Chapter 24

“You are not disappointed in having to leave town Richard?”

It was the 11 th of March, 1812 and Darcy and the Colonel were in Darcy’s carriage on the road out of London. It was an overcast day as they headed into Kent, sufficiently unsettled weather that two grooms rode their stallions.

“Most of the arrangements are now settled. It would have been good to be in town to hear all the news from the different garrisons as the numbers of entrants are whittled down to 64. That I am organising the event for General Arbuthnot means my own participation is assured. If it was not so, then you would be undertaking this duty on your own.”

Darcy chuckled, knowing his cousin was speaking the truth, even in jest.

“What do you make of the excitement over the event?”

“It caught me by surprise at first, but after several conversations it is more understandable. Speaking as a military man the idea of the winner of the tournament not just representing himself but also his regiment is inspired. That immediately engages every officer, we just have to see how the Navy were quick to demand that they could participate. The prize is handsome, but you know as well as I do there are wagers at Angelo’s every week far exceeding the value of the prize. Given Sir Edward’s reputation it does not surprise me that he has held back some cases of ‘blood brandy’ for occasions such as this.

“Then there is the fact it is an opportunity for second and lower sons to step out of the shadows, to have their moment in the sun. Most heirs are fully behind this, I know that Andrew is proudly supporting me in addition to my parents. I have heard there are a few first-born taking it badly but they are a nothing but a small minority. It also allows family to remember, and recognise, people who have died. Mother’s friend Lady Maria Leonard, her father was a Colonel with the 25 th and so she will be supporting the officer chosen for that regiment, as a way to commemorate and honour him. I think as that news starts to circulate there will be many families who do the same thing. My expectation is that every officer, all 64 of us, will not only be representing themselves and their regiment, or ship, but also the memories of officers who have died in prior service.”

“And the social aspect?”

“It is being talked of as the social event of the season. Every time I met with General Arbuthnot the capacity of the stands was increased. My understanding is that there will be seating for 2,000 people.”

“That is extraordinary. 2,000 people outdoors on the 31 st of March. We best pray for good weather.”

“Indeed.”

Richard Fitzwilliam looked over at his cousin.

“Mother confessed one final detail which fills me with great pride.”

Darcy looked at him, surprised at his cousin’s tone.

“The event is the brainchild of Sir Edward Gardiner. And to the public that is true. But mother told me that it was Miss Bennet who had the original idea. She spoke to her uncle and the tournament is the result. But the idea, the spark, is Miss Bennet’s. And she got the idea from talking to me, about my service, my injury. She wanted to do something to recognise that. I confess to being humbled by that knowledge.”

The Colonel was rarely quiet and sincere, so Darcy knew the truth to his comments. He expelled a deep breath.

“I can understand your reaction, although you should be proud to have inspired the tournament. But it yet one more unbelievable aspect to Miss Bennet’s character.”

“You have spent many hours in her company.”

Richard dangled a worm in the stream, would there be a bite?

“You have as well. You know what she is like, I find her plain-spokenness refreshing.”

Richard watched Darcy smile but say no more. He made no further comment. But yet another member of Darcy’s family saw that to which he appeared to be blind himself. It was going to be an interesting two weeks in Kent.

--

“I wish that I possessed your confidence Lizzie.”

Georgiana Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet had progressed in their friendship to the point where they were Georgie and Lizzie when in private. Miss Darcy was a regular visitor to Hanover Square now that her brother was in Kent dealing with their aunt.

“You are not 16 for another two months Georgie, I am nearly five years older than you. What you see now is not how I was five years ago.”

Elizabeth’s sad smile needed no explanation.

“I do understand that. Both my brother and Aunt Susan have reminded me of that very fact. Will you think back to your childhood, were you a confident child?”

“Was a confident child? Hmm. When I think of my childhood there is a clear divide when I was 10.”

“We have time today; Lady Maria is out visiting. Will you share it with me?”

“Let us freshen up and I will order a pot of hot tea then I will start my tale of life in the wilds of Hertfordshire.”

The two young ladies giggled and within 10 minutes they were back in the parlour, the late winter sun bright if not yet warm.

