Chapter 22

Simon is still in his room, and a little maid, looking a bit white in the face, fetches Bob from the stables. They all move to the sitting-room, where Georgiana and Mrs Annesley are at their usual pastimes, Bob almost afraid to be in the master's domain, Simon only a little apprehensive.

Fitzwilliam doesn't spend any time relating what just happened, he merely states: 'Simon, Bob, we will do the rounds of the house in about ten minutes, and I want you to please tell me which members of the hired staff should be told not to return to work tomorrow. You point, I pay their wages and tell them to go. We'll make do with what staff is left, then find new people in the morning.'

Simon, now finding a measure of humour again, and seemingly totally at ease in the sitting-room with his master and the rest of the family, says: 'I'll wait the table, master, you will not suffer inconvenience for saving our skins.'

'Thank you, Simon,' Fitzwilliam says, glad for the droll remark, 'I am afraid I cannot guarantee Janine keeping her vile mouth shut, but I suppose Theo has no real reason to slander your reputation. Whatever happens, we'll support you.

Bob, with Bruce gone we will need someone to take care of the horses here, and I suppose you can do without a three day ride sitting on the box next to him, then sharing Peter's work with him. What would you say to staying in town after all, and driving us to Mr Bingley's wedding with the lead-footed team?'

Bob cannot speak for a moment, but he nods his assent, and after a short time manages to whisper: 'Yes, master, I'd like that.'

'And if you have everything in order around here, Simon, you can join us, too, attend to our needs and flirt with the ladies' maids.'

Gathering his breath to speak up, Simon just in time realises his master's quick thinking, and replies: 'I'd love to, master, Miss Bingley's maid especially is very... talkative. If I hit on her every servant of every house in London will know what I did as soon as she is back in town. Maybe one of you can catch me at it? She is easy as well as talkative and not very pretty, and I don't really want to...well, you know what.'

Bob offers with a grin: 'I'll console her if the master forbids you to come near her, I don't mind if she's not a looker, I'm not that handsome myself.'

'But you're a devil with a whip, right?' Simon says, knowingly.

Fitzwilliam scrapes his throat loudly and says: 'We have ladies present, please watch your mouths.

And Simon, please don't forget yourself, I'm still the master of this household. If you think I'm going to stalk the halls of Netherfield as well as my own house, to catch you with another servant, you might want to reconsider. You think you are a clever fellow, if you cannot get yourself out of a tight spot with a foolish young woman you're not nearly as smart as you think you are.'

Both servants suddenly seem to remember who their master really is, bow and study the floor. Soon after that Fitzwilliam takes them with him to judge the hired servants and notify the cook of the changes. Elizabeth supposes they will also check whether Theo and Janine are truly gone from the house.

In the end, two of the four maids may stay, the other two receive their day's pay and are dismissed. The cook is shocked to hear that both Theo and Janine will no longer be working and living in the house, but he promises his helpers will assist with the serving that night.

'I am certain you will have plenty to do, Simon, if you are to take up Theo's duties. My boys will do the manual labour, keep the fires going and the pitchers filled. And Bob won't mind giving a hand with the pot-scrubbing now the house is safe again, am I right?'

'You are right, Cook,' Bob replies, 'I exercise the team once a day, and Bruce is not much fun to be with, so I'll gladly come and help out in the kitchen.'

'You know you can let Bruce do all the work in the stables, Bob,' Darcy reminds him gently.

'Thank you, master, I will let him muck the team's stables, but with all due respect, master, he cannot handle the fast team. He's used to the lead-foots, and just the two of them in front of a heavy carriage. He'd crash Mrs Darcy's pretty carriage and kill someone besides. If he behaves well at Pemberley, Mr Hugo may teach him how to drive a full team. I'm glad I'm past that, Mr Hugo is a menace, though he is the best. I'm actually glad I don't have to drive him back home.'

Darcy is ready for a solid dinner, and a chapter of Pierre's naughty exploits, with the unavoidable of loving afterwards. Accounts and other details will keep until tomorrow.

'You look knackered sir,' Cook observes, 'it must have been a long day for you, travel all the way here and then find the house in an uproar. We'll have dinner for you in half an hour, my boys will take care of whatever the maids cannot handle, and I'll send one over to Bruce with a platter of food. Just leave things back here to us, and things in the main house to Simon. You have done the hardest part already, a nasty mess to return home to.'

