Chapter 20

There was a break in the storm, which had angrily raged all night, a little after ten in the morning. There was still steady rain falling, but the wind had calmed significantly and there was no thunder or lightning.

A Netherfield Park footman made the ride to Longbourn across the fields, which cut the distance between the two estates down by about a mile. Even though Miss Bingley had not agreed he needed them, he was wearing oilskins which succeeded in keeping him dry. On his arrival at the Bennets’ estate, he removed the oilskins in the stables and using the covered walkway, he reached the kitchen door in a dry state. He handed the missive he was carrying to Mr. Hill, who conveyed it to the master in the dining parlour with the family.

Bennet took the note from the butler. His wife, mother, and two youngest daughters looked at him expectantly. “I told you they would be well taken care of,” Bennet assured his family. He opened the note which was written in Jane’s hand and began to read.

26 July 1808

Netherfield Park

Papa, Mama, Grandmama Beth, and sisters,

We are all well. By His Providence we arrived minutes before the skies opened up so none of us were soaked.

Papa, your note achieved its purpose. When we arrived, much to Mr. Bingley’s disappointment, all the other men were present. When Miss Bingley saw my sisters had accompanied me, she could not have looked more sour if she had been sucking a lemon.

Richard was quick to announce our courtship, and to his credit since it was made public, Mr. Bingley has done the honourable thing and ceased his attentions to me.

As I am sure you are aware, the torrential rain caused the stream to overflow its banks and weakened the bridge again. Even though our horses are here, it may be a few days before we are able to ride home.

Mama and Grandmama, please send some clothing for us. The footman will kindly carry the trunk back with him as long as the weather does not worsen again. I am sure between the two of you, you will choose gowns that we each like.

Cathy and Lyddie, we miss you and will see you soon. Unfortunately, you will have to put up with the heir apparent without us for a few days. Just keep to your lessons with Mrs. Frost and you will not see him except for meals.

With warmest regards to all of you,

Jane (the scribe), Lizzy, and Mary

“Did I not tell you they would have arrived before the deluge began?” Bennet asked his wife.

“Yes, Thomas, you did. That however did not stop my maternal concerns until it was confirmed they are all well,” Fanny averred.

Fanny and Beth began to stand but when she saw her son’s quizzical look Beth explained, “Rather than wait until we have completed our meal, with the uncertainty of the weather, we want the footman to be on his way back as soon as may be.”

Between them, it did not take long for them to pack a trunk. When it was ready, Fanny addressed John Biggs. “Once you have bound the trunk in oilskins, I would like you to also don some and return with Smithers to Netherfield Park and remain there with my daughters until they come home.”

“Aye Mistress,” Biggs responded.

Soon enough two footmen rather than one were on their way across the soaked fields towards Netherfield Park with the Miss Bennets’ trunk lashed behind the saddle of one of the horses.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

Out of the group of cousins, Richard was the only one who had seen Biggs from up close before. The cousins were surprised to see a man who was larger, even if not by much, than the Carrington footman Johns. They collectively rolled their eyes; not for the first time they heard Miss Bingley whinge about the Longbourn footman’s presence.

“Are we to have the whole of the Bennet household arrive on our doorstep? Please tell me you are not expected to pay the big oaf while he is here,” Miss Bingley asked, but no one responded, not even her brother. “Where is dear Georgiana?”

“Miss Bingley!” William barked. “As you have never been granted the right to address my sister so informally either by our parents or Miss Darcy herself, please refrain from implying a closeness which does not exist.”

Bingley did his best to blend in with his chair before the expected explosion by his younger sister occurred.

“But surely your honoured parents would want one such as me at the same level of society as she is, befriending your sister so I may show her the way in the Ton,” Miss Bingley cooed.

“Miss Bingley as you are the daughter of a tradesman and my sister is the daughter of a landed gentleman, granddaughter and niece of earls, please explain how anyone here, except for your brother, is the same rank as you?” William questioned. “No, my parents do not desire your assistance in guiding their daughter in anything.”

At first Miss Bingley simply spluttered, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. After being completely humiliated, she ran out of the drawing room as her fury built. She sped up the stairs and just before she entered her bedchamber, she heard voices from the guest floor above.