“I was an active child, much to my mother’s despair. I would sit and read with my father, spending time with him was always wonderful, but I enjoyed the outdoors even more. I was constantly accused by my mother of being a hoyden, and at times there may have been some truth to that. So I had a fun childhood, calm in my father’s study reading endlessly, but then off exploring our estate. I stayed in the garden until I was eight but after that I wandered further afield. I was aided in this by the fact I had a sister two years older and a neighbour who is seven years older.

“During the summer after my 10 th birthday I was sitting writing at my father’s desk. He in turn was working at the estate ledgers and made an exasperated noise. I went round to his side of the desk and asked him to show me what was frustrating him.”

Elizabeth stopped and thought for a moment.

“You asked about confidence, and as I recount this tale I believe this is the start of what you see as my confidence.”

“How do you mean?”

“I am good at simple arithmetic. I had seen the ledgers from a distance but this was the first time I had ever seen the detail. And that morning I spotted two errors and when father turned the pages to the previous quarter I found two more. I did not yet have the knowledge of what the numbers represented but I could see the mistakes my father had made. I assisted him after the Michaelmas quarter and then spent many days that autumn going back through previous quarters and years. My father had fudged the numbers in several quarters and I redrafted the Longbourn ledgers going back five years. From that moment on I was responsible for maintaining the ledgers for the estate. It gave me a sense that I was doing something important, helping my father, helping the family.

“Confidence is doing something, doing it well and being recognised for it. As I say that, I am not sure that is completely accurate, but I think it was true for 10 year old me. And at 12 years of age that confidence was further reinforced when I started to perform the same task for my uncle, Sir Edward.”

“You were preparing the ledgers for your uncle’s business?”

“I was assisting at first, let me explain. My aunt had been assisting him but as their family grew she had less time to devote to helping the business. They knew that I had started to help my father and during their visit at Christmas ’03 my uncle asked if I could be spared for three weeks each quarter to assist him. So from the end of January 1804 I would spend three weeks each quarter in London doing exactly that. At the same time he started my education into what all the different amounts represented. I knew many of the categories from the Longbourn ledgers but Uncle Edward explained what they meant, what was good, what was bad, how to look at a number and compare it to previous quarters, what the differences meant.

“Again, I was helping my family, being given a responsibility but also being taught to look deeper into the numbers, working to understand what they meant.”

Elizabeth turned pensive.

“I will share some of my home life but please do not talk of this with anyone else.”

Georgiana immediately agreed, fascinated by this tale.

“This continued from the age of 10 right through until I was 16. It sounds all very positive, being given such a responsibility at a young age. But you can already see that it is hardly the normal education for a gentle-born young lady. My mother was not the most supportive of my spending time on the ledgers. She tried to ensure that during the other two months of each quarter that I learned the normal feminine accomplishments.”

Elizabeth paused and sighed before carrying on.

“She was not a patient or positive teacher. There were times when I felt I could do nothing that would satisfy her. We clashed daily when I was at Longbourn and there more than a few tears of frustration shed. I am not the first daughter that has fought with her mother, and I will not be the last. However, there is a reason my mother was so obsessed with turning me into a ‘normal’ young lady. Our estate is entailed away from the female line. With only five daughters, and unable to bear any more children, she was worried about the future. As every year passes this worry has increased. Her way of dealing with her worry and anxiety is to expect her daughters to marry well.

“Jane came out in our local society at the age of 15. I was able to delay my coming out until I was 16 and if fate had not intervened then I would have come out at the end of the summer in ’07. But then we received the news of the dreadful accident that claimed the life of my aunt and so grievously injured my uncle. Within a minute, two minutes, I had resolved to come to London to assist him. Is that confidence? I do not know. In fact, let me ask you, was I confident or foolhardy?”

Georgiana was on the spot.

“Did you have doubts?”

“About what I faced? Yes, without question. My thoughts are so clouded and obscured by what has passed in the last five years it is difficult to remember how I felt at the time. My memory says that the family needed immediate help and some help was better than none. I knew my cousins very well, I was a guest in the house every quarter, and I knew the servants.”

