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Interludes 55 Pemberley Christmas Carols
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December 1817
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"It will be more or less an intimate feast this year," smiled Jane. "The Great Gathering will only take place for New Year's eve and we will be able to spend Christmas with only family and staff."
"It will still signify around a hundred guests…" said Lizzy.
"Not guests," protested Fitzwilliam. "All know the place and live here most of the year. It will be an insiders' affair."
Lizzy looked at Mrs. Reynolds.
"We do have those new electrical lamp-ropes in enough numbers, Mrs. Reynolds?"
"We have enough to cover each square inch of the facades, Mrs. Darcy. The Company has been quite generous with material and staff members to install them. Once we are finished Pemberley will be visible at night from Derby and perhaps even from an airship landing in London. I'm quite sure that the Glasgow London Airline airships will make a slight detour to give their passengers the opportunity to see the Estate at night."
Fitzwilliam couldn't help but show his misgivings which made his wife and sister in law laugh at him.
"Come on, Fitzwilliam, Charles and the kids are enthusiastic with the project."
"Pemberley is not to be a sort of giant Christmas tree. I should have said no last year when Charles came with these lamp-ropes to adorn the firs and scotch pines of the park…"
"It was beautiful. The pictures of our park have pushed thousands of cities and even estates to follow suit. This year the whole of the British Empire will be alight like never before."
"It will cause a doubling of electricity consumption," grumbled Fitzwilliam. "Which is quite an idiotic way to waste public money. I know that the company's power plants do lessen their prices for the two weeks around Christmas and New Year but it lessens the company's income and thus lessens the State's revenue."
Jane laughed and looked at her sister.
"He has indeed Scottish blood, this husband of yours," teased she.
"Nothing to do with Scottish blood," answered Lizzie who quite liked her husband's thriftiness. "He has good sense aplenty, that's the truth. An advantage your spendthrift of a husband has clearly not. I won't ask how much the new reindeer stables and their Finnish staff had cost but I'm quite sure it will be horrendous."
"Sean wanted to organize ice sledge races," said Jane immediately in defender mode, "and Geoffrey did like the idea quite a lot. With Alexander's help and a heavy load airship it was only a matter of days to get everything from abroad." Jane frowned at her sister. "And if I remember well you weren't the last to make a run on your sledge."
"We couldn't chicken out of Geoff's challenge," said Fitzwilliam with the hint of a smile –he had won that first race after all-, "and the kids were rather insistent. We had no choice even if, I agree, we should have shown our displeasure by not participating."
Of course his comment set off a new series of attacks and counterattacks that lead into a lot of laughing fits.
"Girls and boys, please," said finally Mr. Bennet who was, as was his habit, sitting in his favorite armchair in Pemberley's private Library and not quite enchanted with the raucous his plentiful family was organizing in his favorite reading spot. "Do have a little respect for your old man! I'm trying to relax and make the most of the few days of holidays my over active wife grants me…"
"Oh, poor papa…" teased Lizzie. "You are so to be pitied, indeed."
"Indeed I am, you can't imagine how hectic the Bennet's life has become since the famous Doctor Bennet had opened her chain of Health Care Centers all over the world! I haven't spent two nights in a row in the same bed for weeks! It is not to be born, such a life!"
Jane immediately frowned but she was stopped by Lizzie head-shake. She could feel that their father was only joking. His new life did, when all was said and told, quite agree with him. Even if most of the time he was only following his very busy wife. But it agreed with the wanderlust she knew was not very deeply buried within their beloved father.
Seeing that he wouldn't get the comfort he was trying to extort, he forced himself to change subject, or more accurately, to come back to the old one.
