The Diary: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 11

  The butler lifted one brow ever slightly before bowing, “Please enter, Miss Bennet. You are most welcome.”

  She let out a quiet breath and walked into the grand home. As imposing as the outside had been, the interior of the home was warm and welcoming, even if filled with elegant furnishings and decor.

  “The master and his sister are not here, Miss Bennet, but if you would like to tour the house, I can have the housekeeper arrange that for you. The library is open for your leisure and Mr. Darcy had left instructions that whatever you wish to borrow would be made available to you. If you would like to take some refreshments, I can call for tea immediately.” He nodded to the housekeeper who had been watching the visitor from the hallway.

  “Oh, that will not be necessary; thank you.” Elizabeth flustered while looking at the housekeeper so that no one would be troubled by her unexpected call. “I am to... That is, I had hoped... I am expecting to meet someone here, although I do not kn...” she could not continue, when there were knocks on the door. The butler bowed quickly and turned to answer the door with Elizabeth still standing in the foyer.

  A grand lady of about fifty years in age entered and exclaimed, “Mason, I am here to see to Darcy’s items to have them sent over at once. I expect the carriage to depart in an hour so it is urgen...” she paused taking off her gloves when she saw Elizabeth in the foyer. “Who are you? What are you doing here when the master is not here?”

  Elizabeth shyly curtsied, “I am Elizabeth Bennet and was instructed to...”

  “You are Elizabeth Bennet?!” The lady called out in surprise. She looked up and down the younger woman’s appearance and commented, “Hmm. You have a good look about your face and appear genteel enough. Your pelisse will need to be replaced with better fabric but you have a fine figure and bright eyes. Take off your outerwear and join me in the sitting room, child,” she announced without introducing herself. “Come, come; do not dawdle.” She walked away after handing the butler her hat and coat.

  Elizabeth demurely followed after her and sat down on the couch in the sitting room without speaking. She was incredibly intimidated to be in this foreign house without Mr. Darcy or Georgiana to make introductions and while this lady examined her from head to toe without a word, she felt as how a servant would feel in front of royalty.

  After another thorough inspection, the older woman finally spoke out, “I am Lady Eleanor Cornewall Fitzwilliam, Countess of Matlock and Darcy’s uncle’s wife. My son, Colonel Fitzwilliam, told me about you and I had hoped to meet you in person sometime and it is providential that you should be here at the exact moment I wished to find you. Show me the stamp, Miss Bennet.”

  Elizabeth pulled it out to show it to her and the lady nodded her head in approval.

  “Good. Now, Miss Bennet, I will ask you to compose a letter to Darcy. I know it is most unusual but he is in need of encouragement and it is imperative that you are generous with your words for his recovery.”

  “What has happened?!” Elizabeth shouted. She calmed her voice before continuing, “Where is he, Lady Matlock? He is ill?”

  Lady Matlock sighed, “I should not have revealed that and he will be angry with me but it cannot be unsaid. He was very ill but has recovered from it and will be well enough physically, but his morale is low and requires additional reassurances. My son is convinced that one kind word from you will give him encouragement to improve and although I have my doubts, it is better to try than not. Write him a short note and use the seal, Miss Bennet. I will show you the writing desk.” She stood up and Elizabeth followed the countess to a small desk in an elegant room.

  “I do not know... what... what am I to write?” She softly asked. “I do not know where he is or what he has been doing and we are not... even if he... we are only... friends.”

  “An encouragement from a friend can mean life or death, Miss Bennet, and in this particular situation, it will mean the world for him to hear from you.” Lady Matlock explained. “He is lonely and could use a friend’s help in his time of dire need. I am certain he will repay his debts to you tenfold if you will only be so kind.”

  Elizabeth wiped away her tears as she thought of the sombre gentleman and his illness. She sat at the opulent desk while Lady Matlock excused herself to instruct the housekeeper for the items that needed to be gathered to send to Mr. Darcy, and she could only stare at the blank page in front of her. Elizabeth thought of what she could state to help Mr. Darcy and after taking a deep breath, she wrote only one line, unwilling to reveal her heart to the ailing man but wishing for his full recovery. After signing it, she sat at the desk to ponder if her note was enough.

