She knew something was wrong with Little Will. And she was fairly sure it was due to a lady. She needed to get to the bottom of it. But how?
Mrs. Abigail Reynolds turned the quandary about in her mind for a few seconds before walking down the hall. She knew who might know, even if they didn't really know.
The piano music was quick and haunting. Her wee angel preferred songs in minor keys. She had taught her brother enough about music so that he could get the correct gifts.
Darling girl smiled at her and softly ended her song. Abigail felt her heart reach for her and, as if she read her mind, Georgiana left her seat to come to Abigail with her hands outstretched.
Abigail met her, mindful of her position. Housekeeper, but also part of their home.
"Hello Mrs. Reynolds, what brings you here today?" the girl smiled.
"Well, Miss Darcy, I've noticed that Mr. Darcy has been down, and I wondered if you knew how we can help," she asked.
Mrs. Beatrice Annesley watched the proceedings carefully. Abigail liked her, though she was new. She was quick and observant.
"Oh, I wish I knew Mrs. Reynolds!" Georgiana exclaimed. Abigail figured she wouldn't consciously know. Neither she nor her brother were very good at reading between the lines.
"I see," she said, patting Georgiana's hand, "I suppose he hasn't visited anyone new lately? He hasn't mentioned any new friends lately?" Gerogiana shook her head. Abigail was already tip toeing on the line.
"Well dearie, I'll let you return to your practice," she said. She would have to try something else. Hopefully Bingley Boy, or Richard would show soon. Bingley Boy was very, very open, and Richard would tell her everything.
"Mrs. Reynolds, a moment," Mrs. Annesley said, standing and following her to the hall. "Don't worry Miss Darcy," she told Georgiana who went to follow them, "keep practicing, I'm just getting some tea." Georgiana nodded as the two women went around the corner of the door.
Abigail smirked at the other woman. They may try to one up each other for decorum and manners, but she knew the kindred heart in the other woman. Abigail only wished she could have interviewed for Miss Darcy's companion. That dreadful Mrs. Yuck– Young stunk like Miss Bingley did.
But the Darcys were easily charmed by the gregarious and outgoing. Abigail was just thankful Bingley Boy forced Little Will to see how much of a liar George Wickham had become.
"What do you think, Beatrice?" Abigail whispered. Beatrice raised an eyebrow. They both strictly enforced a no gossip rule– but it didn't include them.
"It's a lady that's got him out of sorts," she whispered. Abigail nodded, and Beatrice continued. "When I was first hired on, Miss Darcy was so excited that Mr. Darcy had written about a girl. "He's never done this," I remember her saying. She was ecstatic."
"What did he write?" Abigail asked, hoping her wee angel had read the letter out loud, for neither of them would read it.
"Just that she was intelligent and had fine eyes," Beatrice said. They both rose their eyebrows meaningfully.
"What was her name?"
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet," Beatrice said, "they met in Hertfordshire while he was with Mr. Bingley."
Abigail pressed her lips together in disappointment. Rotten luck having her so far away. Little Will hadn't been visiting there lately. Did he miss her? Beatrice walked back into the music room and she went to fetch the tea.
Poor boy, she had no idea how to help him. But she at least knew what was going on.
Oxoxoxoxoxoxo
A few weeks later, Abigail walked up to the front hall to the visitors, thinking about which bit of history to share on the tour. Three great grandfather Darcys ago they made the East Wing…
When she entered the hall she saw a fashionable couple and an elegant girl. The girl was staring out the window instead of examining the furnishings with the couple. Very odd. People visited these great indoor houses to view the indoor furnishings.
"Good afternoon, I'm Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper here. I understand you would like a tour," she said. The trio turned and smiled, the girl looked a little nervous.
"Good afternoon," the gentleman said with a bow. "I'm Mr. Gardiner, my wife, Mrs. Gardiner, and my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
Abigail felt her mind overturn and crash. Miss Elizabeth Bennet?! She spared a quick, but extremely studious glance at the girl.
She had dark hair, and eyes that betrayed excessive nervousness. As if she ought not to be here. Like she was afraid of being seen… or seeing someone.
Why would she be scared of seeing Little Will?
Well, she knew who the focus of this tour was going to be.
They moved through the tour, with Abigail dropping glowing remarks of Little Will. Decidedly more than usual, but the girl looked mostly out of the windows.
It was apparent that she approved of the house, but fleeting expressions of what looked like regret covered her face from time to time. Very odd. Why would the girl be equal measures regretful and frightened? Why was Will so heartbroken over her?
"Is the Master of the home absent then? He sounds like a marvelous fellow," Mr. Gardiner asked. Miss Bennet spun away in alarm that she tried to cover with examining a vase with extreme interest.
Her mind then derailed and caught fire. The personal half of her thoughts that is. The professional housekeeper side hardly lost stride, save it spoke more often and highly favorably of Mr. Darcy. But her personal side thoughts? Shambles.
"He is away," Abigail said informatively, hearing the quiet sigh of relief from the vase. "But we expect him tomorrow with a large party of friends."
He proposed and she rejected him?! This was much more serious than she thought. She felt personally offended on behalf of Little Will, but glad that when Miss Elizabeth Bennet did come to love him, it would be for himself alone.
Why could they not have visited tomorrow? Her mind lamented on behalf of Will.
Her Aunt called her attention to a miniature of that George Wickham. Mrs. Gardiner asked Wills Elizabeth how she liked the painting. Abigail couldn't stand for that creatin misleading any other girl, particularly Wills.
"That is the son of the late steward, who the late Master brought up at his own expense. He is gone into the army now, but I'm afraid he turned out to be very wild," Abigail concluded, giving Miss Bennet a careful look. Miss Bennet's face held a ghost of a blush. As if she felt foolish. She could not even return her Aunt's smile.
