The next few days brought a flurry of activity to the Willstone residence as everyone readied themselves and the home for the arrival of Mrs. Willstone’s sister, Rosalyn. Elizabeth eagerly looked forward to meeting this young lady who was merely a year older than her. Mrs. Willstone hoped that the two young ladies would enjoy each other’s company in the weeks ahead that Rosalyn would be staying with them in London and then this summer in the country. Elizabeth was certain they would, if she found Rosalyn to be as affable as Mrs. Willstone.
Rosalyn arrived on Thursday afternoon that week. Elizabeth was sitting in a rocking chair in her room with a light coverlet over her. She had briefly dozed off with a book in her hands while Emily napped, and was awakened by the sound of the bell ringing, announcing the arrival of guests. Knowing that Rosalyn was due to arrive today, she promptly stood up, smoothed her dress, and went to the dresser mirror to readjust her hair.
She slipped into Emily’s room and gently nudged the girl. Emily slowly opened her eyes and looked at Elizabeth.
“Did I oversleep, Miss Bennet?”
“No, Emily. I am awakening you because I believe your aunt Rosalyn is here.”
The little girl fisted her hands and rubbed her eyes, yawning as she did. “Do you think she brought me a gift? She oftentimes brings me something.”
“We shall see. The sooner we get you ready and go downstairs, the sooner you shall find out.” Elizabeth leaned down and gave her a big smile. “Now, let us dress you in that pretty yellow frock you picked out earlier.”
Elizabeth helped Emily dress and then brushed out her brown curly hair, adorning it with ribbons. She then escorted her into the drawing room where the Willstones and Miss Matthews were gathered. The younger of the ladies, dressed in a fashionable gown and standing slightly taller than Elizabeth, rose and opened her arms for her niece.
“Emily! I am so delighted to see you! My how you are grown!”
“Do you have a surprise for me?”
“Watch your manners, Emily,” Elizabeth whispered.
Miss Matthews looked to Elizabeth with a friendly smile. “You must be Miss Bennet.”
Mrs. Willstone brought her hands together in delight. “Miss Bennet, may I introduce you to my sister, Rosalyn Matthews? And Rosalyn, this is Elizabeth Bennet.”
“I have heard much about you through Lorraine’s letters, Miss Bennet. She writes that you are doing a wonderful job.”
“And I have heard much about you from your sister’s very own words. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Matthews.”
Rosalyn looked down at Emily with a conspiratorial look. “And if you heard anything from Emily, you know that I always bring her something.”
“Did you? Did you?” Emily squealed and jumped with excitement.
“Well, let me look in my bag here and see if there is anything you might like.” Rosalyn’s light blue eyes twinkled.
Emily clasped her hands together with a burst of anticipation as she anxiously watched her aunt look down into her handbag. “Now, let me see. Do you suppose this could be for you?” She slowly pulled out a lacy embroidered handkerchief.
“Noooo,” the little girl laughed.
Elizabeth smiled as she came to suspect that this was the manner in which this always passed between the two.
“Oh, here is something you might enjoy,” Miss Matthews whispered, glancing up at the young girl. She pulled out a small, leather-bound book. “Would this be it?”
“Noooo!” Emily cried, standing on her tiptoes trying to look into her aunt’s bag herself.
“Hmmm,” Miss Matthews continued. She began to pull something out of the bag and peered closely at it. “No, I do not think this could be it.”
“What is it?” asked Emily, barely able to control her countenance.
“Just a little doll… but no, this could not be it.” Miss Matthews looked over to her niece, a grin teasing the corners of her mouth.
“Yes! I am sure that is it!” Emily reached out her small arms, palms upright, eager to see it.
Miss Matthews slowly pulled the doll out of the bag and put it in Emily’s hands. The girl laughed with unrestrained glee. “How beautiful she is!” the young girl exclaimed. “Does she have a name?”
“I thought you might choose a name for her.”
“I shall call her… ummmm…” She tapped her fingers against her lips. “Elizabeth! I shall name her Elizabeth. May I go play with her?”
“Certainly,” Miss Matthews said, “if it is agreeable to your mother and Miss Bennet.”
The little girl looked at her mother and then at Elizabeth, who each gave her an assenting nod.
Emily proudly carried her new doll off to the corner of the room, and Elizabeth began to follow.
“No, Miss Bennet, please join us,” Miss Matthews reached out her arm. “I should like to become better acquainted with you.”
Elizabeth sat down, eager to get to know Miss Matthews a little better as well. Elizabeth liked her friendly smile and welcoming demeanour. She was a little taller than Elizabeth, fairer in complexion and hair, and fashionably graceful in her movements.
