Book Read Free

Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth

Page 44

by Greer Boyd


  Then, Darcy did exactly as Richard had done: he proceeded to splash some brandy into two glasses and passed one glass to Piers. As the eyes of the two men met, they knew that they would grow to be as close as brothers. Darcy got up from his seat and walked slowly to his desk. Taking a key from the top drawer, he went to a locked panel in the bookshelf that stood behind the desk and withdrew a carefully wrapped bundle.

  “Piers, I know that men do not often discuss these things, but this is the ‘reference material’ that my father gave to me when I was old enough to understand. Perhaps it may have some value for you even now,” offered Darcy.

  ∞∞∞

  Mr. Fleming’s family, as well as that of Mr. Denny, had been at Caenvista House for most of the week before the wedding. They were planning to depart shortly after the wedding breakfast, since Piers and Georgiana would be remaining at Caenvista for the month prior to their return to London for the Little Season. Mr. Fleming and Rebecca were off to London, and Mr. Denny and Maryann were traveling to his Estate Oakhill.

  Mrs. Reynolds and the main cook from Pemberley, Mrs. Kirk, had gone to Caenvista the day before the weddings to assist Mrs. Gray and the Caenvista cook, Mrs. Brotherton, with the sumptuous wedding breakfast that Aunt Eleanor had designed.

  Everyone at Pemberley, Caenvista, Kympton, Lambton, and the surrounding areas were all atwitter as the day of the triple wedding finally arrived. Aunt Eleanor was truly one of the happiest women in England. Not only was the triple wedding, near the small chapel at Kympton, the most extravagant affair that anyone in the village had ever seen, it far surpassed most of the grand weddings that had taken place in London in many years.

  And, if her suspicions were correct, she was soon to be a grandmother: simply looking into the glowing face of each of her daughters-in-law told the tale to any who paid attention. “Honeymoon babies. Oh! What a delight,” thought Aunt Eleanor, already planning their laying in and confinement.

  Knowing that the number of people who were to attend the wedding had grown to be far too numerous for the small chapel to contain, Aunt Eleanor had talked with the three brides and determined that the weddings would take place outside on the grounds adjacent to the chapel. A huge tent had been erected and seating was prepared for the immediate family and friends, and the older and more infirm. The vast majority of those attending would stand around the edges of the tent. A huge bolt of cream-coloured cloth had been rolled from the outer edge of the tent to the front where the gentlemen, standing before the rector of the Kympton church, would be anxiously waiting for their ladies.

  Richard entered first with Maryann on his arm, as he walked her to Mr. Denny. She was dressed in a beautiful pale pink silk gown. David soon followed with Rebecca, as he walked her to Mr. Fleming. Rebecca was dressed in an equally beautiful pale yellow silk gown, a bit similar in design to Maryann’s, yet different at the same time. Both Richard and David were elated that they had been asked to escort Piers’ sisters.

  As Georgiana entered on her brother’s arm, she wore a pale blue dress that, like the other two, looked somewhat similar but was tailored to compliment her alone. Around her neck she wore the sapphire and diamond necklace that Piers had given her the night before. It perfectly matched her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

  Both Darcy and Georgiana had tears in their eyes as they walked toward the front of the “tent chapel” where Piers awaited. As Darcy sought to place her hand into Piers’, she turned and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek and a warm hug. Together, the three ladies at the front of those assembled looked like the last blooms of summer, as they each took the hand of their betrothed.

  For such an enormous and momentous event, it took little more than half an hour to accomplish. After the marriages were recorded in the record book of the Kympton chapel, the rector introduced Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Denny, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Fleming, and Lord and Lady Piers D’Arcy, The Duke and Duchess of Kympton. Cheers went up from all attending as the newly married couples walked down the aisle and went to their carriages for the short trip to Caenvista. The wedding guests followed, covering them and their carriages in confetti and flower petals.

  The wedding breakfast celebration went on well past the noon hour, but the three couples had politely and stealthily slipped away as soon as Aunt Eleanor had nodded her head, giving permission without drawing attention to anyone of them. Almost all of her friends from London had come for the event. They had declared it to be a wonderful success and that it would be many years before anyone else in England would be able to come anywhere near to accomplishing a similar feat.

  ∞∞∞

  Early one morning a couple of weeks after the triple wedding, when the excitement had finally died down somewhat, Darcy declared that he and Elizabeth were going to ride to a neighboring estate. He was to look at some horses to complement his existing herd and possibly find some breeding stock at the same time. As he and Elizabeth had discussed, he asked if Annabel and Nathan might like to ride along with them.

  “Oh Cousin,” cried Annabel as she grasped the front hem of her gown to allow her to run a bit more quickly, “you know that I would. Let me run to tell Mama and change, and I will be back in a quarter hour.” Elizabeth was already dressed in her riding attire, and was surprised to find that Annabel took not one minute longer than she had stated.

  They had ridden for more than an hour when they saw the gatehouse for Furlong Estates, Breeders of Fine Arabians. As the gatekeeper opened the entryway to admit them, he cheerfully tipped his hat. It was only another half mile to the main house and the sprawling stable, more than double its size.

