Smoky Dreams

by Jaeza Rayleigh

  Given the experiences of last summer and the company of my friend's sisters, when faced with the cheerful welcome of the new neighbors, I was more than my usual charming self. Indeed, I behaved beyond the style of my regular fashion at dances and dinners, with the expected impression upon the good people of the local village. You have seen me at the events of the Ton, and anything you imagine from that experience falls far short of the actual impression I made. More to that point later.

  My friend made more than his usual impression as well. You know his eye for beauty. He found an exemplary object for his admiration in the eldest daughter of a local gentleman. The young woman is, as you would expect from his previous infatuations, a classical beauty with golden-blonde hair, whose features are made more lovely by a serene smile and unfailingly pleasant disposition. To him, she is Aglaea, the Grace of splendor and beauty. He was fatally struck by cupid's arrow this time, and it appears the lady suffered a like injury.

  Unfortunately, the Harpy Celaeno prophesied no good would come of such an alliance and drove my poor friend from his home like Aeneas and his Trojans from their feast. The false prophesy was followed by other foul deeds including the sacking of an entire household and a storm of false rumors spread to tear the beleaguered couple apart. I returned to London on the wings of the storm, unaware of the devastation left behind. That these rumors might have more far-reaching effects, some to the benefit of Celaeno's known matrimonial ambitions, was all part of the plan, yet also unknown to me at the time. It is my hope they have now been appropriately dispelled, but I have yet to receive confirmation of that.

  Before the storm struck, Autolycus, the trickster of our youth, arrived in the village and garbed himself in militia red. He spun his usual tales and played upon his family connection and the impression I had already made to further his welcome with the locals. In particular, he wove his net of lies around a brown-haired beauty he saw I admired. To me, she is Euphrosyne, the Grace who most loves mirth. Aside from being the sister of my friend's true love, she is a woman whose fierce sense of justice is matched by lively intelligence and a potent wit. Yet even the greatest of wits can be deceived by unreliable appearances and the lies of one like Autolycus, especially when those were supported by the prophecies of the Harpy and the results of her storm. The situation in the village was bad, far more so than I knew when I left.

  A few weeks later, in the dark watches of the night, Apollo sent a message of warning and woe. He told me I must set right what had gone awry and change the course I had hitherto followed. I listened to the message and embraced its content. Without attracting the attention of the Harpy, I returned with my friend to the country estate, bringing along my sister, a packet of documents and a plan.

  On our arrival, we called upon the fair Graces without knowing the nature of the Harpy's false words, which strongly implied a betrothal between my sister and my friend. It did not go well. I learned far more of the cause, especially my part of it, than I might ever have wished when I called on the local version of Rhadamanthus. That judge of souls told me much about the effects of my previous behavior and the nature of the damage the Harpy caused. It was only after I showed I had learned from his words that he was willing to consider the packet of papers I had brought to help arrange passage for Autolycus to the house of the great Marshal for a sojourn of some length.

  With the trickster out of the way, my friend and I set out to repair the damage using the knowledge given us by Rhadamanthus. Euphrosyne was not easily convinced by our words after having been targeted so strongly by the lies of Autolycus. She tried to shield her sister, Aglaea, from my friend, fearing he intended merely a dalliance of no substance or honor. Our position seemed dark, although local friends aided us in trying to change the opinions that had been formed on lies and misunderstandings. I owe special thanks to Euphrosyne's closest friend, who argued well in my defense.

  When the Harpy appeared, determined to drag my genial friend away, he showed how the strength of his love has infused the stoutness of his spine. Celaeno returned to the city under guard and with her wings clipped. I was impressed, but Aglaea was impressed even more, seeing what my friend was willing to become for her benefit. Even Euphrosyne began to doubt the lies she had been told.

