Darcy pulled her into his lap and kissed her while his hands roamed her back, and when the carriage jolted, he grabbed her tightly pulling her in close. After a moment, he traced her neckline with his finger. “I look forward to tonight when I can see the whole of your… sliver. I do not believe you know how much I wanted to do this.” He lowered his head and ran his tongue along the edge of her dress before stopping to place small kisses upon her spot above the nipple on breast. “Many nights I could not remove the image of your,” Darcy stared at her chest, “sliver from my thoughts. I wanted to pummel anyone talking to you and letting their gaze drift downward.”
“Oh goodness. Mother was right!” Elizabeth laughed. “Promise you will not tell her. Promise me.”
“If you wish, but Francine will always have a special place in my life. She saved you for me.”
“Francine?”
“Your mother has made me her particular friend.” A red-faced Darcy lowered his gaze.
Elizabeth had released a long contented smile when she caught sight of the present sitting on the unused seat. Sitting up quickly, her gaze repeatedly darted from the gift to him until he presented her with a dimpled smile so wide it caused small winkles to appear around his temples.
“Yes. A present for my beautiful, lovely bride. Now is a good time to open it.” She reached for the gift; he folded and returned her signature to his pocket and opened up the second sheet of paper.
She tore the ribbon off and pulled opened the box. “Ah! I have never seen anything similar or so beautiful.” She held the necklace in her hand and caressed the small golden pendant that took the shape of an oak tree. She studied the jewels upon the trunk. “Grapes? Is that a vine entwined around the tree?”
“Yes, my sweet; you are the vine and I am the oak tree. Let me read you this poem, and you will see how it foretold of our acquaintance.” She snuggled into his chest as he covered her with the blanked and embraced her with his free arm. He began, “The Vine and the Oak, a Fable by Major Henry Livingston, Jr. and ended with:
And felt & gave sensations new.
Enrich'd & graced by the sweet prise
He lifts her tendrils to the skies;
Whilst she, protected and carest,
Sinks in his arms completely blest.
***
Pemberley
July 1815
Is everything ready? When do our guests arrive?” Darcy smiled at his beautiful Elizabeth.
“You are worse than a chicken trying to lay a double egg.”
“What?”
“Hopping from one foot to the other. Rawlings is in the billiard room. Go occupy yourself with that Twenty Points game you men play all the time.”
Darcy kissed the back of his wife’s neck and put his arms around her. “It is now Fifty Points. I had to find a way for Rawlings to be competitive. I let him go twice for each one of mine.”
“Well, at least I can putt.” Rawlings entered the room.
Darcy swung around. “I was coming to the billiard room to show you how to sink a ball in the corner pocket. Besides, I have a new strategy with my golf game.”
“Oh.”
“I plan to lie on the ground and, using a large pole, putt the golf ball in the hole as I would a billiard ball. Who says I must stand up straight?”
“Well, I have a suggestion, why do you not stand on the billiard table and try putting the balls in the hole using a club instead of a cue stick. I might actually beat you then. But you could always show me what I am doing wrong with the cue stick, and then I would reveal your problem with golf. It is a simple fix, my friend.”
Lizzy huffed. “Games. Is it always games with men? Wait, is that the Bingleys’ carriage arriving?”
They arrived at the window just in time to spot Bingley’s carriage coming down the drive. “I am sure Jane is pleased not to be confined again this year.”
“Well, I think she has a surprise for you.” Darcy laughed.
“They already have two darling boys. It has not been three years since they were married.”
“Bingley wants a girl.”
They made their way to the front to greet them when the carriage came to a stop. Caroline was the first one out of the door. “Good afternoon, everyone. It is a glorious day.”
“Congratulations on your engagement,” Elizabeth said.
“Lord Atterton sends his regrets. He has business in town.” Caroline curtsied to the waiting group. Everyone knew Atterton would not be coming. He occupied himself with the latest actress to arrive on Drury Lane. Caroline did not seem to care, so neither did anyone else. Bingley was pleased to have his sister finally settled somewhere, and she had her dream. Lord Atterton was an earl and she would be a countess. Nothing satisfied Caroline more than to be a higher-ranking member of society than Mrs. Darcy.
Elizabeth hugged her sister the moment Jane’s foot touched the ground.
“Again?”
Jane blushed, nodding but when she caught sight of her sister’s downturned mouth, she lifted Elizabeth’s chin. “Your day will come, Lizzy.”
“Well, congratulations, Jane! We are waiting for the Kents. Everyone else has arrived.”
