That was the usual way for a man to handle these little misunderstandings, so much was clear to Elizabeth by now. But since Mrs Annesley was a woman, doing as her father proposed would have the opposite effect of what he expected. Though Elizabeth would prefer her father not to be so intimate with the talented housekeeper she did not for a moment consider giving her father false information, advice which might harm a connection he valued greatly.
He would realise her being duplicitous, and besides, Mrs Annesley was an important member of their staff, she deserved Elizabeth's respect.
'I wouldn't like that if I had been waiting all night to bring you important news, papa. I think you should discuss the subject straight away, even if she is likely to scold you, or you resent her interference. Clear the air, that can only be a good thing.'
Though he looked a bit absent he seemed to accept this, until she followed his gaze and found it going in the direction of the piano.
'Lizzy, it may be time to join your guests, I'm afraid your sister is at it again.'
What did papa mean? She looked at the motley group of people gathered around the piano, and indeed, Lydia was with them and obviously very excited and about to make her feelings known to everyone present.
'You are so fortunate to have a piano and be able to play! I wish I had taken the trouble to learn when I was young and we had a piano at Longbourn, I do miss music. But mostly I miss dancing! I bet my sister and her friends never dance to your music, Mr Fielding!'
Elizabeth could not hear Eric's reply, but he seemed amused rather than insulted or shocked. Prince George was obviously tickled, and Elizabeth's heart sank.
'Why don't we do something about that right now? You can even dance with Georgiana, Mr Fielding, I know Lizzy can play a few dances. Come, if you ask me you can all use some livening up!'
'Mrs Wickham, I have rarely heard a better proposal. Will you do me the honour of allowing me the first dance with you?'
That was Prince George, of all people!
'I certainly will, Your Highness. I'd rather dance with my own dear husband, but since he is not here you will do well enough. Come, Georgiana, you must dance, too, you can have your turn at the piano later.'
And incredibly, a space was cleared by the gentlemen in a few moments, and soon a lively tune sounded and three couples were standing up: Lydia with Prince George, who seemed positively delighted to be dancing with a foolish girl who could have been his daughter. Georgiana was dancing with Mr Collins, who had gained plenty of weight since Elizabeth had been forced to dance with him at Netherfield, but not even a smattering of elegance. Prince George, though almost as portly, did much better, probably the advantages of his being a sportsman of sorts. Frederick was dancing with Anne, painting a perfect picture of marital bliss, delighting Lady Catherine though probably mostly meant for Prince George's benefit. Or maybe they liked dancing together, they were excellent friends, after all.
Catching Fitzwilliam's eye, Elizabeth felt a tug at her heartstrings from the way he looked at her. Maybe the situation reminded him of the Netherfield ball, dancing with the woman he was falling in love with, wanting to ignore her foolish relatives but unable to. Now it seemed as if he had embraced them, for he winked at her, then got up and invited his aunt to dance with him. And she accepted!
'I suppose it's you and me then, my dear Lizzy,' her father said, 'will you honour me with a dance?'
And why not?
Dancing with papa was as pleasurable as it had ever been, despite their differences she still admired him and loved him, and he was a very able dancer though she had rarely seen him at it. After two dances with him they all changed partners, and of course her beloved was the first to claim her.
Papa had done the proper thing and was dancing with Lady Catherine. Prince George had naturally seized this chance to be with Anne, and Lydia was dancing with Mr Collins, leaving Georgiana to dance with Frederick.
'You know Prince George will want to dance with you, don't you my love?'
Fitzwilliam breathed in her ear, 'I want you to know I don't mind, I will not be jealous. Though I'm glad Wickham is not here, I still don't like to see him with you.'
'Well, thanks to your aunt you'll never have to invite him to Pemberley, my love. But I will have to visit him in the village, I'm afraid, my sister is not happy, I have to convince him to let her have Abbey, her maid from Newcastle. Papa has offered to do it but I really think it has to be me.'
