Page 42 of A Quiet Affection

No man who fell in love with Jane could possibly have any particular interest in an Elizabeth.

Elizabeth hinted in her letter—it would have beengaucheto say it clearly—that she disliked the man who Jane would marry, and she wanted to live with Mr. Gardiner and his wife instead of them. She wrote that she was sure that with the money from her fortune she might even be an addition to the household accounts, and she hoped she could also be helpful by hanging about their children and teaching the daughter when she was old enough to benefit from a teacher.

It was the afternoon before the day of Jane’s wedding when the post brought Mr. Gardiner’s reply. Rather than having Sarah read it to her, she interrupted Georgiana’s lessons to beg herto read the letter to her in private. Miss Wilson gave her permission.

While Elizabeth did not love the governess who had taught them these years, she would miss her also when she left in just a few days.

The letter read as followed:

My Dear Lizzy,

We would be delighted for you to live with us. I always felt as though you belonged more with me and my dear wife than far in the north. But as you have always seemed happy there, I have thought little about it.

I must note that our little Fanny is only three years of age, and it will take her some time to become used to the necessity of picking up after herself and setting everything back into place, exactly where it had been. But I think such difficulties can be managed.

We have an excellent guest room that can be yours, with ample proportions and a modern Franklin stove. It has been recently repainted a lovely blue color, but unfortunately thatcannot interest you. I shall warn you that there are some who claim the winter in London to be unpleasant, and others who speak against the summers. But for my part, there is no city in the world where I would rather live. As Johnson said, if a man is tired of London, he must likewise be tired of life.

Mrs. Gardiner speaks fondly of a hope to come to know you very well, and her unhappiness at not having done so yet. And I have just received direct information from Fanny that she is not opposed to having her cousin Elizabeth living with us, though I must warn you that when you first arrive, she shall hide in the nursery for twenty minutes and pretend that you do not exist if you nevertheless approach her. But following thatshe will treat you as the dearest of friends and force you to partake of an excellent tea and biscuits made of air, the brew likewise composed.

My dear niece, do come. You said that your friend Miss Darcy shall be sent to school presently; perhaps it might make a more pleasant and commodious journey for both of you if you could share the carriage.

Your loving uncle,

E Gardiner

Georgiana put the letter down on her desk and said in a small voice. “You are leaving too?”

“I think it is better. Would you not like it if I went down with you?”

“No, no. Everything is changing. But then you won’t be here. You won’t be here when I come back.”

“I am going,” Elizabeth replied with a smile, “to be closer toyou. In London I’ll be close enough to your school’s address that I can use the penny post to send letters to you, and they’ll arrive in a day or two.”

“Everything is changing! It’s not fair.”

“No, no it isn’t,” Elizabeth said. “A great deal is not fair.”

“You won’t be here at Christmas.”

“I’ll go to see you at your school, and you’ll be able to show me about.”

“I doubt they’ll let me see anyone,” Georgiana said tearfully. “I’ve heard that these schools never allow the pupils to see anyone but their parents, and that only for ten minutes once a year.”

“Are you sure you do not have them confused with a nunnery?”

Georgiana was silent in reply as she wasnotsure.

“My dear Georgie,” Elizabeth said, “I dearly love you. But I do not wish to remain, not with you leaving. Not when I won’t be living in the house.”

“But Fitzwilliam, he’ll need you when Papa dies. If you leave with me, you won’t be there when Fitzwilliam returns.”

Fitzwilliamwouldprefer for her to be there when Mr. Darcy died.

“Fitzwilliam can care for himself,” Elizabeth said. “He can. We know he can. He will miss me, and he will miss you, but he’ll be surrounded by his friends. Jane will be here to comfort him.”

“Jane? He doesn’t even like Jane.”

If only you knew. Elizabeth thought it unsurprising how Georgiana had not detected anything of Fitzwilliam’s feelings about Jane.