The Ladies of Longbourn (39 page)

Her aunt's delight was appropriate and timely. Anna and Jonathan Bingley had only just been informed of the news that the Elliotts were expecting their first child. It provided Jonathan with another reason to hasten the conclusion of the refurbishments undertaken at Longbourn, while Mrs Collins was away in Derbyshire, visiting her daughter Rebecca Tate and the Darcys at Pemberley. He was quite determined that all the work should be finished in order that the Elliott's may move to Longbourn, well in time for the arrival of his first grandchild.

No expense would be spared and Anna was urged to select and have made all the necessary accessories and accoutrements that a young family may require to live in comfort. Indeed, it was Anne-Marie, whose taste for simplicity had not changed, who had to counsel restraint and curb her father's generosity.

The following week, Miss Laura Wilcox called again to press her case. She had hoped to enthuse them with the idea of providing free schooling to all the children of the parish and she had certainly succeeded. With the encouragement of her aunt, her husband and her brother, Anne-Marie agreed to approach her father. He, after some discussion with his wife and his lawyers, set aside his reservations about the Wilcoxes, whose record of greed and selfishness he deplored, and agreed to permit the endowment and extension of the little parish school at Netherfield.

"I agree only on condition that the parish council of Netherfield keeps control of the school and Anne-Marie or her representative is on the council at all times, with the power to disallow anything that goes against the spirit of this agreement," he had said.

Miss Wilcox had been delighted and gladly accepted Mr Bingley's conditions. Later both she and Anne-Marie worked together on the plans for the school, which was to open in the New Year, and so began the remarkable association between two families who had hitherto travelled on opposite sides of the road, which was to lead to the establishment of one of the best primary schools in the county.

Incidentally and not surprisingly, the choir at Netherfield Church was so much improved by the infusion of new talent, with healthier and better taught choristers, that their reputation and that of their rector and choir master soon spread far outside the limits of his parish. So much so, they were in demand to sing at weddings and other functions around the district, which they did very creditably.

By which means, Mr Griffin, who, sadly, having failed in his quest for love, had at least found a compensatory degree of fame and satisfaction. Justly proud of the reputation of his choir, he naturally attributed this success almost wholly to the inspiration and encouragement provided by their beloved patron, Mrs Colin Elliott.

YTHE
A
UTUMN OF
1865, Mr Colin Elliott had been invited by Mr Gladstone to join him and his party in their campaign for reform, arguing persuasively that "we cannot fail because the great social forces

With his popularity among the people rising every day, Mr Gladstone seemed to be moving inevitably towards victory, and several promising young Reformist parliamentarians were ready to support him.

Colin Elliott had revealed to his wife the solemn promise he had received, that the extension of the vote to working men would be delivered in the next Reform Bill. "He has given me his word, my love, and he was most insistent upon it, even though I cannot believe my support would be of great significance to his campaign," he had said modestly, but Anne-Marie was delighted, quite unsurprised that her husband had been courted by the popular Mr Gladstone. "You are too modest, dearest," she had replied. "It is a sign of the recognition you deserve. Clearly, Mr Gladstone knows you for a man of principle and values your support."

Later that same month, as the trees in the woods around Netherfield put on their Autumn colours, young Teresa Bingley returned from Standish Park, where she had spent most of the Summer. She was accompanied by her uncle, aunt, and their two young sons.

With them came also Mr Frederick Fairfax, the architect, who had been working on the Wilson's new conservatory all Summer. The gentleman was not unknown to them, having done some work for Mr Bingley at Netherfield a year or two ago. Anne-Marie remembered that he had seemed very taken with her sister at the time, but after he had left the area, having completed his work, the association had gone no further.

When the pair had met again in Kent, however, they had renewed their friendship and this time Teresa, grown up and very much the accomplished young lady, had proved irresistible to the amiable young architect with a talent for making pen-portraits. It appeared that Mr Fairfax, having ascertained the lady's own wishes, had come to Netherfield to ask her father's permission to marry her.

