The Cumberland Plateau

by Mary K. Baxley

  When church was over, they all walked towards the door to shake the pastor’s hand. Everyone was friendly and kind, but as Elizabeth had predicted, the whispers had already begun. A group of ladies had gathered in a far corner, quietly talking while shaking their heads and looking in the direction of the Bennetts. Lizzy only smiled politely.

  After returning from church, they ate a light meal and prepared to return to town. Elizabeth packed a few boxes and set them, along with their bags, on the back porch while Fitzwilliam patiently packed her car.

  “Elizabeth, the Durango’s loaded. Are you ready?”

  “Almost. Here, help me put this in the car.”

  “What’s in here?” He frowned. “It weighs a ton.”

  “Two dozen eggs, two gallons of milk, two quarts of cream, and some bacon and ham left over from the pigs we killed last year. Don’t worry. It’s not all for me. I’m taking some of it back for you and Charles. I want real cream in my tea when I’m at your house.”

  He chuckled as he put the cooler in the back of the car.

  “Now, let’s go to where I buried my dogs. I want to see where they’re resting.”

  She took his hand in hers and led him around to the back of the barn near the creek bank. There they found the two graves covered in rich colors of yellow, purple, red and white. Bending down quietly, she said a few words to her dogs as if they could hear her.

  After several minutes, Fitzwilliam stooped and gently helped her up, slipping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned against him. “Someday I will let you give me another set of pups.”

  As they wound their way through the gardens and across the lawn towards the car, she said, “When we come back at Thanksgiving, I want to visit my parents’ graves. I have not been there since the funeral. It has been too painful.” She glanced up at him with questioning eyes. “Will you come with me?”

  “Of course, darling, we shall go together,” he answered, giving her a tender squeeze. Her eyes were the sweetest eyes he’d ever seen.

  ~*~

  The ride back to town gave them the time to begin discussing their plans for the future. “Elizabeth, there is something very important I must tell you.” He paused, glancing in her direction. “First of all, I’m not exactly who I appear to be,” he hesitated. “What I mean is, I’m from a very old family, as I’ve told you, in the North of England. We just happen to be…ah…well…we are quite wealthy—old money, if you will. Have you ever heard of Pemberley, PLC?”

  “No, I can’t say that I have.” She wrinkled her brow.

  “Well then, I suppose you don’t read the Financial Times or listen to the business news, because we’re the largest corporation in the United Kingdom. Our stock is traded on all the global exchanges. I personally have a net worth of £15 million right now, which is almost $30 million, and it may even be more than that, as I haven’t checked my investments lately.” He drew a deep breath, not certain how she would react to what he had to say next. With trepidation, he trudged on. “When I inherit my fortune upon my father’s death, I’ll be worth over £4 billion and the business itself, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of £400 billion, but control of that I will share with my brother David.”

  Fitzwilliam studied her cautiously, trying to appraise her thoughts after revealing his news. From the shocked look on her face, he thought it was a good thing she had let him drive, because he could tell she was having trouble absorbing what he had just told her.

  He nervously laughed aloud. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? It sounds like Monopoly money. However, there is a catch of which I must make you aware.” He cringed, but he knew he had to tell her.

  Elizabeth’s eyes shot in his direction, and then she tore her gaze away. Looking out the window, she released a tense breath. “I’m afraid to ask, but please continue.”

  Glancing at her with apprehension, he flatly stated, “I hate to tell you this, darling, but my father may not approve of my choice. He wants me to marry an English girl.”

  Her jaw went slack. She gawked at him in shock.

  Sensing her distress, he pleaded. “Elizabeth, please try to understand. My father is of the old school, wanting me, and, of course, David, but especially me to marry in the first circles of London society, which both of us have refused to do, but for different reasons. I insist that I will marry for love, whilst David simply wishes not to marry at all. Although I hope he will if he ever meets someone as wonderful as I have. David’s a bit of a playboy, but that’s neither here nor there.” He slipped his hand across the seat, catching hers in his, giving it an affectionate squeeze. Inhaling deeply, he continued. “As for me, well, Father has even gone as far as to attempt to arrange a marriage for me, but I flatly refused to cooperate. He’s told me if I ever marry someone he doesn’t approve of, he will cut me off. I’m not afraid of that, as I already have enough money, and if invested properly, we will never be poor.”

  Elizabeth gaped at him in astonishment. He could tell this was not being received very well. He quickly tried to recover. “But I don’t believe he will actually do that for two reasons. One, he likes David’s playboy lifestyle less than he will disapprove of my choice. And two, he really does love me.

  “Anyway, up until now, David and I have been confirmed bachelors,” he said. “My father deplores our choices in life. He is desperate for us to do what he thinks is the right thing, and part of that is by marrying well and producing the next generation of Darcys. So, if I marry and produce the much wanted grandchild, preferably a boy, I think that he may forgive us.”

  Elizabeth seemed momentarily speechless, but he felt sure she would soon find her tongue if the fury gathering on her face was any indication. Fitzwilliam braced himself.

