A Royal Bennet (15 page)
Authors: Melanie Schertz
Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, surely we will. I have water steaming
already, and have buckets of water waiting in the
servant’s room behind the dressing chamber. Dinner
will not be for two hours, so there should be plenty of
time to bathe and dress.”
well, I will take a bath.”
“And what is your preference for scent, Miss?
From the clothes I unpacked, it appears you like
orange blossom and lavender.”
This amazed Elizabeth. “But the clothes we
brought with us were new, and I have not had any of
my scent bottles with me.”
“Oh, no, Miss. The trunk which was sent from
Lambton. Miss Georgiana said the seamstress in the
village had your trunk sent here after she learned of
your friendship with the family, and that you were
coming here.”
of her to do so.”
“She is a right fine lady. My ma knew her and
stated she was always the kindest of ladies.” Rose
assisted Elizabeth in removing her gown and stays,
placing the items to the side so she could have them
cleaned. Once the remaining clothing was removed,
Rose poured a few drops of scent into the water she
had prepared.
Elizabeth sank into the water, allowing the
warmth to envelop her. She felt a sense of joy flow
through her, being able to finally take a full bath. In
Liverpool, she was unable to bathe in a tub, as she was
required to wait until the wound was completely
healed. Now that it was, it was a true blessing to
submerge in the warmth and her favorite scent. She
closed her eyes, relishing in the comfort it brought
her.
Rose assisted her charge in washing her hair,
using a scented soap which Georgiana had given the
maid to use. Once it was rinsed, the girl assisted
Elizabeth with the rest of her bath, and then carefully
aided Elizabeth to her feet and out of the tub. She
dried her with the soft towels, wrapping Elizabeth’s
long, dark chocolate curls in one towel, while drying
her with another.
Elizabeth chose to wear one of her favorite gowns,
a mint green silk with which her aunt and uncle had
gifted her. Rose set about drying Elizabeth’s hair,
commenting on how beautiful the curls were. Once
dried, she pinned the hair in an elegant style upon her
head. Looking in the peer glass, Elizabeth hardly
recognized herself. “Rose, you are a miracle worker. I
cannot believe how beautiful I look.”
“Miss, if you can pardon me for saying so, I did
nothing to make you beautiful. You are naturally
beautiful, one of the most becoming ladies I have ever
seen. It is simple to do your hair and dress you in a
gown, the true beauty comes from deep inside and
shows in everything you do.”
“My mother would disagree with you.” Elizabeth
smiled half-heartedly. Then she thought about her
words. It was time to be honest. “Well, as she is not
truly my mother, her hateful words should mean
nothing to me.”
“Someone spoke hatefully to you, and she was
supposed to be your mother? Goodness, what a
foolish woman she must be. I cannot think of any
mother who would treat their daughter in such a
manner.” Rose added a finishing touch to Elizabeth,
her garnet cross.
thought I would never see this again.”
“Mr Darcy had it repaired while in Liverpool, that
is what Mrs Reynolds told me. She gave it to me just
before you came up.”
Tears were forming in Elizabeth’s eyes. “I have
worn this necklace since I was a little girl. It has
always been precious to me.”
“Well, it is right nice, and seeing the joy in your
eyes, I am pleased it is returned to you.” Rose said,
finding the joy the young lady found in something so
simple endeared her to the maid.
As Elizabeth stepped out of her chambers, Darcy
was walking nearby. “Miss Elizabeth, might I escort
you down to dinner? It is easy to become lost in the
house, until you are familiar with it.”
Smiling, Elizabeth placed her hand on his arm.
“Thank you, Mr Darcy.” Her hand reached up and
lightly fingered the cherished necklace she wore.
“And thank you, for the return of my cross. Papa gave
it to me when I was a child. It broke my heart when it
was snatched from me.”
“When I saw it, it made it easier to find you. The
man who had it was part of the highwaymen gang. He
was able to tell us which direction those scoundrels
took you and your maid.”
