Chapter 17 #3
Reggie and Elaine Fitzwilliam as well as the rest of the family loved and were justifiably very proud of their home. The land was slightly more level at Snowhaven than at Pemberley as they were further from the peak district than the Darcy’s estate.
The Derwent River ran through Snowhaven as the water flowed from the split with the Trent River in Derby. One of the Fitzwilliam ancestors had had a canal dug that fed into a manmade lake to the right-hand side of the manor that was a boon to anglers as it was a fisherman’s paradise.
In the front of the manor was the formal garden with a complex maze the Bennet siblings had long loved playing and hiding from each other in on their previous stays at Snowhaven.
‘If it would not mortify him, I would remind James of his first time in the maze when he had got so lost,’ Elizabeth thought as they approached the end of their short trip.
The estate had more extensive formal gardens than Pemberley, but nature was still given free rein in the surrounding woodlands.
As the coaches pulled up in the circular drive in front of the castle, the travellers were met by the butler and the housekeeper.
Both had been in their positions for over twenty years and kept Snowhaven running like a well maintained clock.
As it was only an hour to dinner, everyone retired to their chambers.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Andrew and Marie Fitzwilliam along with their son had chambers in the east wing that was their home whenever they were in residence at Snowhaven.
Their apartments gave them the privacy that a young family craved while still being near to family and friends.
Their estate of Hilldale was less than twenty miles to the east of Snowhaven, just over the border in Staffordshire.
The family wing was in the castle and the guest chambers were situated in the west wing. There were additional chambers for guests in the east wing, but those were only used when all others were filled.
Jane and Lizzy were in their regular suite directly across the hall from the suite Mary and Kitty shared in the family wing. Their parent’s suite was a few doors down from the girls, next to the suite Tom and James used when they were with the family.
After washing off the dust from the road and changing for dinner, everyone met in the warm and large family sitting room.
Elizabeth could not but think about how much she missed the man she loved above all others.
She was now in his home shire, less than two hours from his beloved Pemberley, so near, but yet so far.
On the morrow, they would depart after luncheon, and she would see her beloved fiancé and enjoy the promised full tour of her soon to be home.
Tomorrow could not come fast enough for her.
‘The more I know him, the more I fall in love with him. I wish that we were married already.’ As Elizabeth thought about him, she had a beatific smile that spread to her eyes and beyond as she felt warm all over and especially down there, ‘Oh my, what thinking about this man does to me, I hope no one notices. It will not be much longer my beloved William before we are married, and we will never have to be apart.’
“What was your first impression of Pemberley?” The Earl asked Lizzy and snapped her out of her reverie.
She blushed a deep scarlet, sure everyone in the drawing room could sense her wanton thoughts about her William.
She noticed that Uncle Reggie was looking at her with a big smile on his face waiting for her answer.
“I-it is magnificent Uncle Reggie, I am chagrined to say this with you, Andrew, and Papa here that I have never seen an estate its equal.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed about Lizzy,” her father reassured her, “it is only natural and right that you should feel such about your new home. Your love for William would not allow anything else. That being said, I cannot but agree with you, I too have never seen its equal. Sorry Reggie.”
“Better looking than Snowhaven?” the master of the estate asked with mock effrontery, “I know, in all seriousness, Pemberley is one of the finest looking estates in the country, with the backdrop of the peaks, there are few that can rival it.”
There was general agreement as the butler announced dinner. After dinner they eschewed separation of the sexes and a convivial evening in the company of the best of friends, that would soon all be family indeed, was had by all.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At Pemberley, Darcy was meeting with his steward, Mr. Edwin Chalmers, who had taken over on the passing of Mr. Lincoln Wickham. As he waited for Chalmers to join him, Darcy thought back to the former steward.
The late Mr. Wickham was nothing like his son, he was an honourable and honest man.
The actions of his son would have caused him much grief.
Unfortunately, his wife, who died when George was ten years old, had passed all of her bad habits onto her son.
She was an envious spendthrift who always thought whatever she wanted was her due and to the chagrin of mankind, George Wickham had learnt from his mother and not his father.
Subsequent to his wife passing Lincoln Wickham had tried to teach his son right from wrong, but unfortunately young Wickham’s godfather, Darcy’s own honourable father, had a soft spot for young George, and he felt bad for the boy losing his mother.
Lady Anne had attempted to council her husband that he was not doing the boy any favours, she saw the true Wickham as his character started to reveal itself.
After his wife’s passing old Mr. Darcy got even closer to George Wickham as the boy was outgoing and entertaining where his own son was more serious and stoic.
What his revered father never knew was what everyone else saw in his godson. Darcy decided rather than hurt his father he would pay Wickham’s debts and cover up his profligate and dissolute ways.
As he thought back, he admitted to himself that covering for George Wickham was neither good for his late father nor for George himself.
Darcy was snapped out of his reverie by a knock on his study door; so he called out “Enter.”
Chalmers seated himself in front of the large, highly polished oak desk.
Darcy’s aim was to cover as much ground with his steward as possible so he would have time on the morrow to take the twins on a tour of the park on horseback and be ready and available when his fiancée was scheduled to arrive for a tour of the rest of the house after luncheon.
There was nothing too serious in all that the two covered.
When they had completed the planned business, the steward asked, “Is there anything else that we need to cover, Mr. Darcy?”
“No, thank you Chalmers. I believe that is all for now. If I need you again, I will have one of the grooms let you know. If not before, we will have our scheduled meeting on Thursday afternoon,” Darcy stated in closing.
With that, Chalmers left his study and Darcy looked through his correspondence.
He had two letters of business he knew could not be delayed, so he answered them as needed.
When he was complete, he repaired to the drawing room just as the dinner gong was rung.
He was happy he had managed his time well so that he would be free on the morrow for some sport with Bingley, his cousin, and the twins.
The party from Snowhaven was scheduled to stay until after dinner on the morrow. He was impatient waiting for the pleasure of his beloved Lizzy again being at Pemberley for a more extensive tour of the house.
Whenever he had not an occupation, his thoughts were of his beloved fiancée.
Darcy ruminated again about what a change these last months had made.
He had gone from thinking dark, pessimistic thoughts to optimistic, dare he say happy ones.
He had believed he would never find the kind of love his beloved parents had shared, and now he had found it in his beloved Lizzy and oh so much more.
Before he had seen a bleak, lonely future.
And now he saw a long, wonderful future full of companionship and love.
When his eyes had locked onto Lizzy’s that first time, he had been both lost and found.
‘I cannot wait for my Elizabeth to be my wife. She has invaded every corner of my heart and I belong to her mind, body and soul and will do so until I breathe my last breath. How I love her,’ he thought with a dreamy look on his countenance all thoughts of dinner forgotten.