Previously: Mr. Fogg secured Rick's return to Jane (those Gentle Readers wondering at Mr. Fogg's strategy may wish to reread the last few paragraphs of Chapter 8).
Thursday, December 10, 1818
Hollyhock House, Meryton, Hertfordshire
"I'm not going." Miss Gardiner (Mrs. Bennet as she once had been styled) looked at the invitation a footman from Netherfield Park had just delivered.
Sir Charles Bingley and Lady Bingley invited her and Mrs. Philips to tea the next day. The Bingley coach would be sent to convey them.
Mrs. Philips took the invitation away from her sister. "Nonsense, we are both going" and she dashed off a short note of acceptance to give to the footman.
After the footman had left Miss Gardiner resumed her whine. "Why would I want to see this Bingley person all these years after he deserted my Jane. I don't care if he has been knighted." She sniffed.
Mrs. Philips reached over and patted her sister's knee. "Fanny, you want to go to this tea because you want to see how this Lady Bingley measures up to our Jane. And you want to see what changes they have made to the great house. I know I want to find out the truth about those Roman baths they have supposedly installed. Plus, I have heard of no other prior invitations having been extended to any of the other families hereabouts; we might be the first ones; so just think of the news we'll be able to share."
Friday, December 11, 1818
The Great House, Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire
Sir Charles greeted his two guests as they descended from his carriage. He offered each an arm and guided them through the front door. He kept up a stream of inconsequential chatter as they were divested of their wraps and then he led them into the drawing room.
Lady Bingley had been gazing out the window and she turned to them. "Hello Mama."
Miss Gardiner (that was Mrs. Bennet) gasped. "No, no … I can't… I won't…" she said and turned back to the door.
Mrs. Philips blocked her. "This has gone on long enough Fanny, deal with it" and she turned her sister back around.
By then Jane was upon them and she gathered up her mother in her arms. Soon mother and daughter were both in tears.
Mrs. Philips took Sir Charles' arm. "Let's leave these two alone for awhile, shall we. Now you must show me these Roman baths of yours I have heard so much about" and she nudged him out the door.
Tea was not time enough to talk away six years hurt and so the visit stretched to, and past, dinner, and finally it was agreed that the two ladies would spend the night, which gave them each a chance to bathe in one of the Romanesque bathtubs the Great House boasted (there were six different ones they had been shown; in their tour they were not shown the ones in the servants' quarters nor the double bath located in the master's suite).
As she luxuriated in her hot bath, the best of her life, one of the things Mrs. Bennet (Jane had convinced her to resume her title, saying that she did not want to be thought illegitimate) thought about was whether young Farr (who had inherited his father's woodshop and talent) could make chests for her three new grandchildren, one of whom was a Viscount, she grinned at that, in ten days (he could and did, indeed for all the grandchildren Mrs. Bennet was about to meet; but that was only because Mrs. Philips, who had been in on the Netherfield secret since the past October, Sir Charles having contacted her via Mrs. Gardiner, had made all the arrangements well before time).
Friday, December 25, 1818
The Great House, Pemberley, Derbyshire
All things considered (and it being Mr. Darcy, all things were considered) this was the best Christmas Darcy had ever experienced.
He, Elizabeth and the children had gone for a walk in the snow; built a snowman; enjoyed tea en famille; and were now having a quiet time around the fire; Bennet playing with his soldiers, Anne with her doll, and Edward with his wooden animals and Ark. Elizabeth was reading her new book, and he supposedly was reading his, but what he had really been doing was staring at his wife, his lovely pregnant wife. Soon he would read the Christmas story to the children and then they would be packed off to the nursery and he would be alone with his wife, his beautiful wife. He closed his eyes and let the contentment wash over him. This was truly peace on earth.
Edward started to wail.
Mr. Darcy's head snapped up. Anne had one of the elephants from Edward's set and Edward wanted it back.
"Anne, give Edward back his toy" Elizabeth said.
Anne ignored her mother. Instead, she stood up and walked towards Mr. Darcy. She dropped the elephant on the floor, out of Edward's reach, and then held up her arms to Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Darcy picked her up, she whispered in his ear "Papa, would you please take me for a walk in the orangery before bedtime. It's so nice there. Pretty please" and then she kissed Mr. Darcy on the cheek.
Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth. As she seemed to have Edward well in hand, he thought it best that he removed Anne from her little brother's ire. He stood up.
"Where do you think you are going?" asked Elizabeth.
Anne answered before Mr. Darcy could. "Papa is taking me to the orangery." She smirked at her mother.
"No, he is not. Bennet go ring the bell" said Elizabeth.
Nothing was said while they waited on the nursery maids, indeed not until after the children had been ushered out of the room.
After more than six years of marriage Mr. Darcy knew enough not to talk first; especially not when the storm clouds were roiling across Elizabeth's face. He waited.
Finally, Elizabeth spoke. "Jane was right. You and Anne are conspiring against me."
Mr. Darcy did not answer, not right away. He pondered Jane's warning given on that horrible day she and Georgiana had ran away. Certainly, he spoiled Anne, after all she was his only daughter; he supposed Mr. Bennet had spoiled Elizabeth, clearly, she was his favourite daughter. But how had Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth acted in concert against Mrs. Bennet? Then he remembered the stories they told of Elizabeth's tomboy exploits: climbing trees, hunting for frogs, playing pirate; and how, when Mrs. Bennet scolded Elizabeth for destroying her clothes, Mr. Bennet would laugh and tell her to let Elizabeth be. He wasn't like that, was he? He respected Elizabeth; and he respected her authority over their children. He never undermined her, did he? He had just concluded Jane was wrong when he felt a tug at his conscience. The rattle.
Two days ago, the five of them, he, Elizabeth and the three children, had been in the nursery. He and Elizabeth had been watching as Bennet showed them a tower he had built with his blocks when Anne had taken Edward's rattle and started teasing him by pretending to give it back and then snatching it away. Edward commenced to caterwaul and Elizabeth had told Anne to give the rattle back. Anne dropped the rattle out of Edward's reach, walked up to Mr. Darcy, took his hand and said "Papa, let's go for a walk." Not being able to tolerate Edward's howling Mr. Darcy had smiled an apology at Elizabeth and taken Anne and Ben for a walk in the park. He thought he had been doing Elizabeth a favour by taking the two eldest while she calmed Edward down. But he had been complicit in Anne's defiance. And she was only three. What was it going to be like when she was thirteen?
Mr. Darcy shook his head; he would not let Anne come between Elizabeth and him. He stepped towards Elizabeth. She backed away.
"I am sorry, I know what you are saying and I will change. I will not spoil Anne at your expense. Please do not let it spoil our Christmas." Mr. Darcy kept moving towards Elizabeth and took her into his arms. He could feel her stiffen and try to push him away. He did not let her.
She sniffed. "Christmas. How is this day different from any other?" She tried to break free.
Mr. Darcy hugged Elizabeth closer to him. It seemed that there were two counts against him. He realized that a Darcy Christmas was different from a Bennet Christmas. He remembered how boisterous and fun that first Christmas of their marriage had been, when the Bennets and Gardiners had been with them, and even the subsequent ones, notwithstanding the Gardiners' refusal to chance the Derbyshire winter weather and Jane's refusal to honour Pemberley with her presence, had been jolly and merry. And now his Elizabeth had suffered through a staid Darcy Christmas. He vowed to himself that next Christmas would be different. It would be a Happy Christmas. A Happy Bennet Christmas.
Mr. Darcy murmured words of solace into Elizabeth's hair until he felt her relax. "I love you. Don't ever forget that. I will make this good; all of it" he promised.