“I rarely ever took it off, so I have felt quite lost
without it. Papa told me, when he gave it to me, that it
was meant for me.”
“My cousin noticed the emblem etched into the
back of the setting. It was the royal seal of Brunswick.
I assume it was a piece from your mother.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red. Darcy realized she
must be uncomfortable with his knowing the truth of
her birth. “Miss Elizabeth, you have nothing of which
to be ashamed with me. To be honest, I am pleased
that Mrs Bennet is not truly your mother. The woman
is vulgar and cruel, not to mention, an idiot. Knowing
she will never be able to cause you harm again brings
me joy.”
“It is difficult of which to speak, Mr Darcy.
Especially to someone such as yourself. It would be
simple enough for you, being of the upper circle of
society, to refuse to have anything to do with me and
my family.”
“You had no choice as to whom your parents are,
Miss Elizabeth. And, in all honesty, you are a member
of royalty. That places you above the wealthy,
untitled land owner, so far as society is concerned.”
Darcy stated as he smiled.
“I could never face society, not after all that has
happened. I would be horrified to deal with all of it.”
Elizabeth suddenly paled.
“Though I am sure your mother’s family will wish
for some sort of presentation, I believe they will allow
you to make up your own mind as to your frequency
in society.”
“It is difficult for me to think of some unknown
lady being my mother. Papa has sent to Mrs Hill, our
housekeeper, asking for a box, which he has kept
hidden all these years, to be sent here. He says there
is a portrait of my mother. Constance, her name was
Constance.”
wish to be a part of your life?” Darcy asked.
“I have an aunt, Margaret, who is married and
lives in Scotland. She writes to Papa every year, on
my birthday, and he sends a reply. Papa says she will
wish to know me better, as she has always wished to
be a part of my life. He promised to tell me more of
my mother’s family while we are here. But it is
difficult to think of all I will learn. I have cousins,
aunts, and uncles whom I have never met, never even
knew existed. But they know of me, and have cared
for me from afar.”
“You are welcome to invite any of your relations to
come here, away from the rest of the world.
Pemberley is located in such a way as to make it
private.”
I am grateful for all you have done for my family.”
“I must admit, Miss Elizabeth, I thought only of
you. My only wish is to be of service to you, in your
time of confusion.”
Elizabeth was shocked at his confession.
Fortunately, they had reached the dining room, where
the rest of their party was waiting for them.
The group dined quietly, as most of the party were
fatigued from the journey. It was decided to end the
evening early, just after dining, so everyone could
have time to themselves and retire to their beds.
There were no plans for the following day, as Darcy
and Georgiana wished to allow their guests to have a
relaxing day.
As the sun began to rise, Elizabeth woke with the
desire to start exploring the wonderful estate she was
visiting. She dressed, with the assistance of Rose, and
made her way downstairs. The smell coming from the
kitchen was heavenly, and Elizabeth found herself
drawn towards the breakfast room. There were rolls
and preserves on the sideboard, the rolls still warm
from baking. Elizabeth took two rolls with her, after
cutting them open and smearing the berry preserves
on the interior. She then gathered her delicious
morsels and made her way outdoors.
She was only planning to take a walk about the
gardens, not being familiar with the area, but there
seemed to be more areas beckoning her to come
further and further away from the house. Finding the
stream, Elizabeth took a seat on the side of an
overturned tree and brought out her rolls. She had
finished the first roll when she saw something moving
in the bush nearby. For a moment, Elizabeth held her
breath, not knowing what would come out from the
lush green foliage.
Suddenly, a dog jumped out of the bush. It was a
beautiful dog, multicolored with long fur. The dog
appeared to be one of the herding dogs which
Elizabeth assumed were used to keep the sheep on
the estate in line. Elizabeth had always been fond of
dogs, though her father had never allowed their
family to have a dog. Mr Bennet had always told his
daughters that dogs were meant to work, and only
working dogs were allowed to live at Longbourn.
