'Poor Frederick, he's totally overwhelmed,' Georgiana laughed. 'Better sit down and drink some coffee, Frederick. You'll feel much better. Besides, you'll need the support to receive our little gift.'
Well, he would. So he sat down beside Anne, Simon in the chair next to him.
Nick was also sitting in a chair, though he did not look particularly comfortable there. And when Elizabeth indeed brought him a cup of coffee and a slice of pie he looked ready to flee, except he couldn't because his hostess sat down right next to him and laid a hand on his arm. Darcy brought her a cup of coffee and a slice of pie, then went back to the table for his own.
No wait, he first picked up two more cups of coffee, one for Anne and one for Simon. This was the world upside down, and really funny.
'Are you pleased, Frederick?' a soft voice asked from behind him.
It was Georgiana, with a cup of coffee that she handed him. 'I do think you need a few moments to let it settle in. It's quite a thing, you know, getting married.'
Was her tone slightly patronizing? As an experienced married person to one new to the state?
Her face lighted up in a smile, and she handed him a slice of pie.
'You show your feelings so openly these days, Frederick, when you used to be so inscrutable. Even among friends. Of course I know why you chose to be merely very affable in company. And I'm glad you really believed I was talking down to you because I have been married for weeks instead of hours.
Fanny did that, you know, the one day she could, I thought it was hilariously funny.'
'You may always patronize me, Georgiana, especially where, let's say, womanly things are concerned. I have so little experience with the fair sex, I'm afraid I might insult my wife without even being aware of it. Or waltz over her feelings with my college-boys bravura.'
'I'm not afraid of that at all, Frederick, you're not half as tough as you pretend
to be. Look how well you handled her monthly problem, even before you fetched Nick. Though his idea to use woollen underwear was fabulous, it helps a lot with the riding skirts, too. Nick is used to pleasing ladies, he knows them, and on top of that he practically raised two spoiled girls. And if both of you were to blunder there is still Simon, who has sisters aplenty and helped to raise me. But if you need a woman's advice, of course you can come to me, I'll be glad to offer an opinion any day.'
'Thank you, that is all I would ask. The coffee is just right.'
'We've known each other for quite some time already, Frederick, I know how you take it. Now let me fetch your present, so you can start your private party.'
Did she know something he didn't, alluding to a party?
When everyone was seated and had coffee and pie, Georgiana rose, holding a gift-wrapped book.
'You probably already know what this is, and I'm going to need it back for a few weeks after you've read it, to have it copied. But it has worked its way into our wit so steadily that I would not want to deprive any of you of the chance to improve your minds. I´m giving it to you first, Anne.'
And she handed Anne the book. The wrapping was removed and indeed, it was Pierre's travels. Frederick could not wait to read it, though he expected to find little new information in it. Pierre's tastes ran to women, and though their minds and hearts had been an absolute mystery to Frederick for as long as he could remember, his friends' escapades had taught him what loving them was like. Well, frankly, what having sex with them was like. Much love hadn't been involved in what they did, nor would Pierre have known real love if he had been a living man instead of a fictional character.
'Thank you Georgiana. I appreciate your giving it to me, and I cannot wait to read it, but I can return it afterwards. I suppose I have Pierre's real-live counterpart to improve my mind in person.'
Anne was right and Georgiana knew it, but still she looked doubtful. At first.
'Just read it first. If you like it we can have it copied. If you have any tales to add, please meet me in the new confidence room some day soon.'
And the laughs she got were not merely polite, they were sincere.
Anne was glad to finally be able to read what Pierre's exploits were all about, but she couldn't help thinking she'd rather have read the exploits of Pierre's
female counterpart: she wanted to learn about ways to please a man, not a woman. Though maybe Pierre offered those, too, the book had likely been written by a man.
And then the coffee and pie were finished and she wanted to be alone with Nick and the other two. Would they accommodate her and for once let go of their barriers, be they gentlemanly control or a servant's humility, to talk intimately and show each other their true selves?
At some unspoken signal they all rose and took their leave.
'I suppose you'll have your dinner upstairs?' Elizabeth asked.
Anne hadn't thought of that, Nick and Simon couldn't fetch it, she was planning for them to be dead drunk by that time. Would they even want dinner?
'Shall I send someone to lay out some cold meat and bread in your headquarters? Then you can fetch it whenever you want.'
Of course she knew what Anne was planning, Mrs Reynolds would have briefed her on the bottle of brandy.
'Yes, please, Elizabeth. Thank you.'
'Enjoy your time together, all four of you.'
'Your lady wife is already taking charge, Frederick,' Eric joked, and it certainly seemed that way. Frederick directed a ravishing smile towards Anne, making the resemblance between him and Nick even more striking, then replied, 'It will save me a world of trouble. And once she starts on my finances it'll literally save a lot, too, for who could ever bargain with such a ravishing beauty?'
For a moment it was almost as if he did love her, but she knew he was a superb actor. Hopefully she could get him to let go of his act for a few hours tonight, Nick needed to really see the human being behind the powerful gentleman.
