Mrs. Bennet and her three youngest daughters were excited about their trip to Jane's new estate in Warwickshire, both to see how well established she was and as the girls had never travelled so far from Meryton. Their coachman did not set a fast pace as he did not want the ladies, especially Miss Mary, to suffer from the many bumps in the roads. They still made the trip in two easy days, stopping at a comfortable inn for the night. Mrs. Bennet was eager to see Jane's new home but she was also looking forward to seeing what shops might be found in the towns close to their estate as she planned to help Jane redecorate the manor house to suit her own tastes.
When they arrived at the Baron's estate, Glen Crossing, they saw that the manor house was about the same size as Netherfield Manor, but was of an older style. Jane and the Baron came out to greet them, accompanied by a number of their staff. Jane was holding her husband's arm and was blushing to be seen so close to him. As soon as her sisters were handed down from the carriage, they ran to her in their excitement. They barely managed curtsies to the Baron in their excitement. Mrs. Bennet was the last out of the carriage but she quickly joined her daughters while the Baron smiled at their enthusiasm.
"Welcome to Glen Crossing! Please come in and our housekeeper will show you to your rooms. After you have refreshed yourselves, come down to the drawing room for tea. After that, I know that Lady Jane will want to show you through the house."
"Lady Jane! How fine that sounds." Her sisters all once again curtsied elegantly to her, saying "My Lady," then could not stop themselves from giggling. Even Mary joined in the fun.
When they came down to the drawing room, they found the now Dowager Baroness waiting with the Baron and new Baroness. After greeting her properly, Kitty and Lydia could not restrain their enthusiasm. "Jane! Our rooms are magnificent; much larger than at Longbourn. They are the nicest we have ever seen."
"Wait until you see the mistress's suite. I am still amazed that it is so fine. Lady Victoria moved out of it into one of the guest suites so I could get settled into it. But first, tell me how was your trip?"
They chatted happily until they finished their tea, then they all went on a tour of the house. The size of all the rooms they saw and the number impressed them tremendously, but Mrs. Bennet could not help from thinking about what changes should be made to make the house more fitting, as she saw it, for a baroness. Everything was simply too modest for her tastes.
When she began to talk about changes that needed to be made, Jane had to interrupt her. She did not want her mother to say things that her new mother-in-law might take as criticisms of her taste. "Now Mama, I am very pleased with how Lady Victoria decorated the house. So far, I have found only one or two changes that I might make. We can talk about your ideas after you have had time to learn more about the house."
All through this, the Dowager Baroness just smiled as Jane had already warned her about her mother. She was not worried about her ability to guide Mrs. Bennet as she had learned how to do that while planning the wedding in Meryton. She knew how their visit would proceed and was actually looking forward to this new challenge.
That first week of their visit proceeded as the Dowager Baroness expected as she was kept busy deflecting Mrs. Bennet's suggestions on how the manor house should be redecorated. She tried to keep the visitors busy showing them around the estate and visiting all the shops in the nearest towns and villages. Then a message came from Elizabeth saying she was at Pemberley and asking if her sisters were ready to come as the Pemberley carriage would arrive at Glen Crossing the very next day. Both Kitty and Lydia were ready to go as they were excited to be able to visit their new friend at Pemberley.
Elizabeth had thoroughly enjoyed her trip north with her aunt and uncle as they did not hesitate to stop wherever they saw something of interest to any of them. They were in no rush, which was exactly what they had all hoped how this trip would proceed. When they neared Derbyshire, Mr. Gardiner sent an express message to Darcy at Pemberley giving him their expected arrival time.
As they entered the village of Lambton, Mrs. Gardiner became very thrilled when she recognized many places that she remembered from her formative years. As they passed through the center of that village, she became so excited that her husband stopped the carriage so she could see everything in more detail. She kept pointing out places that she recalled and told them about major events that had happened there. Her husband promised that they would return here every day so she could relive her youth and reconnect with people who were still here that she had known.
He stopped the carriage again as soon as they came in sight of the Pemberley manor house. Elizabeth had never seen such a wonderful scene with the house, stream, lake, gardens, and woods all perfectly situated. She could not help but admire everything she saw. She had been apprehensive about visiting here and being in Mr. Darcy's company, but her worries simply evaporated with her appreciation of everything in front of her.
