In the Wilds of Derbyshire Page 8

  The vigorous nod from the girl prompted a laugh from Mr. Drummond, and he held his youngest child to his side. Elizabeth was struck by the contrast between them. Her uncle obviously loved his children and wanted the best for them. Elizabeth could not quite determine what her aunt wanted for her children, but she seemed to have little affinity for them. Not for the first time, Elizabeth wondered at her behavior, wondered what could have happened to have turned her into the woman she was.

  But there was no understanding to be had, so Elizabeth put it from her mind. She spent some time in the garden that morning, and then attended to the younger children’s lessons, while Olivia assisted the maid, and then late that morning, the Drummond’s old carriage was brought from the stables, and they set out on the short journey.

  Lambton was a small town in the manner of Meryton, existing for the purpose of the movement of goods and supplying the nearby estates with that of which they stood in need. But physically, Lambton was quite different from the town near Elizabeth’s home. It was built on the side of a hill, for one thing, and though it had a wide main thoroughfare where the bulk of the town’s traffic was concentrated, it also boasted winding side streets, paved with grey cobblestones. It seemed to Elizabeth that this particular stone was abundant in Derbyshire, as the house at Kingsdown was built with the same material. The town itself was quaint and possessed a friendly atmosphere, and Elizabeth soon realized why Mrs. Gardiner found it to be so charming.

  “It is quite different from Meryton,” said Elizabeth, as they disembarked from the carriage near the edge of town.

  “Yes, I dare say it is,” replied her uncle. “Meryton is built entirely on a flat plain, whereas there is very little area of flat terrain in Derbyshire.”

  Elizabeth looked at her uncle with interest. “You have been to Hertfordshire?”

  “I have,” said her uncle, though it came with a tightening around the corners of his mouth. “Your aunt and I traveled there once not long after we were married, and I had occasion to visit before.”

  It was nothing more than a suspicion, but given her uncle’s reaction, Elizabeth thought that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. Mindful of his privacy, Elizabeth allowed the subject to drop.

  Mr. Drummond’s business consisted of some purchases from the general store in Lambton, which he arranged to be delivered. Once they were finished there, they left, walking down the street for a short distance before he led them down a narrow side street to a door with a painted sign of a woman in an evening gown on it. Olivia suddenly brightened in excitement.

  “Yes, my dear,” said he with an affectionate squeeze of her shoulder. “It is time we ensure you are properly outfitted for your entrance into our society.”

  He led them into the shop where they were greeted by a plumb matron with a kindly face and dark hair, greying at the temples. “Good morning, Mr. Drummond,” said she. “I see you have brought your daughter as promised. And who is this young lady?”

  “I have, Mrs. Richards. This is my eldest daughter, Olivia, my youngest, Leah, and this is my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She is staying with us for a time.”

  The ladies curtseyed to one another—Miss Leah Drummond giving a credible attempt at a proper curtsey—before her uncle turned his attention to the matter at hand.

  “As I explained before, Olivia will be coming out into local society and will require an assortment of dresses for day and evening wear. Also, I would like to commission an evening dress for my niece.”

  Elizabeth had not expected such generosity from her uncle, and she was quick to protest. “I have several evening gowns with me, Uncle. There is no need for you to purchase dresses for me.”

  But Mr. Drummond was not to be deterred. “Please allow me to do this for you, Lizzy. You have been so good as to travel all this distance to be of use to Olivia, and I would like to show our thanks in whatever manner possible. I will pay for this dress, and we will hold the funds your father left in reserve for the future.” Mr. Drummond grinned. “I have no doubt that you will require more as the young men begin to flock around you.”

  Though Elizabeth was of mind to protest further, she knew her uncle would insist, so she agreed. Furthermore, she felt the heat of a blush creeping up her cheeks at his reference to the admiration of young men, the redness staining Olivia’s cheeks the match for her own.

  “Papa!” exclaimed Leah at that moment, tugging on her father’s coat. “Shall I have new dresses too?”