"And that," Abigail continued with a glowing smile, pointing to Will miniature, "is my master, and very like him. It was drawn some eight years ago, along with that other one." That hateful Wickham boy.
"I have heard much of your master's fine person," Mrs. Gardiner said, sending a sly smile towards Abigail. They both knew she was giving them a proper, but… unique tour. She had yet to mention about three great grandfather Darcys for all her focus on the current Darcy. "It is a handsome face, but Lizzy, you can tell us whether it is like or not," Mrs. Gardiner said.
Abigail could have kissed Mrs. Gardiner in that moment.
"Oh," Abigail said innocently, able now to turn her great attention to Lizzy. "Does the young lady know Mr. Darcy?" The young lady blushed to the roots of her hair.
"A little," she said.
"And do you not think him a handsome man? Ma'am?" Abigail was clutching hold of decorum with one half of her mind, while the other half had thrown them off into near indecency.
"Yes," Lizzy said, still a blush, but with a lingering look, "very handsome." Near indecency laughed at decorum. They were making headway.
"I'm sure I know none so handsome. But in the gallery upstairs we'll find a larger, finer picture of him," Abigail said, normally she never brought people upstairs… but she could hardly stop her own efforts to help Little Will.
Soon, the group spoke of her Wee Angel. If Miss Lizzy didn't accept Will for himself- the audacity- she would surely accept for a sister like Georgiana.
Mr. Gardiner brought up the potential marriage of Will. Abigail saw that he as well as his wife were in on her game, for how else could this conversation be?
"Yes sir, but I don't know when that will be. I don't know who is good enough for him," Abigail said truthfully. The Gardiners smile and glanced at Lizzy who said:
"It is very much to his credit, I'm sure, that you think so," she said. A crafty response, all ambiguity, but her animated eyes betrayed her.
"I say no more than the truth, and what everyone would say that knows him," Abigail said a tad fiercely, and the housekeeper half of her cringed. Miss Elizabeth looked a little distressed. "I've never heard a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him since he was four years old."
Miss Elizabeth looked astonished and curious. Her uncle saw his nieces expression as well and continued asking questions of Little Will. Abigail could have kissed him!
"He is the sweetest tempered, good natured, most generous boy in the whole world," Abigail said with pride, for it was true. Miss Lizzy stared in open confusion.
Also, the most shy and fearful of company, Abigail thought. She wondered if that had anything to do with it, for Miss Lizzy seemed as outgoing and animated as Bingley Boy, in between her bouts of nervousness.
Well, she would have to praise him to the point of vulgarity then! The housekeeper side of her fought to keep on track, but the lackluster look in Miss Lizzys eye concerned her personal side. The decorum side wailed as it was locked away.
"He is the best landlord there is!"
"He is the best Master that ever lived!"
"All the servants and all the tenants will give him the best name!"
"Some people call him proud, but I've never seen it. I think they say it because he doesn't rattle away like other young men."
With each statement, Miss Lizzy looked more and more out of sorts.
In the music room, Miss Lizzy simply stated "he is a good brother," while looking at Georgiana's crayon drawings. She was nearly heedless of the great masters paintings on the wall next to her. Abigail smiled and declared him the best and most supportive of brothers. Now Miss Lizzy nearly looked defeated.
"Good," Abigail thought, "whatever that creatin Wickham said is gone, and whatever my shy Will did is fading."
In the family gallery, where tours usually didn't go to, Miss Lizzy stood and gazed in confused admiration at Little Wills portrait. Abigail supposed in that portrait she couldn't reasonably call him little. He was all grown up. When she mentioned it had been made during his fathers life she felt a tug at her heart strings. Her boy was all grown up and looking to get married!
She heard a sound of a horse up the drive. A quick glance showed it was Little Will. Here! Now!
She shot a careful glance at Lizzy, who had been staring at his portrait for above ten minutes. She was loath to part them, but a much better opportunity had shown itself.
"Now, let us go down to the gardens. They are lovely this time of year," she said, leading the trio down stairs and out to the gardens. Abigail found Jeremy, a gardener who had been here as long as she had to hand them off to.
"I think you should stay here, near the stables, to talk about the building. It will be a wonderful prospect," she told him. Jeremy looked confused, more so when she glanced pointedly at Miss
Lizzy, who was listening to her Aunt speak on a patch of flowers. "Just do it," Abigail hissed at him before retreating indoors and sneaking looks through the window. She was all alone in the room.
She knew the instant they saw each other. Both froze in open mouthed, blushing shock. Even Jeremy looked shocked! Little Will collected himself as Miss Lizzy tried to turn away, but could not. She remained frozen and flabbergasted. Will was fighting for his life trying to keep a conversation going. It wasn't hard, the Gardiners were marvelous, but she knew Wills tell tale signs. He was overcoming it marvelously for Miss Lizzy.
Suddenly twenty minutes later, he realized how dirty he was. He bowed and left them. Jeremy now understood his assignment and took the trio on the longest, most drawn out tour of the gardens he could come up with. He led them down a seldom used side trail.
Abigail heard Little Wills boots sprinting through the house, leaping up the stairs and then she heard something she always scolded for- he slammed his door shut.
She howled a delighted, uproarious laugh. She had to bring out a handkerchief to catch her tears. Her dear boy! Her dear miserably lonely Little Will had a second chance!
She then heard him burst from his room, and the door must've hit the wall. The rapidity of his steps coming down the stairs made her a little worried he would trip. He sprinted down the hall and she nearly fell to crying again at the excitement on his face. It was marred by nervousness, but oh! Her heart!
"They're near the river coming from the coppice bridge!" she exclaimed as he passed her.
He sent her the most blinding, grateful smile she had ever seen from him and that definitely sent her to crying tears of joy and relief.