Revelations

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  'Simon is not engaged to any girl, who told you that?'

  Realising the impetuousness of her remark, she corrected herself.

  'I'm sorry master, I didn't mean to presume by asking you questions.'

  'At least you seem to realise now that you are exceeding your authority in this house. I'm very sorry it had to take you so long to find that out, for I remember warning you almost a year ago that I would not tolerate your usurping my position. Then, I let you off with a warning, this time I'm afraid I cannot do that. By your repeated offence you have proven you cannot be trusted with responsibility, Janine, and though it pains me to have to do this to a servant who has always treated me with respect to my face, I cannot accept your going behind my back, humiliating my valet with unwanted intimacies, welcoming my beloved wife with blatant disrespect.'

  Now Janine's attitude changed from demure to vicious, and she hissed, 'You really have no clue, do you? Everyone knows that your 'beloved wife' is just a fortune seeker, a mercenary. I suppose she has ordered a whole new wardrobe, and sent plenty of money to her impoverished family. Why should I respect her? And your precious valet, why do you stand up for him?

  Does he pleasure you often to make you keep him here? We all know what he is, how can you stand to have such a one around you? Maybe your new missus didn't hook you after all, maybe you married her to cover up what you do with Simon all night!'

  Staggered by the maid's rudeness, and her sudden change from trusted servant to vicious harpy, Fitzwilliam nevertheless didn't show much of his shock and displeasure, it was knowing him well that gave his rising anger away to Elizabeth, she could see it in the taut muscles and swollen veins in his neck, the clenched jaw, the narrowed eye. Janine had crossed a line and

  she was going to bear the full brunt of her master's righteous anger.

  'Say what you will of me once you are out in the streets, Janine, I don't care.

  My reputation can easily weather the vicious gossip of a degraded servant who after nine years of faithful service decided to discard her future to gain power over the family she once considered her home. But be careful what you say to others about Mrs Darcy! I spent six agonizing months winning her affection, I'm pretty sure you see my happiness now I've finally succeeded. I worship the ground my missus walks on, and if I hear any vile piece of gossip that can be traced back to you, Janine, you will regret the day you dared speak to your betters in this way.

  I will not even address the vileness you spew about Simon, his private life is none of my business, nor is it any of yours. I will protect myself and those who depend on me against anyone out to hurt them, and you can guess at my connections and means. If you want to find a new job I suggest you keep your disgusting thoughts where they originated, and spend some time learning to control your temper, or it will be the washing house instead of a great house for you. Now pack your things and be gone from my house within half an hour. If I owe you any wages, tell me now.'

  A deafening silence followed Fitzwilliam's angry tirade, but he was calmed down to iciness already and observed, 'I take that as a no. You can leave us now, Janine, despite what you did and said I wish you well and hope you will find some measure of happiness. Fare well.'

  Not waiting for an answer, Fitzwilliam left the room, taking Elizabeth's hand in the process and leading her out. She accepted his gesture, suspecting him to be in need of some loving attention after such viciousness and such a task. He went straight for their bedroom, and on the bed where they spent their fabulous wedding night they held each other for half an hour, stroking, kissing, in total silence. After these moments of quiet he got up, washed his face at the washstand, his hair dripping wet until he used the towel.

  'All right, that is over with, and gladly so,' he stated in his usual voice, 'now the next step. I'll consult Bob and Simon, then call a meeting of the staff, and then we have dinner. We may have to fetch it from the kitchen ourselves, I'm glad Cook is above suspicion or we'd have to beg Mrs Annesley to whip up a meal, I'm sure she can. Let's go, love, and be brave a little longer.'

  Chapter 22

  Simon was still in his room, and a little maid, looking more than a bit pale faced, fetched Bob from the stables. They all moved to the drawing-room, where Georgiana and Mrs Annesley were at their usual pastimes, Bob almost afraid to be in the master's domain, Simon only a little apprehensive.