  Mr. Drummond smiled down at his youngest and crouched down until he was eye level with her. “Perhaps just this once, Poppet. These dresses are for your sister to make a good impression upon the young men of the area when she begins to attend the events of society.”

  “It is not fair,” said Leah with an adorable pout. “I want to come out too.”

  A laugh escaped Mr. Drummond’s lips, and Elizabeth and Olivia shared a private smile. Olivia bent down to catch her sister’s eye, and she said: “You are not ready for such things, Leah. But if you mind Lizzy and Papa, you will be ready when you reach my age.”

  “But that is so very long from now!”

  “It will be here before you know it,” said Mr. Drummond. He caught his daughter up into his arms and held her as he turned to the seamstress, who was looking on with amusement. “Perhaps a light summer dress for my daughter?”

  “Of course, Mr. Drummond.” She turned her attention to the young girl, who still wore the trace of a pout. “I dare say you will be the most beautiful young lady to come out in many years. But you have much growing to do before you are ready. For now, let us make a special dress, just for you.”

  With a shy smile, the girl assented.

  “Now, if you will all come back, I need to take your measurements.”

  Thus began their time at the dressmaker’s, a time enjoyed by them all, Elizabeth thought, though Mr. Drummond was not so interested in the process as the young ladies. Mrs. Richards and her assistant soon had them measured, and they were poring over style magazines, looking for the perfect gowns. Elizabeth settled on a gown of light rose, with little lace, as was her preference, and a wrap of a slightly darker shade. For Olivia, there were a variety of light summer day dresses and several evening gowns in a similar style to Elizabeth’s. For Leah, a bright summer dress in a soft floral print—the girl squealed at the sight of the fabric, and Elizabeth thought her disappointment at what she perceived as her sister leaving her behind was more than made up for with that pretty little dress.

  There seemed to have been some further prior communication between Mr. Drummond and Mrs. Richards, for the lady was careful to steer them toward certain fabrics which, though Elizabeth thought to be good quality, were not the most expensive the shop boasted. Most Olivia’s dresses would be created from a selection of soft muslins, though one or two of her evening gowns were designed with other fabrics in mind. She was also careful to lead Olivia toward certain modest styles which were appropriate for a young girl her age just coming out into society.

  As the time wore on, Elizabeth discovered a curious thing about herself. She had never liked to shop—her aversion to the activity was infamous among her friends and family. And perhaps most of all, she had never liked being fitted for new gowns, along with the accompanying fabric and style selection.

  But she found herself enjoying the time in that shop, and as her cousin was looking over the various styles, she realized that she had more positive feelings toward this outing because she was not constantly forced to contend with her mother over her choice of fashions. Mrs. Bennet had definite opinions about what would assist her daughters in catching husbands, and those opinions differed greatly from Elizabeth’s. But in this instance, she had the opportunity to make her own choices, and furthermore, she found herself engaged in assisting her cousin to determine her own preferences. Not even on the occasions she had gone to a dressmaker with her Aunt Gardiner had Elizabeth enjoyed herself so much. She attributed th
at to the presence of her cousin, who was so near her in age.

  In all, they spent some two hours in Mrs. Richards’s shop, and by the time they were prepared to depart, Elizabeth was certain that the day’s entertainment had lightened her uncle’s pocketbook considerably. But he only beamed at his daughters—it was clear that the sight of their happiness was much more important than the money he spent making them happy.

  “If you will bring the ladies back on Friday,” said the matron when they were prepared to leave, “we can have the final fitting for Miss Bennet, and two day dresses and an evening dress for Miss Drummond.”

  “What of my dress?” demanded Leah.

  Mrs. Richards laughed and said: “Yours too, Miss Leah.” Then she turned back to Mr. Drummond. “The rest of Miss Drummond’s dresses will be ready within two weeks.”

  “Excellent!” He turned a sly grin on his eldest daughter. “Your evening gown will be ready just in time for the upcoming assembly.”

  Though she blushed, it was clear that Olivia was pleased. Elizabeth found herself interested in Derbyshire society and anticipating the upcoming assembly. Hopefully, she and Olivia would be able to make the acquaintance of other young ladies their age.

