Chapter 122

It is still the very best moment of the day, when they crawl under their lovely warm blankets together and talk about what has happened that day. Of course Darcy likes to make love with the sweetest and most beautiful woman in the world, but the mere act of lying in each other's arms and exchanging thoughts and feelings is so much better still. Stroking, fondling and kissing are part of that, true passion is for another moment these days. Though he has always been capable of controlling his urges, lately they don't even try to take over anymore, he can hold his beloved and stroke her without his baser self insisting on doing all kinds of other things. It has become more patient and willing to postpone lovemaking, and though Darcy suspects Elizabeth hasn't noticed the difference, it does make it easier to talk seriously during these quiet moments all by themselves.

Which is a real attainment for they are rarely by themselves anymore, and even at Pemberley there will be friends around all the time to preclude them from sharing their innermost thoughts freely. Those two weeks' honeymoon at Pemberley seem ages ago, even during their trip to Newcastle there were constant demands on their time. Well, they'd better enjoy the company of friends and family for it may not be too long before a whole bunch of them, including dear Georgie, will be going on a very dangerous journey overseas.

'You're very quiet, love, is something bothering you?'

Elizabeth seems to have the opposite, instead of her physical urges calming down she seems to be able to feel them more, or feel free to share them more. As she addresses him with a calm, compassionate voice, her body and hands beg to differ, she is lying in the crook of his arm, snuggled as close to him as she can, one leg over his almost possessively. And she is stroking him in places that would have had him wound up in a second a few months ago, but that merely give him a pleasant sense of heat right now. All in all, they are very comfortable like this, and Darcy is ready to share his feelings with the woman he loves beyond distraction.

'Won't the gods be jealous when they see how much I love you, Elizabeth? And strike us with misfortune to punish us for our hubris?'

'I can ask Will if you want, it'll give us something to talk about next Friday besides babies. Though I suppose he'll tell Lady Catherine that the heathenish fashion of London has led you astray.'

'I'm certain aunt Catherine disapproves of the classical style, since it is so becoming to slim ladies like yourself and Anne and Georgie, whilst making more robust women like herself seem about to topple. I suppose Greek ladies in those ancient days were never overweight, nor built on a more massive scale.'

'I love you just as much as you love me and if anyone objects, divine or not, so be it.'

'I'll miss you when you are gone.'

'I know, and I'll miss you, too, despite being with Will. But you'll have your friends and I'll have Anne, and Charlotte I suppose. We'll both be fine for two days, the weather has improved a lot and the roads will be dry. We'll be there and back in no time, and Charlotte will be so very happy.'

Darcy can't help asking, 'Do you think Anne is going to marry Manners?'

She takes her time to think of an answer, which says enough.

'Yes, my love, I think she is. And I think tonight was the moment of truth, with that lieutenant proposing to her in a hall full of strangers. What was he thinking? Somehow I think that made her decide to choose someone she can trust over someone who loves her blindly. Marrying for love is a leap of faith and I think Anne wants some security. I think papa actually approves, he wouldn't have brought her to him otherwise.'

'But your father doesn't know Manners isn't free to love her!'

'Maybe he doesn't, but he does know they aren't in love. And he knows from experience how much feelings can change even if one starts out deeply in love. I think Frederick will be a perfect partner for Anne, and I'm certain they'll solve any possible problems themselves. She is not a sixteen-year-old girl who has no idea what love is, Fitzwilliam. Maybe Anne hasn't lived much, but she has seen a lot, her parents, your parents, your uncle and his beloved wife, Charlotte and Mr Collins, Mrs Jenkinson must have been married, she has seen us, and Georgiana, I think she knows what to expect of married life. And she knows exactly what she doesn't want, and you and I both know that is most likely what she'd get if she waited for her prince to come and get her. Even if one of our princes really came to love her, she'd still be stuck pregnant in a roomful of children, sewing with gold thread but with her life come to a halt all the same.'

Well, what can a fellow say to that?

'I suppose you know best, my love, though I cannot really imagine my cousin living in sin. Still, I suppose she won't let me stop her, and I wish her the best no matter what, I guess no-one will ever find out. So, do you think their wedding will be as splendid as Georgie's?'

