Netherfield Park Quarantined (24 page)
Read Netherfield Park Quarantined Online
Authors: Melanie Schertz
Anne nodded her head. “William, I know our uncle and aunt will be able
to show me the correct path. Do not fret. Elizabeth, you still need to recover,
with your arm still mending. Take the time to be together and move forward
with your life together. All the struggling and pain which has tried to tear you
apart is over. Please, go on with your plans.”
out for my former home.”
Elizabeth and Darcy returned to Longbourn, with the plans to remain
there for a fortnight, allowing their family to celebrate Christmas before
traveling onwards. Afterwards, they would stay at their London home for
another fortnight, before finally making their way to Pemberley.
The Bennet family had decided to keep a very quiet holiday season, with
all that had happened to their family. It was determined the Gardiner family
would come to Longbourn, bringing Mrs Bennet, Kitty and Lydia with them.
After the New Year, Lydia would return to London with her aunt and uncle, to
continue her studies.
After all that had happened, Elizabeth was ready to see Pemberley.
Preferring to travel straight to their estate rather than spending time in Town,
only Darcy’s determination to ensure her wardrobe was fitting for the much
colder winters in the north was able to convince Elizabeth of the sense of the
trip to London. She had been excited, as all she had heard of made her heart
soar with anticipation. Darcy told her of all the wonderful sights to see, and of
the people who made Pemberley what it was, leaving the new Mistress of
Pemberley anxious to become a part of the estate.
“William, we will be arriving shortly before your birthday. Is there
anything specific you would wish to have as part of our celebration?”
Elizabeth inquired. She had already been made aware of her husband’s
reluctance to celebrate his birthday, as he did not wish to be the center of
attention.
“Dearest, having you in my arms when I awake in our bed in our home,
what more could a man wish for on his birthday? I desire nothing more than
your love and the joy of being at our estate.”
“Is there no special meal you would wish to have prepared? Or a gift
you would wish for?” Elizabeth had already begun to plan for what she would
do if he denied anything special.
“The cook usually makes my favorite breakfast, eggs, bacon, pastries,
and fresh fruit. Otherwise, there is nothing which needs to be fussed over.
And I do not require any gifts.” Darcy was beginning to blush. “Truly, Lizzy,
there is no need to make any fuss over my birthday. It is not important.”
“Not important?” Elizabeth stood in front of her husband, placing her
hands on her hips. “You believe it is not important to celebrate the birth of the
most wonderful, incredible and amazing man, who is also my beloved
husband? I do not agree with you, though I will keep myself under regulation,
for I do not intend to allow you to simply sweep your birthday under the rug
as if it was nothing of importance.”
“No parties, Lizzy, I beg of you. If I must celebrate my birthday, I wish to
do so in private, with my family only. And preferably with only my wife.
Would it not be wonderful to have the entire day to ourselves, hidden away in
our rooms?” Darcy continued to persuade his wife of such pleasures being far
more enjoyable in his mind. He wrapped his arms around Elizabeth, pulling
her to his chest. “Having you with me is far better than anything you could
purchase me for a gift.”
With a smile, Elizabeth shook her head. “You are impossible, Mr Darcy.
Very well, there will be no party or gatherings, and it will be family only. As
much as I would wish to be just the two of us, Georgiana will be home with us
as well. It would not be proper to leave her all alone while we wiled away the
day in our bedchamber.”
“I am certain Georgiana could be kept busy with lessons and such. Mrs
Reynolds has already secured a new companion for Georgiana, and she will be
able to keep my sister’s attention from our whereabouts.” With that, Darcy
leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his wife’s cheek.
With the Gardiners arriving at Longbourn, bringing the remaining
Bennets home, it was decided that Darcy and Elizabeth, as well as Georgiana,
would stay at Netherfield with Bingley. The repairs, though far from finished,
had made Lucas Lodge inhabitable, so the Lucas family returned to their
home.
