Pemberley Tales

by Aurora Fairfax

  Mrs. Reynolds and the girls had left her some minutes ago and she was grateful for a few moments of respite. Somehow, she'd never considered that running a household like Pemberley was this complicated and complex. Yet, Elizabeth had the feeling that she was making headway and learning to find her way around. She'd spend the last few hours attending to her correspondence and then met with Mrs. Reynolds and Cook to talk about the household budget and the preparations for a dinner party they were holding next week. While she trusted Mrs. Reynolds to have everything well in hand, she wanted to be involved in things as well. It was important to her to make a good impression on her new neighbors.

  Luckily, she'd always been good at arithmetic and often helped her mother and Jane with the accounts of Longbourn but the numbers of Pemberley still awed her. All that money and all the people involved. It was daunting but Elizabeth refused to be cowed.

  She'd learned that Mr. Darcy was not just respected but well-liked by everyone and she strove hard to emulate him. She'd started with the servants at Pemberley and was now slowly meeting all the tenants of Pemberley and the people in the village. She'd also visited all of her close neighbors, often with either Darcy joining her or Georgiana.

  Her attention was drawn to two figures riding across the ground. Elizabeth smiled when she recognized the form of her husband on his favorite horse, followed by Mr. Thatcher. It looked as if they had solved their business and were on their way back. Hopefully, Darcy would join her soon.

  Elizabeth rang for one of the servants to bring up some coffee and some cold meat and bread, assuming that Darcy would be in the mood for some food and would not mind having dinner in her little office. It was highly informal but she enjoyed it and often ate here, sometimes joined by Georgiana and Catherine.

  Then she stepped behind her desk and pulled out Mrs. Garner's and Jane's letters. Despite knowing that Darcy was on his way, she was still surprised when he stormed into her office and threw himself into one of the chairs she'd placed in from of the window so that she could enjoy the afternoon's sun.

  His eyes lit up when the footman entered with the tray containing coffee for two, some cold meats, and even a plate of crumpets, some honey and apricot jam.

  Elizabeth seated herself in the other chair and served him.

  Grateful, Darcy accepted his cup and took a sip.

  "Thank you, my love. I really needed that."

  Elizabeth studied him thoughtfully. Today, he wore the dark green coat with a vest in a lighter shade of green. An ensemble that she admired very much on him, as it suited him exceptionally well. Much better than his favored black. It made him look less severe and more approachable. It also brought to mind just how handsome her husband was.

  But right now he looked slightly frazzled and a bit disheveled. A rather unusual appearance for her usually well-groomed and impeccably dressed husband. His usually carefully tamed curls hung wildly around his face and his cravat was slightly askew.

  "How did it go?" she asked. She'd only heard the vaguest hints of a story from Mrs. Reynolds involving two warring neighbors, missing pies and something about pigs? Elizabeth hoped that Darcy would take her into his confidence as she really wanted to know what this was all about.

  Darcy raked his hands through his curls, turning them into an even wilder mop.

  "Pigs," he ground out. "Or rather Mr. Martin's piglets, with a fondness for Mrs. Granger's pies."

  Elizabeth tried to recall just who Mr. Martin and Mrs. Granger were but she hadn't yet met every tenant and couldn't place the names.

  "Mr. Martin swore up and down that, after the first time they escaped, he'd secured the pen for the piglets and that there was no way they would have been able to escape. Yet, somehow they'd managed to escape again and again, heading straight for Mrs. Granger's pies and eating them. Mrs. Granger was, of course, understandably enraged by the theft of her pies."

  Elizabeth blinked in surprise while she tried to picture this scene. Not knowing what to say, she simply nodded and took a sip from her own coffee. By the amused glint in Darcy's eyes, she assumed that there was more to the story.

  "Interestingly enough, those piglets only ever managed to escape when Mrs. Granger had baked pies. No other times. And only when Mrs. Granger had baked pies. Not when Mrs. Martin had done so. Or any of the other neighbors."

  "Ah," said Elizabeth and laughed. "Those are indeed very clever piglets. I assume Mrs. Granger's pies are especially tasty."