  Fitzwilliam didn't spend any time relating what just happened, he merely stated, 'Simon, Bob, we will do the rounds of the house in about ten minutes, and I want you to please tell me which members of the hired staff should be told not to return to work tomorrow. You point, I pay their wages and tell them to go. We'll make do with what staff is left, then find new people in the morning.'

  Simon, now finding a measure of humour again, and seemingly totally at ease in the drawing-room with his master and the rest of the family, said, 'I'll wait the table, master, you will not suffer inconvenience for saving our skins.'

  'Thank you, Simon,' Fitzwilliam said, glad for the droll remark, 'I am afraid I cannot guarantee Janine keeping her vile mouth shut, but I suppose Theo has no real reason to slander your reputation. Whatever happens, we'll support you. Bob, with Bruce gone we will need someone to take care of the horses here, and I suppose you can do without a three day ride sitting on the box next to him, then sharing Peter's work with him. What would you say to staying in town after all, and driving us to Mr Bingley's wedding with the lead-footed team?'

  Bob couldn't speak for a moment, but he nodded his assent, and after a short time managed to whisper.

  'Yes, master, I'd like that.'

  'And if you have everything in order around here, Simon, you can join us, too, attend to our needs and flirt with the ladies' maids.'

  Gathering his breath to speak up, Simon just in time realised his master's quick thinking.

  'I'd love to, master, Miss Bingley's maid especially is very.... talkative. If I sweettalk her, every servant of every house in London will know what I did as soon as she is back in town. Maybe one of you can catch me at it? She is easy as well as talkative and not very pretty, and I don't really want to...well, you know what. Deliver.'

  Bob offered with a grin, 'I'll console her if the master forbids you to come near her, I don't mind if she's not a looker, I'm not that handsome myself.'

  'But you're a devil with a whip, right?' Simon said, knowingly.

  Fitzwilliam scraped his throat loudly, and he sounded positively severe.

  'We have ladies present, please watch your mouths. And Simon, please don't forget yourself, I'm still the master of this household. If you think I'm going to stalk the halls of Netherfield as well as my own house, to catch you with another servant, you might want to reconsider. You think you are a clever fellow, if you cannot get yourself out of a tight spot with a foolish woman you're not nearly as smart as you think you are.'

  Both servants suddenly seemed to remember who their master really was, bowed and studied the floor. Soon after that Fitzwilliam took them with him to judge the hired servants and notify the cook of the changes. Elizabeth supposed they would also check whether Theo and Janine were truly gone from the house.

  In the end, two of the four maids could stay, the other two received their day's pay and were dismissed. The cook was shocked to hear that both Theo and Janine would no longer be working and living in the house, but he promised his helpers would assist with the serving that night.

  'I am certain you will have plenty to do, Simon, if you are to take up Theo's duties. My boys will do the manual labour, keep the fires going and the pitchers filled. And Bob won't mind giving a hand with the pot scrubbing now the house is safe again, am I right?'

  'You are right, Cook,' Bob replied, 'I exercise the team once a day, and Bruce is not much fun to be with, so I'll gladly come and help out in the kitchen.'

  'You know you can let Bruce do all the work in the stables, Bob,' Darcy reminded him gently.

  'Thank you, master, I will let him muck the t
eam's stables, but with all due respect, master, he cannot handle the thoroughbreds. He's used to the lead-foots, and just the two of them pulling a heavy carriage. He'd crash Mrs Darcy's pretty carriage and kill someone besides. If he behaves well at

  Pemberley, master Hugo may teach him how to drive a full team. I'm glad I'm past that, master Hugo is a menace, though he is the best. I'm actually glad I don't have to drive him back home.'

  Darcy was ready for a solid dinner and a chapter of Pierre's naughty exploits, with the unavoidable loving afterwards. Accounts and other details would keep until tomorrow.

  'You look knackered sir,' Cook observed, 'it must have been a long day for you, travel all the way here and then find the house in an uproar. We'll have dinner for you in half an hour, my boys will take care of whatever the maids cannot handle, and I'll send one over to Bruce with a platter of food. Just leave things back here to us, and things in the main house to Simon. You have done the hardest part already, a nasty mess to return home to.'

