Page 1 of Cousin Elizabeth
Chapter One
“But Ethan, I don’t want to go to England on my own! Can you not go with me? Father asked us both to go!”
“Elizabeth, you know I cannot leave the estate right now. Pa taught me all he had time to, but there is just so much! I’m barely back from university. I thought there would be many more years before I’d need to take over. I…I wish someone else could do it. I wish I could go with you.” Ethan put his head in his hands. He felt like an imposter sitting in his father’s desk chair, with piles of paper scattered all over the desk. Father had always kept everything so tidy. He’d be ashamed of how it looked now.
Elizabeth was guilt-ridden at her outburst. The last few weeks had been hard on them both. The illness had come on so suddenly. Their father had been hale and healthy one day and brought down by a lung infection the next. He had coughed and lingered for nearly two weeks, struggling to impart as much knowledge as he could. Just two days before he passed, he made an impassioned plea to his children, “I was so angry when I left Pemberley, I nearly spat in my brother’s face. It was for no good reason. He simply was questioning my attachment to your mother. Saying she didn’t have enough of a dowry, or any good connections, to helpme along in life. He didn’t think the twenty thousand pounds papa left me would be enough. He couldn’t understand I was in love, and I didn’t feel like I should have to explain myself. I was a hothead back then.” Their father tried to laugh, which made him go into a coughing fit. Elizabeth helped him drink a bit of water. “I stomped and yelled and waved my fists around. I packed my bags that very day and left for Hertfordshire. Your mother was only seventeen at the time. I was friends with her brother at Cambridge, your uncle Thomas. That’s how we met, through him. I rode straight to Longbourn with barely a stop for rest. I must have looked like a wild man when I asked her father for a private interview with her. Mr. Bennet was a kind enough man, but he had many questions about what my prospects were, and why I was in such haste. He said he would not approve of anything but a courtship, and a long engagement, and that I would need to get my life in order before he would give his consent and blessing. I was so hasty when I was young. So hasty.”
Andrew Darcy stared off into space for several minutes before he took another sip of water and continued his story. “Neither Caroline nor I were happy with her fathers’ stipulations. We were both so in love. I probably should not admit this to you children, but we anticipated our vows. Her brother…caught us. Thomas was smaller than I, but I let him beat me. I deserved it. Mr. Bennet bought us a common license, and we married the next week.” He gasped for breath again. “You know how gossip is. The entire town of Meryton was whispering. Carol couldn’t stand it, so we went to London. That’s where I read about the large tracts of land being sold off in America for a pittance in comparison to England. My young mind set on fire with the very thought of having my own estate and thumbing my nose at my brother. I was a fool, but your mother would always support me. Why she loved me, I will never understand.”
There was another long pause, “My children. I foolishly broke with our family, and although Carol wrote to her mother for a time, when she passed, she just never wrote again. Thomas had said some cruel things when he found us, and Mr. Bennet could barely look at her. Well, we had each other, and we figured that was enough. Then you two came along, and I was trying to build this place up, so…time just passed. When your mother died, I sent a letter to Thomas to let him know and told him about you two. That’s when your cousins on the Bennet side started to write. Tommy just sent a short note saying my brother’s wife had died too, and that’s the last I ever heard from him. I…I just couldn’t bring myself to write my brother for the longest time. I finally sent a letter of condolence. It wasn’t answered. I wonder if it got there?” Andrew stared off into space for a long time. His children wondered if he would fall asleep again, but suddenly…
“That’s my greatest regret, my children, that I left my family behind without a backward glance. Now it’s too late. For me, anyway, but I want you to know your family. It’s not a big family. It was just me and my brother as Darcys. George married into the Fitzwilliam family, from what your uncle Tommy wrote. I only knew a little of them when I was growing up. Not much. In the Bennets, it was Thomas and your mother. And then there’s Tommy’s girls. I’m glad you’ve been writing them, Kitten. Do they talk about having more family? Did you say their mother passed some time back?”
Elizabeth handed him his tincture in a cup of tea. His voice had grown scratchy. “Yes, Aunt Francis passed a few years ago. She had…well…it sounded from their description like what you’ve got. Oh papa!” She broke into sobs and ran out of the room.
Andrew Darcy stared after his daughter, “Son, maybe you both can’t understand why this is important, but you need to know your family. I’ll understand if you can’t go right away but send yoursister with her companion and John Smith. He’s a smart one and will keep her safe. Promise me.”
Ethan was quiet for a moment, “I promise papa. We will make you proud. I promise.”
Andrew smiled at his son. He knew his time was coming soon. He could swear he smelled his Caroline’s perfume sometimes. She’d be there when he crossed over. He was sure about that.
