urge to giggle at her good fortune. Once seated, she found that the Gardiners and she were to share the carriage with Miss Darcy’s little corkscrew-tailed pug.
“I hope you do not mind,” Georgiana said. “Because I have been so busy of late, my little darling has been woefully neglected,” and she kissed his nose.
Although the Bennets had four dogs, they were expected to earn their keep about the farm in return for much