'You do seem able to guide him like no-one else, my love. If money is the problem we can pay her, you know that, don't you? I want your sister's children to have every chance to become little Elizabeths and Janes, and from what you have told me Abbey is a righteous creature, though maybe a little less smart than Fanny. But she only has to give them a good example for morals and religion, teaching is a governess' province. I don't like you going to see Wickham but I understand why you have to. Will you bring your father?'
'I will. They write, you know, papa knows him rather well. But I do want to go in person since we were there, in Newcastle, and papa wasn't.'
He nodded and kissed her to let her know he accepted what she felt she had to do. This was why she loved him so much, he was so much older and more experienced than she, and still he let her make her own decisions. And he was so handsome and elegant, and such a good dancer. Too bad she was going to have to dance with Prince George next and then take her place at the piano to offer Eric and Georgiana the chance to dance.
But as it turned out she didn't have to. After her dance with the prince, who obviously enjoyed the activity but talked of nothing but innocuous subjects, mostly regret at having to leave so soon, Elizabeth moved towards the piano, only to find the prince still by her side.
'You dance with your handsome husband once again, Mrs Darcy, I will relieve Mr Fielding at the piano. I think I'm up to a few reels by now, he has spent so much of his precious time on me he has a right to profit from it.'
By now, papa, Mr Collins and Lady Catherine had retreated to the seats closest to the improvised dance floor, maybe Prince George was also getting tired to offer to play. But somehow Elizabeth doubted that, he really wanted to do this to show Eric his appreciation for the lessons. When Anne was also moving towards a seat, Mr Collins got up and addressed her, though with obvious discomfort at his presumption. Anne smiled and took the hand he tentatively offered, and both joined the dancers waiting for the music to start.
The prince's playing was really quite good, he had chosen a very lively dance which was probably a bit much for the hefty Mr Collins, but when Elizabeth surreptitiously checked on him he seemed to be doing as well as could be expected. She would have preferred a slower dance herself, to be with her beloved and share memories, but this was fun, too, and she was proud of Eric, he had even gotten his future king to practise with diligence. The next dance was a lot slower, and after that Elizabeth did take over at the piano and offered the others the chance to dance to their hearts' content, until even Lydia was ready for a quiet game of cards until they all went to bed.
Frederick was rather pleased when everyone went to bed at their usual hour.
He had been a bit afraid Prince George would claim Eric half the night, and thus headquarters, when during their spontaneous dancing an idea had occurred to him that required the private space and a piano. And someone to play it, meaning Georgiana and Eric.
But Prince George was saying his adieus to those not particularly close to him, he was planning to leave before breakfast and Frederick was convinced he would be punctual. He would probably have breakfast at the inn where his retinue was staying, he and his advisor would have a lot to catch up on and the back of a horse was not everyone's favourite place to have a private little chat.
'Manners, if we do not meet tomorrow morning I want to thank you for your kindness in receiving me here, and wish you every enjoyment of your summer in this beautiful place. I wish I could stay. Will you promise me not to take any risk on the continent? And if you d
ecide to wait, please, please do come to visit Carlton House with your beautiful wife this winter.'
'I'm generally an early riser, Your Highness, but if you are gone before I'm presentable I thank you for your kind attention and I wish you a safe and speedy journey. We will certainly consider your invitation, both Anne and I are very fond of society and yours is reputed to be the best crowd.'
'So it is, my man, so it is.'
And they shook hands cordially, though Manners knew it would be folly to go to Carlton House, Prince George would not rest until he had found out the truth about London's favourite, Mr Manners, and when he did he would repudiate the man he now invited to his private home so sincerely. Simon had been very clear about the dangers of visiting the prince, and Frederick agreed.
But not going to London didn't mean they would have to forgo on all the
pleasures of society, which Nick and Simon couldn't be a part of anyway.
