by Bray, Ayr
“That will be easy,” responded James. “I am so happy I could burst.”
“You could, could you?” Lady Matlock reached out and tickled his tummy. He doubled over laughing. When he stood, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of mistletoe. He held it over his grandmother’s head and quickly leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“I kissed you, Grandmamma.”
“Yes you did, dearest. What do you have there in your hand?”
“It is mistletoe. I found it on the floor by the staircase. I know what to do with it because I saw Uncle Richard hold it over his head when he kissed Cousin Anne yesterday.”
“Oh? And where did you see him kiss her?”
“On the lips.”
Lady Matlock tried to stifle a smile as Richard and Anne entered the room arm in arm. She looked directly at her son as she further questioned her grandson. “And where were Uncle Richard and Cousin Anne when you saw them kissing on the lips?”
Anne’s face was overcome with a brilliant shade of red, but Richard took his mother’s questioning of his nephew in stride. He was not worried that the boy had witnessed their encounter, for he had it on reliable authority from his brother that the boy had stumbled on a few amorous encounters of his parents in the past. Such were the woes of children. No, he was more worried about his aunt.
Before James could respond, Lady Catherine was standing and addressing the couple herself. “Kissing! Am I to understand young James caught the two of you kissing? It is bad enough that the rest of us had to witness such a display, but in front of the children? Consider if you will that it will be hard enough to hush up the first kiss. It will be impossible to protect Anne’s honour if you insist on repeating it, and in front of the children.”
Anne was still regaining her composure and was not up to the task of confrontation with her mother, but Richard was ready for her. “Yes, it appears he did see us, though I assure you we thought we were alone.”
“Alone! Why, that is even worse. Anne, I forbid you from being alone with him.” Lady Catherine reached her hand to Anne and tried to pull her away from Richard, but by now she had recovered.
“No, Mother. I am of age, and I will be alone with anyone I choose.”
“You speak nonsense. Do you not know what it will do to your reputation?”
“There are hardly those who will censure a woman for a few stolen minutes with her fiancé.”
“Fiancé? No, I will not allow it. I have already told you that you only had two options for marriage: marry Fitzwilliam or a man of my choosing. As I said before, Richard is a second son without title or fortune. You cannot marry him.”
At Lady Catherine’s emphatic statement, she, Anne, and Richard all began yelling at once.
“Catherine, Anne, Richard, that is enough. Today is Christmas, and I demand we hear no more about this issue. You will either remain here and spend today in a joyful manner with the rest of us or return to your respective rooms and not come out until tomorrow.” Lord Matlock felt as if he was scolding little children rather than three mature adults.
“Yes, Father,” responded Richard in unison with Anne’s “Yes, Uncle.”
Lady Catherine said not a word; instead, she thundered from the room and up the stairs. Despite the distance of her rooms from the drawing room, a few moments later the entire party heard her door slam. She was not seen for the remainder of the day. All of the trays Elizabeth had sent to her were returned without being touched.
The poor attitude of Lady Catherine had no bearing on the rest of the party. As soon as the children returned to their exuberant natures, everyone else joined in and celebrated the day’s festivities.
The Christmas breakfast was a glorious affair, and when it ended everyone walked to the ballroom where the Pemberley tenants and staff gathered each year to be addressed by Mr. Darcy.
The entire party entered the room with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth in the lead carrying an urn of the Yule log ashes.
Mr. Darcy addressed all in attendance, offering a prayer for the manor, the Darcy family, the crops, and finally the tenants, the staff, and their families. A handful of the ashes was spread over a box full of Pemberley soil, and the remaining ashes in the urn were handed to the steward with instructions to spread them over all of the fields after the winter frost had receded and before the new year’s seed was planted.
The entire assembly rejoiced when Mr. Darcy introduced Elizabeth to them, and they all bowed and curtsied when Elizabeth addressed them.
By the time the gathering ended, the generosity of Mr. Darcy was again to be praised, and all of the tenants and those who relied upon Pemberley rejoiced that Mr. Darcy had found a bride worthy of him. They were overjoyed that Mr. Darcy had finally married, and that Pemberley had a proper mistress. It boded well for the continued prosperity of the estate. The only event that could exceed their joy in the marriage would be the announcement when an heir was born.
Normally the crowd would disperse and all would return to their homes at the conclusion of the Christmas gathering, but not today. A line began to form near Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth, and it quickly became clear that everyone wanted to meet the new mistress in person. The rest of the family returned to the drawing room and waited for more than two hours while Fitzwilliam introduced his bride to everyone who relied on Pemberley for their living. Elizabeth was overwhelmed by their outpouring of congratulations and began to feel that it really meant something to be the Mistress of Pemberley.
“I am sorry we took so long. I hope you are all prepared to open presents,” Fitzwilliam said as he walked into the room with Elizabeth on his arm.
The children shouted with delight and raced to the tree, kneeling in front of the piled gifts. James rushed to the side of his children. He understood that after two hours of waiting it took every ounce of their self-control not to start grabbing at the presents.
“Fitzwilliam, if it is all right with you, I will allow the children to hand out the presents.”