  She became distracted as she looked around the writing table and guessed that it must have been Mr. Darcy’s mother’s desk, as the items appeared feminine but in an older fashion and untouched in ages, even if everything was kept very neat. She grazed her hand over the beautifully gilded boxes and lifted up one of the lids to see what lay inside. She saw the initials A.F.D. on the stationary that was stored in there and recalled that Georgiana had informed her that her mother was Anne Fitzwilliam Darcy and wondered if her diary’s Anne could be Anne Darcy. It made the most sense, as her diary had directed her to help both Georgiana and Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth did not know what unfinished task Anne could have left behind. From what she knew, Mrs. Darcy had passed only a few days after Georgiana’s birth due to complications, having had been a frail lady for years.

  Her attention was interrupted when Lady Matlock returned. “I have finished my undertaking and will have your letter included in the delivery this morning.” She announced. “I will also be able to send a few personal articles. Do you have anything you wish to give him? The letter should be sufficient but I can send whatever else you would like.”

  Elizabeth looked about her person and thought of snipping a lock of her hair but it seemed too personal. She had her garnet cross necklace that she always wore but it did not seem appropriate to be sending a gentleman jewellery either. She could not think of anything that could be gifted to a gentleman who was not related to her, but she remembered her handkerchief in her reticule and smiled broadly when she caught sight of her boots while she was pulling out her piece of cloth.

  She unlaced one shoe and wrapped the shoelace in her handkerchief. She then made an envelope to place her items within it and after placing her note and stringing the items together, she sealed the parcel with hot wax and stamped it.

  Elizabeth handed it to Lady Matlock, who was watching her with curiosity. “If Mr. Darcy is in need of amusement, he will find one when he sees this.” She explained. “I do pray that he will recover quickly.” She changed the subject as she stood up, “Do you know where Miss Darcy is now? Is she with Mr. Darcy? I have not had a chance to write to her this week and wondered if she might be returning to town in the near future. I have three weeks left here before returning to Hertfordshire but would love to see her.”

  “She is far away, Miss Bennet, but if you will leave me your address, I will call on you soon. Georgiana missed her brother dearly and has been praying fervently for his recovery.” Lady Matlock answered. “I thank you for your efforts to assist my family. Whether it works or not, it is most appreciated and I will see you again soon.”

  Elizabeth hoped she was successful in her task to meet Lady Matlock as well as to provide comfort to Mr. Darcy and quickly prayed for his recovery. She stood up to take her leave and was prepared to call for a hackney, when the butler guided her to a landau awaiting her outside instead. “Geoffrey will take you anywhere you wish, Miss Bennet. I bid you good day.” He formally bowed after helping her up to the carriage.

  Elizabeth leaned back in the luxurious carriage and thought of how much her life had changed the moment her diary had found her. She was truly concerned for Mr. Darcy’s well-being and was prepared to forgive him all of his annoyance, if only he would recover and join his beloved sister’s side and perhaps her own.

  Chapter 15

  �
��How was your visit to Darcy House, Lizzy? Were they home after all?” Mrs. Gardiner enquired after her return. “I have not seen a finer carriage before and it was very kind of them to return you home safely under their protection.”

  Elizabeth shyly nodded her agreement as she looked at her aunt and Jane in the parlour while waiting for Mr. Bingley to arrive for luncheon. “It was a very fine carriage but Mr. Darcy and Georgiana were not at home. I had gone there to see if I might discover when they will return to London and to compare Georgie’s description of the townhouse from her letter to the actual, and I happened to cross Georgie’s aunt while there. We had a short conversation and the butler had prepared the landau when we were done.” She had not wished to speak further about meeting the countess or the note she had written for Mr. Darcy. She feared losing the man she loved but never had, and dared not reveal her heart to anyone.

  Jane commented, “I am unsurprised at the hospitality of the Darcy household. Charles told me how he is treated like a member of the family whenever he visits them and that Colonel Fitzwilliam takes residence there and prefers it over his own parents’ home. Was it as grand as you thought?”

