Chapter Thirty-Six
E lizabeth and Mr. Darcy spent a very enjoyable four days together as they journeyed to Pemberley. They stopped frequently, for meals, to sleep and occasionally simply to walk in a lovely meadow. They played the First Line game, each impressed with the other’s breadth of knowledge. Mr. Darcy teased his wife, saying that it was very likely she had not read any of these books in their entirety, choosing only to memorise the first line. They discussed the possibility of a delayed wedding trip to Bath, perhaps next spring.
Though they had separate bedrooms at the inns – indeed, Mr. Darcy could not trust himself not to bed his tempting wife, had he the opportunity – he helped her to dress and undress, as she could not manage without a maid to assist her. These occasions were simultaneously the best and the most difficult parts of his day, for her smooth skin and tempting figure made these duties both immensely pleasurable and torturous. It took every ounce of his self-control not to claim her as his own on this journey, and he could scarcely wait for them to be alone at Pemberley
For Elizabeth’s part, she still felt that they had been rushed into the marriage, but she too experienced almost unbearable pleasure and tension as he helped her into and out of her clothing. He had promised that they would wait until they reached Pemberley, and she would wait as patiently as possible, but – oh! – it was becoming more and more difficult to do so. She did not dress or undress him, of course, but feeling his hands on her skin…well, she could scarcely wait for them to be alone at Pemberley.
She was told about Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, and Mr. Barton, the butler, both of whom had been with the Darcy family for decades, as well as about the many tenants of the estate. Elizabeth also learnt a little about the new sister waiting for her at Pemberley. She was told that the girl was fifteen, loved music, and was quite shy.
“Will Georgiana like me?” Elizabeth asked, aware that she was asking to be complimented.
He did not disappoint, replying immediately, “How could she not?”
“Your Aunt Catherine and your mother managed to withstand my charms,” she said, dryly.
“My mother will come around,” he said. “It may take some time, but I am certain you will win her over.”
“Is there a Dower House at Pemberley?” Elizabeth asked.
“There was one, long ago; it burnt to the ground in my grandfather’s time and was never rebuilt.”
“So there is no place…” Elizabeth trailed off.
Her husband understood her at once. “She has an estate called Cresston Hall in Cumberland, but she has not been there in many years.”
***
When they crested the final hill, Mr. Darcy tapped the ceiling of the coach with his stick, and the coach stopped.
“Why are we stopping?”
“This rise provides the best view of the house. Come, see your new home.”
Anyone would have caught their breath at the sight of Pemberley, but Elizabeth, a lifelong lover of natural beauty, could feel her heart stop for a moment. The house was enormous and lovely, of course, but such grounds! And the clear sapphire water of the lake, reflecting the image of the house! She had never seen such beauty, and tears rose to her eyes. She turned those shining eyes to her husband, and he could not resist – he kissed her heartily.
But when they pulled up to the house, his tender mood turned dark. He had sent a message by rider that morning, in addition to the letter ten days earlier; where was the line of servants he had requested? They should all be standing in front of the house to welcome their new mistress. Elizabeth could not be ignorant of the custom, as she turned her dark eyes to his in confusion.
He tried to remain calm, saying, “No matter, Elizabeth; you will meet everyone soon enough.”
Barton opened the front door and gazed at him in astonishment. “Mr. Darcy, sir! We did not expect you.”
“I see that, Barton,” his master replied, walking past him into the house. “Where is my mother?”
“In the drawing room, sir,” the butler replied. He then turned his eyes to Elizabeth, who had followed her husband. His confusion was plain on his face.
“My mother did not tell you of my marriage, I take it?” Mr. Darcy spoke softly now, emphasizing each syllable; those who knew him well were aware that this was a sign of great displeasure.
“No, Mr. Darcy, she did not,” Barton replied, rather indignantly. “Had I known, sir, I would have had all the servants here to welcome the new Mrs. Darcy, of course.”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “I know you would have, Barton. In any case, this is Mrs. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy, this is Barton, who has been the butler here at Pemberley for fifteen years.”