“Miss Bennet, that is quite a tribute for you to have Emily name her doll after you.”
“Indeed?”
“She has named every doll she has ever owned after someone special in her life!”
“Well, I must admit I consider her very special as well!”
The three ladies visited as Emily entertained herself with her new doll. Elizabeth liked Rosalyn. She carried herself well but without any trace of hauteur or condescension. She appeared to be well educated and well read. The two soon found themselves in a spirited discussion comparing the merits of poets Joseph Addison and William Lisle Bowles.
At one point, Rosalyn expressed her condolences for the loss of her father. “I see you are still in mourning. Do you mind me asking what he was like?”
“He was a very good man. Intelligent and kind. Very witty. I am deeply indebted to him for passing on to me the love of reading. He spent a good deal of the day reading and encouraged me to do likewise. We would often sit in his study discussing one of his books or dissecting a favourite poem.” Elizabeth sighed as she felt her eyes tear up. “I do miss him very much.”
Rosalyn reached out, taking her hand. “He sounds like a wonderful father. What do you miss most about him?”
Elizabeth pondered this for a moment. “The way he instilled in me a desire to improve myself and learn all I could. We were without a governess, you see, but I had such a desire to learn. I am quite certain it came from my father.” She took in a shaky breath. “My favourite pastime spent with him was playing chess. Of the five daughters, I was the only one who enjoyed the strategy of the game and could best him on occasion.”
“You play chess?”
“Yes, but it has been a long time since I have played.”
“Unfortunately, none of us here play, although my brother, Simon, plays well. He tried to teach me on several occasions, but I simply could not remember how each piece moved. It would be much easier if each piece moved only one direction!”
“But then it would merely be draughts[1],” Elizabeth said with a soft chuckle.
They both laughed and went on to discuss a myriad of other things.
Elizabeth lost all sense of time as she, Mrs. Willstone, and Miss Matthews spent a good part of the afternoon conversing. Other than her visits with the Gardiners and Jane, Elizabeth could not recall having spent a more enjoyable afternoon in quite a long time.
Elizabeth occasionally glanced toward Mrs. Willstone, who seemed pleased that she and her sister were getting on so well. She was grateful that Mrs. Willstone and Miss Matthews, both from wealthy, prominent families, did not look down on her due to her current station in life. That she had gone from a landed gentleman’s daughter to have to seek employment as a governess did nothing to lower her in their eyes. The rigid line that separated governesses from their employers seemed to be overlooked by them.
For the remainder of that first week, Rosalyn often accompanied Elizabeth as she gave lessons to Emily and worked with her on her manners, singing, and piano playing. Rosalyn enjoyed the friendship that was developing between her and Elizabeth, and as she also took great pleasure in spending time with her niece, she was quite pleased to be able to do both at the same time.
Elizabeth customarily adjourned to her chambers after Emily was settled in bed, feeling strongly that her employment as governess did not allow for her to enjoy the comforts and privileges of the home. Therefore, she rarely visited with the Willstones in the evenings. But shortly after Rosalyn’s arrival—with fervent invitations from Rosalyn and consensus from Mrs. Willstone—Elizabeth remained with the adults in the evening and visited. The ladies would continue whatever conversations had been struck up during the day. They proceeded to cover every topic of interest imaginable.
Rosalyn gave Elizabeth what she missed most in not having Jane around every day: someone with whom to converse. They challenged each other and encouraged one another, and although their conversations did not take the place of her talks with Jane, Elizabeth found Rosalyn to be almost as amiable.
That following Sunday, when Elizabeth spent the afternoon with the Gardiners and Jane, they noticed immediately the glow in Elizabeth’s eyes and the warmth in her cheeks. For the first time since her father’s death, she had come to the Gardiners in good spirits, and for that they were grateful. She did not come ravenous for good company and conversation, as she had fed on it all week. Instead, she arrived with contentment and an eagerness to share stories with her family about her new friend.
Elizabeth had never pined for any of the social privileges that those in the first circles enjoyed, but she took great delight in hearing Rosalyn talk about all the engagements she enjoyed over the years whenever she spent time in London. As Rosalyn described the balls to which she had been invited, the concerts and theatre plays she had attended, and the presentations at Court, Elizabeth delighted in the enchanting way she described them. She could not help but feel just a small bit of envy as she wished that perhaps just once she would like to step into Rosalyn’s world and experience it for herself.
“Oh, Elizabeth! The music just fills your ears as hundreds of dancing couples bow and curtsey, swirl and promenade down the endless ballrooms in luxurious gowns!” Rosalyn’s eyes lit up as she described the balls in Town, which, although similar to ones that Elizabeth attended in the country, were on a much grander, more prestigious scale.
