by Wells, Linda
“Mama.” Jane appeared and took her arm. “Let us find you some punch.”
“As much as I hate to admit it. She does have a point.” Darcy said softly. “Small as it is.”
Charlotte laughed. “I am Mrs. Michael de Bourgh; I think that is clear enough. Mrs. Bennet is looking at status, that is all.”
“Oh.”
“Charlotte knows her quite well, dear.” Elizabeth patted his arm. “By the way, has anyone seen Mrs. Peter de Bourgh?” They all turned and looked around the room. “Or Mr. Peter de Bourgh, for that matter?”
Darcy started to chuckle and pursed his lips. “He does need a chaperone.”
“Where could they be?” Elizabeth gasped.
“I imagine they are making good use of one of the very finely appointed rooms in this beautiful home.” Lord Matlock smiled. A door opened and they watched as Peter, smiling from ear to ear, guided Mary, blushing and dreamy-eyed, from the garden back into the ballroom.
“Been giving rope swinging demonstrations, de Bourgh?” Singleton called. He winked back at the other men.
“Elizabeth, perhaps we should start the dancing,” Audrey suggested, “before this devolves any further.”
“I agree.” She nodded to the musicians in the corner and soon the ballroom was alive with song. “Shall we?” She smiled at Darcy.
“Of course.” They joined the couples and lined up. “Look at them.”
“Still blushing.” She laughed.
Stepping forward he took her hands. “Do you remember our wedding night?”
“Of course.”
“What stands out?” Elizabeth’s eyes danced and centred on his breeches. Darcy’s eyes widened and she laughed. “Elizabeth!”
“You asked; it was an obvious answer.”
“Here I thought it was romance.” He sighed.
“Do you really want to know?” She said softly as they turned around each other. “Sleeping in your arms.”
“Oh.” He smiled and looked down. “I loved that, too.”
“And seeing you unclothed.” She whispered. “That neck …”
“Oh.” He bit his lip and leaned to her ear. “What else?”
“I dearly love your thighs, I discovered. A horseman’s thighs, built for gripping.”
“I do believe that when we return home, we will have some riding to do, Mrs. Darcy.” He said meaningfully.
“Mary.” Peter said urgently. “It is a little close in here; shall we go for some more air?”
“We just returned!” Mary cried. “Everyone will notice!”
“I do not care. I just want to go home.”
“Well … after a little cake?” She said softly. “And dancing?”
Peter smiled and sighed, stopping in the middle of the dance floor to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers, then oblivious to everything, he bent to kiss her. “When the party is over. Of course, my dear.” He looked up to find everyone who was dancing smiling and watching them. “Isn’t there anything more interesting for you to observe?”
“Darcy!” Fitzwilliam called. “What say you to a friendly wager?”
De Bourgh groaned. Darcy smiled. “Subject?”
“Let us keep count of the number of times Mrs. de Bourgh is kissed.”
“Mrs. Peter de Bourgh.” Michael corrected.
“Precisely.”
“Oh that is too easy. I would say how many times my new brother looks longingly at the door.” Lucas laughed.
“I like that!” Bingley smiled and swung Kitty around. “We need an impartial judge. How about the unmarried sisters? They are acute observers, I notice.”
Kitty laughed and protested. “But then we would only be staring at Peter! A look is too hard to catch. I like the kissing idea better.”
“Kissing it is.” Lord Matlock determined. “Stakes?”
“Enough of this!” De Bourgh cried.
“Quiet.” Layton glared. “You are not involved.”
“I most certainly am!”
“Winner gets …” Fitzwilliam looked at Evangeline thoughtfully. “An equal number of kisses from his wife.”
“Um, I am unmarried.” Bingley pointed out, as he passed in front of Kitty. She blushed and looked at Georgiana, who was dancing with Lydia.
“Hmm, in the unlikely event that Bingley wins he may kiss the cheek of every lady in the room.”
“Every lady who is out.” Darcy said sternly, looking at the giggling girls down the line.