'Either it will be a lot more splendid, or a lot less. Georgiana's wedding will probably be a disappointment for a lot of people who believe what the newspapers write. But I suppose she won't mind at all, as long as she gets what she wants. Your little sister all grown up, Fitzwilliam, aren't you nervous?'

'I am, very much so, especially since they both say they aren't grown up at all and have so much still to learn. And then they'll go to the continent into who knows how much danger. But I know it's what Georgie wants as well, there is nothing I can do except hope for the best.'

'Will you worry as much if they go with Frederick? He is very grown up indeed.'

'That may be so, my love, but then Anne will want to go, too, and Simon.'

'But Eric has been on the continent before, even in some very wild mountains, and he came back just fine.'

'You didn't hear him yesterday, talking to Manners, advising him to hire that fellow you're taking to Kent, what's his name again?'

'Nick Fowler.'

'That's the one. Fielding wants to take him along as protection against robbers. But what can one single man do? And Georgie and Anne with them.'

'You'll just have to teach them all how to shoot, and I'm sure the continent is much more civilised than you think. Maybe not those mountains, and some desolated poor areas and maybe the opposite, large cities where too many people are living close together, and still in poverty. But Eric speaks German fluently, and everyone else French. And I'm sure Mr Clementi will arrange visits for them with people he knows in the Lower Countries and Germany, and I suppose Frederick has connections as well. So many young men travel the continent before settling, Fitzwilliam, and all of them return. And imagine, Eric playing in Vienna, with an orchestra. I wish I could be there. Though just for the concert, I don't want to travel for months and dress up the rest of the time. I'll stay with you at Pemberley and enjoy riding, maybe travel to the Lakes or some other beautiful part of good old England.'

'And you will have whatever you like, my dear,' he observes, suddenly very aware of his beloved's lovely creamy skin, and her delicious scent, and most of all, what her small but capable hands are doing to certain very intimate spots of his body. She knows exactly how to handle him, he is still very ticklish but she never causes him to jump in startlement anymore, they have grown so very close physically as well.

'Why thank you, Mr Darcy, that is very generous of you!'

What is she doing calling him that? He is perfectly fine, isn't he? The way she says his last name still drives him mad with lust, though he does not feel the need to fall at her feet at all, on the contrary, he likes it perfectly fine where he is right now. Especially since his beloved now straddles him and starts to ride him with enthusiasm. Darcy cannot say a word, his lust has taken over and he is clutching the bedclothes to keep from letting his baser self decide what to do next. She probably thinks he is silent out of respect or meekness, but nothing could be further from the truth, his ardour is raging.

'It's been so long, I don't know if I can still ride astride, I thought I'd practise on you every so often.'

Yes, yes, an excellent idea, this is so good, except it is getting a little too exciting, he won't last another minute this way! Letting out his extreme ardour, he lifts her off his body and onto his face, eager to have his own share of the action, and to make their loving last a little longer.

When they are totally sated and lying back against the back of the bed, Elizabeth snuggles even closer and finally utters her surprise.

'You weren't at all as I expected!'

'I know. It was the jealousy that made me feel small and needy, my love, and thanks to Mr Kemble and good old Bob I finally found the solution. Though it is still the most exciting thing that can happen to me, you calling me Mr Darcy.'

Of course she doesn't accept his mere mentioning of two totally different people, and they spend another hour awake in which he explains how those two men helped him find the cause of his jealousy and the solution.

'Dear Bob, to think he dared talk to you so freely about matters of love. I'm certain Fanny will be supremely happy with him, you don't mind visiting their ceremony tomorrow, do you?'

'I certainly don't. With all the goings-on in our house I'm glad to have loyal staff, imagine the mischief they could cause if they went snooping, like Mr Collins. And I must admit I'm very curious to meet Mrs Baker, Fanny's mum. She must be quite a character.'

'Mrs Baker would no doubt be scandalized if she knew, my love. But I'm afraid I don't care a bit, I like Frederick and Simon, and I hope they won't run into trouble at Pemberley, with Mrs Reynolds keeping an eye on things.'

