AN: The receptionist at my office has a small plastic goat figure that sits on a little plastic log. When you press down on the log, the goat screams. It is a mark of the last two weeks that nearly every time I have passed her desk, I have pressed the log. She's getting to dread seeing me ;oD. Somehow that scream is very satisfying since it would just be too much if I screamed myself, much as I might want to. Thank you to everyone who asked after me. It has just been a rough couple of weeks, health-wise and work-wise. To top it off, Will and friends haven't been talking to me much lately. I'm hoping with this chapter that has changed. We will see. Let's get back at it.


By her reaction, no one could doubt Mary's pleasure at the gift of the cheerfully painted open carriage with its graceful shape, good springs and a wide bench that could easily seat three passengers while carrying a picnic or a pile of purchases on the shelf behind it. It was a lovely vehicle and very well-built. When she saw it, her face took on a look of absolute delight and Will thought she held her breath while she waited for them to confirm it was really meant for her.

She found the two gentle ponies trained to pull the little carriage equally appealing. While not matched in color, they were both of a size and similar in many of their characteristics. They stood near the upper end of the height range to still be considered ponies. Both were dappled with white spots and had white manes to match, although one had a primarily golden coat and the other was mostly gray. The two stood calmly in the traces, unaffected by the small crowd gathered to inspect them, even when Eddy and Fred Gardiner were a little louder than they intended in their excitement as they asked the groom if they could pet the ponies on the nose.

"We considered getting a smaller vehicle that could be pulled by one pony, but we thought there would be times Lizzy might want to join you and Aunt Catherine. It seemed best to plan for that event," Will explained to Mary as she took a closer look at the carriage.

"It is perfect!" Mary insisted. "I could not have asked for anything better."

"I helped pick out the ponies," Tom said proudly as he gently patted the gold one on the neck. "The man we bought them from showed me how driving is a little different from riding. He let me go along with him when he drove them around to show off their paces."

Will shared an amused glance with his uncle while Mary thanked her brother for his care. They had enjoyed seeing Tom's enthusiasm and pleasure at being consulted during the purchase of Mary's gift and at being able to make the long ride to the dealer with the other men. The attention and exercise was having a good effect on the young man's health and overcoming any of the selfish or lazy traits he had exhibited when under the smothering care of his mother.

"That reminds me," Will said when Mary had finished thanking her brother, "We will be having one of the Rosings Park coachmen teach you how to manage your new ponies since none of us has experience driving despite being practiced riders."

"I hope you do not mind if I come along for the lessons, Mary," Lizzy added. I have never had an interest in riding, but I would like to know how to drive even if I do not use that knowledge often."

"I think I will be more confident if we both are learning together," Mary replied, then looked around at all the family. "Thank you, everyone. I never expected a gift like this, especially after all the other delightful gifts I have received today. I absolutely love it."

"We are glad to celebrate the day with you and your brother," Aunt Gardiner said. "You have been ignored or pushed aside for far too long. From now on our family will celebrate every member with joy."

All those gathered around responded to that statement with nods or comments showing their assent. Mary looked as if she might cry, but she quickly hid her expression by closely examining her new ponies, who w looked eager to take her anywhere she wished.

"Would you like a hand up, Mary?" Lord Ashby asked. "We can have the groom lead the ponies around the yard, so you can get a feel for what it will be like to drive them."

Mary agreed with the idea, and invited Eddy and Fred, who had been looking on longingly, to join her on the bench. Even just at a slow walk, she and the two boys had an enjoyable little ride. The groom led the pair of ponies around the yard and a few times up and down the drive before Mary declared herself satisfied for the moment and ready for them all to return inside to continue the joint birthday celebration.

~o~

Lord and Lady Ashby, Georgiana and the Gardiner family returned to London together the following day. Before they went, they arranged to pick up Kitty and Lydia for a visit of a month or two at Ashby Hall after Alex's wedding in mid-June. All three girls looked forward to spending more time together and said so frequently. Their excitement overcame Mrs. Phillips' last objections to allowing the visit. She trusted Will's aunt and uncle to take good care of Kitty and Lydia. All the same, she worried about them as a mother would. In addition, she was not sure what she would do with herself without any nieces in her house to care for over the duration of the visit. Her husband assured her the girls would be well and suggested they might even take a short trip of their own somewhere.