“Very well, Papa.” Fitzwilliam grinned. “We will write down our wagers as soon as the set is finished. De Bourgh, please hold back for a few minutes?” He groaned.
“Will.” Elizabeth laughed as he turned away from the conversation. “You men are terrible! Look at poor Mary!”
“Oh Lizzy, he will kiss her anyway, why not have some fun with it? She has married into this family and we readily admit that we are incorrigible amongst ourselves. Besides, would you not like to kiss me?”
“I suppose.” She sighed dramatically. “If I must.”
The set ended and the men drifted off to lay down their money and their predictions. “I cannot believe I am witnessing this.” Mr. Bennet laughed as he and Mr. Gardiner stood at the other end of the ballroom. “I have never experienced such a family.”
“Now you know what you have been missing.” Mr. Gardiner said quietly. “At least you are welcome to return.” They looked over at Mrs. Bennet, standing with Mrs. Gardiner who had appointed herself keeper for the remainder of the party. “Do you think …”
“No.” Mr. Bennet shook his head. “Elizabeth and Mary have avoided her as much as possible today, and thus avoided any pronounced confrontation. What will happen when it is over, and we are alone?” He shook his head, and took a drink. “I do not care to know, but I suppose I will in a few hours.”
“Let us hope that my sister at least tries.”
“Lady Matlock is watching her like a hawk.”
“But she leaves everything to Elizabeth. She respects her.”
“These women protect each other.” Mr. Bennet smiled.
The ladies gathered together to watch their men, and Elizabeth squeezed Mary’s hand. “I am sorry if you are embarrassed. They bet on how Peter proposed, too.”
“I do not mind.” She smiled after him. “I … I actually … I have never had so much attention. Happy attention. And it is harmless.”
“It is.” Jane agreed. “They are all boys at heart.”
“Idiots.” Evangeline looked at her husband the instigator. “But ours.”
“Here come the children.” Audrey smiled and went to take Grace’s hand. The eldest of the girls, she stood tall and immediately pulled her mother over to the buffet table. The music began again, and Darcy returned to Elizabeth who was kneeling down to wipe cream from Rosalie’s face.
“How did she get messy so quickly?” He laughed and reached down to swing her up into his arms. “What did you do?”
“Eat!”
“She reached for the treacle as it was carried in.” Elizabeth sighed. Darcy swayed and turned with her to the music. Dancing the steps and smiling as she squealed and waved her hands, he beamed at Elizabeth. She laughed, now seeing all of the fathers taking their little girls in their arms and dancing all in a line. Elizabeth, Audrey, Alicia, and Evangeline stood with their arms folded across their chests, listening to the girls’ laughter and the men calling out opinions on who had the fairest daughter of them all.
“Why do I suddenly have a vision of the future before me?” Elizabeth said softly.
“I do not think they will be beaming at that particular ball.” Evangeline smiled.
“Scowling at every young man that dares approach.” Audrey laughed as they all turned simultaneously.
“I think that I can bear a man who wagers on kisses if he can dance so happily with his daughter.” Alicia waved at Margaret.
“I suppose we can all bear that.” Elizabeth laughed as Darcy turned and hopped. She looked around
the ballroom to see everyone else was watching, too, and laughed again. “Where did Peter and Mary go?”
Chapter 13
Lydia wandered the hallways, pausing to look at a painting, peeking into another beautiful room, drinking in the atmosphere of elegant wealth, and feeling supremely out of place. “May I help you, miss?”
“Oh!” She startled when a liveried footman stood towering above her, his brows lifted in mild inquiry. “Um, no, I was just …touring.”
“Very good, miss.” He inclined his head. “Mr. and Mrs. Darcy will be returning from their walk very soon.”
