The Harvest Ball

by Lily Bernard

  In August, Emily left Suffolk to visit Richard at Rosings Park. As she suggested in her letter, Richard awaited her arrival in the entrance hall while Mrs. Elkins stood on the front steps. When the Carter’s carriage pulled up the drive to Rosings, her footman helped her exit the carriage. Mrs. Elkins stepped forward and curtsied before saying loudly enough for the driver and coachmen to hear, “welcome to Rosings Park, your Ladyship. Lord and Lady Greenley and Lady Mary are looking forward to greeting you in the drawing room.” Richard’s footmen quickly unloaded Lady Emily’s trunks and the Carter’s carriage was soon on its journey back to Ipswich.

  When he saw Emily enter Rosings, his heart was beating so fast he thought that everyone could sense his anxiety. He approached the woman of his dreams and bowed before her and kissed her hand. “Welcome to Rosings Park, Lady Howard. Thank you, Mrs. Elkins for the efficiency of our guest’s arrival. Lady Howard, would you care for some refreshments or would you prefer to go to your room and rest before tea?”

  “Mr. Fitzwilliam, I thank you for your kind hospitality. I would like to go to my room to freshen up. I will join you for tea in an hour, if that is convenient?”

  “Whatever you wish, my lady. I will see you in an hour.” Richard smiled as Mrs. Elkins showed Emily to her suite of rooms. As she walked up the stairs, he saw Emily looking around at the décor and smiling. He was trying to stem his optimism; the woman he loved was in his home. I know I want to propose while Emily is here, but I do not wish to ask her too soon. She has been hurt by so many people, I know she must come to trust me over the next few weeks. It is not proper for her to be here with me, but I want Emily beside me for the rest of my life; it is the only way for her to know me well enough to accept my proposal. Mrs. Elkins and my staff have assured me of their discretion.

  That evening after dinner, they were drinking tea in the drawing room. Emily had just played the pianoforte and sang for Richard. He already knew he loved her, but hearing her play and sing, he was certain she was the most remarkable woman he had ever met.

  “I never asked you what you told your parents about your trip here.”

  “I was smiling when I read your response to my letter asking for an invitation to Rosings. My mother could not understand what Mary had written that was so amusing. I told her that the Greenleys had invited me to their estate in Kent. She told me that I would most likely meet many titled men there and I should ‘keep my options open’. She reminded me that I had already been married once and was not getting any younger.”

  Richard shook his head at hearing Mrs. Carter’s unkind remarks. “I will not dignify her words with a response. How did you grow up to be so wonderful when your parents are so cruel?”

  “I cannot think of them as cruel; they are simply blinded by their desire to raise our family’s standing in the ton. They do not realize how hurtful some of their comments are.”

  “Pray, make no excuses for their horrible words. I already know they do not like me; they made that clear at the Townsend’s Ball. I do not know if I can ever forgive them for the way they have treated you.”

  “Perhaps I would be more critical of them if my husband was still alive and I was still so desperately unhappy. I am ready to move on with my life and am looking forward to whatever comes next.”

  “As am I, Emily.” They smiled at each other and Richard asked, “shall I escort you upstairs or would you rather have more tea?”

  “I am feeling rather tired from my travels today; you need not escort me. I look forward to whatever you have planned for tomorrow. Good night, Richard.”

  Richard rose and kissed Emily’s hand. “Good night, Emily. Happy dreams, my lady.” Emily smiled at her host before she left the room.

  Richard poured himself a brandy, sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes. Things have gone very well today. Emily seems so happy to be here with me. I saw her taking note of the paintings, rugs and curtains. She can redecorate the entire house if she so desires. Slow down, Richard; today was her first day at Rosings. Do not do anything to scare her away or ask her to answer a question she is not ready for. I feel so happy to have Emily in my home and I hope before too long, it shall be her home as well. Watching her play and sing for me is like heaven on earth. I will do anything to win her hand!