Chapter Two
“Mamie, you’ve told me stories about England, since you grew up there, but do you think I’ll fit in alright? Will people look down on me, or hate me for being born in America?”
“My dear, the upper crust of England looks down oneveryonenot from their own circle. You’re a dear, sweet girl, and will make friends wherever you go. Will you need to learn to be a bit more circumspect and hold your tongue? Quite likely, but do not let them change you. Be yourself, and you will always find your own people.”
Elizabeth gave a haughty sniff, “So you’re saying I talk too much and am brash in my speech? Very well. I will try not to batter them with my wit and clever banter…at first.”
“That is all anyone can ask, my dear child.” was said with a smirk. Mamie Annabelle Russell, Elizabeth’s governess and now companion was one to talk. Her Christian name literally meant obstinate or rebellious. She was exactly what Elizabeth’s parents had looked for. Ethan and Elizabeth had been a handful as children. Mamie and her husband had emigrated to America at about the same time as the Darcys, but while one family had gonenorth, the other had gone south. It wasn’t until Mamie’s husband had died in an accident that she advertised herself as a governess. The Darcys felt their luck in finding her advertisement. She was well bred, educated, had impeccable manners, could draw, paint, and play the pianoforte. She also had a backbone of steelandwas kind. She became an integral part of the family in no time.
“What about my clothing? I’ll just be entering half mourning when we arrive in England. Should we leave early and buy a few dresses. Norfolk has several good dress makers.”
“My dear, anything you buy here will be several years behind London fashion. I suggest we dye your nicer dresses black and purchase a new wardrobe when we arrive. It will not hurt for you to look like a crow when we first dock.”
“I realize we are not poor, but an entire new wardrobe?” Elizabeth couldn’t hep it, she felt a bit of excitement about that.
“You will need to be in fashion so as not to embarrass your family. I know nothing of the Bennets, but everyone who was anyone knew who the Darcys are. Your father’s family is an old and well thought of Norman family, who came over with the conqueror, like my husband’s did. You will be expected to present yourself a certain way. We will discuss it, at length, on our journey. I willtutor John on some finer points also. At least I do not have to worry about him forgetting anything!”
The ladies tittered. John Smith was the son of their steward. He was the same age as Ethan, and they had played as boys. They were still the best of friends. While Ethan was off at school, John was learning everything about estate management from his father. Ethan would bring him his college books when he came home for holidays, and John would have them memorized before Ethan went back to school. John had perfect recall. Anything he read, heard, or saw stayed in his memory forever.
John was a quiet man, but also quite huge. He stood six foot five inches tall and was very broad of shoulder. When Elizabeth was thirteen, she had a bit of a crush on John. He disabused her of that thought when he said, “You’re like a little sister to me Bethy. I always wanted a sister, growing up, but all I got was Jake. The little devil.” Jake was seven years younger than Elizabeth, and a constant trial to his mother and father. Everyone loved the little imp though who was not so little anymore. Mr. Smith would now train Jake up in land management, with John gone for who knew how long.
“John will need new clothing too then. Won’t he?”
“John will need a new wardrobe also. He will play several roles while we are in England. While we travel, he will be your brother.” Elizabeth looked to interrupt. “No, no my dear! It is much safer that way! When we meet your families, he will play the role of your footman and bodyguard maybe. Servants are nearly invisible in England. It is not like here. He will be able to listen and pass on any information to us. He will sometimes play the role of ‘man of business’ if we need to make any large purchases, like a coach and horses.”
“A man of John’s size is not exactly forgettable. Will having him play different roles not seem…fraudulent? I mean…won’t we look like charlatans?”
“If things go well, you may tell your families who he is, but why would we care what strangers think? They may see him one day dressed as a businessman, and a few days later dressed as a servant, and think, ‘My, that big man looks rather like another man I saw a few days ago.’ And then go on with their life. It is not like we will pass him off as a prince or a lordling.”
“True. Doesheknow what roles he will play?”
“Yes, of course. Your brother has spoken of it to him already. Since he is so big, the local tailor is making him a new suit here, inblack, so he can be in mourning with his ‘sister’ when we sail out of Norfolk. He will buy a new wardrobe in London also. We all need to see how everyone is dressing before we set out to meet the family.”
“How will you need to dress?” There, in Virginia, Mamie dressed just like everyone else. Elizabeth’s mother insisted upon it. ‘We are not in England. I will not have you dressing the drab.’ She used to say.
“I will dress however companions are dressing these days. Generally demure, with lesser fabrics, and colors that do not stand out too much.”