“As I think about it, my response is that you were neither confident or foolhardy just responding to a tragedy as best you could. There must have been some confidence there, and your parents must have had some confidence in you.”

“That is a good point. I was not just laughed away, I was allowed to come to London.”

Elizabeth looked over at Georgiana.

“Does that help explain things. My confidence came from circumstances, mostly through my ability with numbers which is God-given as I have had no formal training.”

“I can see how your circumstances would lead you to be more confident. Are you going to stop your tale there? Will you not talk of the last four and a half years?”

She was scrutinised closely.

“Do you think it is relevant? You have no young cousins, you have no family members in trade. While there may be life lessons in my story, none of them will apply to you or your circumstances.”

Georgiana flushed at Elizabeth’s response.

“You have led such an interesting life Elizabeth. What you say is true but it does not make it any less fascinating for someone like me who will never get the chance to see this world.”

Mrs. Annesley and Mrs. Smith were quietly conversing on the other side of the parlour.

“I think you should discuss this with your companion. There will be much talk of trade and I will have to censor several parts of the tale.”

With such a tantalising titbit Miss Darcy was even more keen to hear Elizabeth’s story. The two companions moved closer and Mrs. Annesley was applied to.

“From the way Miss Darcy has described it there are several layers to this story, yes?”

Elizabeth agreed.

“That is a good way to describe it.”

“I see no harm at skating over the surface, delving deep occasionally but moving past certain aspects.”

The other three smiled at Miss Darcy’s excitement. Everyone agreed to an early luncheon so that the next chapters in the tale were not interrupted. 45 minutes later they were all back in the parlour.

“I will deal with the grim part of the tale at the beginning so that we can move past it. The accident that claimed the life of my aunt and injured my uncle was in early July ’07. July and August are a blur, so many things had to be dealt with. Even something as simple as where my uncle was now going to sleep, given that he was no longer able to climb the stairs. My oldest cousin Edward was 13 and his returning to school is a good place to start.

“The other children are Angela who was seven, Rebecca who was six and Michael who would turn four that September. I was sixteen and now effectively the mistress of the house. Much of that first six months was spent with the children, helping them deal with the loss of their mother. I was aided in an unexpected way, my uncle was now around the house every day, and the children saw much more of him than before the accident. Those initial months set the routine which we followed in the subsequent years. My uncle’s business was doing well, there was a housekeeper, a cook, a nursery maid and he had a carriage out in the mews. I was not trying to raise the children myself with one maid of all work.

“As life started to settle into a routine I found I had more free time. It was at this point I started to assist my uncle where I could. For all four years this was primarily as his eyes and ears at his business. He used to scandalise people by saying I was his eyes, ears and legs.”

The expected gasps came from Miss Darcy and her companion.

“I know. He explained to it to me as his way of dealing with his permanent injury. There was no point sitting there, a black cloud of despair over him. He had been granted a second chance at life and so he just shrugged, made a somewhat tasteless joke and moved on.”

Elizabeth paused and sipped her tea and watched as Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley both nodded. She thought that neither of them realised they were doing so.

“My routine was now set. Due to the excruciating pain from the stumps of his legs if they were jostled, Sir Edward only travelled to his offices on a Wednesday each week. The other five days I would go there in his stead. On many of these days there were no documents for me to collect and there was no need for me to be present. And most of these documents could have been delivered to his house. He asked me to visit every single day so that everyone, be they his customers, his competition, his suppliers or his staff, knew that I was giving him an account of his business. Early in ’08 I was misled by one of his clerks, thinking he could bamboozle the ignorant young woman. My uncle travelled to his offices the next day and publicly fired him. After that no one played any tricks on me.

“My education continued as I brought bills of lading, bills of sale, manifests, orders, contracts, every and all documents relating to his business, I collected them for my uncle. He invested huge amounts of time answering all my questions while I was updating the ledgers.”

“Were you not worried about your reputation? A gentle-born young lady engaging in trade?”

Mrs. Annesley’s question made Elizabeth smile.