"And I quite like the idea of reindeer-sledges, it will even have profitable side-effects with all these curious people swarming Derbyshire in winter to get a glimpse at you or the kids. We will probably have the possibility to use them to let said people make a tour of the Estate. Pemberley is even more beautiful when covered with snow, you know. And this year with the firs, pines and the main buildings alighted with those lightbulbs; it will be even more magic. I'm quite sure next week's cover of most magazines will be a picture of alighted Pemberley." He smiled at his son in law. "And I can only thank you once more to have accepted to host us all to give us the chance to be all under the same roof." He smiled at Jane and Lizzie. "But I must admit that I would like, one of these years, to have the privilege to organize a Christmas in Meryton in my old Longbourn Estate." His eyes did soon shine with unshed tears. "It would remind me of past years when my girls were perhaps the silliest girls of England but they were only mine to spoil and love…"
Of course both his daughters were immediately at his side to shower him with embraces and kisses.
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"Gentlemen, please take a seat," said Selim the Great while taking his own seat –an armchair around a great table, western style- at the head of the table.
All his counselors, old or new took their seat, while his current guest in Tabriz, sat in the place the Sultan had provided him just in front of him.
"And let us greet our esteem guest and neighbor MazymKhan Khazegheld who is currently my guest in the palace."
"It is my honor to be conveyed," said MazymKhan while speaking normally. It had been a few months now that he had shed his dimwitted bully persona and he was quite satisfied to, at last, be able to show himself as the man he really was.
"We are here to get a summary of the situation in the Empire." He looked at his right where Ayatollah Abduranni was acting as his Minister for Persian affairs. Abduranni nodded and took the floor.
"The situation is tense in most of the East provinces but not as tense as we could have feared a few months ago. The people are not happy but they are not unruly or on the brink of sedition. The measures taken by Geffraan Khan are paying off quite nicely. We have everywhere where it was possible hired locals to form the police force and it has paid as nicely as it had fifteen years ago in London. As said, our Persian subjects are not happy but they seem to accept our rule without having to force them to be calm. The fact that all armies have been garrisoned in isolated places where our troops are known to be near but not really present has been another stroke of genius. The soldiers are not as happy as they could be if they would have been lodged in the big cities but not seeing those foreign soldiers has done a lot to give us a peaceful occupation." He smiled at his Sultan. "No need to say that our people in the western provinces are more than happy even if the fact that there are rumors about a new Capital City in a more central position has pushed quite a few Baghdadi to make unsavory comments about the unfaithfulness of the Sultan."
"We will have to make an official statement about that question, your Majesty," said the Grand Vizier.
"Indeed," agreed Selim, "and let it be known that my Capital City will remain in Baghdad even if I will have to choose a Persian Seat of Power where I'll hold court a few months a year. With these new Dragonfly airships I can be there in less than a day in case of urgency." He looked at his sons who were present. "But I'll need a permanent representative there. I know that you both have ambitions to be my heir but as of now, I will remain steadfast with my first choice. Osman is my heir and I have no intention to change anything in that matter." He saw Mahmud's little frown and couldn't help but smile at his second son. "I know you consider yourself as the best candidate, Mahmud, my son, but I beg to differ. Being the smartest and the best military commander of the both of you is not enough to warrantee a smooth transition. For now, Osman is the man who's the best chances to hold my Empire in one piece." He smothered Osman's smile with a frown. "Not because he is the best but because a lot of my Nobles believe that he will be easier to steer into the direction they want." The last trace of a smile disappeared on Osman's face. "But even if he is not the smartest I know that Osman is the steadiest man I ever encountered. He knows what he wants and he won't be pushed out of his chosen way by anyone. It will be my duty to convince him that my path is the path that the Empire needs and that the voices of those who wants us to live like our forefathers are not to be listened to." His glance lost all warmth to become icy. "I'll help you by culling out every one of them who's foolish enough to speak up. But some will be clever enough to shut up and bid their time. Those it will be your duty to control." His glance wandered to Mahmud. "As it will be my duty to convince you, son, that the Empire needs both of you. Osman to control the nobility and you to ensure the Empire's borders. I know that d'Arcy holds you in great esteem and that he believes you'd be the best on the throne. I do have a great trust in his advice but on the matter of my succession I really believe it would be of disservice to you to hand you the throne because my vassals would come out to topple you." He stopped his son's comment. "I don't say that you wouldn't prevail, son, I'm even convinced that d'Arcy would stand at your side and give you a hand to crush the unruly rubble. But even if you win, at last, the Empire would be lost in civil strife for years and I fear that some newly acquired provinces would take the hint and try to secede. And the Empire can't afford a new crisis! We need peace for, at least, two or three decades to digest the results of our recent victory." His eyes wandered back to Osman. "I really believe that Osman's personality, made of patience and diplomacy is what the Empire needs as a ruler after my tyrannical and blood-lusty self has been called back at Allah's side." His eyes wandered around the whole table. "I confirm here my choice for an heir but I also ask both my sons to stop jockeying for the place of ruler. There are, abroad, clear examples of brothers who work together to cement their power and to serve their dynasty. I don't see why my blood wouldn't be able to do what others seem to do with ease and without the least misgivings. I therefore demand that both of you accept its place and works for the good of the Empire before thinking of his own interests." He took a long a profound breath. "I'm not yet dead and I will look at the both of you like a mother hen. Don't disappoint me; you know I don't react to disappointment very well."
