The Pemberley Chronicles (35 page)

Elizabeth's relief was somewhat short-lived, however, when two days later they stopped off at Lambton and were astonished to hear from Mrs Gardiner that the Bennets' housekeeper, Mrs Hill, had confided in her that Lydia intended to return to Longbourn permanently! Sarah, Mrs Bennet's chamber maid, had confirmed that Mrs Wickham had hinted at a similar possibility, urging Sarah to stay on at Longbourn against her return. Elizabeth was aghast at the prospect, chiefly out of concern for her father. He had found it sufficiently difficult to cope with Lydia's excesses as a silly young girl fifteen years ago; how, she wondered, would he put up with her now, together with all her rather boisterous children? "And what of Wickham? Does he propose to move to Longbourn too?" Elizabeth asked. Mrs Gardiner had no answer, except to suggest that perhaps Mr and Mrs Wickham were happier apart than together! Returning to Pemberley, Elizabeth, still disturbed by her aunt's news, wrote immediately to Jane, detailing the gist of the story and asking for her sister's advice:

Can it be true, dear Jane, that Lydia proposes to impose upon poor Papa, while Wickham remains at Newcastle? It seems to me to be an impossible situation. I am at a loss to understand how it can even be contemplated. Aunt Gardiner believes that Lydia is making use of the opportunity afforded by Mama's death to get herself a more comfortable situation at Longbourn, pretending to want to move there to "look after" Papa. She will, in truth, be feathering her own nest and simultaneously driving our poor father out of his mind. Oh Jane, this is such an undesirable development, and yet I am unable to think how it may be stopped . . .

In desperation she begged her sister to suggest a course of action that may be undertaken, but if the truth were known, she had not a great deal of confidence that one could be found.

The letter was never sent. Hardly had Elizabeth completed it and taken it down to be despatched, when an express arrived at the door. It was from Jane. Standing in the hall, where it had been handed to her, Elizabeth opened it and was astonished to read her sister's hastily penned note:

Dearest Lizzie,
Since we parted after Mama's funeral, something very disturbing has happened. I have this morning received an express from Kitty detailing a most unpleasant encounter between herself and Mary on the one hand and our sister Lydia on the other. Kitty writes that Lydia, while packing in preparation for their departure last Sunday, declared her intention to return in Spring "to look after Papa and keep an eye on Longbourn for Henry." It appears that Wickham and Lydia have decided that since the death of Mr Collins has resulted in Papa's retaining Longbourn, their son Henry, being a few weeks older than our Jonathan, is his natural heir. Upon this basis, Lydia intends to place herself in a position to make doubly sure of his inheritance by moving to Longbourn, while Papa still lives. Kitty and Mary are exceedingly unhappy, and Kitty writes that they would like to acquaint Papa with Lydia's intentions but have not been able to do so, as he still keeps very much to his room.

Elizabeth's fury was palpable as she threw the letter down on the table and cried out, "It's outrageous! How dare they impose themselves on poor Papa, the insufferable creatures?" Hearing her voice, Emily, who was descending the stairs from the library, came swiftly to her side. Elizabeth handed her Jane's letter. With Darcy away for the day at the Camden Estate, Elizabeth felt she had no alternative but to go directly to Lambton to consult her uncle and aunt.

There was no time to lose. The prospect of the Wickhams' moving into Longbourn, the awful thought of what this would mean for her father and her sister Mary, who had no where else to go and would therefore be forced to remain as some kind of drudge for Lydia and her family, was too horrible to contemplate.

Leaving a note for Darcy, Elizabeth with Emily for company drove to Oakleigh Manor. The Gardiners were delighted at her unexpected visit, but their delight soon dissipated as she showed them Jane's letter. Mrs Gardiner, in spite of having some hint of Lydia's intentions, was still shocked by the impudence of her approach. "How could they be so totally selfish and so uncouth with it?" she lamented, "I can hardly believe what I am reading here." Elizabeth was steely eyed and very angry.

"My dear Aunt, I do not put anything beyond Lydia and Wickham. I am unwilling to believe that this is something for which Lydia alone is responsible. I am certain that Wickham has urged her on. They are both thoroughly selfish, thoughtless of others, and ruthless in advancing their own material advantage. They will stop at nothing to get what they think is their due."

"But is their interpretation of the process of the entail correct?" asked Emily, who had some doubts about the basis of Lydia's claim. Her father shook his head.

