Page 73 of Saving Jane
“Once Mama grows calm after celebrating your engagement, I fear she will be difficult regarding my position as heiress. Our father will reconcile to my being his heir, but he will not find me accepting of things as they once were. I intend to require improvements to the pastures and rotating fields that he has ignored before.”
“As his recognized heir, he should listen to your wishes,” Elizabeth said. “You may find Mama to be of assistance in dealing with our father. She has always managed to talk him into carpets and gowns. Surely you can talk him into improvements with the pastures and crops.”
“Yes, but how do I deal with Mamma?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Do not allow her to speak of inviting young men to call. If she does, tell her of Mrs Collins moving her mother to the dower house and ask her how many maids her dowry will allow her to hire when she moves to the cottageaway from Longbourn.”
“Mamma must know that I shall make my own choice of husband,” Jane announced. “And she will not gossip on my situation with Aunt Phillips–I shall not be the subject of stories and tales across all of Meryton again.”
Looking out the carriage window, Jane said, “I shall make my own arrangements for marriage.”
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The Bennet family enjoyed a quiet beginning to summer at Longbourn and Meryton. Mrs Bennet enjoyed the preparations for Elizabeth’s marriage to Mr Darcy though she was confused by her daughters.
True to her word, Jane gently but firmly refused to allow her mother to make any matches and Mrs Bennet found herself continually perplexed when Jane worked with her father and the steward on improvements to the estate and made no effort to find a husband, while studious Elizabeth poured her full attention into her trousseau and wedding gown.
With only four weeks to prepare for the wedding, Elizabeth required her mother to accompany her to the dressmaker in Meryton practically every day to order and be fitted with new gowns, coats, bonnets and a grand wedding dress. Mrs Bennet had never known her second daughter to care about her gowns as much as she did that summer preparing for her wedding.
When Mr Darcy was not in residence, Elizabeth worked with Kitty and Mary to sew marvellous dresses for each of the sisters to wear at the wedding.
The talk of the wedding prodded John Lucas to further his courtship of Mary and the young couple became engaged only ten days before Lizzy’s wedding to Mr Darcy.
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As the date of Elizabeth’s wedding to Mr Darcy approached, a letter from Mr and Mrs Gardiner arrived at Longbourn that included an invitation for their eldest niece to accompany them on a trip to Lambton after the wedding.
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London
Dearest Jane,
This will be a marvellous summer! Mr Darcy and Elizabeth have invited us to visit them at Pemberley for the month of August. They shall have the months of June and July for their honeymoon so a few visitors will not intrude for the end of summer. I have been in regular correspondence with my sister Mrs Whitley and Mr Gardiner has arranged our plans in Derby so that I may visit with my sister.
We wanted to invite you to accompany us. Our trip will last from the end of July through the whole of August. Can you be gone from Longbourn for that length of time? We want to have the children on the trip so they can meet their cousins in Derby. Would it be an imposition for you to aid me when we travel? Mr Darcy insists that we make Pemberley the anchor for our trip–he informs us that there are ample rooms for the children. Mr Gardiner and Mr Darcy have to travel into Derby on business for one full week, but we shall have the grounds of Pemberley to occupy ourselves and children in their absence and I am certain that ‘Mrs Darcy’ can entertain you when my husband and I travel into Derby to meet my sister and her family.
Your Most Affectionate Aunt
MadelineGardiner
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Chapter 34.Jane Bennet’s Future
The wedding of Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet occurred on a Wednesday morning. During luncheon the day before, with her husband, daughters and servants gathered in the dining room, Mrs Bennet announced her certainty that the wedding breakfast would be the talk of the inhabitants of Meryton and the whole of Hertfordshire–she would be able to proudly speak for years of her daughter’s wedding that would be attended by Mr Darcy’s noble relations, a bishop and various members of the ton.
In addition, Mr Darcy’s good friend Charles Bingley came to Meryton and stayed with Darcy at the local inn. He would stand up with Mr Darcy at the wedding and consequently, he was present at Longbourn while Darcy spent time with Elizabeth.
While everyone remained busy preparing for the wedding, Charles found Jane staring out the windows of the parlour across the pasture in front of the manor house. When she heard the door opened, Jane glanced around and smiled seeing Bingley’s friendly face. Turning toward Bingley, the lovely young woman welcomed him to the parlour as her younger sisters finished the hems in their new gowns in the opposite corner of the room.
“Good afternoon, Miss Bennet.”
“Yes, Mr Bingley, it is a good afternoon,” she replied. “Would you care for tea or other refreshment?”
“Yes, thank you and may I have a word?” he asked.
Mrs Bennet was in the kitchens talking with Mrs Hill. Kitty and Mary ignored them as they worked on the dresses while Mr Bennet and Elizabeth led Mr Darcy and Georgiana into the study to look at a large map of England and trace the distance from Longbourn to Pemberley in Derbyshire.
