Mr. Darcy's Daughter (34 page)

"Your
Aunt Emma sounds very wise," he said and added softly, "If that is
the test, I think we shall have little difficulty passing it, do you not agree,
Lizzie?"

"Indeed
and I would marry you anyway, though I would be happiest if they gave us their
blessing. I think Papa will, but I have no wish to hurt my dear Mama, so I do
hope she will not be displeased either."

*

Their
conversation having ended when they reached the entrance to the drive, Mr. Carr
had taken leave of them and, mounting his horse, had ridden up the road in the
direction of Rushmore Farm. While Miss Longhurst and Laura Ann had hurried up
the drive behind the boys, Lizzie, her mind now fully occupied with the
question of her father's response to Mr. Carr's letter, had dawdled along
behind them, lost in her own thoughts, until her father's voice broke into
them. When she entered the study and saw the letter in his hand, Lizzie wished
she knew more of what was in it.

Her
mother was seated in her father's favourite chair by the fireplace, while her
father sat beside Lizzie on the couch by the window.

Still
holding the letter, he began, "Lizzie dear, I am sure you are aware that I
have had this letter from Mr. Carr," and when she nodded, he continued,

"First,
let me apologise to you and I will do likewise, when I see him, to Mr. Carr as
well, for the inordinate delay in responding to this letter, keeping both of
you in suspense as it were. But, I know you will understand, what with all that
has occurred since Christmas, do you not my dear?"

Lizzie
nodded again and he went on."Now, Mr. Carr says in his letter to me that
he has asked you to marry him and you have accepted him. Is this correct,
Lizzie?"

She
nodded once more and said, "Yes, Papa, I have. But that was before
Christmas. Mr. Carr was to write to you on Boxing Day, but he was late getting
back from London and..."

Richard
held up his hand. "You do not need to explain, my dear, I understand that
sometimes these things are unavoidable; but Lizzie, my dear, did you not wish
to speak with your Mama or with me, before you accepted him?" he asked.

Poor
Lizzie thought this was beginning to sound ominous. She was silent for a minute
or two, before saying quietly, but ever so firmly, "I am sorry, Papa, but
I did not feel as though I needed to. It was not as though I was unsure; I do
love him and I knew, when he asked me, there was no other man I wanted to
marry, so I said 'Yes, of course'..."

At
this, her father laughed lightly and Lizzie relaxed. He did not sound angry,
she thought, and that was a good sign.

"And
how long have you known with so much certainty that Mr. Carr was the man you
wanted to marry?" he asked.

Lizzie
stopped to think a while. "I cannot exactly say, Papa. I think it has been
coming along for a while now. But, if you were to press me, I would probably
have to say that I knew, for certain, on the day in Meryton, when I was trying
to get away from that horrible Mr. Jones in the village, when he kept following
me...and insisting on talking to me...and asking questions...I did not know
what to do or whom to turn to, until I saw Mr. Carr on the other side of the
street...He was going into the saddlery and I was quite sure that if I could
get across the street and find him, I would be safe. I knew he would protect me
from Mr. Jones and indeed he did! He was kind and considerate and I felt
safe...I knew then that I could trust him with anything, including my life."

Her
words tumbled out in a great rush and it was clear she was still distressed by
the memory. Richard and Cassandra looked at one another, concerned and anxious
and, in almost one voice, asked, "Lizzie, what's this about Mr. Jones? Has
Andrew Jones been here, in the village harassing you with his attentions?"
and when she nodded, her face red with embarrassment, Cassy exclaimed,
"Lizzie, my child, you have never mentioned this to me!" and her
father asked, in a much more serious voice, "When did this happen,
Lizzie?"

She
related some of the detail of her ordeal and explained the manner in which Mr.
Carr had brought her home, discreetly avoiding the attention of Mr. Jones and
any other passersby in the village. They were impressed by his kindness and
discretion, grateful he had been there to help her. But her mother was furious
about Andrew Jones, whose part in the destruction of her brother's marriage
and, consequently, the death of his wife, could never be forgiven.

"You
ought to have told your father and me, Lizzie. While it was kind of Mr. Carr to
help you, your Papa and I were entitled to know, especially if you had been in
any danger of further harassment by Mr. Jones," she said, and then it was
that Lizzie replied, "Yes, Mama, but I did not wish to trouble you; you
were away at Pemberley most mornings, helping Grandfather with the business of
the estate and then, there were all Uncle Julian's problems, too; I did not
feel it was right to burden you with something more."

Cassy
heard her words and shook her head, disbelieving. She could not accept that
Lizzie had decided her mother was too busy to be troubled with her problems.

"Besides,"
Lizzie went on, "my brother knew of it. Mr. Carr had told him and, while
we were away in London, they tried to find Mr. Jones and warn him to stay away
from me, but he had moved to Derby. So you see, there was no longer any need to
worry you with it."

As
their conversation continued, it became amply clear to her parents that
Lizzie's feelings were too deeply engaged, her esteem for Carr too great, for
her to be dissuaded by anything they might say, even if they had wished to do
so.

She
was quite determined to marry the man of her choice. Dr Gardiner, having given
her his blessing, said he would write to Mr. Carr immediately and have the
letter delivered to Rushmore Farm by hand, together with an invitation to
dinner, which her mother was happy to endorse. At which she flung her arms
around her father's neck and kissed him, before embracing her mother.

They
were now both in tears and Cassy said, holding her close, "My darling
Lizzie, you must promise me that if you ever have any anxiety or fears, you
will come to me. It matters not how busy I have been or who else has burdened
me with their worries, I must know yours. Will you promise?" she pleaded,
and Lizzie gave her word, realising that her mother had been hurt at being
excluded from her confidence. She was sorry now that she had not spoken
earlier.

