by Wells, Linda
De Bourgh continued with his story. “So you see; I am in a quandary. My pastor has given notice that he wishes to retire, and my brother Michael has not taken Holy Orders yet. It will be another month or so.”
“But is there not a curate at Hunsford?” Mary asked. “He could take over the duties until your brother is there. Certainly the reverend at my home church has his curate give the sermons often enough. I believe that he has several livings. It is quite unfair if you think of it. All of these young men searching for positions and one man going about, glad-handing the different estate owners and collecting the livings, and becoming quite rich in the process.” She huffed. “I do not like the system at all! After all, if you had not inherited Rosings, what fate would your brother have suffered?”
“He would likely be a curate.” De Bourgh smiled. “You take a great interest in the affairs of the church.”
“Well, I care that the concepts of it be followed, and somehow power has become more attractive than the commandments.”
“That is true in any field, Miss Mary. Whether it is politics, military, or even in a shop. I imagine that you care more for the well-being of the people who look up to the leaders.”
“Is that incorrect?”
“No, not at all. As a ship’s captain I knew that to be productive I needed a healthy and relatively content crew. The same applies to my tenants now.” He smiled at her. “Where did you learn your opinions? Did you serve on board one of my ships and I failed to notice?”
Mary blushed. “Captain de Bourgh, you are being silly.” She peeked up to see his brows were still raised. “I learned everything that I needed to know from Lizzy.”
De Bourgh grinned. “Mrs. Darcy?” Mary nodded and he turned to her. “Well done! Your daughter will be wonderful!”
“Well she already is, sir, but I cannot help but thank you for the compliment. Both of you.” Elizabeth hugged her sister. “What will become of Mr. Collins?”
“Honestly, I do not particularly care, but he did mention that he has applied for a church near Meryton.” Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. “He said he would one day inherit an estate … oh, Longbourn, that is your family’s estate, is it not? Well, the little weasel!”
“He is planning to come and sit like a spider to watch his inheritance?” Elizabeth gasped. “No!”
“I am afraid so, Mrs. Darcy. I believe that he has already received his call to take the post. He said the current curate will receive a living in the north somewhere.”
“Oh Mama will have a fit!” Elizabeth murmured. “Excuse me.” She swept over to Darcy and whispered the news to him.
“You know what Mama will do; she will demand that one of my sisters marry him!” She darted looks at Mary and Jane. “And as Mary will truly be out in another month …”
“Mary will be safe at Pemberley for the rest of her life if she chooses.” Darcy said determinedly. “Jane?”
“Oh no, she will be married to one man or another.” Elizabeth bit her lip and was thinking of Kitty and Lydia when she felt her husband’s hand on her arm.
“What did that mean?” He said quietly. “I need to speak to you about Bingley.”
“I need to speak to you about Jane.” She whispered.
“Sir.” Foster appeared and bowed. “This was delivered from Matlock House.”
Darcy opened the note and read, then nodded. “Arthur Singleton has died.” He looked up to Elizabeth and the conversation in the room stopped. “Uncle Henry apologizes that they will not be coming for dinner tonight. Audrey sent word to Matlock House with the news. They will all be making the journey to Ashcroft, and accompany the body there.” He saw Fitzwilliam looking to him. “Your father asks that you come to the house this evening before they depart in the morning.” He nodded and looked to Evangeline who came to his side.
“We will leave immediately. I am sorry Elizabeth.” Fitzwilliam kissed her cheek. “I cannot leave town, so we will certainly be with you another evening soon.”
“Of course, I understand.” Elizabeth kissed Evangeline. “Come over whenever you can, and tell Aunt Helen we will miss their company.”
“I will.” Goodbyes were said all around and Fitzwilliam leaned next to Darcy and was handed the note. “Does it say what got the bastard?”
“There are no details but your father mentions apoplexy as a result of a heated argument with Singleton.”
“I wonder if Robert finally had his chance to stand up to him and his father died of shock.” Fitzwilliam handed the note back. “Well, I will let you know if there is more to report.”
“Please tell your father to send our … offer of support should they need it, particularly with becoming master.”
