Chapter 39

Darcy House, London

They did not put the knocker on the door. Elizabeth did not wish to spend their few days in town realising how many people were not calling upon them: certainly most if not all of the connexions she had gained through Lord Neston had dropped her, and even if those who had shunned her in her widowhood had changed their opinion of her now, she would not want to see such false friends. It was to be expected they would not, anyway – yes, she was Mrs. Darcy again, but the scandal was still fresh upon the Darcy name.

She considered going shopping, but the thought of becoming an object of curiosity in the shops on Bond Street or Regent Street did not appeal to her. Instead, she determined it would be best to spend her few days here reading within the drawing-room. Reading, and trying not to think on old wounds, to recall those friends who had decamped and avoided this drawing-room after Mrs. Darcy's widowhood. Some, she would not mind never seeing again, but among them she had thought she possessed some true friends, and no-one had stung her so badly as Margaret Astley. The one kindness Lady Astley had seen fit to dispense was a cut indirect, rather than a cut direct, but from the woman who had been Elizabeth's dearest friend in town, even that had been a bitter blow.

There were footsteps at the door – William was entering – and Elizabeth endeavoured to push her mind towards happier thoughts. He was alive, and that was a great deal more than she could ever have hoped for during her lonely time in this drawing-room all those years ago. He had readily comprehended her reluctance to leave the house, and he had been endeavouring to keep her company here between meetings with his bankers and various men of business. Elizabeth wished the Gardiners had returned from the continent – they were callers that would surely have been pleased to come and would have been happily received, but there could be no substitute for them.

William seated himself on the sofa beside her and Elizabeth was about to ring for tea when she became aware of a greater commotion in the hall. Addison entered, flanked by a chimney sweep and his boy, and said, "I am sorry, sir, madam, but we had the sweep scheduled to come today, and with so little notice to get the house ready for your visit, we neglected to postpone the appointment."

Addison had done little to endear himself to his master since their arrival, and this little scene – which Elizabeth more than half thought had been designed as a means of airing Addison's grievances – did nothing to change William's mind. In a level voice, he said, "Addison, I expect that my house should be ready for my presence at any time, and if you are not capable of keeping it thus, perhaps you should find a position more suited to your capabilities."

Addison sniffed and said nothing. Elizabeth did not understand why he thought vexing her husband was likely to end in any other way; a contest like this between master and servant could only ever have one winner, and it would always be the former.

For her own reasons, however – she always worried about the little sweep boys, and wanted to ensure all was well for this child now that she had sighted him – she replied, "Let them go about their work here."

Addison had not expected this, and it stymied him even more so than his master's statement. He bowed and left the room, leaving the sweep and his boy to the fireplace. William drew closer to his wife and murmured in her ear, "I meant to ask you, whatever happened to Lewis?"

"He fell – broke his leg badly. It never did heal properly, so I pensioned him off. He went to live with his sister."

"Poor Lewis – I'd rather him with a limp than this man."

"Yes, I agree. Henry never particularly liked Addison either, but he never disliked him enough to let him go."

"I believe that is where Henry and shall I differ," said he. "I was supposed to go to Drummonds this morning – are you comfortable here with one of the footmen to keep watch over you while you keep watch over the sweep? For I must presume that was your reasoning."

"It was, and I am quite comfortable. Go to your bank meeting."

So he left her after a quarter-hour. By then the sweep and the boy had laid down canvas to protect the cleanliness of the marble and carpet, and were wrestling the grate from the fireplace. Elizabeth glanced over to ensure the boy was not being abused and then returned her attention to her book, so it was a little while before she realised the sweep was addressing her.

"Ma'am – ma'am – ma'am – mi'boy sar'w this, 'hind t'grate." He held out a sooty hand, and in that sooty hand was an equally sooty card. Elizabeth took it from him, perplexed, and read, in a flowing hand that was still familiar after all these years:

"My poor, dear friend, if there is anything I can do to aid you, or bring you even some little comfort, please let me know. My heart breaks for you.

"MEG"

Elizabeth inhaled sharply, and turned the card over:

"Lady Astley

"Astley House

"Berkley Square"

It could not be, was her initial thought. But when the impossible had already occurred, why could this not be possible as well? Oliver was standing at the door, and she asked him to have a carriage readied, forcing herself to watch the sweep and his boy interact while her mind roiled. He proved to be a kindly man, careful of his boy's safety, thank God, for the thought of having to continue watching over him while her entire being longed to be headed to Berkley Square was excruciating.

It was only when she was actually in the carriage travelling thither that Elizabeth's mind calmed sufficiently to realise she was not likely to get any answers in Berkley Square that day. The little season had begun, but it was likely the Astleys were not in town, and even if they were, it was not likely that Elizabeth would be admitted. She would need to write, and there was no certainty she would ever receive a response. Still, though, she had to try.

