Chapter Ten

Elizabeth watched the countryside with interest. She had not seen anything on her ill-fated journey on the Post as it had been dark outside. Mr Darcy watched her with interest. Her handsome, intelligent eyes were focussed out the window, taking everything in. She looked very pretty in a tan pelisse, clutching a brown bonnet trimmed with blue ribbons, and her cheeks were slightly rosy. She looked at him suddenly, unblushingly. "Isn't it a beautiful day?"

"Yes," he agreed, shifting his attention to the countryside, which, he had to admit, he had not thought of at all since leaving the inn with Elizabeth. They were quiet for a time. "Miss Bennet."

"Yes?"

"Will you meet your family?"

"Yes," said Elizabeth, "I rather think I will."

"I am pleased."

"I have really been rather foolish. Indeed, what did I have to fear? I have met your aunt – er – my mother, and ... my brother the Colonel, and I know Rosalind is lovely."

"Yes, she is a good girl," said Darcy, "but you will not believe what a chatterbox she can be." He laughed softly, an affectionate look on his face, and Elizabeth, on seeing it, marvelled again at how badly she had misjudged him. He spoke again. "You may have some idea of it, however?"

"Yes," smiled Elizabeth. "I must say I have noticed she is very talkative. But I like it. She is not a vapid chatterbox."

"No, without question. Rosalind is very intelligent."

"Sir..." asked Elizabeth slowly.

"Yes?" he prompted when she paused.

"Will you tell me what they are like?" she said timidly. "I know Rosalind and the Colonel well enough – I do not know the others."

Darcy smiled. "I will try." He paused, gazing out the window. "My cousin, your father, is a very good man. He is friendly and open and has not an ounce of snobbishness about him – an unusual thing for a man of his status, although I must admit he had a humble upbringing which may have caused this. He has very strong morals, strong philanthropic leanings, and a sense of humour which I am sure you will approve of. He is very attached to his family.

"Your mother is ... well, I find it hard to describe her. You must not think she is unstable, or volatile, but she does tend to become more emotionally involved with everything going on around her, and she does not have the same calm, detached judgement your father has." He looked at Elizabeth carefully, who was drinking all this in. "She is very affectionate and very generous, and since my sister Georgiana and I have been more in the Fitzwilliams' company, she has recently become almost a mother to Georgiana, whose mother died when she was still young.

"Thomas, the eldest of their children, is a lot like his father. He is very sensible. He is very protective, like a rock, I suppose – anyone can lean on him for support and be sure he will not let them fall. His interest is in the church, but he will not become a clergyman, as his father's title passes to him. I know that he is very fond of Rosalind, although sometimes she puts him on the path to Bedlam, predictably. But he is the perfect big brother."

They were silent for several moments. "Thank you," said Elizabeth calmly.

"Miss Bennet, I know you will not regret meeting your parents and joining their family again," he said cautiously. "They are the type of people that would make anyone feel part of the family, and as you really are ... well, all I can say is that they truly would care for you."

Elizabeth nodded. She managed to smile at him. "You have been so kind."

He shook his head. "No, Miss Bennet-"

"Never contradict a lady, sir," she said, with a touch of her normal sense of humour. "You have been kind, and I won't forget it."

For a moment it looked like he was going to seize her hand and kiss it – but the moment passed, and they both looked out the window.



It was an exciting day for Lady Lockwood. First of all she had seen Miss Ingrid Blenheim, the latest Belle, wearing a new bonnet with velvet blue ribbons and riding in Lord Richmond's phaeton. Then she had seen a mad dog attack a horse at Hyde Park, and the subsequent murder of the canine in question, which was, admittedly, not quite the most exciting gossip around, but did have some value as an event she could later relate in conversation should the circumstances allow. Thirdly, Lady Lockwood had bumped into Mrs Palmer, still wearing black ribbons for her husband, on the arm of Sir Edward Russell. Fourthly, Lady Lockwood had heard from Mrs Jennings, in the strictest confidence, who had heard from Mrs Beaufort, that that young Miss Featherstone was with child and being bundled away to the country before a scandal could arise.

And fifthly, Lady Matlock and her daughter had been seen shopping with two mystery girls. The elder – she guessed it must be – was a very pretty girl, despite her countrified attire, with a beatific countenance and blonde hair, and the younger was pretty, although her sister surpassed her, with hair about the same colour as Lady Rosalind Fitzwilliam's, and bright, intelligent eyes. Lady Lockwood could barely contain her curiosity. They seemed to get along together tolerably well, and were less restrained with each other than casual acquaintance could warrant – Lady Lockwood actually heard Lady Matlock calling one of the girls by their Christian name – Jane. This was all very interesting; perhaps they were some sort of cousins, and if at all connected to the Fitzwilliam family, they were bound to be rich or important in some way. They were sure to cause a stir, especially the elder. Lady Lockwood scuttled cheerfully off to find some other middle-aged woman to impart her new knowledge to and to form all manner of conjectures with.

It did not take long for the entire Beau Monde to be buzzing about the two mystery girls. The Fitzwilliam family were not at home to any visitors except family for a whole week and a half, and Lady Lockwood was one of only several people who claimed to have sighted any of the Fitzwilliams outside their home. The neighbours on Brook Street saw nothing peculiar, except Mr Darcy and his sister visiting a little more often than ordinary, and staying longer, and a few tradesmen coming in and out sometimes. Bets were being placed at the gaming halls on who the girls were; numerous enquiries were being made at public libraries for books which might tell of the family connections of the Fitzwilliam family and which could include the name 'Jane'; all the bored women in London were suddenly coming alive with unbearable curiosity.

