Pemberley

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  Prince George laughed heartily at this picture of his household after a visit by Mr Manners and his lovely new lady.

  'And pray, Manners, what will be your role in this whole? Will you sit right in the middle of your web of intrigue like a large, incredibly well-dressed spider, pulling strings and taking notes?'

  'I thought I'd just drink Madeira wine, eat chocolate cake and chat up Mrs Fitzherbert, Lord Chester.'

  Frederick still had that college-boys' humour if he wanted to and Prince George recognised it and loved it.

  'You are incorrigible, Manners, I really cannot imagine how anyone could ever think you'd get along with my father. He is a tremendous bore, you'd do much better to fall in with my crowd, they'll be much more to your liking.'

  'But I'm trying so hard to improve, Your Highness, to be an impeccable gentleman living an immaculate life..'

  'Why? To gain the respect of dullards at the risk of dying of boredom? Better deliver on what you promised your lady wife and live life to the full. There is no better place to do that than Carlton House, I assure you. Of course your reputation as the patron of the New Year's Eve Ball is already flawless, and yet an overly talkative bird told me your life behind the scenes certainly isn't, so in fact there is nothing for me to teach you, you've kept your naughty side from the papers so far which I certainly haven't managed to. I was planning to use your reputation to polish mine a little, then do whatever we like behind closed doors. But you have to know that your driver has a very loose tongue.'

  Of course Frederick knew that, he actually cultivated Bates to spread tales of his master's preference for low women to keep anyone from suspecting he was actually very faithful to a single admirable man. And Frederick's most dangerous weakness towards the prince was wanting to prove himself very smart, which in this case would help Prince George shake free of the carefully planted gossip and possibly find Frederick's true affiliation. So please, please, let Frederick resist the temptation to prove himself even more

  devious than Prince George already realised!

  'Bates? But he has been my driver for years and years! What did he tell you?'

  Even his blunt impoliteness was played, and masterfully, Anne dared add, so much so that Prince George threw a doubtful glance at Anne before telling the absolute truth.

  'He told me of veritable orgies taking place, with you and your college friends enjoying every single kind of booze known to man, strings of cheap ladies, strings he said literally, and of servants sometimes being rewarded with an hour with a single pearl off those strings. And yet none of this was ever found out by reporters?'

  The usual stuff, good, Bates still swallowed his master's smoke screen. But if Frederick didn't act this out right, Prince George wouldn't much longer.

  Frederick took his time framing a reply, but not because he was in any way surprised or ashamed. Though of course he did have to weigh his words carefully.

  ‘Well, I have to admit I have been known to throw certain parties for my friends,’ Frederick now admitted, ‘but not since Miss de Bourgh stole my heart.’

  Which was absolutely true.

  ‘But how did you keep that from the press?’

  ‘Before my association with Mr Fielding no-one particularly cared about anything I did besides the Ball. I’m afraid I’m not that important, Lord Chester.’

  Which the heir to the throne certainly was. It seemed as if he was going to accept Frederick’s excuse that he no longer did such despicable things.

  ‘I would love to play the game on a higher level, Lord Chester, cheap amusements do not suit my new status in life, you know, as husband to a beautiful and deserving woman. I'd like our new entertainments to give her pleasure as well.'

  'A game for all of you to play in the thick of society, seek no further, Manners, Mrs Manners, I am your man. You will get to know everyone who matters, know everything others don't but wish they did, and you will let the reporters believe what you want them to. As soon as you are ready to start playing, send word to me, and I will offer you the world. My world.'

  Somehow, Anne believed he could, even more so than Frederick himself.

  And somehow, it was as if Nick was also included in this invitation, and felt himself so. Then Eric broke their conversation by saying, 'The piano isn't too

  badly out of tune, we can adjust it this afternoon. Would you care to join us, Lord Chester? And do you mind if Mr Collins does, too?'

