Day 10
The knock at the study door garnered Darcy’s attention as he put his correspondence aside.
He had slept well, rising at his usual early hour, and he was grateful he had sent Briggs to the Fitzroy townhouse the previous day for his own clothes.
He had headed down the stairs to his study, where he was preparing letters for his business in London.
To see Briggs and not have him know me was odd. But he is still the same meticulous, trusted servant in this life as in the last.
“Come,” he said as the door swung open, and Mrs. Reynolds entered.
“Mr. Fitzroy. If you have a moment, sir?” It was evident she was attempting to maintain her composure, and he had felt his own emotions stir.
“Of course,” he said, setting his letters to the side of the desk, which had carried the weight of the Darcy’s business dealings for three generations.
“Thank you, sir. I would like to first apologize again for calling you ‘Mr. Darcy’. I cannot explain what came over me.”
“Please,” he said, indicating the chair in front of him.
“And, I’d like to go over the menu with you for the upcoming week to ensure your approval.” She listed Cook’s suggestions and jotted notes of his requests.
“Also, Reynolds,” he said, lately realizing his familiarity, “I mean to have guests for dinner this week and will apprise you of the particulars when I receive their reply.”
“As you wish, Mr. Fitzroy.” She made to stand, then stopped. “If I may? Might I offer my condolences on the passing of your father? We at Pemberley were all saddened to hear the news. He was a good friend to our master.”
“You remember my father?”
“Yes. Mr. Herbert Fitzroy was a good friend to Mr. Darcy. I recall your visit as a boy. You fell out of the tree one night when the Darcys and Fitzroys were at Lord Malvern’s for dinner. Mrs. Rogers gave you extra apple bread to calm you until the doctor came.”
“You remember that?” His mouth went slack as he attempted to make sense of what she had said.
“It was my job for many years to know all the comings and goings of Pemberley, sir. Nothing was beneath my notice.” She looked at him pointedly before bobbing a curtsey, and she walked out the room, leaving Darcy with a sense of unease.
“Mr. Fitzroy, Mr. Bainbridge will see you now.”
Darcy’s appointment at Bainbridge then, the maid announced the one-person Lizzy had been all anticipation to see.
“Mr. Fitzroy.”
His tall figure entered the room, bowing first to Mrs. Gardiner and then to her. “Mrs. Gardiner. Miss Bennet.”
“Welcome, sir. Will you sit?” Mrs. Gardiner asked, extending her arm to the chair beside her niece before ordering refreshments.
“And how do you find your stay at de Bourgh House?”
“Exceptional. It was owned by Mrs. Wickham’s family, the Darcys, and their housekeeper from Pemberley resides there. She recalls me from my youth.”
“Did you grow up around Derbyshire?” Mrs. Gardiner asked.
“No. But I visited as a child with my parents.”
“Pemberley is a beautiful estate, to be sure.”
“Are you familiar with the area?”
“Yes, I grew up in Lambton.”
“Lambton? Why that is not five miles from Pemberley.”
“I have fond memories of growing up with the Darcys’ harvest balls and Mrs. Darcy’s benevolence to us schoolgirls with a new pair of gloves at the end of every year.”
“Yes, my mo–– Excuse me. My memory of Mrs. Darcy was of her benevolence.”
Elizabeth noticed her aunt was looking oddly at Mr. Fitzroy.
“What is your family name, Mrs. Gardiner?”
“We were the Flints. My father owned––”
“The bookshop.”
“Yes,” the older woman said in surprise. “How did you know?”
He gasped. “I am not sure. I must have recalled it from my trip when I was a child.”
“You have an impeccable memory, sir.”
“Odd, as I have only recovered from a head injury,” he said, sharing a smile with Elizabeth.
After the maid brought in the tea, Lizzy poured. All remained silent as Mr. Fitzroy took a sip, then Mrs. Gardiner asked, “Pray, forgive me, Mr. Fitzroy. But, has anyone ever commented that you resemble the former master of Pemberley?”
“It has recently been brought to my attention.”
“Have you ever seen an artist’s rendering?”
“Yes, actually, there are numerous paintings of the family at de Bourgh House. I also saw the miniature Mrs. Wickham wears.”
Elizabeth believed she heard a slight alteration in his voice but could not be sure.
Mr. Fitzroy set his tea on the table and turned in his seat to face her. “Miss Bennet, Mrs. Gardiner, if you are not otherwise engaged, I was hoping I could interest you and your husband to attend the theater and then to de Bourgh House for dinner tomorrow evening? We are to use the de Bourgh box.”
Lizzy looked expectantly at her aunt, who then said, “We have no engagements tomorrow and would love to accept, sir.”
“Excellent. Excellent. I will send the carriage for you.”
“If you would excuse me, Mr. Fitzroy, I should check on the children. I shall be only a few minutes, Lizzy”—giving her a pointed look before she left the room, pulling the door closed quietly.
After setting her own cup down, Elizabeth asked, “Is your business going well?”
“I will be meeting with someone this evening to go over some matters of a most…interesting nature.”
“Hopefully, to your advantage?” She could not explain it, but her breath increased, and she realized she was wringing her hands in her lap.
“Let us hope.” He rested his hand upon hers, stilling her fingers. “Have you ever been to the theater?”
She swallowed attempting to not betray the fluttering the slow stroke of his thumb was producing in her heart. “Yes, but not in a box seat. I am sure it will be memorable.”
He squeezed her hand, and she felt a blush rising to her cheeks. He grinned as he looked at her face.
“Will your business keep you in London long?”
“My plans are not yet fixed, but I… Miss Bennet, I hope you do not think I am too forward,” he said, stopping, and taking her hand in his.
“I know we have known each other but little, but time is irrelevant. In such cases, one might ‘know’ someone enough for two lifetimes, when it has only been a few weeks.”
She didn’t trust herself to speak but only nodded.
“I have found in you a woman whose beauty, grace and honor are what I have sought after the whole of my life, and would be honored if ––”
“Lizzy!”—and the room seemed full of little Gardiners. And then her aunt was there shushing and clucking at her children, and the moment was lost.