  "Indeed. Very clever piglets with a rather distinguished palate." Darcy's voice sounded dry but his eyes were dancing and the corners of his mouth twitching. "Martin was at his wits end and muttering something about ghosts and demons. He was ready to slaughter all the piglets and call the reverent."

  "Really? That sounds extreme."

  Darcy nodded. "Especially as Martin breeds pigs, so it would have been a huge financial loss for him and Pemberley."

  Elizabeth filed the information away. Martin the pig-breeder and Mrs. Granger with the excellent pies. She would have to pay them a visit soon.

  "Mrs. Granger just wanted the piglets out of her garden and to stop stealing her pies. Thatcher had already tried to find a solution, but even moving the piglets into a different pen hadn't worked."

  "Which is why they called you?" Elizabeth injected curiously.

  Darcy inclined his head. "So, we went around to inspect the pen. Actually, we inspected all the pens. It was a good opportunity to take a look at the pigs. You might talk to the Cook about getting one or two. And tell her to make more of those lovely sausages once she has them."

  Elizabeth just smiled and nodded while he rambled on. But she made note of the sausages he'd mentioned and would definitely talk to Cook.

  "Where was I? Right, the piglets." He drained his coffee cup and put it down. "We all came to the conclusion that there was no way for them to escape without outside help. Before Martin once again started with his ghost stories, I decided to ask a few more questions."

  "I see. And? Did you find the actual culprit?"

  Darcy offered her a wry grin. "Of course, we did and that was when the piglets escaped again. Without pies this time. Well, after chasing after the pigs and corralling them back into their pen, we took a closer look at who else was around. In the end, Mrs. Granger's sons quickly caved and confessed that they and some of their friends had stolen the pies and that they'd released the piglet so that they would then take the blame."

  Elizabeth was unable to bite back a laugh and Darcy quickly joined her.

  "Oh my. What did Mr. Martin and Mrs. Granger have to say to that?"

  "Mrs. Ganger wasn't well pleased. I think those boys might be in for a thrashing. Martin, on the other hand, could see the humor in the whole situation. Or maybe he was simply relieved that he didn't have a ghost in his piggery."

  This time, Darcy joined in her laughter. Elizabeth finally shook her head. "Oh, those poor, clever boys. What will happen to them now?"

  "Well, Mrs. Granger will probably have a lot to say to them and I agreed with Martin that as a compensation for the mischief they've caused, they will perform certain chores for him until he's satisfied."

  Elisabeth shook her head, still amused by the tale. "It sounds as if you had quite a morning. Including chasing after piglets."

  She tried to imagine her dignified husband running after squealing piglets and was unable to keep the giggle in. That would explain his disheveled look.

  "Did you catch all the piglets?"

  He threw her a rather grouchy look, tempting her into more giggles. "Yes, without too much trouble. And I thank god for this small favor. The combination of Mrs. Granger's sniping and squealing piglets was hard to take." He shuddered and reached for a crumpet. "How was your morning? Any more requests from our young ladies?"

  Elizabeth shook her head. "Now, they have been quiet. I had Mrs. Reynolds in for a while and Georgiana and Catherine joined us while we went through the budget and things that needed to be restocked. Cook had sen
t up a long list." She frowned and turned in the direction of the desk. "I really need to talk to her about some of those ingredients and what she uses them for."

  Cocking wasn't her forte but that didn't stop her from being curious, especially about the things she'd never even heard off.

  When she turned back to Darcy, he was watching her with an indulgent smile. "So, no more cajoling involving this Waltz?"

  "No. At some point, I had the feeling that Kitty wanted to say something but either Georgiana intervened or Kitty is finally learning some self-control."

  "Good."

  "Would you like to read the letters now?" Elizabeth asked, standing up to fetch both of them.

  When Darcy agreed, she picked them up and handed them to him. When she sat back down, Elizabeth noticed that Darcy had refilled her and his coffee cup. With a smile of thanks, she reached for a crumpet and her coffee.