  'I'd love to, and no, I don't mind that funny man's presence. But your mentioning him reminds me of something, or rather someone, I just saw in the hall whom you may want to be careful of: it was a woman of about forty, conservatively dressed, and she was snooping around on this floor. I'd never seen her before and she did not look like a housemaid, so I guess she is Lady de Bourgh's personal attendant. When I stopped and took a good look at her she seemed inclined to challenge me but then thought the better of it and fleeted away down the stairs.'

  'Did she have a crooked nose or a moustache?' Anne immediately wanted to know, though mother's ladies were equally bad.

  'Now that you mention it, she did have a rather murky shadow under her perfectly shapely nose. I thought it was the light.'

  'Miss Bergman. If she would just shave that moustache she could have easily caught a nice husband and spared herself the agony of waiting on my mother.

  She is the least dragonish of the two, I suppose if your housekeeper tells her to stay off the second floor she'll oblige.'

  'Thank you for your warning, Lord Chester,' Georgiana said, 'Anne, Frederick, I'll take care of it. You're our guests, you have a right to your private space, we can't have aunt Catherine threatening our hospitality.'

  'I can keep an eye on the stairs, Mrs Fielding, and send any servant but the one maid assigned to this floor packing.'

  Dear Nick, he still took his professed occupation so seriously.

  'I'm certain Mrs Reynolds will solve this quite beautifully, Nick, but if this lady doesn't mind her instructions you may put the fear of, well, you, in her.

  And Nick, this is headquarters, in here I'm Georgiana. Lord Chester knows you are our friend and not actually Anne's guard. Though maybe Mr Collins shouldn't know.'

  'I am very certain that Nick is still very much Mrs Manners' guard, Mrs Fielding. Especially with Lady de Bourgh in the house.'

  Well, Prince George had seen that very accurately, and Anne rather wondered why he didn't make an issue of Georgiana insisting Nick call her by her first name and not of the prince using her husband's name. It probably made him feel very much left out, but Frederick had insisted they be formal with Prince George at all times.

  'I do feel much safer now he is back by my side. May we spend a lot of time

  in here as well? I want to see as little as possible of my mother, Lord Chester.'

  'I understand, and Nick, I do not object to your presence, you are a part of this group and I am the guest here. Besides, if we do meet in London I intend to present you as a northern relative of Mr Manners. You can then drink Madeira wine, eat chocolate cake and chat up Mrs Fitzherbert to your heart's content, breaking hearts left and right if it pleases you. As long as you're careful, some of the ladies in my court are very easily swayed and they do not take no for an answer.'

  Anne could see what he was doing, he was offering an alternative for the continent, and if they did decide to stay put they would be pleased to accept, especially if Nick could enjoy society with them. Though that would leave Simon all by himself, something neither Frederick nor Nick would stand for.

  But all that was not yet of any concern, first they had a long summer with all kinds of outdoor activities before them, which Anne was determined to relish with her newly found esprit.

  Chapter 24

  Simon was now counting the days to Wednesday, since apparently that was when Prince George would leave. He could no longer enjoy his time with the devilishly clever prince, he was so afraid to slip and tell him something he shouldn't. Though there was
something Simon would be able to use to keep a conversation going without actually talking of anything relevant, and that was Miss Bergman's ill-advised visit to the second floor, during which the prince had caught her.

  'Mrs Reynolds, our housekeeper, wishes to thank you for your actions this afternoon, Your Highness. She has confronted Miss Bergman with her behaviour and admonished her not to intrude on the explorers' floor again. I know Miss Bergman rather well, and I'm reasonably certain she will obey.'

  It seemed to work, for the prince picked up the subject and replied, 'It was my pleasure to help all of you. You know, before I decided to follow everyone upstairs I felt a little superfluous, you're such a close-knit group, I didn't want to intrude. Then when I had decided I dared risk being an intruder for a chance to be part of your group for the remaining days of my visit, everyone

  was already gone and I had to make my own way to your explorers' haunt. So I did, and found myself alone on your second floor, feeling as if I was spying on the people I have come to like very much, and in a way I had come there to spy, to see Mrs Manners with her guard, to see whether I had any chance to compete with him.