“No, it is not a silly question Mrs. Annesley, far from it. What made me smile was something I have not thought about in months.”

She stood and curtseyed. Two of the other three looked confused although Claire was smirking.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Rose Gardiner, a distant cousin of Mr. Gardiner who I call uncle given the differences in our ages.”

She sat back down.

“To answer the questions writ large across your faces I assumed a made-up identity when involved with Gardiner Import/Export. My oldest cousin thought this to be the most exciting thing ever, as if I was some kind of spy.”

“Lizzie, that is extraordinary. And no one found out?”

“At first it was somewhat comedic as there were several of the clerks at the office who knew my real name. But quite quickly it just became accepted. I was Miss Rose and that was how I was introduced from then on. My father was concerned with the taint of trade attaching to the family and so this was how my uncle and I dealt with it. There are countless members of the Ton who would sneer at those in trade, exaggeratedly sniffing while rudely talking of the stench of trade, and who would take delight in gossiping if it was well known. Given my uncle’s elevation to a baronetcy it is no longer an issue but from early ’08 until last summer I was two people.”

There were smiles across everyone’s faces as they imagined the scene.

“What else can you tell us?”

In her mind Elizabeth reviewed and edited large chunks out of the narrative.

“I think that is where I should stop, I do not think your brother would approve of some of the other aspects of my story.”

“There is nothing else you can talk of? How did you find time to do all this while running your uncle’s house?”

Elizabeth nodded, this was safe enough.

“There are two parts to this. My own which I will discuss in a moment. But without doubt the reason that I was able to have such a busy life was due to the help of the servants. This is a situation where you can learn from my experiences. The staff of my uncle’s business and the servants at the house had been treated very well for years, ever since his marriage to my Aunt Madeline. When I took over responsibility for the house I leaned on their experience and knowledge so much. As I mentioned, everything would have been so much more fraught without the support of the nurse in dealing with the children, the cook in managing the kitchen and preparing the meals, and the housekeeper in ensuring that the house was clean and that everything was running smoothly. Given my uncle’s injury I was responsible for the mews as well as the house. The coachman was patient with me and led me through everything my uncle told me to check. He did not fob me off, he was respectful and diligent.

“When you are mistress of your own house, perhaps houses if there is a country estate, you will rely on your staff. Treat them with respect, thank them when appropriate, empower the senior staff to run their domains, and you will be rewarded with loyalty.”

“May I add something Miss Elizabeth?”

Claire Smith was calm beside her mistress.

“Of course.”

“All of what Miss Elizabeth has said is true, but it extends beyond that. She listens and remembers. When Mrs. Brewer, the housekeeper, would mention something that was affecting a member of staff Miss Elizabeth would mention it the next time she dealt with that staff member. It could be the passing of a member of the family, the birth of a new brother or niece or cousin, someone getting married. It did not matter, but the staff knew that her knowledge of them was beyond superficial.

“I know I am rattling on, but may I continue?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“You have heard of how Miss Elizabeth and I talk after an event, be it a dinner, the theatre or a ball, and she writes notes of who she met, spoke to, and her impressions of the meeting. It was something she learned when visiting her father’s tenants. She would make notes; the state of the farm, the cottage, how were the children, any and all details. She did the same thing whenever she had to deal with any of Sir Edward’s customers. Actually, it was the staff, suppliers, customers, the competition, she made note of them all.

“Miss Elizabeth had been living in London for years but when she discussed Longbourn with her sister Miss Mary she would still reference her tenant notes, and Miss Mary had followed her example. May I ask if you perform tenant visits yet at your brother’s estate?”

“Not yet. My brother and I talked about it briefly at Christmas although no decision was reached. Listening to you both I not only feel I need to start doing them, I am looking forward to them. I think I have hidden behind my shyness for too long.”

“16 is a good age to start such things Georgie, especially on a well-run estate such as Pemberley. Jane, Mary and myself started earlier than most.”

Left unsaid, but understood, was the fact that Longbourn was not well-run.

“You talked about how busy I was, how did I find the time? The truth is I wanted to learn as much as possible. There are such limited opportunities for women and I had this unique chance to be involved, at least at the periphery. So yes, I was very busy, but it was mostly my own doing.”

