Again in Pemberley. As we remember, there are some news to share...
Chapter 8: Spreading news
Derbyshire, Pemberley, Wednesday August the fifth 1801
Of course nobody from a household like Pemberley would have been so forthright as to listen at what was said behind closed doors. But there was a surveillance and when master Darcy came out of the Morning Parlor hand in hand with Miss Bennet and a quite ridiculous smile on his lips, everybody knew what had just happened.
Hand signs were exchanged and footmen began to disappear behind closed doors and maids who had stayed later than usual began to put on cloaks and walk briskly toward the outbuildings...
The news would probably be officially dispatched during the meeting organized by Mrs. Reynolds in the Great Parlor, by such good news could not wait and everybody in the surrounding towns and villages had to know of it as soon as possible.
Soon Pemberley would have a new Mistress and the new Mistress would not be Caroline Bingley.
Two very good reasons to feast and frolic.
And everybody would want to know everything about the Lady who caught Darcy's fancy. What was her name, where was she from, where had they met, and so on, and so on...
The coming days would be full of rumors and happy cerebrations.
But not only. There would also be bad news which would tamper the happiness of Lambton and surroundings.
Or perhaps it would be the good news that would tamper the fright and the concern which would, this very night, take hold of every one's heart.
Darcy, Elizabeth and the Gardiners were not the last to enter the Great Parlor. Bingley came just after them, freshly clothed and not quite smiling, followed by the last members of the staff who had followed their duties as long as possible.
Darcy, with Elizabeth at his side has take his usual place near the fireplace and was looking at his fiancée with all the love a Darcy could muster in a public surrounding.
When Mrs. Reynolds stood up he looked at her and agreed to her nod.
He turned to face everybody.
"Before giving you the news I have to give you, I must apologize to two persons I love."
He looked toward his sister and smiled at her.
"Pray, Georgiana forgive me for letting you bear alone the burden of our uncles news. I know it was not fair to force you to shoulder them while forbidding you to share the load that I'm sure others" --he smiled at Elizabeth-- "would have helped you to carry."
He stayed with his glance toward Elizabeth.
"I must also ask you, Elizabeth, for forgiveness. I was so afraid the bad news I carry would hinder you to give me the answer I hoped for, that I concealed them from you until now. Please, do not be too harsh with my cowardice, I was really fearing that, knowing the bad news, you'd stall the answer I so much needed."
She looked at him, love mingling with surprise and concern.
Darcy took his eyes away from her and turned to face all the others.
"I have two very different informations to convey."
He took Elizabeth hands and kissed it.
"First, the good news! Miss Elizabeth Bennet has agreed to become my Mrs. Darcy and her acceptation has made me the happiest man of England."
Forgetting the concern they had felt while their master has spoken, most of the staff present stood up and applauded to let their contentment be known. And their satisfaction was clearly personal and not only because the House of Pemberley was in need of a heir.
Elizabeth, even still concerned by the words of her fiancé could do nothing but acknowledge with a smile the real joy of the people facing her.
The only ones who did not share the general satisfaction were the female members of the Bingley family who were showing the outright shock this news has brought to them. They were so disappointed that even their usual false smile could not force itself on their faces. Louisa Hurst could not even find the strength to hide her open-mouthed surprise.
Darcy let the joy and applause go on all the time needed. They could need a little of pleasure. It would soon stop and they would know that there was left very little to rejoice.
He took the letter of his uncle out of his pocket and opened it.
"In order to give you the bad news, I'll just have to read my uncle Fitzwilliam's letter. "
He showed it to everybody.
"This is the letter I received from him this very morning and since we got no further news in Derby, what this letter contains is, unfortunately, the latest news we were able to get. Please wait to ask questions until I am finished since my uncle gives details till the end of his letter."
He took a long breath and began to read.
London, the 3rd of August
Matlock House
Dear nephew,
I'm not quite sure if it is necessary to send you these news since I do really hope our Government took the decision to inform even the most distant counties, but while in doubt, I will take no risk with such grave news.