  The first week of Emily’s visit passed quickly; Richard showed her all around his estate. They took the phaeton into the village of Hunsford and walked around some of the shops. They met Mr. and Mrs. Collins while they were out walking and Charlotte Collins invited them to return to the parsonage for some refreshments. They happily agreed to the plan and spent a relaxed half hour in the company of the gracious Mrs. Collins, her long-winded husband and Rebecca, their adorable little girl. Charlotte told Lady Emily that until they married, she and Elizabeth Darcy were best friends. Lady Emily spoke of her many meetings with the Darcys while she was living with her brother in Derbyshire. Lady Emily told the Collins’ that she was visiting her friend when she met Mr. Fitzwilliam at a party. Charlotte did not question why Lady Howard and Richard were walking together and they did not volunteer any further information.

  Lady Emily and Richard were spending almost all their time together; eating their meals together, walking in Rosings beautiful gardens, riding to some of Richard’s favorite spots for a picnic and reading together in the Rosings library when the weather kept them indoors. While they were walking or dining, they spoke about anything and everything that came into their minds. They took turns asking questions about how they each felt about certain topics. By the second week of her visit, they both felt they had come to know each other very well. He told her the terms of his cousin Anne’s will and how he had inherited her estate when Anne passed away. “Why did her mother not inherit Rosings upon her husband’s death?”

  “My aunt and uncle did not make a love match; they were often heard arguing loudly about the smallest things. Before his death, my uncle, Sir Louis DeBourgh wrote his will leaving Rosings to Anne when she reached the age of twenty-four. After my uncle’s death, my aunt ran Rosings and even after her twenty fourth birthday, Anne was always sickly and she never felt strong enough to take over the responsibility. When she realized that her days were few, Anne wrote her own will, leaving Rosings to me. After Anne’s death and after I resigned my commission, I came here and offered my aunt the opportunity to remain at Rosings and live in the dower house, but she adamantly refused. If you had ever met my aunt, you would understand that we could never live under the same roof. She angrily decamped to her townhouse in London vowing to never again return to Rosings or speak to me.

  “My father recently wrote to me about my aunt. It seems she tried to intrude on Georgiana Darcy’s debut ball. Darcy had received several letters expressing her ongoing displeasure with his marriage. She repeatedly told him him that marrying Elizabeth not only tainted the family tree, but also ruined any chance that Georgiana could make a good match. Darcy thought she might try to ruin the party, so he gave his staff specific instructions about what to do if she showed up. It seems that on the night of the ball, my aunt had to be physically carried out of the house by Darcy’s footmen. When my father went to speak to his sister about her behavior, he found her staring at the wall and speaking to herself; it appears she has completely lost her mind. She was examined by my family’s physician and rather than send her to Bedlam, she has been resettled in Dorset with a large staff to prevent her from hurting herself or anyone else.”

  “What a terrible turn of events for your aunt. Did she always behave this way, or do you think the death of her daughter caused her inappropriate behavior?”

  “It is hard to say. My aunt never took ‘no’ for an answer. I wish her well, but I am relieved that Darcy and his family are safe. She was obsessed with destroying their family and now that threat has been removed.”

  “I am very fond of the Darcys and I am glad they do not feel threatened any longer.” They walked quietly arm in arm, enjoying their compatibility. “How did you lear
n how to be the master of an estate? Surely, your experience in the army was not enough.”

  “My cousin Darcy has been an invaluable resource; whenever I have an estate problem I cannot solve, I write to him and he usually comes up with a viable solution. Darcy and I are closer than cousins; we grew up as brothers and spent every summer together either at Pemberley or Matlock Manor. He is a very good man and he and Elizabeth are very happy together. I will tell you their story at another time; for now, I believe it is time for us to change for dinner.

