Finally the carriages returned, to very affectionate welcomes. As Lady Matlock was still there, she was introduced to Mary, who was suitably impressed with meeting a real countess. Mary did not have time to be intimidated by her as her greeting was very friendly and they all were soon chatting merrily about their trip, Scotland, and the wedding. Only Darcy did not appear to be in high spirits as he only wanted to be alone with his wife to show her how much he missed her. Seeing this, Lizzy soon excused herself from the ladies and took Darcy into an empty room where they immediately were in each other's arms. The ladies were not fooled by her casual departure and just watched them disappear. When they finally reappeared, they both had wide smiles and no one commented on Lizzy's slight dishevelment. Neither Darcy nor Elizabeth could stop from blushing when they saw the wide smiles on each of the ladies who was waiting for them
The talk soon turned to the christening of their son and how they might celebrate this very happy event. Lady Matlock suggested that a ball would be appropriate, which they were soon unanimous in endorsing. As it was now October, they thought that it should be held as soon as possible before the weather became more wintry. They consulted with Mrs. Reynolds and decided to hold it in just three weeks, which would allow time for letters of invitation to go out and for replies to be received. They talked about who should be invited and a long list was soon drafted. They included many of their friends and relatives, hoping that they all would be able to come.
Lady Matlock promised to help, but she said she must return home first. She said she was quite sure her oldest son and his wife would attend, and Richard might if his duties allowed. She had told them that he had just returned from Spain with his troops and was currently in London rebuilding his regiment. Darcy and Lizzy both wanted Bingley and Jane to come, of course, and they decided that they should invite Bingley's sisters. They both smiled at the thought that Richard and Caroline might be at Pemberley together, and Lizzy decided that she would house them in adjoining rooms so he would not have far to wander at night, if he were still so inclined.
Other invited guests would include Lady Catherine and her daughter Anne, the Gardiners, Lizzy's mother and Kitty, and her Aunt and Uncle Philips. They were all invited to stay at Pemberley as they knew that the large number of guest rooms would be able to accommodate everyone who would be staying. They also invited all the local gentry and several friends of her Aunt Gardiner from Lambton, as well as other notables in Lambton and Kympton. They sent an invitation to the Jardines, but were unsure if they would be able to come down. As an added inducement, they mentioned that this would be a good opportunity for them to meet more of Lydia's family. They knew that if everyone invited attended, it would be quite an event, perhaps the premier event in Derbyshire this year. The actual christening was scheduled for the morning and the ball for that evening.
Many responses came as soon as could be expected. Not only were the Jardines coming, Mr. Jardine even asked if his older brother, the Lord Alasdair Jardine and his two sons, Brian and David, could come as well as they had heard such good reports of the Darcys and Bennets. Almost everyone who had been invited responded that they would come and would be pleased to stay at Pemberley for at least a week. Lizzy and Darcy met frequently with Mrs. Reynolds and the cook to plan the menus for the extra guests and for the ball's meal. Extra staff was hired and put to work, both in the kitchen and getting rooms ready. A small orchestra from Derby was hired to perform, as they were known to be accomplished musicians.
They also planned activities that would keep everyone busy, including shooting, fishing, riding, and games for the men and shopping, music, and picnics, if the weather held, for the ladies. The Matlocks were the first to arrive and the Countess's help and advice were greatly appreciated. Various family members came next, including the Gardiners with all their children and Jane and Bingley, who brought Mrs. Bennet and Kitty. Mrs. Bennet was loud and effusive in her admiration of everything she saw about Pemberley and was soon asking the prices of many pieces of furniture and other furnishings. To these intrusive questions, she received only vague answers. Mrs. Bennet brought her lady's maid and one of the Pemberley maids was assigned to help Kitty, much to her pleasure. Uncle and Aunt Philips followed and were suitably impressed with the grandeur that was their niece's home. Of course, the arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Anne caused havoc as the Lady found fault with everything. Her brother, the Earl, was designated to settle her down, but Anne was greeted warmly and was soon separated from her mother and was chatting happily with the other young ladies.