“Thank you.” She watched him move away and wondered if that was told to her as information or warning. “Stop trying to read too much into things. You are not doing anything wrong.” Continuing her walk, she came to the head of the stairs and the baluster, where she stood, looking down to the foyer. She saw another footman stationed by the front door snap to attention. He waved to someone down the hallway, and she could hear a flurry of activity below. The butler appeared, and she saw a maid walk past with a tray laden with tea things. Fascinated, she watched as the footman opened the front door and Darcy and Elizabeth entered, still in the midst of some lively conversation. They broke off to acknowledge the servants. Darcy’s hat and gloves were handed to the butler, who in turn handed them to the footman. Elizabeth’s hat was removed along with her gloves, and again given to the butler and a waiting maid. Quiet words were exchanged with the senior servant and nodding, Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and they disappeared out of view and down the hallway. Immediately the staff dispersed, the footman resumed his station at the door, the butler disappeared, and the maid started up the steps with the hats. It was clearly a well-oiled routine. Lydia waited for the maid to pass, again repeated that she did not require anything, and then walked down to the foyer and heard the sound of her brother and sister in conversation.
“I am sorry, love.” Darcy said with a sigh. “It seems that I will have to address these contracts today.”
“I understand; our pending departure will probably keep you at work constantly this week. Once Mama and Papa depart this afternoon, I will be busy preparing for the journey.” Elizabeth picked up a letter and laughed. “Oh dear, a brewery?”
“It is a lucrative investment.” He chuckled. “Investment, love, not brewing myself.”
“But you will gladly taste the product?” She suggested and he smiled. “Well, I do not expect to see anyone else up for several hours, and I have work to do as well. Shall I call you for breakfast?”
“Thank you.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “Have I told you how proud I am of you? You did very well by Mary; you gave her the grandest simple wedding breakfast I have ever seen. And you protected her from your mother. Mary was so very happy.”
“That is all I really wanted, to give her the day she deserved.” Elizabeth rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating. “How is your head?”
“Much better, love. Your tender care always helps me.” He kissed her gently. “Thank you.”
“I am sorry, Will.”
“Elizabeth, I just have to accept that your mother will always make me tense, and I must be prepared for it. We will only see her at Longbourn, so it will not happen often. Now, I should try and get something accomplished, and I see Conrad is hovering.” He looked to the shadow by the doorway then kissed her. “Two hours?”
“Yes.” They hugged and let go. “I will call you.” Elizabeth looked over the tea tray, pouring him a cup and fixing it to his liking as he took his seat, and smiled when he shook his head. “I know, you are capable, but I like to do it.” She turned and left the room. “Mr. Conrad, you are welcome.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy.” The secretary entered and the door closed.
Elizabeth set off down the hallway at a brisk pace, looking in doorways, greeting servants, and stopping in the dining room; she paused, observing the maid laying the table for breakfast. When she turned, she gasped. “Lydia! Why you surprised me! I have never known you to be so quiet! I thought that you girls would surely be sleeping very late this morning.”
“Oh, we were up talking, but then Georgiana got mad and … I thought I would like to go to bed, too.”
“Mad?” Elizabeth turned and looked at her. “Why?”
“Kitty was just gushing over dancing with Mr. Bingley, and …”
“I see, but as it was Kitty’s first dance with a man, I cannot blame her excitement. Georgiana has had a little crush on him since she was ten, and she has shared her admiration with our sister. They have sighed over him many times. He is very tolerant; and very kind, but not in the least interested in either of them. I remember that he told Fitzwilliam once that he will not rob the cradle as he did!” She laughed. “I am sure that this little squabble will be forgotten by the time they come downstairs.”
“I guess, but … I heard Mama talking to Aunt Gardiner about him coming to Netherfield, and making a match with Kitty …” She stopped and chewed her lip when Elizabeth groaned, “Because … Jane did not.”
“Oh good heavens!”
“Because you …”
“It is my fault, of course. Thank you for the warning; I will speak to Mama before breakfast. I do not want her to say something that will upset Robert. He has finally become friends with Mr. Bingley. I will stop by and speak with our sisters to make sure that all is well.” Elizabeth glanced at her and unlocked the tea cupboard, checked the supply and locked it up again. “So other than the drama with Mama, you seemed to have enjoyed the day.”
“I did.” Lydia sighed and followed along to the ballroom. “You all seem so happy together.”
