Far From the Tree: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jeannie Peneaux

Author:Jeannie Peneaux
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2020-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

C

HAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I t did not satisfy Elizabeth that they departed from London as soon as Madame Joubert had completed an appropriate number of her gowns. On the one hand, the sooner that they set out for Derbyshire, the sooner she could speak earnestly with Mr. Darcy regarding the Earl of Matlock’s suggestion. On the other hand, she had received no word from Longbourn in the space of a fortnight regarding her youngest sister, Lydia. Anne persuaded her, with the dispassionate reasoning that so characterised her, that had it in truth been Lydia Bennet then surely Mr. Bennet would have written by now.

As they left Ronleigh House, Elizabeth charged Jones most straitly that any correspondence must be sent on to her in Derbyshire as soon as it arrived. Jones, considerably relieved by the news that Madame Joubert had been engaged to see to the renovations of the house, promised Miss Elizabeth faithfully that he would oversee the matter personally.

Anne had been troubled by a sick headache for a few days, but once they were in the barouche box, she managed to smile at the exchange between her sister and the butler. As it was cold for June, and Anne had shivered on the way out to the carriage when the wind blew about her, Lizzy tucked a rug carefully about her sister.

“If you wrap me up any more, Lizzy, I shall faint from the heat. I wish you will take one of the hot bricks – I have no need of two. You must have thoroughly charmed Jones – the only orders he deigns to see to himself are Mama’s instructions.”

“Mama must have thoroughly charmed him first, then,” laughed Elizabeth, smiling all the more broadly at the stern look sent to her by her mother. “Why is it that servants are so much higher in the instep than their masters?”

“I hope you do not accuse me of flirting with a servant, Elizabeth.”

“Not a bit of it, Mother, but how could any man fail to be impressed by you? My Lord Salisbury seemed quite put out when Anne and I whisked you away from your tête-à-tête with him at Lady Jersey’s ball on Tuesday. I am sure he was summoning the courage to ask you to dance. Should you have obliged him, I wonder?”

“Salisbury? I have known him since I was presented at court. You read too much into a long-standing acquaintance. Our dancing days are quite over, my dear, and I am well past the age of thinking of men as anything other than an inconvenience to be tolerated. No, I have two grown daughters of my own now – what more could I wish for?”

“Is he to come to my ball? We must send him a card. It would only be proper, after all, as he is such a very old friend of yours.”

“As it happens, he is to be there.” To Elizabeth’s delight, Lady Catherine looked a little discomfited by the direction of the conversation.

“I assume Georgiana’s gown, which caused so much trouble, has been packed, Mama.

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