Elizabeth looked at Georgiana and pursed her lips.

“This next part is something that you should consider very carefully. You are already more accomplished than I am in the skills that are considered important by society. You play beautifully, you can draw, you have an excellent grasp of etiquette, you can embroider, the list goes on. These are accomplishments that gentlemen, and society, prizes in a young lady. Other than speaking several languages I have none of these skills. I have had an unusual and, at times, an interesting life but it has not prepared me for life as a young lady in town. If it was not for Lady Maria I would be sitting back in Gracechurch Street reading all day and assisting my uncle where possible.”

“Yet Lady Maria has taken an interest in you.”

It was a carefully bland statement but Elizabeth saw the underlying question. Why? She smiled at her young friend.

“You are getting better at society speak Georgie, your lessons with your aunt are showing results. In answer to your unasked question, I performed a service for Lady Maria’s family. She has been generous with her time and guidance.”

It was Mrs. Annesley’s turn to hide a smile, that was a perfect society speak answer; factual yet saying nothing.

“Are you sure there is nothing else you can tell me?”

“Georgiana, I am not trying to tease you. The other parts of my tale involve my dealings with so-called gentlemen and I am utterly positive that your brother would not want you exposed to such talk. I am sadly experienced with the duplicity of men, gentle-born or otherwise, and I hope that you never have to experience the same thing.”

Elizabeth had hoped that drawing a firm line in the sand would stop any additional questions. Instead she was mortified to have Georgiana burst into tears and throw herself into Elizabeth’s arms. She in turn, just by instinct, wrapped her arms around the young woman and held her as the floods of tears dampened her day dress. Mrs. Annesley looked on, alone knowing the cause of the tears, but unsure how to help her charge. Eventually Georgiana calmed and handkerchiefs were proffered. Upon seeing the large damp patch on Elizabeth’s dress Georgiana was even more mortified, if that was possible.

“Be calm Georgie. Why do we not take a few moments to compose ourselves? Claire will order fresh tea while you and Mrs. Annesley can accompany me upstairs to a guest room. I will quickly change dresses while you can fix your appearance. In 10 minutes there will be no evidence. Come on.”

It was as Elizabeth said. 10 minutes later the four of them were once again in the parlour, as if nothing had happened.

“I am sorry that I upset you Georgie.”

“You did not Lizzie. It was my own behaviour, my own conscious that was upset.”

She looked over at Mrs. Annesley who appeared conflicted. No words were exchanged before she finally nodded.

“If you are sure Miss Darcy.”

“I trust Elizabeth.”

“Then I will take Mrs. Smith down to the other end of the parlour while you speak to Miss Bennet.”

Georgiana waited until it was just the two of them before squaring her shoulders.

“Last summer I agreed to elope with a man. If my brother had not arrived unexpectedly then I would have been ruined, the family too.”

Whatever Elizabeth had been expecting it was not this. She listened as Georgiana told her tale. Her face became more and more severe.

“I am sorry, I can see how disappointed you are in me.”

Elizabeth realised that Georgie was interpreting her expression as a reflection of her own behaviour.

“No, it is nothing like that. My sour face was because of the behaviour of the man. You were betrayed and taken advantage of by those you should have been able to trust.”

“But I should have known better, I do know better. My shame at my behaviour is burned into my soul.”

Elizabeth thought about the right way to address Georgiana’s distress.

“Let me see if I can ease your burden. There are three parts to it. The first is the most important. You are safe, and there is no damage to your reputation. But look at it this way. As a small child you were told to stay away from the fire, not to go near it, the flames were hot, they were dangerous. But how many children, even after all these warnings, still edge their fingers towards the flames? They have to learn the hard way. This is what you have done. But the tips of your fingers hurt for an afternoon and then you were fine. You learned your lesson and you kept your fingers away from the fire after that. This has been a hard lesson but you have learned from it.

