Surprises At Rosings Read online

  SURPRISES AT ROSINGS

  By

  Lynne Robson

  First published 2011

  SURPRISES AT ROSINGS © 2011 by Lynne Robson

  Illustration of Doña Gertrudis de Compte y de Bruga by Vicent López i Portaña from www.wikipedia.org This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or fewer.

  Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in whole or in part in any form is forbidden without the permission of Lynne Robson, [email protected]

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the author. This condition is imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Dedication

  To my mother Joan Fletcher and my Auntie Joyce Northrop for giving me the love of Jane Austen’s books especially Pride and Prejudice.

  To Enid Wilson for all her hard work in getting this ready to post on the Kindle books. Also to my team of beta’s Sue Forgue, Theresa Jean Golematis and to Sybil Haake. Also to all the people at DWG, AHA and the old HG site who encouraged me when I needed it.

  Prologue

  The weather outside was atrocious. Sleet, snow, icy winds and hailstones continually battered the house forcing all to remain indoors. Elizabeth sighed as she watched yet another storm descend upon Longbourn House. If not for the companionable time spent in her father’s library reading their favourite tomes, loneliness would descend upon her. Three weeks had passed since Charlotte married Mr. Collins and Jane had travelled with the Gardiners to London two weeks ago.

  Monday morning arrived and Mrs. Hill informed Elizabeth that she finally received a letter from Mrs. Collins. Knowing her mother’s indiscreet nature, Elizabeth preferred to escape to her room and read it in the privacy of her chambers... In her room, she broke the seal hoping that Charlotte would bring interesting news of her new surroundings.

  .

  My Dearest Lizzy,

  Pray forgive me for taking so long to write to you, my new life here has been very different from what I expected. The cottage where Mr. Collins and I reside is so beautiful; it has five large bedrooms, a parlour, dining room, library, study, and a small music room for the pianoforte my father gave me. The parishioners whom I have met so far have been so very nice and welcoming that it has made me feel quite at home.

  I know that you must want me to tell you about our noble patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Oh, Lizzy, she is so much like your Grandma Bennet; you will love her like I do - Lady Catherine asks me to write of her eagerness to meet you. She was waiting at the Parsonage when we arrived, where she had arranged for a wonderful meal and presented us a large basket of the finest fruits I have ever seen.

  She introduced me to all the tenants on her estate and the people of the village. She is so kind and helpful to all her tenants; she knows them all by name and is always there to help them in their time of need.

  I know Lady Catherine and you will get along quite well, as she loves nature as much as you do and often walks to the parsonage to visit. She has a wonderful sense of humour; unfortunately, Mr. Collins tends to take everything she says as gospel, which sometimes upsets her pleasant countenance.

  I cannot wait for you and Maria to come visit me in a few weeks time. Would March the 6th be convenient for you? My reason for requesting for this is that Lady Catherine would like to meet you before her family arrives at Easter.

  Have you received any news from Jane? How does she fare in London? Has she heard anything from Mr. Bingley sisters’? Give my love to Jane and my regards to everyone at Longbourn.

  Your loving friend,

  Charlotte Collins

  ************

  Alice Elizabeth Bennet was the gentle guiding force for Elizabeth and Jane. She helped train them in many of the ways that would be expected of an accomplished young woman. In doing so, had moulded the characters of her two eldest grandchildren. She had loved nature and taught Elizabeth to enjoy it as well. She encouraged both girls in reading and in other areas such as household accounts so they would be prepared to run their own house or help with their father’s estate.

  No matter how hard Alice tried with the three younger girls, neither followed her in her footsteps like the two elder girls. Lydia especially followed her mother’s influence, as her mother doted and spoilt her youngest child from an early age. Very much like her mother in many ways, all Lydia wanted to do was enjoy herself and therefore could not be bothered with anything that she had to put an effort into, thus left everything she started half finished. Mary, a solemn child to begin with, loved to read like the two eldest girls and she loved to play the pianoforte. However, the books she tended to read, made her even more solemn, once Mary found the book on Fordyce’s Sermons no one could get it out of her hands. Thus, when Mary started to quote from the bible, all the time everyone started to ignore her. Alice taught Kitty to sew, and draw, which she excelled at, but was very easily led by her youngest sister Lydia, and due to this influence Kitty, did not practice as much as she should.

  Elizabeth was extremely close to her Grandma and at thirteen had encountered her first feelings of true sadness after her grandmother passed away. After Grandma’s death, the entire family seemed so different. Not long after, her mother suffered a miscarriage and lost the much longed for son and heir to Longbourn. The shock that this tragedy brought seemed to change her from a loving mother into a self-centred nervous woman, on the other hand, her father, never comfortable with outward emotional expressions, began to spend all his spare time in his library and ignored his wife. Elizabeth quickly became her father’s favourite daughter, spending many a night reading, playing chess and backgammon in the library with her father.