The Astleys's butler was still the same man – Stevens, was his name, Elizabeth recalled – and he gazed at Elizabeth with raised eyebrows even before she handed over her own card and said she dearly hoped Lady Astley was at home. The knocker was on the door, but by the butler's countenance Elizabeth thought it likely that Lady Astley would not be at home for Mrs. Darcy. Still, he did carry off her card, which was better than an immediate dismissal, and after a long wait he came back into the hall and shewed Elizabeth into the drawing-room.

She sat silently, her heart in her throat, that damning card in her hand, waiting. Finally, Meg came in, her countenance hard.

"My curiosity always gets the better of me," Lady Astley said. "I suppose you knew it would. I should have just stayed upstairs, but I could not pass on the chance to know why it is you finally decided to return my call all these years later, and after you claimed your friends snubbed you."

"Meg, please, I – "

"You do not call me Meg. My friends call me Meg, and you are not a friend. I read the transcript of your trial – we all did. And whatever else of your testimony was true, I know what was false."

"Lady Astley, please," Elizabeth whispered, holding out the card. "Please – I never knew you called. A sweep found this behind the grate in our drawing-room."

Meg took the card from her hand, studying its singed edges, turning it over. "I called three times. The last time your butler told me I would never be at home for you."

"I did not know! I thought at first you stayed away because I was in mourning, but then I came out of mourning and still I thought you stayed away. Lady Astley, may I ask, was it Addison – was it my new butler, who turned you away?"

She nodded.

"I fear he played some role in all that happened to me, one I am just beginning to comprehend."

"It was not just me he turned away, Lizzy. I believe there were many cards consigned to your fireplace."

Elizabeth caught her old friend's use of Lizzy and gazed over at her with all the hope and pain she felt in that moment. Meg's countenance softened, and she said, "My God, how lonely you must have felt! In the absence of any explanation, we all began to presume you had befriended us because your husband expected it of you, and you wished nothing to do with the ton once he was gone. It was a tremendous shock, when I saw your engagement to Lord Neston in the papers."

Elizabeth flinched. She did not know precisely how, but it was clear to her that what Addison had been about was a part of his game, one in which she had been moved about like a pawn. A pawn in a fog of grief, who had not possessed her usual wits and had felt this false abandonment so deeply as to leave her vulnerable to all that came after.

"Oh, Lizzy, I should have thought – I should have trusted – I abandoned you, when you most needed my friendship."

"You did not know." Elizabeth's throat clenched, and Meg reached out to clasp her hands. "You did not know, nor did I. We were the victims of a man who held a vendetta against my husband's family. He could not have caused what happened to my husband, but he was viciously opportunistic in its aftermath."

"How awful everything you went through must have been! I know – I know it will be difficult, but I would like for us to be friends again. I believe there are many others who will feel the same, once they understand what happened. Some may need to be more cautious, given the scandal, but I intend to lead the way."

"I would like that very much, Lady Astley. Even if I could just regain your friendship, it would be cause for the greatest happiness."

"Oh my dear, do call me Meg. How awful I was to ever say otherwise!"

If Stevens was surprised over the hour his mistress spent in the drawing-room with Mrs. Darcy, renewing their friendship over a few laughs, many tears, and two pots of tea, he betrayed nothing of this on his countenance as he finally opened the door so she could regain her carriage. For her own part, Elizbeth's mind was on a different butler, and it was all she could do to refrain from berating Addison as soon as she returned to Darcy House.

William was already home, seated within his study. He seemed perplexed that she had been out for so long, but there was clearly something deeper troubling his countenance. They did not get to it, however, until after Elizabeth had told him of all she had learned from Meg, to which his reaction was,

"My God, so his insolence is because the man who was supplementing his income is dead?"

"I fear so. I cannot see how he would have done what he did unless he was paid to do so by Neston, to isolate me and make me more inclined to consider marrying again."

"Neston's game was deeper and broader than either of us realised." He sighed. "I had a letter from Charles, expressing his shock over Caroline's engagement to Lord Bollington. Apparently, it was in the papers last week – it was the first Charles had heard of it."

"What?" Elizabeth gasped.

"Caroline's appearance at our house was not so odd or random as it seemed. She was a part of this as well, and it is clear she was not on our side."

"But they broke into the house – there was a broken window – it was the necessary proof of Neston's felonious intent."

"That is why I do not intend to pursue that matter any further. Let Caroline marry him if she wishes – Bingley understands it will mean a break between our families, and he sides with us. But there is one matter we do need to pursue." He rose and went to the ledger books on one of the shelves, tracing the spines of several before he removed one and brought it back to the desk. "Do you recall when Lewis fell?"

"Not precisely – it was not long after – after we thought you lost – but I cannot recall precisely when. The days were all a blur, then."

He nodded. "I do not want to press you for more than I need to. I believe the explanation is within here, if I look closely."

Elizabeth watched him, all the emotions of the day silently churning within her. In time he frowned, tracing his fingertip over the paper.

