Where haughty aristocrat show their humanity.
Chapter 48: Pemberley Pas de deux
Derbyshire, Pemberley, Thursday the thirteenth August. Ninth day
It had been an unexpected experience.
It happens from time to time with married people that one of them goes through a very bad period.
But he would never have dreamed that it would happen to his lovely Elizabeth just three days from their marriage.
Kitty and Georgiana had found him speaking with Stevens at the stables and they had insisted that he should hurry back to look after Elizabeth.
"She's probably in great need of you," said Kitty. "The best thing to do is to find her and to let he cry on your shoulder..."
"Cry on my shoulder? Why in God's name would she want to cry?"
Georgiana could only pout and smile at him.
"I'm sure she will tell you and I do believe it will be best that she tells you everything. Take her to the groves, she really needs you now. Don't be afraid, we will cover for you as usual. When she's better we'll be waiting at the marble bank..."
She was just coming out of the little guest study when he arrived.
When she saw him, Mrs. Bennet smiled, kissed her daughter and went back inside.
Elizabeth was devastated. Her eyes were red and swollen and she was sniffing like mad.
"Lizzie, dear... What happened? Can I be of help?"
He could since she immediately found her place against him, her head resting against his chest.
"I'm a bad person..;" sniffed she. "I'm not worthy of you..."
He was quite satisfied to hold her and to whisper his love into her ears when she suddenly lashed out. She looked up and hit him!
She was not strong enough to hurt him but the simple fact that she did it, was shock enough to paralyze him.
"And you are all so egoistical," shouted she. "How can you be so dumb? All we want is to have a little space in your arms and your listening..."
The lashing stopped as it had begun and she was soon back crying into the pit of his shoulder.
He decided that being upset by her unjust behavior against him was not the most intelligent thing to do just now.
Clearly something had upset her and pouring oil on that fire would help neither one of them.
He took her in his arms and began to carry her toward where Kitty and Georgiana were waiting.
He was sure half of Pemberley was looking at them and he was even more sure that the other half would have joined the first half before they could disappear into the trees around the lake.
So be it! She was his wife and he would not let her alone when she was in need of his help.
Let them spread more rumors!
They'll survive.
Two hours later, she was dozing in his arms and they were both lying on her moss bed in the grove. They were both still dressed and as it seemed they would have no opportunity to go into more physical conversation.
The time was just not ripe for that.
His Elizabeth was exhausted and what they had just experienced together had been the most strange event of his life.
She had told him everything. Never would he have believed that witty Lizzie Bennet could be so talkative. She had talked and talked and talked.
She had told him of hundred of things –mostly her numerous sins against her mother–, had accused him –repeatedly– that, as a man, he was an egoistical unfeeling monster and –often– that she was a bad person and not worth of anybody's love...
That last part had been the easiest. He had easily been able to demonstrate that she was wrong and there was at least one person who still loved her and who refused to see her as a bad person.
One thing he had understood very soon in their little time of being together was that, in the future, he would never let her alone when she was hurt or grieving.
Clearly she was very upset with her father because of his behavior.
He had fled and had let her mother alone to bear her own guilt.
He could understand why his future father-in-law would have the urge to hide and to cry in secret.
But clearly doing that, he had multiplied the grief of his wife and inflated the guilt complex she was already feeling.
He should have been at her side.
Just holding her would have been enough. Clearly they didn't need someone who spoke to them, they just wanted you to listen to them.
Elizabeth had done all the speaking and the only words he had uttered in two hours were one syllabic words and three-word affirmations...
And she had asked for nothing more.
And now, after the flood she was there, exhausted and shivering but clearly very happy to be allowed to be at his side and in his arms.
This was a lesson he would never forget.
To soothe her, take her in your arms and let her do all the telling, shouting and crying she needed. And, from time to time –when she was breathing was a good time–, just remind her of your love. And that should be enough to set in motion the healing process.
Finally she came out of her slumber.
Her smile was the best thing he had ever experienced in his life and he responded with one of his own.
"Hello, my love... Do you feel better?"