The arrival of the Jardines created quite a stir as all of the men were wearing kilts in the Jardine clan tartan. They were introduced to those guests they had not met. When they met the Bennet ladies, they were most impressed; Lord Alasdair lingered over Mrs. Bennet's hand and Brian and David smiled very warmly at Kitty and Mary. Lord Alasdair quietly asked Mrs. Bennet, "I am very pleased to meet you. Is there a Mr. Bennet?"
"No. My husband passed away earlier this year."
"I can sympathize as my dear wife left this world two years ago. I must say that you are a fine figure of a woman, and your daughters are bonny lassies." Mrs. Bennet simpered like a young girl on hearing these compliments and looked up at him through her lashes. "I hope we will become better acquainted during our visit. Perhaps we can find time to console each other for our losses." Mrs. Bennet was not sure what to make of his words as it had been many years since she had heard anything that might have been at all suggestive from any gentleman.
One of the first questions asked of Lizzy, at least from the ladies, was if they would be allowed to see baby Darcy. Lizzy was generous with these requests, so the baby was frequently handled, to the chagrin of his nurses. She even allowed her female family members to be with her when she nursed him. The male guests almost unanimously gave their congratulations to Darcy, but did not ask to see the baby.
The final guests to arrive were Bingley's sister Caroline and the Hursts, followed by Richard, who had had problems getting sufficient leave to make the long trip to Derbyshire. He was puzzled to learn that his room was in the guest wing rather than the family wing, but he very soon was smiling when his batman informed him that Caroline Bingley's room was right next door. "I wonder who arranged this? Darcy or Elizabeth? I suppose that means that they are well aware of our little dalliance," he thought to himself. His batman, Jones, was also pleased at this arrangement as it meant that Caroline's maid, Millie, would be conveniently at hand. Jones's main worry was that, with such a houseful, there may not be any convenient empty rooms where he could show Millie just how much he had missed her.
Darcy's worry about keeping everyone busy was found to be unnecessary as the men soon found the stables and where the fishing gear was stored. The five Jardine men were instigators for much of the outdoor activity. Their natural gregariousness made them favourites, and their kilts made them stand out. Of course, all of the Englishmen asked what they wore under their kilts, but the universal response was that only ladies would find out. This led to the Englishmen shouting, whenever the Scotsmen appeared, "Lock up the women; the Scotsmen are coming!" This amused everyone for the first day or two.
The day of the christening came and everyone met at the church in the morning. Bingley and Jane stood as godparents and the parson officially named the baby Thomas William Bennet Darcy. After the ceremony, Darcy and Elizabeth were swarmed by everyone offering congratulations. Elizabeth soon had to relinquish her hold on Thomas as so many ladies wanted to hold and cuddle him; first Mrs. Bennet, then Jane, then Mary and Kitty, then Georgiana, then the Fitzwilliam ladies, among many others.
As there was the whole afternoon before the ball began, the men soon returned to their manly pursuits and the ladies to theirs, before many of them retired to their rooms to rest to be ready for a long night. Finally, everyone dressed in their finest for the ball. When they entered Pemberley's ballroom, they saw how nicely it had been decorated for this first ball to be held there for many years. Darcy and Elizabeth greeted their guests as they entered. Darcy did worry some about the interesting mix of people, as they ranged from the highest levels of titled society to small estate owners, to tradesmen from London and Derbyshire, to Scottish lairds dressed in their finest Jardine tartan kilts, full-dress sporrans, full plaids, Prince Charlie jackets, Balmoral caps with their Jardine pins, and even Highland dirks. Elizabeth had insisted on this mix of guests because of their many relatives and the importance of Pemberley to the local economy. Except for the continuing complaints from Lady Catherine, the guests appeared to mix quite amicably.
When the Jardines entered, all the ladies, even the married ones, took note of these exotic creatures, but they soon appreciated their obvious masculinity, even if they were wearing kilts. Word very soon circulated that the two young Scotsmen were unmarried and the sons of Lord Alasdair. As they were uncertain just how Scottish lords fit into the more well-known English levels of society, women from all levels viewed them with great interest. The unmarried Jardines soon were drawn into clutches of twittering women, and the two older Jardine brothers stood together looking over the crowd.