"Samuel Larson, I recall him. An awful footman, although we gave him every opportunity. We were agreed that his contract should not be renewed at Michaelmas – and I see here it was not. From what I remember of him, I am not certain he was so upstanding as to abstain from a bribe to push or trip his butler, and cause him to fall."

"Larson – yes – I would believe it of him. Poor Lewis, to be a victim of these – these machinations."

"I am only glad he survived, even if he was maimed," William said. "Even if we could find Larson, we will never be able to prove his role in what happened, nor, I fear, shall we be able to bring any repercussions to bear on what Addison did. Withholding calling cards and lying to callers is not a crime. But we can ensure he never works in a genteel house again. I will speak to him – do you wish to be present?"

"Yes," said she, with vehemence. "That man tried to destroy my life, and he nearly succeeded."

William rose from his place behind the desk and strode over to where she was seated, kneeling before her chair and pulling her into an embrace. "Oh, Elizabeth," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "What you suffered, because of all of this – my poor, dear, Elizabeth."

She took a deep breath. "Just see Addison removed from his post – I do not want him in this house a moment longer than is necessary."

He kissed her forehead again, and then her nose, her lips. Then he opened the study door and told Arthur that he wished to see Addison.

The butler entered, after a far longer delay than should have been necessary. He stopped in the doorway and bowed with every appearance of propriety, but his gaze upon Darcy made it clear he did not much care what it was his master had to say. How much money had he set aside over the years? Had Neston merely paid him to insinuate himself into the household and cut Elizabeth off from her callers, or had the money continued on until his death? Elizabeth pondered these things and thought the latter more likely.

It was clear William had recalled all of his old techniques, for dealing with employees. He had resumed his seat behind the desk and remained there, his countenance impassive. It was Addison who finally cracked, asking, "Sir?"

"Addison, I know of the fraud you have committed upon my wife and her friends, and were there any certainty of prosecuting you for it, I would do so. You will leave this house at once, you will receive no wages owed you, and if you attempt to pursue them, we shall pursue whatever your role was in the injury done to your predecessor. You will not work again as a butler. My wife's friends are aware of what you have done, and if you think you might still find employment outside the sphere of female influence, I can assure you that I shall speak at my clubs and see that avenue closed to you."

Addison said nothing, but his countenance betrayed his understanding that he had been caught out.

William stepped out into the hallway. "Arthur, you and I will escort Addison to his chamber and ensure he gathers up his own belongings and no more. His tenure in this house is complete."

Elizabeth waited quietly until he returned, seating himself beside her this time. He reached over and took up her hand.

"How are you, my darling?"

"I am well," Elizabeth said, fully honest and yet surprised to say it. "I believe a few months ago these revelations would have troubled me far more than they do now. I have my husband back, when I thought him lost. I have my particular friend back, when I thought her lost. So I intend to rejoice over what has been restored – I have gained far more than I could have lost, even just today. To have Meg back – dear, dear Meg!"

"Her loss impacted you deeply – even more so than I realised."

"Her loss was the loss of my hopes. While we were dear friends, I believed it possible that the ton was more than just a parade ground for society. I believed that I could help you advance your plans for our family and have genuine friendships in the process."

"Elizabeth – those plans I once held are not ones I hold anymore. I want us to be a family, and I want us to be happy. I do not want us to work so hard to maintain our place in society. I know what you said, though, about what you sacrificed."

"I feel differently regarding that than I did before. I was bitter, then. I will not say there is not still some lingering bitterness, but I feel other things more strongly," said she. "I want to restore my friendships here, not because I wish to maintain my place in society, but because I miss my old friends. How good it was, to spend an hour with Meg today – I have missed her so."

"If those friendships make you happy, then restore them. But it is not my expectation. I never want you to feel that pressure again – I want to make sure you understand that."

She nodded, and kissed him softly. "I do. Would you mind if we stayed in town a few days more? I would like to make some calls – Meg is going to ease the way for me."

"Whatever you want, I will do." He squeezed her hand. "My darling, I think there is another reason why you are less troubled by this. May I share it with you?"

"Of course," was her curious response.

"I think there is a spark of happiness within you that cannot be extinguished, no matter what. It might struggle in the darkness and flicker in the wind, but it will always come back. That spark is your strength – it is how you have endured the unfathomable. And now that I am back, I will do anything and everything, to protect it."

She brought his hand to her mouth, kissing it lightly. "You are both right and wrong. It was extinguished, but I found it could be lit again – by the right person." Then adding, in something of her old archness, "And as much as I love her, I do not mean Meg."

"And there it is again," he said, his voice thick. Then he kissed her, deeply.

AN: So a funny story about this chapter, I had Elizabeth mentioning that the original butler fell and then later Darcy asked when he fell down the stairs, and I realized that would have been a big whoops. Even though it would have been narratively impossible, wouldn't it have been insane if Elizabeth was like, "How did you know he fell down THE STAIRS?" and then it turned out Darcy had been evil this whole time. Plot twist! :-D