'I'm sure they will find a way to solve it, my dear. The back of the house goes up all the way to the attics over there, you know, and hardly anyone uses the rooms on the first and second floor. I suppose Simon could take one of the rooms on top, and no-one would notice any comings and goings. I know Manners' man will not be coming, he has a new position in town.'

Talking about Pemberley makes Darcy long to be there, and Elizabeth soon proves her mind isn't occupied any differently.

'I can't wait to go to the country, the weather is turning and I want to see the park from the earliest spring all the way into fall. To ride out with Georgiana, and all the others. But we can't do that, can we? Not with just the one horse to share among us.'

Is this the moment? Darcy knows Elizabeth will not really appreciate a true surprise, not with a large, strong horse involved, a real hunter.

'I guess there won't really be a problem, Elizabeth. We'll save Daisy for Georgiana, the men can start out on one of my road-horses, I usually ride the black now but I have two others that are a good deal easier to handle. And while they take their lessons with Peter, you can take yours with his missus on your very own hunter. Hugo managed to find exactly what we were looking for and Mrs Norman has been coming to the house to train your new gelding several times a week for a few weeks now.'

'You got me a hunter already?'

In the dark, he cannot see whether she is pleased or just shocked, but he thinks the first.

'Now I really can't wait to move back to Pemberley. Though I will be desperately afraid at first, is he very tall? And he's not like Bucephalus, is he?'

'Of course I would never buy you a high-strung stallion as your first hunter, my love. I've had Hugo look for a fast horse with a little spirit, but not too much, and very obedient. He is much like Bernice, I think, except this is a gelding and he is much prettier since he is a real hunter, not an army horse turned out too elegant for the army. He is a light bay, you'll love him I think. Peter told me in the deepest secret his missus likes him tremendously. Apparently she is not as reckless anymore after having a child, maybe we should tell her father about the Drummond hunter, I think it will become hugely popular and much less dangerous to break to the saddle than your usual hunter.'

'Thank you, love, for doing this for me. I liked Bernice a lot, though I felt bad for Daisy to have to admit she is not the best horse around. But your sister will love her, I think she will not want to risk her hands and neck riding a more spirited horse.'

It is becoming virtually impossible to stay awake, but Darcy is very pleased his surprise is welcomed by his beloved. Still in each other's arms, they fall asleep, counting the days until their public life will end, though with a wedding that will put them in the spotlight one more time.

Simon expects to find Nick in the deserted common-room since there is nothing for him in the stables and he should know his way through the house by now. But he is not there, nor in Simon's own room, and he can't be in the little office because that is kept locked to prevent misunderstandings over the cashbox, ever since Mr Collins' nightly excursion a few weeks ago. He must still be in the stables, then. And indeed he is, talking to Frederick's driver, an average-looking, totally uninteresting man in his thirties whom Frederick always addresses as Bates. He usually stays at Frederick's town house and brings over the carriage whenever his master wants to use it, because, as Frederick says himself, 'Darcy has just the one stable boy and it would be foolishness to hire another one when I have a perfectly serviceable stables myself.'

Bates should be back at Frederick's town house already, and Simon wonders what the two men are talking about. No chance to listen in, though, as soon as Bates spies Mr Darcy's housekeeper on the prowl in the middle of the night he taps his cap and says conspiratorially, 'Well, enjoy yourself, I'm on my way back to the stables! Nice talking to you, Fowler!'

As soon as he has left the building they can hear the sound of shod hooves on the cobbles of the yard, Bates has indeed left the premises. Their own horses are not as quiet as one would expect at night, they are snorting and moving around in their stalls restlessly. Of course there are a lot of horses staying here for a private stables in the city, and four of them thoroughbreds, but at the moment Bob still has Mr Hugo to help him care for the whole lot: Mr Darcy will not have Bob exercising eight horses on his wedding day, and the new boy, who is to take over the care of the slow team once the family moves to the country, is not allowed to so much as touch the thoroughbreds without supervision.

'Thank God you came to save me from that fellow, Simon! I swear he thinks I am one of you guys, insinuating that Mr Manners fetched me to have a really good time!'

Yes, that is true, Nick will need a thorough introduction into Frederick's methods of keeping his staff happy and decidedly un-curious, whatever grotesque things they may see during their work.

