The Pemberley Papers

Chapter Three - the Misses Darcy move the story on.....

But what of the Misses Darcy? It is time I paid closer attention to these young ladies. The eldest Amelia is the most handsome with the blonde ringlets and blue eyes of a Gainsborough shepherdess. There are dimples that appear when she smiles. Her only foible, I could not exactly call it vice, is a fondness for poetry. She has most of the Lyrical Ballads by heart and her greatest regret is that she never met Lord Byron. A leather notebook that she always keeps about her, suggests that she writes verse as well as reads it. The assiduity with which she guards the notebook, implies that this is a clandestine activity.

Miss Jane Darcy is not dimpled like her sister and while she also carries a notebook – it is filled with prose. She has her mother’s lightness of step, and her father’s steady stare. Her hair was cropped during an attack of rheumatic fever, and after the initial shock of seeing her head shorn she r likes the freedom from hair related activity. She has no plans to marry, but hopes to make her own name one day through her writing. She has not vouchsafed this ambition to anyone apart from Amelia. That young lady believes that Jane’s writing is essentially a girlish activity which will be put aside when she meets a man worthy of her regard.

The next sister Amy has no literary aspirations. Like her sisters she will have a handsome dowry of some 50,000 pounds and believes that with her looks and bearing she will be able to find a baronet at the very least, though she feels that would indeed be the very least. But even as a mere baronet’s wife she would take precedence over her sisters and mother which at present is Amy’s chief ambition.

The two younger girls, Harriet and Charlotte, at thirteen and fourteen are not concerned with matters matrimonial at present, although Charlotte has been known to say that her pet spaniel, Coleridge would make an excellent husband as he is both faithful and obedient.

This morning the eldest Darcy girls are riding through the park with Joseph the groom. Amelia and Jane appear to be in the process of a negotiation.

“ I will give you my paisley shawl”, says Amelia.

Jane considers this offer.

“ I have always liked the garnet cross that Aunt Jane gave you for your last birthday.”

Amelia sighs, “ You drive a hard bargain, Jane.”

“With good reason.”

Amelia makes a face that on another girl might be called a grimace, “ Alright, you can have the cross. ”

“And the shawl”, says Jane.

“ And the shawl.”

Amelia pulls her horse up and jumps down before Joseph can offer to help.

“ I think that Cobweb has gone lame.”

Joseph comes over to have a look. Amelia looks up at Jane and nods. This is clearly a prearranged signal as Jane gives her pony a sharp kick and sets off at a tremendous gallop towards the woods. Amelia gives a shriek of alarm.

“ My poor sister. You must go after her, Joseph. She is still weak after her illness. Oh quick.”

The groom doesn’t hesitate and jumping back on his horse he sets after Jane.

Amelia waits for a moment and then heads her pony in the opposite direction.

Where is Miss Darcy going? It seems that she is heading for a temple like folly on the top of a nearby hill. By the expression on her face and the way that she is biting her lip I can only assume that Amelia is on her way to an assignation.

As Amelia reaches her destination I see that I am right. A young man steps out from behind a pillar and helps her alight from her horse.

“ Amelia!” The young man puts his hand to his heart. “I am so happy to see you.” He takes Amelia by the hand and leads her behind a pillar, where he peels off her riding glove and presses the naked palm to his lips.

“ I have missed you so much.”

“ And I you dear Walter, “ says Amelia gazing into Walter’s eyes. “ It has been two whole weeks.”

“ Two weeks, three days and six hours,” replies Walter reproachfully. “ I have felt every minute., like salt on a wound.”

“ Oh so have I,” says Amelia.

“ What is it that the poet says? She walks in beauty, like the night/ Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright/ Meet in the aspect of her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light/Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

Walter sighs deeply after this recitation.

“ You walk in beauty, Amelia.”

Amelia flushes with pleasure. She is as I mentioned a lover of poetry.

Walter takes a step closer and putting his hand around Amelia’s waist he kisses her on the lips. I wait for Amelia to protest as a well brought up young lady should at such a liberty, but she puts her arms around his neck and turns the kiss into an embrace.

“ Oh Walter, I wish you could come to my dance. It is so unfair that we are kept apart because of a ridiculous quarrel between our parents.”

“ I cannot enter a house where my father and mother are not welcome,” says Walter with an upward tilt of his chin.

“ I know, Walter and I respect you for it. But I am sure if I were to ask Papa he might change his mind.”

Walter shakes his head. “ From what I have heard, your father is a man who once he loses his good opinion of someone, loses it forever.”

Amelia shakes her head.

“ I am sure if he were to meet you, he would like you immensely.”

“ Perhaps. But I don’t see how that can be arranged. ”

“ If only we could elope…”

Walter shakes his head gravely.

“ No Amelia, I do not want us to start our married life in an underhand manner. I want to marry you here at Pemberley in front of our families and friends.”

I realise there is something familiar about this young man.

“ The day that you become Mrs Wickham will be the happiest of my life.”

This is a development. Can it be that the daughter of Elizabeth and Darcy has become secretly engaged to the son of Lydia and Wickham? To be sure he is a good looking young man with something of his father’s swagger and certainly his fluency of conversation but a Miss Darcy must surely understand the folly of becoming involved with anyone by the name of Wickham.

