Whispered Kisses Read online

  He smiled widely and gave an exaggerated bow, “That is a secret I cannot reveal, Miss.”

  Elizabeth sighed, “I thought you would say as much yet again. Are you certain you must keep it such a secret?”

  She had asked him this same question each time he delivered the gifts to her, but his master did not want such information to be revealed, so he quickly and efficiently evaded her queries. “My lips shall never betray such confidences as I hold, Miss.”

  “I shall Miss you and your gifts, Joseph.”

  “Are you going somewhere, Miss?”

  “I am returning home today. My time in London has come to an end.”

  “If you will but tell me where your home is, I am certain we could continue this tradition.”

  Elizabeth chuckled, “While I am appreciative of the gesture, I am certain your master would not wish you to make such a statement.”

  Just as before when they talked of his master, Joseph’s eyes clouded with sadness. “I can say with assurance, Miss, that a few miles would not halt his continued attentions if it would brighten your day and bring a smile to your lips.”

  “Is that why he sends me these—to see me smile?”

  “You would have to ask my master, Miss.”

  “And when will I meet this mysterious gentleman?” She glanced around, hoping to see someone watching their exchange.

  He shook his head, “That is not for me to say. Perhaps if you were to give me directions to your home?”

  She chuckled, “No, if fate is to bring us together, then it will get no help from me. Where I live shall remain as much a mystery as the gentleman who bestows such gifts upon me. I shall treasure them always as a remembrance of my Season here in Town. Thank you Joseph, and thank your master for me as well.” With that, she turned and left the park.

  Intent upon finding out as much information as he could for his master, Joseph trailed along behind her, keeping out of sight. When she returned to the carriage that awaited her, he heard her say to the maid, “We must leave for Meryton, or I fear it shall be very late when we arrive home.”

  Meryton—that must be where she lives, he thought. With quickened steps, he returned to his master, giving him all this information.

  Longbourn

  October, 1811

  It was a fresh and crisp autumn day when Elizabeth entered her home and heard her sister Kitty call out from the other end of the entrance hall something about her missing a visitor to their father.

  “A visitor? Who was it? Did Sir William come by for a chess game?”

  “Oh Lizzy, you shall never guess! It is a new neighbor—a Mr Bingley.”

  “Mr Bingley? I have never heard of him.”

  Lydia then came bounding down the stairs and interrupted Kitty to give the explanation, “He has let Netherfield Park, and told Papa that he is to go back to London in two days’ time to pick up his sisters along with a large party. They are to attend the Assembly next week!”

  “Well then, we shall be forever indebted to him, for we never have enough gentlemen for the dancing.”

  Elizabeth finished fussing with the flowers she was placing in the vase. She picked them up and went into the sitting room, where she placed the arrangement of wild flowers in the middle of the table.

  Lydia flung herself down onto the sofa with a flourish, her arm going up to her forehead and her eyes fluttering closed as she said with dramatic effect, “Only a red uniform can capture my affection—I shall only dance with the officers.”

  Elizabeth ignored her sister’s antics, saying to Jane, “Are there to be officers at the Assembly as well?”

  “Oh Lizzy! Do you not hear anything? Where do you go on your walks that you come home with no news of the goings-on in the neighborhood?” Kitty asked in exasperation.

  It was at this time that Mary, whom Elizabeth did not even see sitting in the corner until she spoke, replied in her typical monotone voice, “A regiment will quarter here for a few months and Sir William has made it his mission to invite them all to the Assembly as well.”

  “MARY!” Kitty yelled out, “I was going to tell her! No one ever lets me explain anything!”

  Jane walked over to put her calming hand on Kitty’s shoulder, “Is there something else you wished to tell us?”

  “Only that Mama is a bundle of nerves the likes of which I have never seen before. She is convinced Mr Bingley is worth five thousand a year, at least, and that he will be bringing a party of rich and titled gentlemen with him.”