"I am not convinced it is. My own understanding is that once the estate remains with Mr Bennet, which it has with the death of his cousin, it is his to dispose of in his will. However, we shall need to have that confirmed by an attorney. But Lizzie, I cannot believe that your father is unaware of this possibility. Perhaps, I could contact him myself and discover how he sees it," he suggested.

Usually, Elizabeth would have been content to agree. She trusted her uncle's judgement implicitly. But on this occasion, her concern for her father and younger sisters was overwhelming. She declared her intention to travel with him on the Wednesday, having first informed her father of their impending visit. She returned with Emily to Pemberley, to prepare for the journey. It was not something she undertook with any pleasure so soon after travelling to Longbourn for the funeral, but her sense of outrage at the unseemly behaviour of the Wickhams overcame her reluctance.

When Darcy returned that evening, Elizabeth had to acquaint him with the details of the wretched conspiracy being hatched by the Wickhams. The severity of Darcy's expression, as his face darkened on hearing the news and reading Jane's letter, left her in no doubt of his response. Like her, he believed that Wickham was the instigator of Lydia's plan, and he certainly agreed that the couple were capable of any stratagem, adding his weight to her opinion that they had to be forestalled at any cost. "There is surely no truth at all in the notion that the entail would extend outside the family. Unless it was specified in a codicil to the original document, your father, with whom the property now remains, is entitled to bequeath it to any member of his family he chooses." Gratified by his support and genuine concern, Elizabeth begged him to accompany them. At first, Darcy was reluctant, unwilling to interfere in what was strictly a Bennet family affair, until his wife pointed out that since they did not seek to benefit themselves or their children, they, rather than Jane and Bingley, whose son Jonathan might be a potential beneficiary, should feel free to act. Darcy, albeit reluctantly, agreed.

Their arrival at Longbourn on the following Thursday, a grey late November day, had been preceded by an express from Elizabeth. Kitty and Mary came out to greet them with the news that Mr Bennet was in the library, with his attorney, Mr Grimes. Kitty added that they had succeeded in informing their father of Lydia's intention of returning in the Spring, to which he had merely retorted, "Oh no, she is not."