Fitzwilliam nodded grimly and taking Evangeline’s arm, they departed. “What happened?” Elizabeth came over to hug him.
“We will talk of it later, love.” He kissed her hair and hugged her tightly. “It seems that we will have a long night of talk tonight.”
7 JUNE 1810
We were exhausted when we finally fell into our bed last night, and only managed a kiss before Fitzwilliam’s eyes were closed and he was asleep on my shoulder. I must remember never to invite family over the day of our return to town again! Even a seriously depleted guest list did not help the fact that we were essentially entertaining from breakfast to bedtime.
There are entirely too many topics to wonder about this morning, and until I have Fitzwilliam’s opinion and observations, I dare not speculate any more upon them lest I draw some markedly wrong conclusions. Oh, I should not even pretend that I can adhere to such a ridiculous notion! I must record these thoughts or burst! Was it my imagination or did I see my intensely shy sister Georgiana become almost flirtatious with Mr. Bingley? Aunt Helen would have banished her to the nursery if she had seen it! And did he respond in kind? What was that about? Georgiana has always had a little crush on the man, but my goodness, she is but fourteen! He would have years to wait for her! Does he even realize how he smiled at her? I am sure that he thinks of her as a sister, but I saw Fitzwilliam’s surprise, oh what was he thinking?
Jane is another subject entirely. That she feels enormous pressure by Aunt Helen to be wooed by Mr. Bingley is understandable. The woman has put a great deal of effort into grooming Jane. I certainly sympathize, having experienced a similar process myself. Undoubtedly she feels an obligation to offer herself to him. But she speaks of Mr. Lucas with a light in her eyes. I have no idea what advice to give her. I would love to have Mr. Bingley as my brother, and I have no doubt at all that once he decided he was in love, he would be a devoted husband and father. But is he in love with Jane? Is she foolish to let him go? I want her to be happy, but is Mr. Lucas truly the means to that? Has she really considered what she would have as his wife? It would not even be what we had at Longbourn.
Oh, and Mary! What on earth was Captain de Bourgh up to? I hope he realizes that my poor sister walked around with stars in her eyes after his attention. I surely hope that he was simply being friendly, but I know full well that he has a bit of the rake in him, just as Richard does.
This is all too complicated, and to add Mr. Singleton’s death on top of it! I need you Fitzwilliam! Please wake! I hear Rosalie, so I will stop my wild speculation and wait for my husband’s calm reassurances before I jump to any more conclusions. My power to understand characters seems vastly depleted this morning.
Darcy closed the journal and blew out the breath he had been holding as he read, then rubbed his face. “You are not alone in this confusion, love.” He closed his eyes and went over her questions. “Yes, I noticed Bingley, no; I do not think that he realizes how he responded to Georgiana. I do think that it was genuine care, but of a brotherly nature.” He shook his head and stood to go lean on the window. “Georgiana was entirely too flirty with him, and I should have said something then to her, but she ran off to the window and withdrew from conversation with him, perhaps she realized her error. But …if it was just sisterly teasing, i
t would have been fine. Was it?” He began to pace up and down the small sitting room. “And Jane may be in love with Lucas? I cannot question who anyone loves, certainly not on material grounds, but for a woman with nothing to consider Lucas Lodge as her future … is it love or not? Why on earth am I caught up in matchmaking? I just wished to come to town and retrieve my sisters!” He came to a halt and placing his hands on the desk he closed his eyes and tried to relax. Hearing Elizabeth’s voice drifting in from the nursery, he felt his tension ease and went to seek her out.
“Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.”6
Darcy leaned against the nursery door to watch Elizabeth rocking Rosalie and singing to her softly. “I know that tune, but the words I know have nothing to do with stars.” He laughed when she looked up with a contented smile.
“What a difference a day outside of the carriage makes to all of our dispositions.”
Darcy chuckled and kissed the baby. “So true, I could not agree more.”
“She had a busy day yesterday. She slept through the night, which is a wonderful accomplishment.” Elizabeth leaned down to bestow a kiss and found her hair caught up in Rosalie’s little fists. “No, no, dear. Papa likes my hair.”
