Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth

by Greer Boyd

  Almost impatiently, Mr. Grove interrupted, “May I look at the artifacts for a moment?”

  “Now?” questioned Darcy as a startled look crossed his face and he struggled not to be affronted by the supposed urgency.

  Looking as contrite as possible, Mr. Grove continued evenly, “Yes, I think that it may prove to be of vital importance.”

  “Well, come to my study and you can explain yourself,” countered Darcy, his furrowed brow relaxing somewhat into an expression of questioning.

  Mr. Grove eyed the two of them successively then smiled slightly, “Darcy, if my memory serves me correctly, once you look at the artifacts, I think that you will know the import immediately without any explanation from me.”

  Once in the study, Darcy went immediately to his desk and carefully removed the small box that he had locked in the top drawer that afternoon. Once he opened the lid, he found an ancient painted, miniature portrait (its colour faded only slightly through the years) and another smaller box. When he looked at the miniature, he was startled for a moment. He had seen that same face throughout the evening. When he handed the miniature to Georgiana, she actually gasped.

  The face in the miniature almost exactly matched that of Piers D’Arcy. From the miniature, it was impossible to determine if the man pictured there could have been almost identical in height to Darcy. But, it was nonetheless obvious that he possessed a similar lanky but muscular frame. His hair was a dark honey colour and curly as was Darcy’s. His eyes were honey-coloured as well but much lighter than the colour of his hair.

  “Do you think the D’Arcy’s could indeed be our relatives?” Georgiana asked, although her voice was only a little louder than a whisper.

  As her brother removed a very old ring wrapped in satin from the smaller box, he expounded, “To meet the requirements of law, one member of the other family party must have the duplicate to this ring.”

  Immediately Georgiana’s face brightened and her eyes almost sparked. She told them that Piers D’Arcy had been about to show her a “very old ring” that he carried in a small pouch worn around his neck just before they had all been called to dinner.

  As Darcy meticulously rewrapped the ancient items and secured them, he entrusted both the box and its contents to Georgiana. He turned to Mr. Grove, anticipation adding a certain high note to his normal very deep masculine voice, “Tonight may prove to be more important than even Georgiana’s presentation.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Grove smiled tentatively, “I anticipate that it will indeed.”

  Every member of the dinner party sans Jane and Elizabeth were comfortably situated in the sitting room, either sitting or standing about quietly as they listened to Piers play another of his compositions.

  The Darcy’s and their solicitor walked quietly across to where Piers was playing, and Darcy calmly raised his hands into the air and begged for everyone’s indulgence.

  “Mr. D’Arcy,” asked Darcy calmly, “my sister tells me that you carry around your neck an ancient artifact. Do you mind if I look at it?”

  “Of course not,” replied Piers, as he drew forth from around his neck a leather cord attached to a very small leather pouch.

  He handed it to Darcy, who opened the pouch, looked at its contents, and then handed both to Mr. Grove. Piers watched closely as the pouch and the ring moved further away from him, and then Darcy asked, “Is there a tale to go along with the artifact?”

  “I do not know if it is a tale or not. The ring is simply a token of remembrance . . . a method for a younger brother to always remember and honor an older brother. The older brother had two identical rings made, one he wore and the other he gave to his sibling before he left the port city of Caen with William the Conqueror heading for England. The older brother never returned to France; the younger brother believed him to have died during the war. Disease struck the port city where he lived killing his only remaining family, an elderly aunt and uncle. Taking all the money he had left after they were buried, he banded together with some other orphans, and roamed over France for years until he finally settled in the countryside outside of Lille. There he married and fathered an abundant number of children. The number has changed so many times with the retelling that it cannot be reasonably determined. Through the years the family grew and shrank and grew and shank until those you see in this room tonight are the only remnant of the D’Arcy family. The ring in that pouch has been handed down from father to son for many centuries. As I said, it is a remembrance.”

  The sitting room had long since grown quiet as Darcy nodded his head to Georgiana. “May I tell you a similar story?” he asked. Georgiana opened the box that she held and removed the smaller box from within to hand it to her brother. Darcy removed an ancient ring and, after looking at it for a moment, handed it and the small box to his solicitor. He then began to tell the tale of his ancestors as Georgiana had told it to him earlier.

  “The original Darcy ancestor, Alexander D’Arcy, came from France with William the Conqueror in 1066 when he was only two and twenty. Having the support of the Church of Rome, William the Conqueror led what was later to be known as the Norman Invasion of England. Alexander D’Arcy fought bravely by William’s side during the Battle of Hastings, at one time placing himself in grave danger in order to protect the future king. When William the Conqueror was crowned King William I, he gave the land that is now Pemberley to our ancestor because of his unceasing loyalty, bravery, and utmost support during the invasion.

  “Alexander had left his younger brother Julian, who was not quite six and ten, with their only remaining family, an elderly aunt and uncle who lived in Caen, while he had gone to war with England. Two years later, when he returned to Caen to bring his family back to England with him, they were not to be found. An epidemic of typhoid had been carried into the port city by a merchant ship, and many had died including his aunt and uncle. But, there was no record of the death of his brother. He searched for weeks before returning to England and then to Pemberley.