  And Darcy was tired, so he let himself be sent back to Elizabeth and Georgie, glad to have managed relatively well so far. In the drawing-room his beloved invited him in her arms, and disregarding propriety he settled against her and let her spoil him.

  During dinner Darcy arranged with Mrs Annesley to take the whole of the next day to find Theo's accounts and let Simon get acquainted with his new tasks. Then they could request and review references of potential new servants, and set up those they deemed suitable with an appointment to meet Mr and Mrs Darcy, hopefully finding their new butler and maids among the applicants.

  Turning in early after a tiring day, Darcy still didn't feel like sleeping and offered, 'Why don't I read us a chapter of Pierre's exploits?'

  'If it is not too tiring for you, please do, Fitzwilliam. I so love to hear you read. You know I may soon let Georgiana in on your secret, and you'll have to demonstrate your superb skills to her as well. Maybe with a little more exalted literature, though.'

  Elizabeth was not just talking, she was stroking his chest and shoulders and relishing the feel of his body beneath her hands.

  Darcy merely smiled in assent. He didn't actually mind reading for an audience anymore, if that audience consisted of people he knew well. And with his beloved in his arms, touching him but no longer as intimately as that first time he read from this book, he started on the next chapter.

  Pierre had settled for some time, he was painting an entire family including grandparents, small children dressed up like little adults, and even the

  household pets, a lovely setter and a prize stallion. As he worked hard by day to get every single family member on canvas in their own portrait, and incorporated in the family painting, he worked even harder at night, pleasing the lady of the house whose slightly older husband couldn't keep up with his wife's amorous needs. Of course Pierre also sampled all the other female members of the family, excluding only the grandmother, who was as righteous as a nun. How she ever got eight children was a miracle, according to Pierre. But since she did have eight children, there were plenty of daughters and grown-up granddaughters to entertain Pierre for several months, until all the portraits were done.

  They should have been shocked by what the book described, many of the ladies were not married, and some of them were bound to betray their sins by their swelling waists in a few months, they were after all a very prolific family. But somehow the naughtiness of it all made it even more fun to read, and neither Darcy nor Elizabeth felt inclined to put the book away to spare their tender feelings.

  'It's all made up, isn't it?' Elizabeth asked.

  'Most probably, yes,' Darcy answered, though sometimes he had a little doubt, what if some of it did happen?

  'I feel a bit ashamed to enjoy this, but we'll make up for it by reading some extra poetry, right?'

  Darcy smiled, touched.

  'Sure, we'll make up for our sinful reading by choosing some edifying works to cleanse our minds.'

  Then he continued his superb reading, and after one chapter he put away the book and concentrated on his beautiful, strong-willed, brave wife, who backed him so magnificently today. For someone not used to being in command of servants herself she made such resolute decisions, she would be a true mistress to both Pemberley and his London house. Soon they were totally involved in each other, confirming their love in a very physical way, and the very bed where they had made love for the first time in both their lives, some three weeks ago, could now testify that they had gained a lot of experience since then.

  Though breakfast was served by the cook's helpers nothing else was different, there was a fire in every room where it was supposed to be, the pitchers were filled, the laundry removed, everything seemed the same as

  usual. Except for Simon joining them at the table, and him and Mrs Annesley talking business constantly. Georgiana seemed bored, and Elizabeth offered to accompany her to her piano lesson today, to allow Mrs Annesley the time to help Simon, but also to see how her sister was doing.

  'Do you mind taking a cab?' Georgiana asked her, 'Eric, I mean Mr Fielding, doesn't like to have a carriage waiting out front for up to two hours. He says my mind needs to be free of distractions, and to have a carriage blocking the street just for me does distract me. And you'd better bring your needlework or a book to keep you from studying me, or he'll send you to the waiting-room. He can be very strict. He looks kind of good-natured, and he is very polite and obliging, you'll notice, but once he's teaching, he's the master and his student obeys. You'll like him, though, he's very talented.'