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"I'm very happy that you are progressing in such a manner, boy, but you should remember that school has ended last Friday…" said Rob Roy to Lionel who, like every day, had come to give his future teacher a complete summary of his learning day.
"I prefer learning," said Lionel. "It is as if my mind was a puzzle and each time I put a piece at the right place, my whole is becoming fuller. Or more complete…" He closed his eyes like he often did when searching for words to explain things. "I'm not sure my words are precise enough but it is as if I had, in the beginning, a dark box for a mind and with each new thing I understand, a light is switched on and I see a little better what it is I have in my mind." He opened his eyes and a huge smile lighted his face. "And I can't stop wanting enlightening my mind. I want more light and I want it now…"
"I do understand you, boy, and since I have no other place to go than Pemberley, you are welcome to come tell me every day what you have done. But you should take into account that there must also be a time where you let your body rest and your mind relax. And tomorrow your mama and papa will be here and they will want to spend time with you and your sister. You should take it easy for the next few days. You'll see you will be even better at learning once you're rested and happy."
Lionel nodded but his smile soon vanished.
"I'm not sure I like it when mamma and papa are here. Papa prefers Joan and mamma is only half with us. He mind is always wandering and solving problems."
"Why don't you just ask her to stop working and repeat her what I just have said to you? She's as dedicated to her job that you are to your studies. Tomorrow when she arrives go see her and make a deal: you both just enjoy being together, relaxing and resting side by side…Wouldn't you love to race with the others on the lake?"
"Of course I would but papa will never accept that mamma takes risks."
"Don't let him spoil your pleasure! Go and organize yourself your participation to the race! If everything is ready they won't have a choice but to follow suit!"
"You really believe so?"
"I'm sure" said Rob Roy while winking at his future pupil. "Tomorrow is your day: go and do everything to get what you wish should happen."
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"You like him, don't you?" asked Tilana after the boy had run out of her lover's office.
Rob Roy sighed.
"Of course I like him; he's a loner, like I was at his age. He feels that most of the others don't trust him. And that's exactly why I'm worried about him. He pays mistrust with arrogance and spite. I really hope we'll find a way to lure him out of his isolation…"
"So do I because I don't like what he could become if he goes on in this very direction," sighed Tilana. "I don't understand why he is looking at what he call the 'normals' with such disdain. Those who work here at Pemberley are dedicated and trustworthy retainer. They serve the family with pride and devotion."
"I believe that's the problem, love," said Rob while pulling her at his side. "Everyone in Pemberley knows the family's history with way to much accuracy. The Wickham episode is in everybody's mind and if you ask a few questions you will soon learn that they all believe Wickham to be responsible for the kidnapping of the Bennet sisters and Georgiana. And even if they all do their utmost not to show it, they don't treat little Lionel in the same manner as the other kids…"
Tilana tried to intervene but he stopped her.
