by Ted Bader
Georgiana looked at both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy incredulously, but found only warm reassurance in their eyes and began to believe their statements about her aunt. Miss Darcy had always been terrified of her aunt and found it hard to believe that her brother and sister-in-law could stand up so well to the presence of Lady Catherine. Obviously, some of that strong personality of her mother’s family had been transmitted to her brother. She wondered if she herself would ever have that kind of courage.
Finishing his plate, Mr. Darcy rose and asked for his coat.
Elizabeth said, “Now, dear, your sister and I shall want you to come to breakfast each morning to acquaint us with the daily news of the estate.”
“I shall be glad to do so,” he replied with a smile. He then strode with strength and dignity from the room.
Georgiana turned to Elizabeth and said, “Shall I begin to show you my favorite parts of the garden? The weather seems a little cold for December, but the sunshine will help.”
“I should be delighted,” replied Elizabeth.
They stood and, after having their coats placed, went out the large front doors into the southern gardens.“Elizabeth, this is my favorite path,” Georgiana continued. “The walk is smoother and continues around about one quarter of a mile. The underbrush is kept clear and the bushes well trimmed.”
“Georgiana, I must have you call me ‘Lizzy’ in the manner of my favorite sister, Jane. Elizabeth or Mrs. Darcy should only be reserved for more formal situations.”
“I was hoping you would allow me to do so,” replied Georgiana. After walking a short distance, she continued, “My special dog, Phillip, usually accompanies me on this walk. I have not introduced you, Lizzy, to my dear Phillip. He stays with me in my bedroom at night and often accompanies me during the day. During meals, I let him loose outside since he can get underfoot of the servants. I wonder where he is now?”
Her question was soon answered by a short series of excited barks ahead of them. As they approached, the small black and white spaniel appeared to be anxiously looking and scratching at something in the ground. At the sound of their approach, he turned and approached with tail wagging. Georgiana bent over and took him in her arms. Patting him, she told Phillip of the new mistress of Pemberley Hall and how he must now recognize and be kind to her. His eager look and allowance of Elizabeth to pet him told Georgiana that Phillip had already followed her command.
“My brother bought him for me one year ago. Phillip has been such a companion particularly when my brother is gone on business into London. I thought a name for him meaning ‘brotherly love’ most appropriate.”
“I can see you love him,” Elizabeth replied, “It has been my observation that people who love animals are more likely to love people. This speaks well of you.” After walking further, Elizabeth asked “When is the next gathering or dinner party for Pemberley Hall? Do you invite gentry from around Derbyshire?”
“We usually have a dinner party and gathering on the penultimate eve of Christmas. Our long-time family friends, the Staley and Westbrook families, are always invited. You have probably heard of the Earl of Westbrook. The Westbrook estate borders the western aspect of Pemberley Manor. The family is tolerable. The younger brother is Henry, who is two and twenty years old. They have an elder son, Lord Alfred, who is four and twenty.”
“And the Staleys?”
“Staley Hall is not nearly as grand as Pemberley or Westbrook. Sir William Staley is a baronet with a good size estate, which borders Pemberley on its northern aspect. However, they have had financial difficulties in the past few years and have had to sell some of their land.”
“And the family?”
“They have two sons: the older is named George who is three and twenty; the younger is eighteen and named Thomas.”
“Are you partial to any of these young men?” asked Elizabeth.
“Oh, Lizzy, do not tease me. If you mean, do I love any of them? No. Lord Westbrook is not very interesting. His younger brother, Mr. Henry Westbrook, is sensitive but amiable. Mr. Thomas Staley is the friendliest of them all. He enjoys reading and music, like myself. His older brother, Mr. Staley, is wild and often disagreeable.”
Coming to the first short turn, Elizabeth said, “It is becoming cold. Shall we return inside?”
“Yes. We can finish this walk tomorrow.”
“I am anxious to explore the halls of Pemberley. Which room is your favorite?”
“I believe I like the library most,” replied Georgiana.