'You are quite mistaken, Nick, if even one of Frederick's staff knows his secret it most certainly isn't Bates. Come, let's get out of here, these horses make me nervous with their fidgeting. I'll explain what Bates meant with his innuendo, it's actually a clever ploy of Frederick's to keep them amused with what they think their master is doing.'

Nick is curious but does observe, 'Actually, those horses will probably calm down once we're gone: Bates told me they're restless because they don't like a stable full of strangers. Shame, I was hoping to explore the charms of the last stall, but I suppose the horses will give us away if we stay there for too long. Unless we make friends with them first, but I'm not that comfortable around horses. They're so much taller and stronger than a man, how can anyone handle four of them at the same time, even if they are rather small and skinny like your master's team? I wanted to ask Bates but he kept implying that Mr Manners must want my services very much to fetch me in person past midnight. He even wondered aloud what the entertainment might consist of, though he never mentioned anything concrete. You can imagine what I thought he meant!'

Simon can't help laughing at Nick's words and his expression while telling Simon of his time with Bates. Before they reach the common-room Simon draws both of them a tall glass of ale from the barrel in the store-room, it's not exactly according to the rules but the barrel will get old once they all leave, neither Cook nor Mrs Annesley drink ale, and the stable boy is a bit young and new to the family to allow him to be tempted. It would be such a waste to let perfectly good ale spoil.

A few sips of ale can help a man relax, Simon knows Nick has been through a considerable shock that night and he will undoubtedly tell Simon about that, but first he explains what Bates meant.

'Have you heard of Frederick's college clique, Nick?'

Nick nods.

'Anne told me about them when she was unwell, and I saw Mrs Grenfell myself.'

'Frederick used to host parties for his friends, very rowdy parties, with a lot of ladies of a certain profession. He never made use of them but his staff doesn't know that. They only know that sometimes a fellow who does the the master a favour will get some time to spend with one of those girls as well. Frederick wants them to think he enjoys girls like that, is still a bachelor because of that, and wants his future wife closely attended to because she might otherwise find out. Which is where you come in.'

Nick is shocked all right, but he soon nods in understanding.

'So that is what the fellow thought I would be doing here tonight. It would be pretty brazen of Mr Manners to have a girl like that over at Mr Darcy's place. But I suppose they don't think about that. He is a clever fellow, Mr Manners, to keep them eager to please him and give them something to gossip about without ever coming even near the truth. They will be falling over themselves to keep Anne from finding out, and they'll tell me everything. I bet Mr Manners feels torn between enjoying the peace and being bored out here, where there are only a few rather naïve staff members to avoid. Though he and Anne are not the only ones from the house to come out back, you might want to be careful about that.'

'You mean Mrs Grenfell? I suppose she will not be visiting again. She had a quest to fulfil and it didn't exactly work out as planned. She is not the kind to frequent the back of the house.'

'No, no, not her. A man, an old man. I saw him go in as I was waiting for Anne in the window seat, and I passed him when I went back in, I had to wait for him to return to the house before I dared enter your room. He came all the way from the back, where the store rooms are. I forgot all about it because, you know, it was just before I met Anne. And she sent me to warn you about that Grenfell woman.'

Simon cannot think of any old men in their house but Earl Compton and Mr Bennet.

'Really old, or about fifty?'

'I suppose about fifty, but that's quite old, isn't it? Anyway, I thought he was with one of the guests, you know, maybe a personal attendant, but I saw him again tonight, with Anne. He was in their party so I guess he must be someone's relative.'

Oh my God! Mr Bennet, it had to be! Undoubtedly looking for Mrs Annesley, who used to have a nice room with a view of the yard at the very back of the house. Most staff dislike the outside noises disturbing their few moments of rest on their days off, which is why it is still empty now. Mrs Annesley always said she didn't mind, she was used to getting up early and she liked the view. Is she still using it sometimes, to meet Mr Bennet?

'Is it very bad? I didn't tell anyone, not even Anne. Don't even tell me who the fellow is, he seemed nice, was nice to Anne, just take care not to have him catch you and Frederick together. And maybe it was a one-off, he was in and out in a minute.'