  As they rode, Annabel could hardly take her eyes off of a most unusually coloured young mare running in the field along the road leading to the stable. The mare was a very light golden colour, like the reflection off a new or a polished gold coin, and its mane, tail, lower legs, and the tips of its ears were stark white. She watched the mare run across the field and circle back to her several times, as it seemed to “follow” her along the road.

  Darcy noticed Annabel’s distraction and smiled when he saw Elizabeth had noticed, too. When they reached the stable, dismounted, and handed their mounts over to the care of one of the groomsmen, the owner, Mr. Horace Quartermain, came out to greet them. After Darcy introduced the members of their party, Mr. Quartermain walked over to Elizabeth’s dapple gray and began to rub gently on its neck and down its front legs. “My brother Jesse’s?” he asked Darcy.

  “None other,” he replied walking to the other side of the animal and began to do the exact same thing. “You know that I always prefer to purchase from you and your brother whenever possible.”

  “As well you should,” boasted Mr. Quartermain, as he tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his waistcoat. “We have the best Arabian stock in all of England. Keep it fresh, too. We do not inbreed like a lot of other breeders do.”

  Darcy laughed as he and Nathan walked to the stable with Mr. Quartermain, leaving Elizabeth and Annabel to admire the horses in the field behind them. As they leaned against the fence for a moment, the unusually coloured mare pushed her nose through the slats and nudged Annabel’s arm. She turned to face the mare and spoke to her softly as she asked, “So you want to play do you?” The mare arched her neck, threw her head high into the air, whinnied as though laughing, and ran a short distance into the field before returning to Annabel.

  Watching carefully out of the corner of her eye, she turned her back on the mare, and, as it again nudged her arm, she quickly turned around again, “I see. You do want to play.”

  When the mare went through the same set of behaviors yet again, both Elizabeth and Annabel burst into laughter then reached through the slats to rub and pet the mare’s nose. Hearing the laughter, Darcy came from the stable followed by Nathan and Mr. Quartermain.

  “Lord Pemberley. That is truly something to see. That mare has not taken to anyone here at the estate nor to anyone else that has come here looking for horseflesh,” e
xplained the owner, quite complacently.

  “Is that a fact?” asked Darcy more as a statement, but with a slight smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward.

  As the men walked to where Elizabeth and Annabel were playing “tag” with the mare, Darcy asked, “What colour would you say that she is?”

  “Well, Your Grace, the colour is called ‘creamello.’ Shame of it is, it is not a colour that breeders like me want. She may be a pure-bred Arabian, but I will not be able to register her because of the colour,” Mr. Quartermain explained with an almost sorrowful expression on his face.

  Looking again at Annabel as she petted the animal, the owner raised his eyebrows as though suddenly struck by a thought and, leaning as he turned, spoke softly to Darcy as though imparting a secret. “I would be willing to make you a very good price for her, if you were willing to take her off my hands.”

  Smiling, Darcy winked at Mr. Quartermain. As the two of them walked closer to the ladies, he asked in a voice louder than usual, “You say you would be willing to make me a good deal to take the mare off your hands?” Looking straight at Annabel, he continued, “Why, I do not know of anyone who would want a horse of such an unusual colour.”

  “Oh Cousin,” Annabel stammered in disbelief, “I . . . I would want her. She is absolutely beautiful, and look she really likes me.”

  Catching Elizabeth’s eye, he replied with mock seriousness, “Well, Annabel, it looks like you will just have to take her.”

  Annabel ran to Darcy and threw her arms around him, then took a step back and implored, “Is it true? May I truly have her?”

  Turning to Mr. Quartermain, Darcy smiled as he squeezed her shoulder gently, “It looks as if I have found someone who wants her.”

  “Nathan,” suggested Darcy, “why not ask Mr. Quartermain to bring out the gelding that you were interested in, and we will see if he can make us a good deal on it as well?”

  When Annabel saw the twin of her mare being led from the stable, she was barely able to contain herself. “Nate,” she begged with tears in her eyes, “do you truly wish for him?”

  “Lady Annabel,” Nathan explained as he walked closer to her, “I saw how the mare followed you, trying to attract your attention from the moment we entered the estate. I was almost positive that you would choose her. When I saw her brother, I asked Mr. Darcy if I might have him, if you chose the mare.”

  Annabel clasped her hands tightly together in front of her so that she would not do anything that might embarrass either one of them and, smiling broadly, she exclaimed, “I do choose her.”

  “Well, Mr. Quartermain,” questioned Darcy, clearly amused at the exchange between the two young people, “shall we look at more of your stock? I would like to narrow the selection to about a dozen. My cousin Piers, the Duke of Kympton, will ride over with me in a few days to make the final selection and look into the purchase of the carriage horses, if that will be satisfactory with you?”

  “Of course,” chuckled the breeder with a contented glint in his eye, “it will be my pleasure as always.” Looking over his shoulder at Annabel and Nathan, he winked at Darcy and asked just loud enough for the pair to hear, “Do you want me to hold the additional two horses until then, or shall I have them delivered this afternoon?”

  Darcy mimicked Annabel’s pleading face as he turned back to the breeder, “I think that this afternoon would be preferred.”

