“Well, compared to most men, he is everything good and generous.” Then taking hold of the basket, she added, “If I do not leave now, everyone will worry about where I am. I have been chastised for causing worry, so I shall take my leave.”
“Be careful and try not to tire yourself.” Olivia kissed Elizabeth’s forehead. “Trust in the Lord. He shall hear our prayers and sustain your marriage.”
Elizabeth smiled sincerely. “It gives me hope to consider everything in that light. Thank you.”
With another quick hug, Elizabeth went out the door, and Olivia followed to watch her walk down the hallway.
She is young, Lord. Help her to stand strong until Fitzwilliam remembers that he must forgive in order to be forgiven.
Olivia made her way back to the dining room, knowing full well that Joseph would be waiting there, and that he would not eat until she joined him.
Chapter 26
Pemberley
Several days later
Having just locked her office, Mrs. Reynolds turned and was surprised to find Mr. Walker waiting for her.
“Mrs. Reynolds, do you recall speaking to me about the footman—the one you caught several times talking clandestinely with the new maid?”
“Are you speaking of Mr. Barrows and Molly?”
“Yes, those two. Well, as I was coming up the stairs from the servants’ quarters this morning, I saw them again. They were halfway down the west hall, as though it were natural for them to be in that area of the house at that hour, however, the moment they saw me, they separated and quickly vanished.”
“Did it seem to you that there was any impropriety involved? That they might be infatuated with one another?
“I cannot say that it did. They were just talking.”
“I see. Well, since last we discussed this, I learned that Molly told another maid that Mr. Barrows comes from the same small village south of Birmingham where she was born. It seems that they were neighbours as children, though both grew up and left the village to find work. Apparently, it was only a coincidence that they both ended up at Pemberley and were hired within days of each other.”
“They have been here almost a year, if I remember correctly.”
“Your memory serves you well.”
“Do you still want me to let you know if I see them together in the future?”
“Most certainly. It is my business to know what is going on under this roof.”
“No one is more conscientious than you, Agnes Reynolds.”
Mrs. Reynolds pursed her lips to keep from smiling. Surreptitiously, she looked about to make sure no one had overheard. “Now, what kind of example are you setting for the other servants by using my given name, Mr. Walker?”
“I apologise, Mrs. Reynolds,” John Walker said with a smile that assured her that he was not sorry in the least. Then he hurried back to the front of the house.
Mrs. Reynolds chuckled and turned to go in the opposite direction. She had gone no more than half the length of the hall when the master suddenly came out of the smoking room. She stopped and waited for him to speak.
“When my wife comes downstairs to break her fast, please inform her that we are to attend a ball the day after tomorrow at Creighton Hall, Mrs. Reynolds. It is likely that our paths will not cross, as I have many things to attend to today.”
Mrs. Reynolds sputtered and spoke without thinking, “Attend a ball with two days notice?”
“Yes, I completely forgot to mention to Mrs. Darcy that the Creightons wished to hold a ball in honour of our marriage. I tried to put them off, using my ankle as an excuse, but Lord Creighton would not hear of it. I am aware that this is short notice, but there is nothing to be done about it now.”
The housekeeper stuttered, “I am sorry, sir. After you mentioned the ball, I completely forgot that Mrs. Darcy is not here.”
“Not here?”
“It has been her practice to rise early and begin her day shortly afterward. Would you like me to find where she is today? She leaves a calendar on her desk in case I need to locate her.”
“No. I imagine she is merely exploring another area of Pemberley that I have asked her to avoid.” Then he said, “Forgive me, I should not have given voice to my thoughts.” Mrs. Reynolds could not think of how to reply, so she did not.
He began to walk away, but when he was only several feet down the hall, he stopped to add, “If you need me, I will be in my study for the next two hours. Afterward, I will travel to Lord Concord’s estate to bring home Georgiana. This afternoon I will meet with Sturgis again.”
“Miss Darcy has returned?”
“She accompanied Lord and Lady Matlock back to Derbyshire. My uncle had to meet with Lord Concord on business, so he brought her as far as Monthaven Manor.”
Recalling the carriage accident that injured that gentleman last year, Mrs. Reynolds ventured, “May I ask how Lord Concord is faring?”
“Apparently, he is doing as well as can be expected for a man of his age. Lady Susan told Georgiana that her father will never be able to ride again, but he can walk unassisted with a cane for short periods.”
“I remember that when your mother passed away and Lady Concord died shortly thereafter, he and your father spent a great deal of time together playing cards and billiards or riding.”
“Yes, he and Father were great friends, but never more so than when they were united in grief.” Looking a little melancholy, William abruptly dropped the subject. “I should get something accomplished before I leave. I will be in my study.”
Completely lost in her own thoughts, Mrs. Reynolds watched until he was completely out of sight.
It is sad that Lord Concord’s daughter ruined the relationship between the families. I never liked Lady Susan. She was manipulative, even as a child. And since she has been widowed, she has used Georgiana to try to get close to the master again. I can only imagine how she must disparage Mrs. Darcy .
Suddenly, her conscience spoke. No more so than Mr. Darcy at times.