That
evening, Mr. Carr arrived, looking cheerful and happy.

He
was invited into Dr Gardiner's study, after which, the family dined together.
Edward and Darcy were both present to congratulate their young sister, and
Laura Ann was allowed to wait up to help celebrate her sister's engagement.

"Will
I be your bridesmaid, Lizzie?" she asked and had to be hushed, because no
one was discussing wedding plans so soon after Josie's funeral.

Indeed,
Dr Gardiner, in his conversation with Mr. Carr, had made it clear that he did
not expect Lizzie to be married until after her next birthday; it was a
condition Mr. Carr had no trouble accepting.

As
usual, after dinner the company gathered in the drawing room, and the sisters
were persuaded to play and sing. When Mr. Carr rose and went to the instrument
to join them, the family had to acknowledge that they made a very handsome
couple indeed. When he asked her if she would sing "Les Petites
Oiseaux," she smiled and said, "Yes, of course, Mr. Carr," and
it seemed his cup of joy was full.

Afterwards,
the now-acknowledged lovers were left in peace to tell each other how very
fortunate they were and all those other seemingly meaningless things that
people say in such situations, while the rest of the family turned their
attention to more mundane matters.

*

With
Spring in the air, Darcy was soon wanting to return to London.

Hopes
were high that, in the New Year, with Lord Russell leading the Whigs, the
promised Parliamentary reforms would soon follow. Darcy's hero, Mr. Gladstone,
was going to play a prominent role in the new Parliament; Darcy was sure of it
and wanted to be there, he said.

"I
have had a letter from Colin Elliott. He says the Reformists are meeting before
the new session of Parliament to plan tactics and he expects a most interesting
period ahead. I cannot wait to hear the speeches."

Edward
was rather more circumspect.

"I
am not entirely sure that either Russell or Gladstone will get a Reform Bill
through the Parliament; there are too may forces against it--some on their own
side," he warned, but his brother's enthusiasm was not to be denied. While
Edward was preparing for his marriage to Miss Angela Anderson, politics was
still Darcy's chief preoccupation. He was leaving for London soon and would
keep them informed of progress, he promised.

*

Later
that night, when Lizzie had gone to bed, her mother came to her room. Cassy
could not have failed to see the happiness that seemed to illumi-nate her
daughter's face. Having but recently seen so much misery etched upon the faces
of her brother and Josie, as well as the enormous burden of sorrow it had cast
upon her parents, it was with genuine pleasure that she had watched Lizzie and Mr.
Carr together, hoping, indeed praying, that their joy would last, as her own
had done.

Earlier
in the evening Mr. Carr, having received Richard's blessing, had thanked them
both for their acceptance of him, promising he would do everything in his power
to make their daughter happy. Still, there was a nagging feeling in Cassy's
heart; she wanted to discover why her daughter had not spoken of her feelings,
at all. Surely, she thought, it could not have been through lack of trust?

When
Lizzie saw her mother enter her room, she sat up, pulling her bedclothes around
her. Cassy sat on the bed beside her.

"No,
don't you get up, my dear. I wanted only to say how pleased I am. I know you
love your Mr. Carr dearly, and it is quite plain that he loves you very
much."

"And
you are not displeased, Mama, that I did not ask your permission first?"
she asked, almost pleading with her mother to understand. "You were always
busy and my little problems seemed so trivial...I did not wish to bother
you."

"Bother
me? Why Lizzie, my darling, I am your mother and I want you to bother me with
your problems, however small. Indeed, if I
was
a little concerned, it was because I
felt you did not trust me."

Lizzie
sat up and put her arms around her mother. "Not trust you? Mama, how could
you ever think such a thing? Did you not know how much it meant to me, to have
your blessing and Papa's?"

"And
what would you have done if Papa and I said no?" Cassy asked, unfairly
perhaps, forcing Lizzie to face the prospect squarely.

She
did and, after a few moment's thought replied, but in the softest voice,

"I
still think I would have married him, Mama. I do love him very much, but it
would have broken my heart to have displeased you."

With
this frank admission, Lizzie's tears spilled out, and mother and daughter
embraced, each more eager than the other to declare how well they loved one
another and how very fortunate they both were. There would never be any
question of lack of trust between them, they vowed, and Cassandra tucked her
daughter in and made to leave the room.

Before
she reached the door, however, Lizzie, now nestling comfortably under her
quilt, asked in a deliberately casual voice, "Mama, if your Papa had said
'No, Cassy, you cannot have my permission to marry Richard Gardiner,'

what
would you have done?"

Cassy
was almost at the door; she turned and smiled, knowing she had been neatly
ambushed, and replied with characteristic candour. "Oh, you wicked little
thing, to ask me such a question, when you well know the answer. I would have
married him anyway."

Seeing
her daughter smile, she continued, "You see, Lizzie, I knew that whatever
happened, I would not lose my parents, we love each other too dearly; but if I
had lost Richard, there would never have been such a man in my life again. I
could not have been as happy with anyone else."

Lizzie
smiled and said, softly, "Thank you, Mama, I knew you would understand
exactly how I feel."

*

As
the early Spring sunshine poured in through the window and spilled over the
table at which Cassandra Gardiner sat, writing her letters, her young nephew
was in the garden with his cousins Lizzie and Laura, for whom the little boy
was developing a deep affection.

He
was already fond of Lizzie, since she had spent a good deal of time with him at
their home in Cambridge and later, after Josie had gone to Mr. Barrett.

Cassy
could not think of that dreadful time without a shudder, yet it was good to see
that Laura Ann was taking an interest in the boy, too, for in a few months
Lizzie would be too busy to spend her days playing with Anthony. The new
governess, Miss Longhurst, would certainly help, Cassy thought; she came highly
recommended by Caroline Fitzwilliam and seemed to have fitted in well.