"Well Alasdair, who do you have your eyes on tonight? Anyone special? Are you looking for another young lassie for your amusement?"
"No, Robert, not tonight. With such a wide choice, I can be choosy. In any case, I have been thinking that it might be nice to have a lady to be my permanent hostess. It has been two years, and I have to admit that it would be nice to have someone warming my bed every night; certainly not a young one. I do not have enough energy to keep a young lass busy. I see two possibilities—that Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet. It would be fun to tame that Lady Catherine, but there is too much ice that would have to be melted first. Now, for Mrs. Bennet, I have a feeling that she is ready to find someone to replace her husband. I bet she would be a handful, knowing what her daughters are like. I bet she still has a lot of life left in her."
"Five pounds says you do not bed her before we leave."
"Done! Are you willing to make it ten if I bed her tonight?"
"Yes! But how is it that you are so sure of yourself?"
"She has that look about her that I love to see. I wonder if all of her daughters take after her? It is too bad these English are such prudes before marriage or my lads might have a good time tonight as well. From the looks of Darcy and his cousin the Colonel, they had better not try anything with Miss Darcy or they would be in deep trouble. Those are two very serious-looking men, especially the Colonel. They are like bears whenever anyone even looks at her." With these words, Lord Alasdair walked to where Mrs. Bennet was talking to her four daughters.
"Good evening, Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Bingley, Mrs. Darcy, Miss Mary, Miss Catherine. Are you all looking forward to dancing this evening? I believe my sons certainly are. Mrs. Bennet, will you be dancing tonight? If so, I would very much appreciate it if you would honour me with the first set."
The ladies had each curtsied in turn, and Mrs. Bennet blushed prettily when he asked her to dance. Her daughters all had surprised looks at his request of their mother as they were not used to seeing her receive attention from gentlemen. Mrs. Bennet managed to stutter a response, "My Lord, I have not danced for a long time, but I would be honoured to accept. Are you sure you would not rather dance with one of my daughters?"
"While they are certainly all very attractive, I am not sure if I could keep up with them. I can certainly see where their beauty comes from."
Kitty almost rolled her eyes when he said this, but she forced herself not to. As the musicians were warming up their instruments, Darcy and Bingley both came to claim their wives for the important first set. The two Jardine sons came and found that the Bennet sisters were very willing to partner them. Richard asked Georgiana to join him, which she was very pleased to do. Even though she was not yet out, her two guardians had decided that tonight she would be allowed to dance with family members only. She was pleased with this decision and she hoped that the definition of family would extend anyone related in any way to the Darcys.
With the start of the dance, almost everyone who wanted to dance had found a partner. Even Anne de Bourgh was asked by the younger Burleigh son, who was considered to be sufficiently eligible to receive Lady Catherine's permission. After this first set, Caroline Bingley was asked to dance by the Colonel, which surprised some, but not Darcy or Elizabeth. The townspeople were hesitant to dance at first, but soon timidly joined in, largely because of the warm welcome they had received from the Darcys. They also saw that the Gardiners were on the dance floor and they all knew that Mrs. Gardiner was one of their own, being originally from Lambton.
That important first dance set the tone for the whole evening. Soon all the guests were mixing, talking, and dancing, with little restraint from thoughts of class, except, of course, for Lady Catherine. Elizabeth had asked Darcy to put aside his normal uneasiness in large crowds to act as a good host to dance with any lady in want of a partner. She saw that he followed her request and danced most of the sets with many different ladies. She did not bother to ask the same of either Richard or Bingley as she knew they would be dancing every dance without her encouragement. She saw that the Scotsmen easily found willing partners, as did the neighbours they had invited.
Lord Alasdair was so pleased with the reception he had received from Mrs. Bennet during their dance that he went to a footman and told him to find his valet, Fergus, and tell him to come to see him. It took some time, but when he saw Fergus standing by the door, he went to him. "Fergus, I want you to go find out which room Mrs. Bennet is staying in. When I come up, I will want you to show me. Now go."
Fergus was not too surprised to hear this order as he had had the same assignment several times in the past. He went down below stairs and found a footman he had befriended. "Do you know who Mrs. Bennet's maid is? I need to talk to her."
