Revelations

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  Since they planned to arrive at Netherfield just before dark and they were planning not to rush, they left after a late breakfast the next day. The carriage was ready and the three riders were mounted and eager to go.

  Business in their London house was all arranged to Darcy's satisfaction, the preparations for their Christmas party would go ahead without their interference, Darcy had nothing left to do but survive his friend's wedding and try to enjoy himself in the process.

  Bob had not been bragging, the slow team was no longer lead-footed, the placid mares strode out with energy, breath misting in the early frost, and Darcy guided his black behind the carriage and next to Elizabeth's Daisy until they had left London. Heavy traffic was Bob's speciality and he would lead them out of town without the slightest delay. For the roads were rather busy, not everyone in London apparently awoke early, and traffic seemed to get thicker each year. But twenty minutes saw them out of town and into the country, the horses still eager, and Elizabeth still riding with pleasure, admiring the scenery around her.

  Once outside the city limits they let the horses trot for a while, Elizabeth preferring a slow canter on her impractical saddle, Daisy and Mr Bennet's horse keeping up with the carriage admirably. They were no longer riding behind the carriage, there was plenty of space now to fan out a little, and the countryside was positively pretty, covered in snow. It was rather cold and Darcy worried a little for his beloved in her skirts, until he remembered her snug boots and the long woollen pantaloons under her petticoats and her riding dress. So many times he had slowly stripped them off her after their afternoon rides, and not once had she complained she was cold, or had she felt cold to his eager touch.

  This was a beautiful ride, and before he was fed up or tired they had reached

  the village where they would stop to have a late lunch and rest the horses.

  Elizabeth's eyes were more brilliant than ever before, she had had a good morning, too. Her cheeks were blushing and a few tendrils of her hair had escaped her riding hat, framing her face deliciously.

  'I'm glad we practised every day, Fitzwilliam, I'm not even tired, yet. Of course there is as much ground to cover after lunch as we did this morning.'

  'I'm very proud of you, my Lizzy, to ride so far after just a few months'

  practice.'

  Looking at Mr Bennet after just having admired his daughter, Darcy was surprised how much Elizabeth actually resembled her father in appearance.

  He knew they were very similar in character, though Mr Bennet was less gentle than Elizabeth, probably a result of his disappointment in the matter of his marriage, but Darcy had never realised they had the same eyes, and similar facial features. To think Darcy had once thought his father-in-law to be a disadvantage of a possible marriage to Elizabeth, he had just never seen the real Mr Bennet, only the sarcastic caricature of a man sorely disappointed with life and especially love. Sitting at a table in an inn, travelling with Georgie, and his bride and her father, it was almost as if he had a father again himself.

  'You will visit us at Pemberley, won't you, Mr Bennet? As soon as your spring duties at Longbourn are fulfilled? We'll invite Mr Gardiner as well, and go fishing and riding. Does Mr Gardiner ride?'

  'I suppose he does, he must travel for his business, but frankly, I don't know.

  They always use the carriage for visits, because of Mrs Gardiner and the children of course.'

  'Well I hope he does, or my man Peter will have to teach him. He can use Daisy, I've my coachman looking for a new horse for Elizabeth.'

  At Elizabeth's exclamation of protest he soothingly said, 'You can try it out first, of course, love, I'm not going to force you to ride a horse you don't trust. But I thought you wanted to join me in the hunt and you can't do that on Daisy, she'd die trying to keep up with the hunters. We'll hold on to her, of course, for trips to the city, but you'll need a hunter, and not the kind Peter's father-in-law breeds, that is a bit much still, or I'd have Peter's missus train one especially for you. I may still employ her to train your new horse.'

  'I'd like to try Daisy, Elizabeth, if you approve.'

  Was that Georgie saying she wanted to try riding a horse?

  'Don't look like I've sprouted wings, Fitzwilliam, can't a girl decide she

  wants to learn her brother's favourite pastime? If you all go riding I want to go, too. I don't want to grow stout like Aunt Catherine and you know I have her build. Riding is good exercise, isn't it? And I will feel left out if you leave me behind all the time.'