And Darcy is tired, so he lets himself be sent back to Elizabeth and Georgie, glad to have managed relatively well so far. In the sitting-room his beloved invites him in her arms, and disregarding propriety he settles against her and lets her spoil him.

During dinner, Darcy arranges with Mrs Annesley to take the whole of the next day to find Theo's accounts and let Simon get acquainted with his new tasks. Then they can request and review references of potential new servants, and set those they deem suitable up with an appointment to meet Mr and Mrs Darcy, hopefully finding their new butler and maids among the applicants.

Turning in early after a tiring day, Darcy still doesn't feel like sleeping, and offers: 'Why don't I read us a chapter of Pierre's exploits?'

'If it is not too tiring for you, please do, Fitzwilliam. I so love to hear you read. You know I may soon let Georgiana in on your secret, and you'll have to demonstrate your superb skills to her as well. Maybe with a little more exalted literature, though.' Elizabeth is not just talking, she is stroking his chest and shoulders and relishing the feel of his body beneath her hands.

Darcy merely smiles in assent. He doesn't actually mind reading for an audience anymore, if that audience consists of people he knows well. And with his beloved in his arms, touching him but no longer as intimately as that first time he read from this book, he starts on the next chapter.

Pierre has settled for some time, he is painting an entire family with grandparents, small children dressed up like little adults, and even the household pets, a lovely setter and a prize stallion. As he works hard by day to get every single family-member on canvas in their own portrait, and incorporated in the family painting, he works even harder at night, pleasing the lady of the house whose slightly older husband cannot keep up with his wife's needs.

Of course Pierre also samples all the female members of the family, excluding only the grandmother, who is as righteous as a nun. How she ever got eight children is a miracle, according to Pierre.

But since she does have eight children, there are plenty of daughters and grown-up granddaughters to entertain Pierre for several months, until all the portraits are done.

They should be shocked at what the book describes, many of the ladies are not married, and some of them are bound to betray their sins by their swelling waists in a few months, they are after all a very prolific family.

But somehow the naughtiness of it all makes it even more fun to read, and neither Darcy nor Elizabeth feels inclined to put the book away to spare their tender feelings. 'It's all made up, isn't it?' Elizabeth asks.

'Most probably, yes,' Darcy answers, though sometimes he has a little doubt, what if it all did happen?

'I feel a bit ashamed to enjoy this, but we'll make up for it by reading some extra poetry, right?'

Darcy smiles and replies: 'Sure, we'll make up for our sinful reading by choosing some edifying works to cleanse our minds.'

Then he continues his superb reading, and soon he puts away the book and concentrates on his beautiful, strong-willed, brave wife, who backed him so strongly today. For someone not used to being in command of servants herself she made such a resolute decision, she will be a true mistress to both Pemberley and his London house.

Soon they are totally involved in each other, confirming their love in a very physical way, and the very bed where they made love for the first time in both their lives, some three weeks ago, can now testify that they have gained a lot of experience since then.

Though breakfast is served by the cook's helpers, nothing else is different, there is a fire in every room where it is supposed to be, the pitchers are filled, the laundry removed, everything seems the same as usual. Except for Simon joining them at the table, and him and Mrs Annesley talking business constantly.

Georgiana seems bored, and Elizabeth offers her to accompany her to her piano lesson today, to allow Mrs Annesley the time to help Simon, but also to see how her sister is doing. 'Do you mind taking a cab?' Georgiana asks her, 'Eric, I mean Mr Fielding, doesn't like to have a carriage waiting out front for up to two hours. He says my mind needs to be free of distractions, and having a carriage block his narrow street, just for me, does distract me. And you'd better bring your needlework or a book to keep you from studying me, or he'll send you to the waiting room. He can be very strict. He looks kind of good-natured, and he is very polite and obliging, you'll notice, but once he's teaching, he's the master and his student obeys. You'll like him, though, he's very talented.'

Elizabeth tries to keep herself from having an opinion, she can embroider and watch Georgiana and 'Eric' interact before she decides whether her sister has a crush on her piano-teacher. At least he's English. Does he know she has thirty thousand pounds? That much money would go a long way towards establishing a career in music.

Now she's doing what she wasn't going to do, Elizabeth's time for prejudices and assumptions is past. Georgiana is nearly an adult, she has known someone who was after her money, no-one will be more paranoid than Georgiana herself.