  Due to the small number of years separating them and their dispositions, Elizabeth and Jane grew very close as sisters and confidants. When Jane became extremely quiet, which showed how unhappy she had become, Elizabeth became the support Jane needed. Since being at Longbourn with her mother and sisters was not helping Jane, their Aunt Gardiner suggested that it might be beneficial to take Jane to London with them. Elizabeth hoped that the change would help recover her sister’s spirits and that Jane might meet Mr. Bingley in London.

  *************

  Once she had finished reading Charlotte’s letter, Elizabeth ran down to her father’s library, to ask his permission to go to Kent earlier than was planned. She then gave him the letter to read, after quickly reading the massive Mr. Bennet looked up and answered,

  “Are you sure that you want to go to Charlotte’s earlier than was previously agreed, Lizzy? Remember you will have to put up with Mr. Collins as well.”

  “Yes father, I would like to go. There is not much for me to do here at Longbourn except help you with the household accounts, which we did last week. I am sure Mrs. Hill will be able to manage everything else for the weeks I am away visiting with Charlotte. Did you read what Charlotte said about Lady Catherine? I would like to meet her if she really is like Grandma Bennet. You know how I miss her still.”

  “Well then my dear, I do not see anything holding you back. I will contact Sir William Lucas and find out what arrangements need to be made.”

  “Thank you, Papa.”

  Chapter One

  Three weeks later Elizabeth stood in the hallway with her luggage, awaiting the Lucas coach and four to come and pick her up for the trip to Rosings, when her father called her into the library.

  “Well, my dear, on pleasure bent again? Do give a thought for your old father while enjoying yourself, as there will not be a word of sense spoken while you and Jane are away,” her father said smili
ng affectionately at Elizabeth. “ Seriously, Lizzy, I hope that you will have a good time, give my regards to Charlotte.”

  “Thank you Papa, I will write to both you and Jane while I am away. I know you are not fond of writing letters, but as you wish me to write I would like a promise that you will reply in kind as well.”

  “My dear, I will give it some thought. Now go and enjoy yourself.”

  Sir William Lucas’ coach and four could be heard pulling up outside the front of the house so that John could place the valises in the boot of the carriage along with Miss Maria’s. Sir William was to accompany the girls, but was only staying the night and then returning the next day, because he was needed at the Lodge to solve a tenant problem.

  **************

  The road to Kent was one of the better ones and did not jostle the inhabitants of the carriage too much. Even though the weather had improved and was quite warm for March, there were still ice patches here and there on the road so the coach driver had to be careful. However, they all noticed that once in the county of Kent the weather seemed to improve.

  “Well this must be why it is called the Garden of England,” thought Elizabeth. As she looked through the window of the carriage, Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised to see many spring flowers starting to bloom everywhere she looked. In Hertfordshire, spring did not arrive until the end of March and this being only the beginning of that month.

  Soon they arrived at Hunsford, pulling in front of the parsonage. Charlotte, Mr. Collins, and a plump well-dressed woman standing at the entrance waiting for the carriage to stop.

  “I wonder who that lady is?” Lizzy thought, “Well I’ll soon find out.”

  “Welcome everyone to my humble abode…” Mr. Collins began.

  “Papa, Maria, Lizzy welcome to our home,” said Charlotte enthusiastically. “I would like to introduce you all to our patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine, this is my father, Sir William Lucas, my youngest sister, Maria, and my very best friend, Elizabeth Bennet.”

  Sir Lucas bowed and both girls curtsied respectfully.

  “ Hello my dears. I am very glad to meet you all. Now, which one of you is Elizabeth I have heard so much about?” Lady Catherine’s round, plump, kindly face smiled at both girls immediately putting them at ease.

  “Hello Lady Catherine, I am Elizabeth, and this is Maria, Charlotte’s sister”

  “Hello, Lady Catherine,” Maria shyly said, as they started to walk through into the parlour.

  “Now how long will you be staying at the parsonage, my dears? I hope your father is allowing you to stay for the six weeks we mentioned as I have many things planned for us to do”

  “Yes, Lady Catherine. My father has allowed me to spend the next six weeks, here with Charlotte and Maria. Sir William was most kind in escorting us here earlier than planned but unfortunately, he must return on the morrow.”

  “Oh dear! Never mind, that has spoilt some of my plans. Perhaps I may be able to persuade him to stay for another day,” said Lady Catherine. “Sir William, do you think that you will be able to remain another day? Does your business necessitate your personal presence?”