The next day, Charles, Jane, Tom, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and the youngest Bennet girls reluctantly headed back to Meryton in their turn. They had all enjoyed their visit to Rosings Park and were sorry to be parting from Lizzy and Mary again. Tom proudly rode alongside the carriages with Charles on this trip. He declared he was strong enough, and Charles and Will agreed. Privately, Charles assured Will and Lizzy he would keep close watch and if Tom seemed to be tiring too much, he would suggest they take a break on the way, but he did not think anything more than the break halfway to rest the horses would be necessary.

Will, Lizzy, Mary and Aunt Catherine felt sorry to see their guests all leave. It had been the first gathering of their combined families, and really the first time Mary and Lizzy had been able to spend so much time with Lydia. Mary had enjoyed getting to know her Gardiner cousins and spending more time with her aunts and uncles. Above all, the house had felt lively and full of love during the visit. Now, everyone was returning to their separate lives and the residents of Rosings Park all felt a slight feeling of emptiness as they watched their family members heading down the drive.

It was not long, however, before they returned to their own routines and the slight emptiness subsided. Having the family visit go so well increased Lizzy's confidence in running the household. Of course, she had also received a great deal of advice from the older women in the group and was now able to apply that as well as she went about her duties.

For Will's part, it was now well into the planting and growing season. During the visit he also had received a great deal of advice. He had made plans for the estate with the aid of his grandfather, uncle and cousin. Now he was able to put those plans in action, working with his various tenants and his manager for the home farm to ensure they would have the best possible yield that year. It was also a time to make necessary repairs around the estate, fixing any damage the extreme winter weather had caused while doing the regular maintenance needed to keep everything in order.

As the weather continued to improve over the next few weeks, so did Mary's skill at driving her little carriage. Once she felt comfortable enough to drive on her own, she and Aunt Catherine could frequently be seen driving along the lanes around Rosings Park, as well as traveling to Hunsford and to other small villages in the area. Lizzy learned to drive too, but she preferred to be a passenger. Sometimes, when her duties allowed, she would join the other two on their drives.

~o~

In early May, Will received a letter from his Aunt Miranda containing news from Derbyshire. He shared it with the ladies that evening. After the usual pleasantries in greeting and news of his young cousin, she said:

I have received a very apologetic letter from my brother. He admitted he was out of line when he banned me from Pemberley and has not only asked my pardon but extended an invitation for my family to visit at our convenience. I was a little surprised to learn from him that he had not originally even opened any of the letters I sent him including the ones with news of my son's birth or my invitation for him to come to the christening. He only found out about the events recently while going through all his collected mail. He says he is trying to turn over a new leaf in hopes of one day being worthy of reconciliation with his children. I would like to believe him and hope for the best, but in the end his success will be judged by you and Georgiana.

To that end, it seems he is trying to repair the damage that has been done at Pemberley through his negligence and the loss of his long-time steward, Mr. Wickham. The new steward had been rather ineffectual since he took over a couple years ago, but my brother admits a large part of that was due to a complete lack of guidance and support, something George says he is trying to fix.

Since receiving his letter, I have checked with my friends in the area. They confirm repairs are being made to the tenant homes and to the relationships George has neglected over the last few years. I have also heard that my brother has been confronted several times with the results of misdeeds and outright crimes committed by that Wickham boy he so favored. In a major change from years past, George is no longer trying to deny, explain away or ignore the proof of his godson's evil. Instead, he is making amends by paying outstanding debts or reasonable compensation as new issues come to light.

When you told me of the confrontation you and the rest of the family had with your father, you expressed doubts that he would actually change his ways. I cannot confirm how deep the change may be, but he clearly listened to some of what was said. At this time, I have merely thanked him for his invitation. I will keep in touch with my contacts and if he holds to his current course, my husband and I may make a visit this autumn.