'I don't mind at all taking a cab, if you'll hail it for us, you know I'm as rustic as woollen underwear. I'll be at your mercy entirely, hiking through town.'

Georgiana squeezes Elizabeth's hand, and observes: 'I'm so glad you've come to stay here, we'll have such fun together. Let Fitzwilliam take care of business, and we'll amuse ourselves.'

'I do feel guilty leaving him to bear the responsibilities again, we were going to share those.' Elizabeth feels a little doubt, Fitzwilliam was so affected by what happened, is it fair to leave him by himself?

'You're doing your share chaperoning me. Can you picture him watching me play piano for two hours? Don't worry, he's glad you're doing the honours. And you can always make it up to him tonight.'

Such a cheeky remark for a sixteen year old! But true nonetheless.

And as Fitzwilliam is poring over the household accounts with Simon and Mrs Annesley, Elizabeth is taking her first baby-steps into the city, under the expert guidance of her sixteen year old sister-in-law.

'This is actually the butler's job, as long as we're in front of the house,' Georgiana says, beaming, as she expertly hails a cab. 'But Mr Fielding has no butler, and Mrs Annesley agreed it would be absurd to let him hail a cab when I can do that just as well myself. I'm really good at it.'

And indeed, the first cab to pass by does halt in front of them. Georgiana greets the driver, calls out the address, then gets in, followed by Elizabeth. It isn't very lady-like, but if Mrs Annesley approves, Elizabeth is not going to object. Within ten minutes they arrive, and Georgiana lets herself out of the carriage, pays the driver, and says: 'It's that house over there, come!'

A young maid opens the door and leads them through a marble floored hall to a medium sized room with a light wooden floor and white-washed walls. There are no paintings, no ornaments, just a large piano with a very broad stool, and a sofa with a thread of silver in its midnight blue cover. The room is stunning in its simplicity, and very bright even in winter.

For there has been no snow in London, whereas Derbyshire was cloaked in pure white when they left, and the country they passed through was covered in a dusting of snow, London is freezing cold but in a drab grey, with overcast skies and regular rain. Elizabeth does realise that with its number of inhabitants, snow in London would stay pure only very shortly, the soot of all the fires and the constant tread of countless people would turn the beautiful cover into grey muck within a few hours anyway.

Her contemplations are interrupted by the maid offering to take her coat, the beautiful long coat Mrs Reynolds advised her to have made, and the entrance of a handsome young man, supposedly Mr Fielding. He is not as tall as Fitzwilliam, and rather slender, his light brown hair curly and quite long, and he is dressed immaculately, though with a certain artistic flair, in a very elegant black velvet coat, midnight blue, tight trousers, a white shirt with just a touch of lace at the throat and polished black shoes. He is very handsome, and clearly very fond of Georgiana for he greets her with affection, not indelicately though, Elizabeth cannot even imagine this handsome artist being impolite or indecorous, he is merely very glad to see her.

'Miss Georgiana, it's so good to see you again! I'm so sorry I insisted on a lesson today, I had forgotten your brother was to return from his honeymoon. I hope I didn't get you in trouble?'

Georgiana is obviously glad to see him as well, but she does not avert her eyes, or blush to be received with such enthusiasm. She faces her teacher frankly and replies: 'There was no problem, Mr Fielding, he had business at home anyway. I've brought my sister today, may I introduce you to Mrs Elizabeth Darcy?'

Just before Mr Fielding greets her, she can see a fleeting look of disappointment cross his face, what can be the cause of that? Was it something Georgiana said? Did he hope to meet Fitzwilliam? Better greet him first, then contemplate while they study.

Bowing to her, then kissing her hand, Mr Fielding shows he has excellent formal manners. 'Pleased to meet you, Mrs Darcy, Miss Georgiana has told me you play the piano, too?'

That is very funny, and Elizabeth doesn't check her laugh as she replies: 'Pleased to meet you too, Mr Fielding, if I were to react slowly to Mrs Darcy please forgive me, it's been a mere three weeks since I changed my name, it still needs some time to really settle in. Miss Georgiana has been very kind to me to call what I do to a piano playing. Compared to her skills I'm merely banging the keys.'