“And all the fine gentlemen! Oh, sometimes I can barely breathe when one asks for my hand!”
Elizabeth smiled, fully cognizant of the fact that she would never receive an invitation to such a ball or to dance with such gentlemen, being in the position in which she now found herself. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to dream, as Rosalyn finished her narrative.
At length, Rosalyn softened her voice and her light blue eyes widened.
“Elizabeth, do you think a gentleman would find me attractive?”
Elizabeth looked at her and tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, teasing her with her scrutiny.
“Please, Elizabeth! I am serious!”
“I think any man would find you a most handsome young lady!”
“You do not say that merely to appease me?”
“Rosalyn, you have beautiful blue eyes, a fine nose, nicely shaped lips, and a tall, slender figure,” Elizabeth assured her. “You have a charming personality and I know that you must certainly turn many a man’s head.”
“Please do not think me silly, Elizabeth, it is just that sometimes I wonder why…” She took in a deep breath and pursed her lips.
“Rosalyn? What is it you wonder?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “It is just that he never looks my way.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “He?” she asked teasingly. “Who is he?”
Rosalyn gave her head a firm shake. “Oh, I could never tell!”
“Pray, Rosalyn! Why?”
“He is far above me, above our family. He would never take a second look at me.”
“Rosalyn, your family is much esteemed. Why would you say that?”
“To own the truth, Elizabeth, my father married beneath him. My mother had no noticeable connections, and growing up, I felt the disdain of many families who were of more refined and well-bred society.”
“Oh, Rosalyn, certainly you must be mistaken.”
“Whether or not I am mistaken, this gentleman has never acknowledged me, and if Lorraine knew that I continued to pine for him, she would scold me ruthlessly!”
Elizabeth laughed. “Pine for him? Can you not tell me more? Now I am dying with curiosity.”
“I will only say that he is a man who lived near my family when I was growing up. The first time I ever saw him, I just knew he was the one I wished to marry! But I could never tell you his name!”
Elizabeth laughed softly and leaned in toward Rosalyn. “And you still pine for him?”
She nodded her head slowly. “My whole family knew of my infatuation with him when I was younger, and they laughed and thought me young and silly. Now that I am older…”
“Your feelings are unchanged.”
“Yes,” she said as she nodded her head.
“If you cannot tell me his name, you must tell me everything else about this man!”
“Well,” Rosalyn dropped her eyes and a blush softly coloured her features. “He is terribly handsome. Tall and handsome. And he is wealthy, although I really cannot say that is all that appeals to me.” She paused and bit her lower lip. “Well, perhaps a little bit. I suppose that is a good thing.” She was rambling now, and Elizabeth made a futile attempt to stifle a smirk. “He is a good, principled man, from everything I hear. No one speaks ill of him.”
She gave Elizabeth a pointed look. “Should I allow myself to hope that he would notice me?”
“Rosalyn, if he is such a man as you describe, you have no reason to be ashamed of your feelings. And he would be a fool not to take notice of you.”
A satisfied smile graced Rosalyn’s lips. “You are too kind, Elizabeth.”
That night as Elizabeth lay in her bed, her head swirled with thoughts of balls and dances and being presented to the queen and handsome gentlemen. But it was the image of one particular gentleman that kept intruding, reminding her that any happiness for her sister had been destroyed by his actions.
It was in the latter part of the following week that Elizabeth began to hear of preparations for visitors who were to come the following Saturday. Mrs. Willstone, who was the embodiment of a charming hostess, worked closely with the kitchen staff in planning the refreshments and meal that would be served. She arranged every detail from the time guests would arrive, which was about five o’clock in the afternoon, through to the conclusion of the evening.
Elizabeth was informed that they would prefer to visit with their guests without the presence of Emily, but that they would send for her at some time in the evening. Mrs. Willstone instructed Elizabeth to take her dinner with Emily early and then have her ready to come down for a short visit when she was summoned and then return to her chambers afterward.
She heard little about the guests who were coming; only that there would be a party of eight. Mrs. Willstone and Rosalyn had grown up near one of the young ladies and they were both anxious to meet the young man about whom there had been much speculation. Tongues wagged that he would soon make her an offer. Rosalyn appeared to be overly concerned about making a good impression on this particular couple and repeatedly consulted Elizabeth about what to wear, how to style her hair, and even what song to play if she was asked to perform on the pianoforte.
On Saturday, Elizabeth knew her greatest responsibility was to keep little Emily quiet and out of everyone’s way. Mrs. Willstone kept busy with the kitchen staff, ensuring everything was coming along as desired. She walked through the house, inspecting it for cleanliness, and admonished the staff if something was not up to her expectations.