  Jane smiled, “Mama is always overly optimistic about the inducements of visitors that come into our neighborhood.”

  Lydia popped her head up from the sofa where she still lounged, “Are you saying you would not like to dance with him Jane?”

  Jane gave a small, simple smile, “Not at all.”

  “One cannot afford to be so choosy,” Mary said, “especially with our portions being so small.”

  Not wanting to hear her sister’s moralizing ideas on matrimony, Lydia interrupted, asking, “Will you dance with him, Lizzy?”

  “I shall dance with anyone who asks, because, after all, is that not the true purpose of such an Assembly?” She turned, “Now, if you will excuse me, I must inform Papa of some repairs that are needed on a tenant house.”

  Lydia flipped her hand at Elizabeth, “What ridiculousness. Why do you worry with such things?”

  Mary spoke up, “It is for our father to do, but he is derelict in his duties. Someone must care for the tenants, otherwise Longbourn could cease to be productive at all, and then how would you purchase your ribbons and shoe roses?”

  This gave Elizabeth the opportunity to leave the room and not endure, yet again, the explanation to Lydia that came every time she went to check on the tenant farms.

  Jane exited with Elizabeth and they heard Kitty say, “Shoe roses! I knew I forgot something! Oh we simply must go to Meryton tomorrow to purchase some!”

  Elizabeth and Jane looked at each other, shaking their heads in exasperation at their younger sisters. The two youngest, Kitty and Lydia, were selfish and had no sense at all, and Mary, the middle of the five, was too solemn to see the fun in any situation. It was a conundrum the two had talked of often—how they all come from the same two parents and yet were so very different.

  Jane sighed heavily, and Elizabeth smiled, “So, did you catch a glimpse of this Mr Bingley?”

  “Only as he returned to his carriage—Mary and I were trying to keep Kitty and Lydia from the window. He looked up at us and tipped his hat,” she blushed deeply.

  “Ahhh, so he now knows we are a house full of eligible young ladies eagerly awaiting the chance to dance with him. So which set do you wish to save for him?”

  “Oh, Lizzy, do not tease me so.”

  She smiled, “I could never deny such a heartfelt request from my dearest sister, but as I might need you on my side, I think I will take the hint and stop now.”

  “Is it as bad as we heard?”

  “Worse,” Elizabeth said as she threaded her arm through her sister’s, leading them towards their father’s study. “I do not remember a time when I have seen such disrepair. Papa will be furious with me, but I must insist he see to the list I have made immediately.”

  “I doubt he will be furious with you, Lizzy.”

  She sighed, “He will most likely just scratch his chin, claim he has been derelict in his duties and must reform sometime, then melancholy will take over his features and he will toss the books and purse at me, insisting I catalogue everything, all the while speaking of how he has never been the kind of master he should be.” She stopped and turned towards her elder sister, “Tell me this Jane, if he knows of his faults, why does he continue to allow them to drain the resources of our family’s land? Does he take no pride in his status and what he has been given by the Good Lord to oversee throughout his lifetime?”

  Jane patted her sister’s hand, “I think he is just so solemn because of his own lack of being able to provid
e an heir for Longbourn. He has five daughters and no sons, and it is clear that their days of having another child are over, so he chooses to just hide away in his study and ignore everything he can because the reality is too difficult for him to face.”

  “Why must he hide though? It is not as if we lack the funds to hire out for these repairs to be made.”

  “We all have our reservations, Lizzy. When you are anxious what do you do? You write out the fantasy of what you hoped would happen. Papa does not have that—he only has his study and the familiarity of his comfortable surroundings.”

  “I supposed you are right Jane, but I shall never think as highly of him as you do, especially after what I have had to face in seeing to the tenants these last few years.” She smiled, “You know it is not only disappointments that draw me to my quill.”

  Jane chuckled, “Yes, you use any opportunity to make changes to the reality around you. Perhaps one day you shall find ample reason to write of experiences as well.”