  But when I noticed this unknown woman flitting from door to door I recognised a real spy, with bad intentions. I stared at her until she fled, I suppose I have my moments of authority and this was one, I didn't think she would be back even without a formal reprimand. I hope she didn't see anything relevant, she was still on Mr and Mrs Fielding's side of the stairs, not where your rooms are. Your sleeping arrangements are somewhat untraditional, she should not find that out. Better warn your housekeeper to keep that maid serving my room away from the second floor, she is as talkative as Manners' driver and possibly less gullible. For I do think Manners was pleased to hear the gossip his man had told me. He is deep, I like him immensely, most people are so easily seen through but he has layer upon layer to his character.'

  Prince George might call Pauline talkative but he sure had plenty to say himself. And he was not done, yet.

  'Well, of course I hadn't a chance with Mrs Manners, she was in her guard's arms, he was kissing her with intense love, such a strong man and totally at her feet, it was so romantic. Manners was looking on with satisfaction, but he noticed me as soon as I came in. He invited me in, I suppose you've heard all of that by now. Mrs Manners excused herself beautifully but in fact it was I who had to excuse myself, I was the intruder. But I had to see that, now I know she is happy and her husband doesn't object at all. And for a moment I managed to feel myself included in their midst, only you were lacking. Then we all went downstairs for coffee, but only after I'd told them about the intruder. I cannot stand the thought of Mrs Manners and her brave man being found out, I had to do something. Nor Manners himself. His mother-in-law's maid must not discover his secret, I want you all to visit me at Carlton House as my most respectable friends.'

  Hints, allusions, innuendo, this was not going to change, was it? Simon bowed down before the prince's irrefutable curiosity, Prince George would not be stopped.

  'I'm certain my master is very glad Miss Bergman did not get away with her snooping, Your Highness.'

  There came a moment for every servant when only humble formality was left as a form of passive protest, and with Prince George it worked better than anyone else Simon had been forced to use it on, excepting Frederick, of course, but he had fallen in love with Simon almost instantly so that didn't count. This time was no exception.

  'Dammit, Simon, you're a true master at making a man feel terribly guilty!

  And I didn't even expect you to tell me anything, I was just ranting because I'd my sights set on your mistress and she is obviously not meant for me!

  Please forgive me, don't leave me here unwashed and scarcely dressed, you know the power is entirely in your hands, I'm helpless before you, without your kind attentions I am doomed to look dishevelled and smell worse. I do respect all of you so much, not just your master and mistress, you, too, and your dangerous friend.'

  But then, Prince George himself was a master of pathos, like a tragic hero from an ancient Greek story. Simon couldn't help himself, he did like the man a lot, and at this moment he looked positively repentant in a comical way.

  'All right, I'll forgive you. But you do make me very nervous with your innuendo, Your Highness, I am only a lowly servant with no-one to protect me if I anger you.'

  'Simon, I would never be angry with you for refusing to talk about people who are more your friends than anything else. And even if that were to anger me, I know you're not a mere servant, and I'm certain Manners will protect you from anyone. No, don't look at me like that, you don't have to say anything and you may ignore anything I say. I know I talk too much, people keep telling me to let another get a word in edgewise. Actually, Maria does, no-one else has ever dared to. Mother would have, but she didn't get the chance, I was still quiet as a child. Please be kind to me, Simon, and ignore me if I say something you don't want to hear.'

  Yes, he was very likeable, and as cute as an almost-forty-year-old man could be. By now the prince was wearing his nightshirt, his hair had been combed and his skin was glossy with a thorough cleaning. Simon suppressed an inclination to ruffle his hair as too familiar, and instead flattened the collar of the nightshirt with a gentle stroke. That would have to do as reconciliation.

  Prince George looked up and smiled sweetly.

  'So I am really forgiven, that makes me happy. I'll not test your patience much longer, I'm leaving on Wednesday, I'd have liked to stay a lot longer but I have obligations in town. I'm hoping that Mr and Mrs Fielding will get

  very bored out here and come to London for summer, they hinted as much.