“Oh! Oh, yes, the great library of Pemberley,” laughed Elizabeth, “it was one of the first things I heard about this estate during the time my sister, Jane, was convalescing at Netherfield. I love to read. Let us go and see it at once.”
Returning inside the entrance hall, they ascended the grand semi-circular staircase, which wound to the left. Coming to the landing, they were soon met with a larger than average hand-carved door. Opening it, Georgiana saw Elizabeth hold her breath momentarily as she entered the long and rectangular room. The walls of the room were covered with bookshelves filled with books.
“I love the paper and leather smell when I enter here. The room is forty by twenty feet in dimension. As you can see, there are three large windows facing the east,” described Georgiana. Walking towards the middle window, she continued, “This bay window is my favorite area since it projects out at the second story height. Here, I can often see my brother as he is about on the estate.”
“With this large fireplace across from it, I imagine you spend much time here,” replied Elizabeth.
“Oh, I do. There are days when I only leave to practice on the pianoforte and to eat meals.”
“I should like to come here often and spend time reading. Would it bother you for me to do so?”
“Not at all. Your presence shall be most agreeable.”
Stepping up to the shelf adjacent to the middle windows, Elizabeth reached up and pulled down a beautifully bound copy of The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons. “This is the type of reading which I need to do,” sighed Elizabeth and continued, “I am afraid my favorite reading has consisted of novels such as those by Fanny Burney.”
“Don’t tell me!” exclaimed Georgiana.
Elizabeth replied with raised eyebrows, “What?”
“That you like Camilla?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“I thought I was the only one who loved Camilla! You shall be my dear sister after all. Here are the five volumes of Camilla across from the window. Miss Burney made it seem to last forever before Edgar and Camilla got together,” exclaimed Georgiana.
“Yes! And remember Edgar’s interfering friend, Dr. Marchmont? He advised the reflective Edgar to say to himself about Camilla, ‘How should I like this, were she mine?’” mimicked Elizabeth in a low voice, which resulted in both of them trying to repress giggles.
After a few moments, Georgiana continued, “We also have Evelina and Cecilia, her two other books, next to Camilla.”
“Have you heard that Miss Burney had to write her first book, Evelina, in secret?” asked Elizabeth.
“No, I had not.”
“Apparently, Miss Burney had been told by her stepmother that she should not ‘scribble’ (and she agreed she ought not), but nevertheless, she could not resist going upstairs, under pretense of doing something else, to write in brief bursts of activity.”
Georgiana loved to hear information about her favorite author. “I can see we will have much to discuss this winter. Next to Miss Burney’s books are those of my favorite poet, Cowper. Now, let me show you other aspects of the library.” She led the way to a distant corner of the large room, “These are the oldest books in our collection. Some of them are more than two hundred years old. As you can see, the bindings are falling off and dissolving. We hope to find an
expert in bookbinding to repair them.”
Turning to another bookcase, Georgiana continued, “Here are books on aspects of family and home.” Pulling down one book she added, “And here is one on embroidery. I have attempted this art, but have had no woman to show me how to advance beyond the basic stitches.”
Elizabeth exclaimed, “I will be happy to help you. It is a marvelous way to occupy an afternoon and to decorate clothes.” Flipping through the pages she continued, “Some of the designs are quite interesting.”
After awhile, Georgiana started moving towards the library door and said, “The next portion of the house I want to show you is the chapel.” She and Elizabeth proceeded to descend the circular staircase and turn to the north hallway. The north hallway had paintings of the Darcy’s ancestors. Mid-way, Georgiana stopped and pointed to a life-size picture of a beautiful dark-haired lady in a white gown and said, “This is Lady Anne, my mother. She died when I was age six; so, unfortunately, I do not remember much about her. Next to her is my father, Mr. Darcy. It was much more difficult for me to lose him five years ago, as the loss of the second parent is always much more severe. My brother, in whose care I now am, is as loving a brother as a sister could have.”
Elizabeth exclaimed, “Your mother was very beautiful. Her eyes are very expressive. It almost appears as if she wants to tell us something.”
