Page 29
Book 2 Chapter 1
“Lizzie, do you think that Jane will be happy?”
Elizabeth considered Mary’s question as they watched the happy couple circulate round Longbourn, thanking everyone who had attended their wedding.
“I do not believe this is the place for this discussion. This evening, when the guests have all left.”
The intervening six hours allowed her to observe her sister, but also the family into which she had married. Geoffrey Warburton was the third son of the head of a small banking house in London. His grandfather had emigrated from one of the many small kingdoms in Germany. Marcus Warschauer became Mark Warburton, a name carried by both his son and his oldest grandson. The family of German immigrant merchants had branched into banking and were slowly integrating into British society. The heir had married the daughter of another banker with a substantial dowry but no pedigree.
The third son Geoffrey had met Jane while she was residing in London with the Gardiners; her uncle and his family. That she was gentle-born allowed him, and his father, to overlook her lack of dowry. This was a small, but easy, step into respectability. Mrs. Bennet had been adamantly opposed to the match at first and still looked upon it with little favour. As always with her though, she looked at it through the lens of her own needs. The family were rich and she no longer had to fear the hedgerows.
Elizabeth and Mary helped with the clean-up after the last of the guests were gone. Mrs. Bennet made a fuss and disappeared off to the Mistress suite, better that she was absent than present but making a fuss about any and everything. Mr. Bennet had made no fuss, returning to his library. Elizabeth had been disappointed at his lack of emotion that morning. His oldest daughter was leaving forever and yet he had been calm to the point of disinterested. As for Kitty and Lydia they were never going to do anything so useful as help. She assumed they were in their room.
The bulk of the work was done by the servants but Elizabeth and Mary were not going to sit around and watch them return Longbourn to normal without doing something to assist. It was not much more than a token effort, more supervision than anything else, but it was still appreciated.
“Come let us talk in my room.”
When they reached the upstairs hall they discovered Lydia coming out of Jane’s bedroom.
“What were you doing in there?”
Lydia had an unpleasant habit of rummaging in her sister’s rooms.
“Do not speak to me like that Lizzie. I was merely looking at my new bedroom.”
Elizabeth was tempted to scoff at Lydia. But she knew her mother would back Lydia and her father would do nothing. Ignoring the provocation she ushered Mary into her room and slammed the door in Lydia’s face. She held her finger up to her lips. For 20 seconds the two sisters stood silently without moving. Suddenly Elizabeth opened the door without warning and Lydia fell into the room, sprawling on the floor. Deliberately Elizabeth stood on Lydia’s hand as she tried to get up.
“Oh I am sorry Lydia. Did I tread on your hand by accident?”
The last word was emphasised.
“Still, it is the least you should expect if you are listening at the keyhole of a door. Hardly the act of a lady, is it?”
“When I tell Mama about this you will be in so much trouble.”
“You think I am going to get into trouble?”
“Of course you are.”
“Oh well then, I might as well make it worthwhile.”
It was not a hard slap, it did not have to be, but it stunned her youngest sister.
“Now you really have something to complain about. Get out, stay out and try at least to act the lady.”
Once more the door was closed in Lydia’s face.
“Lizzie, Mama is going to be most upset.”
“Yes Mary, I am sure she will be. But sit down and let us talk, it is going to be one of the things to be discussed.”
“You seem very calm.”
“I am sure I will hear all about it tomorrow. But nothing will happen this evening. Mama will have taken something for her ‘nerves’, laudanum most likely, and Lydia could shout about me all night and she would not hear a thing. There is no point in borrowing trouble forward.”
“You seem different Lizzie.”
“Your question all these hours ago had me in a reflective mood all afternoon. You asked if Jane will be happy and I thought of that, but I also thought of whether we would be happy with Jane absent. I think the talks about that second part will take longer, we know each other so much better, so let me address your initial question.