“Is Miss Darcy ready to meet us?” Miss Bingley heard Miss Bennet ask someone. “Mr. Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy requested we be introduced to her once we had changed into some fresh clothing thanks to the delivery of our trunk.”

“Yes, Miss Darcy is keen to make herself known to you,” she heard Mrs. Annesley aver. “I am sure you are aware Miss Darcy keeps to the suite unless she is with her brother and cousin so she will not encounter a certain lady who attempts to inflict her company on her whenever they are in the same room.”

Caroline Bingley could not fathom who in her house would impose themselves on Miss Darcy. That was until she heard the next statement from Miss Eliza. “Yes, we understand Miss Bingley’s company is not pleasurable, even in tiny doses.”

Rather than enter her bedchamber to find some ready items to throw, Miss Bingley turned on her heel and made her way back to the drawing room in high dudgeon. She was about to enter to berate Mr. Darcy and Mr. Fitzwilliam when she stopped herself just before the bottom of the stairs. She told herself her best revenge would be to become a viscountess and future countess. That way she would be far above the other men and have the pleasure of cutting them publicly. As he had not exercised the good sense to offer for her yet, she would compromise the Viscount this very night.

She made her way back up to her chambers muttering to herself about her plans for that night. Luckily for her brother’s pocketbook she was too distracted to notice any servants or break any more items in her chambers.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

John Biggs took up his station next to the door in the hallway as the Bennet sisters entered the private sitting room attached to Miss Darcy’s bedchamber. At that moment, the weather changed again. Another storm began to batter the house, although it was not quite as intense as the previous day and night.

While John pulled the door closed behind them, the sisters noticed how the pretty, young, blonde-haired girl flinched at the first clap of thunder which followed the lightning. Her brother and cousin had informed them she had turned thirteen in March past. As Cathy was fourteen and Lydia would reach the same age as Miss Darcy in September, the three Bennets all thought a meeting between the three younger ladies would be a good thing.

“None of us love storms either,” Elizabeth stated to put Miss Darcy at ease.

Giana smiled and requested Mrs. Annesley—who had been introduced to the three sisters a little earlier—make the introductions. Given her rank was higher than the Bennets’, it was proper she ask to know them.

The companion performed the introductions with aplomb and then stepped back to allow the four younger ladies to come to know one another. Giana had heard how much like Aunt Elaine Miss Elizabeth looked, but until she saw for herself, she had not understood just how much Miss Elizabeth resembled her aunt and her two sisters.

Elizabeth did not miss how intently Miss Darcy was looking at her. When the girl noticed Miss Elizabeth scrutinising her as she was studying the lady, her eyes went to the floor and she blushed with embarrassment.

“Miss Darcy my look was not one of censure,” Elizabeth assured. “Your brother, the Viscount, and Mr. Fitzwilliam have related how much I look like your aunts. I have no explanation for that fact. Were you also told Lord Rhys-Davies and Mr. Carrington look eerily like my Papa?”

“Yes, I had heard that,” Georgiana owned. She appreciated the gentle way Miss Elizabeth let her know she was not upset. “Miss Elizabeth, would you, Miss Bennet, and Miss Mary address me as Georgiana or Giana as my family and friends do?”

Jane looked to her younger sisters, both of whom nodded. “Only if you call us Jane, Lizzy, and Mary,” she averred.

Soon Giana discovered that Elizabeth, or Lizzy, and Mary shared her love of the pianoforte—regardless of the former claiming she did not practice enough. Jane was also musically inclined. Although she could play the pianoforte if she had to, her instrument was the harp. Giana, like her mother, loved to play the former but had begun lessons to play the latter when she had turned ten.

It was agreed that as long as her brother and cousin did not object, Giana would visit Longbourn as soon as the weather permitted so she would be able to meet Cathy and Lydia.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

“Anne, I received this letter from William. It seems Richard felt he needed to present the page we wrote to our son in London before they departed for Hertfordshire,” Darcy informed his wife when he joined her in the music room. She was still seated at the pianoforte just having expertly played a piece from Beethoven’sMoonlight Sonata.