Elizabeth trembled inside, thinking this a very poor beginning to her tenure as the mistress of the estate; but recalling her aunt’s words, as well as those of her husband, she lifted her head higher and met the butler’s eyes calmly. “I am pleased to meet you, Barton; Mr. Darcy speaks very highly of you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy,” he replied. “It is kind of you to say so.” With that, he bowed deeply and led the way into the drawing room.
Elizabeth’s first impression of the drawing room was that it was tastefully decorated, if a bit old-fashioned, but her attention was quickly taken by the two figures sitting together on the sofa. She recognised Lady Anne, of course; the young woman beside her must then be Georgiana Darcy.
“Lady Anne,” she said, curtseying. She had not yet been introduced to Georgiana, so she could not greet her.
“What in the world are you doing here, Miss Bennet?” Lady Anne’s voice was all astonishment, though Elizabeth had no difficulty in identifying it as false. The woman knew very well what Elizabeth was doing at Pemberley.
Mr. Darcy strode toward his mother, eyes flashing. “What are you about, Mother? I know you received my letter several days ago, as well as my message this morning, as the riders confirmed placing both directly into your hands as I directed.”
Lady Anne shrugged. “You must have chosen your riders poorly, Fitzwilliam, as I have received nothing from you.”
Elizabeth saw Georgiana look at her mother quickly and gasp, her hand over her mouth.
Her actions did not escape her brother’s notice, as he promptly said, “You see, Mother, Georgiana has a better character than you; her face tells me that you received my messages.” Mr. Darcy’s face was angry, his tone taut.
“Well, she is quite wrong. In any case, here you are and here she is.”
Elizabeth said, quietly, “William, will you not present your sister to me?”
“I apologise, Elizabeth; things are not as they should be, as you can see. Elizabeth, this is my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana, this is my wife, Mrs. Darcy.”
The young girl rose to her feet and curtsied, glancing at her mother uncertainly, and said, almost inaudibly, “Good afternoon, Mrs. Darcy.”
“I hope you will call me Elizabeth, as we are to be sisters.”
The girl looked at her mother, who scowled and shook her head at her daughter.
Elizabeth intercepted the glance. “Evidently that familiarity will not be permitted by your mother. Very well, we shall be Mrs. Darcy and Miss Darcy. It seems unnecessarily formal, but as you prefer.”
Barton then appeared, asking, “Where shall the new mistress’ trunks go?”
“In the mistress’ rooms, of course – hold, Mother, are you still occupying the mistress’ quarters?”
“Of course; I am the mistress of Pemberley.”
Mr. Darcy’s anger was barely contained as he spoke. “That is no longer the case. Elizabeth’s things will be brought there, and your things will be moved to the – which room do you prefer, Mother? There are rooms enough to house most of the county; pick which one you prefer.”
“I prefer the mistress’ rooms, as I have always done.”
Mr. Darcy stared at his mother as if he had never seen her before, as his next words confirmed. “I hardly know what to make of you, Mother. I would have expected such behaviour from Aunt Catherine, but not from you.”
Georgiana said, timorously, “The Ruby Room is the largest of the remaining family rooms.”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “Quite right.” He turned to the butler, whose eyebrows had been up near his forehead throughout the conversation. “Bring Mrs. Darcy’s trunks to the mistress’ rooms, and have my mother’s things packed up and taken to the Ruby Room. And my own things must be brought to the master’s rooms, as I have never yet occupied them.”
Lady Anne rose, head held as high as if she were the Queen, and said, “I shall supervise the packing of my own possessions, of course.” And she sailed past Elizabeth without a word. At the doorway, she paused and said, “Come, Georgiana.”
The girl gave Elizabeth a quick, frightened glance and scurried after her mother.