Mrs Wickham's impulsive plan had given Frederick an idea to bring at least one of those pleasures right here to Pemberley, and to implement it he only needed to get rid of Prince George, and get Georgiana and Eric to provide the music. Mrs Wickham's comments had reminded Frederick of their privileged position, they had superior music at their disposal each and every day.
When Lady de Bourgh, Mr Collins and Prince George had left, he approached the talented young couple and asked, 'Can I impose on you to accompany me to headquarters for another hour or so, to allow Anne the chance to dance with Nick? They enjoyed that so much in the past, and I suppose they will have much less time together the coming days. As Mrs Wickham said, if you can have any music you like, why not dance to it?'
Of course he and Simon would have as little time together but somehow that was different, they never had the chance to become a lawful couple.
Frederick still felt responsible for Anne's happiness since she could have married Nick outright but chose to marry Frederick instead.
'Frederick, you're the best! Anne will love it! After dancing with Prince George so often she deserves to stand up with her beloved as well. And I know just the kind of music we'll need, Anne told me about their evening in the lower-class pub with the Blackwood girls. We should have some ale for them as well.'
That was a joke, of course, but Frederick was inordinately pleased that Georgiana and Anne got on so well as to exchange confidences, Anne was almost a decade Georgiana's senior but somehow that didn't seem to matter at all.
Although Mr Bennet already knew what they were up to on the second floor, Frederick nonetheless took Anne's arm to leave the room, as Darcy and Eric did their own spouse. Why treat her with less respect than the others did their wives?
Nick joined them as soon as they were at headquarters, Simon would still be busy helping Prince George undress and wash, he would be a little late, undoubtedly stressed out with the clever man's hints and insinuations. But Frederick would make it up to his lover once they had retreated to their own room, this coming hour was for Nick and Anne, to help them strengthen their bond before the rest of Darcy's relatives and friends arrived for a three-week visit.
Frederick had made certain to bring a bottle of wine, not that Anne noticed, she was in Nick's arms the instant he closed the door behind him. They snuggled and kissed and forgot all about the others, until the hitherto calm music turned lively and Anne remembered the early part of their evening.
'Come dance with me, Nick! Just like on that special night, when we...'
Frederick knew what they'd done for the first time that night, and he remembered how he had comforted Anne the next day when she had left Nick behind, ashamed to have fallen in love with him when he had warned her against that.
Georgiana came towards him and asked, 'Shall we join them, to make it more real? Just two couples but it's better than to be by themselves.'
True, too bad Frederick couldn't play to free Eric, but it didn't matter very much, this was Anne and Nick's moment, and they joined the couple in a lively dance, and another one. They should do this more often, imagine the London master of society and patron of the New Year's Eve Ball needing a Mrs Wickham to remind him of such a prime form of entertainment.
When Simon came in he looked concerned, as always these days when he returned from Prince George's presence. Thinking he would want to sit down in some corner and tell his beloved what their guest had been up to this time, Frederick stopped dancing, releasing Georgiana. But Simon's expression lifted when he took in the scene before him, and Frederick supposed he wanted to join the dancers. Why shouldn't Simon want to dance?
But instead of cutting in with Georgiana, really the only option since Anne and Nick were not going to let go of each other, Simon came straight towards Frederick himself. What was he doing? He couldn't think to dance with Frederick? They were both men!
Simon didn't say anything, he merely attached himself to Frederick, resting his head on his broad chest, such a surprise. Frederick felt a bit overwhelmed, but not for long. Somehow, the music had changed to a much more mellow, slow melody, and stealing a look at Anne and Nick he suddenly understood Georgiana's words just before they left the drawing-room: they were supposed to dance slowly and very, very intimately, nothing at all like the proper style, but incredibly tantalising. And why not? This was not a public occasion, after all, and Simon was ready enough to let his partner lead.
Why hadn't they ever done this before? This was so good, so intimate, small wonder dancing this slowly was considered improper in their own circles. Of course his college friends had often done it on their evenings of debauchery,
mostly earlier in the evening before they were really drunk. But Frederick had never imagined he'd participate, least of all with a man, the man he loved.