'To be mistress of this marvelous estate would be something, indeed.' When this unexpected thought crossed her mind, she could not stop her blushes when she realized the implications of this startling possibility. After having defended herself from two suitors who had appeared to be worthy on first acquaintance but then turned out to be not what she had expected, was she really thinking similar thoughts about the master of this estate? Was she just as bad as those two reprobates by thinking about this? She had long considered that she would end her days at Longbourn, but suddenly she saw that there was another place where she just knew she could be happy. Her main concern was the thought of having to fulfill the more intimate aspects of being a wife.
When they arrived at the front entrance, an unexpectedly large number of staff came out to greet them, led by Mr. and Miss Darcy. "Welcome to Pemberley!" the master said as soon as he opened the door to the carriage, not waiting for a footman to do this. Elizabeth was the first to exit as she happened to be sitting nearest to the door. "Mrs. Collins, it is so good to see you again," he said as he helped her to descend. He kissed her hand as he had not let go of it as quickly as propriety demanded. Elizabeth certainly noticed this and again blushed at his attentions. When she looked up at him, she saw his smile and once again appreciated how handsome he was.
Darcy then assisted Mr. Gardiner and then his wife to the ground. "I hope you enjoyed your trip. I know it can be tiring."
Mr. Gardiner answered, "We took our time and saw quite a number of very interesting places. I know that I certainly did not find it at all tiring. Lizzy, what do you say?"
"I agree completely. Mr. Darcy, I must say that even though we stopped at several quite impressive places, the way Pemberley is situated is easily the best of all. I must commend you on your fine taste."
"Thank you, but I cannot take credit for the house or how the grounds have been laid out. It has been the work of many generations and I have only tried not to do anything that might be detrimental to any part of it. However, I know that there are one or two areas in the house that need updating." He did not dare add that he hoped that his wife, whoever she was, would see to that.
Then Elizabeth turned to Miss Darcy, "Georgie! It is so good to see you again. You have a wonderful home." At their last time together, the girls had all decided that they would call each other by their preferred names. Darcy was pleased to see how they greeted each other, especially when they hugged each other in greeting.
"Lizzy, welcome to Pemberley." She then greeted the Gardiners, whom she had met at Jane's wedding. She then turned to an older lady who was standing just behind them. "This is our housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, who has been with us as long as I can remember. She will show you up to your rooms. You will be staying in the family wing so we can be close. Kitty and Lydia will have rooms there as well." The Gardiners could not help but wonder for the reason for this unexpected courtesy until they saw the way that Mr. Darcy was looking at their niece. They knew they would need to be vigilant to make sure nothing untoward happened between them.
Georgiana continued, "Have you heard if they are ready to come here? I had a letter from them telling me about Jane's new home; they were quite impressed."
Elizabeth responded, "Then you have heard from them more recently than I have. If you are ready for them, I can send a note to them telling them to be ready for your carriage."
Darcy joined their conversation as he led them in. "I will send it express and have the carriage leave in the morning. I know how much Georgie is looking forward to having your sisters here."
Upon entering the house, Elizabeth continued to be amazed at the luxuriousness of everything she saw. Nothing was overly ornate or done only to impress. The rooms that Mrs. Reynolds led them to were almost overwhelming at their size and fineness of the furnishings, but they still appeared to be comfortable. As they entered Elizabeth's room, Mrs. Reynolds introduced the maid who was already busy unpacking her trunks.
"Emma, this is Mrs. Collins." She turned to Elizabeth, "Mr. Darcy asked that I assign maids to you and Mrs. Gardiner to assist you while you are here. We do that whenever we have guests so our staff gains experience that will help them in the future." She then turned to Mr. Gardiner, "Do not worry, sir, I have also assigned a footman to serve as your valet."
After they had changed out of their traveling clothes and refreshed themselves, they all gathered in a drawing room for tea and biscuits. Georgiana excitedly talked about all the things she had planned for them to do. "Elizabeth, I hope you do not mind, but I thought that we might wait until your sisters arrive before taking you into Lambton to see the shops. I know they will want to do some shopping while they are here."
Darcy smiled at her enthusiasm and spoke to the Gardiners. "Mrs. Gardiner, I know that you must have people to see in Lambton, so I have arranged for one of my coachmen who is from Lambton to take you there whenever you want." He turned to Mr. Gardiner, "That way you can also rest your horses and coachmen.