Amelia lifts up her face to be kissed and Walter obliges. Then there is the sound of a horse approaching and the couple move apart. Amelia fumbles in her pocket and pulls out a paper which she presses into his hand.

“ I wrote this for you, Walter. My first sonnet. I spent ages trying to get the couplet.”

Walter presses the paper to his lips, but makes not attempt to read it.

“ I shall treasure this for ever.”

At that moment Jane arrives breathless and pink from an extended gallop. She pulls up her horse in front of the couple.

“ No time for goodbyes, Joseph will be here any moment.”

Walter does not hesitate and pressing Amelia’s hand for the last time he gets on his horse and disappears down the other side of the hill.

Amelia leans against the pillar her eyes wet.

“ Oh Jane, don’t you think that he is perfection?”

Jane frowns. “ If you think perfection is a man who is tall with dark hair and a self satisfied expression, then yes.”

“ He does not look self- satisfied!”

“ Why does he have to be kept a secret? He looks like a gentleman. I don’t see what Papa or Mama could possibly object to.”

“. We are a pair of star crossed lovers. He is a Montague and I a Capulet. ”

Jane sighs. She can see that Amelia is enjoying the drama of the situation, but for the spectator it is tedious. Amelia senses this and makes the revelation.

“ His name is … Walter Wickham.”

Jane eyes widen. “ For once in your life Amelia, you are not exaggerating. How did you meet?”

“ At Grandmama’s, when you were ill.”

Grandmama is Mrs Bennett, the mother of Lizzie and her youngest sister Lydia, the mother of Walter. I see it all now. The Darcys have chosen not to receive the Wickhams, but Mrs Bennett feels it is an injustice that her eldest grandchildren should not make each other’s acquaintance. It might even have crossed her mind that a match between the two would be a splendid thing for the Wickhams. Mrs Bennett has never much cared for Darcy.

“ So you have chosen to fall in love with the one man in the world that your parents will not allow you to marry.”

“ I know. Isn’t it romantic?” Amelia presses her hand to her heart. Jane shakes her head.

“ Does your Romeo know what happens if you marry without Papa’s consent? That your dowry will be divided up among your remaining sisters.”

Amelia wrinkles her nose.

“ Walter doesn’t want to elope. He says he wants us to marry at Pemberley in front of the whole family.”

“ You mean you offered to elope and he refused?”

Amelia looks embarrassed.

“ That is surprising behaviour for such an ardent young man, don’t you think?”

“ Oh Jane, why do you always have to be so suspicious? He is just too honourable to do something underhand.”

“ Or he knows that a clandestine marriage means his bride will be penniless.”

“ Maybe he does, but that doesn’t mean he is wrong. He knows what it is like to be poor and I don’t.”

This is the first sensible thing Amelia has said in our short acquaintance. It gives me some hope that she is not irredeemably silly. The Misses Darcy have never wanted for anything but, thanks to their mother they understand how fortunate they are to be in this position. Lizzie has always told them that every time they order a new gown, they should imagine what it would be like to make do with a hand me down. On her recent visit to her grandmother Amelia noticed that the clothes belonging to Walter’s sister showed signs of having been recently altered. Not that Julia seemed at all down hearted about this, but Amelia suspected that was because she had never known any different.

What surprises me is that Lizzie has kept her daughters in ignorance of their Wickham cousins. I understand why she would not want to welcome her youngest sister and her husband to Pemberley but it would have been easy enough to introduce her daughters to their cousins when staying with her mother, or with her sister Jane. If Amelia and Walter had known each other since childhood, they would not now be engaging in an illicit affair. Amelia would have had ample chance to find out whether a young man like Walter who quotes Byron without blushing is a fool or a charlatan.

But Amelia and her sisters have not been told the reasons for the estrangement between the two families. I suppose that is understandable. The story of how Wickham eloped with Lydia, and was only persuaded to marry her after being given financial inducements by Darcy, is not an edifying one, particularly since he had previously tried to elope with Georgiana Darcy . If Amelia had known the family history, it is possible that Walter would not appear quite as tragically excluded as he does now.

“ So what are you going to do?” asks Jane.

“If Papa could only meet Walter, he would see what a splendid young man he is, and forget this foolish feud.”

“ Yes I think that is most likely. Papa is known for the ease with which he changes his mind.”

“ But how can he have an unfavourable opinion of someone he has never met?” cries Amelia.

“ I don’t know, but he does. Does Mr. Wickham have a profession?”

Amelia hesitates, “ He has just left Oxford and is going to become a barrister’s pupil.”

“ Well Amy wouldn’t marry a barrister’s pupil but I see no reason why you shouldn’t.”

“ But he has a poetic soul, Jane. He feels things most intensely. I worry that he is too sensitive to put up arguments in a court of law. He should devote himself to literature.”

Jane laughs, “Then It would be great advantage to him to have a rich wife.”

“ I don’t see why you are being so unkind when you want to write yourself. ”

“ I assure you that I would enjoy nothing more than making arguments in a court of law, I fancy I would look rather handsome in a wig and silk stockings, but that avenue is not open to me on account of my sex. I take up my pen because as a young lady I have no other outlet for my talents.’

At that point Joseph the groom rides up, hot and bothered after a fruitless search for Jane in the woods. The young ladies agree to be escorted back to the house and set off smartly, before Joseph can notice that there is a set of hoof marks heading down the other side of the hill.