Give my best wishes to Lady Catherine, your wife and her sister. I hope at some time to visit with you all, but just now my son is too young for such a long journey. I will have to keep that visit as something to look forward to in the future. Until then, know that you have my love.

"It is good to know that George actually heard some of what we said," Aunt Catherine said after Will finished reading the letter. "Like you, I had my doubts."

"I am glad to know that he is being faced with even more proof that George Wickham was not someone he could be proud to acknowledge as his godson and protegee," Lizzy stated. "While it is good that he is listening now and compensating people, he really needs to understand that his own stubbornness and negligence allowed all the trouble George Wickham caused to happen in the first place."

"That understanding may finally be sinking in with him," Will said, "although I suspect he has a long way to go before he accepts the full magnitude of the problem."

They dropped the subject then in favor of a discussion of Will's young cousin and when they might possibly find a chance to visit with Aunt Miranda and her family. None of them felt a visit was likely in the near future but speaking of possible ways it could happen was more pleasant than speaking of Will's father.

~o~

The subject of Will's father came up again a few days later. Will received a letter from the man himself. The letter began with hopes that Will and the other residents of Rosings Park were all well. He spoke a little about recent weather conditions in his neighborhood, where they had apparently had some severe rainstorms in the week previous to when the letter was written. Then he moved on to the heart of the missive.

Based on your information, I began my work here by meeting with each of my tenants to learn the sources of their discontent and do what I could to keep them on. Those were not easy or pleasant meetings, nor were the men shy about speaking their minds and stating their grievances. I had to work hard to listen with an open mind as they expressed their frustrations. I suppose it will come as no surprise to you that young George's sentence of transportation instead of death in the matter of his father's murder and the thefts from the estate was one of the items that came up again and again. They had all held Mr. Abraham Wickham in the highest esteem and felt I had handled the matter of his son's punishment very poorly indeed. In fact, they had much to say on the folly of my support of George over the last decade.

I have also received much condemnation for driving you away. Somehow most of them knew that you are now the master of Rosings Park, and they also seemed to know that you had been working for your living as a tutor since the time you graduated from Cambridge until you married and went to join your aunt in Kent. I am always amazed at how quickly gossip spreads and am even more amazed at the accuracy of the gossip in this case. I know you have not been in contact with any of them and cannot even begin to guess the source of their information. By whatever way they have learned it, our tenants have been clear that most of them are only willing to stay in expectation that one day you will inherit the estate. It has been a truly humbling experience.

The repeated comments from you and others in our family about the possibility George might have forged a copy of my will in his own favor were echoed by three of our largest tenants during our meetings. I have searched but have not found one and consider it a moot point in light of his conviction and transportation. All the same, the tenants worried that he might still find a way to make a claim against the estate, disrupting a smooth transfer of affairs to your care. Before they were willing to renew their leases with me, both Carver and Watkins demanded that I draft a new will with language specifically stating that it will supersede all previous wills and that it denies the validity of any will presented that leaves a bequest of any sort to George Wickham or his heirs no matter what the apparent date of the document may be. They further insisted on being duly signed witnesses to the new will in order to ensure their terms were met.

At first, I balked at their conditions and interference in my private legal affairs. They refused to back down, insisting they would leave if they could not be certain their lives and those of their families would never be under the control of George Wickham in any way. I finally conceded, working with my attorney in Derby to draft an updated will with my two primary tenants as witnesses to the final document. In return, they both signed new extended leases and will continue on at Pemberley. Once their two leases were in place, the other tenants agreed to renew their leases as well. I do not think we will lose anyone this year or in the next few years to come.