The dog watched Elizabeth carefully, cocking its
head to the side, taking in everything she saw of the
young lady. Finally, with a little coaxing, the dog
moved forward, sniffing Elizabeth’s outstretched
hand.
“It is alright, girl. I will not harm you.” Elizabeth
said as she encouraged the dog to come to her.
Finally, Elizabeth held out a piece of roll to the dog.
There was no need for further encouragement, as the
dog instantly moved closer and took the offered treat.
“There, now, I promised that you would not be
harmed. What a pretty girl you are. And your fur is
soft. Someone must take good care of you.” Elizabeth
ran her fingers through the long fur. As she continued
to pet the dog, Elizabeth felt a calming effect course
through her. It gave her a sense of contentment she
had not felt since her world became a chaotic mess.
“What a sweet nature you have. I wish I knew your
name. You are filled with love and compassion, I can
sense how caring you are.”
Elizabeth continued to break off small pieces of
the roll and giving them to the dog, who, in return,
licked any remaining preserves from Elizabeth’s
fingertips. “Ah, so you like the sweets goodness. I
must thank you for your kindness in cleaning my
fingers.”
For over half an hour, Elizabeth lost herself
petting the dog, and discussing her tormented mind
with her new friend. The dog placed her head on
Elizabeth’s lap, soaking in the devotion she was
receiving from the human.
The sound of a horse could be heard riding
towards the pair. The dog suddenly stood, and with a
grumbled bark, left her new friend to return to the
bush. Finally turning her full attention to the rider,
Elizabeth realized the rider was none other than Mr
Darcy.
“Miss Elizabeth, you are awake early this morning.
I would have thought you would sleep in today, after
all the traveling you have done of late.”
“I have always been an early riser, Mr Darcy. As
soon as the sun comes up, it cries out to me to come
outside.” Elizabeth smiled.
asked.
“No, I have never owned a dog such as that one. It
looked like Old Jameson’s dog. She was devoted to
her master until he died last autumn. Since then, she
has kept her distance from people.”
“She was timid at first, but quickly came to me and
accepted my attention to her. Do you know her
name?”
Darcy thought for a few moments before he
recalled the name. “I believe she is called Sadie. Mr
Jameson’s wife was named Sadie, and she had died
more than twenty years ago. I can remember his
saying his life was empty since losing his beloved
Sadie, so he decided to have another loving Sadie in
his life. She worked the sheep with him.”
likes.”
“She is a collie. Mr Jameson’s brother lives in
Scotland and he brought Jameson the dog when she
was a pup. I love watching Sadie work the sheep. She
runs faster than any other dog I have seen, and she is
agile. She can actually cut one particular sheep from
the fold upon command. Jameson never would tell me
how he trained her, he claimed it was a secret and he
could not tell it to anyone.” Darcy laughed at the
memory.
Elizabeth looked at the man as he took his seat
beside her on the log. It amazed her to hear Darcy
speaking so much, let alone his vast knowledge of his
tenant and the tenant’s dog. She was impressed with
the way he spoke, caring for the now deceased man
and the dog which had been devoted to its master.
This was not the Darcy she remembered.
After a little more conversation, Darcy walked
Elizabeth back to the house. Elizabeth decided then
and there that she wished to know more of Mr
Fitzwilliam Darcy.
The following day, Elizabeth repeated the journey
to the fallen tree by the river. For the second day in a
row, she was met there by Sadie. This time, Elizabeth
came prepared. Elizabeth pulled from her pocket a
cloth wrapped bundle. “Good morning, Miss Sadie. I
hoped I would find you here again. I brought you a
treat.” She opened the cloth to reveal some small
pieces of meat alongside the rolls she brought for
herself. Sadie came nearer, her tongue licked her
mouth in anticipation.
Elizabeth gave the dog a piece of meat, petting her
head for a few moments before giving her some more.
“Mr Darcy told me that your owner died. I am grieved
by your loss. From what he has told me, you are as
lost as I am in this confusing world. I am pleased you
have chosen to introduce yourself to me.”