  As they were out walking the following day, Richard said, “Emily you are a woman of many talents.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You ride well, you play and sing beautifully, and you are so easy to talk to. At a moment’s notice, you came up with a clever idea of how we could correspond with each other. When I asked you to visit, you staged the entire affair. You traveled with a person you could trust, and you choreographed your arrival better than Wellington plans an attack. I wish I had met you sooner, I would have dressed you in a soldier’s uniform and used you to plan our war strategies.”

  “I wish I had met you sooner, as well.” Emily blushed and decided to change the topic as they continued to walk. “Will you tell me how Mr. and Mrs. Darcy came to be married?”

  “It is an incredible story and I will try to shorten the tale that took more than a year to come to a happy conclusion.” Richard told Emily of the Darcy family’s connection to George Wickham and that Wickham believed that Darcy was responsible for the death of a woman whom he said he wanted to marry. “To exact revenge on Darcy, Wickham sought to hurt Darcy and anyone he loved in any way he could.”

  Richard recounted the details of how Wickham and Mrs. Younge schemed together and kidnapped Georgiana in Ramsgate. He became emotional when he told her how severely Darcy had been wounded by Wickham during his cousin’s rescue. “It was the worst day of my life. Darcy is like a brother to me and for the first few hours after he was injured, I was certain that we would lose him.”

  “I will repeat the words you said to me in Hyde Park when I was telling you the story of my marriage; if it is too difficult to recount, please spare yourself the pain.”

  “I thank you for caring, but there is not much more. Before the kidnapping, Darcy had been in Hertfordshire helping Charles Bingley and it was there that Darcy and Elizabeth fell in love and became betrothed. The same morning he proposed, he received my express telling him of Georgiana’s kidnapping and he left Hertfordshire immediately.”

  “We feigned Darcy’s death to protect Elizabeth and Georgiana as long as Wickham was on the loose. I took Darcy to his estate in Scotland and arranged for his medical care. I went to the Bennet’s estate and told Elizabeth that Darcy was dead. She eventually moved to Derbyshire to live with Jane and Charles Bingley.

  “When Darcy recovered and we learned Wickham was dead, Darcy reunited with Elizabeth at Birchwood Manor and were married soon after. My cousin and his wife have had their love tested beyond all reason, but their marriage is a love match that I envy.”

  Lady Emily blushed and looked away, “Thank you for telling me. They appear so happy together, you could never imagine the hardships they have endured.” They walked on for several minutes, “We have been walking for a long time; shall we return to the house for some refreshment?”

  “Yes, that is a good idea.”

  The following day, they were strolling through the formal gardens. “Richard, I want to speak to you about growing up in Suffolk and the events that have led me to be here with you.”

  “I thought you told me all about your family.”

  “Not everything. I feel I know you better now and want you to know the complete truth. My oldest brother, John, was the answer to my parents’ prayers. They did not have children for many years after they were married and worried that they would never be blessed with a family. When John was born, they doted on him with the attention he continues to receive to this day. Since he was a child, John has been groomed to take over my father’s business. John has not yet married because I believe, he cannot find a woman who could possibly lavish him with the same attention he receives from my parents. When Peter was born, well, they already had their heir and Peter did not receive the attention he should have. Perhaps that is what drove him to self-reflection and his calling to the Church.”

  “What about the way you were treated?”

  “From the time I was old enough to remember, I was told that I must marry well and raise the family’s standing in the ton. I was never given any choice in the way I styled my hair or the clothes I wore. My mother read fashion magazines and observed all the women in Town, and I was dressed to look just like the women described in the society pages. Although I resisted their efforts to marry me to Lord Howard, I have obeyed their directives about what to do and say my entire life.”

  “Emily, you have been used as a pawn in your parents’ scheme to better themselves. It is unforgivable.”

  “Since my husband died, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about my life. I have been able to see the mistakes I made in my past and I am ready to move forward with an open mind.”

  “Thank you for sharing the heartache you have endured for too many years. Let us walk back to the house. I know I could use something to drink!”