  The afore-mentioned snowstorms played their part in our favor as well. The first struck as my friend, my sister, her companion and I were all returning from a dinner party. We ended up stranded in the home of our Graces and stayed several days in sweet imprisonment. I spent much time in the company of Euphrosyne under the watchful eye of her father, a bibliophile of the highest order, while my friend enjoyed visiting with Aglaea under the care of her mother. These Graces have three younger sisters and the two older of them became close friends with your young cousin. In such good company, we all enjoyed a very happy Christmas, just as you wished for us.

  With time and persistence, my friend has won both the heart and the hand of Aglaea, although no date for a wedding has yet been set. It is possible that event might even be shared. Euphrosyne honored me with an acceptance to my proposal even as we left the troubles of the old year behind and looked forward to the promise of the new. Words cannot express my joy. I shall not even attempt to pen them. I hope you will soon have the chance to meet the Graces and judge their virtues for yourself as well as congratulate me on my great good fortune.

  Trouble has not entirely forsaken us, however, and I write to request your assistance. The youngest sister of the family has contracted a sudden betrothal. To assist her betrothed, a captain of the militia who will now one day be my brother, I have offered to purchase a captain's commission in the regulars for his support. My man of business can handle that, but it is my hope you might point him towards the acquisition of a respectable posting. His bride-to-be will require the steady guidance of her husband, not his prolonged absence on the field of battle. Despite having once been considered a friend of Autolycus, my military brother-to-be has shown himself a man of honor who is likely to do well in the regulars. You will suffer little risk in recommending him. His name and that of his current commanding officer along with the identification of their unit will arrive under separate cover should you wish to investigate before offering your suggestions.

  It is my great hope to hear from you soon, and my even greater hope to see you safely returned from your distinguished service abroad. My staff are forwarding my post to my current location, and of course, you know their standing instructions regarding yourself.

  Take care. Be well. Write soon.

  Your cousin,

  FD

  Chapter 22: Legal Arrangements

  Darcy sealed his letter to his cousin hoping it was not too obscure or overblown. He wanted Richard to know at least the outline of what had passed, but there was also more than a good chance the letter would be opened and read by others before it reached Richard's hand. Of course, anyone who chose to investigate would quickly see past the allusions and understand some, if not all, of it. By not giving names of the people or places, Darcy hoped to prevent any casual reader from scenting and spreading gossip that could harm any of the individuals involved.

  Richard would catch on to most of it, he knew. Even in school, they had sometimes used the name of Autolycus to represent Wickham, and Bingley was the most genial man Darcy knew. Richard also often referred to Miss Bingley as the Harpy in their private speech, although Darcy had never indulged in the nickname before. Celaeno was close enough to Caroline to make the reference even more evident. The rest would be explained by the short note written in lemon juice beside Darcy's initials. The reference to Denny's name coming under separate cover would tell Richard to look for the hidden note.

  As he had written, Darcy had wondered how Mr. Archer would feel at being compared to Rhadamanthus. He might not be a king, but Darcy thought Mr. Archer was wise and being magistrate was close enough for encoding as one of the judges of the souls of the dead. Richard knew of the file of receipts and should have no difficulty r
eading the message that Darcy had used it to send Wickham to the Marshalsea, as his cousin had been suggesting for years.

  Of course, Richard would take the descriptions of Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth in the guise of the Graces as that much romantic nonsense. Until he actually met them, that was. Darcy knew Bingley felt his betrothed embodied everything attributed to Aglaea in Greek mythology. In his eyes she was truly a being of brilliance and splendid beauty. He called her an angel, but the idea was the same. In Darcy's opinion, her true beauty was in her shining character as much as her physical beauty, and he had no hesitation in identifying her with the goddess.

  While choosing the name for Miss Elizabeth, he had remembered one of their conversations at Netherfield where she proclaimed how much she loved to laugh. The goddess of merriment and mirth seemed a perfect match for her. Her beauty might be of a different order than her sister's but hers was the face Darcy found most pleasing to contemplate, particularly her fine eyes.