First of all, you must be informed that England has been invaded. Three days ago, French troops came ashore in Brighton and took the coastal town and, if the rumors are true, crushed the troops that were stationed in the surroundings of said town.
Everybody was stunned for a few seconds before they went over the surprise. For years now the threat of a foreign invasion had been in the center of all conversations. The fear has been real but the presence of the Royal Navy had been the mean every one has surmounted his fear and discarded the probability of the danger.
Shouts and remarks were uttered by the people facing him. The Gardiners stayed calm but they were clasping their hands and looking at each other. Caroline Bingley looked as if she had been forced to wear an out of fashion frock.
Most of the staff only looked at each other without saying a word.
Darcy heard Elizabeth making a muffled noise. He looked at her and saw that she was more than concerned. She looked afraid.
He glanced at her and his eyes were wondering. Why was she so troubled?
She inhaled strongly and made him understand that he had to go on.
Since then, the most troubling rumors are spreading through the Town. It is said that more than a hundred thousands French soldiers came ashore and that five different armies are loose on English Territory. One army is said to march against London under the leadership of the French commander in chief. As I write, this army seems to be at the border of Kent. I believe that, if the French want to take the Town, they could be here within two days. So at the time this letter arrives, London will probably be under siege.
I don't know now if we stay or if we flee like the others. I really do not know. As you probably know Richard was at Brighton and we have no news.
We pray he could survive.
The only good new we got concerns Prince George who, at this period of year, would have been at Brighton but for a gout problem. I know it's not very good news but it's everything I have to offer of the kind. We were lucky; we could have been deprived of our sole capable Prince. And without him we would have been saddled with Frederik or William. Luckily George it still is. It's not much but, in our situation, it is something indeed!
As for the situation in the South, I fear I can give you very little details. Astoundingly there are very few refugees coming into town. This gives the rumor mill new strength. Are the French killing everybody? Some say so and they are on the brink of getting off to some other parts of the Empire.
Shipping prices have jumped into the indecent. Ship owners are selling passages to ten times the normal price and each tide sees more members of the Gentry calling it a day in Town.
The only thing that hold people in Town is the rumor that Prinny wants to hold an official banquet where he will explain the situation. Everybody knows that he does not take it lightly when his followers fail to be where he wants them.
So it seems that most children and staff are running away with the family jewels while the scared parents await Prinny's summon.
Militarily, the situation is not good. We have only our county militias and these will not hold against one hundred thousand French. And even if only a quarter of these troops came ashore, they will not hold either. If the Corsican has sent troops, he has sent those troops who already took Northern Italy, Egypt and Syria. I hate to write such words, but we have nothing to put against them. They caught us unprepared, unseasoned and unworthy.
They will go through England and Wales without even encountering the beginning of an opposition. Perhaps Scotland can be reinforced and walled. I doubt it but it should be attempted.
As an old military man I can only admit that we failed our country. Please do not read these words to Georgiana but it's the only way to say it : we're screwed, son, we're screwed, nothing more to say about it. We will, very soon, earn the price of our foolishness.
You're quite happy to be in Pemberley, believe me. And so are all those who chose not to follow the fashion and spend the summer near the sea and around the Crown Prince.
That's it, son, please send copy of these news to my staff in Matlock. Let them take all the precautions needed to put in safety everything that we wish to save from French greed. I hope your estate on Man is still manned. If bad comes to worst, it seems it will be our last resort.
I have sent copy of these news to all members of the family, even my sister Catherine. I hope the news arrive there before the French.
Yours...
"So" said Darcy while taking Elizabeth's hand into his own. "Those are the bad news sent by my uncle. You know as well as I do that the earl of Matlock has not an ounce of humor, so we can safely believe what I have just read. I do not believe, though, that the French were able to disembark one hundred thousand men on our shores without the Navy taking notice of the ships necessary to transport such a number of troops. But, as my uncle said, with the troops at Brighton already eliminated, we have very few seasoned troops left in England."