Georgiana was thrilled to be once again with her family. She had
become close to Elizabeth while they were in Ireland, and was pleased to have
family with whom to celebrate the holiday season. Since the deaths of their
parents, Darcy and Georgiana usually spent the holidays alone or with the
Fitzwilliam family. Having the Bennets, Gardiners, Bingley, Mrs Phillips, and
the Darcys all together, there was plenty of joyous frivolity.
Darcy and Elizabeth decided to go into Meryton to shop for gifts for
their family. They first visited the milliner, where they purchased items for
each of their sisters. There was a new selection of ribbons and bonnets for the
young ladies.
Then the couple made their way to the confectionary shop. There were
many delightful treats to choose from, and Darcy decided to celebrate after all
they had survived. He had boxes made up with a wide variety of treats to be
enjoyed, one box for each of his family members.
The next stop was to the mercantile, where the Darcys found a great
assortment of items for gifts. There were shawls, gloves, music boxes, cigars,
and much more. Items were chosen for each person, including toys for the
Gardiner children.
For the last stop of the shopping adventure, the Darcys entered their
favorite store of all. Mr Walters’ Book Emporium was filled with books, from
classics to the newest editions. Knowing they would be in this shop for some
time, Elizabeth had left it to the end of the trip. There were histories, poetry,
novels, and more. Mr Walters had even stocked a few books for the blind,
with raised lettering. “Your father informed me of Miss Lydia’s schooling and
I felt it would be comforting to your sister to have something she could read
for herself. Give her a boost of courage.”
stated.
“Well, there are not many books out there for the blind, but I searched
until I found one Miss Lydia might like. Your father and I have been the
dearest of friends since childhood, so it was no trouble, only a labor of
affection for the family of my old friend.”
company and discussions.” Elizabeth smiled as she spoke to the man.
For more than two hours, the couple perused the many shelves of
books, finding the perfect subject for those on their list. Elizabeth took close
notice of books her husband had examined which were his personal likes, as
she would send a message to Mr Walters to have these items sent to her at
Netherfield.
Christmas Eve arrived and Longbourn was filled with liveliness and
good cheer. The inhabitants of both Longbourn and Netherfield had gathered,
along with their guests, and all were ready to celebrate the holiday.
The dinner which was served was delicious, with so many choices, no
one went away from the table hungry. As was tradition at Longbourn, after
the dinner, the servants were given the rest of the evening to themselves to
celebrate, including a meal which Mr Bennet had hired outside assistance to
cook for his servants.
After partaking of the meal, Mr Bennet proclaimed there would be no
separation of the sexes that evening, and everyone made their way to the
parlor. Elizabeth and Kitty, as well as both of their aunts, entertained their
family members with music. Then the card tables were brought out and
everyone formed groups to play.
Well after midnight, the Netherfield party decided to make their way
home. The following morning, they would join the Bennets in attending
church and then everyone would return to Netherfield to enjoy a luncheon,
followed by exchanging gifts.
Netherfield was filled with chatter and excitement as each person was
given their gifts. Georgiana, Kitty, and Lydia were thrilled with the gifts of
ribbons, bonnets, gloves, and books which Darcy and Elizabeth gave them. Mrs
Bennet was pleased with the cashmere shawl she received, and the new
threads and fabric for creating items.
Mr Bennet enjoyed his new gloves, cigars and books. He laughed when
he saw the books, as he had asked his friend if the very same books had been
delivered to the book shop, and Mr Walters stated his shipment had been
delayed. “Ah, I see my old friend is as conniving as ever, seeking to surprise
me. What a delight to receive these books, as I have wished to begin reading
them for some time.”
“You know I am friends with Mr Walters as well, Papa. He was very
pleased to be of assistance to me.” Elizabeth said, a slight bit smug at her
ability to surprise her father.
“My dear girl, how I have missed our daily debates and discussions.” Mr
Bennet smiled. “And, in a few months, I will be losing Jane as well. All
sensible conversation will be at an end with the two of you moved away.”
“Ah, to visit Pemberley, and that grand library of which I have heard so
much. I believe I will find a need for a visit soon enough.” Mr Bennet replied.