As soon as they got to Anne's room, she and Frederick through her door and Simon and Nick through Nick's door, just in case, Simon put two glasses on the table. Anne was stunned, how had he he known her intent, since she didn't tell him?
'Mrs Reynolds asked me what a lady would do with a whole bottle of brandy.
We thought we'd provide extra glasses.'
See, that was how easy it was to give something away.
As they settled in the sitting area close to her hearth, Anne picked up the brandy bottle and the two glasses that had come with it, setting both on the
table. Then she sat down next to Nick, whilst Simon opened the bottle and poured brandy in all four glasses. He handed one to each of them, and said,
'To love and friendship.'
They all returned his toast and drank the brandy, Anne sipping carefully since she'd only had some before at Fitzwilliam's army camp and she hadn't particularly liked it. This was better, though, small wonder if one compared army stock to Darcy's personal supply. The men were much less careful, of course they'd had brandy before on a regular basis and they knew they liked it. Nick looked at Frederick in wonderment and observed, 'This is even better than your whisky. I could get used to such a life!'
Frederick merely tossed back the drink and poured himself another.
'I know it's a waste of excellent brandy, but I'm finally among people I love and trust so entirely I dare risk talking too much. I feel like indulging. No offence, Anne, but would you mind if I fetched my bottle of whisky? This brandy is excellent, but it's so sweet I'd be nauseous before I managed to become vaguely tipsy.'
Anne didn't have a clue about liquor, she'd requested brandy because she thought Nick liked it.
'Of course not, Frederick. I'm glad you feel safe with us, drink anything you like.'
Nick had finished his brandy, as had Simon, and they refilled their glasses.
Frederick tossed back his second glass, then left the room.
'I've never seen him like this,' Simon said, slightly worried. 'He seems reckless. I hope he won't do anything foolish.'
Nick also remembered.
'That night, Anne, it's etched in my memory. Such a perfect blend of sweet and bitter, to love you and hold you and yet know we were not meant to be together. I loved you so much then, but I do think I love you even more now.'
And he tossed back his brandy as if it was nothing. Anne tried a large sip, and though it burned her throat and was sweeter than she generally liked, it was kind of pleasant.
When Frederick returned with not one, but two bottles of whisky, and a
totally different bottle as well, they were all rather bonelessly relaxed already.
'I've brought you something you might find more palatable than brandy, Anne. I´m afraid you may think I'm a drunk, with so much spirits in my private rooms, but I assure you I only carry a bottle or two with me for special occasions. This is an excellent white wine that you may prefer to the brandy, it's not too sweet.'
He'd remembered she didn't like sweet things! That was so heartening. As was the wine, it was much more to her taste than the brandy. While she sipped the wine, the men went through a bottle of whisky in what seemed a mere blink of an eye. At first they talked about the wedding itself, the service, their friends' kindness to disregard station by sitting next to a pair of servants, how they had dressed up for an event they hadn't enjoyed and hadn't even expected to enjoy.
'You couldn't have done less, Frederick, despite the occasion being for friends only, people would have found out and talked.'
'You say Mr Eliot gossips, Simon?'
'Not Mr Eliot, no, but I saw at least three villagers about when we arrived, which means at least five people saw us, some don't watch openly, you know.
And the warden of Mr Eliot's church is not exactly a man of high principles.
In short, he likes to spread a tale or two. If you'd worn your daily attire he'd have told everyone in the surrounding villages, and they'd wonder why. Now, they'll only be outraged by Anne wearing split skirts.'
That could not be true. Why would villagers care in what clothes someone got married?
By now, Anne was starting to feel pleasantly fuzzy and she felt like snuggling a little with Nick. She sat on his lap and was received with an ardent kiss with a very strong taste. If that was whisky she did not particularly care for it, though she could imagine why the men would prefer it to the brandy to drink a lot of. She didn't doubt it was much, much stronger, and Nick's self-satisfied look more or less proved he was already more than a little intoxicated. Had he ever looked this relaxed before? Did that mean he was always a bit tense, even when there were just the two of them, even at night, after making love?
Simon caught her eye and invited her to sit next to him, did she show her consternation that clearly? She did not want to leave Nick, not even for a minute, but right then he addressed Frederick in a lazy voice that seemed to fit his mood perfectly.
'That was a lot less agonizing than I expected, Frederick. Thank you for being so considerate.'
Anne got up and sat next to Simon, she wanted Nick to talk to Frederick after all, without restraint, which also meant without her. Frederick bent forward to catch anything Nick had to say, but with Simon's attention now on Anne, he soon got up as well and moved to the chair next to Nick, filling all their glasses once more before settling against the back rest.
Simon now snuggled against Anne, he'd also had his share of the liquor, and asked, 'Why the face, Anne, are you sorry to have married us?'
Certainly not, but he didn't mean that, it was just his way to invite her to speak her mind.
'It's Nick, look at him, I've never seen him so totally relaxed. Does that mean he is always tense? Even when he is alone with me? Even after making love?'
Simon took a good look at Nick before replying, and in the silence they could hear Nick saying, 'I don't know, Frederick, I certainly didn't use to be. I'm sure my parents thought I was heading for the gallows by the time I was fifteen.'
