Page 17 of Shields and Roses

"Lizzy! Mary! I am so glad to see you made it here safely," Madeline exclaimed. She dismissed the maid with a few words of thanks before engulfing each of her nieces in a warm hug after they descended from the carriage. "Come inside, girls. I will show you the room you will be sharing for this visit."

To Lizzy, the warmth of their aunt's greeting took away some of the chill in the air and the strangeness of the city street. Madeline wrapped an arm around each girl's shoulder as she led them up the steps and into the house.

~o~

"Our cook baked these biscuits fresh this morning," Madeline said, offering the plate first to Lizzy as the eldest of her visitors. "Take a few. No need to be shy."

Lizzy took one each of the three different types of biscuits and put them on her small plate next to the cup filled with weak tea her aunt had poured for her. Mary did the same when the biscuits were offered to her. Finally, Madeline made her own selection, and they settled in to talk while they enjoyed their treat.

"Thank you for inviting me to come on this trip when Jane decided to stay at Longbourn," Mary said before taking a bite of her first biscuit.

"I am glad to have you here, Mary," her aunt replied. "I wanted to have the two of you together so neither of you feels overwhelmed or lonely. Given my interactions with Jane in the past, I was not all that surprised she turned the invitation down. I expect she will want to visit later when she is out, and I can introduce her to a wider circle of potential matches than you girls will be able to find in Meryton."

"That sounds like she would just be using you and your connections, Aunt Madeline," Lizzy objected. "Would you go along with that?"

"In a way, it would be, although I hope my relationship with Jane will improve as she gets older, just as I hope you and Mary come to a closer relationship with her as well. Even if it does not, so long as she is civil and behaves well, I have no objection to introducing her to my circle of acquaintances. She is my niece, just as much as you two are, and I want the best possible opportunities for her."

"She will be the first to tell you that she always behaves well," Lizzy pointed out. Mary nodded her agreement.

Madeline chuckled at Lizzy's comment before asking seriously, "Do you still feel that Miss Stanton is trying to drive a wedge between you and your older sister? Since you told me she has been chastising you less and praising you more, I thought that might reduce some of the tension."

Lizzy shook her head. "No, she still makes little comments about Jane being superior to all her sisters. I cannot figure Miss Stanton out at all sometimes. I suppose that is because she is working for Lady Catherine as well as for our family. She has goals beyond just seeing to our education."

"What do you think about Miss Stanton, Mary?" her aunt asked.

Mary thought about the question as she finished chewing the bite she had just taken of her biscuit. She answered, "I think Miss Stanton is not worried about what I learn as long as I am quiet and create no trouble for her. She likes Jane best of all, but she concentrates on teaching Lizzy even more than she does Jane. Maybe it is because I am younger, but she does not spend very much time on me at all. I do not think she will be happy when Kitty and Lydia are old enough to be taught by her instead of Miss Parks."

"I talked to Papa about that," Lizzy chimed in. "Miss Parks is smart and very kind. Teaching five girls at once is a large burden to place on any governess, even if she were more pleasant than Miss Stanton. I asked Papa if he might hire Miss Parks to become a sort of under-governess working with Miss Stanton. That way my younger sisters will also get a good education when they are no longer young enough to need Miss Parks as a nursery maid."

"That was a good idea, Lizzy. What did your father say?" Madeline asked.

"He told me he would talk to both Miss Stanton and Miss Parks about it soon. I have noticed that Mary does not get nearly as much training in the various accomplishments as I did. She deserves to learn just as much as we did."

"You are correct about that. Have you thought about helping Mary yourself?"

"I already do. Papa said the best way to learn is to teach. He suggested I help Mary with her studies, which would help me with mine. It has been harder than I thought it would be sometimes. Mary has to remind me to be patient with her." Lizzy looked down at her plate a little sheepishly. She picked up her second biscuit and took a bite of it.

"Does it bother you that you have to be reminded?" Madeline asked.

Lizzy shrugged. After she finished chewing, she added, "I just thought I would do better from the start. I have to remember I am learning just as Mary is. Patience has been difficult for me."

"It is difficult for most people," Madeline admitted. "It is also probably one of the most valuable lessons you will learn. And you will have to learn to be patient with yourself as well as being patient with other people."

"That is what Papa said," Lizzy agreed.

"I like having Lizzy help me, even if she does sometimes get impatient." Mary said. "Often what she tells me makes more sense than what Miss Stanton has said. And Lizzy gives me more attention."

Madeline nodded thoughtfully. "I am curious, Lizzy. With your busy schedule of lessons, how do you find time that you and Mary can work together?"

"It is difficult sometimes. But I think I told you how Charlotte was injured when the river bridge collapsed a year and a half ago. Once her injuries healed, Lady Lucas insisted Charlotte could walk with me no more than three times a week and only if the weather was at its best. I was able to go along with Papa sometimes when he walked out to work with the tenants, but it still left a hole in my schedule. That was when Papa suggested I start working with Mary to help her along. Charlotte turned fifteen two months ago, and Lady Lucas put her out in society, including taking her along for social calls. Sir William did not allow our walks to be cut out of Charlotte's schedule entirely, but we are limited to only one a week, which leaves me even more time with Mary, who is also now included in the lessons with Papa. I guess I had just not mentioned that in my letters to you and, of course, when you came to Longbourn last Christmas, we suspended our regular lessons and other activities during your visit, so it did not come up."

"I see. Well, it sounds like the two of you do spend a great deal of time together."

Lizzy nodded enthusiastically and both girls shared a friendly smile. "Mary has even conquered some of her fear of being outside and will occasionally join me on a walk."

"It is easier in the autumn and winter when most of the insects are gone," Mary admitted.

"I am proud of you, Mary. It can be very difficult to face your fears, and you have a good reason to be frightened of bees. I am glad you are able set aside that fear at a time when the threat is less likely to be present. I just hope you will not push her too hard to go out in the spring and summer when the threat returns, Lizzy."