Faced with that truth, the old servant sighed . If only the boy could see how industrious Mrs. Darcy is and how she is admired by one and all. Yet, it seems that he is determined not to see.
A loud commotion in the foyer disrupted her thoughts, and she hurried in that direction. She found that a young maid had dropped an entire tray of dirty dishes on the marble floor. Frustration rose in her chest, though she spoke calmly to the crying young lady.
“No need to cry over spilt milk, Violet. Just pick up the pieces and put them on the tray. I shall have Cassie come mop the floor.”
However, as Mrs. Reynolds walked in the direction of the servants’ quarters, her thoughts were not as charitable.
The young people of today have no earthly idea how to accomplish the smallest tasks. One would think that their parents had never given them any chores!
Her complaints continued until after she located Cassie and sent her on her way. By then it was nearing time for a meeting with the cook, so she headed towards the kitchen.
MONTHAVEN MANOR
Later that day
As the Darcy carriage entered the long drive leading to Monthaven Manor, all of the hours William had spent there suddenly came to mind. He could not help smiling as he thought of the races between Pemberley and here that he, Richard, Andrew, George Wickham and Susan had participated in almost weekly—races he or Richard usually won.
When his parents were young, they were close friends with Lady Susan’s family, who happened to be their nearest neighbours. So they could as easily be found here in the summer as at home. And the same could be said of Lord and Lady Concord, along with their daughter Susan, who spent copious amounts of time at Pemberley. It was only natural that the children would become friends, but while the parents’ friendship lasted until their deaths, the children were not as fortunate.
As they grew older, their relationships were beset by jealousies and mean-spiritedness, primarily caused by the inclusion of George Wickham, t
he steward’s son. Always envious that he was not born a gentleman, from the day that Andrew came to live at Pemberley, Wickham encouraged him to resent William. By continually pointing out that Andrew’s father was the firstborn and that Pemberley should rightfully have been his to inherit, he managed to sever all civility between Andrew and William by the time George Darcy died.
In addition, Lady Susan had set her cap for William by the age of ten, so it was a wonder the friendship survived as long as it had. Susan was never above using both Wickham and Andrew to try to make William jealous, though her tactics proved futile. For William, the most troubling part of the dissolution of the friendship was that the others had managed to influence Georgiana to turn against him.
As thoughts of his sister filled his head, the carriage entered the circle in front of the manor, and he found himself staring at Georgiana on a balcony overhead. She was not alone, for precisely the moment William spied her, a man leaned close to whisper something in her ear, and she laughed. Anger instantly rose, but William tried to conceal it as the carriage came to a halt at the front steps. Quickly exiting the vehicle, William took the steps to the portico two at a time. Once on the portico, the front door swung open, and the Concords’ butler stood ready to take his hat and gloves. As he obliged, he realised that Lady Susan was watching him from halfway up the grand staircase.
“Fitzwilliam! I am so delighted to see you again and even more so to see that you are healed. You will never know how many sleepless nights I spent worrying about your health. When I was in London, I had no luck convincing Georgiana to let me accompany her to Darcy House to see for myself that you were in no danger of dying.”
“Georgiana was only following my orders, Lady Susan. And, although I appreciate your concern, it was totally unnecessary. I have wonderful servants and an excellent physician,” William said stiffly. Then he glanced up the stairs. “Would you be so kind as to show me to my sister? I spied her on one of the balconies as we neared the house.”
“Oh!” Lady Susan exclaimed, “When I saw your carriage approach, I came straight here to greet you and left our dear Georgiana with my cousin, Matthew.”
“Your cousin?” William said, as he went up the stairs past her, not waiting for her guidance.
Susan hurried to catch up. “Matthew is Lord Attaway. I am certain that you must have met him. He attended most of mother’s dinner parties when we were children.”
William did remember. He had never liked the conceited boy.
“You may remember that he inherited Gracehill Park after my uncle died. He is one of the most eligible men in England, if I say so myself. And when he stopped by to see me in London, we had such a grand time reminiscing that I invited him to come to Monthaven. He has agreed to spend the rest of the summer with us.”
“It was thoughtless of you to leave him alone with Georgiana,” William said brusquely.
“Surely you cannot object to her being in his company for a few seconds. My cousin is a fine gentleman, not a cad to be avoided.”
“A gentleman would know better than to be alone in the company of an unmarried young woman. Georgiana is not a child, and her reputation is as easily tarnished as the next young woman’s.”
By the time he reached the landing, he looked to the right, trying to decide which room to enter. Susan stepped in front of him.
“Come! Let me show you the way.”
When Darcy reached the balcony, Attaway was propped against a wall, one knee bent and his boot flat against the bricks. Upon seeing William, he pushed away and stood up straight. He eyed William haughtily as Lady Susan made the introductions.
“Fitzwilliam, this is my cousin, Lord Attaway of Gracehill Park in Liverpool. Cousin, may I present Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, Georgiana’s brother. I told him that you may remember each other from mother’s dinner parties.”
“I do not recall meeting you,” William said coolly.
“That is of no import,” the young man retorted with a smirk, “for I do not remember meeting you, either.”