  “ I am sorry, Lady Catherine, but I must be away on the morrow as I have a tenant problem, and I am also in the middle of interviewing a new cleric with Mr. Bennet for the living at Longbourn. It should not take us long to find one as we have had some capital candidates apply for the position,” Sir William replied solemnly. “I am hopeful that soon the tenant problem will be solved as well. Therefore, yes, I am afraid my presence is necessary to solve this dilemma. I regret that I must take my leave of you so soon on the morrow, but I hope you will understand my responsibilities come first.

  “Perhaps I might be able to be of assistance with this inconvenience that you have, Sir William, I have a fine steward whom I could ask to give you advice if you need it.”

  “I thank you, Lady Catherine. It would be good to hear someone else’s view on this problem, as it has been on going now for weeks and does not seem to be any nearer to it being resolved.”

  While everyone was in the parlour Charlotte had a light afternoon tea served to refresh the new arrivals. Not long after, Lady Catherine announced that she must be on her way home, and that she looked forward to seeing them all for dinner that evening. Whilst there, they would discuss the entertainments planned for their time at the parsonage.

  “Well Lizzy, what do you think of Lady Catherine?” Charlotte asked, when her Ladyship had left

  “From what I have seen of her, Lady Catherine is very nice and yes, in some ways she does remind me of Grandma Bennet, but I will have to reserve my judgement on that until I know her better.”

  Looking at the time, Charlotte asked, “Would you like a rest before we go for dinner at Rosings tonight, Lizzy, Maria? We have a few hours before we must prepare for our evening at Rosings.”

  “I am not tired Charlotte, I managed to get some sleep in the coach, but I would love to have a wash before we go to Rosings,” Elizabeth answered.

  “Charlotte, I am feeling extremely tired, and a little overwhelmed with everything that has happened, so I will go and have a rest." Maria told her sister.

  “Well, my dear, if you are feeling tired, you go up to your room and I will come and awaken you so you can be ready on time. I will go and have a word with my housekeeper, Mrs. Stone, so that she can have a some hot water ready for you, Lizzy.”

  Charlotte showed her sister and friend to their bedchambers, and then went to find Mrs. Stone. Mr. Collins was then left to entertain his father-in-law, by showing him the house and grounds.

  Chapter Two

  *An Adam’s Fireplace: Many stately homes in England have these they are made of marble and usually have figurines carved into them with fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, and other exotic fruits as well as leaves of different types. These were made by the famous Robert Adams, and made to each specific owners choice.

  When the party from the parsonage arrived at Rosings, Elizabeth was surprised at the size and beauty of Lady Catherine’s home. They walked through the groves to the house and Elizabeth thought it to be one of the nicest she had ever seen, it was so well looked after. There was a large maze at the side of the house, which, when in full bloom, would surely be a beautiful sight, as rose bushes were intertwined with the hedging. As they approached the Mansion, Elizabeth could see the gardeners, who hard at there work lovingly tended the flowerbeds.

  Mr. Collins started to ramble on and on about the number of fireplaces at Rosings, mentioning how much they had cost. His informant, a Mr. Jones, had worked for the Rosings family at the time when the Adam’s* fireplaces had been installed.

  “Mr. Collins, did you ever meet Miss Anne de Bourgh?” Elizabeth asked as they approached the Manor House.

  “No! I am afraid Miss de Bourgh passed away about a year before I took up my position here 3 years ago,” Mr. Collins replied solemnly. “I am told by everyone who knew Miss de Bourgh that she was a very beautiful, but delicate flower, she had been ill for most of her life with one malady or another and had only just celebrated her 16th birthday when she was finally diagnosed consumption, Lady Catherine had the best specialists to help her. Such a pity, such a short life.”

  “Oh! How sad, poor Lady Catherine,” said Elizabeth. “She must have been devastated, losing first her husband, then not long after, her daughter.”

  “Yes, very sad indeed,” said Maria.

  **************

  Upon entering the house, the butler greeted them and showed them into the Chinese Room where Lady Catherine was awaiting them. Once inside the beautiful room Elizabeth and Maria were astounded at what they saw. On the walls there were magnificent wall hangings in wondrous colours, covered with exotic birds. Mr. Collins had not exaggerated when he mentioned this room; there was an Adam’s fireplace, which was very ornate and extremely beautiful.

  “Hello my dears, are you well rested,” asked Lady Catherine as she arose to greet them.
“Dinner will be in about an hour. I do hope you will follow me on a short tour of my home while we wait for dinner to be served?”