  Several days later, they were out walking in Rosings’ gardens and he led her away from the topiaries. They soon reached a large field of wildflowers in full bloom. “It is so beautiful here. The colors are breathtaking!”

  “My aunt worked for many years to tame and sculpt all the trees and shrubs near the house and I do not wish to let them grow wild. Years ago, Darcy and I found this field of wildflowers and it became our favorite spot on the estate. I knew I had to bring you here.”

  “Thank you for sharing this special place with me.”

  He took her hand and kissed it before going down on one knee. He grimaced from the pain of being in that position, but he wanted to tell her what was in his heart despite any temporary discomfort. “Emily, since the night of the Harvest Ball at Pemberley, I knew I wanted you in my life. I was walking toward the terrace for some fresh air when I heard a child crying. When I looked around, I saw you comforting a little boy. I believe my heart was yours from that moment on. These past days with you have been the happiest of my life. You are everything I have dreamed about when I thought about being married. I dream about you and sharing my life with you every night. You are beautiful and kind and we share so many interests. You make me so happy and I love you as I never thought I could love anyone. Please do me the great honor of accepting my hand in marriage.”

  “Richard, please stand up, I can see you are in pain.” He slowly rose to his feet while holding her hand. She put her other hand on his, “thank you for your beautiful proposal. I am honored by your words, but I cannot give you my answer today. I want to be sure of my feelings, please give me more time to be sure.”

  Richard was disappointed with her response but felt in his heart that she loved him. He understood that she was afraid to marry again unless she was quite sure of her feelings. He smiled at Emily and kissed her hand again as they slowly walked back to Rosings.

  Chapter 20

  Several days later, Richard and Emily were out riding and he thought about what he could do to make her look at him as a man she could love. “Emily, do you think I can jump over that hedge?”

  “Yes, I am sure you can, but it is foolhardy to try. I am not an innocent young girl you need to impress.” Shortly after her words left her lips, he took off and rode rapidly toward the hedge. The next few minutes were a blur; Richard flying through the air and Emily finding him lying motionless on the ground. She was relieved to see that he was still breathing and she knew her only option was to ride back to Rosings for help. She breathlessly told Mrs. Elkins to call for the doctor and to find some men to follow her and bring Richard back to the house. Lady Emily led the rescue party to where Richard was lying motion
less on the ground and asked the men to be very gentle as they placed him on the litter they brought with them.

  Moments later, the footmen lifted Richard onto his bed while he was still unconscious. Emily looked at his motionless body and began crying and praying for him to live. Please wake up my darling Richard! I love you, how very much I love you.

  The doctor arrived shortly after Richard was brought back to the house. When he finished his examination, he left his patient to speak with Mrs. Elkins about the care Richard would need. As he walked toward the stairs, he saw Lady Emily pacing back and forth in the hallway. “Lady Howard, I thought I would find you downstairs in the drawing room.”

  “Please, Mr. Benson, how is Mr. Fitzwilliam?”

  “I have given him a thorough examination. Somehow, he does not seem to have any broken bones, but he does have a significant bump on his head. For the time being, there is very little that can be done for him until he awakens.”

  “Do you believe that he will wake up? Please, sir, you must tell me the truth,” Lady Emily asked with tears in her eyes.

  “What he needs more than anything else is time to heal. I can see that his health is very important to you and I will ask you and the rest of the staff to let him rest. You must try to get him to drink – water, tea, broth – as much as you can get him to swallow. When he does awaken, he will most likely have a very bad headache and I will leave some laudanum with Mrs. Elkins. Good day madam, I will see you tomorrow morning but please send word if he awakens or seems to be in distress.”

  “I thank you for your care and for coming so quickly. I will see you in the morning.” When Lady Emily tried to enter Richard’s chambers, she found the door was locked. She knocked softly and after a few minutes Barton opened the door a few inches. “I would like to see Mr. Fitzwilliam.”