"I know that the fact that Lionel can be perceived as arrogant and self-centered doesn't help, but the fact is that here in Pemberley, not in Spalatro or in France where the retainers have no history with the family and it is quite the contrary, Lionel is treated differently than the other kids. He's tainted by his father's misdeeds. And since he is a very perceptive little boy, he feels it –he doesn't know why they do it, but he feels that they scorn him. And when I look at this little boy's potentialities I'm scared at what the scorned man could do to take revenge." He sighed. "Because, love, he is a lot smarter and dedicated than everybody else I know. I don't like using the word but look at the way he's siphoning knowledge in science and technology! He's already able to understand mathematical theories I'm just unable to grasp." He shot her his most rakish smile. "And I'm no moron myself." She smiled back and was quite pleased to see the transformation Rob Roy Kealey had gone through these last months. He was still the rake and seduction addict but he had found ways to become a responsible man and little Lionel's problems had played a major role in his mutation. And she quite liked what he was becoming.
"I know what they implies, and I'm awed at the way this lonely little boy is embracing it, understanding it and reinventing it… Whatever happens he will be a genius of planetary proportions, but look at what Charles who is a genius in his own right could have become if he hadn't been pulled out of his depression after the Jane episode? It is our duty to pull him out of the path scorn is leading him to."
"You do everything in your power, love," said Tilana while cuddling herself against him. "And I must say that I love what you are doing. I would never have guessed that behind the rake and seducer a kind father figure was hiding." She felt him turn and she knew she's got all his attention.
"What would you say if I would propose you to go to another level in the same direction?"
"What do you mean, love?"
"I mean becoming a father for real… That's what I mean."
He made a move and soon she was in his lap and he was looking in her eyes.
"You mean you and me?"
She could have smiled at his surprised face but there was another –smarter- move to be done.
She frowned.
"You have another woman in mind?"
Her comment had the awaited for result and he began stammering.
"Of… Course… Not… But…"
She had pity and stopped him.
"Indeed you and me… And please take note that we Ghadaran witches normally do not ask the mate about what is clearly our business alone. But I'd like you to stay with me when he or she is born. That's why I ask you it you'd like to be the father of my first child."
His broad smile was answer enough.
Which was a very good thing because, even if he didn't know, he was already on the way to have an offspring. His smile just meant that he would also be the kid's father not only his begetter.
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"The Scottish delegation is arriving," said Jane while looking out of the window. "I hope it isn't Donald who is piloting."
"I fear it is," said Lizzie. "Look at the way the 'Wyrnfly' is hedgehopping. That's not how Andrew would do it if he was in the driver's seat." She snickered. "We are in for a Fitzwilliam lecture!"
"And a good thing it will be," said Jane. "How can he be so reckless? He has little ones aboard."
"Who have probably squealed their pleasure the whole way from Edinburgh," smiled Lizzie. "You know how our Scotts are."
"More the reason for the adults to act like adults," hissed Jane. "Exemplarity is always important when educating little ones. How are we going to explain to the kids that being prudent is important?"
Lizzie took her sister by the hand and pulled her to the door.
"Easily, with love and patience, as usual. For now let's greet our sisters and their families."
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"Yes, I agree, the situation looks good," said Charles Douglas, Georgiana's husband while sipping his flavored tea. "The Scotts are really fed up with the old politicians who have repeatedly shown that they are only looking for their own interests. We are presenting Unionist Candidates everywhere and as it is it will be a landslide. We should at least have two thirds of the Chamber. And if it is the case we will immediately launch the Re-Union Procedure." He looked at Fitzwilliam. "We are, at least, getting the awaited ending…"
"Don't sell the bear's fur before having killed the beast," said d'Arcy. "Voters are fickle human beings! Everything's still possible."
"Not with the opposition we have," said Donald. "You wouldn't imagine how idiotic most of the time they are. They have used arguments that have antagonized even their own wives. Everybody agrees that they will soon be drained into political obsolescence. We are still investing a lot of time in convincing the voters but most of our time is used to prepare the integration of Scotland into the Kingdom. We will be ready the day following our victory."
"As Geoff had pointed at, don't become preposterous," said Fitzwilliam. "We have already the certainty that Scotland will join England and Wales on William's coronation day and…" He looked around him and was surprised not to see his nephew who had been at his father's side a few minutes before.
