High, wide windows provided a panoramic vision of the grounds, sweeping out over the park to the river and the hills in the distance. A most felicitous setting for the handsome Regency furniture, the fine collection of art works and the pièce de résistance—an elegant instrument—an Italian pianoforte, indeed, everything was as close to perfection as one could hope to see.
Cassy was overwhelmed. She was standing beside the piano, looking out across the lawn to the rose garden, when Mrs Wills excused herself, leaving them to enjoy the ambience of the room for a while."Oh Richard, I love this room," she said softly, turning to her husband."This house is more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be." Standing behind her, he asked,"Do you believe you could love it well enough to want to live here one day?"
She answered slowly and deliberately,"I have to confess, I am not as much against the idea as I was;much as I love our home, this is the most perfect place. How did Sir Thomas have the heart to part with it? However, I still feel somewhat daunted by the prospect of making it our home; it seems almost too grand for me."
Richard moved closer, so that only she would hear his words, and said,"Too grand for Lady Cassandra Gardiner?"
"What?" Cassy gasped and tried to turn to face her husband, but his arm was around her waist and he was holding her so close, she could not look up at his face. Looking out at the garden, she spoke in a whisper,"What did you say? Are you teasing me again? Please tell me, Richard, what did you mean?"
"I meant just what I said, no more, no less."
"And does that mean you have been offered a…"
He put his hand very lightly over her mouth."Sssh, my darling, we do not want the whole village talking about it, before I receive the citation, do we?"
At last, he relaxed his hold and she succeeded in turning her head to look at him and, seeing his face and the smile that she knew so well, she believed he was serious. He had been offered a knighthood.
"And have you accepted?" she whispered.
"I have, just yesterday."
This time he could not stop her; as she turned around and kissed him, he held her in a close embrace, knowing how deeply happy she would be for him, having supported him in his work over many years. For Cassy, this was an undreamed-of honour; yet, one she knew her husband deserved in full measure.
Mrs Wills, returning just moments after they had drawn apart, invited them to return downstairs and take tea. As they followed her, they saw, from the window, Mr Darcy and his two grandsons, James and Anthony, alighting from a carriage that had drawn up at the entrance.
Cassy held tight to her husband's hand and asked,"Does Papa know?"
"I intend to give him the news tonight," Richard replied, and Cassy said, quietly but in a firm voice,"Well then, Sir Richard, it will be a night for good news, I think. I am sure Papa will be even happier to learn that I shall look forward very much to being the Mistress of Camden Park in the New Year."
One glance at her husband's face was sufficient to let her see how pleased he was.
As they descended the stairs, they saw Mr Darcy and the boys enter the hall. There never was a prouder grandfather.
"Ah," he said, catching sight of them on the stairs,"there you are, I am glad to find you still here; it saves me driving to Matlock. Cassy, your Mama has some good news about a particular piece of material you were seeking, was it French lace? I believe it has to do with Lizzie's wedding gown." And as Cassy nodded eagerly, he said,"Well, she would like you to come over today and see if it is what you want. And when you do, seeing you must eat somewhere, why do you not stay to dinner?"
It was agreed and, as they were going out to their respective vehicles, after taking tea in the comfortable and well-appointed parlur, Cassy and Richard thanked both the steward and the housekeeper.
Mr Darcy was eager to know their opinion of the property.
"Well, what do you think, Cassy? Do you like it? Is it not a gem of a house?" he asked.
"Oh indeed it is, Papa, it certainly is and so tastefully furnished, all those handsome accessories, those beautiful works of art, it is perfect," she replied, not even trying to hide the enthusiasm in her voice.
Her father seemed very pleased as he lifted young Anthony into their carriage. James had scrambled in already. They drove away, leaving Mr Darcy standing beside his carriage, smiling. Something in his daughter's voice and demeanour had told him she was enchanted by Camden House, as he had thought she would be. He thought it boded well for his plan.
That evening, they met again. This time it was just the four of them, for Jessica Courtney had gone to visit her grandmother, Mrs Gardiner. There could be no better opportunity and Elizabeth, who had been told by her husband of his meeting with them, waited only until the servants had left the room, to ask the inevitable question,"Well, what is your verdict on Camden House, Cassy?"
Both Richard and Cassy could not speak highly enough of its situation, the grounds, the handsome building with its elegantly furnished rooms; they had loved it, they said. Mr and Mrs Darcy listened with interest and then Darcy asked,"And what will you do with it? Do you propose to let it? You will need to advise Mrs Wills and Mr Adams, because if you intend to lease it, the tenants may not require the services of all the present staff."
Mr Darcy looked as though he was about to go on in the same vein, but Cassy stopped him in mid-sentence.
It was time, she had decided, to break the news."We do not intend to lease Camden Park to anyone, Papa, it would be a travesty to do so. No, I think, after Lizzie's wedding is over, we will arrange to move to Camden House and I think we will let Mr Adams and Mrs Wills know soon enough that we hope very much that they will stay on."