  Elizabeth smiled, “It was a beautifully decorated home and very welcoming. I thought it might be stuffy and cold but it was exactly as I would have wished for my home to be if I had all the money in the world. I am still hopeful that Georgie will return soon, although I do not know when, so that she will invite us and you can see for yourself. I wonder if Mr. Bingley might know of their whereabouts. I know for certain that they are not in Derbyshire.”

  “Why not ask him yourself?” Jane beamed, as Mr. Bingley entered the parlour at that moment.

  “Good day, ladies,” the jovial gentleman greeted, as he handed Jane a bouquet of flowers and kissed her hand. “It has been hours since I had last seen you and I have missed you, Jane.” He smiled broadly at his betrothed after he kissed her hand.

  Jane blushed as she replied, “You are most welcome here, Charles. Lizzy was just speaking of Mr. Darcy’s home and was wondering if you know when they will return to London. Lizzy has been exchanging letters frequently with Miss Darcy and know they are not in Derbyshire but we wondered when we might see them again.”

  Everyone took a seat while they resumed their conversation. Mr. Bingley replied, “Oh? I thought they might be at Pemberley now. I know we had some businesses together last month but Darcy had been called away before Christmas. I had seen the colonel around a bit but have not seen Darcy for a fortnight or so and I honestly do not know where he is right now.” Elizabeth noted no duplicity as he continued, “He is often in serious tasks with one thing or another and sometimes is gone for weeks at a time all over the country, but I am certain he will return soon. I am sure his sister must be safely situated with their family and is perfectly well in one of his estates. Darcy was very pleased for our betrothal,” he kissed Jane’s hand, “and I asked him to stand up with me for the wedding so we will see him at least then.”

  They spoke of several other topics until luncheon was ready and dined together. Elizabeth could not cease her worries about Mr. Darcy but as her uncle also knew nothing about the gentleman’s whereabouts, she resignedly gave up asking about him and could do naught but write in her journals of her concerns and to send Georgiana another letter to subtly ask about her brother, of which no satisfactory answer would be forthcoming from any quarter.

  ~*~

  Elizabeth was happy to see Jane’s face shine while Mr. Bingley called on her again at the Gardiner residence the next day. His sisters had joined him this time and Elizabeth smirked, seeing that the gentleman must have forced them to be pleasant, as the sisters’ false amiability was apparent to Mrs. Gardiner and to herself but she and her aunt remained hospitable to their guests nonetheless.

  “My business is nearly completed and I shall be joining you in Hertfordshire when you return at the end of this month. It will be most delightful to escort you both in my carriage to Longbourn after you complete your tasks here, ladies. I am looking forward to being a leisurely gentleman in the country again and to proceed with planning for our wedding.” He lifted up Jane’s hand and kissed it. “I will be most content to show off my betrothed here in town a little longer and then spend all of my days by your side in Hertfordshire, and I am certain we will have a marvellous time at our outing tomorrow evening at the theatre.”

  Miss Bingley scoffed but quickly squelched it. “I am certain there will be talks amongst our friends of your announcement, Charles, since there were such expectations, but I am sure Jane will be well-received, as she is beautiful and a good, genteel lady.” She smiled condescendingly at the eldest Bennet daughter while looking down her nose at the second. “Certainly Mr. Darcy would have had an opinion of the matter if he had stayed in town, but alas, he must be closeted in Pemberley to see to his estate management. You should truly consider purchasing something in Derbyshire, Charles. It is the best county in all of England and I would certainly benefit from staying in close vicinity of that esteemed family.” She turned to her brother with a gleam in her eyes, “Could you not write to him and see if he desires our company? He and Miss Darcy must miss our excellent friendship and as he enjoyed being in Netherfield for two months, perhaps he will invite us to stay there and we can visit that magnificent estate.”

