The two spoke about their friends until they were joined for the day by Georgiana. The conversation became more general as they discussed the day, including the dinner party that night. It would be a more relaxed evening, with only friends and family invited.
Soon, the three went their separate ways. The Gardiners were included in their guests for dinner, and Kitty had been invited to stay at Darcy House for a few nights and accompany Miss Darcy to several events over the next few days. There was a night at the theatre and a musical evening to attend, and a lecture from an artist at the British Museum the two girls wanted to attend together. A drawing master would also come to the house while Kitty was visiting, a young man recently arrived from Italy who had made a name for himself as a portrait artist. He was to use Mrs Darcy as a subject, ensuring that notonly would the girls get a lesson, but Darcy would receive a portrait and a miniature of his beloved wife. They would also attempt to capture a portrait of Alex, but that was less certain as no one thought they could entice Alex to sit still long enough for anyone to take his likeness. Kitty was determined, though, to attempt it and hoped to learn some techniques from the master that would aid in her endeavour.
Elizabeth and Darcy each spent the day in their individual pursuits. With company expected, they chose to skip taking tea as a family as Elizabeth found it necessary to rest before dressing for dinner—when learning of her intention, Darcy elected to join her for her rest. The two arrived downstairs just before their expected guests, still glowing from their time together.
Dinner went smoothly. The discussion at the table was interesting and lively. Kitty, who had never attended a dinner party at the Darcys before, was in awe. She listened to the open exchange of ideas around the table and listened to men and women who intelligently discussed many pressing issues of the day. Having spent quite a bit of time at the Gardiners over the last year, she was more equipped to participate in such discussions, but she had never expected to see such at a dinner made up of members of the ton.
When all the guests departed, Georgiana and Kitty retired together to chat about the coming days.
“I was surprised by the dinner tonight,” Kitty said to her friend. “I did not expect so many members of the first circle to engage in such conversation. Dinners at Longbourn always focused on local gossip, neighbourhood concerns, and fashion but rarely on politics, the rights of women, and the like. I have heard my uncle converse about these things with his guests, but I expected the conversation to be different.”
“Oh, I cannot ever imagine a meal at my sister’s table focused on gossip or fashion,” Georgiana said. “Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam are so well-read and involved with many concerns; their friends are like them. The conversations have been as you described when we have attended events at some homes but never at Darcy House. I think Elizabeth refuses to invite people like that to their home, that is, unless Aunt Helen forces them to.”
Kitty laughed at that, and soon, the girls were too tired to remain awake any longer, and they both sought their bedrooms.
The following day,Kitty took the opportunity to write to her mother, sharing her impressions of the dinner party from the previous night and speaking of their plans for the next few days. She praised her sister and talked more about Lizzy than she usually did. While she knew of the rift between her mother and second sister, she had never tried to do anything about it. Unlike Mary and Jane, she recognised that the fault for the rift was solely her mother’s and thought that it would be up to her mother to fix it if it were something that could be improved. Therefore, she deliberately wrote praise for her sister, wondering if this would do anything to help resolve whatever issue lay between them.
Mrs Bennet struggled to write a letter to her second daughter when she received Kitty’s letter. She was impressed by the description of the dinner party—although she was somewhat surprised at the topics discussed around the table. Since her interests always centred around gossip and fashion, she struggled to understand how a group would not want to discuss such things. However, as Kitty said that she and all at the dinner enjoyed the lively conversation, there was little to complain about. A good hostess encouraged discussion amongst those at her table, and obviously, Elizabeth had done just that.
For the first time, perhaps, Mrs Bennet felt proud of Elizabeth. She had been married for two years—Kitty had noted that the couple would celebrate their anniversary in just a few days—and was a successful hostess. She remembered the conversation with Mrs Phillips where she had learned that Mrs Darcy was quite a success amongst the ton, which had led to her attempt to finally write the long overdue apology. Yet, she still did not know what to say and continued to struggle to find the words.
Chapter Thirty-One
Over the next week, Mrs Bennet paid particular attention to her husband’s newspaper, pouring over the society pages looking for references to the Darcys. She also visited her sister regularly to review the other gossip sheets from London that her sister subscribed to. In most, but not quite all,ED from P in Derbyshirewas mentioned positively. She was often seen in company with several titled ladies, her sister, as well as the wives of other wealthy gentlemen. One account spoke in glowing terms of a dinner party hosted at Darcy House, where several prominent politicians and other notable figures were hosted.
Mrs Bennet struggled to understand how this daughter, the one she liked least, had managed to do so well for herself. She had been so confident that Elizabeth would fail in society, but here she was, being praised to the skies for the traits Mrs Bennet decried in her.
