Chapter 8
The two groups went separate directions the following morning. William noticed Elizabeth was subdued and when he noticed that both Georgiana and her companion were napping, he quietly asked her about it.
"I am being silly, William, but I have just been thinking of how much I will miss you. I was spoiled at Pemberley being able to spend so much time with you. That will not be as possible in London," Elizabeth told him.
He grinned at her. "It makes me happy to hear you will miss my company. And I must confess to having similar thoughts. I will call nearly every morning and we can go for rides in the park. Shopping for your trousseau will begin next week and that will take a significant amount of time. I will arrange with your aunt and uncle some outing and evening entertainments as well as dinners at my home. And I assume your relations will take pity on me and return the favor by inviting me to dine with them frequently.
"Once you meet my aunt, I am afraid she will commandeer a significant amount of your time in visiting and calling on her cronies to introduce you to them."
Elizabeth groaned. "I just want to be married and return to Pemberley. Do we really have to go through all of this first?"
He laughed lightly. "We have been engaged for a fortnight already. I fully intend to discuss such a possibility with my aunt. I would much prefer to introduce you to society as Mrs. Darcy instead of Miss Bennet. It would certainly make all of this more palatable."
"I would be content to marry as soon as it can be arranged.," Elizabeth assured him. "Even if we cannot return to Pemberley immediately, I would prefer to have the freedom to be in your company more often than will be permitted us otherwise. I feel … unsettled, I guess. I no longer belong to Longbourn and the Bennets and am left feeling … out of place. It feels strange to realize that I no longer have a home."
He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I understand, my dear. I will invite my aunt and uncle to dinner Sunday as well and we can discuss a plan to marry soon, before all the introductions take place. But that may mean that Jane cannot be there for it, since they will not marry for at least another two weeks."
"I find that matters less and less. She would not be able to stand up with me as a married woman anyway. Georgiana can stand up with me in her place," Elizabeth told him, snuggling deeper into his side.
He continued to hold her to him as the miles fell away. Eventually she fell asleep. After some time, he felt the change in the road as they arrived in London and nudged her awake. "We are in London, my dear. We will be at Darcy House within the half hour."
Next, he woke Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley so they could also prepare themselves for their arrival.
They arrived at Darcy House too quickly for Elizabeth. Darcy descended first and handed down Georgiana and then Mrs. Annesley. Finally, he took Elizabeth's hand to help her down and did not realize it before placing it on his arm to escort her into Darcy House. He proudly introduced her to his senior staff s his betrothed and their future mistress.
After they refreshed themselves and were served tea, he showed her around some of the primary rooms on the ground and first floors. The library was of course of most interest to her, but she was amazed by the comfort and elegance of the principal rooms. "Your home is beautiful," she said.
"Soon, it will be your home," he breathed. "Just like at Pemberley, if there are any changes you would like to make, you are welcome to do so. My mother decorated the house shortly after she married my father, but I have made no changes since I inherited. We have updated or replaced pieces as necessary, but it is largely the same as it was after my parents married."
"It is elegant and timeless; I cannot imagine many changes would be necessary," Elizabeth said.
William laughed. "Miss Bingley has commented many times about the changes she would make both here and at Pemberley when she thought I could not hear her. I have always liked how comfortable my home feels, and I appreciate that you are unwilling to redecorate simply because you can. Another reason to love you, my dear." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"Later, I will ask my housekeeper to show you the master and mistress's suite. It has not been used in more than 15 years, so it will certainly need to be refreshed. I will ask them to start making a few minor updates that I know are necessary to both the mistress and master's suites. I have not had the heart to move into those rooms here at the townhouse, but now, I think it is time to make that move."
He smiled down at her. "Now, for what will likely be your favorite room in this house…" With a flourish, he opened the double doors in front of him to reveal a smaller version of the library at Pemberley. Larger than the library in most London townhomes, it was impressive, and Elizabeth was entranced.
"I am enthralled, William," she said after several minutes of looking around. "I expected something grand, but this is grander than I expected still. You were correct, it does not compare to Pemberley, but if I had not seen your library there, I would have considered this to be the most impressive private library I had ever seen. I cannot believe I will have access to this whenever I wish. And still may purchase more as I am inclined."
He laughed and then was interrupted by the butler handing him a note. He read it and then said "I sent a note around to Richard when we arrived. He says my aunt is asking us to call this afternoon if you are not overly tired from the journey. If you prefer, we can put her off until tomorrow. Either way, Richard has invited himself to dinner tonight. He often stays at Darcy House when he is town and has a room in the family wing."
"I am not too tired to meet your aunt this afternoon. But I would very much like to take a walk at some point today as well. After spending most of the last four days in a carriage, I am badly in need of some exercise and sunlight," Elizabeth told him. "Do you have a mare I may ride while in town?"
"Georgiana has a mare in the stables. I was planning a visit to Tattersalls soon to see about finding a horse for you. Would you like to accompany me, or do you trust me to choose?" William asked.
"Do women often go?" Elizabeth asked in return.
"No, not typically. It is not unheard of, but most women avoid it. I can be a bit … rough," William replied.
