Chapter 32

"Before we leave, I intend to take the liberty of securing your second set for the evening. I know my nephew plans on having at least your first and your super set, but I will dance with my new beautiful niece before that soldier of Frederick's," Edmund said to Elizabeth as he and Matlock prepared to leave Darcy House seeing that Darcy had not needed help in removing Lady Catherine. To Matlock he added, "Still cannot believe you let the boy choose the army over the navy, no matter how well he rides and likes horses."

"Was his choice, Eddy," Matlock said to him. To Elizabeth he said, "Be sure to save a set for my eldest. You'll meet him tonight even if I have to go pull him out of whoever's bed he is in and have his man dunk him in the bath so he doesn't smell like his reccent activities. "

Elizabeth blushed and Darcy said tightly, his tone full of disapproval, "Uncle Fredrick!"

"Your husband is not to distracted by your charming blushes as I was last night to chastise Frederick," Edmund said with a wink. "Lad, forgive your uncle's speech and enjoy how he makes your bride blush so enchantingly."

"I would be happy to dance the second set with you, Uncle Edmund," Elizabeth said quickly hoping to stave off a disagreement between Darcy and his uncle for his words.

After his uncles left, Darcy turned to Elizabeth and said, "Lizzy, I have to ask what my Uncle Fredrick said last night. I assure you I will talk to him about the language he uses around you."

Blushing, Elizabeth said, "I admit I was rather shocked by the actions of the other theater goers he pointed out when he mentioned your cousin, the viscount, but you need not speak to your uncle about it. It was," Elizabeth paused and searched for the correct word to use while blushing further and settled on saying, "enlightening. I had not realized gentlemen of high society cavorted so openly with their misstress in public. While you were with Georgiana and Richard in the Matlock box while Uncle Edmund and Uncle Fredrick where in the Darcy Box, your Uncle Fredrick pointed out a box to me where a gentleman had his face in his female companion's," Elizabeth said gesturing to her chest area, "and said your cousin was likely with them but in the back of the box with someone named Blakehurst with his own entertainment on his lap so he would have to wait to introduce me to him until the viscount was more presentable and not presently engaged. It was quite mortifying when I realised he meant they were doing something similar to what we did the other day, but in public and I suspect much more. Uncle Edmund naturally made one of his sly innuendos I did not understand and the conversation moved on."

"Uncle Edmund?" Darcy asked. He realized it could have been worse and the earl could have been far more explicit in what exactly Blakehurst and his cousin were doing with their female companions. He would definitely have words with his Uncle Frederick about not pointing such going ons out to his wife. He would likely need to speak to his other uncle as well, Elizabeth might not understand his remarks but she was clever enough to suspect him of making sport of her lack of knowledge.

"Fitzwilliam, " Elizabeth said still blushing but smiling at him, "Uncle Edmund is an incorrigible flirt who enjoys making remarks I do not understand the full meaning off but suspect they are rather explicit now. He mentioned your flute to me yesterday, but when I ask Georgiana about you playing a flute she said she had never seen you play one and did not think you owned one. Clearly he was not referring to an actual flute, like I assumed and given his close friendship with your other uncle I realized he may be making remarks I do not understand, not wish too. I was quite glad neither of them where around when I ask Georgiana about it. Someday when it is less shocking I am sure I will enjoy the ridiculousness of the relatives that came with you. After all I do enjoy laughing at the follibies of others, I am just not familiar with quite so shocking of ones and will need to adjust. And if they do visit Hertfordshire, I hope you can persuade them to temper their speech, I would rather not have my family and friends scandalized by their remarks. My mother will certainly make short work of them if they do not. Or Lydia will and it would serve them right."

"I find myself all of a sudden looking forward to that meeting," Darcy said thinking of how both his uncles would be quickly flustered and shamed by the brash 15 year old that would demand they let her in on the jokes rather then simply blush. "They know better then to act so around Georgiana, I will speak to them and insist they treat you the same," Darcy said.

"I suspect the fact that I am married and Georgiana is not largely factors into how much they temper their speech. But talk to them if it makes you feel better, but it is not necessary for my sake."

"But it is for mine," Darcy said. Swallowing he gravely added, "I also need to apologize to you for how I acted with Lady Catherine. I have never hurt a woman or raised my hand to one but I am afraid I was determined to remove Lady Catherine from your home any way possible. My behavior was unacceptable and ungentlemanly, regardless of how much I abhor her. I promise you, I am not prone to fits of violence such as you witnessed."

"I know that, Fitzwilliam. You need not apologize. Lady Catherine deserved to be bodily removed from our home. I distinctivly remember the rough handling I experienced from her coachman at her behest. The only reason I would stop you from laying a hand on her, is because I know you are a good man that would feel guilt for doing so, regardless of how much she deserved it," Elizabeth said grasping his hands in hers. "Now let us discuss something happier."

"Would looking at the offer the agent sent over for the property by Meryton be suitable?" Darcy asked. "We can get the papers signed and take a look at it next week when we are at Netherfield to decide what work will all need to be done on the house. After purchasing it we can add adjacent land to it as it comes available for sale. The agent believes the adjacent land will be available for purchase and we can add to what comes with the house."

"Is Fitzwilliam Darcy, who thinks through his decisions and chastised Mr. Bingley for only spending half an hour looking over Netherfield and asking no pertinent questions really planning on buying a property sight unseen?" Elizabeth asked teasingly.

Smiling at her, Darcy said, "Unless you tell me it is completely unacceptable, yes."

"Are you not a bit preemptive in planning an estate for a sixth son?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I am planning on us having a home of our own to stay at whenever you wish to visit your relations, where you are mistress and can make all the decisions."

"I do not know much about the land around it but Amberwood is in fair condition I believe. The Parkinsons were older and did not entertain much so I am not overly familiar with it," Elizabeth said hesitantly.

"We can afford to make any necessary changes and updates. Is the location acceptable to you? Even for a great walker it is not walking distance to Longbourne. I would insist you take the carriage, and preferably me with you, to visit Longbourn from it. If you would rather I could look into purchasing just enough land to build a house in Meryton or right outside it, rather then a small estate."

"A small estate generates an income to sustian itself and could even be considered an investment, whereas owning a house in Meryton would be strictly frivolous and a drain on your income not adding anything to it," Elizabeth said shrewdly.

"But it would give my wife and I a place of our own to stay when we visited the vicinity or any of our other realitives visited. Once your sisters marry it would be a stretch for Longbourn to host all of them and there spouses in addition to the Gardiners."

"And you think Mr. Bingley would not wish to host them or us?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.

"I think Mr. Bingley and Mrs. Bingley would be much happier permanently settled at an estate in the North, such as in Derbyshire, in a few years. While he holds the lease on Netherfield though it gives us a place to stay other then Longbourn while we see to the refurbishment of Amberwood and you make any decorating choices you wish unimpeded. "

"I think you are a very wise man, Fitzwilliam. The location suits me and I find myself in support of your long term plans. Has Mr. Bingley begun looking for this estate in the North yet or do you intend to wait until his lease is up to move him thither?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh.

Attempting to scowl at his wife but failing, Darcy said, "I thought I would allow him and Jane to begin there married life in Hertfordshire and then after a few months suggest it. But I plan on keeping a lookout for any estates in Derbyshire that come up for sale in the meantime. If that meets with your approval, madame? Would you like to have Jane settled near you?"

"You know I would," Elizabeth said with a grin.