And seeing the mixture of astonishment and sheer delight with which her parents greeted her words, Cassy said quietly,"And before you ask why I have changed my mind, apart from the undeniable appeal of the place, I think you should hear Richard's news."
Mr and Mrs Darcy turned to their son-in-law, still unsure of the reasons behind Cassy's change of heart. On the last occasion on which the matter had been mentioned, they had been left in no doubt; she was implacably opposed to leaving her present home for Camden Park. Her father remembered it well. Richard, who was pouring himself a glass of port, put down the decanter with studied care, seated himself on the sofa beside his wife, close enough to where MrDarcy and Elizabeth sat, beside the fire, and in a quiet, measured voice told them the news. He had been asked if he would accept a knighthood, for services to medical research, and he had accepted, he told them; adding that his assistant, Dr Matthew Ward, would also be honoured by the Queen, for his work on the same project.
This information, he insisted, was totally confidential, until he received the letter containing the citation and he begged them not to speak of it to anyone, no matter how dear or close.
"What? May I not tell my sister Jane? After all Matthew Ward is her son-in-law," asked Elizabeth, who had few secrets from Mrs Bingley.
"No please, Mrs Darcy, it would be considered a grave breach of protocol, if it were to come out before the official announcement is made."
Having obtained the promise, Richard could permit them to congratulate him and drink a toast to his achievement. His satisfaction grew from the fact that, besides being honoured with a knighthood, his work would save the lives of thousands of patients all over Britain.
Cassy was so proud of him, she felt her heart could not cope with any more excitement and was therefore glad, when they reached home, to find that the rest of the household had gone to bed.
It seemed Richard was likewise pleased to have her to himself. It had been a very special evening and they wanted to savour its pleasure together. It was not lost upon either of them that the decisions to accept the knighthood and move to Camden House implied the acceptance of profound change in their lives. Tonight, however, there were no reservations and no regrets, only deep love and contentment.
Back at Pemberley, Mr Darcy and his wife could speak of nothing else
that night. Sleep had fled, leaving them wide awake, as they talked of their son-in-law's success and their beloved daughter's position as Lady Cassandra Gardiner of Camden Park.
"How very felicitously it has all come together for them," Elizabeth remarked, as she put away her jewellery and prepared for bed, to which her husband added that it could not have come at a more opportune moment in their lives.
"It is entirely appropriate that they should move to a more spacious residence, now that Richard will be expected to maintain a greater public presence in the community," he said, pointing out that,"Titles and honours imply responsibility as well as distinction and, in Richard's case, the value of his work is such, he is certain to be in demand among scholars and practitioners alike."
Elizabeth agreed. She was equally pleased with the prospect of having her daughter close by and her grandchildren so easily accessible to her.
"Truly, I cannot, however hard I try, think of a more deserving couple. I do not say this because Cassy is our daughter…" she went on, but Mr Darcy, turning to her with a smile, said,"Oh come, Lizzie my dear, of course we are proud of Cassy and glad for her. Why should you not favour your daughter when she deserves it? Yet, I must confess that, like you, I can think of no two persons more deserving of good fortune and I am immensely pleased for them."
He sighed and, when she looked up anxiously, he shook his head.
"No, my dear, I am not unhappy tonight. It has been a singularly fine and satisfying day," he said, and his wife knew he was feeling happier than he had been all year.
* * *
As if these were insufficient good tidings, the post, on the morrow, brought more. Jessica Courtney, returning early from Lambton, found a letter waiting for her, which she read eagerly and, expressing great satisfaction with its contents, passed over to Elizabeth after breakfast.
It came from her mother, Mrs Emily Courtney, written from Oxford and read:
My dearest Jessie,
It is late and I am exceedingly weary after a very long day, but I cannot lie down to sleep without telling you all the news we have heard today.
There has been such good news, two lots of it at least, which I know you will want to hear at the earliest.
First, your dear cousin Amy is to have a child in the Spring. She and Frank Grantley are so happy, it is impossible for them to stop smiling.
We went to hear him take the evening service at the church yesterday and he could not keep from smiling, as if he had some special secret happiness, which of course he had, though none of the congregation would have known.
Amy says she feels well and I hope she continues so. She is very slight and not as strong as she should be, which concerns me a little. I believe she has already written to her Mama and Colonel Fitzwilliam, to give them the good news.
Second, and even more exciting for all of us, is the news that your brother William is invited to be one of the organists at the Cathedral during the Festival of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
All the others are famous men, with many years' experience, but the bishop was here this week and, having heard William play, has personally invited him to participate. It is a most significant honour, though William is, as usual, being very modest about it all. Everyone else, including Dr Grantley and his wife Georgiana, are convinced it is a great compliment, indeed.
I do hope we shall have the chance to see him play; I cannot, of course, be sure what your father will do, it being right in the middle of Christmas, but we shall see. I would give anything to be present.
Please, dear Jessie, tell your Aunt Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. It is due in no small measure to the generous assistance they provided to William when he was a student. Without their help, he could not have attained the level of proficiency nor the success he now has…
Mr Darcy and Elizabeth knew exactly what Emily meant.