The true, non-conjectured story was this; that Jane and Elizabeth had gone to the Fitzwilliams very soon after Elizabeth returned from her short-lived sojourn to Bath. They had decided to remain Jane and Elizabeth, although their surnames were to be changed, and they had found that all Mr Darcy told them of their real family had been true. Of course, things were awkward at first.

Darcy came to Cheapside in his carriage on the day Jane and Elizabeth were due to depart the Gardiners. They were calm, and said goodbye to their aunt and uncle calmly, and got into the carriage calmly. It was only as they drove away that Jane started to grip Elizabeth's hand tightly. They came to the Matlock mansion, and walked inside staring at the floor, or anywhere other than the magnificent entrance hall, and into the parlour where their parents and siblings waited silently. It was almost amusing for Darcy watching the two parts of the family meet. For several moments there was an awkward silence as the mother and father stared at their two eldest daughters, and then Lady Matlock rushed forward to embrace them. "Oh, oh, my dears," she said, tears storming the floodbanks of her eyes, "you don't know how happy it makes me to see you! And you know you still look like yourselves, I would have recognised that face anywhere, Lara – Jane? Oh, I'm so confused – what do you want me to call you?" Both sisters paused, and looked at each other carefully. "Of course you want to stay Jane and Elizabeth," said their mother firmly. "Don't worry yourself over it at all, you will stay yourselves."

"I must confess I would feel more comfortable," said Jane shyly, returning her mother's embrace.

"And you?" said Lady Matlock, turning to the younger. "What may I call you?"

Elizabeth paused thoughtfully. "I would rather be Elizabeth, if it's all the same to you. I think Vivian a very pretty name, but it would honestly feel very peculiar."

And so they stayed the same, but different now. They were to be Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. That change was enough to cope with. Their father came forward also, to kiss their cheeks with the warm smile he was famous for on his face. "I am very happy also," he said. "I hope you can be comfortable with us very soon. I know you must find this difficult."

"We are happy," Jane assured him, her smile becoming wider as she grew more comfortable.

"You must meet your sister and brothers," said Lady Matlock, guiding the three forward. "Thomas, Richard and Rosalind. I know you have already met Richard and Rosalind, Elizabeth."

"I hope this is a good thing," said Lord Matlock teasingly.

It was his remark that broke the ice most effectively that day. Almost immediately the whole family began to laugh, and the meeting between the five siblings was perfectly comfortable in every particular. Elizabeth found it very helpful that she already knew Rosalind. "Hello, Rosalind," she said, simply.

"Hello, Elizabeth," Rosalind replied. "I suppose this was not the manner in which you next expected to meet me?"

Elizabeth laughed easily. "I suppose it was not." She was mock-serious for a moment. "Do you think you can manage having two sisters?"

Rosalind sighed, pretending to think about it. "Well, I will have to try," she said. "Of course I don't want you. However, there is not a lot I can do about it."

"Now, now, Rosalind," said her father, "don't be too happy to see them."

Elizabeth joined in the laughter. She had not thought it would be as relatively easy as this.

Darcy came to her now. "Miss Elizabeth, I – I mean, Miss – Cousin..."

"You have brought up our first problem," said Richard. "What you are to call each other. You can hardly be Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth and Mr Darcy anymore. What do you think, Darcy?"

"Well, what does Rosalind call me?" he replied, quite sensibly.

"Mr Darcy when she is stiff, Cousin when she wants something, and Fitzwilliam when she is being rude," Thomas replied with a laugh, smiling at Jane who had been in conversation with him. Rosalind poked her tongue out at him when her mother was looking the other way.

"Let it be Cousin, then," said Elizabeth, provoking yet more laughter. When she was more serious however, she continued. "No, I think I shall have to continue calling you Mr Darcy. I am in too much awe of you to call you anything less."

"I think the more difficult question is what I may call you!" he replied, smiling. "What do you wish me to call you? For you will be Ladies now, you know. You could be Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth. Or I could call you Cousin Jane and Cousin Elizabeth."

"Cousin Jane," said Jane as Elizabeth mischievously answered, "My Lady Elizabeth, of course."

"Very well, Cousin Jane," said Darcy, ignoring Elizabeth's smile. "Cousin it shall be, my Lady Elizabeth – that is the first and last time I will call you that."

"Very well," sighed Elizabeth, as if she were very upset. "But I warn you, Cousin –"

Lord and Lady Matlock looked at each other bemusedly as she continued. They had not seen Darcy on so easy terms with any woman other than Georgiana and Rosalind before.

Jane and Elizabeth were shown to their rooms by Lady Matlock and Rosalind. It was slightly more awkward in the more intimate setting of a bedroom rather than the parlour of a great house. "We have put you two next to each other, and Rosalind is a few doors down the hall," said their mother, "because we don't want you to feel alone in this big house – and I suppose in the family. Your father and I certainly hope you'll feel like one of us as soon as possible, and we'll all try our hardest to help you fit in, but we understand it may not be the sort of thing which is done in an instant. Come in here, Jane – this is your room."

Jane felt rather overpowered by the elegance of the large, blue room. "It is very nice," she said, gazing around it at the tapestries and the large, curtained bed and the fashionable furniture without one dent or scratch in it.

"I do hope you'll get used to it," said her mother very anxiously.

Jane smiled. "I'm sure I will."

"And this is your room, Elizabeth," said Lady Matlock, leading them into a smaller room. "It is not as large as Jane's, but you have adjoining dressing rooms, and we thought you would like that."

"It is a beautiful room, and I wouldn't care if it were as small as a pinbox or as large as the ocean," said Elizabeth fervently, admiring the colours, and the taste that was evident throughout the room. "It's lovely."

I edited this chapter with your suggestions in mind, changing Lara and Vivian back to plain Jane and Elizabeth. Thanks a lot for your comments, they are very helpful.