“I certainly do.” He helped her untangle the locks and was faced with his smiling girl. He knelt next to the rocker and sang to her softly the same tune. “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman, ce qui cause mon tourment. Papa veut que je raisonne, Comme une grande personne. Moi, je dis que les bonbons, valent mieux que la raison.”7
“hmmmm. I like my lyrics better.” Elizabeth whispered as Rosalie’s eyes closed. He carefully picked her up and walked around the room, cooing at her as Elizabeth fixed her gown. He sang the tune to her again then placed her into the cradle. Elizabeth pulled the bell for the maid to return then they stood looking down at her as they waited.
“My lyrics are about Papa.”
“Papa liking thinking better than candy.” She giggled and leaned into his embrace. “Well Papa, what will we talk about this morning?”
Darcy kissed the top of her head. “Bingley is unsure of Jane.”
“Jane is unsure of him, and thinks she cares for Mr. Lucas.”
“Yes, I read your journal.” He sighed. “Bingley could give her so much more.”
“I know.” Elizabeth snuggled into his chest. “What should we do?”
“I would prefer to remain out of it.” Darcy said quietly. “Is that possible?”
“I do not know that they will let us.” She looked up to see his frown. “What of Georgiana?”
“I do not think that he realizes what he does, he is a big brother.” He met her eyes. “And she is still feeling a crush, I think, that is all.”
“I was not too much older when I fell in love with you.” Elizabeth reminded him.
“A year when you are that young is a very long time.”
“I know, although it was closer to two years.” She said softly and embraced his waist. “And even then I waited yet another two for you.”
“Our anniversary of our first sight is approaching, love. I would like to celebrate it with you.” He smiled when she beamed at him. “A picnic by that particular bench?”
Elizabeth squeezed him tightly. “Oh yes! And a walk through Kensington Gardens? I could show you where I spied on you, and saw Miss Bingley try to latch onto your arm.”
Darcy chuckled and kissed her. “Mrs. Robinson.”
“Thankfully not Mrs. Darcy.”
“No, no. That position was yours, even then.” They hugged, and did not hear the door open when the nursemaid arrived. Her embarrassed “oh” roused them, and they left the room. “Well?”
“Well.” Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and looked at him. “Stay out of it unless we are asked?”
“Fate was our friend, love. Let us see what it has in store for them.” He held out his arm for her and grinned. “Care for a stroll in the park before breakfast? We can talk about our friends’ tangled lives.”
“We will walk alone?” She asked hopefully.
He opened the door to the hallway. “I have a feeling that moments alone will soon become precious commodities.”
“And we will take full advantage of every one.”
“MRS. DARCY, may we offer our congratulations?” Mrs. Gannon smiled stiffly as they met in the lobby of the theatre the following evening. “You have a daughter?”
“Yes, we do.” Elizabeth smiled up to Darcy who was smiling warmly at her. “We could not be more pleased.”
“Of course, of course.” Mrs. Gannon glanced at Victoria standing silently by her side and looking unhappily at Darcy.
Elizabeth turned to her and inclined her head. “How are you enjoying your Season, Miss Gannon?”
“Oh, it is quite agreeable, Mrs. Darcy.” She looked at Elizabeth’s hands wrapped around Darcy’s arm and turned to her mother. “I believe that Mr. Walker has arrived, we should greet him.” She smiled at Darcy. “You know him, do you not? He is the heir of Oakland, in Devon?”
Darcy nodded. “Yes, we have met.” Seeing that he was not going to add to the conversation, the ladies curtsied and moved off. “I thought that she would do well, she is too young to settle, and of course she might just be chasing him.”
“What do you mean?” Elizabeth whispered.
“Mr. Walker is a man who is waiting impatiently for his father to pass on.” He smiled. “And he is also renowned for being a goat.” Elizabeth pinched him. “Forgive me love, but it is the truth, although, he is not unlike her uncle, Lord Creary, or her father for that matter.” Shrugging, he looked after her. “I suspect that she is not concerned with that since she grew up with the behaviour.”
