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The griffins landed and the gentlemen dismounted. Darcy noted that Bingley's dismount had improved significantly. The natural consequence of all the flying the two had been doing since Eleos had reached his full growth. They both took great joy in flying and because of their emotional connection, the delight of each was multiplied by the happiness of the other. It was like this with many bonded pairs, but not many were quite so enthusiastic as these two. Bingley could be making a call less than half a mile away and the two of them would fly, even though it was practically time to land as soon as they took flight. Darcy and Georgiana also took great joy in flying together but they preferred long journeys or flying for recreation when there was no place they needed to be. Georgiana was extremely shy and did not accompany Darcy when he made social calls.
Once the gentlemen had dismounted, the griffins bowed to each other and Darcy could feel Georgiana's pleasure in being with Eleos. It was the pleasure of affection with no hint of desire, but she was not in heat yet and Darcy, not wanting to pressure with his hopes, tried to turn his attention to something else.
As they walked toward the house Bingley provided him the distraction he needed by asking, "Well, Darcy, what do you think of the place?
"It is as you represented it. Plenty of room for Eleos to hunt and large enough that you can easily accommodate a visiting griffin. More than that I cannot form an opinion on merely from having flown over. "
"As I did you mean, but I am not ashamed of having acted in a haste. Enough room for Eleos is all I need and the neighbors have been exceptionally welcoming."
"I am sure." Bingley was a single man of large fortune of course the neighbors were welcoming.
"Sir William and Lady Lucas were among the first to visit me and their younger children cannot get enough of Eleos, I had to limit them to three rides each or the visit would have been unforgivably long."
"Rides!"
"Oh, not flying, of course, just walking, they are careful of his wings."
"As if he were a pony."
"He likes it! Eleos loves children."
Well, Eleos loved everyone. He was a bit of a flirt. But perhaps his outgoing more reckless nature would good balance for Georgiana's cautious, steady, character. Again Darcy turned his mind away from this line of thought.
"We can visit them," added Bingley hopefully, and you will see for yourself. I know Georgiana will not want to, but if your horses have not arrived yet you can ride one of mine, and the three of us* can go, Eleos will not mind walking."
"I am in no hurry to meet your neighbors. When are your sisters arriving?"
"Later today. Caroline is to keep house for me. The Hursts are only here for a visit. I do not know how long they will stay but they have promised me several weeks at least."
"I hope your sisters will be as pleased with the neighborhood as you are."
"I am sure they will be. Well, perhaps not as pleased as I, my sisters are anxious for me to purchase but Caroline is sure to make friends soon. Are you certain you do not wish to visit the Lucases?"
"Quite certain I thank you."
"No matter. You will meet everyone tomorrow at the assembly room ball."
"Excuse me? I do not remember your mentioning anything about a ball."
(0)
Wilkes, Darcy's valet, arrived at Netherfield later that day along with Darcy's horses, luggage, and a letter from Darcy's aunt (Lady Catherine deBourgh) which had been delivered to his London home shortly after he left. Lady Catherine wrote to ask after Georgiana and to advise him that Georgiana needed to eat strictly venison, and stay away from domestic animals and small game. She also included a recipe for an herbal concoction to be given to the Griffin three times a day for the three weeks prior to "her time of year" to increase fertility, along with the words of the spell to be said three times at each feeding.
Darcy sighed. Her Ladyship had obviously never tried to feed a Griffin anything it did not wish to eat, and only a charlatan could have given her the recipe, the words of the spell, ruffly translated from Latin read, "the just desserts of condescension, you get what you pay for" but the underlying message was clear. Darcy hardly needed reminding that Lady Catherine was losing patience and not only with Georgiana. He was well aware that his late parents had hoped for, almost expected, a marriage between himself and his cousin, Anne deBourgh, which would unite the two estates. Miss deBourgh had been a sickly child, often complaining of headaches when it was time for her lessons, but everyone had assumed she would improve with age. When Darcy bonded with Georgiana the plan had been amended to include the hope of a future bonding between Miss deBourgh and Georgiana's future offspring. A hope Lady Catherine had come to depend on as her daughter's health failed to improve**.
While Darcy held no particular affection for his cousin, his only objection to the match (an objection his father had shared) was that Miss deBourgh was not healthy enough to give him an heir. His father had insisted there be no agreement until after Georgiana's offspring had bonded and, should Miss deBourgh be its choice, the resulting improvement of Miss deBourgh's health was proven out. At the time of Georgiana coming into her first heat, when Miss deBourgh had been just seventeen and Darcy one and twenty*** it had seemed a reasonable request even to Lady Catherine who was sure of everything turning out exactly as she wished. Now six years later her forbearance had worn thin.
Not being one to put off a disagreeable task Darcy wrote out his reply before joining the others.
Dear Lady Catherine,
I have received your letter and will give your advice all the careful attention and consideration it deserves, as I always do. As I am sure your ladyship is well aware that griffins are normally impervious to magic it is remarkable indeed that you have found a spell you are willing to recommend without reservation, for use on a creature on which so many hopes depend. Your continued concern for myself and Georgian is…
[Here he paused to think of an appropriate word.]
…extraordinary and beyond anything I feel we deserve.
You must know that my own concern for Georgian exceeds even your own and, much as you have yourself, I have come to the conclusion that unusual methods must be attempted. I am not too proud to undertake any strategy that has a chance of success and am comforted to know that on this subject we are of like minds. We can both hope that such efforts will pay off and that, when next I write, it will be with happier news than I can give you at this time.