Mrs Annesley was not in, yesterday, she had a day off because her husband is doing badly. In fact, she told Simon she didn't expect him to last the year, he had been in consumption for almost a decade and she suspected her regular presence in the house had caused him to finally let go. Apparently he'd clung to life to take care of their children, or more accurately, to use her income to hire help to take care of everything, including himself. Poor Mrs Annesley, Simon could understand her seeking comfort with a calm, kind man like Mr Bennet. Too bad society wouldn't.

'It may be, Nick. Please do keep this to yourself. Thank you for your warning, though I guess the two of us are safe, this man will not go to the back after dinnertime. But you will do well to look out for him, if he is indeed doing what I suspect he may be doing. But maybe they're just talking.'

That last is meant for himself and Nick, true to his promise, does not ask who were just talking. He merely nods in assent and takes another sip of his excellent ale.

'So I guess we'll have a fabulous time together?'

That is more like it, for they will.

'I am convinced we'll all have a much better life if Anne and Frederick marry, yes. We'll both be personal staff with nothing to do but watch others, draw them out and chat, then tell Anne and Frederick all about it. And once we go to the continent we can even be together most of the time. Though I'll hate not being at the wedding, or worse, being there as a servant. It'll be quite a thing, you know, Frederick has a reputation for throwing spectacular parties, and not just with his college friends.'

Simon delivers that last statement with a wink, but Nick is nonetheless not amused.

'I'd rather be far away than to have to witness Anne kissing another man than myself. Even though I must have kissed about a hundred women. I know I'm a hypocrite to feel that way, but still I cannot help it.'

'Maybe we should throw a party of our own in the back of the house. And anyway, they can't have a big wedding before the end of the season, next Monday we're off to Pemberley.'

'This Monday? And Anne is coming with you? But...'

Nick looks not just struck, but beaten.

'You knew that, didn't you? Anne must have told you.'

'I suppose she did, but I didn't realise it was this Monday. Damn. Then I'm lost, I'll never see her again, by the time you get back she'll have found someone else. As long as I stay with her all will be well, but I've nothing to offer her, Simon, she'll forget me within the month.'

And he believes it, too. It's how he has been used to love, no doubt, if a lady stopped showing up, another would take her place.

'You know Anne would never do that, it's not like her at all! She is probably afraid to lose you, Nick, you are the one with the history of casual loving. But none of that matters. She is with Frederick right now, most likely accepting his offer of marriage, and when they are engaged he will do everything in his power to make her happy. Which means getting you to come with us to Pemberley. Whatever it takes, Nick, Frederick will get it done. Mr Blackwood cannot stand up to him, and why should he for a month or two at most? He will let you go, Frederick will hire you, and before you know it you will be at Pemberley yourself. And you will not be bored, for I have heard rumours we will all have to learn to ride and shoot, to fit in with the gentry and to be able to defend ourselves when we go to the continent. There is a war threatening over there, you know.'

It is very easy to distract his friend from his worries over Anne and her marriage by telling him about Mr Fielding's wish to study in Vienna and Mr Manners' determination to accompany him there, posing as English gentlemen on their Grand Tour.

'Anne! I'm sorry I'm late! I hope you're not angry.'

She is not, she expected him to be late, he couldn't very well be rude to Mrs Grenfell after inviting her for an evening together. And Simon kept Anne company when the rest of the family had gone to bed. But she is glad to see Frederick and embrace him after the night she has had. He returns the embrace with pleasure, it's different from holding Nick but it is very soothing nonetheless.

'I'm not, I'm just glad you're here now. We need to talk. Frederick, I'm ready to commit myself to you and Simon, the sooner the better.'

That makes him very happy, she can see it in his face, most people consider him plain, just like they find Nick plain, but to Anne their features have come to represent safety and freedom and she loves to look at them. His voice even sounds affected, which makes her happy because he clearly wants this connection very much.

'Thank you so much, dear Anne, it makes me so incredibly glad to hear that. You will not regret it, my dear friend, I will do everything in my power to make you as happy as if we were deeply in love.'

Imagine him saying that when she has just been terribly disappointed by some of the detrimental effects love can have on a person's reason. It is not just beautiful and good, it can also be misleading and very painful.