“Well, I know Netherfield’s library is in a sad state of affairs, but now I
have the beginning of a grand library, thanks to my good friend and my future
sister.” Bingley said as he held up one of the volumes the Darcys had gifted
him.
“Yes, Bingley, we needed to bring you to a respectable standard for your
library, or else Bennet might revoke his agreement for you to marry his
daughter.” Darcy said with a laugh.
“If that was the case, I would go to Meryton and purchase every book in
Mr Walter’s shop this very day.” With this statement from Bingley, everyone
in the room began to laugh.
With the holidays over, the Darcys made their way to London. In the
time they planned to stay in Town, they had shopping excursions, as well as
evenings at the theater and opera, and days visiting museums and exhibits.
Except for the shopping, Elizabeth was excited for the plans her husband had
made. Though the Season had not come, there were some of the families from
the north who preferred to winter in Town where the weather was not as
severe.
As expected, as soon as word circulated of the Darcys being in Town,
invitations began to arrive for dinner parties, a few balls, and other
gatherings. All of society was wishing to meet the new Mistress of Pemberley,
as Elizabeth was an unknown entity amongst the
ton
. Darcy decided, before
their arrival, that they would not accept any invitations during the fortnight,
as he wished to spend his time with his family, especially his wife.
Each morning, ladies would come to pay a call on Elizabeth. Rather than
allow his wife to be alone during these calls, as Lady Matlock was still at
Rosings with Anne and Lord Matlock, Darcy took the time from his work to be
at Elizabeth’s side. Some of ladies wished to be critical or nasty in their
attitude towards the daughter of an unknown country squire, for Elizabeth
was seen by many as having stolen the prize bachelor in all England. Darcy
expected such, as he knew how many young ladies had tried desperately to
capture him as their own. With him at Elizabeth’s side, no one would dare
treat her with disrespect.
Knowing his wife would not order the amount of clothing he deemed
necessary, Darcy escorted his wife to the modiste. This was quite shocking, as
most husbands preferred to avoid such activities. He brought with him a book
to keep himself occupied, though he planned to be involved with the designs
and fabrics chosen, as he wished to show off his beautiful wife.
The couple arrived at Mrs Culliver’s shop and were immediately shown
into a private room. Darcy had made arrangements, informing the modiste of
his plans to see his wife acquire a large number of gowns and undergarments.
Mrs Culliver had only recently opened her shop, due to the assistance of Lady
Matlock. Rebecca Fitzwilliam was one who did not care what others looked
for in a modiste, nor did she mind a lady who was starting out in a location
others would consider beneath them in which to shop. Mrs Culliver’s shop
was located in Cheapside, not far from Mr Gardiner’s warehouse. In fact, Mr
Gardiner was one of her suppliers of fine imported fabric and lace. Lady
Matlock had heard of Mrs Culliver from her lady’s maid, who happened to be
Mrs Culliver’s sister. The maid brought one of her sister’s creations for Lady
Matlock to inspect, which was the day Mrs Culliver became Lady Matlock’s
primary source of gowns.
Darcy was pleased with the shop’s cleanliness and cheery demeanor.
Mrs Culliver was a middle aged widow with three daughters to support, so
having clients such as Lady Matlock and the Darcy ladies were a blessing to
her. Learning of Elizabeth’s relationship to the Gardiners brought a fondness
to the woman as she easily conversed with her of people they both knew. Mrs
Gardiner was known to Mrs Culliver as well, as they belonged to a group of
ladies who were working towards starting a school for the children in their
neighborhood.
Nearly five hours passed before Darcy was certain his wife had ordered
enough clothing for their new life together. As they left, Elizabeth showed
Darcy to the Gardiner warehouse, where they spent several moments visiting
with Mr Gardiner. An invitation was issued to dine with the Gardiners at their
home the following week, as well as for the Gardiners to join the Darcys at the
theater in two days.
Rather than stopping at a tea shop for some refreshments, Elizabeth
preferred to return to Darcy House, as she was quite fatigued from the
adventure. Darcy was concerned, as Elizabeth had never tired so easily,
though he kept his opinion to himself.