"Well, then, as my contribution would be minimal, I will trust you to make a decision. But a horse is an expensive investment. And since we'll be in town such a limited amount of time, is it truly necessary?" she wondered.
"The horse can accompany us to Pemberley. I think you would appreciate being able to ride occasionally as the weather permits. It would give you a chance to get out of the carriage for a time on the trip, which I think you would enjoy."
She beamed at him. "That would definitely make the trip north more enjoyable. Thank you, William."
After several more minutes viewing the library, Elizabeth chose several books she wanted to read. William's study was attached to the library and Elizabeth curled into a chair, while William went into his study to attend to some correspondence. Soon, Elizabeth heard a visitor announced into the study and when she heard a familiar voice, she walked to the open door.
The Colonel has already greeted his cousin and smiled widely when he saw her. "Miss Bennet, I am pleased to see you again."
"Good morning, Colonel. I see you have a penchant for arriving unexpectedly," she cheerfully rejoined.
Both men laughed. "She will keep you on your toes, Darcy. You might finally develop a sense of humor with her as your wife."
William replied dryly. "Just because my sense of humor often is over your head, does not mean I do not possess one."
Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed again. "So, you say frequently. As for why I am here, your note asked about Wickham – it happened as I predicted. Unfortunately, Miss Bennet's youngest sister was party to his attempted escape. He had arranged with her to escape to London – she thought they were bound for Gretna Green – but they were caught before she even left the house. Wickham was arrested for desertion, and she was sent home to her family. All of this happened while I made my way North two weeks ago."
"Hmm," William considered this information.
"That coincides with the timing of the change in my father's mood according to Jane's letter," Elizabeth said softly.
"How did Miss Lydia arrive home? And do you know what information was conveyed to her father?" William asked his cousin.
"Colonel Forester escorted her home the following morning. I do not know exactly what was said, but I would imagine he was told she had attempted to elope with an officer and had been stopped. The officer was being held for desertion, and Miss Lydia was no longer welcome to stay with him," Richard explained. "Has something else happened?" He asked suddenly, looking between the two.
William exchanged a glance with Elizabeth, who nodded. "Elizabeth's father has refused his blessing – his consent was only a formality as she is of age. He has also banished her from Longbourn and says she is no longer his daughter if she remains intent on marrying me. He has not given us a reason for his antipathy toward me; I cannot imagine my poor showing last fall is the sole reason."
"He has never refused to listen to reason before," Elizabeth interjected. "He is unwilling to even discuss it and will not explain himself. He has also cut off the Gardiners for permitting us to become reacquainted."
Colonel Fitzwilliam thought for several minutes. "What if I were to go interview Mr. Bennet asking about Wickham and see what information I can get from him?"
"I do not know if he would recognize your name and connection to Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth asked. "I do not recall if I mentioned your name in any letters to my father when I was in Kent."
"It could not hurt to try," William suggested. "Bingley is also trying to see what he can find out but is having to do it very carefully. By the way, he and Elizabeth's older sister are now engaged."
"Good for him," Fitzwilliam remarked. "He wasted little time after returning."
"Yes, Colonel, and now we have a spy to help us get information," Elizabeth laughed. "He has been passing letters to Jane from me as well, for which I am very grateful."
"As you are to marry my cousin, you must start calling me Richard, as he does. Colonel is too formal and Colonel Fitzwilliam is too long. No one, other than Aunt Catherine calls me Fitzwilliam because there are too many Fitzwilliam's in the family. She does it and half a dozen men look up and no one knows who she means." Richard laughed.
"Then you must call me Elizabeth or Lizzy," Elizabeth told him. William scowled a bit, and Richard punched him in the shoulder.
"She's marrying you, cousin, so we will be related soon enough," Richard teased his cousin.
Just then, the butler came in to announce lunch. "Richard, are you joining us for luncheon?" William asked.
"If you do not mind," was his reply.
They headed to the dining room where Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley were already waiting. "Richard!" Georgiana cried when she saw her cousin.
"How are you, moppet?" he asked.
Conversation turned to their plans for the rest of the day. Georgiana was informed of the invitation to call on their aunt and was invited to join them. She readily agreed.
After lunch, all four went for a brief stroll in Hyde Park across from Darcy House. As it was too early for most of society, the park was fairly empty, and the foursome walked and chatted without interruption. When Richard learned of William's intention to purchase a horse for Elizabeth, he invited himself along. Georgiana also expressed an interest and so they four decided they would all go one day the following week.
"Richard has a way of insinuating himself into my plans," William complained quietly. "But in this case, since he is a good judge of horses, his accompanying me might be helpful."
She laughed lightly. "Your cousin is an interesting man," she said. "I would dare say he has seen a lot in his time in the military but tries to portray himself as more carefree than I think he actually is. He needs a wife, I believe, someone who can balance his extremes."
It was William's turn to laugh. "You will get along splendidly with his mother if you tell her that. She has been wanting Richard to marry for years, mostly so he can resign his commission, but also because she desperately wants grandchildren. Anthony, Richard's elder brother, is also unmarried. My marriage will renew her interest in getting her sons married."