“I often sit in front of her picture and try to imagine what it would be like if she were here now.”
Restarting down the hall they soon stopped. Georgiana opened a door, similar to the library door, revealing a small, but richly colored chapel. Red, blue and yellow colors were splashed over all the walls due to the sun shining through the stained glass windows.
“The chapel is only thirty feet long by twenty feet wide,” Georgiana said as she walked up the main aisle between the pews.
“Are these real mahogany benches?” inquired Elizabeth.
“Yes, they are. I come here every day for prayers,” Georgiana said softly and continued, “The family and servants used to have daily morning and evening prayers, but these were left off in my grandfather’s day.”
“I wish my religious life were as dutiful as yours. Does Mr. Darcy ever come?” asked Elizabeth.
“Yes, he joins me on Sunday morning before we attend the parish church.”
“Then, I shall do the same as Mr. Darcy,” replied Elizabeth with a smile.
“There is one other room, important to me, which I desire you to see.”
Leaving the chapel, they retraced their steps down the north hallway, crossed the entrance parlor, and opened a door to the dining room. They went through it and opened another door. “This is the state music room. You can see the pianoforte in front of you and the harp on the other side of the room. You are familiar with this room, since you have played this instrument once before for our pleasure.”
“Not with any measure of skill that you have, Georgiana. Tell me about your training in music.”
“After my mother died, my father and brother encouraged me to pursue the musical talent my mother had. My teacher on the pianoforte, for the first three years, was Lady Marilyn Staley, of the Staley Hall previously mentioned this morning. She would either come here or I would visit Staley Hall. Unfortunately, she died when I was nine and from thence until age fourteen I attended music school in London. Except for the musical training, I hated the school and the dismal air of London. I have stayed here at Pemberley since I saw you last summer.”
The afternoon continued in similar discussion of the estate by Georgiana and Elizabeth. The hoped for felicity in their relationship was becoming reality.
Chapter Three
“I am so glad Mr. Darcy invited my family to Pemberley for Christmas. They are to arrive this afternoon, and we expect the Staley and Westbrook families tomorrow on the 23rd,” Elizabeth said to Georgiana at the breakfast table.
Mr. Darcy interjected, “Did I not tell you, Lizzy, that the Staleys are coming late this morning? Sir William needs to speak to me of some matters and he thought it would be better to come today and return to Pemberley again tomorrow.”
“Well, my love, I am glad you informed us now so we can plan this evening. There should be no problem with the supplies we have stocked for the dinner tomorrow night. The large dining hall here makes it easy to accommodate any number of visitors,” replied Elizabeth.
The carriage arrived a few hours later and Sir William Staley stepped out. He was a distinguished looking man, sixty years of age, with white hair. One could tell he had been a very strong man in his youth because of his large frame.
He was introduced by Mr. Darcy to Mrs. Darcy as his son, Thomas, stepped down behind his father. Thomas, though only eighteen, had similar broad shoulders and the same six foot height of his father. Georgiana thought his face only mildly handsome, but his curly brown hair made him more attractive than he otherwise might be. That he was three inches taller than she, also made a favorable impression. Her height, taller than many men, was a feature that exacerbated her shyness.
Sir William Staley bowed and said in a sure to please voice, “Now I have the privilege of meeting you, Mrs. Darcy. The reports of you by Mr. Darcy make you the most accomplished and pleasing woman in the world.”
Even Elizabeth could not help blushing a little as Mr. Darcy beamed, “And she has made me more happy than I thought any woman could.”
Turning to Georgiana, Sir William continued, “You are no longer a child, my dear. Your beauty grows with each visit.”
Georgiana curtsied in reply to his statement. As Mr. Darcy and Sir William started to walk away, Georgiana introduced Thomas to Elizabeth with, “and this is Mr. Thomas Staley, my long-time friend. Please meet my new sister, Elizabeth,” Georgiana said with the pride of a new possession.
After bowing, Thomas commented to Elizabeth, “From what I have heard, you are just the person that Georgiana needs. For too long she has been the only feminine presence at Pemberley. Now I shall have two pleasant women to visit here instead of one,” as he looked at Georgiana.