That his elder brother was happily married to Victoria, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Wilson, may well have counted in his favour with Mr Bingley.
His blessing obtained, the pair were engaged, and a wedding was planned for Spring.
To see her young sister happy afforded Anne-Marie great satisfaction and she remarked to Anna that there was little more she could ask for, except the safe delivery of her child. The move to Longbourn satisfactorily accomplished, her loyal maids Jenny Dawkins and Rosie went with her to her new home. With the new household now well organised by Mr Bowles and Harriet, Anne-Marie had very little to trouble her.
Barely a fortnight before Christmas, Mr Elliott was urgently summoned home from a meeting of his constituency council, because his wife had been brought to bed a week before her time and been delivered of a son. He returned to her side with great haste, so beset with anxiety that it took Anna much time and effort to reassure him that all was well.
The little boy, universally agreed to be the image of his grandfather, was named Jonathan Charles, and his parents, their friends complained, could no longer be counted upon to speak on any subject for longer than five minutes without introducing the topic of their son.

Some weeks into the New Year, sitting at her desk in her room overlooking the grounds of Longbourn, while young Jonathan Elliott slept, Anne-Marie wrote in her diary.

"Nothing can compare with this, the deepest, sweetest joy I have ever known. So intense, so pervasive are these feelings, as to have wiped out all the bitter residue of the past. Indeed, so deeply do I love my dear Colin and our son, and with such fondness does he care for us, that no other cause, no matter how significant, will ever engage my feelings as passionately, again.

There is no written record of Colin Elliott's feelings, for he kept no personal diary, but it has been said, by members of the household, that he frequently and openly demonstrated his love for his wife and son in the most tender and affectionate terms.

Furthermore, no one who knew him was left in any doubt, that the serious young MP, who rose to support Mr Gladstone on the floor of the House, who was imbued with a strong sense of social justice, was also a deeply happy and contented man. It was clear from his general disposition as from the pleasure he obviously felt, as he glanced towards his wife in the gallery, when she attended to hear him speak in the House of Commons.

While there may have been some speculation about the direction in which the political career of the young MP may proceed, dependent as such matters are upon many unpredictable factors, there was certainly none about the happiness of Mr and Mrs Colin Elliott, whose personal lives were clearly completely satisfactory.

Anne-Marie Bradshaw (nee Bingley)--eldest daughter of Jonathan Bingley and his first wife, Amelia Jane Collins (deceased)
Rev. John Bradshaw--husband of Anne-Marie
Jonathan Bingley, son of Charles and Jane Bingley--now the master of Netherfield Park
Anna Bingley (nee Faulkner)--second wife of Jonathan Bingley
Teresa and Cathy Bingley--daughters of Jonathan Bingley by his first wife
Dr Charles Bingley--son of Jonathan Bingley by his first wife
Nicholas and Simon Bingley--young sons of Jonathan and Anna Bingley
Colin Elliott--the new Member of Parliament for the Netherfield district
Mr Griffin--rector of Netherfield Church
Eliza Harwood--daughter of Emily Courtney and friend of Anne-Marie
Emma and James Wilson--sister and brother-in-law of Jonathan Bingley; (Victoria, Stephanie, Charles, and Colin Wilson--Emma's children)
Dr and Mrs John Faulkner--parents of Mrs Anna Bingley
Caroline Fitzwilliam (nee Gardiner)--cousin of the Bennet girls, married Colonel Fitzwilliam

Dr Richard Gardiner and Cassandra--son-in-law and daughter of Mr and Mrs Darcy of Pemberley
Julian Darcy--son of Mr and Mrs Darcy of Pemberley, married Josie Tate, daughter of Anthony and Rebecca Tate of Matlock. (Rebecca, nee Collins--daughter of Charlotte Collins)

Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy of Pemberley
Charles and Jane Bingley--parents of Jonathan Bingley and Emma Wilson Colonel Fitzwilliam--cousin of Mr Darcy (married Caroline Gardiner) Charlotte Collins--wife of Mr Collins (deceased), grandmother of Anne-Marie Mr and Mrs Edward Gardiner--uncle and aunt of Jane and Elizabeth

The author wishes to thank Ms Claudia Taylor, librarian, and the graphic artist, Ms Marissa O'Donnell, for their excellent work and Ms Jenny Scott of Langtoft, England, for her interest and help with obtaining information on local government in Hertfordshire in the nineteenth century.

Thanks, too, to Ben and Robert for help with the computer system and to Ms Natalie Collins for her work in organising the original production of this book.
A debt of gratitude is, of course, due also to that most loved of writers, Miss Jane Austen, chief source of inspiration for this series.
May 2000.