Quickly the Gardiners, Mr. Bennet, Richmond, Georgiana, and Miss Sarah Kent joined the group. With Kent and his wife arriving later that day, all the partners of the alliance would be assembled. The Eligo had proven to be the stronger of the two rivals. The war with America was the only obstacle. Astoria’s trading post had been sold to the British North West Company before Great Britain seized and took control of it in 1813. Britain’s Hudson Bay Company ruled the traders, settlers, and Indians and was the last successful initiative of the Peregrine. This would cause difficulties in the future for the young men, but not insurmountable
Everyone met again in the drawing room later that afternoon. Kent and his lovely wife had arrived, along with his children, twins, a son with a serious nature and a daughter full of liveliness. Miss Avery Anne Godwin and he had made a strange love match. She, a dyed-in-the-wool Tory, as Blake had discovered years earlier, and he, an emerging leader for the Whigs. After the banns had been announced, Blake had sent Kent a message:
For god sakes, man, hide your Baker Rifle before you so much as mention a Whig position.
Kent and Miss Godwin were not that far apart, in terms of class. She was similar to Darcy, in that no one in her immediate family held a title. She did have an earl or two among her ancestors, but none that they visited regularly. Kent had begun to take the lead over many young up and coming Whigs. His passion won him victories and brought in new supporters. However, the truth behind why his speeches were so pervasive was the due to the arguments he and his wife shared every night before they compromised long enough to, well, compromise one another. Avery Anne was fiery; Kent was calm. She called him treasonous; he called her short-sighted. She attempted to change his mind with words and then with seduction. He, a smart man, allowed the seduction before rejecting her ideals. They were a love match in every way.
The Gardiners grew wealthier as the years passed. As a member of Darcy’s family, a wider group of people accepted him and much sought after as the country progressed forward into the industrial world. Mr. Bennet visited more often than the Gardiners. Darcy had an apartment made up for him that included his own private library. No one dared barge in on him there. His life turned more often to books, since his wife had passed away. “Trifling colds will not kill anyone,” she had unfortunately said one time too many, for in the end, one did just that. His other two daughters had also now married, one to a parson and the other to a clerk. Mr. Bennet had turned down Darcy’s invitation to move to Pemberley many times, but once his last daughter left Longbourn, he finally agreed. He would return in a month after turning over Longbourn to Mr. Collins. On this trip, he discovered his heart was in Derbyshire.
Georgiana had her debut at the age of nineteen. She had grown into a handsome woman, tall and with a gentle ease, which few young men could resist. R
egardless of the social event, the guests begged her to play. Her own sonata was the most requested. She had finished it and played it for her brother for his wedding, and entitled it, Superare Gli Ostacoli a Felicità: Overcoming, Obstacles to Happiness. Selecting an Italian name revealed just which of the handsome young men she favored. Marzio was the first-born son of an Italian Count, and spoke passionately, with his hands flailing about his face, hands that played the violin to his own enthralled audiences. Half his words were in Italian and the rest in English, which resulted in interesting stories. He was warm and loving and welcomed at Pemberley. Georgiana was in no hurry to marry.
Richmond had returned from the continent unharmed, but disillusioned with war. He resigned his commission. At his request, his cousin had purchased stock in the Eligo alliance and in Francis Lowell’s textile mill in Boston with funds Darcy’s father had set aide for his him. Richmond’s wealth increased every day. He had moved to Pemberley when his own father turned him away for defending Darcy and refusing to shun him. He carried Darcy’s letter with him every day to remind him not to overlook men of all kinds. Richmond adapted to business quickly, and became an important asset to the alliance. His battlefield experience worked well when they needed to stand up to the Falcon’s Peregrine. Richmond had chosen well.
The Peregrine had selected Richmond’s brother, Brandon, to lead after the Falcon died, one year earlier. Brandon did not have the Darcy’s abilities or even Kent’s and the old alliance began to slow fading away.
Elizabeth and Darcy proved to be the happiest of couples, although the absence of any children brought them a certain level of angst. He had wanted to fill the halls with the sounds of tiny voices and laughter, but found solace in merely loving his wife. Elizabeth was not as content; she had not produced an heir. Once they had married, she had charmed most of the women and all of the men, and the talk about Lydia’s scandal died away in London. His friends, including Blake, had struck down any viscous rumors or tittle-tattle circulating around the town after the engagement was announced.
Darcy’s wealth also grew, but what was more important, so did the friends he made. He discovered a plethora of people born under difficult situations who had risen to the top of their field. He realized Kent was right. One day these brave men would succeed in ruling the world, perhaps not in England, but surely in America where success and money were gods. Had it not been for his friends, he might have missed participating in the greatest developments at the time: steamboats, railroads, industry, and banking. Before the confrontation, he had deemed all these areas beneath him. And through he had connected himself with one of the most influential men of the nineteenth century—Kent.