Elizabeth stopped and tried to read her face. “Unlike Longbourn?”
“We were not really happy there were we?”
“We?” She walked over to a sofa along the wall and sank down. “I always thought that you were. You had Mama’s undivided attention, well except with Jane, but she was much more focussed on being with you and promoting her.”
“You are right.” Lydia sank down next to her. “I am sorry, Lizzy. Mama told me why she did not like you and Mary, but I did not realize until then how much it probably hurt you both growing up. And I just followed her example. I watched you yesterday, protecting Mary from her and … just giving her the most wonderful day.”
“She deserved it.” Elizabeth said softly. “She so deserves Peter.”
“And you deserve Mr. Darcy. He is a very nice man. I was so wrong about him. It was so nice to see him play with Rosalie. Papa never did that with us.” Lydia smiled a little to see her surprise. “Do you take walks every morning?”
“Walks or rides.” Elizabeth tilted her head. “How do you know?”
“I saw the servants preparing for your return. They were rushing all over.” She shrugged. “And you two were so … nice to them.”
“Of course, they make our home and lives quite comfortable. Everyone likes to be appreciated.”
“Rosalie certainly did not appreciate Mama.” Lydia laughed. “You would think she had just sat on a pin cushion she squealed so loudly!”
“Mama was pushing her.” Elizabeth sighed. “I told her to let Rosalie come to her, but she would not listen. She was jealous of Papa, I think. Rosalie walked right over to him.”
“What did she give him? I could not see.”
She laughed. “She found a bowl of sweetmeats and was bringing him one at a time.”
“Oh and that is why Grace and Margaret started fighting over the bowl!” Lydia smiled. “And why Mr. Darcy swooped in to rescue Rosalie from them.”
“Yes. He is very protective of his girls.” Elizabeth looked at her hands with a little smile.
“Captain de Bourgh does not like me.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and attempted to catch onto the theme of her sister’s whirlwind of thoughts. “I cannot speak for him, Lydia.”
She shrugged. “He does not. I said mean things about Mary, he loves her
, so he would not like me. She does not like me either. I am surprised that you invited me here. I said terrible things about Mr. Darcy. I called him hateful and said it loud enough that he would hear.”
“So you meant to hurt him? Why?”
“I was jealous of how rich you are. That is all Mama ever talked about, marrying rich men, and here you found one and Jane did not, and … I listened to her too much.” Lydia said honestly. “I know that she gives Mr. Darcy headaches.”
“She gives many people headaches.” Elizabeth said tiredly.
“I guess … I guess I did, too.” She played with a ribbon on her dress. Elizabeth touched her hand to make her stop and she straightened. “Mama just says the first thing that comes to mind when she talks. I know, I … I am like that. I am trying hard to slow down. But Mama, well you heard her yesterday.”
“Yes.” Elizabeth sighed. “Everyone did.”
“But …she was better, don’t you think? She was not complaining, just … observing.”
“Are you trying to make me understand our mother?”
“I think of all of us girls, I am the only one that can.”
“You are not her keeper, Lydia.” Elizabeth took her hands. “Mama’s damage to me and to Mary was very long in the making and very difficult to overcome. Neither of us will ever really be close to her. It was not so bad for Kitty, but she suffered, too. I do not know if you can understand that because you did not live it. If you wish to try to improve her, then go ahead, but do not sacrifice your plans because of her. You have so much potential, and you have learned so much by watching Jessica’s mistake. I hope that you return to school in autumn.”
Lydia looked at their hands. “Kitty said that you were wonderful. I never knew.”
“I had a lot of growing up to do, too. And I am fortunate that Aunt and Uncle Gardiner permitted me to stay with them, and gave me the love I needed.” She met Lydia’s eye. “That is why Fitzwilliam and I felt so protective of Mary, she needed the same care.”
“Kitty wants me to come to Pemberley, but I would rather stay at home and be near Jane. She has been … I guess that she has been my Aunt Gardiner.” Lydia smiled.