That night at dinner, she spoke to her husband about this. “Do you know, Mr Bennet, that our daughter, Mrs Darcy, is quite the celebrated hostess in London? She is frequently mentioned in the newspaper and the gossip columns and praised for her charitable endeavours and parties.”
Mr Bennet grunted. “She mentioned a party or two in her letters,although nothing about the papers. Is this why you requested the papers when I was finished with them this week?” he asked.
“Yes, my sister brought her name to my attention and then Kitty wrote a letter describing one of these parties. After that, I began to look for mentions of her in the paper and was surprised to learn how well she is thought of in London, at least according to the papers,” his wife told him. “Jane also has much to say of her sister’s success.”
“Our daughters have done rather well for themselves, at least, those who have married,” Mr Bennet replied. “The younger will do well with help from the Darcys.”
“I … I think, husband, that it is time I apologise to Lizzy,” Mrs Bennet stammered.
He looked at her in astonishment. “Do you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “I have let this go on long enough, and it has been purely my fault that we have never met our first grandchild. Kitty’s letter said they celebrated the child’s first birthday and the Darcys’ second anniversary not long ago. They took him and the Gardiner children to Astley’s Amphitheatre to celebrate and had a party attended by the Gardiners, the Hastings, and members of Mr Darcy’s family. We were not invited.”
“I am not certain that a letter of apology will be enough to bring them to Longbourn,” Mr Bennet said. “The letters to me are very business-like, and I am not certain they like either of us very much. We have both been rather foolish, have we not?”
Mrs Bennet eyed her husband warily but quickly deflated and confessed to the thoughts building up inside her. “I … I was angry for a long time. However, I have gradually realised what a terrible mother I have been to our daughters. When Lydia returned from school that first year at Christmas, I was surprised to learn how much our daughters had done for the tenants. I was just learning how to take their place, but Lydia knew exactly what to do. Lizzy taught all her sisters to care for the people of Longbourn while I fussed and complained. I recall your mother explaining my duty to the estate all those years ago, but then she continued doing much of it. For a short time, I went with her, but I stopped when Jane came. Your mother tried to encourage Jane to learn, but it was Lizzy who took the job over and then taught the rest.
“I knew that Lizzy was doing what I should have been, and instead of praising her for it, I belittled her. It was my responsibility, and I neglected it. Instead of appreciating Lizzy’s efforts, I tried to make myself feel better by making her feel small. I … I never understood her, and she had … she had your attention and … well, I think sometimes I was jealous of her.”
Mr Bennet sighed deeply. “I am equally at fault, if not more so,” he confessed to his wife. “I knew better and allowed you to act as you did. I should have encouraged you and helped you learn your role as my wife. I knew my mother continued assisting with the tenants and thought nothing of it, as you gave birth to several children quickly. When my mother passed away, I knew Lizzy took that role, although I did not know she had taught the other girls to help her. I hid in my bookroom instead of helping you with the girls and only taught Lizzy because she pestered me until I agreed. I allowed her to do far too much and never took enough interest in the estate myself. Her stipulations have forced me to take an active role, the role I always should have been doing, and I fought against it for far too long.”
“All of our daughters have left us now,” Mrs Bennet said. “Again, I blamed Lizzy for that, particularly for forcing us to send Lydia to school. However, from her letters, I know that Lydia has learned much. We have only seen her at Christmas—she chose to go to Pemberley last summer to visit her sisters. I was shocked when she wanted to apologise to the Lucases for her behaviour, the behaviour that I encouraged. I would have been happy to have Lydia married at just fifteen or sixteen, but she would not have been ready for marriage then. She has grown up a great deal and speaks very excitedly of joining the Darcys in London next spring. The Darcys have invited her, and they would never have done so if Lydia had not greatly improved.”
Mr Bennet looked at his wife. “I should have done more, my dear,” he told her. “I should have insisted we hire a governess or done something to correct the girls. Both Jane and Lizzy tried to encourage me to step in and check their younger sisters, but I ignored them, choosing to be amused instead of rousing myself from my books. For that, Mrs Bennet, I should apologise to you.”
“Will our girls forgive us?” she asked. “We cannot go back andchange what we have done, and it seems that Lizzy’s marriage enabled them to correct the flaws in our daughters’ upbringing, regardless of our failures as their parents. I … I have penned a letter to Lizzy, and if … if you will read it and send it, perhaps we can make a start?”
“We can try, Mrs Bennet,” he said. “We can try.”
Several days later,a large packet arrived at Darcy House from Longbourn addressed to both Mr and Mrs Darcy. It was brought to the study they shared and handed to the master along with the ordinary post.