"Where's William?"
"I believe there's a Russian airship who's hovering over your snow covered lawns, dear brother," said d'Arcy with a smile. "I suppose William wanted to see by himself how the Russian technology is faring these days. You know my sons are real technolovers."
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"It was fun," said George while carefully putting his daughter in her bed.
"It was indeed," agreed his wife while holding a sleeping –and smiling- Lionel in her arms. "And we will do it again tomorrow because we cannot accept to have been defeated by only a hair." She shook her head to stop her husband's next comment. "He will love it as he loved it today. We owe it to them to spend as much time as possible with them. And clearly that reindeer sledge race is what they want to do again."
"I was afraid the whole time we were on the lake. I have seen more than once the ice breaking under a servant's weight."
"I looked into it and went to speak with Loudiv who has organized all the ice skating events. She has given me every insurance that the ice is thick enough to hold twice the weight of a sledge and four reindeers. She surveys it personally before each and every race. And she's there during the whole event. We have been safe all the time. And we will be safe all the following days, believe me."
"I wouldn't want to lose you or the kids…" said he with a rueful smile.
"You won't lose us. Not here in Pemberley with a bodyguard behind every second tree and a whole magical circle surveying every event. It is the most secured place on earth for us, so stop being scared. You just spoil the kids' pleasure."
He bowed.
"As Madame commands…"
"Indeed, that's the right way to see it!"
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"Let's do it!" shouted Charles while looking at his chief engineer who lowered the lever.
At the same second the whole façade of Pemberley was lit up by thousands of different lightbulbs and what has been, till then, a dark structure obscuring the clear stellar night sky one could only guess became a light sculpture.
A giant 'whaoo' which could probably be heard till Derby tremored Pemberley's lake where all the residents had been standing to await the 'moment of enlightment' as Charles had dubbed it.
And it was a scene to be looked at.
Charles technicians had done a great job of installing the right color bulbs at the right places and –contrary to the firs and other pines, those bulbs didn't come in one –yellowish- color but in a dozen different nuances of colors.
"And now the lake, Andrew!" shouted Charles and soon the islands of Pemberley's lake did lit up in the same manner letting everybody discover the tent and the structures Charles artisans had built during the day in order to accommodate all the people of the neighborhood who would participate to Fitzwilliam's "winter ball" a skating and dancing event where the master and mistress of Pemberley were inviting everybody who was willing to come to share an evening and a part of the night with them.
Once more Charles' voice could be heard.
"Ladies and gentlemen: Fitzwilliam Darcy!"
And four light projectors went up lighting Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth up while they were standing on the little day Charles' crews had built just to that purpose.
Fitzwilliam could only shake his head.
"Please Charles, I'm sure one is enough, my guests really do not need to see every wrinkle in my face…"
And everybody was rather surprised with Charles' latest surprise since Fitzwilliam's voice could be heard from one end of the lake to the other as if he would have been standing in front of each individual guest.
"I see you've finally mastered those famous sound emitters' of yours…"
Charles held out a hand and one of his technicians gave him an object that looked like a giant lollipop.
"Indeed we have and as you see I am, with this little device, able to add my voice to yours and it will, as yours, be transported to the speakers my men have disposed everywhere around the lake. But that's not all, ladies and gentlemen tonight is the night when, for the first time in recorded history a man –in this case the Regent of the British Federation- will be able to be heard not only here but also in London, Edinburg and Dublin simultaneously thanks to our new medium the long distance sound emitter… The floor is yours dear brother, the British Isles are listening."
Fitzwilliam shot a dark look to his brother who –as it was his habit- had forgotten to give him that last little information. But he had already prepared a speech for his neighbors and tenants he would have to adapt it to his new audience. He felt Lizzie hand in his and he smiled at her while breathing one long breath.
"Friends, neighbors and dear people of all around the Kingdom, I'm glad to be able to send you, in person, my best wishes for these coming days which are, days of merry making and family gathering. We've come a long way since the first time I was, as the Regent, speaking to the Constituents in London and…"
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"Nice speech, Fitzwilliam," said d'Arcy who, for once was only with Yasmina since his two other wives were dancing on the wooden floor where half his guests were currently twirling to the music of a Scottish Gig and having quite a lot of fun. Elizabeth and the other Bennet sisters were at Jane and Maureen's side enjoying a perfect clear night together.