Elizabeth was grateful for the mild day, which meant that she and Emily could spend a good amount of time outdoors and out of the way. A small play area in the rear of the house afforded Emily with some delightful amusements. Elizabeth obligingly pushed Emily in the swing and helped her build sand castles in the sandbox, making up a story for the young girl about a handsome prince who lived in the very castle they built.
After the noon meal, Elizabeth and Emily took a long walk to a park down the street where they enjoyed the array of beautiful flowers lining the path and listened to the flurry of birds as they sang their cheerful songs. Elizabeth enjoyed teaching Emily all the names of the flowers that grew nearby and the birds that flew overhead. Emily seemed just as eager to learn.
When they returned to the house, they proceeded upstairs, where Emily napped and Elizabeth took the opportunity to read. Per Mrs. Willstone’s wish, they ate an early supper and then returned upstairs to dress for company. Once they were ready, Elizabeth would keep Emily entertained with some books until the young girl was called for.
They were finishing up their first book when Elizabeth heard the bell announce the arrival of guests. Emily was eager to go down and meet them, but Elizabeth reminded her that the adults wished to have some time together and they would call for her when they wanted her to join them.
Finally, after finishing three books and playing with her new doll for a short while, a young servant girl, Lilia, came to the door to summon them. Emily anxiously jumped to her feet, ready to run downstairs, but Elizabeth stopped her.
“Now, Emily, let me have a look at you to make sure you are presentable.” Elizabeth turned the girl completely around, readjusting a curl that had fallen out of place. “Remember to be very polite and curtsey, say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ and only speak when spoken to.”
“Yes, Miss Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth smoothed out the young girl’s dress. “There! I do believe you are ready!”
Emily clasped her hands and then took one of Elizabeth’s in her own. “Come, Miss Bennet.”
“No, I believe I will stay here,” Elizabeth told Emily. “Miss Lilia shall take you down.”
Lilia looked at Elizabeth and with a nod of her head said, “I understand that you are expected to come down as well.”
“Are you quite sure? I would not wish to impose.”
Emily looked at Elizabeth and back at the maid. “She would not impose, would she?”
Lilia laughed. “No, Miss Emily, I do not believe so.” She turned to Elizabeth. “Come along with us, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth looked at the little girl. “Come, Emily. We shall both meet the guests, then.”
They walked down the stairs, or at least Elizabeth walked. Emily had more of a skip to her gait, as she was always eager to meet new people.
They walked in, and Elizabeth’s gaze drifted across the room. When Mrs. Willstone noticed them at the door, she smiled and beckoned them to come over.
A young lady, who was seated facing away from her, turned toward Elizabeth. She had blond hair and deep blue eyes. Elizabeth saw that she looked to be rather young. She smiled shyly at Elizabeth.
When the gentleman next to her turned, Elizabeth was rendered motionless for a few moments. A look of shock passed between both of them at first, and then a tentative smile came across the gentleman’s face. He stood up abruptly.
“Miss Bennet!” the young man exclaimed. “It is… it is good to see you again!” His features betrayed the awkwardness they both felt, and the young lady next to him looked somewhat bewildered, looking from him and back to Elizabeth.
“Mr. Bingley,” Elizabeth replied after quickly composing herself. “Is everything well with you?”
“I am… I am quite well, thank you,” he answered with a nervous laugh. “And you… and your family? Are they all well?” A deep questioning look swept over his face.
“You may not have heard that our father passed away last year.”
Mr. Bingley’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “No… no, I had not heard. Please accept my deepest condolences… to you and all your family. I imagine it must be very difficult.”
“Yes,” Elizabeth answered. “We are doing the best we can.”
An awkward pause took hold of the room as they looked at each other and then each looked away. It was shocking enough to be suddenly facing Bingley again, but worsened by the fact that he was standing next to the young lady she supposed had replaced Jane’s affections.
“Miss Bennet, you are acquainted with Mr. Bingley?” Mrs. Willstone quickly interjected.
Elizabeth looked to Mrs. Willstone. “Yes… yes, I am. He let a residence near Longbourn some time ago.”
Elizabeth looked directly at him. “I had heard that Netherfield was purchased.”
“Yes, I have not…” Bingley began. “I heard that as well.” He seemed at a loss for words. The young lady at his side continued to look from him to Elizabeth, and back to him again.
When the conversation between them ceased, Mrs. Willstone proceeded to make the rest of the introductions.
“May I introduce you all to Emily’s governess, Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” She then turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, this is Mr. and Mrs. Estes, Mr. and Mrs. Fountain, Mr. and Mrs. Hampton. You are acquainted with Mr. Bingley, and this fine young lady is Miss Georgiana Darcy.”
Draughts is the British name for the game of checkers.