  Elizabeth tried to keep herself from having an opinion, she could embroider and watch Georgiana and 'Eric' interact before she decided whether her sister had a crush on her piano teacher. At least he was English. Did he know she had thirty thousand pounds? That much money would go a long way towards establishing a career in music. Now she was doing what she wasn't going to do, Elizabeth's time for prejudices and assumptions was past. Georgiana was nearly an adult, she had known someone who was after her money, no-one would be more careful bestowing her affections than Georgiana herself.

  'I don't mind taking a cab at all if you'll hail it for us, you know I'm as rustic as woollen petticoats. I'll be at your mercy entirely, hiking through town.'

  Georgiana squeezed Elizabeth's hand and her face reflected her delight.

  'I'm so glad you've come to stay here, we'll have such fun together. Let Fitzwilliam take care of business, and we'll amuse ourselves.'

  'I do feel guilty leaving him to bear the responsibilities again, we were going to share those.'

  Elizabeth felt a little doubt, Fitzwilliam had been so affected by what happened, was it fair to leave him by himself?

  'You're doing your share chaperoning me. Can you picture him watching me play piano for two hours? Don't worry, he's glad you're doing the honours.

  And you can always make it up to him tonight.'

  Such a cheeky remark for a sixteen year old! But true nonetheless.

  And as Fitzwilliam was poring over the household accounts with Simon and Mrs Annesley, Elizabeth was taking her first baby steps into the city, under the expert guidance of her sixteen-year-old sister-in-law.

  'This is actually the butler's job, as long as we're in front of the house,'

  Georgiana said, beaming, as she expertly hailed a cab. 'But Mr Fielding's patron has no butler, and Mrs Annesley agreed it would be absurd to let Mr Fielding hail a cab for us when I can do that just as well myself. I'm really good at it.'

  And indeed, the first cab to pass by did halt in front of them. Georgiana greeted the driver, called out the address, then got in, followed by Elizabeth.

  It wasn't very lady-like, but if Mrs Annesley approved, Elizabeth was not going to object. Within ten minutes they arrived, and Georgiana let herself out of the carriage, paid the driver, then motioned Elizabeth to follow her.

  'It's that house over there, come!'

  A young maid opened the door and led them through a marbl
e-floored hall to a medium-sized room with a light wooden floor and white-washed walls.

  There were no paintings, no ornaments, just a large piano with a very broad stool, and a sofa with a thread of silver in its midnight-blue cover. The room was stunning in its simplicity, and very bright even in winter. For there was no snow in London; whereas Derbyshire had been cloaked in pure white when they left, and the country they had passed through was covered in a dusting of snow, London was freezing cold but in a drab grey, with overcast skies and regular rain. Elizabeth did suspect that with its number of inhabitants, snow in London would stay pure only very shortly, the soot of all the fires and the constant tread of countless people undoubtedly turning the beautiful cover into grey muck within a few hours anyway.

  Her contemplations were interrupted by the maid offering to take her coat, the beautiful long coat Mrs Reynolds advised her to have made, and the entrance of a handsome man, supposedly Mr Fielding. He was not as tall as Fitzwilliam and rather slender, his inky-black hair sleek and quite long, and he was dressed immaculately, though with a certain artistic flair, in a very elegant black velvet coat, midnight-blue, tight pantaloons, a white shirt with just a touch of lace at the throat and polished black shoes. He was very handsome, and clearly very fond of Georgiana for he greeted her with affection, not indelicately though, Elizabeth couldn't even imagine this handsome artist being impolite or indecorous, he was merely very glad to see her.

  'Miss Darcy, it's so good to see you again! I'm so sorry I insisted on a lesson today, I had forgotten your brother was to return from his honeymoon. I

  hope I didn't get you in trouble? It's just that you had such a challenge yesterday I thought we needed today to help you master that technique once and for all.'

  Georgiana was obviously glad to see him as well, but she did not avert her eyes, nor did she blush to be received with such enthusiasm. She faced her teacher frankly, she had to trust him for she was usually shy.

  'There was no problem, Mr Fielding, he had business at home anyway. I've brought my sister today, may I introduce you to Mrs Elizabeth Darcy?'