“Very well, James, if they want to.”
James addressed his three young children. “What do you say, would you three like to hand out the presents?”
“Yes!” all three shouted in unison as they bounced on their knees with excitement.
James reached under the tree for each present, calling off the names of the recipients as he handed the gifts, in turn, to his three children to distribute.
The Bennets were surprised when they received presents from the Darcys. Kitty mentioned it first. “Lizzy, I thought you said our presents were sent to Longbourn.”
“They were. You have Fitzwilliam to thank for these. The day you arrived he was thoughtful enough to send a man all the way to Longbourn to collect the gifts we had sent there. He returned just last night.”
“Oh, Mr. Darcy, how good you are to us,” cooed Mrs. Bennet. “Is he not a good son-in-law, Mr. Bennet?”
“Yes, I dare say he is.”
When all of the gifts from under the tree were handed out, James and the children settled near Roslynd and the festivities began.
Everyone took turns opening their gifts while the rest of the family looked on with delight. It was a truly enjoyable process, and in the end all were satisfied with their gifts, none more so than the children. James had received a gift worthy of a man, a pocket knife his father promised he would teach him to use. Evelyn held five new outfits for her doll, Lizzy, and Richard had a pile of painted wooden blocks he had already stacked and knocked over four times. He shouted with glee each time they crashed to the ground.
Georgiana and Mary compared their new sheet music while Kitty tried on her new bonnet. All three of them then talked about how beautiful their dresses would be when they had the opportunity to properly trim them with the new lace and ornaments they had received. No three girls could be happier.
Mr. Bennet was pleased with his new books, many of them first editions he had never dreamed of owning, and Mrs. Bennet admired the superior quality of the French t
apestry she was positive Mr. Darcy had spent a fortune on.
Elizabeth’s gift from her husband was the most grand of all. Fitzwilliam had bought her a jewellery set worthy of a queen. The ruby and diamond necklace, bracelet, and ring perfectly matched the red gown she wore, and everyone begged her to try them on. She hesitated, terrified to wear something so valuable.
Fitzwilliam, however, was dying to see her in them, and rather than watch her hesitate, he took the box from her and gently removed the necklace. Standing behind her, he draped the necklace around her neck and closed the clasp. Everyone looked on in awe as the cold stones lying against her creamy flesh sparkled in the sunlight from the window.
When Mrs. Bennet realized Jane had not been given a gift as grand as Elizabeth’s, she patted Jane’s hand and said, “Do not worry, my dear, Mr. Bingley is not so rich as Mr. Darcy, and perhaps he does not recognize the importance of offering his wife a glorious gift at Christmas.”
Jane was tired of her mother constantly comparing her two sons-in-law and, despite the fact no one wanted any more bickering at Christmas, she could not allow her mother to believe her husband did not love her so much as Fitzwilliam loved Elizabeth simply because she did not have a tangible gift in her hands.
“Mother, I would appreciate it if you would not say such things. Charles has given me exactly what I wanted for Christmas. Just because I did not receive a gift under the tree that I could unwrap with the rest of you does not mean I did not receive something grand.”
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes rose in a questioning look. “Really, Jane, you received what you wanted? What did he give you? Do tell.”
Elizabeth looked at Jane. She knew her sister would prefer to tell their mother in private about her gift rather than face her shock and distress in company. Nonetheless, Jane plunged forward. “Mother, Father.” Jane took a deep breath and grasped Charles’s hand for support as the eyes of everyone in the room turned to her. “Charles and I have decided to give up our lease at Netherfield and have taken a house here in the north, near Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam. When we stopped to take in the view on our way here, we were looking down upon our new home. It is but seven miles from here.”
Mrs. Bennet sat in shock for a full five minutes, unable to say anything. Mr. Bennet offered his sincere congratulations. He had known Jane and Charles would not stay in the neighborhood long, not with the amount of time his wife had already spent at their home in their first two weeks of their marriage. To own the truth, he did not blame them. He would have done the same.
When finally Mrs. Bennet had regained her speech, she was subdued. She congratulated Jane and Charles, but then sat in silence for close to twenty minutes. Everyone could tell she was saddened to lose another daughter. Mr. Bennet sat near her and repeatedly patted her hand as his way of offering her comfort, which she accepted. He knew his wife well; her heart was truly breaking. To have three daughters married was a fulfillment of her life’s desire and brought her considerable joy, but never had she imagined that they would all move to distant parts of the country where she would hardly see them again.
Looking out the window, Georgiana noticed the position of the sun in the afternoon sky. “Fitzwilliam, the afternoon is beginning to wane. Do you still plan on the surprise?”
The Fitzwilliam children quickly lunged to their feet and begged his positive response. “Yes, we must, you promised.”
Looking at the clock on the mantle, he exclaimed, “Is that actually the time? We had better get started or we will not have enough light.” Then, turning to address the room, specifically the Fitzwilliam children and Bennet sisters, he exclaimed. “Everyone needs to hurry and dress in the warmest clothes you have. Make sure they are not your best clothes, for they are sure to get dirty. Then join me in the foyer in ten minutes.”