To turn the subject away from herself, she walked up to Thomas and asked “Do you want to walk with Mrs. Darcy and myself? We were just getting ready for our morning excursion when you arrived.”
“As I am not needed by my father, and the day is pleasant for December, I should like very much to walk with you,” he replied.
As the three of them approached the walk to the south gardens, Georgiana asked, “Where is your brother, Mr. Staley?”
“He had to finish some business at Cambridge and stayed over the term.” Turning to Mrs. Darcy, he asked, “How do you like the Pemberley estate, now that you are mistress of it?”
“To be honest, I little understood the inner greatness of the hall before my marriage. I still do not completely believe that I am actually here. I fear that I will wake up from this wonderful dream and be told to start living again. And will you, Mr. Thomas Staley, tell me of your acquaintance with Pemberley and my sister, Georgiana?”
“Pray, call me Thomas. The formal name seems so stiff. . .. As Georgiana can tell you, the Staleys and Darcys go back as neighbors for many generations. From the frequent intercourse of our families, Georgiana and I were great friends as children--amusing ourselves together many a time. However, we were separated for a long time until her return to Pemberley last summer.” Turning to Georgiana, he continued, “Is there anything left of the three-quarters size play house your father built for you years ago?”
“I am afraid not. Since my musical education began ten years ago, I have shamefully neglected it. We can head towards the remains of it,” replied Georgiana.
“Do you remember when we used to play ‘wiggles’ in it?” asked Thomas.
Georgiana laughed and Elizabeth looked quizzical. Glancing at Elizabeth, Georgiana continued, “Do not feel remiss
that you do not know the meaning of ‘wiggles’. It was a game that Thomas and I made up to entertain ourselves.”
At that moment, the three heard an agonizing bark of a dog in pain.
Georgiana screamed, “Phillip! Are you hurt Phillip?” She began running down the walk toward the plaintive, repetitive hoarse sounding barks. Elizabeth and Thomas hastened to follow her.
After a few moments, Georgiana found Phillip entangled in the exposed roots of a lilac bush. Fearful of hurting her pet any further, she hastened to reassure him by sitting down next to him. She talked in a broken manner, “What is the matter. . . Phillip, where does it hurt?”
Thomas knelt down and began to examine how he could extricate the dog. After pulling several roots, the trapped paw was loosened and Thomas slid the dog away from the bush. Thomas began to pet Phillip on the head while he gently examined him; his barking ceased and his breathing became more regular. Thomas looked at Georgiana’s frightened face and said, “It appears his left rear leg is broken at the tibia. I am afraid he is in great pain.”
“What can we do?” Georgiana asked anxiously.
“Because you are his mistress, he will probably only let you pick him up. Let us take him over to the stables so we can find a splint for his leg and perhaps a horse sedative before we apply it,” Thomas said in a commanding tone which suggested he knew exactly what to do.
“Elizabeth, will you go tell my brother what has happened and tell him to send someone to help us?” Georgiana implored.
Elizabeth turned and started walking quickly back to the hall. With Thomas patting Phillip’s head, Georgiana slowly placed her arms under her beloved dog and picked him up. Phillip groaned and started to pant quickly for a while.
Later, in the stable, Mr. Reynolds found them standing in front of a table where Phillip was resting quietly from sedation. “Phillip is all right now, Mr. Reynolds. Thomas has fashioned a very good splint for him and he appears comfortable. Do let Mr. Darcy know everything is all right. I shall carry Phillip up to my room where he can stay tonight.” She began to put her hands underneath him and he became restless. Her hands started to shake. Thomas noticed her unsteadiness and asked if he could carry Phillip up to her room. He gently took the sedated dog and began walking carefully towards Pemberley Hall. The December twilight slowed the march. Entering the large doors in front, a procession of the household formed going up the wide semicircular stairs to the second floor. Mrs. Reynolds and Elizabeth were allowed by the others to follow closest behind Thomas and Georgiana.