  Darcy settled back in his chair and stretched out his legs, allowing Elizabeth to admire his form at her leisure. He really was a most handsome man. His slightly disheveled air gave him a bit of a roguish appearance which she found rather enticing. She sighed happily, once again marveling at her good fortune. Some days she still couldn't believe that he was her husband and that she was actually Mrs. Darcy, Mistress of Pemberley. It still sounded unreal. And to imagine that at one point she'd completely dismissed the idea of every marrying him. She'd indeed been foolish and blinded by her prejudices.

  "Hn, I might have to ask Bingley for his input," he muttered softly into his coffee while perusing Jane's letter. "Maybe Fitzwilliam as well."

  "Just where do you think, Jane got some of her information from?" Elizabeth asked in return and laughed at him.

  He raised an eyebrow while he considered her question then conceded the point. Of course Jane would have talked to Bingley.

  "Still, there are things a gentleman won't talk to a lady about. Not even his own lady-wife. He might share them with another male friend, though," he pointed out. "Just as there are things, ladies don't tell their husbands."

  This time, it was Elizabeth who had to concede the point.

  She watched silently while he went from Jane's letter to Mrs. Gardiner's.

  Her mind had been eased by both Mrs. Gardiner's and Jane's reports. It would benefit Georgiana and Kitty to learn how to dance the Waltz in polite society. She only hoped that Darcy saw it the same way. He had already agreed with her this morning but since then had had time to mull on the issue and might have changed his mind.

  As agreed, she'd already send a note to Mr. Pool to arrange an appointment for their instruction in the Waltz. She'd even asked him to arrange someone to provide them with music for their lessons. Normally, she would ask Georgiana or Mrs. Annesley to play, but of course that was not an option in this case. She also would have to conspire with Mrs. Annesley to see to it that both Georgiana and Catherine were distracted. Maybe having them away for the day would be a good idea. Surely a shopping trip into Lambton would be distracting enough and keep them both busy. They surely could use some new ribbons or flowers. Or look at fabrics for new dresses. It would be a good way to get them out of the house so that they wouldn't notice Mr. Pool arriving and leaving.

  In that instance, she would have to rely on Mrs. Annesley to keep them occupied but saw no problem in that, as she got on very well with the woman who had been Georgiana's companion since the disastrous situation with Mr. Wickham.

  She knew that both girls, but especially Catherine, were anxious to find out if they were allowed to learn the steps and practice them but Elizabeth agreed with Darcy. It would do them well to wait a bit longer. Georgiana was less the problem but Catherine still needed to learn how to curb her enthusiasm a bit. Some of her outbursts were just too much. Although she'd never been as bad as Lydia and away from Lydia's influence she'd already started to become a bit less silly and more responsible. Even her father had remarked on it in his latest missive.

  Elizabeth bit her lip thoughtfully while she waited for Darcy's reaction to the two letters. The one thing she hadn't mentioned to him was that Mr. Pool had already demonstrated the steps of the Waltz to her. The steps as well as the various figures and turns. At first, she'd been appalled yet intrigued at the same time. The dance with all its turns looked like it could be very entertaining but she could see why people had an issue with the position of the dancers. It did appear very intimate and it was very exclusive. Normally, the different figures in a dance brought each dancer into contact with other dancers but with a Waltz, it would be just the dancer and her partner. It would allow for intimate conversations, so it was no wonder that those still looking for a husband or wife were delighted by it.

  Elizabeth had been enchanted as well. But, instead of thinking about finding a partner and feeling that first flush of falling in love, she'd imagined herself in Darcy's arms while he whirled her around the dance floor. The thought of dancing with him while his strong arms surrounded her and held her close so that she would be able to look into his dark eyes, filled her with a shivery excitement that was usually reserved for their marriage-bed. It was such an intimacy that maybe it should stay behind the closed the doors of the bedroom, yet there was also something very romantic and alluring in it. The closeness and the intimacy. The public statement of interest. The chance to converse and flirt without interruption while still under the eagle eye of the chaperons. No wonder people were mad about it. It would be the perfect dance for those ready to fall in love.