"Thanks, Geoffrey, I suppose you knew about Charles' surprise?"
"Indeed but as you can see I'm quite good at not sharing secrets with you! You did well and I'm quite sure that the people in London, Dublin and Edinburgh had been touched by your closeness. For this one we used the Chappe lines to get the sound to town but Charles says that within a year he will be able to send sound –and other data for that matter- through the ether to even the remotest places on Earth. The only reason he didn't do it already this year is because they still don't understand how those electromagnetic waves do move through the ether. Some places get the message and some places don't and it is not always the same who is receiving." He smiled at the figure of Charles who was, probably for the thousandth time this evening, explaining how his EMW emitters where working. "He did make a giant test though…"
"What do you mean?"
"Well he had sent receivers to every town where the Company has a factory or a setting and his people had all orders to switch on the receivers and to listen. Tomorrow he will know who got your speech and who was deaf. It will give him precious information about the way these EM move through our atmosphere."
Fitzwilliam couldn't help but snicker.
"Tomorrow I'll be able to speak to the whole world at the same time… Where will we stop, Geoff?"
"We won't," came the immediate answer. "Charles' scientists have a thousand ideas a day, most of them are foolish or gibberish but some of them are really interesting and do lead them to really new perspectives. You've heard of the Niepce brother's new engine? The one with the unpronounceable Greek name of them?"
"You mean the engine everybody but them calls a jet engine? The one that will give Charles a brand new generation of fast airships?"
"Indeed, I've seen yesterday's demonstration on the lake and I'm impressed. With these engines airships should be able to fly at more than five hundred miles per hour. We will soon have airships with tremendous new speed that will be able to journey to the other side of the world in less than a day. For a ruler who has dominions all over the world it will give you a range no ruler has ever had before."
Fitzwilliam shot he glance towards the sky.
"No human ruler, you mean…"
"Are there others?" asked d'Arcy with a wink.
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"You don't feel cold?" asked Elizabeth Alexandrovna who was covering under a heavy fur blanket at William's side while they were gliding through Pemberley's parc in one of the new reindeer sledges.
"It's a family trait," said William with a smile. "We are all more or less temperature resistant…"
"As is being stronger, needing less sleep and, but that's not so easy to measure, since it could be a natural consequence of having smart parents, being smarter than most of the others?"
William didn't try to look surprised. After all Elly was the daughter of the third most powerful ruler of the world. It was written that his agents would, one day, add the facts toghether and come to conclusions.
"Indeed…" said he with a knowing smile. "God has blessed us on more than one level."
If she was disappointed that her little surprise had backfired she didn't show.
"How did said blessing happen?"
"That's a family secret that will be only told to my wife the day after the wedding night…"
"Why not immediately after the wedding?"
"Because it is another of our family traditions. We hold the secret till the last moment possible. And, as my future wife will see, the morning following the wedding night the secret is no longer possible."
She shot him a mock angry glance but was soon smiling again.
"Since I still have my chance in that matter I won't nag you but be sure that should I not be the one, I'll pester father till the end of time to get all the answers about you little secret."
"As said, you still have your chance and I don't doubt for a moment that you will nag your father with all that normal daughterly insistence I see every day in action," said William while smiling at her.
"This comment will be repeated to all criticized female elements of your family and should bring upon you the wrath of quite a lot of snow balls tomorrow afternoon." She couldn't stop a huge yawn. "Because I do fear that tomorrow morning I will have to lie in… We not so blessed human beings we need our sleep and we a…"
William was at her side and caught her head against his shoulder. And it was quite pleasant to have her sleeping in his arms. He smiled at Geoffrey and Janet who were sitting on the other side of the sledge.
"Smart young lady, isn't she?"