'I trust you ever so much more than some fellow in the throes of love, dear Frederick,' she observes dryly, and he sighs, 'I'm very sorry about what happened, Anne, and I'm certain your cousin will regret it even more since he more or less set it up, but know you have been blameless in this whole mess. Somehow I cannot feel much empathy for his plight, what has gotten into him to put you in such a position?'

'I'm not going to suffer even one sleepless night over him, though I do feel sorry for him. But Mr Bennet was right, Lieutenant Talbot loves a figment of his imagination, and though I've shown him my real personality he refuses to accept it and persists in loving a woman who does not in fact exist. But enough about him, what will we do now? I've never thought past this point.'

'I have, dear Anne, and we need to decide on several issues, not tonight, though we can compare opinions on a few really important ones. Then we tell your family, which I don't mind admitting to you I greatly fear. Not your uncle or even your mother, but Darcy and Elizabeth.'

Here Anne feels a certain need to interfere.

'You need not fear talking to Elizabeth and Darcy, for I will take it upon me to do that. They are my relatives and I will announce my engagement to them in a private conversation. Tomorrow. After that, we'll write to all the others and tell the rest of the household.'

Head bowed, Frederick is still smiling fondly.

'I gladly surrender the fearsome task to you, dear Anne. I'm so afraid to lose their friendship over this, but I really think we are doing the right thing.'

'Don't worry, I can handle my cousin and Elizabeth doesn't need handling, I think she will support us. So, when will the ceremony be, and how big? Our partners both dislike the idea of a wedding without them.'

'So they do, so they do. I feel a certain need to show off, Anne, have that dream wedding the papers predicted. But I would not enjoy it and neither would you, without the people we truly love. And I so love to be unpredictable! What would you say to getting a special licence and having a little ceremony in Derbyshire, with our best friends and maybe even our loved ones present? Returning to London already married? We may even set off for the continent straight from Pemberley, who knows? Just like you, Anne, I'd like it to be soon. Do you want us to talk it over with Simon and Nick straight away?'

'Nick's here?'

'That is why I was late, I fetched him from home, I thought the two of you might want to see each other after what happened.'

Yes, Anne wants to see Nick, desperately. He looked so devastated to witness her scene with the lieutenant, only holding him close can make up for that. She is convinced he will still not like the idea of her marrying another man, but he did agree.

'You do want to see him, very much so. Come, I suppose they're in the common-room.'

First Nick takes her in his arms, clutches her, actually, as if he is afraid to lose her. She wants nothing more than to be with him but she can so understand his doubt after seeing her with an eligible gentleman who is obviously in love with her.

'You could see he means nothing to me, couldn't you?' she asks softly.

'Yes, my love, I could. And he was totally crushed when we took him back to his parents' house, he did not laugh and tell his friend about his triumph. I knew you'd rejected him. But I also realised there would be others, again and again, until you would finally meet the man you could love and marry.'

That is not at all how Anne sees things, she loves Nick, and she doesn't want any gentleman to fall in love with her, ever again. But convince a reformed philanderer of that.

'It's not going to happen, Nick. Frederick and I just got engaged.'

Will he break down hearing this? Or will he accept the news, even welcome it?

'Thank God, Anne, you'll be safe!'

What? Safe? Isn't that a bit much? Safe from what? From not having Nick? But it's impossible to resist his sincere affection, he gathers her up altogether and crushes her against him, kissing her cheeks and throat as she has always loved so much, so intense, so endearing.

'I was suddenly so afraid you'd choose propriety, Anne, a decent marriage to a deserving man. But he doesn't love you like I do, he just loves the beautiful lady while I love the entire woman. Do you think he'd change your rags for you? Nurse you through opium delusions if your medicine was too strong? How could I wish you to marry a man who would leave you to the servants when you needed him most, my love? I know Simon and Frederick will take care of you if ever I cannot. You deserve the best and I know I'm not the best. This is.'

Put like that, he is right. Anne hasn't even considered that, Nick didn't shy from her during her moon time, he helped her to stay clean instead, even improved the way her rags stayed put manifold. And whenever they make love he considers her pleasure first, he told her his ladies were always very surprised to find the act of love enjoyable for themselves. Which is why there was a never-ending supply of them, no doubt.

