Darcy nodded. "Have you found a new valet for me? I still can't tie my neck cloth properly. Miss Elizabeth Bennet finds that most amusing but I don't. I look slightly askew or I feel I'm being strangled."
"You will be perfect tonight," Thomas replied, "and yes, I've found you a perfect valet. John Fisher, who has served Lord Malcolm for the past twenty years is now available. Lord Malcolm is now confined to his bed and no longer in need of a valet."
"When will he take over your duties?"
"I'll see you though your wedding night then I'll return to my rooms at Cheapside. Fisher will be be there in the morning. I can assure you that you will have no occasion to regret Fisher. His eldest son will confirm this by post.
And so that's how it would end after five and twenty years. Darcy would never be able to socialize with Thomas, never be able to invite Thomas and Charlotte to dinner. He would be able to attend the wedding but nothing more. Anything more would cause havoc in his household as the servants were as proprietary about their levels of servant society as were the members of the Ton. It would bring shame to the Darcy name if he socialized with a valet and the rules were strict.
Absently, Darcy watched Thomas go about his duties, remembering all the good times they had shared and all the comfort Thomas had offered in his early childhood. So many skinned knees he had soothed, so much understanding he'd offered when a beloved pet or horse had died. And when his mother had died, he'd offered silence with only a gentle touch on Darcy's shoulder.
Darcy sighed, and Thomas glanced at him with affection. "Yes sir," he said, reading Darcy's mind. "But we each have an exciting life ahead of us and we can look back on these years with fond memories."
"Have you been back to Pemberley?"
"Yes Sir, I packed one trunk. I hate leaving my books, but Miss Charlotte and I will bring only one trunk apiece with us."
"I'll have your books crated and sent to you once you're settled."
"Thank you, Sir. That would be most appreciated."
Caroline Bingley had organized as lavish a dinner as was possible. And when she greeted the inhabitants from Longbourn along with the Gardiners and the oily little clergyman she held her head up high though she felt her heart cracking in half. She'd had so many dreams and aspirations of what her life would be if she could only win the love of Fitzwilliam Darcy. To be the Mistress of Pemberley and all it entailed had gripped her imagination for more than seven years. Her hopes had never faded. She would marry the Master of Pemberley. She might even come to love him eventually. What was there not to love? He was so tall and broad-shouldered with a mass of dark unruly curls. She loved the way he walked with those long strides and his voice made her stomach go all squishy at times. But never once had he ever looked at her the way he looked at Elizabeth Bennet. He hadn't allowed her to fall in love with him. He had only made her tense and shrill with her attempts to entice him. Too late she realized that he would never love her and now she felt the bile rise in her gorge at this humiliating failure. She had lost almost seven years of her life, years she would never see again.
Most of the twenty guests had arrived at Netherfield and were enjoying a prebrandial drink. The only guest who had not yet arrived was Richard who was coming from Newcastle.
Darcy and Georgianna were getting nervous and Anne was trying not to be nervous. She hadn't seen Richard in a month and though his letters were loving and intimate she wanted to touch him and reassure herself that he was well.
Darcy had stationed himself at the window along side Elizabeth waiting for the first sign of a carriage. It was Elizabeth who first sighted the lantern lights blinking through the trees approaching the turnoff to Netherfield.
Darcy called to Anne and nodded with a smile. She left the room in a rush and Elizabeth grinned at Darcy. "Another maid deep in love."
It seemed an age before the carriage finally pulled to a stop and Richard jumped down to race up the steps into Anne's arms. Darcy and Elizabeth turned from the window and approached Bingley and Jane. "I'm afraid dinner with be delayed for a while," Elizabeth said. "Richard has come."
Bingley smiled, "dinner can wait for as long as Anne needs."
Anne needed a full ten minutes before she was willing to share Richard but at last the happy couple entered the room with their arms entwined both smiling broadly.
They took several steps into the room and Richard was greeted with jovial handshakes by his friends. It wasn't until Josh muttered "good heavens!" that their attention was once more drawn to the doorway.
Another officer was standing there dressed in the full regalia of a General in His Majesty's Army. He was as tall as Darcy but where Darcy exuded strength and power, this stranger was of a wiry build and thin to the point of gauntness. This appearance was in itself remarkable but added to the rest of him it provoked several gasps from the rest of the room. His head sported a tousled mass of hair the color of ripe sun-kissed oranges and matched perfectly the wild mustache which at the moment he was twisting into points on either side of his face. Where Darcy's eyes were dark and penetrating, his were a bright green and he was slowly surveying the room with unsuppressed interest and amusement.
