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 love and lots of meat. In town, many of the wives of the merchants kept lap dogs, mostly as an accessory, but some loved their dogs more than their husbands.
“What is his name?”
“His real name is Peeps, but Will complained that was such a silly…” and then she stopped. “It was decided that we should rename him Pepper.”
For a few minutes, Lizzy’s heart sank. Miss Darcy had stopped in midsentence because she knew that she cared for her brother. Although embarrassing, she decided that she would not allow it to ruin her holiday. So Lizzy asked a number of general questions about Mr. Darcy, so that Georgiana would feel she could talk freely about him.
It was a pleasant ride with Mr. Gardiner sleeping and snoring for most of the journey, and his wife nodding on and off throughout. For Georgiana and Lizzy, it was a time to share stories of dresses, dance partners, and sore feet. Lizzy also learned some of Georgiana’s personal history, including the death of her mother ten years earlier following a miscarriage.
“One of the reasons I so love to go to Pemberley is because Mama’s presence is everywhere, and there is nothing sad about it. I shall show you her portraits. She was very beautiful.”
She then mentioned that her father had died suddenly while Will had been on the Continent on the Grand Tour, and he had to return home immediately to assume the many duties and responsibilities of being the master of Pemberley as well as the guardianship of his thirteen-year-old sister.
“Will can be impatient, but you could not find a better brother or cousin or friend. As Mr. Bingley once said, ‘When choosing up sides, everyone wants Darcy.’ I think that says a lot about a person.”
Following an overnight stay with the Hulston family, friends of the Darcys in Derby, the carriage continued on to Pemberley, and when the coach turned into the drive to the estate, Lizzy experienced what her mother referred to as “the flutters.”
As the carriage emerged from the woods and into the light, before her, glowing in the afternoon sun, was Pemberley, the ancestral home of the Darcys. Tears came to her eyes, and if asked, she would have been unable to say if they were tears of joy or sorrow.