"Indeed," agreed Janet. "And always smiling and happy. Hopefully you'll learn to do it at her side as Papa has learned at mamma's side. A smiling William d'Arcy would be a massive improvement."
"I do smile," protested William.
"Once a month, probably not more…" teased Janet.
"You're lucky that I don't want to awake her because without her my vengeance would be terrible."
"I propose a snowball battle tomorrow afternoon," said Geoffrey. "Boys against girls…"
"We have a deal," agreed Janet. "Prepare yourself for a humiliating defeat."
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"Betty just took their flag…" said d'Arcy with an enormous smile adorning his face. "Once more she's shown that she has the best tactical feeling of them all."
"William's strengths are patience and perseverance," said Jane who was at her husband's side surveying what had been a rather lengthy and uncertain battle.
"This time he clearly forgot his strengths to try to play in Betty's register," commented Charles. "Why would he do such a thing?"
Jane frowned at him and shook her head.
"You too have been young and foolish and in love…" said Kitty. "He wanted to show off. And he was quite successful if I might say. Without Fluffy's intervention it would have been him who would have taken the foes' flag."
"That is where you see superior tactical thinking," said d'Arcy. "Betty had let Fluffy as her tactical reserve. She could save the flag because she wasn't use somewhere else. The boys' flag was undefended and Betty had no problem bringing it back to the Girls' fortress. Never forget to have a reserve…"
"What if you don't have enough troops to keep a reserve," asked Fitzwilliam from the fireplace where he was dozing around.
"If your opposite is not a fool, you are doomed!"
"They are coming home…" said Jane. "I can see at their faces that it was fun for everybody." She looked at the maid who was at her side. "Clarissa, dear, let cook and their personal servants know that the tribe is coming back they will be hungry and in need of a hot bath. Please do hurry."
"Yes, Madam," answered Clarissa before running toward the door.
"What about sharing their chocolate," asked Charles? "I'm quite sure that they will love to banter with us about their battle." He winked at Darcy. "Next time we could join them, couldn't we?"
Fitzwilliam couldn't help but smile.
"What would the world say about us when, the day after tomorrow we are pictured in every magazine making a snowball battle?"
"That our kids are happy to have young and wealthy parents," answered Kitty."She looked at her husband with a wicked smile of her own. Tomorrow we do it, alright?"
"Indeed, and since this night we will have a new snowfall we should have the best conditions we could think of."
Mr. Bennet looked at his wife and they both smiled happily. Life was indeed pleasant and worth to be lived.
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"She looks quite satisfied…" said Elizabeth while her husband frowned for the thousandth time at the picture on Kingdom of Light's first page.
"She should," said Alexander. "I will have half the court in my office tomorrow morning howling at me because of my daughter's unseemly behavior."
"She's sleeping…" said Elizabeth. "And they are with the Darcy siblings and four bodyguards. Nothing unseemly but the picturer's cheek to picture our daughter without our consent."
"There's that, indeed" agreed the Czar. "But I fear we won't get this ruffian's head. You know that the Brits do refuse to hand out their journalists even if they have committed a crime of lèse-majesté."
"That being said I quite like the picture," said Elizabeth. "They are cute together…"
The Czar stopped his comings and goings and looked another time at the picture.
"You're right and what I do like even more is William's smile." He looked at his wife. "He's visibly pleased."
"And she feels visibly safe," added his wife while smiling at her husband who nodded.
"Not the worse combination, I agree."
I
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"No we won't," said William.
Charles looked up and he could see his Uncle's surprise and disappointment.
"How so? This picturer has clearly trespassed in the grounds of Pemberley. Which is forbidden and punished with a fine and imprisonment. Piece of cake to get that one punished…"
"First you won't find him and second I don't want us to sue him. I rather like the picture and I look at the fact that we have, finally been seen together as a sign. We should perhaps go a little further…"
"You want to make it official?" asked Fitzwilliam.
"Not in the sense that I want anything officially concluded between Russia and us but I'd like to have it known –by discreet or indiscreet ways- that Elizabeth and I we are looking at knowing each other better in order to know if certain plans are or are not viable…" He shook his head. "I don't want a betrothal, at least not yet, but I'd like to have the possibility to be with her without having the necessity to hide. That's why I didn't call when I saw the man and his picturing machine."
