Page 3 of New World Tea Company
She paused as if thinking of her own life; she had been Lady Marie Watson-Wentworth, a bright debutante, daughter of Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, prime minister of Great Britain, when she married Phillip Fitzwilliam, Earl of Matlock.
The Earl and Countess of Matlock had three living children–Samuel Viscount Hadden, Richard, and Violet. Viscount Hadden was a wastrel, Richard served as a colonel in His Majesty’s Army fighting the never-ending wars with Bonaparte, and her only daughter, Violet, was married to Francis North, a son of Lord North. The latter had once been Prime Minister of Great Britain.
“In many ways, the life of a lady with a husband of great wealth is a trial. Georgiana might be happier if she married a scholar at Oxford rather than another politician,” the countesssaid sadly. “Otherwise, she and Miss Bingley might live without meaning or avocation.”
~~~
Chapter 3.Economies and Gowns
It was a pleasant autumn morning as the Bennet family gathered in the dining room to break their fast. Mr Bennet watched his wife and daughters take their usual places at the table, and once they were gathered, he asked Jane to say grace over the meal. When the eldest sister completed the prayer, Mr Hill entered the room with a teapot. While the family reached for the bowls and platters on the table with porridge, meat, and some bread, Hill poured the tea beginning with the cup beside Mrs Bennet’s plate. He moved around the table and finished with Miss Lydia’s cup.
“Why am I last to be served tea?” the youngest sister whined. “My cup always has leaves in the bottom of the cup.”
“We all have tea leaves in our cup with breakfast, Lydia,” Mary replied. “Mrs Hill makes the leaves serve the family several times.”
“But fresh tea tastes so much better,” observed Kitty.
“It does taste better, but tea leaves are expensive,” Jane said. “We have to make every penny count.”
Lydia smirked and said, “I shall marry a rich officer and have tea made with fresh leaves in every teapot. Or I shall drink wine with every meal.”
“Wine? At breakfast?” declared Mrs Bennet. “Nonsense, Lydia. You must never serve wine until supper. Beer and ale are suitable at luncheon if you do not wish to serve tea.”
Mr Bennet ignored the conversation about beverages for different meals until Elizabeth asked, “Father, has the price of tea risen in the past few years?”
Nodding once, he replied, “Your Uncle Gardner wrote in his latest letter that ships arrive with chests of tea every day of theweek–even on Sunday. But the price remains high because His Majesty’s government maintains the tax on tea to pay for the war.”
Mary summed up the problem with a single word, “Bonaparte.”
Mr Hill entered the dining room with the teapot, filled once again with hot tea, and he began with Mr Bennet’s cup this time, ending with Elizabeth’s cup.
The young woman saw the chopped tea leaves in the bottom of her teacup. There were not many, but a few slivers were present. Turning to her father, Elizabeth inquired, “Father, did you know Mrs Hill uses the tea leaves several times when making our tea?”
His head buried in the newspaper; Mr Bennet ignored the question momentarily. A London newspaper was always delivered to Longbourn in the afternoon, and Mr Bennet used it as a shield at the breakfast table the next morning to avoid conversation with his wife and daughters. This morning, the master of Longbourn shook the newspaper out before folding it and turning his attention to his most intelligent daughter.
“What do you mean, Lizzie?”
“Mrs Hill uses the same leaves more than once to make our tea,” Elizabeth explained.
Mrs Bennet spoke up and said, “Lizzy, Mrs Hill knows what she is about in the kitchens. The tea leaves come from my brother’s establishment in London, and we have fresh tea more often than our neighbours.”
Mr Bennet nodded toward his wife and replied to his daughter, “There is hot tea when we break our fast, then again in the afternoon and sometimes in the evenings before I retire. Mrs Bennet directs matters in the kitchen.”
That ended the topic of tea leaves for the moment, but Mr Bennet chose the moment to address other matters of money. He declared, “I have worked through my accounts for the year, and we shall be without funds for new shoes, ribbons, books, or cloth for new dresses until Mrs Bennet’s allowance arrives after the new year.”
There were wails and tears until Mr Bennet reminded his wife and youngest daughters that they had new gowns for the assembly in two nights.
“Take care of the hems and seams so they are suitable to wear at Christmas parties,” he stated. “I shall wear my favourite coat and trousers without regard to their being new or old.”
“Gentlemen don’t have to worry about such matters,” Mrs Bennet said. “But Jane must have new gowns while in Mr Bingley’s company.”
“I appreciate your positive notions, my dear, especially since Mr Bingley and Jane have yet to meet,” Mr Bennet said gently. “But such positive thoughts do not change the size of our harvest this year. Our tenants cannot pay coins they do not have, and you shall do without new tea and ribbons, my dear.”
Mrs Bennet frowned when her husband reminded her, “You spent your allowance on other cloth, thread, lace, and ribbons.”
Rising from the table and retreating to his private office, Mr Bennet left the ladies of his household to discuss how they would make their dresses last until after the first of the year.
“I shall die if there are no new gowns until next year!” swore Lydia. Kitty echoed her younger sister’s complaints while Mrs Bennet sighed and failed to relieve the concerns of her youngest daughters.