Darcy nodded to himself feeling it was a job well done. He had not said anything untrue and if her Ladyship chose to believe he would act as he wished, he could not accuse himself of deceit. Should his plans for Georgiana and Eleos bear fruit he would remind his aunt that he had thought they were in agreement that unusual methods must be attempted.
He filled the rest of the page with a description of a waistcoat he had recently purchased and asked her advice on new furnishings for one of his rooms at Pemberly. As he had no intention of refurnishing any rooms her advice could do no harm and it was best to give her something to think on besides Georgiana.
(0)
Darcy attended the assembly room ball the next evening with the rest of Bingley's party wondering how he had come to agree to go. It was the last place he wanted to be. Trying to keep himself from worrying about Georgiana was exhausting. Bingley must never have to worry about shielding his emotions from Eleos, he seemed to be perpetually happy and, even in the current company, could not seem to help making friends if he tried. Normally Darcy found it endearing but tonight it was grating on his nerves. It did not help matters that Bingley's enthusiasm was overflowing to the point that he tried to get Darcy to join in the dancing.
Bingley stepped out of the dance himself to say, "Come, Darcy, I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance, surely it is just the distraction you need."
"It would be a distraction indeed, but it is rather a case of the cure being worse than the disease. You know how I detest dancing unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with."
"I would not be so fastidious as you are," cried Bingley, "for a kingdom! Upon my honor, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty."
"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room." He could not imagine how Bingley could think any of the others uncommonly pretty.
"Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you."
"Which do you mean?" and turning round, he looked for a moment at the lady Bingley had indicated, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."
Bingley looked at him curiously and then followed his advice and returned to his partner. He did not say anything else until the next morning when the two of them were alone and talking of the ball. Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been most kind and attentive to him; there had been no formality, no stiffness; he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure.
"That is hardly fair," said Bingley they could hardly give you much attention when you refused all introductions."
"Even so."
"And your remarks about Miss Elizabeth Bennet could not have endeared you to anyone. She is well-liked in the neighborhood."
"If she was listening to a private conversation she ought to have been aware she risked hearing what she did not like."
"It is not as if you bothered to lower your voice." Bingley looked thoughtful, "Darcy I cannot help but notice you have been particularly out of sorts..."
Darcy realized what he was implying. He normally resented when people asked about Georgiana's "time of year" as if his picking up on her emotions at that time invalidated any argument he might make, but Bingley had a reason to ask. "I do get more easily irritated in the weeks before Georgiana goes into heat, but I do not believe I would bear better with the Meritonites if that were not the case. And it ought to be another fortnight or so before I face any difficulties of that sort. Have you felt any attraction from Eleos?"
"No nothing, but as I said, it is probably too soon, though the schedule is not exact."
"I see. It must be difficult to be bonded with a griffin of the opposite sex."
"At times it is, but I would not give up my bond with Georgiana for anything. You should not assume, however, you will not face similar issues. Has Eleos been around a female coming into heat before?"
"Not since his come of age."
"You should be careful. With all these ladies you find so pretty and agreeable, it would be easy for you to believe you are falling in love when you are actually picking up on the emotions of your bonded."
Bingley smiled, "I think I will know the difference but I will be careful. At least your finding them all so dull and uninteresting protects you from the same risk. But will it not be awkward to dine with the same ladies you refused to be introduced to? The Bennets will be dining with us at the Goulding's on Tuesday."
"Who are the Gouldings and why would we be dining with them?"
"The Gouldings, I met them at the ball and they invited us all. They are…"
"…very agreeable?"
Bingley had the sense to look sheepish as he said, "yes."
Darcy could feel a headache coming on, "Bingley, just how many dinner invitations have you accepted on behalf of all of us?"
As he was speaking Miss Bingley entered the breakfast room, "Charles you really should not presume on Mr. Darcy's friendship. He will not wish to visit all the people you do."
"Darcy does not have to come with us if he does not wish it, but I daresay he will not want to be home alone being disagreeable with no one to see it."
"Rather than leaving him on his own, we ought not to be accepting invitations he will not like."
"I would not stop you from dining with your neighbors," said Darcy
"Then it is settled we are all to dine with the Gouldings on Tuesday." That was not what Darcy meant but Bingley looked so pleased that he let the matter stand and accompanied the rest of the party on Tuesday. He took the opportunity to ensure he would not be caught in the same snare of which he had warned his friend by making a careful study of all the ladies present. Miss Goulding had a lazy eye; Miss Julia Goulding had freckles and a limp wrist; Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty but she smiled too much; in Miss Elizabeth Bennet's figure he detected more than one failure of perfect symmetry and she had had hardly a good feature in her face; the three younger Miss Bennet's did not even get the compliment of his critique.
Perhaps, with Georgiana going into heat it was just as well for him to be spending time above his company. There was always the danger, at this time, of his finding a woman more attractive than he should. In a neighborhood such as this, he was perfectly safe.
* "the three of us" refers to Darcy, Bingley, and Eleos. It is common to refer to a Griffin as one would a human.
** At the time it was widely believed that a Griffin bond strengthened the health of the human bonded. People have since come to believe that griffins choose to bond with those who are already in good health. Experience would suggest the second theory to be true but it cannot be proven either way.
*** Darcy bonded at age nine which would have made Georgiana approximately thirteen when she first came into heat. While male griffins are ready to mate as soon as they reach their full growth by five years old, females normally go into heat for the first time between thirteen and fifteen.