  'I think it's an excellent idea, Georgiana, and frankly, a real inducement to me to even consider riding a different horse than Daisy. We can't ride her together, after all. I'm glad you didn't decide to surprise me with another horse, Fitzwilliam, I'll need some time to get used to the idea. But I do want to try hunting, even if it's just once. I'm afraid my enjoyment of riding will be short-lived anyway, once I'm with child I'll be back to rambling anyway.

  Or maybe a phaeton with ponies like my aunt Gardiner wanted to use to go around the park.'

  'Dear Lizzy,' her father now said feelingly, 'I can understand your apprehensions, but having children is not the end of your life. You mother never suffered much discomfort for being with child, or delivering them, and you can afford as much help as you need. You'll be back to your old self quickly, I'm sure, you're not one to sit around doing nothing.'

  Frankly, that was a comfort to Darcy as well, for though he loved children and wanted an heir, the very idea of Elizabeth going through the dangers of childbirth nearly sent him into a panic. His father-in-law's soothing words made him feel a little more secure about their future.

  'I will be pleased to visit you at Pemberley this spring,' Mr Bennet now answered Darcy's original question. 'Thank you for the invitation. I can't wait to see your library, Darcy, I cannot imagine what it must be like to be surrounded by thousands of one's own books, of course I've been to the great libraries during my time at college, but never to a private collection.'

  'It's a luxury I've come to appreciate, Mr Bennet, though of course there is a certain investment involved in time and funds.'

  Their lunch finished and the horses rested and saddled once more, they were ready for the last leg of their journey. The first hour was pleasurable, the landscape still very picturesque with snow-covered lanes and cottages, the ancient trees in the middle of the villages or in distant fields raising their bared limbs towards heaven, a few sheep and rough cattle looking for grass under the snow. But once the sun started to sink a bit lower the cold got more intense and the trampled snow of the road became slippery for the horses. The carriage horses were shod with special irons, they had plenty of

  grip on the icy roads, but the riders kept their horses in the fields beside the road wherever that was possible, to avoid slipping and falling on the frozen snow on the roads. Elizabeth started to feel the physical strain of the long ride, especially the unnatural position she was sitting in. Her right leg was constantly falling asleep, no matter how often she wriggled her toes to keep the blood flowing through it. Fortunately she was not cold yet, her feet were surprisingly warm in her lovely boots, and her skirts and woollen pantaloons kept her legs warm.

  But when her father rode up to her and told her they were less than twenty minutes from Meryton she was very relieved, she was starting to feel very physically uncomfortable. Now other worries forced themselves upon her, she would arrive very tired and probably not fit to be seen. She knew Jane would be there, and though she didn't actually care what either Miss Bingley or Mrs Hurst thought of her, she'd rather not have her current state of exhaustion witnessed by either of them. But she was so tired, she just wished she could go home to Longbourn instead of having to stay in a grand house full of strangers and unfamiliar servants.

  Of course Darcy was expecting Elizabeth to feel reluctant to have to be in company with Miss Bingley and her sister on their turf. And she was clearly very tired, he was feeling the strain of riding on frozen snow h
imself and he was not sitting in an unnatural position, one leg twisted over the horse's back, he could move both legs to keep the blood flowing. Waving to the carriage, he rode along with Bob for a few moments.

  'You go right ahead Bob, you've been to Netherfield before, haven't you?

  We're cutting off through the fields, Mrs Darcy needs the circulation in her legs back before we arrive. We'll probably get there before you do, we'll wait at the stables for Miss Darcy. Take care!'

  Then he fell in line with Elizabeth, who was indeed wilting fast.

  'We're cutting off through the fields, Elizabeth, it's shorter and we'll be able to go faster, so you'll be warm and less stiff when we arrive. And we'll walk the last hundred yards or so, to get the circulation back in your right leg.

  You're my hero as well as my goddess, love, ten minutes will see us there, I know the way. Let me signal your dad and we're off.'