  “Forgive us!” she gasped, eyes flashing as the blood drained from her face. “Fitzwilliam, I don’t like the sound of this one bit. Are you telling me that the only way your father will accept me is if I squeeze out a child right after we are married? That I have to do that in order to appease your family?! That’s insane.” Elizabeth fumed.

  “It’s not exactly like that. David and Georgiana will love you because I love you. My cousins will, too. My Uncle Harvey and Aunt Susan will be pleased for me. It really is only my father and, well, maybe my Aunt Hilda, who are stuck in the dark ages. As for having a child, is that really so bad? You know I want children—at least two, if we can. Would it really be so bad to have them earlier rather than later? Elizabeth, I’m thirty-two and you’re twenty-five. I don’t feel we have a lot of time to wait.”

  “Fitzwilliam, I just finished my doctorate. I had hoped to work a little longer before even thinking about marriage, much less having children. Other than working as a grad assistant, this is my first real teaching job. My mother had Jane almost one year after marriage, and then the rest of us came nearly every two years. It was a long time before she could teach again. And as to our ages, men can father children up into their eighties, and twenty-five is not that old.” She cut him a sharp look.

  Tension building in his chest, he breathed deeply. “I know that twenty-five is not old and that you have time. And I have no doubts about my own virility, but I want to be young enough to enjoy my children in all stages of their lives. That includes playing football and teaching them to ride a horse. When I reach my forties, I may not feel like I do now.” He paused and took another quick breath. “You mentioned your mother’s circumstances. Didn’t she have a choice in the matter? I mean, she did have six children. Was your mother unhappy with so many children?”

  “No, of course not,” Elizabeth shot back. “Dad and her children were very important to her. My mother had other things which she did besides rearing us.” Throwing her hands up in the air, she burst out, “Oh, Fitzwilliam, you must give me some time to think. I’ll need to sort through my feelings about all of this. I might be able to teach part time if I have a child right away, but right now, I don’t know how I really feel about what you’ve shared with me concerning your father’s
expectations and your financial status. I’m not sure I want a child right now either. I don’t know when I’ll be ready for motherhood. How could you spring this on me all at once? I wish you had told me this before you proposed.”

  “Elizabeth, I’m sorry for unloading on you like this. It’s just that I had to be sure it was me you wanted—not who I am in terms of money and status.”

  Her eyes widened. “If anything, Fitzwilliam, your money and status would be a turn off. I’ve been around people with money, and I generally find them not worth the trouble of knowing. I probably wouldn’t have given you a second look had I known, or at the very least, it would have been harder to have taken you seriously.”

  “So you would have refused me, then?” he asked, a little worried.

  “I might back out now.”

  “Oh no, you won’t.”

  “And how can you be so sure of that?” She cut her eyes across at him.

  “Because you love me, and you can’t resist my charms.” He cautiously smiled. Hopefully she was accepting things and still accepting him.

  “You’re very confident in yourself, aren’t you?” She clasped her hands in her lap and stared out the window, calmer now, having finally come to grips with all that he had told her but still clearly upset.

  “I always get what I want, and I want you!” Reaching over, he took her hand in his once again, giving it another gentle squeeze as he flashed a wide smile.

  “Well, what other bombshells do you have to drop on me?”

  “No, no more bombshells. I’ll just tell you my plan,” he said with a smile. “When I go to London in December, I’ll recruit David’s support to get my father’s blessing. I think Father will relent, especially if I promise him a grandchild sometime before he dies. Now, will that do?”

  “Oh Fitzwilliam…what can I say? I guess if I’m going to marry you it’ll have to do. But, if and when I have a child, it will be because it is what you and I want, not what your father wants.”

  “Elizabeth, let me make this clear. I want a child because it is what I want. Yes, it will soften my father, but having a child is between you and me, not him and me.”

  “Well, I’m glad to at least hear that.” She gave him another sharp look.

  Desiring very much to change the subject, he said, “Splendid. Now, Elizabeth, tell me, what type of ring do you want?” Patting her knee, he gave her a devilish smile he hoped would dispel the tension.

  “A ring…hmm…yes, I suppose I must have a ring.” Elizabeth mused, “Nothing too big or vulgar, please.” She raised a brow. “Nothing over one or two carats at the most, and I’d like either white gold or platinum. Also, I prefer a plain band.”

  “Well then, it will be two carats in platinum with a plain wedding band for now. But eventually you will have at least one of the heirloom sets when I inherit the estate. Shall we announce our engagement to your family at Thanksgiving? We can tell Jane and Charles tonight.”

  “Yes, that’ll be fine.” She sighed, her voice trailing off.

  After a moment of quiet, Elizabeth spoke. “Fitzwilliam, with all that you have told me, there is one other thing I don’t understand. Why are you here taking a teaching position when you could be in London attending to your family’s business? And don’t you dare tell me it was to find me.”

  “That’s a fair question. I guess you could say I’m pursuing my dream.” He sighed. “I’m still very active in Pemberley, even though I’m not presently in England. I teleconference with David and my cousin, Richard, once a week so that I can keep up with all business details, and when I go to London in the summers, I’ll be attending board meetings and conferences. David acts on my behalf, representing me, as well as himself, on the board when I’m not there, therefore the company isn’t neglected. I’m very much in the loop with what is happening in the family business.