Annoyed, William walked over to kiss his sister’s forehead. “I am pleased that you have returned, Georgiana. You look very well.”
“Thank you, Brother. I am pleased to find you so much improved. I was telling Matt—Lord Attaway of your accident before you got here.”
The familiarity with which she spoke of the young man irked William, but before he could say a thing, Attaway interrupted.
“I am surprised to even see you on your feet, old man! From what Georgiana told me of your injury, I would have expected you to be using a cane.”
“My recovery was merely a matter of pushing ahead in spite of the pain,” William answered matter-of-factly.
Lord Attaway laughed. “I have to say that I am not one to intentionally cause myself pain if it can be avoided.”
William took the gentleman’s measure, all the time praying that his sister was not infatuated with this immature man. “Then at some point in your life, I fear you will let something defeat you that could have been conquered with a little determination.”
Before Attaway could respond, William addressed Georgiana. “Unfortunately, I am needed immediately at Pemberley, so we must be on our way.”
“Our uncle is talking with Lord Concord at present. Surely you mean to speak to him before you leave. I shall just wait here for you and enjoy another of Lord Attaway’s stories of Liverpool. They are so diverting.” Georgiana blushed when Attaway gave her a wink.
“Diverting or not, we must be on our way. I think it best if you come with me now.”
Taking his sister’s hand, William began to lead her from the balcony while she, Lord Attaway and Lady Susan protested. It was to no avail, however, for William never slowed his pace.
As Attaway watched them walk out of sight, he huffed, “Darcy acts as though he has saved her from a fate worse than death.”
“If you had not tried to be so clever, perhaps he might have let her stay with you while he talks to Father. As it is, you antagonised him. What in the world were you thinking?”
“I think that I do not care to bow and scrape to a man who feels he is my superior. Georgiana is in love with me, I am certain, and I intend to pursue her. It is obvious that she is headstrong, and once I convince her that I want to marry her, nothing will stop us. Her dear brother will have a whirlwind on his hands, should he try to separate us then.”
“You are a fool if you think Fitzwilliam Darcy is someone to challenge. It would have been smarter to try to make him like you. As it is, you have only made both our tasks more difficult! Now stay here and do not move.”
LADY SUSAN RUSHED TO prevent William from leaving without seeing her father. For months she had inundated Lord Concord with pleas to seek William’s help with their fall plantings, reminding him that he could no longer ride. And with his steward newly retired, who else would know exactly which fields should be ploughed under and which to leave fallow, save someone like William. If only he would agree to help, that would assure his presence at Monthaven for at least a week. And she meant to spend every minute of it with William, even if she was on horseback the entire time.
Catching up to them just outside the study, she found William talking to a footman, and she intervened. “Jimmerson, you are dismissed.”
The footman nodded and walked away, while Susan smiled predatorily at William. “I am sure that Father will insist on seeing you,” she said as she knocked on the door. “He has talked of nothing else in his letters.”
“Come,” a voice rang out. She opened the door and stuck her head inside.
“Father, Fitzwilliam is here. I know that you wished to speak to him before he left.”
“Yes, I do. Come in, my boy.”
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, the Darcys were in their carriage on their way back to Pemberley. Never especially thrilled to see his uncle, William had cut the visit as short as possible without insult. Both men had asked about Elizabeth, and though he assured them that she was well,
that was all he had said on the subject. Neither man noticed his reticence to elaborate on the state of his marriage, for they were used to his wont for privacy.
Lord Concord had quickly brought up the subject of the Creighton’s ball, something of which Lord Matlock and Georgiana had no knowledge. Lord Matlock claimed that the countess must have forgotten to tell him, but he was certain they would attend. While Georgiana declared that her invitation had likely gone astray during her travels, she intended to attend as well.
After a bit more conversation, William pleaded that he had work to do and excused himself and Georgiana, but not before Lord Concord seized the opportunity to ask William to help with his winter planting. Having no excuse to decline graciously, he acquiesced.
The carriage ride to Pemberley gave William time to think, and his mind spun with ways to avoid being in Lady Susan’s company. He had no doubt that she was behind her father’s request and would be waiting like a spider when he returned. Suddenly, an idea came to him, causing a rare smile. It was the perfect solution—he would send his steward, Mr. Sturgis.
A remark from Georgiana drew his attention. “You said little about
Elizabeth when our uncle and Lord Concord enquired about her and even less now. Is something wrong?”
He sighed. “What is your point, Georgiana?”
“Obviously, Elizabeth is not of our sphere. I can only imagine that being mistress of an estate the size of Pemberley must seem a daunting task to someone so unprepared for such responsibility.”
William stiffened. “Upon my return to Pemberley, Mrs. Reynolds informed me that Mrs. Darcy had already mastered the household books and had begun to plan the menus. In addition, she has already called on all the tenants; therefore, to imply that she is ill-equipped is erroneous, to say the least.”
“We shall see,” Georgiana answered petulantly. “Calling on tenants does not a mistress make. How she handles the problems that occur—that is the measure of the mistress of a great house.”
Darcy and Elizabeth--A Most Unlikely Couple Page 44
