Revelations

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  'I decided to check the staff room unobtrusively, as you suggested, and the second time I saw and heard something you need to know. It was Simon, he was having his lunch alone as he does nowadays, then Janine came in and like, sat really close to him and started to touch him. Indecently sir. Really indecently. But Simon, he did not like her doing that at all, he looked as if it was torture to him. She said, nastily, 'You don't like my touching you, do you? You never have, and I've tried so hard to cure you.'

  That's what she said, and he still looked as if she was menacing him. She stroked him and kissed him and he bore it, but didn't return it. Then she took him by the chin like a stubborn child.

  'You're beautiful, but you're all filth inside. Never mind, the master will let you go soon, can't have your kind around now he's married. That hurts, doesn't it?'

  He fled, and she was positively gleeful. Do you suppose she did that to him

  before? It was downright cruel, he must have a girl somewhere that he is faithful to, without her parents knowing. I truly didn't know those things were going on so close to my kitchen, I will check a few times a day from now on. A man must be able to eat in peace.'

  With a resigned feeling, Darcy tried to calm him down.

  'Thank you very much, I promise you things will change soon, so that everyone can eat and live in peace in this house.'

  First he checked on Simon in his valet's own room and got a warm smile as welcome.

  'Do come in, master,' his valet said, and Darcy decided to do just that.

  Simon's room was nice, large for a servant's quarters and very liveable, and its inhabitant seemed content enough.

  'How do you feel, Simon?' Darcy asked.

  'Frankly sir,' the young man replied, 'I feel useless. You don't need my services anymore, there is nothing for me to do, I just hide in here all day until I get hungry.'

  'That will soon change, Simon,' Darcy said, 'I saw Theo tormenting Bob today, in such a way as to leave me no option but to dismiss him instantly.

  Will you take his job? Not being a butler, but running the household, hiring staff, keeping stock and the household accounts? Your first job will be to hire a new butler.'

  Simon didn't hesitate a second.

  'Yes, sir, I will.'

  'Do you accept that I am married now, to the woman I love more than my own life?'

  'Of course sir, I saw that straight away, she's the one you were waiting for all those years. You're a new man, you're clearly very happy. I can't wait to teach her city manners. It'll spoil her for you of course, but you won't find that out until it's too late.'

  Darcy didn't even manage a smile at Simon's joking, what he was afraid of had now come to pass.

  'Then all I have to do is fire two trusted servants whom my late father hired, ten years ago. Still, it needs to be done. Janine was observed tormenting you with unwanted indecencies, fortunately Cook thought you were in a secret engagement to find her repulsive. Also, Mrs Darcy has told me Janine watches her with hostility, and during lunch I saw it myself. That is plenty

  of reason for dismissal. Another day or two and you can exchange your torment for another: housekeeping.'

  Back again to the drawing-room, where Georgie was still at the piano, of course, and Elizabeth had her own needlework out. She was pretty good at it, but Mrs Annesley's work was art. Ever since his father passed away, Darcy had made every decision in his life by himself, only in the matter of winning Elizabeth's heart had he sought the comfort of Georgie's support, and his aunt's testimony, but in the end he had made his own decision to dare propose again. Still, Darcy remembered how his father and himself used to deliberate before either of them made a choice, and since he now had Elizabeth for his wife, and Georgie had turned out very observant, he again felt the need to share his information and come to a decision together.

  He even decided to let Mrs Annesley have her say, she had noticed something was going on and at her age and as an employee herself she could bring a different view on the matters at hand. It was hard to decide on the fate of two servants who had been in the family for a decade, and since Darcy had only ever received their respect and devotion, he felt a need to share his doubt.

  At the first convenient pause in Georgie's playing, Darcy spoke.

  'Ladies, all three of you, I need your opinion on a matter of great delicacy. I feel that together you have exactly the right expertise to help me come to a just decision. Please let me explain.'