"Yes, her name is Sally. She is over there. I will introduce you." They went to Sally and he introduced Fergus. Being ever discreet, he then left them alone.
"Sally, I have an unusual request from my master. Would you mind showing me which room Mrs. Bennet is staying in?"
Sally thought this was an unusual request, but she wanted to please Fergus as she saw he was one of the handsome Scottish servants that all of the English maids were admiring. "Come with me and I will show you."
She led him to the servants' stairs, but he stopped her. "No, I need to find the way using the main halls. Do not worry; all of the guests are in the ballroom, so no one is about. No one will see us."
Then she led him up the stairs to the hall of the family wing and showed him the door to Mrs. Bennet's room. Fergus looked very carefully and made sure he knew which door was the right one. He took her hand and said, "Thanks, Sally. Do you have anyone special?" When she shook her head, he said, "You are far too pretty not to have someone special in your life." He put his arms around her and said quietly, "May I kiss you?"
Sally was certainly not used to such forward behaviour from any man, especially as there were no young male servants in Mrs. Bennet's house. Her eyes grew large and she blushed. That was all Fergus needed, so he kissed her very gently. Still finding no opposition, he kissed her again, even more passionately. Seeing that her breathing was becoming very rapid, he pulled her tight against him, enjoying the feel of her against his chest. "Now will you show me your room?" Feeling such strange urges, she did not argue but led him into the servants' stairs.
When the dancing was nearing its end, husbands found their wives for the important last set and the rest of the family and guests were also finding their favourite partners. Lord Alasdair found Mrs. Bennet and they lined up with the other couples. At the end of the dance, he led her to a quiet corner. "Mrs. Bennet, I cannot say how much I enjoy your company and I would like to further our acquaintance. Remember that I said when we first met that we should get together to console each other?"
"Yes, my Lord, I certainly remember. I would like to do that some time."
He held both of her hands and looked deep into her eyes, "Mrs. Bennet, I have worried that sometimes I sleep walk at night. If I happened to sleep walk later and ended up at the wrong door, would I find it locked or unlocked?"
Her eyes opened wide as she realized just what he was asking. She felt a warm feeling inside her that she had not felt for a very long time. It had been many years since she had been courted, but she relished the sensations that resulted from the attentions she was receiving from a handsome gentleman. "Oh, My Lord, a lady could never admit to leaving her door unlocked when a gentleman asked her that. I suppose he would just have to find out for himself."
He smiled warmly at her, "My dear, I will see you later." With these words he went to find his hosts to thank them for a wonderful evening, and then he went up to his room, where he found Fergus waiting. "Well, did you find her room?"
"Yes, sir. Would you like me to take you there as soon as it is quiet?"
"Of course I would."
When the house became quiet, they very carefully walked to the family wing. Fergus noticed that Sally was peeking around a corner, waiting for them. When they reached the right door, Fergus stopped and nodded at it. Alasdair tapped on the door and tried the handle. It was unlocked. He went in and Fergus looked up to see Sally waiting for him down the hall.
Hours later, just before the house began to wake, Alasdair returned to the guest wing to see the Colonel leaving a room that was not his own. "Good morning, Colonel. Out for an early stroll, are you, or something like that?" He smiled conspiratorially at him.
"As you see. I see that you have been wandering as well." Richard was very curious to know who Lord Alasdair had been visiting, but he did not ask.
"Indeed. Pemberley is certainly hospitable, is it not?" With that, both men smiled as they entered their own rooms.
When Darcy and Elizabeth went up, they separated to get ready for bed, and then he went into her room, as he did every night. He lay beside her and held her, just as he had done every night since Thomas had been born. She said very quietly, "Remember when we first married and we lay just like this until I was ready? To let you know of my developing love for you, I rolled over to you and kissed you. I have never regretted that." With these words she rolled over to face him and kissed him.
"My love, are you sure? I thought it was still too soon after Thomas's birth?"
"I want you to love me, but please be very gentle so I can see how it goes. I think I am ready, but we will have to see. Will you forgive me if I have to stop you, just in case?"
"Oh, Lizzy, my love! Anything for you. Anything at all."