You should be pleased to hear that this year's crops are well in hand. Mr. Haskins, my steward, has implemented several changes in hopes of making the home farm more profitable. I would not take the time to listen to him when he proposed the same changes last year but this year I have decided to do everything I can to make up for the losses we have suffered. I realize it will be a few more years until Pemberley is truly back on its feet. The loss of lease income from that tract of the old Anderson estate will prolong the recovery time, but I think ownership of that land is back where it belongs. Because I was willing to honor the sale of it I am on good terms with the new owners, which will be helpful. Our neighbor, Sheffield, and his family have been on better terms with me since my return from Kent. I had not even noticed how much my relationships with our neighbors had deteriorated in the last few years. Once again, with lightning speed, the gossips have spread news of my meetings with the tenants and probably all the terms we agreed on as well. Still, my neighbors greet me as a comrade again when I leave the church service, so I suppose the loss of privacy is worth it.

I have heard that the Matlock townhouse will probably be full up with wedding guests next month. Do not hesitate to stay at Darcy House if you wish. Cathy, your wife and all your wife's family who plan to attend are welcome there for as long as you wish. It is still one of your homes. I want you to know that and know that you are welcome there at any time. I have much to do here and would not wish to make you uncomfortable with my presence, so I will probably only return to town for a few days to attend Alex's wedding. I hope to see you and your sister then.

"I am not certain I will feel comfortable staying at Darcy House, even if he is not there for most of the visit," Will said after he finished reading out the closing of the letter. "He is correct about the number of guests who will be staying at Parkside House, though. I suppose we must accept his offer of hospitality."

"Not if you do not wish to do so," Aunt Catherine said with a sly smile. "We have an alternative."

"And what would that alternative be?" Lizzy asked teasingly, sensing Will's aunt wished to surprise them with something.

"Why, we can stay in our townhouse," Aunt Catherine said, trying to sound as if it were the most natural answer in the world, but unable to keep the mirth out of her voice.

"I did not realize we had a townhouse," Will replied, returning her smile as he emphasized 'we.'

"Of course, we do. Admittedly, the de Bourgh townhouse is not in the most popular area like Parkside House and Darcy House, but it is still in a respectable neighborhood. The servants I have caring for the house assure me it is in good condition and ready for us at any time."

"I am surprised you do not have it leased out, with as rarely as you choose to go to town," Will said.

"I have not visited it since shortly after you were born, but Lewis always liked to keep it staffed and available for us at any time. After he died, I did not feel like changing the arrangements he had made. I had enough to think about here and did not really need the bit of income I would gain from leasing it enough to bother with the trouble of finding appropriate tenants and managing a lease."

"Well, if the house is available for us, then it is only right we stay there to be sure all is well," Lizzy said.

"I agree," Mary said. "We can thank Will's father but let him know we have alternate plans."

"I like that idea," Will said. "It gets us out of an uncomfortable situation while also giving us a perfectly acceptable excuse. I will tell him we are checking to see that the servants have kept things up and to evaluate whether it should be leased or sold in the future."

"What did you think of the rest of the letter?" Lizzy asked.

"It was heartening to know that even the tenants are holding him accountable for his behavior. I am surprised they felt so strongly about the will, but I am as certain as they are that George forged something that would cause trouble even if he could not inherit."

"The tenants would be the losers if the inheritance of Pemberley was contested," Aunt Catherine explained. "Even if it was resolved in your favor eventually, they would be back in a place of uncertainty and the steward would once again lack for proper direction while the legal issues were under consideration. You know how the courts work – if the forgery was good enough it could take years to resolve. The clause denying any future bequest to George Wickham is probably not legally actionable, but it means that if your father wished to change his will again and include Wickham, he would also have to address the provision in the earlier will. That is probably something a forged will would not account for, which provides some protection."

Will nodded thoughtfully. "I had not thought of the action in those terms. Of course, with the length of time it takes a message to travel to Australia and back, if Father dies the estate will probably already be settled before George could find out about it and make a response. I hope we do not have to find out any time soon, though. I have enough responsibility here. I would rather not take on Pemberley as well."

"Let us hope you do not need to for some time to come," Aunt Catherine agreed.

"Tell us more about the de Bourgh townhouse, Aunt Catherine," Mary said. "How big is the house, and where is it located?" With that request, the conversation turned to a description of the house Aunt Catherine had not seen in years and the planning began for the trip to London to join the family as they celebrated Alex's wedding.