  The next minute they veered off the road, into the hills, the sun setting but the snow reflecting the light off the ground, enabling them to clearly see where they were going. Mr Bennet said he could handle a canter and the

  horses were fine, so they set off over the hills in a slow canter, eating up the miles. Elizabeth would enjoy the beauty of all this despite her fatigue, and she was still riding strongly, the increase in pace was clearly helping her to keep warm and awake. After a vigorous ride Mr Bennet called out.

  'This is my turn-off to Longbourn, I'll see you two tomorrow! Good night and thank you for the ride!'

  He disappeared into a lane of mighty chestnuts and they carried on together, still keeping a goodly pace.

  'All right Elizabeth, you know the large field at the back of Netherfield?'

  She called back, 'I do.'

  'That is where this field ends up, over that hill you'll see the house right in front of you. I propose we give it all the horses have left, it's not even a half a mile and the field faces the drawing-room. If anyone should be looking they'll see us arrive with pride. Are you with me? As soon as we're out of sight of the house we'll dismount and walk the rest.'

  'I'm with you, love, let's do it.'

  And as soon as they topped the next hill and saw Netherfield before them, nothing but a long open slope of fresh snow between them and a bath, Elizabeth urged Daisy into a gallop, the sturdy mare holding her footing just fine despite snow, slope, and her own fatigue. Fitzwilliam closed the distance between them and rode side by side with her, in a flying gallop, up to the house, and when they were very close he veered to the right, Daisy following her stable mate without Elizabeth guiding her. As soon as they reached a little lane that Elizabeth recognised from the time Jane had been sick at Netherfield, Fitzwilliam slowed his black horse until it stopped.

  'Don't stir, love, I'll help you down, you don't want to fall off dismounting because you're stiff and cold.'

  His arm through the rein of the black he led it towards his beloved, then held out his arms to her. Elizabeth unhooked her unwilling right leg, it was totally asleep by now. But to slide off the saddle into her beloved's arms was always a pleasure, and she knew Daisy would not stray, so she held onto him until her leg could hold her weight once more. Of course it was the perfect time to kiss, and Fitzwilliam answered her kiss with a relish. She did wriggle her leg a lot whilst kissing, and now it hurt with the blood returning to it, a good sign, but nonetheless very painful and distracting.

  'Is something wrong, my love?'

  Fitzwilliam was worried, and she replied, 'My leg was asleep, it's waking

  now, but that is very painful. Let's kiss a little more until it is back to normal.'

  Of course he indulged her, and when the pins and needles feeling had left she took his hand and retrieved Daisy's rein. The poor thing was tired, too, and hung her head instead of trying to find grass under the snow.

  Fitzwilliam's black was not as tired, he was used to longer rides, before Elizabeth used Daisy the mare had just stood there in the stables of Pemberley, munching hay and getting bored until Peter took her out for exercise.

  Together they led the horses to the stables, where Fitzwilliam of course knew the stablehands by name, urging them to walk both horses dry despite Daisy's unwillingness to go any further.

  'Just until she's breathing right, she's not used to long rides yet. The carriage will also be here any moment, Mrs Darcy and I will wait for it, walking some life back into our own frozen limbs.'

  One man took both the black and Daisy on a tour around the stables to cool down before they were fed and stabled, while the other waited for the carriage to arrive, which could not be much longer. Fitzwilliam led Elizabeth as if she was one of those horses, entreating her to walk a little to keep supple and warm. The stable hand waiting with them asked respectfully, apparently used to Fitzwilliam chatting with them, 'Did you ride all the way from London, Mrs Darcy, in this cold? I'm impressed, ma'am. With your permission I'll ring the bell to have a bath prepared for you, ma'am, to warm up.'

  Elizabeth wanted to kiss him, despite his homely face and the decided whiff of horse coming off his rough attire. Not caring how desperate she sounded, she replied as politely as he had spoken to her.

  'Yes, please, would you, Oliver? I'm not cold, but if I don't bathe I'll be stiff as a board tomorrow.'

  She could use first names, too, if that helped getting a nice hot bath. Oliver was clearly pleased and calmly walked into the building. Five minutes later, just as the sound of shod hooves could be heard in the dark, he returned, smiling.

  'It's all arranged, Mrs Darcy, it will be ready in twenty minutes, in your own room, which Mrs Nicholls will show you as soon as you go in.'