They snuggle a lot more and then they sit down together and talk very dryly and sensibly about practical matters. Like whether they'll let Darcy and Elizabeth know about Nick once the engagement has been made public. They'll be shocked, but maybe also relieved to know she isn't seeing several men. And how to approach Mr Blackwood to let Nick go before his daughters are married.

'If you want to, Nick, for if you want to complete your assignment until the Misses Blackwood are both married I can have you fetched.'

'Thank you, Frederick, but I think it's inescapable for new jobs to not always start at the exact termination date of the old. I suppose Mr Blackwood will understand, though I suspect he still hopes I'll join his business. But can you bring another servant along to someone else's estate just like that?'

Frederick is pleased to hear Nick using his first name, that much is clear. And whatever Nick thinks about men loving each other he is not making an issue of it, which is a great relief to Anne, she would think less of him if he did.

'I don't suppose the Blackwood family even goes to the country? Not to stay with family either?'

At Nick's shake of his head, Frederick explains.

'It's perfectly normal to bring personal staff along, to rely on your host's staff for specific care would be a burden and an insult. Since my valet has found a new employer right here in town I would need to hire another one if it wasn't Darcy whom we are visiting. Officially, Simon is still in his employ. Do you mind, Simon?'

'Not here, since I kind of rule the roost and see eye to eye with Mrs Annesley, but I would not like to be placed under Mrs Reynolds again. So I suppose I'll talk to Mr Darcy as well, tomorrow, and ask him to let me go. Do you want to make up a formal contract of employment with me, Frederick?'

There seems to be a certain challenge in his voice.

'Of course not, my love, I have a totally different document ready and waiting for you to read well and sign for me, in the presence of my lawyer and a witness. I assure you it's nothing that will put you out. So you will stop being part of Darcy's staff as soon as we leave this house?'

And Simon's expression relaxes as he replies, 'Preferably, yes. Mrs Annesley will find a successor for me, unless she wants to work the extra hours herself, with the family away and the staff reduced there will be little to do except be present and keep an eye on the deliveries, the building and the door. Cook takes care of his own staff and he will make sure the stable boy does his work well, so she can work on her art most of the day and be paid just to be here. She'd be a fool to refuse and she knows it.'

Frederick nods and addresses Nick, 'I suppose you'd prefer to have a contract with me and a set wage? I'd hire you as my wife's guard. You have quite the reputation, so of course you'd make a good wage.'

'Yes, sir, I would like that at first,' Nick replies formally, he does have some trouble yet to address Frederick by his first name. 'I wouldn't like the feeling of living off your charity, I like to have some money of my own to spend on things I value. Presents for my beloved, for instance.'

Of course Nick has been seeing married women all his life, he sure doesn't seem bothered by the idea of Anne being married to Frederick anymore. All this talk of money makes Anne think of her own situation, will she have her own money? Once she marries Frederick her fortune will be his, she knew that when she accepted him and she is not afraid he will abuse his lawful right. But they will negotiate their nuptials before getting married, and Anne is certain uncle Spencer will involve himself in that process and take care she will always have some money of her own to spend. Or maybe she'll ask Georgiana to do that, she has turned out to have quite a talent for financial issues. But whoever does the honours, Frederick doesn't need Anne's fortune so her settlement will undoubtedly be larger than it would be if she'd marry anyone else.

They decide on a lot of practical things and also chat about the concert that evening, Mr Bennet's surprising behaviour, Mrs Grenfell's lady-like appearance, uncle Spencer's friends, and of course Georgiana's wedding come Wednesday. Then Frederick promises to take Nick back to the Blackwoods' the next morning and use the occasion to talk to Mr Blackwood about hiring Nick and taking him away to Pemberley the coming Monday.

Half an hour is how long Anne and Nick manage to stay awake for the inevitable loving, they are both very tired after an enervating day. And tomorrow, Anne will face Darcy and tell him she is engaged to Frederick Manners, and that they hope to get married by special licence in the little church belonging to Pemberley. But not without Elizabeth's presence, Anne knows Darcy will object and blame Frederick for meddling, but Anne knows she is using Frederick as much as he is using her.