  And he told exactly what he had witnessed this morning, and heard from the cook this afternoon, relating Simon's ordeal in such a way that the cook's opinion, of his having a forbidden engagement with a girl somewhere,was the most likely option. Georgie might already suspect, but Mrs Annesley had to be kept ignorant of the truth about Simon. They all listened to him without remarks or questions, and he concluded with, 'Please give me your opinion on what to do, I've lived with them for so long, and they've treated me with such respect, I still find it hard to believe they would torment colleagues and feel pleasure doing it. If I send them away without references they'll have a hard time finding a new position, but in my opinion neither should have people depending on them again. What is your opinion?'

  Georgiana was the first to speak up.

  'I suppose you told Elizabeth about how they tried to get me under their thumb about a year ago, but Mrs Annesley may not know about that, yet.'

  And Georgiana proceeded to tell her lady companion how Theo and Janine had acted as if they were her parents, making decisions in her name and browbeating her into accepting them, telling her the master would not believe her if she complained to him.

  Mrs Annesley was truly shocked to hear this, causing her to maybe speak out a bit more frankly than she'd usually find appropriate or dare to.

  'Since you asked me to speak freely, Mr Darcy, I will not hesitate to tell you that I would have laid them off straight away. Dishonourably. That wasn't just a breach of trust towards Miss Georgiana, it was also a sign of complete lack of respect towards you. You have been very lenient then, I would advise you to be a lot more strict now, and just throw them out. Today. I would not have a servant in my house who looked at my beloved wife as Janine did at Mrs Darcy during lunch. She needs to be taught her place in life by serving a lesser family in a lesser function for quite a few years.'

  Since Mrs Annesley was a very respectable woman and an employee herself, her opinion carried weight with Darcy, and he thanked her for her honesty. Then he looked at Elizabeth, who said, 'I agree with Mrs Annesley.

  It is hard to just throw them out in shame, but they did have a clear warning before and chose to disrespect you again. They knew what the consequences might be and took the risk to have the base enjoyment of treating two of their fellow human beings cruelly. Let them feel your wrath, Fitzwilliam, before they dupe another family. I'll accompany you to steel your heart.'

  Georgiana added, 'And I agree, too. I have felt the tension though I didn't know the exact cause. Simon was with his parents of course during your absence, but when he came back and said hello I could feel something was wrong. And Janine and some of the maids she hired have been barely civil to Mrs Annesley and myself. I was planning to speak to you about it, but you beat me to it.'

  'If that is how matters are,' Darcy said, 'I will be very grateful if you will stand by my side, Elizabeth, when I dismiss both Theo and Janine. I suppose the staff they hired will have to go, too. I plan to let Simon take over as housekeeper, and have him hire a new butler and new maids. I think I'll keep Bob here to take over from Bruce when he gets demoted to the Pemberley stables. Anything I forgot?'

  'Begging your pardon, Mr Darcy, but I think so,' Mrs Annesley now observed.

  'Being married, you will be around a lot more often, and Miss Darcy has

  grown up to such an extent she doesn't really need a constant companion anymore. Please tell me, sir, what are your plans for my employment?'

  'Would it be acceptable to you, Mrs Annesley,' Darcy repli
ed, 'if I were to ask you to help Simon with finding dependable staff and taking charge of the accounts? After that I would set you up to start your own business in your art. For I cannot imagine you are keeping all those magnificent pieces of embroidery you have made to yourself. You must be able to sell those to even the most spoiled noble ladies in London and far beyond.'

  Fortunately, Mrs Annesley looked pleasantly surprised instead of crushed.

  He had more or less confirmed her assumption that she was no longer needed in her current function, after all.

  'I have sold some of my pieces, Mr Darcy, and well, but with the right connections and a little seed money I think I can do much better. Of course I'd love to just stay with my family and earn the income we need with my crafting, but just in case that doesn't work out, will you give me a good reference?'