  She perked up when Darcy finally folded the letters and held them out to her. She took them and carefully smoothed a finger over the fold, then traced her name in Jane's familiar script.

  "Well?"

  She squeaked when Darcy suddenly reached out for her and pulled her from his chair and into his lap.

  "Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth exclaimed in mock outrage.

  "Mrs. Darcy? Would you waltz with me?" he asked and pulled her closer.

  Elizabeth leaned against and pretended to think about his question. She laughed when he kissed her, his hand stroking up her back until he was able to cup her neck to hold her still. With a happy moan, she leaned into the kiss.

  "We shouldn't...," she murmured. "Anyone could walk in."

  "I hope everyone working or living at Pemberley knows how to knock," Darcy whispered, drawing her into a deeper kiss.

  "Kitty doesn't. Sometimes," Elizabeth replied, too distracted to really worry. It was growing increasingly harder to think while he kissed her again.

  "Dratted girl," Darcy ground out but didn't stop kissing her.

  A sudden, sharp knock on the door made them freeze. Wide-eyed they stared at each other. The knock sounded again and Elizabeth quickly scrambled off Darcy's lap. She smoothed a hand down her dressed and sat back into her chair. Darcy shifted as well, crossing his legs.

  Biting back a smile, Elizabeth called out, biding whoever had knocked to enter.

  She turned to Darcy. "To answer your question. Yes, I would love to."

  He inclined his head but said nothing else.

  CHAPTER 4

  Mr. Pool was a very fine looking young gentleman, always dressed after the latest fashion yet with a pleasing and gentle address. At first, his obvious youth, as he was just twenty-eight, and unmarried status had caused some concern to Darcy but Mr. Pool's impeccable manners, as well as his considerate comportment, had eased his worries. He had also come with several letters of recommendations from friends and acquaintances of Darcy's. They all spoke well of him.

  Admittedly, Darcy had been less worried about his sister Georgiana and more about the easier to impress and sway Catherine Bennet. His own observations, as well as reports from Mrs. Annesley, had put them to rest. Mr. Pool kept both young ladies solely focused on the dance and flirted with neither one.

  These days, Elizabeth often stood in as chaperon while the girls practiced their steps under Mr. Pool's eagle eye. Both girls had already been accomplished dancers, having received lessons since they'd barely been a
ble to walk, but they both had greatly improved under his firm tutelage.

  After he and Elizabeth had decided on how to handle this matter, he'd left the organization in his wife's capable hands. She'd notified him of the date for the waltzing lessons that she'd agreed on with Mr. Pool.

  She'd also arranged for Georgiana and Catherine to be away from Pemberley on the day of the lesson. They were now gone to enjoy a spot of shopping in Lambton and would be away for several more hours. Enough time for Mr. Pool to arrive, instruct them, and leave without the young ladies any wiser.

  While he abhorred the entertainment of public dances and balls, he did enjoy dancing, especially with an accomplished partner such as his wife and was already looking forward to this new dance. Learning new steps was always a challenge he enjoyed thoroughly.

  Of all the ladies he'd danced with over the course of his life, Elizabeth was his favorite. Unfortunately, etiquette demanded that he not dance with her at balls and instead be available to the unmarried young ladies of their acquaintance although his dislike of dancing with ladies he wasn't well acquainted with was well-known. Fortunately, marriage had made him less sought after as a dance partner.

  He was only able to indulge in his wife's companionship when dancing was part of an evening's entertainment at Pemberley. And even then he was sometimes robbed of that pleasure as Elizabeth was often called upon to play the pianoforte while he was required to dance with Georgiana or Catherine so that they could practice and perfect their skills. Or any of the other ladies present, as was required of a good host.

  But today, he would have the pleasure of Eliza's attention all to himself.

  He noted the older man seated at the pianoforte and that Mr. Pool was conversing softly with him. The only one missing seemed to be his beloved wife.

  All men looked up when the door opened and she entered. Darcy had almost expected her to storm inside, only too aware of her spirited temper but she walked in completely composed and smiled serenely when all the men stood and turned to greet her.