  “It is too cold to travel north now and Darcy does not wish for your visit.” Mr. Bingley firmly responded without disclosing Mr. Darcy’s absence in Derbyshire. “He will not host anyone at Pemberley, Caroline. You already forgot that he was angry with you for writing to Jane that nonsense before you closed up Netherfield, and he was determined to avoid you for quite some time.” He chastised his sister who coloured at the mention of her letter. “Forget about Darcy and concentrate on finding yourself a husband this year, Caroline. Hurst is displeased with you for offending my friend and that you have been taken off of Lady Matlock’s invitation, which was due to Darcy’s generosity in the first place last year. I will be attending the Winter Ball with Jane but you, dear sisters, will be resigned to stay home and to hear about it from your friends instead.”

  Elizabeth hid her laughter from the harridan whose face burned at the mention of the letter and of Mr. Darcy’s displeasure. Jane had already told her of the event so Elizabeth was not surprised by it, but it was rather refreshing to see the obnoxious woman be put in her place by her brother. She was satisfied to witness Mr. Bingley be deserving of Jane’s affections by standing up for his future wife’s happiness instead of acquiescing to his sisters as he had done before, and Elizabeth beamed brightly to hear that Jane would be attending Lady Matlock’s party next week.

  There was a knock and they were interrupted, when the maid brought a letter to Elizabeth and quickly left. She gasped when she who saw had sent it.

  “Who is it from, Lizzy?” Jane quietly asked. “Do you need to be excused?”

  Elizabeth shook her head, “I am... I am only surprised that she had written to me, although I was promised a call sometime in the future.”

  “Who, Miss Eliza?” Miss Bingley rudely enquired. “You act as if the Queen herself wrote to you. Who of import could possibly write to you here?”

  Elizabeth sat up straighter in defiance, “It is from the Countess of Matlock, Miss Bingley, of whom we were just speaking, and the timing is extremely accurate, is it not?” She turned to Jane and explained, “I met her briefly when I... made my call yesterday. She was insistent to speak with me and introduced herself while I was at D... my call.”

  There was another knock on the door and the same maid entered with two women behind her. “Miss Elizabeth, the modiste is here with her assistant and asks where she can set up her materials. She says Lady Matlock sends her regards.”

  Elizabeth stood in puzzlement, “Pardon me, it seems I must read my letter.” She opened it quickly to see what Lady Matlock had written. “It says that I am invited to the Winter Ball and her modiste is to make me a new dress.” She smirked to see Miss
Bingley turn a shade of green and was tempted to rub it in, but remembering to be generous to Jane’s future sister, she sighed, “It must be all a misunderstanding, Jane, as I only met Lady Matlock yesterday and she might not recall that you are also to attend.”

  The modiste stepped in, “Excusez-moi, mademoiselles, I am Madame Dubois.” she spoke with a thick French accent. “Les robes, the dresses, are to be made for both Mademoiselles Bennet et Elizabeth. If you like, I can wait in a room and prepare while your visit est fini.”

  Jane’s eyes broadened while Mr. Bingley chuckled as he responded. “Well, I will leave you to it, then.” He eyed his sisters in disdain then returned to smile at Jane, “It seems Lady Matlock is intent to have you both appear your best and although not one single alteration is necessary,” he kissed his betrothed’s hand again, “I look forward to seeing Madame Dubois’ creation on you. I am unsurprised at Lady Matlock’s generosity, as she is a favourite of Darcy’s and my sisters often speak of how keenly fashionable the countess is. I will return this evening for dinner with your relatives, Jane. They must be exasperated to feed me so many meals but I dare not leave your side for too long.” He laughed as Jane affectionately rubbed his hand.

  Mr. Bingley and his sisters departed and Jane and Elizabeth spent the next hour to be fitted for the finest dresses for the ball. Elizabeth was further astonished when the modiste completed her measurements and reported that the ball gowns would arrive in three days’ time and that the additional items would take another week but all would be completed on schedule. She could not understand what it could mean but thanked the dressmaker and her assistant and spent the latter part of the afternoon to chronicle her day in her journal.

  Chapter 16

  The day of Lady Matlock’s ball arrived and Elizabeth anxiously exited the Bingley carriage with Mr. Bingley assisting both ladies, and Elizabeth followed behind her uncle and aunt to enter the grand townhouse. It was as splendid as Darcy House, with the location only several houses down the same street, and hundreds of candles lit up the beautifully decorated rooms to welcome the scores of guests from the highest echelon of society.