William Courtney had shown, at an early age, signs of the same bright talent that had set their son William apart, talent which may well have taken him to the same heights of success, had he lived.
It was from the William Darcy Memorial Trust that funds had been made available for young William Courtney to pursue his musical studies and for that his parents were very grateful.
For Elizabeth and Darcy, however, it was not their gratitude that mattered, but the happiness that the fulfillment of William's dreams had brought to their family. For them, there would always be some pain associated with each of William's achievements, reminding them of their own terrible loss. Yet, never even for a single moment, did they begrudge William Courtney and his family the undiluted joy of his success.
The length of French lace Elizabeth had obtained was, indeed, precisely what Cassandra had sought for her daughter's wedding gown. No sooner had a design been decided upon, the dressmaker, who had made the gown for the daughter of the Duke of Devon, was summoned to Pemberley and the making of Lizzie's gown entrusted to her.
Elizabeth was determined her granddaughter was going to have the best.
Other preparations were afoot all around the estate, the staff pressed into service for this important occasion. Being the first of the Darcys' grandchildren to be wed, there was no question but that she was to be married in the Pemberley Parish Church and no trouble would be spared to ensure the success of the function.
* * *
As Autumn drew to a close, on a day that was at first overcast and caused her mother to say an extra prayer to the Almighty for fine weather, Lizzie Gardiner prepared to be married. Nothing, certainly not the threat of rain, could dull the promise of this day for Lizzie.
She knew in her heart that she was deeply loved; never had she known the kind of closeness to another person that she felt with her Mr Carr. Young and romantic, though with a good sprinkling of common sense, she shared her mother's capacity for strong feelings, deep dedication, and hard work, all traits that would enhance the quality of her marriage.
Thinking of what this marriage might bring her, apart from the bliss of being with the man she had grown to love so well, she was sensible of the fact that his knowledge and experience of the world would help her grow in maturity and understanding. She knew, because he had told her so, that she had brought sparkle and delight into his hitherto mundane life. Of their capacity to make each other happy, she was more certain than she had been of any other matter in her young life. As the day wore on and the mist that had swathed the hills behind Pemberley lifted, Lizzie knew it was going to be a day she would always treasure.
Though she could have asked for little more to add to her happiness, one thing had happened, which increased her joy immensely. On the previous morning, a note had arrived for her parents, from her Uncle Julian Darcy.
He wrote:
My dearest Cassy and Richard,
I had hoped to see you somewhat earlier than today and so did not deem it necessary to write that I was coming, but matters outside my control have delayed my arrival in England, to the extent that I shall only be in Derbyshire on the Friday night before the wedding. I am writing to reassure you and my dear niece that I shall be there to see her wed. Please tell little Lizzie that I could not have stayed away.
I shall see you all at Pemberley on Saturday morning. I cannot tell you how much I have looked forward to this happy day.
Yours etc.,
Julian Darcy.
No one in her family, except her husband, knew that Cassandra had taken the letter to her parents at Pemberley.
Their son was returning from France for Lizzie's wedding and though it appeared he had hoped to surprise them, there was no possibility of Cassy keeping such a piece of news from her mother and father.
When she saw their faces on reading the letter, she was convinced she had been right to come. The tears in Elizabeth's eyes and the pleasure upon her father's face were evidence enough for Cassy. She needed no approbation, happy indeed to have been the bearer of such good tidings.
As for young Lizzie, she was having her hair arranged, on the morning o
f her wedding day, with her maid still fussing over her, when there was a gentle knock on the door and her father came in with Julian.
Within seconds, uncle and niece had embraced, with no thought for his well-pressed coat or her fine French lace gown, both of which were in grave danger of being crumpled. Her maid cried out to her mistress to mind her gown and urged care with her hair.
Julian released her and stepped back to look at his niece."Why Lizzie, you have turned into such a beauty!" he declared, as she turned around for him and showed off her gown."I never noticed until today how lovely you were. I daresay it comes of having my nose buried in a book and my eyes squinting down a microscope, eh?" he remarked in the self-deprecating way that was so typical of him.
Lizzie coloured and laughed lightly to hide her blushes."You look very well yourself, Uncle," she said,"and I must thank you with ally heart for coming today, all the way from France. When we had not heard, we feared we may not see you."
Julian shook his head and took her hand in his.
"After all you did for me, dear Lizzie, I could not have stayed away. I had to come, if only to show you how much I did appreciate those days you spent with us…" His voice trailed away sadly, but then, he smiled and leaning forward, kissed her gently on the cheek, and said softly,"You are indeed your mother's daughter, my dear; your Mr Carr is a very fortunate man."
As he left the room, Cassandra met him on the landing; the mother of the bride was busier than ever, unable to leave it all to the very efficient staff at Pemberley, as her father and her husband had advised her to do. As brother and sister embraced, this time Julian carefully avoided crushing the beautiful corsage she wore, and she said,"Julian, I am so happy you could come. I had hoped and prayed, but I was never certain."
Mr. Darcy's Daughter Page 35