“The second aspect is this is not all your fault. Do you have some of the blame? Yes you do. But not close to the main portion. In order, the blame lies with the man, your companion, you and even your brother. He should have checked the references of this Mrs. Younge more carefully, and knowing your brother I am sure that he blames himself more than he blames you. She in turn was able to facilitate this evil plan and you as an impressionable 15 year old were led astray by someone that you should have been able to rely on. And then there is the despicable louse that is the man in this tale. A man, ages with your brother, who preys on a na?ve young woman.

“And that brings me to the final point. You know your mythology. This man was your Achilles heel. How many other men are there that you knew growing up at Pemberley? Who else could remember small incidents from your childhood? This is the only person who could sneak inside your guard, get you to forget yourself, forget your upbringing. Dante assigns the 9 th and lowest circle of hell to betrayers. This man will find himself in the eternal company of Judas for what he did to you.”

Rather than immediately respond Georgiana listened to the words. She had not dangled her fingers near a fire but she knew that her Aunt Susan still teased Richard for that very thing. She understood the point Elizabeth was making. What was refreshing was Elizabeth did not try and absolve her of blame. Both her brother and aunt had not scolded her for the way she had behaved. Elizabeth did not scold her but she did not cast a veil over her behaviour. And the final point, it struck home. There was no one else that could inveigle his way into her confidence. And although it was not particularly Christian she smiled at the thought of Wickham in eternal torment with Judas and Brutus. She took Elizabeth’s hands and pulled her to her feet before once again hugging her, this time without the tears.

“Thank you, Elizabeth. I see now that George was my Achilles heel. You are right, there is no one else with the specific circumstances and memories.”

“George? Oh, I see, that was the name of the man.”

“Yes, George Wickham.”

So many things flitted through Elizabeth’s mind, a cascading waterfall of snippets of information. And several things she had overlooked now made so much more sense.

“Elizabeth, you are distracted.”

“Can you describe this Wickham to me please?”

“He is the same age as my brother, slightly shorter and less broad across the shoulders. He has sandy coloured hair.” She paused and blushed. “And an attractive mien.”

It was the same man.

“Why do you ask?”

Suddenly she stared intently at Elizabeth.

“You have met him?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Yes, I have. He was an officer in the Militia regiment based outside the town of Meryton, only one mile from my father’s estate.”

Elizabeth summarised her dealings with Wickham, including Mr. Darcy’s reaction to seeing him and Wickham’s tale of woe.

“Is he still there? Did my brother not do something to stem these horrid lies?”

“No he is not still there and your brother did nothing, presumably so that Wickham did not spread gossip about yourself.”

Georgiana looked close to tears again.

“He is out there ruining my reputation?”

Elizabeth reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Mr. Wickham disappeared one evening. There are two popular rumours as to why. The first is that he had to abscond before he was called to answer several debts of honour. In the days following his disappearance he was found to owe debts to several of the other officers. Or so the rumour around Meryton suggested. The second reason for his disappearance is that he deserted. Rank within the Militia is based on your holdings of land, and the annual value it produces.”

“George Wickham has no land.”

“The requirement was waived for Lieutenants given the shortage of officers in this time of war. He was able to hold a commission as a Lieutenant but was unable to meet the requirements of a Captain. When someone else was promoted to Captain it is rumoured that he deserted. This is the most popular rumour and the Army is certainly looking for him.”

Elizabeth took both Georgiana’s hands and looked her in the eye.

“The rumour that I personally believe is the third one, that is known the least. Wickham trifled with the daughter of one of the tradesmen in town. As a result Wickham ended up unconscious in a house of ill-repute in London where, completely coincidentally, he was snatched by the Impressment Squad. He left on one of His Majesty’s ships that very morning. This is the rumour that I choose to believe.”

Elizabeth’s gaze spoke of the truth of this ‘rumour’. Georgiana’s eyes were unwavering, wanting to believe this story.

“Truly. Wickham will never bother you again.”

Mrs. Annesley looked at Miss Bennet in astonishment. She turned to Mrs. Smith and received a small nod confirming the tale. As she turned back to her charge she was rewarded by seeing the biggest smile she had ever witnessed from the young lady.

It had been quite the day.