  “This afternoon it will be,” laughed Mr. Quartermain heartily as he turned to lead the way back into the stable.

  Moving to indicate the negotiation was at a close, Darcy stated, “Annabel, why don’t you and Nathan look for matching tack? If you are going to have matching horses, you might as well have matching saddles, bridles, and blankets.”

  On the ride back to Pemberley, the young people discussed names for their new horses, and in short order decided on Apollo and Diana.

  ∞∞∞

  It was early afternoon that same day when Elizabeth met Georgiana coming briskly up the stairs toward her. “Georgiana, what a pleasant surprise this is. I did not know you were coming over today. Where is Piers?” she asked, as Georgiana grasped her hand and pulled her back toward her bedchamber, and quietly shut the door behind them.

  “Georgiana, what is it?” pled Elizabeth, with great concern as she gently pulled the younger woman to sit beside her on the bed.

  Taking both of Elizabeth’s hands into her own, Georgiana simply gushed, “Oh, Lizzy, my menses is late.”

  When Elizabeth burst into laughter, Georgiana followed with a laugh of her own and a sudden blush as she looked fully into her soon- to-be sister’s face. “Lizzy, when you marry Wills, if you find as much pleasure with him as I find with Piers, then I thoroughly expect you to also be with child within the month.”

  A bit hesitant to break the mood, Elizabeth however spoke quite plainly, “I hate to question, but you cannot possibly be sure.”

  “No, of course not,” Georgiana admitted quite matter-of-factly, as she unconsciously ran her hand over her very flat stomach, “but my monthly menses is already seven days late, and I am never, ever, ever, late. Oh, Lizzy, Aunt Eleanor will be ecstatic especially if Rebecca and Maryann end up with ‘honeymoon babies’ as well.”

  As Elizabeth hugged her tightly, she said, “Well, I shall make an effort to not say anything, but I am afraid that, just as with the others, the glow on your face may give you away at first glance.”

  Hands on her cheeks, Georgiana confided, “I am so truly happy. After Amanda died, I swore that I would never suffer the possibility of childbirth and would devote myself to Anne Elizabeth. But now, I truly am so very happy with the possibility of a child of my own.”

  “Have you told Piers?” queried Elizabeth as she moved to brush a stray strand of Georgiana’s golden hair back under its pin.

  “Only that my monthly menses is late, but I know that he is as excited at the possibility as I am,” she enthused as she stood and spun around in a circle.

  “Is he with you?” Elizabeth asked as she stood beside her young friend.

  “Of course,” replied Georgiana quickly with a look that begged ‘where else would he be?’ “He is waiting to go into lunch. Shall we go down now?”

  As the two women headed back down the stairs arm-in-arm, Annabel ran up to meet them. “Elizabeth, did you tell Georgiana about my new mare?” Then suddenly stopping for a moment, she looked almost startled, “Georgiana, you are positively glowing.”

  Quite amused, Elizabeth quickly replied, “Annabel, I think that you should be the one to tell Georgiana about your new mare. Perhaps she will be able to stay long enough to see her for herself.”

  Annabel abruptly looked from Elizabeth to Georgiana, “You both are trying to distract me. Do you have a secret?” When she saw the sheepish look on Georgiana’s face, understanding suddenly dawned upon her and she smiled brilliantly, “I will not say a word to Mama.”

  When lunch was over, Darcy was notified by the butler that the new horses had arrived, and he asked Annabel if she would like to lead them all to the stables.

  “Cousin, I am not sure that I can walk that slowly,” she exclaimed unabashedly. “May Nate and I run ahead?”

  “Run ahead. We will be right behind you,” he laughed, motioning with his hands for them to proceed ahead of the others.

  When Georgiana saw the matching pair of golden horses, she could not contain her laughter. “Brother, did you get them from the same place as the ponies?”

  “No, I got them from Mr. Quartermain,” replied Darcy, laughing anew as he placed his foot on the first rung of the fencing of the horse paddock.

  “Georgiana, they are twins,” explained Annabel with authority. “Twins run in my family, you know.”

  Elizabeth chimed in, “They run in mine as well. My mother and Uncle Edward are twins.”

  “And in mine,” added Piers, as he put his arm gently around Georgiana’s shoulder and softly kissed the top of her head. “But I am afraid that my
younger brother died only hours after he was born.”

  Elizabeth suddenly looked at Georgiana, “Oh my, Charlotte’s youngest brothers are twins.”

  Realizing the potential for twin births for so many of the young women, Elizabeth grew concerned and decided she would send an express to them immediately upon her return to the house. When they were quite sure that they were indeed with child, Aunt Eleanor would certainly need to be notified of this potential, since extra care would need to be taken, especially with first-time pregnancies where there is a strong potential for twins.

  Soon they were joined by the rest of the houseguests, who chuckled almost as much about the new horses as they had over the matching ponies for the children. Putting the thoughts of twins aside for the moment, Elizabeth could hardly wait to see the expressions on the faces of Thomas and Anne Elizabeth when they saw Nathan’s and Annabel’s horses for the first time.

 

‹ Prev