  She raised her eyebrow in amusement, “I hope so as well.” With a resigned sigh, she finally said, “Come; let us get this over with until next year.”

  The expectancy of the coming Assembly was felt throughout the Bennet household. With several trips to Meryton to make necessary purchases, and hours of sitting while different styles were tried with the sisters’ hair, Elizabeth was beginning to feel the world was closing in around her. So, with a note to Jane that she was in need of some exercise, she sneaked from their shared room, hoping the early hour would ensure her mother would never know of her excursion.

  Once she was out of doors, her feet quickly took her through the gardens and further towards her favorite place to visit when she was in need of some solitude—Oakham Mount.

  The climb up was a bit slippery today, especially after two days of rain, but she was able to save her petticoats from becoming six inches deep in mud by the time she reached the top, so she considered it a successful trek.

  The cool autumn breeze felt good after such a climb. She removed her bonnet, her unstyled hair falling down to her waist. She then pulled the gloves from her hands, placing them all together on a nearby rock before she stepped closer to edge of the cliff where it dropped significantly, revealing the rolling hills and fields of the Hertfordshire landscape that stretched out before her.

  The wind picked up a bit, and she could not help but lift her chin into the air and close her eyes, her hair and dress being caught in the breeze that blew past. When the air was once again still, she opened her eyes and found her favorite rock to sit upon. It was a bit chilly this morning, but the chill was not enough yet to cause her any alarm. During the winter months to come she would not have as many opportunities to come up here, so she always came as often as she could during the autumn.

  Pinks and yellows along the horizon slowly expanded to include hues of lilac and blue, and eventually she knew she must return home or fear her mother’s wrath at her disappearing on such an important day as this. The Assembly this evening would cause the rest of the day to be filled with uproarious chaos, but she was now ready to face just about anything with the grace and poise society required.

  Elizabeth twisted her long hair and placed her bonnet over it, tying the bow under her chin. Then, just as she was pulling on her gloves, she noticed someone else coming up the path that led to the top of the mount. He looked familiar, but she could not place him. Then suddenly, she realized what was in his hand—a posy of flowers.

  The boy looked up towards her and smiled as he climbed up the last few feet to the top, “I gather you are shocked to see me, Miss?”

  Elizabeth chuckled, “I can honestly say it is a shock Joseph. What has brought you all the way from London to my neighborhood?”

  “Why, my master’s orders, of course.”

  “Are you prepared yet to tell me just who this generous master is?”

  He shook his head, the red curls that stuck out from under his hat drawing on her growing affection for the adolescent boy. “I am sorry Miss, but I cannot tell you anything more.” He held the flowers out to her, “These are for you.”

  She reached out, accepting the small gathering of wildflowers that were tied together into a simple posy with a long blade of grass. “They are lovely. I would like to thank your master,” she said as she cocked her eyebrow. “Perhaps if I knew who this gentleman was...”

  He chuckled, but was not so easily swayed, “‘Tis not my place to say, Miss.”

  She shrugged her shoulders, “Well, you cannot fault me for trying.”

  “No Miss, I cannot.” With that, he gave a tip of his hat as he bowed, then he turned and made his way back down the hill, disappearing into the wood.

  Elizabeth smiled as she drew the flowers to her nose, smelling the sweet fragrance of the wildflowers. In a small way, she had hoped he would find her, and she also hoped to receive the beautiful blue flowers once again. She fingered the bright blues of the hydrangea that was mixed into the small bundle. They were similar, but not quite the same, as what she had received in London. The blue flower she remembered well had captured her heart in London, and though these were not the same, the sentiment was just as heartfelt and she appreciated the gesture of his searching for her. And yet, she still did not know who this gentleman was. Should she be worried about his continued attention?

  She would have to find a way to hide these when she got closer to home. It is a good thing this bundle is small enough to fit in my pocket, she thought as she began to make her way down the hill and back to Longbourn.