  He was glad he had not had to identify pseudonyms for any of the other women he knew, but it had amused him to think on it. There was Thalia, the third Grace, goddess of festivity and fine banquets, who could represent Mrs. Bennet in some ways. He thought Eucleia, goddess of good repute, might have worked for Miss Mary, although her overly-pious speeches were softening under the attention and friendship she had received lately. He could probably come up with other loose connections for Miss Kitty, Miss Lucas or Miss Maria, but that could wait for idle moments of boredom. Once he sent his letter, it was time to deal with Miss Lydia, who could be one of the other Harpies, although he was not certain which one. Denny might have some ideas on that subject.

  Moments later, Darcy gave the letter to his messenger, who was preparing to go to London with a number of business letters as well as instructions for the purchase of Denny's commission. The missive for his cousin would be taken directly to the Army headquarters in hopes of getting it to Richard's location sooner.

  Bingley met up with Darcy in the hallway soon after. Both men were dressed for riding and Darcy carried a satchel containing documents that would be of assistance as they drew up the marriage settlements. They were going to Longbourn without Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley this time. Instead, Darcy had left the ladies in the sitting room working on embroidery. It seemed his sister was still tired from the excitement of New Year's Eve. She also felt she might be in the way while the Bennets were dealing with the result of Lydia's trip to the village, which Darcy had explained to her the evening before. After their conversation about him not telling her things, he did not want his sister to feel he did not trust her. He made certain she knew to keep silent to avoid damaging the reputations of any of her soon-to-be sisters.

  When they arrived, the Bennet home was far more quiet than Darcy would have expected, although he supposed that meant Mrs. Bennet was in the village spreading her news. He heard soft playing as Mrs. Hill led them past the music room. Through the open door he could see Miss Mary was practicing to improve the dynamics of her playing. He smiled and nodded as she looked up at their passing. She returned the smile and the nod without breaking the rhythm of the piece.

  To Darcy's delight, Miss Elizabeth was sitting with her father and uncle in the study. He rushed to kiss her hand as she rose with the others to greet him.

  "Miss Elizabeth, it is a pleasure to see you again so soon," he said as Bingley greeted the gentlemen.

  "So you say, yet I understand you forfeited that that opportunity yesterday evening rather than listen to a little of my mother's noise."

  "That is true," he admitted reluctantly, but decided to tease her back, "yet not entirely, for I still heard her from the drive outside."

  "I expect you did," Miss Elizabeth said ruefully. "Perhaps you were wise to leave. I would have felt terribly embarrassed if you have been there."

  "Given the circumstances, it did not seem right to stay, although I will admit to some measure of avoidance playing a part in that decision."

  "I will forgive you the slight, then, and tell you I am glad to see you now. Papa said you will be working with Uncle Phillips on the various settlements today and he told me how you are assisting Captain Denny. You have my thanks."

  "I hoped taking such a step would make you happy. And she will be my sister as well. It seemed appropriate. Will you be joining us in our conversation?"

  "No, I was merely keeping them company while we waited for the three of you to arrive. I expect Captain Denny will be here soon."

  Darcy nodded and turned to greet Mr. Bennet and Mr. Phillips, who both teased him for having passed them over for a pretty face. He took it in good part.

  "Is Mrs. Bennet in Meryton spreading the news of the three betrothals?" he asked when they seemed to be done with teasing him.

  Mr. Bennet shook his head slightly as he replied, "No. She and Lydia are both upstairs. As expected, Mrs. Bennet was delighted yesterday evening when we announced the betrothal. She was surprised Lydia was not present for the announcement and after Captain Denny left, she insisted she and her youngest go visiting immediately. That was when I informed her that Lydia was locked in her room and likely to stay there until we delivered her to her wedding. I silenced my wife's protests by explaining to her and all the other girls exactly how Lydia arranged her betrothal, not to mention the potential ruin we all faced as a result. Since Lydia clearly had no concept of the damage she could do to this family by her actions, I had no faith that she has sense enough to keep silent about her methods while crowing about being the first sister to be married. My wife might be foolish and somewhat single-minded on the subject of finding husbands for our girls, but even she would not encourage or condone the reckless, brazen method Lydia chose to catch a husband. Of course, Jane, Lizzy and Mary immediately recognized the danger their youngest sister's actions presented to their reputations and Kitty's realization was not far behind them."

