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Elizabeth nodded at the question, it had been the topic of much of her own thoughts.

“I do not know. Uncle Gardiner is well, and has a routine that does not tax his body. Young Edward will be 15 in March and still has two and a half years of school ahead of him. The other three children are still not yet 10 years of age. I am needed here and I do not foresee how that will change until Edward finishes his schooling, at the earliest.”

Jane saw Mary’s lips moving as she added up the years.

“That will be four years since the accident. What of you Lizzie?”

“What of me. I think, deep down, I knew this would be the outcome back when we first got the dreadful news. Family helps family.”

While there was much more to be talked about, at the same time nothing else needed to be said.

Family came first.

Later that evening, in the room they shared, Jane and Mary sat in bed and chatted.

“Is Lizzie trying to do too much Mary? She claimed that she was not but I am not so sure. Let us go through everything that she has talked about and several that she did not. The house is immaculate and clearly well run. Lizzie respects Mrs. Brewer yet it is clear that Mrs. Brewer in turn respects Lizzie. She is not Uncle Gardiner’s wife, just his young niece assisting him and his family, yet there is no tension there. And that is not just from this trip but all our trips, do you agree?”

“I think it goes back to our central issue of working hard. Elizabeth is not sitting back and ordering Mrs. Brewer around. She is working as hard as her and it is easy to gain respect when that happens.”

Jane nodded in agreement.

“Although it pains me to admit this, Angela, Rebecca and Michael are much better behaved than either Kitty or Lydia. They are lively and enthusiastic, Michael is only five after all, but they are not.”

Jane did not finish the sentence and instead just sighed.

“I know what you mean. There is no need to append any one of half a dozen different words. They will all mean the same thing.”

“And it is not as if there is just one child who is well behaved. There are three of them including two girls barely a year apart, no different than Kitty and Lydia.”

“Before you go on Jane, think about these two things. Elizabeth is not 18 until the start of summer and she is presiding over a well-run house and has helped raise three well behaved children. There are ladies more than double her age who cannot say the same thing.”

“Yet she hardly gets the chance to be such a lady. I know that she still reads and walks when she can, but she does not take advantage of living in the largest city in the world. She only visits the more fashionable areas of the city when we come to town.”

“I think that part of her challenge is she has no one to accompany her when we are not here. Yes, she will have a maid and footman with her but where is the joy if you feel isolated? She is not even of an age where she would be out in London.”

“Her being here in London at such a young age, and with so much responsibility is through an odd, and tragic, circumstance. I just worry about her Mary. It seems that she has so much to do.”

“Why do we not compare it to our own lives Jane? Visits to our tenants take two days a week for both of us now. There is a day in Meryton, visiting the shops and the Philips. I am in the stillroom at least one day a week, and you are often there with me. You attend Mama and are still the only one that can calm her.”

Mary stopped and it was her turn to sigh.

“Lizzie does not have to deal with our parents. She can do the things that Papa would neglect and she does not have to deal with Mama’s nerves and can just get on with running the house.”

That Jane, the most loyal and forgiving of the Bennet sisters, said nothing was telling. The both knew it was correct. Elizabeth was setting her own path and seemed to be coping fine without interference from their parents. As the candle was blown out both young women were silent with their thoughts.

Chapter 4

In a separate room in the house Elizabeth was also thinking about the day and the discussions with her sisters. What she had not told her sisters was how she assisted her uncle, and had done for the whole year. She sat in her bed thinking about the discussion with him back during the winter of the previous year, nearly a full 12 months earlier.

“Elizabeth, we need to have a long discussion. I am sorry to burden you this way but I need to talk to you about serious matters.”

Elizabeth found herself sitting up straighter in the chair. This seemed heady stuff for a 16 year old young woman.

“When you first relocated to London to assist me and the family we talked about how my competitors were reacting to my injury. There was nothing personal but they were looking to take advantage of me, my situation and to win business off me. We have weathered that immediate challenge but I want to talk to you about the future. The first thing we must talk about is your involvement with Gardiner Import/Export. You are doing a great job running the house, helping to raise my children and ensuring that I do not over-exert myself. I knew you were a capable young lady but this has been great. I know that Maddy would have been very proud of the way you are treating and raising the children.”

Elizabeth smiled a watery smile and dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief.

“What has been a huge boon to my business is that you are prepared to go to the office and even the warehouse on a regular basis. Despite everything that happened last summer it was the business’ best year. I am now at the stage of asking you, asking you mind not demanding of you, whether you would like to continue to be involved?”