She nodded and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't... It was important for you and it was the best lesson I could receive. Never will I let you alone when you're hurt. I wouldn't like it because when I hurt I like to hide but I will hide in the shadow of your words and not in the solitude of my own bitterness..."
"Nicely said..."
"I prepared my speech while looking lovingly at your face..."
"Again nicely said..."
"I had nothing better to do than to love you and admire you and prepare myself for the sublime moment when you would be able to look at me anew and see the man who loves you and not the generic bad insensitive husband.."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't! As I said I love knowing even before our marriage what would have been my greatest mistake. I'll probably have my share of failures but forsaking my hurting wife will not be one of them."
She smiled at him.
"I love you..."
"I do hope so! It would be nice to have a little compensation for all those ugly words you pelted me with."
"Did I?"
He kissed her nose.
"Yes, but I accept to bear that very special culpability. I would have reacted just the same as your father did and I would have probably been even worse since I tend, when I'm badly hurt, to take a horse and to run away to the end of the world. Doing so, I would have hurt you so much more. I promise to come to you and speak with you each time I feel like taking a horse to the end of the world..."
She kissed him.
"I would like that very much."
"There's nothing I wouldn't do to make your smile come back."
"I know..."
Fitzwilliam Darcy sighed. His manager smiled at him and asked to be released.
Knowing it was because of his own tiredness that he was so kindly asked he nodded and called the meeting to an end.
"We'll go on tomorrow, Matthews. I fear I'm no longer able to work today. It has been a difficult day and I'm not sure I'm still able to make sound decisions..."
"We went through most of the important issues. Tomorrow I'll have the chariots to transport all that's important to Man's caves. In less than a week what's precious in Pemberley will be there and as you know those caves can be very easily defended..."
Fitzwilliam nodded.
He was evacuating his most precious family riches. But that was only the apparent movement. What he was really doing was evacuating his retainers' families toward his most protected estate.
The family was in possession of a real medieval castle on the Isle of Man and –unknown to most people-- underneath there was the biggest complex of caves and underground warehouses that could be imagined. And there he would send the families of all those who had accepted to fight at his side against the invaders.
He would have gladly sent Elizabeth and the rest of the family there but it would wait till Monday. When he was married he would ask her to go.
He already knew the answer but he would nevertheless ask. Perhaps would she accept.
The return from the grove has been a glorious moment.
Never before had they felt so connected. Even making love had not brought them such a feeling of completeness...
When they arrived Williams and the others were already waiting.
He went immediately to work. But all the time of his meeting she had been with him.
He went out of his study in search of her.
There was music and laughter coming from the music room and he wondered if it would be her.
Trying to surprise her, he chose to go through the north dining room to peek into the music room through what could be called a concealed door.
Doubly concealed since the door was cut into one of the wood panels and behind a curtain which was a few inches from the wall and could easily hide a discreet listener.
He had that "special entrance" cut into the wall a few years earlier when Georgiana was studying with her first music teacher and so shy that the sole presence of a listener would destroy her concentration and spoil her efforts.
So he came discreetly to listen without disturbing her.
He opened the door and slid through the door without touching the curtain.
He was a little disappointed when he saw that it was not Elizabeth practicing but Mrs. Gardiner's daughters with Georgiana and Kitty practicing the new dances to her mother's piano forte.
He was tempted to immediately retreat but hearing his name spoken by Georgiana and his curiosity awaken he stayed.
Kitty was quite satisfied with her day.
With Lizzie's and her mother's uneasiness settled, she was quite happy but she was even more happy when she saw how much Georgiana was blossoming in her new role as dance teacher.
She was quite satisfied that that idea was much more successful than her plot to bring her sister and mother together.
Since she was at Pemberley she and Georgiana had become very close friends.
Georgiana was much more accomplished than her and Kitty longed to be only half as perfect as Georgiana appeared.
But there was one point where she was much more accomplished than Fitzwilliam's sister and that was in matters including social encounters.
Because Georgiana was as shy as could be possible without falling into fits.