As the hostess of their gathering, Caroline immediately approached Richard whom she did not like and was sure did not like her and smiled as graciously as she could muster and welcomed him and begged for an introduction to the stranger.
"Miss Bingley" Richard said, "may I have the pleasure of introducing you to the honorable General Bailey James Foxx?"
Before Caroline had a chance to reply, General Foxx took her hand and bowed low kissing it, then raised his eyes to hers with a look of open admiration. "I am delighted to meet such a beautiful woman here in Hertfordshire." His voiced boomed and echoed across the room and more gasps could be heard as well as one snort.
Richard had failed to warn Darcy that the General had developed the bad habit of shouting, whether at his cannoneers or in genteel houses. His troops never had a problem hearing him over the noise of war, but to the rest of the world, his voice was a terrifying organ.
Caroline's reaction was one of amazement with a touch of horror. She quickly begged to be excused to tend to dinner arrangements.
"A well-built filly," the general boomed, "wouldn't you say, Colonel?"
There was a titter and another snort from somewhere on the edge of the room.
Richard hissed, "General, lower your voice! They can hear you in Newcastle."
"Nonsense!" the general thundered. "You instructed me to speak in sotto voce, and by Jupiter, I am."
Bingley approached with Jane and Darcy followed with Elizabeth. Introductions were made and the general gripped Bingley's hand in a vise. "I suppose that handsome filly has dozens of beaus?"
Bingley's jaw dropped and he seemed incapable of speech. Darcy filled the gap. "Miss Bingley is very selective about who she will walk out with. At the moment she is free and I'm sure she will be delighted at your attentions, General."
"Excellent," the General roared, rubbing his hands together. His eyes darted around the room seeking the source of his delight. He spotted her just as she re-entered the room to announce dinner. He headed straight for her and took her arm, "allow me to escort you to dinner, Miss Caroline. And may I compliment your choice of dress tonight. Orange is my favorite color."
Dinner was necessarily a loud affair with Mrs. Bennet unsuccessfully vying for attention with the vociferous General and losing badly. Satins and laces could not compete with the savagery of red Indians in the Americas and certainly paled in comparison with watching an alligator removing a leg from one of his men in a place called the Everglades. Mrs. Bennet finally admitted defeat and lapsed into silence.
Darcy could not remember when he'd last been so entertained at Netherfield or for that matter, anywhere else. He had never heard such wild and woolly and very tall tales in all his life. Each story was more preposterous than the last and the guests reacted with open merriment. Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and saw that tears were coursing down her face she was laughing so hard. He caught her eye and winked, sending her into further gales of laughter.
Further down the table Mr. Bennet and the Gardiners were grinning and shaking their heads at the outlandish tales the General was weaving. The clergymen Collins and Wallace had two very different reactions. Collins was so stupid he could not recognize embellishment and believed it all, while Wallace was so deaf he hardly heard any to it but smiled and looked agreeable. Mr. Hurst except for a couple of grunts to show his appreciation at being so amused at the table, paid more attention to the seven courses he was steadily inhaling. And of course, there was the ragout which was unusually tasty that night.
After dinner the guests enjoyed coffee and a wide choice of liqueurs as well as music Conversations were varied and for most part, intelligent. When the guests left they were profuse and warm in their thanks to Caroline Bingley.
The following day Darcy and Bingley had little hope of seeing their fiancées. Mrs. Bennet's anxieties were beginning to reach a crescendo. Her brain...a simple enough organ... had enough to deal with when she only had one subject to concentrate on. Now there were three subjects to deal with. The all lady's party at Longbourn that night, the Netherfield ball on the morrow, and finally the three weddings in three days time. Elizabeth and Jane were feeling desperate but resigned. Though they were both longed for the comfort of their future husbands they had by unspoken agreement decided to devote these last remaining days to their family.
At Netherfield Darcy was feeling the same frustration alleviated only by the sight of the General in hot pursuit of Caroline Bingley. Usually, Caroline never rose before ten in the morning, but this morning she was fully dressed and appeared in the breakfast room at nine to share her repast with Darcy, Bingley and the General. Bingley arched a brow at Darcy who returned it with a slight grin and a shrug.