  Mr Fielding can be the forerunner for the lot of you, with your long pantaloons and newfangled hairstyles. Then when they're used to seeing those, you can come over and introduce the black cravat.'

  Yes, Simon really wanted to do that, but he could not imagine it ever happening, not the black cravats, not because of him, a simple valet could not have such an influence on style. But the prince's kindness meant that Simon left his room much happier than he had been just minutes ago. And in five minutes he would be with Frederick, who would indeed protect him from anything. Except Prince George's talking!

  Fitzwilliam had convinced Elizabeth to continue her riding lessons despite his aunt's presence, dressed in the same split skirts as always, joining Frederick, Nick and Anne in the paddock for a lesson in carousel formation riding. It was great fun to ride figures together, this moment turning corners together in two pairs, the next splitting the group of horses and riders to left and right, then joining again on the other side of the paddock. Riding at the same speed and getting their horses to turn away from the others was still a challenge, as was keeping the inside horses from walking or trotting too fast, so they rode only the simplest of figures, large circles or at most a few eights, cutting across the riding paddock one by one. Still they enjoyed this small taste of what was to come once they gained proficiency.

  After an hour they were all tired but very pleased, it was as if the horses were starting understand what their riders expected from them, they were matching their paces and had stopped protesting the separations, as if they knew they'd come back together a few moments later.

  Anne and Nick were reluctant to stop riding, of course they wanted to stay together, and Anne didn't want to sit with her mother. Elizabeth didn't mind walking Barley dry herself to give them a few more moments together, if she and Frederick went back to the house it would make a wrong impression on the stable staff. Better take half an hour extra and return as a group.

  That meant poor Fitzwilliam would be stuck with his aunt in the drawing-room that much longer without his wife to support him, fortunately he wasn't all by himself, Georgiana and Eric were there as well as Prince George. And Mr Collins, of course. As far as Elizabeth knew her cousin had kept his promise to not snoop around, apparently Lady Catherine had given that task to her personal maid, who had b
een caught exploring the second-floor

  bedrooms by no-one less than Prince George, who had used his natural authority to chase her off.

  Georgiana had described the scene at headquarters, and she didn't seem to think much of the prince's knowledge of Anne's involvement with Nick.

  'He doesn't really care, you know,' she'd said, 'he just wants to have a good time with Eric's music and people he likes. He loves intrigue, but just to figure it out, not to do anything with his findings. I like him, a lot, though I know he doesn't treat the women in his life well.'

  Frankly, Elizabeth couldn't imagine Prince George planning to bring Frederick down even if he was clearly trying to find out why the latter accepted Anne loving her guard, he probably even knew Frederick had married Anne knowing she loved another. Frederick had to be hiding something, and if Elizabeth had missed that piece of information she would have tried to fill it in, too, maybe not as persistently as the prince did according to the others, mostly poor Simon, but she'd also see it as a challenge. Who wouldn't? And what could they do? They couldn't throw him out, he was heir to the throne! But she hoped her comments yesterday would help especially Simon a little, the poor fellow was worn to a thread with fear of betraying himself and Frederick. Everything else the prince had already found out.

  With the horses walked dry and Anne and Nick resigned to parting once they were back at the house, all four of them handed over the reins of their own horse to a stable-boy. Elizabeth would have offered to watch them turned out in their paddocks together to see them roll in the sand to get rid of the pressure of saddle and rider on their backs, another half hour for Anne and Nick, but she really needed to return, she still had to clean up and change, and Fitzwilliam would be eager for her company.

  Once out of earshot of the staff, Frederick echoed Elizabeth's thoughts.

  'Why don't you just retreat to headquarters together? You don't have to be in your mother's presence, Anne dear, she is not your visitor. I suppose Georgiana and Eric are planning to escape as soon as possible, and I bet they'll take Lord Chester along. Oh, but they promised Mr Collins he might join them, in that case you'd better take this morning together or you'll never get a moment's privacy.'