“I am so grateful that you would never consider such a thing.”
Hearing her serious tone, he smiled back at her. “Never.”
“There you are, Darcy.” Bingley approached with Jane on his arm. “We have been greeting friends. Do you know Frederick Hamilton? He was in my year at Cambridge, he is here with Mellie.” He blushed at Elizabeth’s pointed look. “Forgive me, his sister, Miss Melissa Hamilton. Our families grew up more or less together. His father is in textiles, as mine was. They are putting in the automated looms, really revolutionizing the business. Mr. Hamilton is determined that his son be a gentleman, too.” He laughed. “But he is not about to give up his bread and butter, either.”
“Perhaps you should consider the same.” Darcy suggested. “Times are changing, and that is certainly on the cutting edge.”
“Hmm, there is something in that.” Bingley rubbed his chin. “Well, in any case, it was good to catch up with them. I have not seen Hamilton or Mellie in ages.” He smiled at Jane. “You seemed to enjoy your conversation with her?”
“Oh yes, she is a lovely young woman, she seemed very lively. She seemed to be a combination of Elizabeth’s personality and Miss Darcys’ colouring.”
“I wonder if we will ever produce a daughter like that.” Elizabeth laughed. “How did Georgiana manage to escape the dark Darcy blood?”
Darcy shrugged. “You have seen Mother’s portrait, love. Who am I to question what heaven presents us with when a baby is born. Do you know that I was blonde, once?”
“No!” Elizabeth considered him. “Oh, I do not think that would suit you, at all!”
“So you would not have fallen in love with my friend if he was fair?” Bingley laughed. “Ah, you see, it is physical attributes that matter.”
“They draw the eye, sir, but what is it that holds one’s attention?” Elizabeth smiled up at Darcy who smiled in return.
“That depends on the individual.”
“What do you think, Jane?” Bingley prodded her.
She studied Bingley’s smiling eyes. “I think that the physical beauty is important, but that … knowing your goals are important as well, confidence is attractive.”
“I cannot argue with that.”
“Nor I.” Darcy agreed. “Well, we should probably move back towards our seats.” They heard a gong. “Aha, I knew intermission was ending.”
“Darcy.” An imposing man and his bejewelled wife stepped before them. “I was pleased to spot you, I did not know that you were in town, is this your bride?”
Darcy became very formal and serious, “Indeed it is, Your Grace. Sir, may I present my wife, Elizabeth Darcy. Mrs. Darcy, this is the Duke of Devonshire, Sir William Cavendish, and his wife, the Duchess, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish.”
Elizabeth took the cue from his behaviour and curtseyed. “It is a very great pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Cavendish looked her over with an appreciative eye and nodded. “Well chosen, sir.” He turned back to Darcy. “Pemberley continues to prosper?”
“It does, sir. My father’s instruction was excellent.” Darcy met his gaze steadily. “Thank you for asking.”
“I was fond of the name he chose for your sister, although I suspect it was after your parents rather than for my first wife.”
“I suspect that you are correct, sir.” He said respectfully.
“Good man, Darcy was.” He nodded and looked Elizabeth over once more. “Well done.”
The Duke and Duchess walked away and it was impossible to miss the flurry of whispers that followed them. Darcy’s wife being acknowledged by such people was significant. Darcy stiffly led the party back to their box and after holding the chair for Elizabeth, took his seat. “We are being closely observed.” He said softly. Elizabeth saw the flash of opera glasses as they were trained their way. “That was unexpected.”
“That was terrifying.” She whispered and grasped his hand. “Is he a friend of the family?”
“Our estates rival each other in size, love, and as they are both in Derbyshire, our families naturally are acquainted.” He smiled slightly. “You did very well.”
“I smiled, Fitzwilliam.”
“You held your own and did not flinch. I am very proud.” He kissed her hand and she squeezed back. They looked over to Bingley and Jane. He was staring in wonder at the attention they were receiving, and could feel his value rising simply by association with Darcy. Jane was staring at her hands. “I am sorry not to have introduced you.”