"What about the troops in Ireland," asked Jenkins his real estate manager.
"They won't be here in time" answered Mr. Gardiner. "And the moment they are recalled, all of Ireland stands up to cut the throats of all the remaining Englishmen. And I'm very sorry to say such words but the troops we used to squash the Irish rebels are not worth a damn against real fighting troops. The French have the best infantry in the world and with Napoleon and his generals, the best commanders in history since Caesar. They will crush our Irish garrisons without even slowing their march..."
"So we are doomed?" asked his wife. "And what of the children? They are at Longbourn. They are perhaps already under French rule..." She sniffled a sob. "Or dead..."
"We cannot be sure" said Darcy interrupting the gloomy soliloquy. "I took the liberty to send a letter to Longbourn inviting Elizabeth's parents to depart to the North and join us as soon as possible with all the persons they see fit to invite."
He shook his head.
"I know, this is no real solution, but being all together in these dire moments, will make it easier for everybody to bear the burden of this invasion..."
He looked at all the people facing him.
"Are there members of your family we could gather or invite to join us?"
He heard Elizabeth exhale.
"Lydia was in Brighton" said she with a broken voice. "The last news we got she was staying there till the militia under colonel Forster's command ended its maneuvers. I fear she was in the middle of everything. As usual..."
Fitzwilliam put his arm around her waist and let her come against him.
She responded with eagerness.
He was relieved. He still had feared she would take badly the priorities he had chosen.
It was rather unseemly but at this very peculiar moment, he didn't give a damn.
"You're sure you hold no grudge for the way I chose to ask you?"
She looked up at him.
Her eyes were red and her face shew the price tears demanded.
She sniffed.
"Of course not," said she. "You were right. I would have stalled. I would have been guilt ridden and I would have let desperation overcome me. Now, it's too late and, as I have abundantly shown, it seems I love crying in your shoulder."
"I love you, crying or not crying. But I must admit I prefer it when you smile."
She sniffed again while resting her head against his chest.
They were still in the Great Parlor and everybody else had left.
"It will come back, Fitzwilliam. It's only the grief I feel for Lydia. I begged my father not to let her go. I begged him more than once. He would not listen. He could not bear the idea of Lydia's screaming and pouting. And now she is dead, killed by the French invaders..."
"Be not so sure about that. The French have not the reputation to be bloodthirsty beasts. Not outside their country at least..."
"Everything could have happened, everything..."
"Yes" agreed Darcy. "And in everything there is also good news. Let's not give up hope, shall we? Let's await some more news before despairing."
He plunged into her hair and let the fragrance of rose and lilac take him into a land of fairies and happy Elizabeths...
"Tomorrow..." said Mr. Gardiner. "Tomorrow, our brother will get Darcy's letter and I'm sure an hour later he will be on his way to the North. He has reason to come even if we discard the war. He wants his daughter to be married! I should even say he's urgently needed..."
Mrs. Gardiner looked up and her red eyes spoke volumes of how she felt.
"What d'you mean?"
He tried a smile.
"You've seen them, haven't you ? Those two are bound together by bonds of passion. We will have our hands full holding them apart."
"You believe they..."
He looked at his wife.
"Wife, do you not have seen the same things I saw? They eat each other every time they share a glance. We should part them immediately."
"We should" agreed she. "But where to go with her? Lambton?"
"Five mere miles?" laughed he. "A sea could not hold these two apart! Not with the war looming behind their backs. Survival is a very efficient incentive to do what, normally, would not have been done. I fear we are doomed to fail in our role of guardians..."
"So we do nothing?"
"Of course we do! We marry them as soon as possible! With luck, they'll have the patience in them to wait a few days. If they have not, you must be aware that this task is above our skills."
Next chapter: News from Pemberley
Starring Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.