  "Jane and I were glad Papa already had your assurance you would not break the betrothals," Miss Elizabeth interrupted. Darcy could see the subject upset her more than she wished to acknowledge. "You would have been justified in leaving us to our ruin, but I am very relieved you did not."

  "We could not," Bingley insisted as Darcy silently took Miss Elizabeth's hand in his by way of reassurance. Mr. Bennet was not done.

  "That may be true, but once my wife realized what Lydia's behavior might have cost all her daughters and understood what any word of it still could do, she agreed with my decision to confine Lydia to her room. She also lost much of her eagerness to go out and announce the news. She has years of experience spreading gossip, and she knew that if she raced to announce a betrothal immediately after Lydia was seen in Meryton with Denny without the escort of any of her family members, it would do more damage than any foolish words she might accidentally say. Mrs. Bennet agreed of her own accord to stay at home until after this meeting in hopes we can provide a respectable cover story for why Lydia will be marrying so quickly. Once we do so and teach it to her, she can then go to town to effuse over the third betrothal for our daughters. She is upstairs now trying to educate Lydia as to what she did wrong and why she needs to remain silent herself."

  "That sounds like a very sensible solution," Darcy replied, not quite able to keep the surprise out of his voice."

  "As Papa said, Mama does know the power of gossip." Miss Elizabeth told him. He just nodded, knowing he might dig a hole for himself if he chose to speak just then. Fortunately, Mrs. Hill knocked at the door frame to announce the arrival of Captain Denny.

  After the newcomer greeted them all, Miss Elizabeth made haste to excuse herself. Before leaving, she insisted Darcy spend a short time with her after their meeting, and he was quick to agree.

  With Mr. Phillips to help them through the legal aspects of the agreement, Lydia's settlement was drawn up fairly quickly. In light of Darcy's gift of the commission, Bingley had decided to give the couple an amount about half of what the captain's rank would cost. Of that, one third would go
to Denny as a part of the dowry. The remainder would become Lydia's jointure with similar conditions to the money that had been settled on Mrs. Bennet when she wed. Like Mrs. Bennet's settlement, the money would be held in the four percents. During her lifetime, Lydia had use of the interest which would be sufficient to support her in a moderately comfortable way should her husband die before her. The principle would be divided equally among any daughters at her death as part of their dowries. If she had no daughters, it would go to her sons. If she had no children, it could be willed to any of her sisters or their children as she wished."

  "That is most generous, Bingley," Denny said when they had the details hammered out. "Not having to provide the jointure on my own will enable me to retain what savings I currently hold and use that to make sure she is properly housed no matter what my assignment in the regulars might be. I have expectations of an inheritance that will one day improve our finances, but expectations cannot be written into the settlement."

  "Very true," Mr. Phillips agreed. "We can only work with the present and its certainties."

  "I think for the present we need to make certain we have a story for my wife to spread when she announces Lydia's betrothal." Mr. Bennet told them all.

  "I have been thinking about that," Darcy said. "Since the purchase of the commission is being done through an intermediary, there is nothing to tie it directly back to me. Given that Denny will be leaving the militia as soon as the purchase is properly recorded and his orders come through, the quick wedding can be explained as the couple being prepared for that event. I doubt anyone will really be fooled if you say you inherited the money for the commission or received it as a gift from a distant relative, but it does give an acceptable reason for haste, so long as Miss Lydia remains silent about her schemes."