  'Mrs Annesley,' Darcy replied, 'first of all, what you do with fabric and yarn is not craftsmanship anymore, it qualifies as art. And as such, I will be happy to recommend your work to all my connections, and their connections, and to prove your supreme talent to them, I will start by commissioning two works from you, one to be placed in a room in this house, and one for the splendid old dining-room at Pemberley. Mrs Darcy really wants to include it in the tour of the house next year, and your work will catch the attention of every visitor there.'

  Seeing Elizabeth's approval, he added, 'I leave it to the two of you to decide on subjects and on size and colours. You know the room, you know this house, you will come to an agreement together.

  And of course you'll have my highest recommendations, and seed money for your business to prevent you from ever needing them. Your husband and children will be pleased to have you home again. Should you need a new position after all, do not hesitate to contact me, through Simon, or directly, and I will help you find a suitable place, maybe a bit closer to London.'

  Mrs Annesley had a husband and children in town? Elizabeth was quite stunned to hear that, the poor lady, living a three-day ride away for a large part of the year. How could she stand it? Well, she probably had to, it sounded as if she was the one providing the income. Before Elizabeth could start thinking of what kind of imagery and what colours would fit with the

  dining-room, Fitzwilliam addressed her in a very soft voice, almost a whisper. 'Can you deliberate with Mrs Annesley later? I want to have this over with. I'm convinced it is the right thing to do but that doesn't mean it won't be very hard on me. I'm glad you offered your assistance, if only to stand at my back and show me I'm not the cruel monster I'll feel myself to be.'

  And within ten minutes they found themselves in Fitzwilliam's study, Elizabeth sat on his lap for a moment and gave him some caresses and a loving kiss. He really needed a bit of support, and he would need it even more when this was done, but he was the master of the house and he had to protect those who depended on him. After a few minutes their kiss came to a natural finish, and he requested, 'Will you take a chair and sit next to me behind the desk? Then I'll ring the bell for Theo. He has family in London, I will give him a fortnight's salary to tide them over until he has found a new situation. What he did was despicable, and he enjoyed doing it, but I'm not like him, I don't enjoy destroying people's lives, therefore I will give him at least a chance to avoid financial ruin.'

  Elizabeth did as he asked, and she could see him shut out his feeling and take the position of master of the household. Then he rang the bell.

  Theo answered promptly and was very polite, not at all how Fitzwilliam described his actions in the servants' room. But her beloved's blindfold had clearly been removed, he knew what was hiding inside this man, and it was not pretty.

  'I need you to sit down for a moment, Theo,' Fitzwilliam told his butler as he entered and waited for his master's orders. The servant was instantly alert, it was as if he suspected what was going to happen next, but he did not seem afraid or hopeless. He was playing a dangerous game yet.

  'This morning, just before lunch, I was in the kitchen, Theo, spying on the staff room. It had come to my attention that some members of my household were not feeling very wanted there, so I decided to take a look myself at what was happening. A good thing I did, for what I observed was not something I want to happen in my house. I saw Bob being tormented by a higher-ranked servant of the house, he was insulted, pushed about, and his food was spoiled, forcing him to miss lunch. Bob never even tried to defend himself, though he is a sturdy chap and could have taught the house servant a considerable lesson if he had dared.'

  By now, Theo clearly showed he knew what the master was talking about, not even he would dare deny what the master said he had seen for himself.

  'The higher-ranked servant doing the bullying was you, Theo, and I won't deny it hurt me deeply to see you treating another human being like that, and enjoying it. Is there anything you have to say for yourself?'

  Theo did not despair yet, his master obviously disapproved of what he had done, but he didn't seem to see much harm in it himself, and his reply to Fitzwilliam's question proved Theo underestimated the seriousness of the situation.

  'It was just a lowly stable boy, master, they don't have feelings anyway.

  They're just one step up from the animals they care for.'

  That was not what his master wanted to hear.

  'I'll tell Bruce you said that, he'll be even sorrier he felt it necessary to emulate your behaviour by making Bob's life in the stables miserable as well. He can mull that over as he undergoes the consequences of his behaviour towards Bob.'