  “But, my dream has always been to teach. I’d like to follow in the steps of three Oxford Dons that I admire greatly. Two are dead and one still lives. Actually, I wanted to become an Oxford Fellow, but those positions are hard to come by. So, when our good friend, Dr. Dickens, approached Charles and I in London and asked us to come here, we decided we couldn’t turn down such an excellent opportunity,” Darcy said with a broad smile. “And I enjoy both the subjects I teach and being part of the academic world.”

  “I see,” Elizabeth said, listening intently.

  “Eventually, I will become the CEO of Pemberley, PLC. Once that happens, I doubt I’ll be able to teach anymore. And since that’s inevitable, I’m doing what I want to do whilst I have the opportunity.”

  “Well, we’re almost to the townhouse,” Elizabeth announced. “Fitzwilliam, I’m not through discussing this. We have several hours before the others arrive back in town, and I need some answers. I want to know more about your father and what he expects, and I want to know just what type of lady he wants you to marry. Who is this mystery woman he found for you, and what is she like?” Elizabeth said as they pulled onto Elm Street.

  Darcy inwardly groaned. Perhaps she was not as accepting as he had previously thought.

  ~*~

  After they arrived at the Bennett townhouse and unloaded the Durango, they settled into the front sitting room. Fitzwilliam tensed as he felt the inquisition was about to begin anew.

  Taking a seat, Elizabeth resumed. “Now, I want to know why your father would not accept me as his daughter-in-law, and what exactly is it that he does expect from someone who would marry one of his sons?” She folded her arms across her chest.

  With his hand against the window frame, he looked at her from across the room, meeting her penetrating gaze. He released a tense breath. “I don’t exactly know how to tell you this in a way that will make you understand and at the same time convey what I feel deep inside, but I’ll try by being as truthful as I can.”

  Stepping away from the window, he raked his fingers through his hair. “In England there are certain expectations from members of the upper levels of society, especially if you are descended from the aristocracy, which I am—and I might add, so are you, although it is now far removed.” He paced the floor, glancing at the ceiling, and then back at her, sitting there, arms folded, eyes inquisitively waiting for him to continue.

  “Typically, we marry within our own circle, or at least from families who are closely related in circumstances to our own. For example, my mother was descended from the aristocracy, and her father owned a very profitable publishing company, which she inherited from him. And she was educated at Cambridge, so my mother was within those guidelines. She was also sophisticated and beautiful, another thing my father finds important.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes, anger once again creeping over her features.

  …Oh God, she doesn’t understand…“Elizabeth, please. Don’t look at me that way. I am trying to be forthright with you.”

  “All right, I’m sorry. Do continue,” she said, releasing a long, sharp breath.

  “You fit all those criteria, except you’re not British, and you’re not fabulously wealthy. But that doesn’t matter to me. I have enough money. Enough for both of us and any children we would have. I don’t think like my father. Many in Britain don’t these days. Even Prince William is dating a beautiful girl whose family doesn’t quite measure up by those old standards.” He gazed down into her silent, solemn face and shook his head.

  “What about this woman your father has chosen for you? What is she like? Is she pretty and sophisticated and fabulously wealthy?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes piercing.

  He turned and faced her. This was not easy. Speaking in a quiet voice he replied, “Yes…yes, she is. She’s all of those things, and she’s set to inherit her father’s banking and financial empire, which is worth billions. She’s also my Aunt Hilda’s step-daughter on my mother’s side. We’re not blood-related, but we did grow up together. And yes, she’s beautiful, sophisticated, and fashionable. She’s impeccable in all ways imaginable, except one. The most important
one—I don’t love her.”

  He paused for a second, attempting to gauge Elizabeth’s reaction, but it was unreadable. He shook his head while continuing to pace. “I dated her for two months, trying to feel something for her. We barely kissed, and when we did, her response was, well, uninterested. She cares nothing for me, or for anything I would want. She’s only concerned with social functions, society, fashion, and money. To her, what is important is to receive the right invitations to the right events, who will attend the Queen’s Garden Party, and what she can gain from being seen at those places.”

  …It’s time to lay my feelings open. She’ll have to take them at face value or leave them. I want her to love me for me. If I can’t have her love, I’ve got nothing… He sighed heavily. “Elizabeth, I can’t live like that. I want to love and to be loved like any other ordinary man. You’ve told me about your mother and father and the life you had growing up. Well, that’s what I want. I want to love a woman like your father loved your mother, and I want to be loved by that same woman as your mother loved your father. Is that too much to ask in life?”

  Elizabeth’s lashes lowered momentarily. “No. No, it’s not, and that’s what I wanted to hear.” She raised her eyes to his and for the first time since they’d left the farm, a genuine smile crossed her face. “Of course I want to be accepted by your family. Only a fool wouldn’t care about that. If I am to enter your family on the terms you’ve lain out, I have to have a good enough reason to do so. If you really love me enough to go against your father and you truly desire the things you’ve told me, then I will accept you just as you are.”