  “On his return, he was so heartsick he refused to believe his brother was dead. He placed his trust in the ultimate goodness of God and declared that ‘one day’ his family would be united. He had so much faith that he separated from Pemberley’s original grant an area for his brother or his brother’s heirs should they ever be found and could prove their relationship. The area was to be held for seven hundred, seventy, and seven years. That meant in 1845, the land would come back to the original grant if no lost relative had ever come forward.

  “Years later, since he was now an Englishman, Alexander changed his name from the French ‘D’Arcy’ to the more Anglican ‘Darcy.’ Earlier this week, Georgiana reminded me of this story and asked me how the brother’s heirs could prove who they are. I promised to show her.”

  During the telling of the tales, the silence in the room had grown so that it could almost be felt, but a great sense of excitement was building at the same time.

  “Mr. Grove,” asked Darcy as he held Georgiana’s hand tightly, “can you verify what you now hold in your hand?”

  “That I can, Darcy, without any doubt,” smiled Mr. Grove. Looking between Darcy and Piers D’Arcy he continued, “I have two identical rings that bear an identical crest.”

  Darcy quickly turned back to Gabby as the look of disbelief spread across her face, “Earlier this week, I told you that it appeared that we were entertaining family. Imagine how surprised I am now to find out that my statement was indeed true.”

  “Mr. D’Arcy, cousin,” elaborated Darcy, “through the years the Darcy family has repeatedly grown and shrunk until those you see in this room tonight are the only two remaining Darcys: the only remnant of those of the other half of the original D’Arcy family.”

  Gabby and her sisters, along with Rebecca and Maryann, rushed to where Piers now stood beside Darcy and Georgiana. They began to embrace one another while tears glistened in their eyes. “Darcy and Mr. D’Arcy,” called Mr. Grove raising his voice slightly to be heard a
bove the sudden cacophony of voices, “There is one more ‘small’ bit of information that I must give you. I will have to validate the claim with the King’s solicitor, of course, but the proof of it I now hold in my hand.”

  “And what might that be, Mr. Grove?” questioned Darcy with a look of almost unrestrained happiness still upon his face.

  “You, both of you, will be elevated to the peerage,” the solicitor stated succinctly.

  As the room grew silent again, it was now Darcy’s turn to be dumbfounded. “How is that possible?” he demanded.

  With the calm precision typical of his profession Mr. Grove explained: “Your relative, Alexander Darcy, was to be made the Duke of Pemberley and his brother, Julian, the Duke of Kympton by King William I. But Alexander Darcy was so heartsick about his missing brother that he quietly petitioned the king to hold both titles in trust until such time as his lost family had been found or until the end of seven hundred, seventy, and seven years. If the lost relatives were never found, the two ducal titles would become ‘extinct’ and vanish forever. But should the families ever be reunited, the titles were to be restored to all of the family members from the beginning.”

  Still not convinced, Darcy interjected, “I ask again, how is that possible?”

  “Your Grace,” replied Mr. Grove with a slight chuckle and a smile as he splayed his hands in the air before him, “a king can do pretty much whatever he wants with very few exceptions. In this case, King William I wanted to honor the request made by a most loyal supporter and someone he considered a very close personal friend.

  “Mr. Darcy, you are now the Duke of Pemberley, Your Grace, Lord Darcy. You, Mr. D’Arcy, are the Duke of Kympton, Your Grace,

  Lord D’Arcy, and the holder of the Estate Caenvista. Miss Georgiana is now Lady Georgiana and Miss Rebecca and your sister Maryann are now Lady Rebecca and Lady Maryann D’Arcy.”

  Looking over at the stunned faces of both halves of the Darcy and D’Arcy clan, he concluded, “I will have to check with the King’s solicitor Your Grace, Lord D’Arcy, but I believe that your cousins Madame Claudine, and all the other Mademoiselles D’Arcy will also bear the title of ‘Lady’ as well.”

  As everyone either sat or stood in stunned silence, David Fitzwilliam was the first to speak. Ceremoniously, he raised his glass of port into the air, “Well, Your Grace, Lord Darcy, you certainly know how to entertain at a party.”

  With that, everyone broke into much-needed laughter, and the tension abated.

  “Darcy,” asked Richard as he clasped his cousin’s shoulder, “do you think Elizabeth will like being a Duchess?”

  “Georgiana,” laughed David, “I hate to tell you this, but you will all have to be presented at court to receive your new titles.”

  “I am not going to have to wear another presentation gown am I?” asked Georgiana with a hint of petulance in her voice.

  “Your Grace, Lord D’Arcy,” announced Mr. Grove sincerely, “I must also inform you that you are an extremely wealthy man.”

  “As my ‘cousin’ asked you earlier, how is that possible?” Piers asked, still shaken from the disclosure of so much information.