"Mr. Gardiner, if you enjoy fishing, my streams and lake are well stocked and I have all the equipment you will need. I will be glad to show you all the best spots. They have not been fished much recently, so you should have good sport. I will join you whenever I can. I have not been able to go after them recently as I have been busy with estate duties." He saw that his invitation was well received by Mr. Gardiner.
"Mrs. Collins, I know that you like to walk, but might I ask that you do not go too far from the house without an escort? It is only that the woods are quite extensive with many paths and I worry that you might get lost. If you do not mind, I will show you some of the trails that I think you will like best." He smiled when he added, "I know how you like to ramble."
Elizabeth was not annoyed at his request as she had noticed how extensive the woods were. "I thank you for that warning. I will gladly accept your company and guidance. Now, I should write to my sisters so you can have it sent off. I know they were looking forward to seeing Georgiana again."
After she wrote the note, they went on a tour of the main parts of the house. Once again, Elizabeth could not stop herself from admiring everything she saw. Without realizing what she was doing, she complimented Mr. Darcy on his fine taste and smiled warmly at him; he certainly noticed this. He was once again reminded how attractive she was, especially when a smile lit up her face.
When Elizabeth went up to dress for dinner, she luxuriated in Emma's attentions. A bath was all ready for her, with the largest tub she had ever used. She simply stretched out in it and relaxed until the water lost its warmth. She could not help herself from thinking that a person could get used to living in such luxury.
Meanwhile, the Gardiners were also enjoying living in a style that they had only dreamt of; they had never before been invited to stay in any of the houses of the highest and richest people.
"Edward," Madeline said to her husband just before they went down, "I still cannot believe how well we are being treated by Mr. Darcy. I was not aware that he was so interested in Lizzy to extend such courtesy to us. I am sure that is the only reason we are here. My greatest fear is that her experience with her marriage might make her reluctant to accept his attentions. I really do believe that he could make her happy, but do you have any suggestions as to how we might help her realize this?"
"I have been thinking the same thing and wondering what we could do. I agree that she may need some encouragement, but it would be best if it came from you. You would need to be very gentle in your words to make her see that not all men are like those Collins creatures. If she would just give him a chance to show himself as the gentleman that I know he is, it would be a big first step. For my part, I will try to talk to him about being slow and gentle with her. Perhaps he is being quite clever to show us such courtesy as a way to get on her good side." To himself, he began to rethink his plans to be extra vigilant with them; he was sure that they could use some time alone so Darcy could show her the affection he obviously felt for her.
They went down to dinner and found the Darcys in the drawing room. When the butler announced that dinner was ready, Darcy said "I thought that we would eat in the small dining room as there are only the five of us. I hope you do not mind the informality." They all declared that this sounded like an excellent idea.
Darcy offered his arms to his sister and Elizabeth and led them in to dinner. Mr. Gardiner, following his host's example, offered his arm to his wife. When they entered the room, Elizabeth saw that the table would easily seat twelve with comfort. 'My goodness! If this is the small dining room, I wonder how many the formal dining room will accommodate?' she thought to herself. In spite of Darcy's suggestion that dinner would be quite informal, it was as elegant as they had first anticipated, with every dish cooked to perfection and served very properly by the footmen in attendance.
Conversation ranged widely, but centered on their trip and what they might do while they were here. Darcy had the most specific suggestions. "Gardiner, I know you would like to go try your luck with my fish quite soon. Might I suggest that I show you the best spots right after breakfast?"
He then turned to Elizabeth, "Mrs. Collins, I am sure that you are impatient to explore some of the paths in the gardens and woods. If you are still in the habit of walking early, may I join you to show you some of the most scenic areas? Then after breakfast I will go fishing for several hours. I am caught up with all my most urgent correspondence, so I will be able to do that with a clear conscience.
"Mrs. Gardiner, I am sure you would like to go into Lambton to begin to renew old acquaintances. Perhaps you three ladies might go there after breakfast? Georgiana and our staff can show you anything you would like. If the weather is clear, I have an open landau that you will enjoy."
Everyone agreed with these plans, so the dinner ended on a merry note. The two gentlemen did not stay separated from the ladies for long as they could not wait to hear the wonderful sounds of the piano provided by Elizabeth and Georgiana. Georgiana began to play, but she soon insisted that Elizabeth take her place at the keyboard. Darcy sat there entranced, thinking how he would love to be able to repeat this scenario many times in the future. He decided that he would have to be open with Elizabeth, as he was thinking of her, before they left Derbyshire.