  'Thank you, Oliver, you've saved my life.'

  By now it was time to walk to the front of the house towards the carriage, and as they arrived it was just turning up the lane. As soon as it stopped, Bob was down from the box and with his horses. Oliver went up to him and talked to him, as Fitzwilliam opened the door of the carriage, just before the butler opened the front door. He must have heard the sound of a carriage approaching, they were expected of course. As Georgiana walked towards the house with her brother, the staff was already busy unloading the little carriage, and Jane and Bingley came out to greet them.

  Chapter 36

  Jane was beside herself with joy to see her sister again, and Bingley also showed his gladness clearly. As Elizabeth was received at Netherfield with a warm and loving hug of her favourite sister, Darcy and Georgiana received a similarly warm welcome from Bingley, who shook hands with both with intense pleasure.

  'It has been far too long Darcy, though you look fantastic, positively thriving and happy. Married life must agree with you.'

  Darcy was also very happy to see his good friend again, he had missed his friendly face and their comfortable closeness, though something would be different with both of them married.

  'Miss Georgiana, your brother's marriage agrees with you, too, no doubt about that. Something is different about you, though I cannot say what, exactly. It'll come to me yet. You are very welcome, too, and not just to me.

  I have a guest who is just dying to meet you, though he will not recognise you from our descriptions. He is expecting a girl, and he will be introduced to a woman. That's it!'

  Bingley was mighty pleased with himself.

  'That's what is changed, you became a woman! But please, do come in, it's cold and you'll be tired from the road. As soon as I've greeted my new sister, Mrs Darcy.'

  Elizabeth hugged Bingley as if he really was her brother, this was a totally different reception from what she expected, she thrived in the informal, loving atmosphere.

  Bingley looked at Elizabeth with true admiration and asked, 'Did I see you flying down the long slope behind the house on a horse just now, Lizzy?

  Jane said that just wasn't possible, and I did have quite a heavy lunch this afternoon so I admit I may have been seeing things in the low light. Still, you're in a riding dress, and I can imagine life with Darcy can be ha
rd if one doesn't ride.'

  Bingley calling his sister-in-law, his friend's wife, Lizzy? When Darcy himself hadn't gotten past Elizabeth yet? Yet Elizabeth was not insulted or even surprised at all. She merely confirmed his observation.

  'I don't know about your lunch, Bingley, but I most certainly arrived on horseback. Which I can assure you I am feeling at the moment, I've muscles aching I'd forgotten I had since our first week at Pemberley during our honeymoon.'

  'A bath is being filled for you as we speak. Let's go in, I'll tell you how much I admire you when you've recovered a little. Did you meet Mr Bennet in town, did he arrive in good health? And did he return with you as he planned?'

  Bingley had taken Elizabeth's arm and Jane was talking to Georgie in a surprisingly familiar way, so Darcy took his wife's other arm, a support she gladly accepted, though her touch was light, she was still walking by herself.

  'My father did indeed show up one afternoon, we had a good time together, and he came back with us, until he turned off towards Longbourn not half an hour ago.'

  'I should have informed him that his first son-in-law would not be staying with us, I feel responsible for driving him out of his home.'

  Elizabeth smiled at her friendly brother and soothed him.

  'I assure you he did not reproach you with anything. Fitzwilliam made it up to him by showing my father the library, after which papa forgot every discomfort or fear for his own library.'

  'That is a relief to hear, I was afraid he'd blame me, though Jane said he wouldn't. I have to admit I'm still a bit afraid of his sarcasm.'

  Ha, so Darcy was not the only one to fear his father-in-law!

  'Shall we leave you to freshen up for an hour or so in your own rooms, then meet for tea and a nice long chat to catch up? I'm afraid Caroline is here, Darcy, but I suppose she will have to get used to matters as they are now sooner or later. And my other sister, Mrs Hurst, and a new friend of mine, Mr Manners, who is eager to meet all of you. Mrs Nicholls planned to give you separate adjoining rooms, but Jane insisted you'd want to share one, which is of course what we would want. I trust she knows you best, Lizzy?