Then Simon replied, and Anne could no longer hear what Nick and Frederick were talking about, but that was good, that was what she thought Nick needed.
'It's the whisky, Anne, it has nothing to do with you. I'm sure Nick is altogether himself with you, especially right after making love. He didn't have the chance to tell you, yet, but I found him this morning lying on his own cot, without a thread on him, smelling into high heaven. At first I thought he was drunk, that's how much you relaxed him.'
'Tired him out, more likely. We forgot his protection, he was very upset. He was upset afterwards as well, of course, but he forgot them because he was upset to start with, anxious over the wedding.'
'Do you mind very much? Are you afraid to get with child?'
'I know it would be inconvenient and I don't mind using the precautions, but I'm not seventeen like Georgiana, if I want to have children maybe I should be pleased to get a baby while I can. I'm not from a prolific family, like Elizabeth. So, no, I'm not afraid. What happens, happens.'
'And you thought that before you drank two glasses of wine, I can see it.
Good.'
'How did you feel this morning, in church, Simon? Was it bearable?'
'No problem at all, Anne. Remember, I always knew Frederick would have to
get married some day. I'm merely glad he has a wife who won't fall in love with him and who knows his secret and guards it. Imagine if he had married some ignorant girl who couldn't know. The endless lies and deceit, it wears one down, you know.'
She nodded, somehow things were so much clearer after a few glasses of wine.
'Unless it's in a good way,' he added mysteriously.
Deceit in a good way? Anne didn't understand, but of course compared to Simon she was incredibly naïve. She didn't even have to ask, Simon was in a talkative mood, and he was still sipping from the glass Frederick topped off a few minutes ago. She didn't need to ask him to elaborate, he was eager to explain.
'Well, you see, sometimes secrets are incredible fun. For instance, did you know that your mother's staff have a drawing-room of their own hidden in the servants' quarters? It looks exactly like Earl Compton's drawing-room in London, except maybe half again as large. They have a billiards table, all kinds of liquor and even a piano. Those servants not on duty amuse themselves as if they're gentle folks, they even serve pastries.'
Anne could not believe what Simon had just told her, but her head was not too fuzzy to realise it was the absolute truth. No wonder he never drank spirits, they made him incredibly talkative!
'For how long has it been there?'
'I've been coming to Rosings with Mr Darcy for ten years, and they let me in on my first visit. I suppose they liked me a lot. They didn't have the piano then, nor the billiards table. Your mother's steward is in on it, of course, they couldn't hide it from him, not and serve liquor and pastries.'
It was just incredible!
'And Dora, does she know?'
'She most certainly does, though I cannot remember meeting her there.'
'Then how do you know she knows?'
'Nick told me she led him there. I'd told him Rosings was more fun in the back of the house, but didn't tell him why. Dora introduced him straight away, that's how I knew she was in love with him.'
'Nick knew, and he didn't tell me?'
'Of course not, that would have been an unforgivable breach of trust and he knows it. It didn't hurt you not to know. Mr Darcy doesn't.'
'You kept this a secret for ten years, and now you tell me?'
'Of course, we're married, aren't we? I cannot keep secrets from my wife.'
Simon was enjoying himself hugely, but Anne feared he would regret telling her tomorrow. It was up to her to make ce
rtain he didn't.
'I understand why no-one told me, or Darcy. But... surely Mrs Jenkinson didn't know.'
'Oh yes she did. She used to regret not having an instrument there, she loved to play for the others. According to Nick and Dora they moved in the one from her room, too bad she will never get to play it.'
Somehow it was a small consolation to Anne that Mrs Jenkinson had at least had a little time with people who cared about her, who made her time at Rosings bearable. In hindsight, the poor lady had had such a terrible life with Anne and her mother. As had Dora. Fortunately, they'd had something to laugh about.
'It's incredibly funny, isn't it? Mother belittling the staff, then sitting all by herself, while they enjoy each other's company eating fancy treats and drinking expensive liquor. I'm glad you told me, Simon, and I'll keep the secret as faithfully as you've kept it. Did you tell Frederick?'
'Certainly not, and I'm going to try not to. It is not mine to tell, you see. It's your mother's house, you have some right to know. I was so right to never drink more than one glass of spirits!'
'Well, if I come into my inheritance tomorrow I'll let them keep their drawing-room, but I want to be invited for concerts. Or should I pretend not to know?'
'I'll know tomorrow. Right now I don't know anything, just that I love sitting here with you, just talking. Or would you rather be reading your new book with your lover?'
'I don't think Pierre will help me with what I truly want to learn, though I admit I'd like to know what all the fuss is about.'
'Now you've made me curious, what do you want to learn then?'
'Well, this is kind of embarrassing to talk about, but you see, Pierre is a man, and he loves women. So I guess the book is filled with ways to please a woman. Which was great for Darcy and Eric, who had everything to learn.
But Nick already knows all that, whilst I am the one lacking experience.
What I need is a book about different ways to please a man.'
Whereas smiling made Nick handsomer, Simon was so beautiful a broad grin could not add to his looks. In fact, it made him look a little fiendish, which in a way was very becoming, too.
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