Blake, on the other hand, stayed the course of old. His Uncle Harrowby led him into the Tory party and upon Lord Charnwood’s death in 1815, took his father’s place in the House of Lords. He argued rationally and judiciously for the continuation of aristocratic rule and championed all areas supporting that principle. Britain had won the war against Napoleon largely because of her economic resources, but upon his admission to the House of Lords, he discovered the huge debt and shaky economy of the country. He and Lord Harrowby championed additional Corn Laws, this time dictating the price of grain. Manufacturers raised the wages and soon the lower classes found it difficult to survive. Turmoil ensued. The Peregrine alliance made a final stab at maintaining its dominance; however, without the support of those people they tried to keep down, they did not succeed.
The British government was one of the most class-biased governments holding onto power. The aristocracy lived in fear of revolution. But, rather than acting to deal with the problems that created discontent, members of the most reactionary elements of the Tory Party headed by Lord Liverpool, turned to repression.
Blake was tenacious and considered every cause to be a competition. Most of his arguments were opposite that of Kent, but the two men did remain friends. They played golf several times together after Blake took possession of his father’s estate. Blake, who never accepted any invitations to Pemberley or Darcy House, spent his time absorbed in studying legislation and parliamentary procedures.
“Your Grace.” The servant bowed and then replaced yesterday’s flowers with today’s fresh picked lavender.
“Blake!”
Blake barely looked up. “Yes, what is it?”
His wife abruptly stopped beside her husband, placed her hands on her hips and glowered down at him. “Now, my dear husband.”
“Victoria. Good afternoon. I was trying to keep up with the latest Whig maneuvers. They are a persistent group. How did your little hawk do today?”
She huffed. “I insist you allow another politician do this work. And my hawk is a merlin. He did very well. I am thankful my great uncle taught me how to be a success in that sport.”
“The Falcon may have done many appalling things, but he was the champion of falconry. He taught you well!”
“He trained me on many things, a few have been successful and…” Victoria whispered, “others have not resulted in as much success, yet.” Sighing, she patted his shoulder while her focus stayed on the vase. “Why do you insist on lavender flowers? I know they are your favorite ones, but dear, must you keep your study full of them? Do you not grow tired of the scent?”
Blake moved to the table with the flowers, and leaning down, inhaled the sweet fragrance. “I shall never tire of it.”
“Well, then I will have lavender water made from them and wear it every day.
Blake turned around sharply, stood behind his wife, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed a small kiss on her neck. “Do not do so. I… I… prefer your own perfume on you, my dear. It is exotic, and I think only of you when I am around it. I love the scent from—”
“As you wish, Blake.” Victoria pulled away and stepped towards the door.
Blake hurriedly stuffed the unfinished document in its folder and his metal-tipped pen in its box. “My dear, wait for me.. I believe our little Robert will be waking up soon. I want to teach him how to ride.”
“He is only one year and six months old.”
Blake scoffed. “It is never too early to learn to ride. Oh, and chess. I want to teach him, same for our little girl.” He held his arm out, and when his wife placed her hand on it, he patted it gently. “And let us hope she is as beautiful as you.”
Victoria rubbed her stomach. “A girl? We shall see, we shall see.”
The two walked arm in arm together in the house, chatting about their unborn child. They discussed names—Olivia after his mother and sister; Marie after hers, but they agreed on Victoria as her middle name.
***
Darcy waved goodbye to the Gardiners and Mr. Bennet when they departed for London. The younger guests remained—Rawlings, Richmond, Miss Kent, Georgiana, and the Kents. They planned a picnic for the afternoon, near the pond to the east under the oak trees. Someone, years before, had carved a grape vine in the largest tree trunk. Every so often another cluster of grapes appeared. Many times Georgiana sought an answer, and every time she was left to assume it was a private matter between her brother and Elizabeth. She often wore her oak tree pendant.
Rawlings had stayed a fortnight with his friend. He no longer associated with either his father or brother, preferring to make his own way in life. He never returned to the Four Horse Club. He spent his time knee deep in business and discovered he liked it more than he was willing to admit. His search for a wife had proven unsuccessful. He had decided he wanted what Darcy, Bingley, and Kent had found—a true love match. However, he had come to realize he was unlikely to find such a woman among the Ton and was at a loss to where to look.
Darcy and Rawlings sat together while the others feasted on the picnic. Their friendship had grown even closer over the years. Rawlings remained the only person that could, or would, challenge Darcy when he lapsed into the haughty or arrogant fellow, which was rare these days. Darcy would challenge Rawlings to drink less and spend time on charitable p
rojects. Both men thrived on the possibilities of the future.
A World of Expectations_Book 2_The Confrontation Page 47
