No Thank You, Mr Darcy: A Pride And Prejudice Variation by Izabel March

Author:Izabel March [March, Izabel]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2022-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

23

MISS SMITH

MISS SMITH

Elizabeth returned to the deaconess’s cottage that evening with a head and heart full of Nettie Smith, but, quiz Charlotte as she might, there was no more information than Barbara Turner had already given her.

“I believe,” said Charlotte, cheerfully dishing out generous portions of spinach pie, “the poor lamb had terrible fits as a child and her parents thought that it indicated bad blood which would make it difficult for her older brothers to marry and carry on the family line.”

“Good God! Oh, Charlotte, that is abominable. I am sure Lady Catherine would approve wholeheartedly, but for the rest of us, it’s as if the sixteenth century never ended along with burning odd women with cats for being witches. Do they do that here too?”

“I hope not, or my time in this world will be short. I don’t know anything about Miss Smith or the woman she lives with beyond that they never attend church either here or in North Hunsford. Indeed, from what I can gather, Miss Smith has only been seen out and about alone this past year. You should ask Barbara Turner. She knows the intimate history of the entire village, nothing and I mean nothing, gets past that child.”

“Barbara knows no more than you,” said Elizabeth, resolving to make another call on Mrs Pringle as soon as she could. If anyone was better informed than Barbara, it should be the vicar’s wife.

* * *

Between giving a talk to the local girls’ school, visiting Canterbury, going to the coast, and the various other things Charlotte had found to occupy and entertain her guest, it wasn’t until Saturday that Elizabeth had another coffee with Mrs Pringle.

She started with Georgiana and worked her way around to Miss Smith.

“I believe Lady Catherine has a great-niece as well as her two nephews?”

Mrs Pringle chuckled.

“She has an enormous family, but I suspect you mean the half Indian girl who is a great-niece by marriage. Oh my, that was a to do. She only came once, mind you, but we will ever forget it. Lady Catherine made sure everyone knew her mother’s family are Brahmins, but I needn’t tell you that most people here don’t have a clue what that is. Poor Mr. Collins thought it was something to do with Brahms, so the dear girl played him a few movements on the piano! He thanked her so profusely it took five minutes, and all the time Mr. Pringle and I couldn’t look at each other for fear of bursting with laughter.”

Elizabeth sighed. “The brains in our family were very unevenly distributed, and my cousin fared worst of all. I hear, though, he kept Barbara and Miss Smith well supplied with two-penny bars during his curacy.”

“Aye, that he did. Barbara says Miss Smith had never had chocolate before and having met the woman who cares for her, I can quite believe it.”

Elizabeth shuddered and decided Barbara’s theory about the guardian selling the piano to line her own pocket was probably true.

“Does Lady Catherine know of Miss Smith or have an opinion on her situation?”

“I expect she does.

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