  The Drummond party said their farewells to the matron, and soon they had departed from the shop, through the maze of streets, and back to Lambton’s main street. From there, Mr. Drummond took the three girls to a nearby inn, where they ate a pleasant lunch in one of the inn’s back rooms.

  “Now,” said Mr. Drummond as they finished their meal, “I have some business at several establishments which I know you young ladies will not find at all interesting. Perhaps you will wish to look in some of the shops while I am about my business?”

  “Does Lambton have a bookshop, Uncle?” asked Elizabeth.

  Mr. Drummond chuckled. “It does, and if what I suspect of you is correct, I can just complete my other business while you three browse for books.”

  He led them out of the inn and down the street a short distance to a small, nondescript building, with a large sign proclaiming its purpose to all who passed by. There, Mr. Drummond stopped and smiled at them.

  “I will return here in half an hour. If you wish to go somewhere else, please return at that time.”

  The girls assured him that they would, and he stepped away, walking down the street, a cheerful spring in his step.

  “Will you help me choose something, Lizzy?” asked Olivia.

  “Of course,” replied Elizabeth, and they entered the building.

  The shop was small, with bookshelves taking up every available space along the walls and several situated in the middle of the room, leaving narrow aisles in between for customers to navigate the proprietor’s selection of works. The man at the counter—a cheerful, thin man of perhaps thirty years—greeted them and invited them to peruse his shop, then proceeded to return to some ledgers in which he was making careful notations. For the next several moments, Elizabeth amused herself and her cousins, showing Olivia some of her favorite books, and looking through beautifully illustrated children’s books with Leah.

  When they had made their selections, Elizabeth guided the two girls to the counter, insisting that she would purchase their books for them. Leah clutched an illustrated selection of fairytales to her breast, enchanted with the colorful pages and depictions of some of Elizabeth’s old favorites. Olivia, however, looked at her book—a copy of Gulliver’s Travels—with some trepidation.

  “Are you certain, Lizzy?” asked the girl. “Papa will return and purchase these books for us.”

  “I am quite happy to do it, Olivia,” said Elizabeth. “Please accept it in thanks for your family’s warm welcome.”

  She allowed for no further argument and stepped toward the counter, holding in her hand a copy of Blake’s Songs of Innocence. There, standing at the counter, was a young lady, perhaps a year younger than Olivia, but tall and flaxen-haired, with a handsome countenance. The proprietor and the girl both looked up as they approached, though the girl immediately looked down in seeming embarrassment. On the counter in front of her, Elizabeth could see some sheet music.

  “I will be with you momentarily,” said the man.

  “Of course, sir,” said Elizabeth. Then she smiled at the young girl, who was looking at them out of the corner of her eye, and said: “Herr Mozart’s Sonata in C Major. An excellent choice.”

  Though she seemed startled that Elizabeth had spoken to her, the girl shot her a bashful smile. “I love to play. My brother has recently purchased a new pianoforte, and I cannot allow it to go to waste by not playing it regularly.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “That would be a shame, indeed.”

  They waited while the girl paid for her purchase, and Elizabeth noted her cousins looking at the girl with some awe. Indeed, her dress was obviously made of costly material, and she carried herself with the grace of a truly well-bred woman. And though she was still young, she was handsome, and her form was developed and womanly.

  Before long, the girl stepped back and Elizabeth approached the counter to pay for their books. “Perhaps we should consider purchasing some music ourselves,” said she to Olivia. “Though perhaps not the sonata.” Elizabeth smiled at the girl, pleased when she returned the gesture. “I believe it might be a little beyond my poor capabilities.”

  “Oh, no, Lizzy,” said Olivia. “Perhaps next time.”

  “Very well. I shall ask my sisters to send me some of the music we have at Longbourn, so that we may practice.”

  “You play as well, miss?” asked the young girl, a timidity in her voice Elizabeth might not have expected from what she thought was such a wealthy young girl.