"Since then, he has had Mr Grimes over twice, and today, we are all to go in to the library, when Jonathan arrives," said Mary, with her usual air of gravity.
"Jonathan?" Elizabeth was surprised at this new turn of events.
"Yes," said Kitty, "Papa sent an express to London, asking him to be here today. He is expected at any time now." Darcy and Mr Gardiner both appeared pleased, confident that it meant Mr Bennet was not only aware of the Wickhams' plans, but had probably acted to forestall them already. Darcy was particularly relieved. He had not wished to appear as if he was giving his fatherin-law advice on the proper disposal of his property. Presently, Mr Bennet came out to greet them and invited them into the library, where they were introduced to Mr Grimes. Refreshments were served as they waited for Jonathan Bingley. He arrived a little later than expected, a tall young man of seventeen, with the good looks of his mother and the amiable manners of his father, Jonathan greeted everyone with affection and apologised for being late.
What followed surprised them all. Mr Grimes, authorised by his client Mr Bennet, confirmed that Mr Bennet was changing his will in relation to the disposal of the Longbourn Estate, which had reverted to him with the death of Mr Collins, who would have been the inheritor under the entail. Hitherto, this property had been willed to his daughter Mary, with life interest to his wife. But the untimely death of Mrs Bennet had necessitated a change, Mr Grimes explained. While there would be no change in the disposition of any monies which were to be divided among his daughters, Longbourn would be left to his grandson, Jonathan Bingley, with life interest to his daughter, Miss Mary Bennet, for as long as she remained single. Should she choose to use a part of the property to conduct her music teaching, she was welcome to do so. Jonathan on his eighteenth birthday would take over the management of the Longbourn Estate, and later, it would be his to do with as he saw fit--rent, lease, or occupy.
When Mr Grimes had finished speaking, Mr Bennet had something to say, too. He had wanted to be fair, he said, because all his daughters were married except Mary. They had husbands and homes, where she had none save Longbourn, which had very nearly not been theirs at all. But, since Fate had decreed that it was to remain in his hands, he had disposed of it in the fairest way possible. He had chosen his grandson Jonathan to manage and ultimately inherit the property, because Jonathan was the son of his eldest daughter, he added mischievously.
Elizabeth and Darcy could barely conceal their delight, but young Jonathan was truly amazed. He appeared to be unsure whether he was ready for the responsibility the inheritance would place upon him. He admitted he had a great deal to learn. But his grandfather reminded him gently that he did not need to worry just yet. Putting an arm around Jonathan's shoulders, he reassured him, "You can take your time learning, young man; I intend to be around for a while yet. But I am sure when the time comes, you will do us all proud."
Mary, not usually given to emotional displays, wept with happiness as Jonathan assured her that she would always be looked after and if she needed any help with establishing her music school, he would do whatever he could. Elizabeth saw in his gentle words the same generosity and kindness that had always set his mother apart.
For Mary, the dreadful prospect of being a housekeeper for her sister Lydia's family had held only terror. Now, as the unpleasant vision receded and she could see her future more clearly, she was truly grateful. She embraced her sisters and thanked her father, promising that as long as he needed her, she would be at Longbourn to look after him. It was the kind of family occasion for which Elizabeth was singularly unprepared. Her family had engendered few strong relationships or deep loyalties, except that which had always existed between her sister Jane and herself.
Frequently, she had suffered mortification at similar family gatherings, as the vulgarity and ignorance of her mother, her Aunt Phillips, or Lydia had been exposed to scrutiny. But, this time, she felt real pleasure at being there to witness the restoration of a sense of responsibility and fairness among them. She was happy that her father had demonstrated good judgement and common sense and pleased with her younger sisters' concern for each other. She was especially proud of her nephew Jonathan and wished his parents had been present on this occasion.
That Darcy was with her was a matter of particular satisfaction to Elizabeth. Although it was a subject they had promised never to mention, since his ill-advised proposal at Hunsford and the letter that had followed her rejection of it, Elizabeth had in the past been embarrassed by members of her family in his presence. This time, she was immensely proud of them.
Since Mr Gardiner had business in London and Jonathan was also returning to the city, Darcy and Elizabeth decided that they would spend a few days there before returning to Pemberley. It had been a long while since Elizabeth had spent time in London. She had grown so contented with her surroundings in Derbyshire and the convenience of having all her favourite family members within an easy distance from her, that she saw no reason to travel to London, unless there was something very particular to attract her there. Her increased interest in the running of the house and the estate gave her much to do, and she never missed the bustle and glitter of the city. She did, however, enjoy the great wealth of music and theatre available there and indulged her passion for them whenever they were in London.
The Continis, who continued to be firm friends, sometimes made up a party with Georgiana and Francis Grantley, and on these occasions, Darcy and Elizabeth would join them for dinner and an evening at the theatre or at one of the popular concerts by famous musicians from Europe. If Parliament was sitting and Fitzwilliam was speaking on a matter of significance, he would invite them to come in and hear him. Caroline faithfully attended and would urge her mother and Elizabeth to accompany her. Despite her lack of enthusiasm for politics, Elizabeth could not resist the pleadings of her young cousin.
This time, the Fitzwilliams were in London celebrating the passage of two momentous bills that the colonel predicted would change the face of Britain and Europe. The first abolished slavery in all British territories, ending the vile trade in human beings that had enriched many and brought misery to millions more. The second, the measure promised by Lord Althorp, when the Whigs won their great victory in 1830, was the Factory Act, which placed limits on the hours that could be worked by women and children and began for the very first time a process of factory inspections, by which the government could enforce the law on behalf of the workers it sought to protect.
Fitzwilliam and Caroline, who had campaigned for both reforms, were ecstatic, particularly because it set Britain apart in Europe. When they dined together at the Darcys' house in Portman Square, Elizabeth took the opportunity to acquaint them with recent developments in the family, including the latest news from Longbourn. As they gathered in the drawing room after dinner, young Jonathan received congratulations and some teasing about becoming the squire of Longbourn, a title he was loathe to acknowledge. "I have no intention of thinking about it," he declared, "since my grandfather is in extremely good health and the Longbourn Estate is unlikely to require a new squire for many years yet. But, I shall be spending a great deal of time learning to manage the place well."
Darcy and Fitzwilliam expressed their confidence in his ability to do just that, pointing out that he had already learned much from his father, who was doing an excellent job at Ashford Park.
Elizabeth, writing to her sister, could not fail to mention her favourite nephew: