Chapter 125

Driving back in Frederick's carriage Darcy feels a little out of sorts, his baby-sister, married at seventeen. He doesn't even want to contemplate what she and Fielding are doing right now, though he did agree wholeheartedly with Elizabeth when she proposed giving them Pierre's memoires. Suddenly, a dreadful though strikes him, and before he realises they are not alone with Frederick and Anne he blurts out, 'Oh, no, Anne, I didn't want to ask for details yesterday since it's been a bit of a thing for Elizabeth, but Georgie! She should know how it works!'

Mr Bennet looks startled to see his dignified son-in-law behaving so impetuously, but Anne and Elizabeth understand instantly and Elizabeth is indeed out of sorts.

'That was so selfish of me, to think it could wait because I don't need it. Georgiana is just seventeen!'

'Don't worry, either of you, all is well! They both know, and I suppose they have taken measures. It was Eric's nightmare, and though it was incredibly embarrassing I told them even the minutest detail.'

Anne's gentle voice is like a blessing, and only now does Darcy realise Mr Bennet should not have heard this.

'I'm sorry, Mr Bennet, that was rude, excluding you. It's just that I suddenly thought of something we had forgotten to give Georgiana, some advice.'

With an inscrutable look that makes Darcy feel very naïve his father-in-law says soothingly, 'Never mind, Darcy, we all have a right to our own little secrets, you young people as well as us old folks. I'm glad you support each other in these matters, we had to find out for ourselves, you know, and it wasn't always a success.'

He is not thinking of the exact thing Darcy meant, but close enough. He probably shouldn't know the rest, though he is not exactly a stickler for the traditional values. But what does he mean by old people having secrets? Well, probably just some joke, the shrewd fellow likes having people on. And indeed Mr Bennet very smoothly brings the conversation to some other subject, by offering Anne a well-manicured hand.

'A little bird told me you have just announced your engagement to Mr Manners, Miss de Bourgh. My sincerest congratulations, I am certain you will make a perfect couple, you have so many interests in common.'

He does not mention love, it is as Elizabeth said, he knows they don't love each other but he nonetheless approves, he is not lying.

'Thank you so much, Mr Bennet, and I still meant to thank you for your kindness last Monday, it was so very tragic and I would have been so embarrassed to cry in public. You really saved me.'

'It was my pleasure, Miss de Bourgh, no man should ever put a lady in that situation.' Mr Bennet shows none of his usual reticence, he likes Anne, a lot.

'And Mr Manners, my best wishes for you, too, you've captured a veritable prize, which I know you will value at her true worth and treat with the love she deserves.'

Manners also shakes hand with the devious old man, but where most men fear Mr Bennet's sarcasm, he certainly doesn't show anything but true sympathy.

'I certainly will, Mr Bennet, I know you are very difficult to deceive and I'm sure you recognise my sincerity.'

'Oh, I know Miss de Bourgh is a very happy woman,' he replies slyly, at which Manners returns, 'I thought you might. Birds of a feather, Mr Bennet, the whole lot of us.'

Well, they've lost him now, whatever can Anne, Manners and Mr Bennet have in common? That they like to talk in riddles, no doubt.

Of course Georgiana and Fielding are nowhere in sight when they get back, and Mr Bennet disappears to the library, he was very pleased to see Mrs Annesley return to work after a few days' absence to care for her sick husband. She does not have an easy life, taking care of children and a man who has been suffering from a wasting disease for more than a decade. Though the lady herself is always positive, of course she has a steady income close to her family now, even if she is away from home regularly she can go back every night and be with her children and support her partner. But it's just impossible to imagine how it must feel to watch the person you love die by inches.

Despite Mrs Annesley's sad situation she has finished the beautiful work of art she has been making for their dining-room, it has turned out incredibly well and is occupying a prime spot where it can be admired by every visitor to the house. They will be taking her sketches back to Pemberley to choose one, then write which one so she can start working on the next. She will have plenty of time to spend on it when the family is away, and Darcy guesses the work enables her to forget her sorrows for a few hours each day.

Simon brings coffee to the drawing-room and Elizabeth invites him to join them, to tell him about the wedding and the reporters, no doubt. They cannot go on like this at Pemberley, keeping him in the back of the house when he is no longer a servant, but it's just too unconventional to give him a room in the front. People would talk, especially the servants, and that will only harm Simon in the long term. And then there will be Anne sneaking into the back of the house as well, it's just so...improper. Actually, he is thinking demeaning, humiliating even, but he knows he is the only one of that opinion. And there is not a thing he can do about it, except to bar everyone involved from his house, but that won't do either, he promised Anne a safe home and he likes all the others, even Nick Fowler. Though he is much too common for his cousin, and more than a little unrefined. Servile, too, Darcy cannot understand how such a diffident man can ever have attracted his cousin. Did she choose him to have a man she can rule?

As Anne is telling Simon how Georgiana revealed the truth about their fashionable attire to at least seven reporters waiting outside, Darcy has a revelation about how to make all this work without risking exposure, especially of Anne.

'So they were utterly surprised by her revelations? They're reporters, they should have been able to find out. Fanny told me a maid had followed her to Miss Filliger's store this one time, to try to hire her for her own mistress. That girl saw her pick up a hat for Mrs Darcy openly, we didn't actually try to hide anything, we went over to that shop regularly. I suppose the crowd wasn't surprised?'

This time, Elizabeth replies, 'Yes, they were. Not that they looked all that interested in fashion.'

But Nick Fowler's charges obviously were, and he had been surprised and pleased.

'I kept Nick Fowler company while you were talking to the reporters, ladies, and he said the Misses Blackwood would be thrilled to know they can buy those dresses themselves. Maybe he is taking them to Miss Filliger as we speak, before it's in the papers.'

The others are all stunned, it's not easy to get one over Manners, Anne and Elizabeth, he will relish this moment. Manners is the first to recover.

'He told me you'd addressed him, yes. I did wonder why, and how you knew.'

'Anne told us. I was showing an interest, since he holds my cousin's heart and will be living in my house I thought I should get to know him at least a little. And you know, he was keeping an eye on the crowd, but I thought it'd be wise to keep an eye on him when he was going to witness the two of you announcing your engagement to the press. Have you any idea how painful that must have been to him? Though he didn't show it much, he seemed to take it in stride, said he'd have to get used to it anyway.'

'He is a strong man, Mr Darcy,' Simon says respectfully, 'though it has taken him some time, I think he has accepted things as they are. As I have.'

'As we all have, Simon,' Manners says mildly. 'Please don't think we will ever take this in stride, it's as painful to us as it is to you. Which is why neither Anne nor I feel like having a magnificent wedding, though it will be expected of me.'

Well, there will never be a better time to propose his idea for their summer at Pemberley.

'Of course I cannot decide on what kind of wedding you should have, but I do have an idea to make things a little more inclusive at Pemberley this summer. Several of you will need to learn how to ride a horse and how to shoot a rifle, isn't that so?'

Manners nods, and Simon certainly seems eager.

'And you will have quite a lot of planning to do before you can go to the continent together, not just writing to connections but also poring over maps, finding lodgings where you have no connections, arranging carriages and a cart for your luggage and Fielding's instrument. And so on, and so on. And I guess you'll want to take Fowler, who will then have to learn French and maybe even German, a load of genteel manners and please get rid of that London accent for him.'

Anne looks a bit miffed until Darcy continues.

'Pemberley is huge, and the second and third floor are as good as deserted, even with as many visitor as we're planning to entertain. Why don't we declare the second floor the travellers' floor and decorate the largest room to be your own separate headquarters where you can be together to arrange everything and teach and explore books and maps to your hearts' content? All the travellers can have their chambers on the same floor, separate from the other visitors, so the two of you don't have to navigate the servants' quarters at night, and Simon and Nick won't have to bow to Mrs Reynolds by day. Giving them rooms among us would cause talk, but I think we'll get away with giving the lot of you your own floor.'

Expression no longer slightly insulted but rather relieved and thankful, Anne observes, 'It would be lovely, Darcy, thank you so much for such a kind offer. But won't you two feel left out? It'll mean leaving your visitors to entertain themselves, or doing without the lot of us pretty often.'

'It will be excellent practise, Anne. Fitzwilliam is right, with Simon no longer in our service he has no place among the servants, but having him among us will cause more talk than would be wise. And when you all leave for the continent we'll be left behind anyway, it's good to have a little time to get used to that, we'll see each other riding and fishing and rambling, and during meals and in the evenings, but we will learn to do without you as well. I think it's a great idea, my love, and an outstanding excuse to scour the attics for curiosities.'

He might have known, another expedition to look for old stuff when he has taken such care decorating the whole house. Well, except those two top floors, no-one ever comes there so why bother? And who not use antiques to furnish their rooms, if they insist? The Pemberley attics are huge, and the house has been in his family for at least a hundred and fifty years. There must be plenty of valuables stored there, even if his forefathers were not the kind to explore the world and bring back curiosities from their travels.

Simon is mighty quiet, Darcy thought he'd like to be lodged near his partner. An inquiring look is enough to make him speak his thoughts.

'It will be such a blessing not to have to sneak about, Mr Darcy, thank you very much. Do you really think there won't be much talk if Nick and I lodge in the front of the house? And I'm afraid we're overlooking something very important: we're planning to travel mostly from connection to connection, aren't we? Then we'll be expected to look our best at least twice a week, but very likely more. I can take care of Eric's looks as well as Frederick's and my own, in fact I can make every single one of us look perfectly fine, but the ladies will need an attendant as well, to make the right impression.'

'Don't worry, Simon,' Frederick says soothingly, 'I'm sure these things will all resolve themselves. Let us just enjoy being together as Darcy proposes, and see what happens next. If there is a war we'll not be able to go to the continent anyway. I can't wait to see what the papers will say tomorrow, and whether Miss Filliger will be overrun with new customers.'

Well that is certainly true. If war breaks out they cannot leave, it will be too dangerous. And then Anne surprises them by asking dryly, 'So, Elizabeth, Darcy, do you want me to tell you about not getting with child?'

She is embarrassed, but she must have seen how important it is to Elizabeth and himself. Though Elizabeth did say something unexpected, that it didn't matter anymore for them? He does not have to wait very long to have that statement explained.

'Please, Anne, I can imagine it's very embarrassing to talk about these things but we need to know. Not to use right now, for we have been married for six months and I think it's time for me to try to give Fitzwilliam an heir. But I most certainly do not want five children like my parents, or four like aunt and uncle Gardiner.'

And neither does Darcy, one or two will suffice. But while Elizabeth says she thinks it's time to have an heir, it's very obvious her heart is not in it, she doesn't really want a child, not yet. If it is possible to postpone, why not just do it? That is not something to discuss in public, though, and Anne is already preparing to discuss something rather improper, he'd better take note so he won't need to ask to explain, causing all of them but especially Anne even more embarrassment. He can convince his beloved tonight that while he would love to have children, having an heir is not that important to him.

Despite the difference in age between them, Georgiana has often thought herself and Eric almost of a similar age in certain aspects. He spent so many years in total seclusion, working on nothing but his piano-playing skills. She at least had a wordly-wise governess and Miss Bingley's and Mrs Hurst's conversation to keep her more or less connected to the world, and teach her about human nature. And now the moment has come when an adult male might overwhelm a much younger woman like herself, he resembles nothing so much as a shy boy her own age. He is so sweet and so endearing, is this the man who whispered in her ear during their wedding today, telling her he was looking forward to their intimacy?

Despite the time of the day they sit on the bed, stroking and kissing, Elizabeth and her brother disappear for an hour almost every afternoon, why should they wait until the evening to finally become as intimate as they want?

Fortunately her hair is relatively easy to free from its simple arrangement, and when the blonde wealth of it falls almost to her waist Eric sighs in worship. He has never seen it loose altogether and it is clear he wants to touch it really badly. Well, she wants to run her hands through his beautiful black locks as much, they have all the time in the world, no need to send their clothes flying straight away, better get used to the intimacy first.

She is the first to start on her partner's clothes, untying Eric's cravat and removing his coat, revealing the slim but very masculine figure beneath. She remembers holding him with nothing more than a dressing gown between them and that thought sets her off, she wants to see all of him undressed, straight away! His shirt has a dozen buttons but they are undone in moments, the top of it falling open to reveal his bare chest, still covered in short dark hairs. Ignoring a shudder from her beloved she first sticks her hand in the opening, feeling a solid shape underneath the soft hairs and light skin. Then she removes the hand and presses her face to it, it is warm and smells exciting, and the little hairs tickle her cheeks.

Eric seems a bit overcome, he usually has that when she manages to touch his bare skin, he'll get used to it. For now, it's easier to remove his shirt when he is standing still, it's not as easy as she expected since a large part of it appears to have been tucked into his pantaloons. No problem, gentle tugging frees it soon enough and now she can explore his entire chest at her leisure, he is still standing before her motionless.

'Oh, my love, that feels so good. I still remember seeing you in a dressing-gown as if it was yesterday. May I undress you, too?'

What kind of question is that? Of course he may, and quickly!

'Yes, beloved, I really want you to. I'm afraid it'll not be easy, though, Fanny pinned and sewed me into this dress, you'll have to cut the seam and be careful with the pins. Don't stick yourself and get blood all over the dress. Do you have a pair of scissors here?'

Of course he does, Eric is a sensible, practical man, and he has a lovely small pair in his leather case.

'Start at the top, my love, there are about five pins very carefully tucked in, the rest is sewn up very deviously.'

It's no problem at all, Eric's deft fingers find the pins first, then carefully cut the thread holding the back of her dress together, once, twice, and, much lower down, a third time.

'Those stitches came out pretty easily, my love, I only had to cut the thread three times, and I do think I got all the pins out.'

'Oh good, I've never had this tightly fitting a dress before, I really prefer buttons but Miss Filliger said they wouldn't do this time. I'm glad Fanny knew what to do, it felt quite disquieting to be sewn into a dress.'

After Eric has put his scissors away where they are supposed to be he can easily guide her dress over her head, leaving her standing in her chemise and petticoats while he carefully hangs out the dress to keep it from wrinkling. Then he returns and takes her in his arms, Georgiana feeling slightly foolish being only half dressed, but he isn't any more decently cladr. And it is wonderful to have him nuzzling her throat and to feel his beautiful strong hands stroking her right through the thin fabric of her underclothes, doing the same with his bare chest and clean-shaven cheeks. They kiss again, and almost simultaneously decide to relieve the other of shoes and stockings, Eric letting her go first, of course. His feet are just as one would imagine, the same basic shape as her own but larger and stronger, with a few short black hairs growing here and there. Remembering a conversation with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth ages ago, she checks whether he is ticklish at all, and indeed he is not, he seems to relish her light touch on his bare skin.

'That feels so good, my love, your touch is like a feather blowing in the breeze. Imagine, dear Georgiana, from this day on we are allowed to touch one another wherever we want.'

And he bends over her left foot to remove her shoe, easily done since she's wearing slippers. He kisses her feet as she did his, then strokes her leg upwards, under her petticoats, which is very exciting. Again simultaneously, they decide enough is enough, and while Eric finds out that her chemise and petticoats are separate garments, Georgiana unbuttons his pantaloons and finds a curious but very comfortable-looking garment underneath it, a tiny pair of breeches made of a soft material. That must make wearing pantaloons more comfortable, the constant rubbing against his legs might otherwise become bothersome.

Reading about Pierre's exploits has prepared Georgiana pretty thoroughly for what she will find inside those cute little breeches, and soon she confirms it was entirely correct. Both totally unclothed they embrace again, the blessed feeling of skin upon skin something she just could not have imagined, it has to be felt to be believed. So warm, so intimate, her face on his chest, his warm breath in her hair, it is already everything she hoped for and they haven't really started, yet.

'Will you lie on the bed for me, my love? There is something I'd like to try before I have to apply those precautions. It's so clear now who told Anne about them, I really did wonder at the time. Now I'm kind of glad they are most likely very effective, if this man of hers was indeed a philanderer he must have tested them thoroughly. Imagine being this intimate with all kinds of strangers, I wouldn't dream of it. He didn't look like it either, had eyes only for one woman this afternoon.'

As her beloved only has eyes for her, and now he does indeed prove to her he has improved his mind as meticulously as Georgiana herself has, there is no sign of his shyness, no sign of lack of experience, he kisses and strokes and tastes her entire body, until she is panting with heat and lust, and turns the tables on him as expertly. After what seems an eternity of ecstasy he does leave her for a moment to fetch his carefully prepared precautions, and together they explore yet another side of intimacy. This doesn't last half as long, though it causes two extremely disciplined young adults to totally lose their sense of self, they become truly one, and almost feel what the other is feeling. Then they collapse, spent, after which there is still the unromantic task of cleaning up after themselves with meticulous care, to prevent accidents of a small and cute kind.

That done with their usual precision they lie back on the bed together and snuggle and kiss to their hearts' content, feeling sated and very pleased with the proceedings.

'Remind me to thank your brother and Elizabeth tomorrow, my love,' Eric observes lazily, stroking her hair and tickling the little hollow above her collarbones. He has found out quickly she is as ticklish as her brother and has learned as quickly to avoid the most sensitive places.

'That book really helped me overcome my insecurity over what was meant to happen.'

'You were just fabulous, my love, I was looking forward to it but it was even better than I imagined.'

'You were as fabulous, dear Georgiana. I can't wait to try some of those other things tomorrow.'

'Or later, it's not even dinnertime.'

'I do feel a little sleepy. Can we take a little nap? And maybe a bit of practise after that?'

She loves him so much, let him sleep, and she will hold him and watch him and try not to drown in her love for him.

Strangely enough, Anne finds herself eager to drive to Kent and visit Mrs Collins, and not just because Nick will be right there with them. She misses him, still feels a bit guilty that he inadvertently witnessed her announcing her engagement to Frederick. That certainly caused a stir, Frederick sent for every available newspaper in town this morning and there wasn't one that didn't gush over Mr Manners getting engaged to the beautiful heiress Miss de Bourgh. All the reporters relished the look of affection they'd exchanged after Miss de Bourgh had answered the question about said engagement. A woman who dared address a crowd of reporters and Mr Fielding's fans after having been secluded on her mother's estate for ten years. Forcefully, according to some of the more sensational papers. All agreed, though, that Miss de Bourgh would make such a wonderful match for the outgoing darling of the London beau monde.

And the sight of three beautiful, immaculately dressed genteel ladies showing themselves to those not invited to the wedding had made quite an impression, as well their adoring husbands and suitor standing behind them patiently, the once-so-impenetrable Mr Darcy talking freely to a common guard. Such a magnificent family for Mr Manners to become part of.

There was no lack of attention in the papers on the French fashion either, though opinions varied: one or two papers argued they had never believed that those outfits had come from France, that they had always known Mrs Darcy with her background of country nobility had scraped them up somewhere and that they were a chance hit and most likely soon forgotten. Mme Beaution however had indeed visited Miss Filliger already and reported of having seen wonders of style in her little store. Her article was exactly what Elizabeth had advised her to write, and very well-done in such a short time.

Remembering Frederick's expression as he read everything out loud, Anne still feels a smile tugging her lips, and she does wonder whether Miss Filliger's shop is overrun with new customers as a result of Mme Beaution's article, or only slightly busier than normal because of the opposite reactions of the other papers. She has her own opinion, of course, but time will tell whether her unsophisticated view is correct.

Her thoughts turn towards the rest of the morning, more like the afternoon, for that was when Georgiana and Eric finally came down to have lunch with the rest of them. They looked only slightly different than before they were married, a bit flushed and intensely happy and relaxed, and after lunch they sat down at the piano and played duets and sonatas and all kinds of beautiful music together, purely for fun. But of course everyone had heard the sounds of serious practice coming from their apartment for at least two hours that morning already and indeed on the very evening of their wedding as well.

Right now they must be testing their wedding present, the little black piano, and Anne is waiting for this day to pass by so she can go to Kent and see Mrs Collins' baby and retrieve some of her own things that she has missed, mostly keepsakes, things from the time when her father was still alive and always spoiling his little favourite. Maybe she'll get some time to spend with Nick, and maybe she will get to talk to Elizabeth, though Fanny and Dora will be with them most of the time.

'Miss de Bourgh,' Johnson announces, 'Mr Blackwood and Miss Sophie Blackwood to see you.'

Anne is surprised but by no means displeased, there are still a few hours to kill before she can dress for dinner, and Sophie will undoubtedly have something interesting to tell her about Fitzwilliam, or about Angelina, or maybe...Nick. She takes a good look at her companions to see whether they object to Anne's connections disturbing their peaceful afternoon, but Frederick looks interested, he is in business somehow with Mr Blackwood, though he hasn't told his fiancée yet what kind of business. Maybe she should ask him, but not now. Darcy looks up from his book and winks at her as if he means to say, 'Your father-in-law and sister, right, don't worry, I'll be on my best behaviour for you to make a good impression.' He is actually quite funny and endearing, Darcy, but Anne now knows he is no loss to her, contrary to what he joked yesterday when Anne told them about her engagement, Elizabeth actually tamed him, before that he wasn't entertaining at all. And he does return to his book, he is not planning to interact with her visitors.

Elizabeth seems pleased with such a visit, she has met Mr Blackwood but only for a very short, formal visit, during which she hadn't realised yet that Mr Blackwood's wife is a drunk. Anne is certain Elizabeth will take notice now, and play the hospitable lady of the house to perfection. No need to take them to the little pink room then, or the boudoir, which would be great fun if Anne was certain Darcy wouldn't object to people knowing he has such a room in his house.

Sophie is totally at ease but Mr Blackwood is obviously a bit impressed by the presence of Darcy, whose reputation of aloofness obviously still clings to him, though he really is all amiability these days, and not just at home.

'Sophie! Mr Blackwood, such a pleasant surprise!'

Anne kisses her friend and wants to shake hands heartily with Mr Blackwood, but he accepts her hand only to bow over it and kiss it with reverence.

'Miss de Bourgh, I congratulate you on your engagement, of course we all knew it was just a matter of time, but I still wanted to tell both of you how happy I am to hear you will indeed make the match everyone was waiting for. Mr Manners, my heartfelt congratulations to you, too.'

He then bows for Elizabeth, who offers him her hand in such a way that he can choose whether to shake it or kiss it. Of course Mr Blackwood does the latter, he may be plain and portly and not in the most respectable form of trade, he is a true gentleman.

'Mr Blackwood, so good to see you!' Elizabeth offers, she has gotten used to her husband's rank pretty quickly and knows she has to speak first, however strange it may seem to her.

'Mrs Darcy, my Sophie has told me everything about your dear sister's wedding, I am certain they will both be very happy, I congratulate you and your husband on making such a fortunate choice.'

'Thank you, Mr Blackwood, it would have been impossible to stop a love thus predestined, but I know some try to the detriment of all the parties involved.'

Mr Blackwood is almost affected, but Nick told her that if he had wanted to, Mr Blackwood would have let him marry Sophie, which is as good as unheard of. Elizabeth notices but merely continues, 'Mr Blackwood, may I introduce you to my husband?'

She does not expect their visitor to refuse and without awaiting a reply takes him to the sofa, where Darcy puts away his book for a few minutes to shake hands with Mr Blackwood.

'Mr Blackwood, my esteemed and adored husband Mr Darcy. Fitzwilliam, please meet Mr Blackwood, who is also Miss Sophie's father and thus soon to be rather closely connected to our family.'

And Elizabeth may rightly call their family her family, for it is as if she has always been part of it, Anne's uncle and cousins all like her tremendously. And after Darcy has welcomed Mr Blackwood to his home Mr Blackwood observes, 'You are a very fortunate man, Mr Darcy, to have found such an amazing woman to be your wife. Mrs Darcy, Miss de Bourgh, we've come for a reason, Sophie and I have a very entertaining tale to tell, which you will also love to hear, gentlemen. You start, Sophie, you were there from the first.'

After she has let Anne lead their visitors to comfortable chairs close to the sofa on which Darcy is sitting, Elizabeth rings for coffee, then sits down right next to her adoring husband. Frederick and Anne take the other sofa together, and Sophie starts her tale in a gentle but steady voice.

'When we went back to the carriage after the dancing, Nick was waiting for us. I felt bad for leaving him behind at the church but he said it was all right, since he had heard something important. The colonel wanted to know, too, so Nick told us, 'Mrs Fielding announced to the reporters that they did not buy their fabulous dresses in France, but from a certain Miss Filliger who owns a shop in Cheapside. Cheapside, Miss Sophie! That means you can almost certainly afford to wear such a beautiful dress on your wedding, and maybe even buy some more to go out in. Some are even ready-made. It will be in the papers tomorrow morning, so if we go early you may still have plenty to choose from.'

I couldn't believe it but the colonel said that was just something Mrs Darcy would do, let everyone think those dresses were from France if they really wanted to. He said you would never order dresses from France to make an impression on fashionable people, Mrs Darcy.'

'And he was right, Miss Sophie, it never even crossed my mind. This one reporter, Mme Beaution, wrote that my dress for the New Years Eve Ball had certainly been imported from France, and we never denied it. Little did we know how large that myth would grow. But, did you go to Miss Filliger's shop?'

'As soon as we got home, I told papa and asked whether we could go to Cheapside, but he had some business to finish and he said that if Angelina and I wanted to buy a wedding dress he wanted to be there with us to make sure it was suitable. So we had to wait for the next day, and Nick said the shop would be overrun so we pleaded papa to set out early, before everyone had got the newspaper. We brought Nick with us in case there was a crowd, but there wasn't. There were no more than three carriages waiting, and maybe five or six ladies who were already trying on dresses. They were beautiful, though some weren't a perfect fit, apparently they fit them on the spot, which I suppose costs a lot of time. We waited for an hour, and in that time another three carriages arrived with another five ladies. Nick thought it was really funny, he said, 'I'm quite certain these are all ladies of standing, look at the size of their carriages and the number of attendants. And they are waiting in line for ready-made dresses, in a part of town they wouldn't have been found dead in two days ago. Mrs Darcy will be tickled when she hears about this!'

Then those ladies came into the rather small shop and I am very certain two of them recognised Nick. I swear, when they saw him sitting there they turned beet red, looked around the shop and then at each other, in shock, then stuck up their noses and sat down as far from him as they could manage.'

Mr Blackwood adds saucily, 'I bet they didn't even know it of each other, Miss de Bourgh, though I recognised both of them, they are friends of my wife's and they always came by themselves. I didn't even know they were friends.'

Then he looks at his elevated host and explains, a bit ashamed of his enjoyment of a scandalous situation but not very much so, 'The girls' retainer, Nick Fowler, used to be a real ladies' man, Mr Darcy, Mrs Darcy. My wife had loads of friends who would sit with her a few hours then sneak upstairs to meet him. I thought it was kind of funny but my former butler took exception, I suppose he was jealous. You may have heard what he did to poor Nick. I sued the fellow and won, no-one half kills someone under my protection and gets away with it. But I'm afraid things will never be the same for our Nick, he hasn't had a single one over since then. He doesn't seem to rue his loss, though, and least of all those two in Miss Filliger's shop.'

'He was in stitches, papa, over those two. They looked at each other and realised they had been with the same man. And we had a blast until it was our turn, for they kept looking in his direction. And then we got to try on some dresses ourselves and Nick acted as if he was an expert, choosing from the rows and rows of dresses as if he was a ladies' maid.'

'But he did find some good ones, even the lady who helped us choose admitted it.'

Mr Blackwood is still Nick's greatest advocate. Though this is a pretty funny story and Anne doesn't feel imposed upon, those ladies all happened before Nick fell in love with her.

'Papa wanted us to choose a special dress for our wedding but they were not suitable, I want one like Mrs Fielding wore, and like your dress, Anne. So we chose several to take home straight away and made an appointment to have our wedding dresses made to size. We even got to see Miss Filliger herself, she was very busy but glad, too. And then when papa had paid and we went back to the carriage, we saw there was a whole crowd gathered in front.

'I guess the rest of today's papers have arrived,' Nick said dryly, and he made way for us to get back to the carriage. All those people were from our walk of life, I'm sure, they were well-dressed and had servants waiting. I'm certain that lady will have sold all her dresses before the day is out.'

'And I thought you might want to hear about this, Mrs Darcy, since I suppose you had kept this a secret for so long to give that lady a chance to make more dresses to sell. I'm a business man you see, it's what I would have done. Well, not exactly, I would have set her up in a larger store and hired more seamstresses to make her designs, to gain a little profit myself. But I suppose if anyone can buy them the rich people won't want to wear them anymore.'

'Thank you so much for bringing us the news, Mr Blackwood, Miss Sophie. Miss Filliger has done us a great favour by helping us survive three months of being in the public eye and I was wondering how she was doing.'

Mr Blackwood beams like a little boy over Elizabeth's praise. And now Frederick addresses him calmly, 'Do you have half an hour to spare, Mr Blackwood, to discuss our affairs of business in the little pink room? I'm certain Miss de Bourgh and Miss Sophie will manage to keep each other entertained.'

'I'm dying to show Sophie the boudoir, Darcy, is that all right?'

'Of course, Anne, Georgie will be thrilled if every girl in London wants one. But you'll all have coffee with us first, won't you? Simon has been waiting for you to finish your story, but I think he is ready to share out the pie.'

And indeed, Simon has arrived, if he has heard everything he will be thrilled, according to Elizabeth Miss Filliger has him to thank for her success, at least partly.

'Ah, Simon, of course you're at work. I brought Nick because he said you'd want to hear about the shop in Cheapside, but I forgot you most likely don't have time to chat, you're busy, of course. That is just too bad.'

Nick is here? Anne doesn't doubt that Mr Blackwood would let Nick chat away an entire afternoon if his favourite felt like it. Of course Simon cannot do anything except bow politely, then continue his work. He is not obliged to do serving work, he is the housekeeper, he has other tasks, but he likes serving because it gives him a chance to observe their visitors. Too bad Anne cannot go to the back of the house to see Nick, but there is no way she can seek him out with Sophie present.

Darcy guilelessly asks, 'You are talking of the man who will protect Mrs Darcy and Miss de Bourgh on their trip to Kent tomorrow, aren't you?'

Mr Blackwood nods politely. If he knew what was going on under this roof between Anne and Nick, and with Darcy fully aware of it!

'Why not let him stay then, instead of taking him home and having him picked up tomorrow? Then he can talk to Simon all evening. Unless he has his duties in your house, of course...'

Darcy? Setting Nick up to stay the night? Can this be true?

'Why thank you, Mr Darcy, we are much obliged for your kindness! You know Nick is leaving us anyway, and though he as yet dutifully accompanies the girls wherever they go it is not really needed anymore, they go out together with their fiancées and the colonel is such a steady character I'm certain Nick will feel totally superfluous once again. I'd rather he'd get to know his new employer's habits and get acquainted with his staff and Miss de Bourgh's.'

He certainly believes Nick to be in love with Dora, which is why he relishes Frederick and Anne getting together. He supposes they'll be together all the time, his favourite united with the girl he loves hopelessly. Fortunately Dora knows nothing of this or she might be disappointed, she likes Nick more than a little but he is not for her.