Elizabeth promptly sank onto the sofa they had vacated and put her head in her hands. Mr. Darcy was at her side in a moment. “Elizabeth, I cannot begin to express –“
“This is precisely what I feared,” she said, raising her head. “You promised to be at my side, remember.”
“And have I not been?”
“You have; but I can see that it will be a long and difficult road, and I rely upon you to be constant in your support of me.”
He swore to her that he would.
***
The news that the master had married spread through the house like wildfire. Mrs. Reynolds immediately went to the mistress’ rooms to consult with Lady Anne, only to discover a bevy of servants packing up Lady Anne’s things.
“Oh, my lady, what on earth?!”
“Mrs. Reynolds, he has married a – a country nobody!”
“But I thought he was off to marry Miss de Bourgh!”
“He was, but this – this seductress !” And Lady Anne buried her face into her ever-present handkerchief.
Mrs. Reynolds had never been so confused in her life. She knew Mr. Darcy well; not better than his own mother, but differently. She knew him as the master of Pemberley, and she was completely certain that it was impossible for him to have married someone who would not be a worthy mistress of the estate.
On the other hand, it was Lady Anne who had raised Mrs. Reynolds, over the years, from serving as a downstairs maid to a position as an upstairs maid, then placing her in the position of an assistant to the housekeeper, Mrs. Carmichael. When Mrs. Carmichael had fallen ill and it was apparent that she would not fully recover, it was Lady Anne who had given Mrs. Reynolds the exalted position of housekeeper of Pemberley.
Mrs. Reynolds could not imagine having to choose between Mr. Darcy and Lady Anne; both had her unwavering loyalty. But if they were to be at odds, what was Mrs. Reynolds to do? Things had not been this difficult since Lady Anne had been forced to deal with her own mother-in-law, the previous Mrs. Darcy! What a battle that had been!
She decided that she would remain calm, as the household would doubtless need her to do, and she would evaluate the new Mrs. Darcy for herself. What mattered most, at the end of the day, was Pemberley.
Lady Anne left the room, carrying her jewelry away to her new room. The servants immediately abandoned their packing and flew to Mrs. Reynolds. “What are we to do?” “There is a new mistress, but she is not at all suitable!” “The mistress is being moved into the Ruby Room, and she is not at all pleased!” And then again – “What are we to do?”
And it was that latter sentiment that was expressed most often in the hubbub of worry. “What you are to do is to do what you are told,” she said, in her firmest voice. “And what you have been told now is to get the mistress – Lady Anne, rather – moved into the Ruby Room; is that not right?”
“Yes, Mr. Barton instructed us to do so,” Hannah said. Hannah was Lady Anne’s lady’s maid. She could be a bit snooty about it, in Mrs. Reynolds’ opinion, but there was common sense beneath her airs and graces. Hannah continued, “It is such an insult to my mistress!”
Mrs. Reynolds answered quickly, “It was kind of Mr. Darcy to allow her to remain in these rooms these past three years, Hannah. It would be well for you to remember that.”
“But is that not where the mistress of the house should be?” Hannah asked, quivering with indignation.
“Silly girl! Do you not understand that Mr. Darcy could not move into the master’s quarters until his mother moved out of the mistress’ rooms? It would be wrong, very wrong indeed, for him to be in the master’s rooms while his own mother was in the mistress’ rooms! Heavens, how would that look?”
The listening servants nodded in agreement, and even Hannah saw the sense of Mrs. Reynolds’ words. “Still,” Hannah could not resist continuing. “There will be no peace in this household, not with two Mrs. Darcys in residence.”
And that was exactly Mrs. Reynolds’ own fear.
Hannah did not mention that her mistress had received adequate warning of the arrival of the new Mrs. Darcy, as a message had been delivered from Mr. Darcy a week ago announcing it. Hannah feared Lady Anne was determined to make trouble for the newcomer, and life would be quite unpleasant at Pemberley as a result.