"Ah, my beauty," the General shouted, "how wonderful you look this morning. And you're wearing my favorite color once more."
Darcy choked on his coffee and Caroline glared at him much to Bingley's amusement.
Caroline responded waspishly, "General, will you please lower your voice! You'll wake up the entire house." She spared a quick look at Darcy and her brother who just as quickly attended their breakfast. "This is not a battlefield." she added.
"Forgive me, Madam," the General replied lowering his voice a decibel, "I fear I am unused to the company of ladies. Tell me, Miss Bingley, do you ride?"
"I do."
"Caroline," said Bingley, "is an excellent horsewoman."
"I would expect nothing more. Would you do me the honor of riding out with me? I would love to see more of Hertfordshire."
Caroline raised a speculative eyebrow and studied the General in silence. Naturally, Bingley grew uneasy, while as the silence lengthened, Darcy grew suspicious. He could almost see the wheels turning. A thought crossed his mind but he dismissed the thought immediately. She wouldn't dare, he thought.
"I might consider it," she said at last.
"Excellent! Say in one hour?"
Caroline nodded her acceptance.
Darcy eyed Caroline Bingley with interest. Could she be smitten? The General, despite his quirks, was a charming man and if not for that wild mustache, a young and handsome man and he obviously found something about Caroline that pleased him. Darcy suspected that Caroline had never before been subjected to such open admiration and there was every possibility that she was enjoying herself despite a pretense at aloofness. However, if she went ahead and broke all the rules of propriety, she might live to regret her rashness. Darcy wondered if he should have a word with her, or possibly warn Bingley of what his sister might do. For the first time since he'd known her, he felt protective towards Caroline Bingley.
After their guests had left Netherfield the night before, both Darcy and Bingley had put many questions to Richard about the General and what kind of a man he was. Richard assured both men that the General was no womanizer and that this was the first time he had ever seen him overtly interested in any woman.
With Richard's assurances about the General's character still fresh in his memory Darcy decided to do nothing and hope for the best. However, he stood watch at the window and waited patiently for Caroline and the General to ride out from the stables. When they finally appeared they were riding side by side and moving at a fast pace. Once they reached the meadow they picked up speed allowing their mounts to have their heads. Darcy leaned forward intent on the pair as he saw them up to a low ridge each keeping pace with the other. "I'll be damned," he said.
Later that day Darcy had grown restless and Bingley was no better. They had been advised that their ladies would not be available until the morrow at the Netherfield ball. Darcy's mood had grown from restlessness to frustration and quickly had descended into annoyance. It was not in his nature to bow to the dictates of others especially when it involved satins and laces. He suggested a plan to Bingley which was readily agreed with. They called for their mounts and were soon on their way to Longbourn.
When they entered the drawing room Mrs. Bennet looked up with surprise and a touch of displeasure which Darcy ignored. "My dear Mrs. Bennet," he cried, "you look not at all well. Is it your nerves? Of course it is. But you must realize that you are now under our protection and Bingley and I will not see you ill and unable to take part in our celebrations. You must take to your rooms immediately and rest for at least an hour or we will have to consider canceling the weddings until you regain your strength."
Sheer terror whitened the poor woman's face and Darcy felt a momentary taste of shame to so terrorize his future mother-in-law. But it was only momentary for paramount in his thoughts was the unquenchable desire to hold Elizabeth in his arms if only for a brief few minutes. He assisted Mrs. Bennet to her feet and threw a look at Kitty who jumped to do his unspoken command. When they were both gone from the room, Darcy turned to Elizabeth who was staring out the window with a half-smile on her face.
"You are incorrigible, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth said, standing up and facing him. "I pray, however, that you don't think you will be able to threaten me in such a fashion after we are married, for I don't scare easily."
"Don't you?" He asked softly.
"I'm not afraid of you, Mr. Darcy."
Darcy caught his breath at the look of humor and love and promise in her eyes. He reached out and took her hand in his. "Will you walk in the garden with me, Elizabeth?"
When they reached their favorite nook it was Elizabeth who made the first move and drew him into her arms and kissed him so gently. Her hand automatically moved to the back of his neck playing with his curls. She moved her mouth to his throat and kissed his pulse tightening her grip on him.
Feeling her body against him and knowing the pleasure that lay beneath the thin cloth of her dress, Darcy took it as long as he could before he gently pushed her away, never taking his eyes off her. "Two and a half days," he said.