It felt so right to hold Simon close, to rest his head upon his lover's short hair, to relish his manly scent, enhanced with just the slightest hint of an expensive perfume. The difference between a gentleman and a normal man, Anne had once called it in an opium-induced haze. Then, she had preferred Nick's more common scent, but by now Nick had also discovered the pleasures of being a gentleman, starting with smelling like one. But to Frederick, no-one smelled like Simon, such a perfect blend of masculinity and excellent personal care, without it being overpowering like Prince George's perfume, or too down-to-earth, like Darcy's expensive soap, both men as fastidious as Simon but...
differently.
Simon hadn't spoken a single word since entering but Frederick was not worried, his beloved was enjoying the moment and words were not needed for now. If he felt a need to speak he would do so when the time was right for him.
For five, or maybe as much as ten, minutes, time seemed to come to a halt as Frederick held the man he loved in his arms, dancing intimately to slow, mellow music. And then they kissed, as slowly but with so much fire, Simon seemed like a man possessed, he needed this even more than Frederick did.
'It wasn't even that bad, tonight, you know. He was in an excellent mood, I think our crown prince yearns for a small life, for normal things, and somehow he finds them here. But if you think about it, there is nothing remotely normal about the people here, think of the quality of the music, desserts better than his French chefs make, Mrs Darcy's conversation, Anne's beauty...and that is not even counting the visiting relatives, Mr Bennet's sarcasm, Mr Collins comparing music to prayer, Lady Catherine being stuck in her glorious past.'
'Are you suggesting Darcy and I are the only normal people here? I mean I agree on Darcy being rather generally pleasing and predictable, but the illustrious Mr Manners, am I really that commonplace?'
By now Simon was smiling, he relished his charges talking a lot, and of course Prince George's constant rattling wasn't a problem at all, it was his insatiable curiosity combined with his powers of observation that made his imminent departure a very welcome expectation, especially to Simon, who had borne the brunt of the inquisition.
'Oh, yes, Frederick, the only remarkable thing about you is what our beloved
A very penetrating look was followed by an exasperated, 'You wait and see!
Prince George is convinced I will help him change how people dress. He hates breeches especially, and some of his courtiers still wear wigs and want him to wear one as well. He thinks I can just force pantaloons and messy hair on anyone, since I succeeded with you. I even think he credits me for Eric's looks, though I am very certain he was wearing pantaloons when I first laid my eyes on him. And then Prince George does not know where credit really is my due, in our ladies' fashionable apparel. I managed to keep that from him, mostly because it is too outlandish for him to suspect a man could know what looks good on a woman. You see, he mostly finds out things by himself, then poses them to his victim to be confirmed. If he cannot imagine it, he will not find out.'
'Too bad he is so good at imagining.'
'Yes, and he already knows men can love men, and I think that if he knew I dress women as well as men, he'd instantly suspect me. It's the kind of leap a man's thoughts make, though entirely illogical in itself, I mean I've never worn a dress nor felt the need to do so. I merely had plenty of sisters and an excellent sense of shapes and colours.'
'So he didn't try to find out the truth on his last evening?'
'He most certainly did not. He merely confessed himself surprised to have felt irritation over Lady Catherine's superior attitude. He said, 'I thought I was ready to assume the throne, if needed, but I suppose as a king one has to be above petty dislikes. I'm very disappointed with myself, Simon, to have felt so annoyed with one of my father's subjects. There is obviously still a lot to learn, more feelings to control, more empathy to gain.'
I didn't hesitate to set him right, I mean, his father's disappointment in his eldest may be reasonable where his habits of spending money and conquering the fair sex are concerned, but I am absolutely convinced it is in fact impossible to like Lady Catherine. Even Mr Collins no longer manages, and not through his own fault. So I observed, 'Your Highness, I am very certain you don't have to like every single one of your subjects, I cannot imagine your father does. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a very annoying person and it
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