“Is our son angry?” Lady Anne enquired.

“Here,” Darcy proffered his wife the letter, “read it for yourself.”

Lady Anne took the missive and began to read.

23 July 1808

Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

Mother and Father,

Until my eyes were opened to my unwarranted and improper pride and arrogance, my first intention had been to write a rather angry letter to you.

Your letter along with what Richard and others in the family have said about my behaviour and the fact I came very close to insulting Miss Elizabeth Bennet (yes the lady who routinely beats Father and me at chess) at the assembly yester-evening for the crime of Richard suggesting I dance with her, made me take a long and hard look at myself.

I did not like what I saw and realised unless I am to lose the friendship of many close to me, I need to change. It will not be easy or a speedy endeavour, but nevertheless it will be worth both the effort and time required.

I apologised to Miss Elizabeth right away even before I had said what I intended to say. I made my amends to Giana, Richard, and his cousins before I wrote this letter to you. In that vein, I fully apologise for subverting your lessons and applying my own interpretation to them. I was puffed up with consequence I do not have and have finally learnt my own insignificance in the world at large.

Everything I do will be with the aim of becoming a good man, one worthy to be called the son of Robert and Anne Darcy. I thank you most sincerely for your part in waking me to my arrogance and improper pride.

With the warmest regards and respect for both of you,

William

“So, you see my dearest, loveliest Anne, your contention William needed to be shocked enough to see the error of his ways was correct,” Darcy said as he stood behind his beloved wife and hugged her warmly.

“Although my hope was it would result in his having an epiphany as he did, I had no idea it would work as well as it seems to have. Let us not forget, it was the confluence of several factors of which our letter was but one. Another was the work of Providence,” Lady Anne observed.

Darcy ended the discussion with languid kisses for his much loved wife.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~

Having had a very enjoyable two hours in Giana’s company the three Bennet sisters convinced her to join them in the music room. Much to Giana’s amusement they promised that, like the knights of old, they would protect her from the evil witch if she attempted to importune her. With Mrs. Annesley and John Biggs following them, the four made their way down the stairs.

Elizabeth played the same duet with Giana she had with Mary. All four of them giggled as the two at the keyboard did what they could to see who could play more incorrect notes.

Louisa Hurst had been sitting in the small parlour working on her sampler when the sounds of mirth reached her. She put her work back in her sewing basket and followed the sounds of merriment to the music room. Of one thing she was certain, Caroline was not one of their number. No one had that much fun in company with her younger sister.

At the same time in the billiard room just past the doors to the music room, the men, without anything better to do, had been playing a tournament of billiards. William very much wanted to challenge Miss Elizabeth to a game of chess, but he knew she and her sisters were getting to know Giana. Judging by the sounds emanating from the music room, they were getting along rather well. His opinion was reinforced as he heard his sister’s chortle after an awkwardly dissonant chord.

“What say you we see what is causing the ladies to be so entertained without us,” Jamey suggested.

None of the men thought to don their jackets or roll their shirt sleeves down before making the short walk to the music room. They filed in and watched as Miss Bennet and Miss Mary were teasingly changing the key signatures while they played a duet.

Elizabeth noted the men standing near the doors, grinning at their antics. She was about to turn back to her sisters who were seated at the instrument when Lord Rhys-Davies lifted his right arm and ran his hand through his hair. At first, she thought she was seeing things. But no, it was there as plain as the nose on his face, the off-red, triangular birthmark on his right upper arm. It was the same one Papa and all of her sisters had. Grandmama Beth, Mama, and she were the only ones without it.

“How is that possible!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

The playing stopped and there was silence as Elizabeth approached Lord Rhys-Davies, took his arm, and turned it over. By now she had been joined by Jane and Mary. They both saw the birthmark. In shock, without saying a word, both lifted their right arms and moved their sleeves back to reveal the identical marks in the same place on their arms.

Suddenly Richard realised when he had thought he imagined seeing the mark on Miss Lydia it was not a trick of the light.

Just then Philip Carrington approached those displaying their birthmarks. “It is more common than you think,” he drawled as he raised his right arm. “See, I have one too.”