But to Mr Fielding the piano is clearly not subject for humour, for he replies deadly serious: 'It is all a matter of practise, Mrs Darcy. I admit Miss Georgiana has more than the usual talent for music, but she once started at the very beginning, and so did I. Please don't let Miss Darcy's accomplishment keep you from developing your own skills on the instrument. I suspect she has a certain aptitude for instruction, maybe she can help you along sometimes.'

Georgiana clearly agrees with Mr Fielding's opinion, and says: 'I'd love to help, Elizabeth, will you please let me? I want to play quatre mains again, and sing duets.'

Apparently the idea of Georgiana singing duets appeals to Mr Fielding, but he is a true teacher, and he doesn't spend any more time chatting, he wants to get to work and invites Georgiana to sit down on the broad stool in front of the piano by patting its seat. At first she walks towards the piano obediently, then she stops and begs: 'Will you play for my sister first, let her hear what I am aiming for? Please, Eric?'

Mr Fielding's expression softens completely at her use of his first name. Elizabeth suspects he isn't very keen to perform in his pupil's time, but he cannot resist Georgiana's heartfelt plea and sits down himself. Georgiana stands by the piano looking on, and it is as if Mr Fielding secretly dedicates his piece to her. Then he starts to play.

And Elizabeth needs to sit down from the sheer force of his performance. Imagine how she thought Georgiana had little left to learn, was nearly there, a mere ten bars of Mr Fielding's playing show her that Georgiana has years to go yet, and plenty to learn from this talented musician.

Mr Fielding's music captures Elizabeth's soul and takes it along with him on a journey to... to where? It isn't England, that's certain, this music is much wilder than England, not just the cultivated parts, but also the uninhabited bits of the country, the moors, the dales. This is music of craggy mountains, and of rough people, primitive but with deep feeling.

All too soon the music dies away, but the feeling remains. Georgiana is in rapture, she now looks as if she is indeed smitten, her cheeks blushing, her gaze directed at her teacher in complete adulation. Strangely enough, this seems to pain him, but Elizabeth did think she saw some signs of admiration in him as well. Well, maybe she imagined them, whatever his feelings, he is entirely proper in his conduct towards Georgiana, and as Elizabeth observes: 'Mr Fielding, that was the best music I ever heard, it took me to a different country I'm sure, but I've never been beyond Derbyshire. There were mountains there, and wild, emotional people. How did you do that? How can you put so much feeling in music?'

That pleases the young man very much, but he does get up and offer the stool to his pupil. Then he says: 'Mrs Darcy, we've never met before, and still you heard a piece of me in my music. For I wrote that when I lived in Prague, I studied there with a master for a year, and conducted some business for my patron. This is his town-house, I come from humble roots.

Prague is a very civilised city, but my teacher and I explored the whole country and the mountains and their rugged inhabitants inspired me to write that. I'd love to tell you about them some time, I'm amazed you heard my experiences in my music. Thank you.'

And with that, he starts the lesson, and Elizabeth takes up her needlework. She knows she looks totally concentrated on her work, but she can keep an eye on her sister as well as place her stitches correctly, for the process of Mr Fielding's teaching is very interesting, and the way they relate to each other even more so.

Every time he touches Georgiana, to improve her posture, or to let her feel a certain difference in force, he is affected. But she isn't. Only hearing him play brought on a flush, she is not interested at all in his masculinity, she admires him for his talent and his expertise, she is eager to learn what he has to teach.

Hearing the lesson doesn't bore Elizabeth, Mr Fielding pays such attention to minute details, matters Elizabeth wouldn't have believed could make difference in the way the music sounds, if she had not heard him play just now. It clearly does matter, for when Georgiana finally manages to get it right, the difference is profound. The sound of the short sequence is so much fuller, this man must be an incredible teacher as well as a magnificent performer.

Two hours fly by, and when Mr Fielding says: 'That's it for today, Miss Georgiana, if you practise this exactly as you performed it just now, we can start on the next subject, in a week?'

'Can we make it four days?' the girl asks, 'I feel like I'm always starting to get sloppy after four days, I seem to need someone to point out my mistakes to me with some regularity.'

Mr Fielding smiles, he has a ravishing smile, and observes: 'We all need someone to point out our mistakes. Unfortunately there comes a stage in one's career that virtually no-one hears them anymore, and that is when developing further becomes really hard. I'm struggling with such a moment myself, unfortunately a master who does still hear my weaknesses and can correct them, gets better pay playing for audiences.