  “Aye, but very ill, indeed,” replied Elizabeth. She leaned close, as if to impart a secret, and said: “I have far too many other interests to spend much time practicing. It is a failing, perhaps, but I own to it without disguise.”

  The girl giggled. “My aunt informs me at every opportunity that I should practice diligently. If not for the obvious wisdom in the advice, I might be inclined to ignore her, for she has never learned, though, as she also informs us all, she would have been a true proficient if she ever had.”

  The image of such a pompous old woman struck Elizabeth as rather droll, and she laughed along with the girl. Olivia laughed as well, though her mirth seemed to have a hesitant quality inherent in it.

  When the purchases had been completed, Elizabeth led the sisters out onto the street, accompanied by the girl to whom she had spoken in the shop. It seemed like the girl, once they were outside, realized that she had been speaking to someone with whom she was not at all acquainted, as her timidity returned in full force. To put her at ease, Elizabeth smiled and introduced herself, saying:

  “It seems we have made one another’s acquaintance, and yet there is no one to properly introduce us, so I fear we shall have to introduce one another. I am Elizabeth Bennet, from Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire. These are my cousins, Miss Olivia Drummond and Miss Leah Drummond, from Kingsdown estate, not far from here.”

  Though the girl appeared a little shocked, she soon recovered and curtseyed. “Miss Bennet, Miss Drummond, Miss Leah, I am Georgiana Darcy from Pemberley, also quite close by.”

  Olivia gasped, but Elizabeth looked on the other girl with interest. She had not thought to come across Miss Darcy, of whom she had heard so much, in a bookshop in Lambton.

  “We are happy to make your acquaintance, Miss Darcy,” said Elizabeth. “But I, at least, have the advantage of you, for I have heard much of you.”

  Startled, the girl looked at Elizabeth, her eyes suddenly shuttered and wary. “Oh?” asked she.

  “Yes,” said Elizabeth, hastening to put Miss Darcy’s mind at ease. “For you see, I have some neighbors in Hertfordshire who claim an acquaintance with you. A Mr. Bingley, along with his two sisters, took up residence at an estate close by my father’s last October. Earlier this year, Mr. Bingley married
my eldest sister, Jane.”

  “Oh!” repeated the girl, eyes widened. “But Mr. Bingley is my brother’s closest friend!”

  “So I have understood,” agreed Elizabeth. “In fact, Mr. Bingley had much to say of you. Given how enthusiastic he was concerning your brother’s merits, I almost wondered if such a perfect man could possibly exist.”

  The girl giggled in response to Elizabeth’s sally. “I have no doubt of it. Mr. Bingley looks up to him, for William is experienced in society and in the running of his estate.”

  “I dare say that is correct.”

  “But why would Mr. Bingley speak of me?”

  Elizabeth smiled and winked. “It was not Mr. Bingley who spoke of you, but rather his younger sister.” A roll of Elizabeth’s eyes told the girl exactly what she thought of Miss Bingley, and as she expected, Miss Darcy commiserated with a similar response. “According to Miss Bingley, you are the closest of friends, and she has never met anyone so accomplished, so talented, and at such a young age! She could not speak enough of you or of her connection to your family.”

  The girl shook her head with rueful exasperation. “Miss Bingley’s imagination concerning our relationship in no way matches the reality. I have met her only a handful of times, and I found her . . .” Miss Darcy’s cheeks suddenly flooded red, and she ducked her head, only daring a bashful look at Elizabeth from behind long lashes. “She is quite determined, you see, to become my sister.”

  “Believe me, Miss Darcy,” said Elizabeth with a laugh, “I understood that within a few minutes of hearing her speak of you.”

  They shared a laugh, and then Miss Darcy, seeming to regain her confidence, turned to Olivia, who had been watching them with a faint sense of astonishment.

  “You are Mr. Drummond’s eldest daughter?” When Olivia replied in the affirmative, Miss Darcy said: “I have seen your father, though I have never made his acquaintance. William, I believe, has a high opinion of him.”

  “Thank you,” replied Olivia. “I believe Papa returns the sentiment.”