The children begged to know what was going on, their excitement overflowing every bit as much as it had earlier in the day as they anticipated opening their gifts. Their parents ushered them out of the room to prepare, and very soon the entire party was standing in the foyer dressed in heavy coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.
The butler opened the door and everyone followed Fitzwilliam outside. He led everyone across the lawn and up the hill to a little grove of trees. There, propped against the trees, were five sleds.
Georgiana was the only one of the party who knew what a sled was. Fitzwilliam offered a brief description of the object that originated from Scotland, and then demonstrated how it should be used. The children screamed with delight when he laid on his stomach and flew down the hill. As he reached the bottom and began his trek back to the top, they begged him for the chance to try.
Fitzwilliam assured them that everyone would get a chance, and when he reached the top again he situated James on his own sled and sent him squealing with delight down the hill while his sister begged to go next. Roslynd worried that Evelyn and Richard were too small to sled alone, so her husband took up the next sled and set his two youngest children on his lap. The three made it safely to the bottom of the hill, rolling off the sled in a heap of laughter.
The Bennet sisters and Georgiana took their turns together in a race to the bottom, but Kitty never made it. She fell off about halfway down. At first everyone was afraid she had been hurt, but when she rolled a few times and then sat up laughing, they joined her in the merriment.
Everyone, young and old, took their turn on the sleds and enjoyed every moment of it.
As the sun slipped from the sky, the entire party walked back to the manor. Everyone’s clothing was dirty and wet, but Fitzwilliam had thought of everything. While their party was out playing and having fun, the Pemberley staff were in dashing here and there in a frenzy to heat enough water for eighteen warm baths.
The dinner bell rang just as Lord and Lady Matlock, the last to come down, entered the drawing room where the rest of the party was assembled.
The room was a buzz of excitement as everyone talked about the sledding excursion. Young James was the most boisterous, demanding to know if everyone had seen how fast he had gone. The children begged to go sledding again tomorrow while their parents tried to appease them with vague answers of “we will see.”
Now that everyone was assembled, a servant entered and announced dinner. Fitzwilliam offered Elizabeth his arm and invited everyone to join him in the dining room for a Christmas feast. When they entered, everyone looked around in awe. The room was drenched in candlelight and festive evergreen decorations that Elizabeth and Mrs. Reynolds had spent hours preparing. The table was laden with a feast the likes of which few had ever beheld. Rather than have the servants carry out dish after dish, Elizabeth had instructed the food to be placed in the center of the table. Seeing it all laid out in front of them was a spectacular sight.
The entire party found their places around the table and took their seats. Fitzwilliam then stood and offered a marvelous speech of hope and gratitude. He closed with a prayer to the Almighty God, and then invited everyone to partake.
Instantly the room was thrown into a frenzy of serving spoons clanking against the finest tableware at Pemberley. Conversation and activity were everywhere. Elizabeth paused and looked over the crowd in front of her. Not a cross word came from anyone. Everyone was happy and enjoying one another’s company. She could not be more thankful or ask for anything more.
Dinner lasted for more than an hour before the dishes were removed and dessert laid before them.
“Grandpapa, look! It is Christmas pudding. I knew we were going to have it. Lizzy told me.”
“She did, did she?” Lord Matlock questioned his grandson.
“Yes, she did. I was there, too,” Little Evelyn added. “We told her she had to or you would be cross all year.” She giggled as she imparted her secret.
Lord Matlock laughed a loud and boisterous laugh as he dug in with his spoon and filled his dish.
The entire party wondered whether they were too full to eat another bite, but in the end they found room and ate every l
ast spoonful.
Finally, Christmas dinner was over and the entire party returned to the drawing room. As everyone exited the room, Mrs. Bennet called Elizabeth to her side. “Lizzy, my dear, you are to be commended. The meal was delicious. You offered your guests a stunning variety of dishes that was sure to satisfy even the most diverse of palates. I must say it was better than I ever imagined. I cannot think of a single dish that was missed. Congratulations on such a successful dinner.”
Mrs. Bennet kissed her daughter’s cheek and was just turning to follow her husband when Elizabeth caught her arm and responded, “Thank you, Mother. Your approval means a great deal to me since you are such a proficient hostess.”
Mrs. Bennet patted Elizabeth’s hand on her arm. “I think you are in a fair way to becoming a proficient hostess yourself. There are not many who could host a celebration of such magnitude in a new place, and with such varied preferences to cater to, with so much success. Not to mention that so many were surprise guests.” Mrs. Bennet winked at Elizabeth, knowing she was one of those surprise guests.
“Mamma, if we have time before you leave, I would like to ask you a few questions about your methods of overseeing the household. Now that I have my own home and have been mistress for a few weeks, I am sure there are a few things I could use your advice on.”
“I would like that, Lizzy.” Mrs. Bennet beamed at her daughter, happy that Elizabeth would seek any knowledge and advice from her.
Lady Catherine had not left her room since entering it on Christmas morning, but now that the day of festivities was passed, she was bound and determined to make her sentiments known. From the moment she came downstairs, she was threatening and obstinate, making demands at the top of her voice for the entire house to hear.