But you're very close to hearing mine, Miss Georgiana, and I suppose you have an ear for music too, Mrs Darcy, even though your performance may lag behind. They're two different things, hearing and performing.'

As they ready themselves to leave, Mr Fielding asks: 'Would it be possible to have a word in private, Mrs Darcy?'

Elizabeth is surprised, but readily assents, and Mr Fielding continues: 'We can use the waiting-room, Georgiana, can you amuse yourself with the piano for another, say, ten minutes?'

With a 'No problem, Mr Fielding,' Georgiana is soon sitting again and playing something totally different from what she has been taught today. 'So many ambitious players don't know when to end an exercise,' Mr Fielding observes, 'Miss Darcy understands that she may enjoy her success until practise tomorrow. That way she stays motived through the most difficult and frustrating processes.'

By now they have reached the waiting-room, a small room but as light and as uncluttered as the room with the instrument, except that there is a small table with some magazines on it. Mr Fielding does have a rich patron, they look like periodicals, and there are quite a few of them, Elizabeth couldn't afford those when she was still living at home with her parents.

A bit nervous now, Mr Fielding invites Elizabeth to sit down and sits down himself. He is slightly flushed, and blurts out: 'Mrs Darcy, you are a keen observer, you were busy enough with your needle-work but I'm certain you saw enough of what was going on during our lesson.'

With a laugh, Elizabeth observes: 'Are you going to banish me to the waiting-room next time I accompany Georgiana? She told me you were very strict in avoiding distractions.'

Even more nervous now, the young man says: 'I wouldn't dare to presume to send Mrs Darcy anywhere, ma'am. And your presence didn't disturb Miss Georgiana's practise at all, I don't think she noticed you were watching, you're very subtle, and if she did, she didn't mind. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about.'

Elizabeth feels a bit sorry for him, he's really lost for words, so she gives him the time to find them.

When he does find them, they flow rapidly: 'Mrs Darcy, I think you have noticed that I have a certain affection for your sister. I assure you she doesn't feel the same about me, she may have shown some admiration, but that is only because I am the best pianist she has ever heard, she wants to become as good as I am and she will do anything to reach that goal. She has no interest in men at all, yet, she just wants my knowledge, as it should be.

I know she is just sixteen, and way above me, please believe me when I say I'm just totally overwhelmed by her talent and her determination. I will not act on my feelings, I will get over them and soon, I promise. I admire her talent as she admires mine, except I'm old enough to fall in love, but it will pass. Please do not take her away from me, I want to teach her very much, one so rarely finds such a talent.'

Elizabeth cannot help but be affected by his plea, being surrounded by Fitzwilliam's intense love all day, being so very much in love herself, she can so understand how admiration can turn into love very easily, wasn't that how her love for Fitzwilliam started, her finding out what an admirable man he actually was?

She tells Mr Fielding: 'I did notice you seemed struck by her, yes. And I noticed she didn't seem to admire you except when you played, and at that moment I admired you nearly as much. I didn't see anything to cause me worry, Mr Fielding, but I have been Miss Darcy's sister for three weeks. Mr Darcy is Miss Georgiana's brother, but they differ so much in age he sometimes feels more like a father to her, I cannot guarantee that he will be as trusting.'

Let him sweat a little. Elizabeth doesn't think Fitzwilliam would deprive her sister of a teacher who has such a way of helping her to improve her playing, but the fact is, she doesn't know him well enough to be sure. Georgiana is his sister, and there are the thirty thousand pounds and the thing with Wickham. How did that wretch get her to assent to an elopement anyway? Georgiana is not interested in Mr Fielding as a man at all.

'I'm glad you do realise that your affection is not returned, Mr Fielding, and I hope lack of nourishment will starve it within a reasonable amount of time. I hope you won't suffer for it. Georgiana is still so very young and eager to explore the world, I hope she will not fall in love for some time yet, not until she has gained a lot of self-confidence. And I firmly believe you are helping her gain that, so you have my support to remain her teacher. I really appreciate your honesty, Mr Fielding.'

'Thank you, Mrs Darcy, I really don't expect you to stand up to your husband for me, I just wanted to be truthful.'

And with that, their conversation is at an end, and Mr Fielding rings the bell for their coats. He walks them to the door and says his goodbyes gracefully and very appropriately.