And, probably thanks to Lydia, Kitty has fathomed a long time ago that being shy was an excellent thing... But only if it was a part of the game.
Men love shy maidens.
So it's only good politics to appear as shy as necessary.
But the key word was 'appear'!
Georgiana did not appear shy, she was really, really shy...
And so Kitty had taken it upon herself to pull her friend out of her disadvantage in order to teach her that shyness should be a weapon used and not a failing which would hinder and trap her.
And Kitty's chosen weapon to cure Georgiana of her shyness had been music and dance.
Because even the most foolish master of male predominance was convinced that girls and women must be able to dance.
They thought so because they liked to dance themselves but their reason was of no importance to Kitty since it gave her the opportunity to push Georgiana into a role she would never have accepted under normal circumstances.
With the help of the Gardiner family she had succeeded in trapping Georgiana who was kinder than shy.
Faced with two would be pupils begging for her help to learn the latest dances she had had no choice but to accept becoming their teacher.
Of course Emma and Alicia had already had lots of dance lessons but they were quite agreeable in feigning less expertise than they already had.
And so it happened that two hours a day, Miss Darcy the shy Mistress of Pemberley ,was changed into a witty and facetious dance teacher.
Being the most skilled dancers Georgiana and Kitty would play the role of the man in the couples they formed with Emma and Alicia.
And to give her lessons more fancy Georgiana often intermingled her teaching with impersonations of male dancers of her acquaintance.
And just as Fitzwilliam was looking she was impersonating her uncle the earl.
And Fitzwilliam immediately recognized him. He was always putting as much distance as possible between himself and his partner and he was every second step taking a look at said partner as if to ensure himself that she was not trying to jump him.
Fitzwilliam had problems smothering a laugh.
The impersonation was good, really good and the way she shot rapid glances at Emma was very funny and very accurate.
Then while coming towards him, she played the role of his cousin the now general.
He was quite the opposite to his father. He would brush his partner of often and as sensually as possible. And he would flutter his eyes in a ridiculous fashion he believed –and he was the only one of Fitzwilliam's acquaintance-- was irresistible for the opposite sex.
Once more he was very close to betraying himself with a smothered laugh.
Georgiana was so focused on her show that she didn't notice him.
Not so with Kitty who smiled at him and, as soon as they turned again winked at him while making a sign to make him join her and Alicia.
"Please show us Fitzwilliam's dance pattern, Georgie... He's the one you do best..."
Fitzwilliam discovered that he was quite interested by the prank Kitty was proposing and soon he was taking her place as Alicia's dance partner.
And being just behind Georgiana he was quite shocked at what he saw.
Never in all life was that impersonation him!
He was not so stiff and –by God-- never so haughty...
But then he recognized movements he knew himself doing. And in the middle of the show he was quite sure that his sister was playing him with as much accuracy as she did his uncle and his cousin.
The dance went on and at a moment the movement forced them to turn around.
He went on and made great efforts to continue the dance as naturally as possible.
He danced till the end of the room and when it was time to turn around another time he was quite satisfied to find out that his sister had followed him without saying a word but that she was still mimicking him in the most outrageous fashion.
Mrs. Gardiner got to the end of the dance and while Fitzwilliam bowed they all applauded him.
He bowed once more and smiled at his sister.
"As you've seen, sister dear, if some of your impersonations were quite successful, the last was clearly excessive..."
He darted a defiant glance at his sister.
And to his great satisfaction she held her ground.
"Not in the least, Fitzwilliam. I even believe that it is my best. How could it be otherwise since I have you before my eyes every hour of every day?"
He acknowledged the pique with another bow.
"Touché! I might nevertheless protest, I do believe you play me a tad too stiff..."
"That's only the case when you dance, Fitzwilliam. In real life you're much more amenable."
He smiled at her.
"I'll accept your judgment and thank you, Georgiana."
He bowed toward the Ladies and disappeared behind his curtain.
He was quite happy.
It seemed that the Darcys were changing a lot being in contact with the Bennets.
And, if he could give his opinion, it was only for the best.
Next chapter: London Truce