She smiled, "three days and we'll be our way to London. But who's counting?"
Darcy pulled her against him, "I am!" he groaned dramatically, making her laugh.
At last they sat beneath a tree and held hands. "And how does Miss Bingley fare?" Elizabeth asked.
"She isn't running for her life, if that's what you wanted to know," Darcy said with a sly grin.
"Could he be serious? Or is this just a harmless flirtation?"
"We'll know soon enough, Elizabeth. If he ever whispers sweet nothings in her ears, half of Hertfordshire will hear him."
Elizabeth giggled, "I noticed that Mr. Hurst almost forgot his ragout he was so fascinated by him."
"He asked her to ride with him this morning and she accepted."
"Good for her!"
Darcy grinned. "She was riding astride!"
Elizabeth gasped, "like a man?"
Darcy nodded.
"But she promised you! You told me that she promised you faithfully that if you taught her how to ride astride she would only do so at Pemberley. What was she thinking?"
Darcy leaned in and nibbled at her neck. "I've been wondering the same thing, my sweet. Just what was she thinking?"
Elizabeth pondered the question for a moment. "She was testing him. How did the General react?"
Darcy shrugged. "The two of them rode off up to the ridge at a breakneck speed and I must confess that it was a beautiful sight to behold."
"So he passed her test."
"You know, my darling, that there might be unknown depths to Miss Caroline Bingley. It's almost like she's thrown caution to the wind and decided to be herself for the first time in her life."
"The first time was when she asked you to teach her how to ride astride," she corrected him. "You thought that she was just trying to lure you into her web," she added with a teasing smile. "But it might have been a sign of what she really is like."
Darcy replied in mock horror, "you don't suppose we'll end up really liking her?"
"Stranger things have happened, my love. After all, who would have guessed that we would find each other. Besides, the more I think about it, they could be very well matched."
"Well, whatever he's up to, he's met his match with Caroline."
"Or he's met his match in her."
That evening the ladies of Netherfield joined the Bennets and their guests at Longbourn for their lady's party where gifts were presented to the brides and laughs and silliness reigned supreme. Even Caroline Bingley felt she could relax and enjoy herself and did so, dipping into the excellent wine punch with great frequency.
During the course of the evening Elizabeth fought off the sadness she felt knowing that in three days times she would be leaving these old friends behind. Her life was about to change so drastically and she understood fully that the closeness she felt towards these people would soon become only a distant memory. Even Charlotte Lucas would become but a shadowy figure in her past. The chances were good that once Charlotte left the country she would never return to England and though Elizabeth left the words unspoken, with every breath she drew she bid farewell to her dearest friend.
At Netherfield the men headed for the local pub in Meryton as guests of the General who had invited his old friend Colonel Forster and his officers to join them. The rank and file suffered no deprivation as the good General sent six kegs of ale to the encampment to entertain what the Red Fox described as the backbone of His Majesty's army. For his guests he had supplied the finest liquors he could procure, many of them contraband.
The drink flowed freely and despite most of them knowing better they all imbibed freely for there was such a joyous feeling in the air and the fine Champagne tasted of ambrosia. Then, of course, they had to sample the excellent Scotch and what party would be complete without a sip of the finest French brandy made more delightful by it's ill-gotten procurement.
There were moments when Darcy felt his world spinning and he tried desperately to focus his eyes especially when he became aware of the amusement on the faces of the Misters Bennet and Gardiner. They seemed to find a peculiar delight with the specter of the Master of Pemberley lacking his usual resolute discipline. He lifted his glass in a toast to them, then slipped off his chair and fell on Bingley who was indulging in a short nap on the floor. Bingley awoke and yelped in annoyance. With difficulty, Darcy arose and demanded that Bingley get up and behave himself. This order resulted in further mirth by his future relations and Darcy frowned at Bingley who denied everything.
By eleven o:clock the party's jollity began to slacken somewhat and Colonel Forster began to round up his officers. Carriages were called for and the party was over. They would all suffer for their indulgence in the morning, but for the moment, it had been a great party and they must all do it again some day. At Netherfield, Hurst was carried in while the rest of them made their unsteady way to their rooms. As Darcy fell onto his bed he thought of the ball and the music and the dancing which would fill the many rooms of Netherfield on the morrow and he groaned. Never again, he thought. Never again.