  “The Darcy family from the beginning has held Caenvista Estate in trust for you and your family,” began Mr. Grove. “For nearly four hundred years, the land was left to lay fallow. A little more than three hundred years ago, Julian Darcy, upon finding that he was named for the long lost Darcy relative, began to use the land and had a house build on the estate. He placed the income that was generated from the land into a trust, stipulating that if the family was never found, at the end of the original seven hundred seventy and seven years, just as the estate would come back to Pemberley, so would the monies held in the trust.

  “At first, the income was not very much, but through the years with better farming methods and other improvements, it began to increase substantially. Currently, Caenvista takes in a little less than £5,000 annually, with more in a good year.

  “More than two hundred years ago, another Darcy, in conjunction with his solicitors, began to invest the bulk of the monies that were held in the trust. The vast majority of those investments proved to be extremely successful. Once I have verified the validity of your existence and the bestowment of your titles with the king’s solicitor, I would like to meet with both of you, Your Grace, and Mr. . . . uh . . . Your Grace, Lord Darcy for a complete review of the financial records of Caenvista. I will be glad to come here if that is satisfactory with you both,” he queried.

  “Cousin,” said Piers D’Arcy with sincere supplication, “I do not have the faintest idea how to deal with all I have been told tonight. I beg you to help me to deal with this ‘burden of wealth’ and title so that I might manage them both properly.”

  Warmly, Darcy replied, “I will do my very best to assist you in any manner in which you see fit.”

  Unable to remain quiet any longer, Georgiana blurted out, “I cannot wait to tell Elizabeth of all that has happened here tonight.”

  “Georgiana,” exclaimed Bella spreading her hands to encompass her family as she looked toward each one, “I think I speak for all the members of the family of D’Arcy when I say that we would all like to be present when you speak with Elizabeth. Were it not for her, none of us would be here now. She was the one who brought me and my sisters from France and established us in business. Then, she was instrumental in bringing our three remaining cousins and our aunt here as well.”

  Anne and Aunt Eleanor looked at one another quite stunned. Elizabeth had never mentioned to either of them anything about her involvement with bringing Madame Claudine or the D’Arcy family to England.

  Georgiana smiled as she mused, “Who would have believed that the incident with that horrible George Wickham would have brought so much happiness to so many?”

  Darcy then quickly turned again to Piers, “Cousin would you and your families please join me for breakfast here at Darcy House tomorrow morning? I will do my best to insure that Elizabeth Mills is present. Then, we all may thank her for all that she has done.”

  Quickly, he added, “Mr. Grove, would you be able to join us as well?”

  “Thank you Darcy . . . Your Grace, Lord Darcy, but I will need to meet with the king’s solicitors tomorrow. Might I meet with you, Your Grace, and Mr. . . . Your Grace, Lord D’Arcy tomorrow evening? That should give me sufficient time to have everything verified and also to let you know when you will be brought before the king for the bestowment of your titles.”

  “How wonderful that sounds,” smiled Piers D’Arcy as he whirled immediately to face his new-found relative. “Cousin, I wish to give a gift to Elizabeth Mills, a gift worthy of the magnitude of gratitude that my family owes to her.”

  “I would not have the faintest idea what to suggest,” Darcy responded candidly. “From all that I know of her, she is most practical and does not like frippery or gaud of any kind.”

  Georgiana interceded, almost giddy at being able to offer a suggestion to her expanded family: “From her letters to Amanda, I think I know what Elizabeth would like, but it will take some time to procure and the assistance of Mr. Grove will be very much needed. However, in the meantime, I have a suggestion.”

  The next morning breakfast at Darcy House was almost as extravagant an affair as had been the dinner the night before, since the entire party was in attendance with the exception of Mr. Grove. Darcy had insisted upon carrying Elizabeth from her bedchamber to the door of the larger dining room, even though she had been feeling much better. She was now able to walk around in her bedchamber for very short periods of time without the threat of nausea or her headache becoming unbearable. Charles had also carried Jane down to the breakfast and had seated her at the table only moments before Darcy arrived with Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth was surprised to find herself at the door of the large dining room and even more surprised to see that almost everyone from the night before was again present. All of those in the room with the exception of Jane were
standing awaiting her arrival. Gabby and her sisters rushed to Elizabeth taking hold of her forearms and guided her carefully over to her seat. Piers D’Arcy approached with his sisters. The entire D’Arcy family bowed and curtsied to her, showing the utmost respect. Then, the women all clamored to hold her hands as they crowded around her. “Mrs. Mills, Elizabeth, this is a small sampling of the deep and heartfelt appreciation for all that you have done for my family and me.”

  “Mr. D’Arcy,” uttered Elizabeth highly embarrassed, “I have not the faintest idea what you mean.” As she looked to Jane for some hint of what was happening, she saw her sister lift her shoulders in a gesture of confusion. When she looked to Mary, all she saw was an attempt to suppress a broad smile. Finally, she turned slowly until she faced Darcy. Her look of bewilderment brought him to her side in an instant.

  As he placed his hand over hers, he explained, “Elizabeth, last night a startling discovery was made, and this discovery was made possible only because of you.”