While Darcy and Mr Blackwood discuss some particulars of how Nick's travelling gear, undoubtedly including his slapjack, will find its way to Darcy's house, Anne tries to suppress showing anticipation, a whole evening and night with Nick, and Darcy who arranged it for her.

'I think Nick is seeing someone, Anne,' Sophie whispers softly, under cover of the tinkling sound that stirring her coffee makes. Inside, Anne reels with shock, but outside she has to stay calm, it's not merely her dignity at stake here! She manages to school her face to polite indifference, but she cannot speak. It cannot be, Nick cannot have another, he loves her! Maybe hearing her promise herself to Frederick in public drove him to it, there must be plenty of willing ladies still visiting the house.

'You know how he used to be really downhearted ever since you left?'

Anne does not accomplish more than a nod.

'Well, he is not anymore, he is almost gay now even though he has to leave us and work for Mr Manners. And since yesterday he is not merely pleased to have secured a new job close to you, remember how I thought he was in love with you? But now he is positively smug, he does not look like someone hoping to admire his boss' wife from a distance.'

Wait a second, Anne thought Sophie had caught him out with someone, this is just speculation!

'Did you see him with someone then, Sophie?'

'No, but I suspect papa was right after all, why else would he be feeling smug? If they're seeing each other he knows they can be together all the time. It fits perfectly, doesn't it? Maybe you can ask Dora.'

As if Anne was ever going to.

'I think not, Sophie, I think I'll mind my own business and just be glad he is not harbouring a secret love for me. After Lieutenant Talbot I'm quite done with moon-eyed admirers and besides, I'm engaged now.'

Why not take this perfect opportunity to offer Sophie a little gossip and at the same time make her believe Nick means nothing to Anne? Sophie is part of the family now, Fitzwilliam and she undoubtedly discuss everything, and neither of them should even suspect that Anne is seeing a servant.

'Yes, Angelina told me about it, that poor man, will you tell me what actually happened? She only saw from a distance.'

'I'll tell you all about it in the boudoir, you'll love it when you see it. Mrs Fielding decorated it with Mrs Lascelles, a few months ago when they were both still girls.'

Incredible, really, both of them married at seventeen.

But when they have finished drinking coffee, leaving Mr Blackwood behind in the drawing-room with Frederick and Mr Darcy, it appears that Nick is not nearly as careful in front of Sophie as Anne wants him to be. He has never taken his charge seriously and he wouldn't have to, if she weren't engaged to Anne's cousin. When Anne and Sophie are nicely settled in a heap of pillows, Anne telling her friend about Lieutenant Talbot's proposal and her shock at receiving it, there is a knock on the door and when Anne calls out , 'Do come in, please,' Nick enters. He does not gather her to his chest as he usually does, and he doesn't kiss her, but to Anne he shows his affection openly.

If he were never to see Sophie again that wouldn't even be a problem, she would never rat him out and she'd soon forget him. But as the situation is now they will meet again and again at social gatherings, and though Sophie doesn't have a clue that Nick's excellent humour is most likely caused by Darcy's acceptance of his cousin's affair, they cannot afford to take the chance she'd notice. Sophie will keep a close eye on Nick, she cannot help it, she still has some warm feelings for him, and she may seem naïve, she isn't actually, and she undoubtedly talks to her soon-to-be husband. Fitzwilliam is the kind of man anyone would tell their innermost secrets, let alone a girl like Sophie.

'This is absolutely the prettiest room I ever saw. May I join you for a moment, my dear ladies? It's only a few days and then I'll have to leave Miss Sophie's protection to cast myself on the mercy of Miss de Bourgh, to throw me a morsel of kindness once in awhile.'

He is a charmer, undoubtedly, will he stay true to Anne when he can wind every female he comes into contact with around his little finger? Sophie at any rate cannot resist him.

'Oh, Nick, I cannot refuse you anything, not when you will leave us so soon. But I'm sure Miss de Bourgh will take very good care of you, you know she has always been very kind to you. And you'll have Dora close.'

Studying his face intently, Anne can see she need not fear competition from her own maid, Nick understands what Sophie is alluding to but mentioning it does not affect him. And he also clearly understands it won't hurt if Sophie thinks he fancies someone else in the household, someone he could actually marry. For when he replies, 'True, Miss Sophie, and Dora is always kindness itself,' it almost sounds as if he is indeed in love. Then he faces Anne and his brown eyes speak volumes: there is but one woman he loves. It's difficult to refrain from kissing him, but they have done it so often already, Anne does not fear to fail anymore. She can control herself and so can he. Tonight will be their moment.