  Just as she was coming in the back way, Jane caught her arm and pulled her outside once again, “Oh Lizzy! I thought you would never return! Come, Mama has instructed us to find flowers suitable for our hair this evening.”

  “Flowers? Mama is not usually given to such details beyond lace. Why today?”

  Jane blushed, “It was the only suggestion I could think of that would give you time to return home without being found out.”

  Elizabeth smiled broadly and wound her arm through her sister’s, “Dear, sweet Jane; you are forever covering for me, and one of these days I shall have to pay you back.” Thinking back to the blue hydrangea in the wildflowers she received earlier, she said, “Perhaps I could wear your blue shawl this evening? Will it go well with my dress?”

  “Oh it will be lovely! It is decided — we must find some blue flowers to go in your hair.”

  She blushed as she admitted, “Actually, I already have some in mind.” She then pulled the small bundle from her pocket, careful not to break the stems of the delicate flowers. “I was just returning home when the same boy from London showed up and gave these to me.”

  “Your secret admirer has followed you to Hertfordshire? Oh Lizzy! What have you done to encourage such a gentleman?”

  “I know not,” she said, shaking her head. “Perhaps he will be at the Assembly this evening and we can be introduced.”

  “You do not think he is one of Mr Bingley’s guests, do you?”

  “Perhaps it is Mr Bingley himself. No, no,” Elizabeth teased, “he shall be taken with your beauty, not mine.”

  “And just what makes you say such a thing?”

  “Hmmm... I do not know. With all I have heard of Mr Bingley though, he does not strike me as the kind of gentleman who would send flowers anonymously to a stranger just to see them smile.”

  “Is that why your admirer sends these?”

  “It is all I could get from Joseph when I questioned him before—that his master took joy in brightening my day and seeing me smile.”

  “Well, that he has done today; you are simply beaming.”

  Elizabeth laughed, “Come, we must complete our task and return promptly, otherwise I fear Mama may send Lydia to help.”

  Jane chuckled and bent down to choose a few of the flowers at her feet, “She would insist on everyone wearing pink, and we cannot disappoint your anonymous admirer now, can we?”

  Elizabeth’s hand worried the thr
eads of the crocheted shawl her sister let her borrow for the evening. Ever since their arrival at the Assembly Hall, she could not help the knot in her stomach that grew each time the door was opened and another group announced. Knowing that if there were other visitors to the area besides the Netherfield Park group that her mother would have heard about them before now, she was certain she would find her secret benefactor among Mr Bingley’s friends.

  What would he look like? The image in Elizabeth’s thoughts was a tall gentleman with brooding looks who chose to stand in the corner and watch as opposed to being in the midst of the revelers. He had dark eyes that could pierce to the soul with one simple look. Eyes that hid so many difficulties and secrets that most around him would not even know existed in his otherwise perfect life. He would be the model gentleman in comportment, though maybe not as social as one might like someone of his position to be.

  To sketch one’s character was a skill in which Elizabeth often excelled. Her imagined ideas about others were usually fairly accurate, though it was a bit unnerving this time to have such a firmly established physical description in her mind when she had never met the gentleman before. She wondered if she had, perhaps, seen him while in London, and that was why her mind was so set on what he would look like. After agonizing over every time in the park when she received flowers, she could not say definitively whether she noticed a gentleman of such details as her mind had drawn looking on or not.

  Charlotte Lucas, her best friend, interrupted her thoughts, and so she was inclined to speak with her friend until Charlotte’s father called her away.

  Now once again alone, she looked all around the room. It was filling up nicely. She breathed a heavy sigh, and then went to sit down for a few minutes along the wall.

  She could see the evening playing out in her mind. The room was crowded, the entire neighborhood of more than four and twenty families awaiting the arrival of the Netherfield party. Suddenly, the door opened. Every eye turned towards the twelve ladies and gentlemen who entered. Sir William Lucas, as the evening’s master of ceremonies, stepped up to their guest with a warm welcome.