"It could have been a pistol…" said Donald. "There is no real difference of attitude between a sniper and a picturer, you know that as well as we."
"Indeed I know but I just knew that he wasn't there to get at me."
"I'm quite glad that, for once, your gut feeling was right," said Fitzwilliam. "But let me be very clear: this was the last time you let a feeling take precedence over basic safety measures! Next time you see a stranger coming at you, you do as you were taught and you call out just before taking cover! Is that clear?"
I
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"Of course we knew it was a journalist…" said d'Arcy. "Fluffy has informed me the second he climbed over the wall."
He took his wife's hand and kissed her.
"I will never play with our kids' safety, believe me."
"I thought we were safe here in Pemberley."
"We are safe, love, I promise. I could have stopped him the second he had put a feet on the lawn but I wanted to see how our human security was faring."
"And you are…"
"Disappointed at more than one level. Without Fluffy the man would never have been spotted. And he could have been a sniper. If it had been the case one or more of our kids could have been injured."
"Or one of our guests killed," said Jane. "I'm quite sure the kids will be able to survive a gunshot wound. I'm not quite so sure with some of the people who will soon be with us in Pemberley."
"I agree… But we already have a lot of security. If we add any more we will be unable to take a walk without having half a dozen body guards walking around us. I'm very aware that our life could depend on it but I really can't see how to increase the security measures while going on living normal lives. I don't know for you, but I do like our little private evening swim in summer…"
"So do I," agreed Jane. "But I like even more being alive."
"You are not at risk, love," interrupted Maureen. "You are probably the most popular queen mom the British Isles have ever worshiped…"
"Even Saints have been killed in past History," said d'Arcy. "One loony fanatic is often enough."
"Well, thank God, we still have Fluffy and Speedy who are quite efficient in that field."
"Which is not their field at all," reminded d'Arcy. "The fact that they are extraordinary guardians is only a by-product, let's not forget it…"
"Which changes nothing at the fact that we are here and that your safety is very important to us," said Fluffy who was mimicking sleep on the most comfortable carpet. "We are hunters and we hunt by sensing life emanations. It's quite easy for us to spot strangers…"
"And we can only be very grateful," said Jane. "But the fact remains that this man has been able to pass through at least three layers of protective features."
"There is no perfect protection," said d'Arcy. "And in my former life as an assassin I thrived on that fact. We will have to find solutions but it can't be by hiring more staff. The best protection is when guards do know each other… If we have half an army standing guard around Pemberley or Spalatro it will give strangers the opportunity to blend in. And that is even more dangerous." He sighed and looked at Fluffy. "I must admit that I'm becoming quite addicted to our very own Nightcrawler's presence."
"And said Nigthcrawler is quite happy to have the opportunity to be of service…" sent Fluffy. "I know some members of the family are not very happy with our being here but I can only affirm that we have every intention to prove and our usefulness and our loyalty to what has become our family…"
Jane couldn't help but crouch at Fluffy's side and stroke her.
"Thanks dear, we appreciate your being here and even Maureen has come to accept that even such as you are is not deemed to live an evil life…"
"It is all a matter of perspective. Is normalcy evil when you know that if you don't strike first you're doomed?"
"This is perhaps what life looks like behind the veil but it clearly is not how it looks like here. We decide how we live our lives and what is the truth for us is clearly also the truth for you and Speedy. You have the means on this side of the veil to live the exact same life of mayhem and destruction that there. But you chose not to reproduce here what's reality there. And it was your choice alone. Nobody forced you. And we are very glad you're here with us, sharing our lives and happiness."
I
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A little afterword to justify a choice I didn't make till this chapter. It was fun to invent new words for items we know under specific new denominations but it is becoming very difficult to manage. So, in order to have only characters and times to manage I have decided that even if Charles has given them new different names, I'll stick to those names we –from this parallel universe- have invented for the concepts. It is a little less fun but it is easier to manage.
Have fun !