  Fitzwilliam now explained, patiently, but in a frigid tone of voice.

  'Theo, Bob is not a lowly stable boy, he is my driver. He can guide a team of four high-strung thoroughbreds through the thick of London traffic without getting so much as a scratch on my carriage or displacing a hair on one of my very valuable horses. He is irreplaceable to me, I trust my life and that of my wife and my sister to him. But even if he had been a lowly stable boy, you would still not have had the right to hurt him and enjoy it. It proves that you lack feeling and humanity, and I will not expect anyone among my staff or my family to bear the consequences of that, or even witness the bad example. You will leave my service and my house immediately, and you will not be getting any references to find a similar job. I don't think you are suitable for a supervising position, you will have to start over at the bottom, which may help you to regain some affinity with the lower ranks by being part of them. I will not have your family suffer for your lack of respect toward myself and my household, so I will have a fortnight's wages delivered to your parents tomorrow. Go pack your things and be gone, Theo.

  May you find a better path in life.'

  Fitzwilliam now clearly showed the heartache all of this was causing him, and for the first time Theo showed some true feeling. Still sitting down, he reached over the table and touched his master's hand, who did not pull his

  back but accepted the touch. Then Theo finally understood what was happening here and he cried out, 'I'm sorry master, I thought I always loved and respected you, but you are right, I didn't. I thought you were too easy on your staff, and meant to correct that. But I suppose I was just jealous and took my dislike out on them, Bob always allowed to go wherever you went, Simon always horsing around with you, touching you, chatting you up. I hated them. You warned me before, and I disrespected you again. I'm sorry, and I'll be much sorrier yet, banished from your household. Will you allow me one embrace, to take with me the rest of my life? You never gave me even one, you know, in all those years.'

  Again, Fitzwilliam was very upset by what Theo said, his butler did all these horrible things out of jealousy? Elizabeth so understood her beloved's shock.

  Why hadn't the man just spoken up? Now he'd bear the consequences of his actions, and would never see his master again, would have to bear his ill opinion for as long as it took Fitzwilliam to process his memory of this moment, which would probably not be very long, since he admitted to not really caring for his butler despite feeling
responsible for all his staff's well-being.

  Having let go of his mask Theo was a sorry sight. And despite finding his explanation rather thin when considering what they tried with Georgiana, Elizabeth could not help but feel sorry for the man. She gave Fitzwilliam a significant look, and he understood and walked towards his former butler, embraced him with all the regret he felt.

  'I'm sorry you took it out on innocents. Fare well, Theo.'

  His face was impassive until Theo was gone, and when the door had closed behind him he took Elizabeth in his arms and squeezed her against him, whispering, 'I swear I didn't do anything to encourage either of them, I've always treated them like every other member of my staff, like Bob, or Peter, or Mrs Annesley. I'm not sorry he is leaving, I'm just sorry I couldn't give him a recommendation.'

  Then he released her and blanked his face to seriousness.

  'Better ring for Janine, have it over with. Then we'll talk to Simon and Mrs Annesley how to continue. I suppose Janine must have some place to go, I asked everyone to spend our wedding night with family or friends and let me know if they didn't have a place to stay. She didn't speak up.'

  With another ring of the bell, Fitzwilliam summoned the maid to his presence. As soon as she came in it was clear she knew, she must have met

  Theo as he left or he must have sought her out, and she was not going to be as repentant as Theo had been when he finally realised what he had done.

  Janine remained standing until Fitzwilliam told her to sit down, but instead of waiting for her master to speak first, she pleaded.

  'I had to do it master, for you, he has to leave this household or he will besmirch your name with his foulness.'

  Now Darcy proved he was not a mean hand at playing the same game, for he earnestly observed, 'I take it you refer to Simon and the girl he is engaged to in secret?'

  He was clever, let her explain this without becoming graphic! Her face showed her puzzlement, she was not up to this, but she did try.