Chapter Six
“Mamie! I have received a note back from Darcy House!”
“Well dear, you ought to read it.”
Elizabeth’s excited gaze dimmed and she frowned.
Her eyebrows lowered as her eyes became serious.
“It appears any correspondence sent between the Darcy families went awry. We did not receive the notice that my uncle passed…five years ago…and the current Mr. Darcy did not receive notice that papa had died or that I was coming. That is very strange, is it not? Three separate epistles gone missing?”
“It is not unusual for letters to go astray. Especially when they must go by ship. I wonder how many of the letters to or from your Bennet cousins were never delivered? You will have to discuss it with Lizzy.”
“Yes, I will do that. Well! He invites us to come any afternoon this week, so shall we go today? I am quite excited to meet my Darcy cousin…or cousins. I wonder if there is more than one? I had heard, from Lizzy, that the paper mentioned a daughter, but that was years ago.”
“We have no plans, other than shopping, this afternoon. Do remember we will go to supper at the Gardiner’s home this evening.”
John entered the suite with the daily newspaper. “What are our plans today?”
“I received a note from Mr. Darcy…my cousin, not my uncle who has passed away…we are invited this afternoon. Will you be free to join us?”
“Your brother would be most cross with me if I did not attend you.”
“Very good! Then let us do a bit of shopping and then go on to Park Lane. I am anxious to meet some family.”
~~~~~
Darcy’s butler, Mr. Radison, knocked softly on the study door.
“Come!”
“A Miss Darcy and her party are here to see you, Mr. Darcy.” Radison held his eyebrows high and looked skeptical.
“Yes of course. I am expecting them. Please show them to the blue parlor and order a full tea service. My apologies to the cook for not giving prior notice. Also…..well…do not disturb Miss Darcy quite yet.” Darcy wanted to meet his cousin first. If she was…
inappropriate…he would have to decide whether to introduce his sister.
Radison was a consummate English butler, but he was confused. There had once been a younger brother of the old Mr. Darcy, but no one had heard of him for many years. Could it be? “Right away, Mr. Darcy. I will show them to the blue parlor.”
Darcy stood and pulled his cuffs down, smoothed his coat, and checked his hair in the mirror.
Why was he so nervous? Known or not, this was his cousin.
How old was she? Did she look like a Darcy?
She must be an adult, surely. She wrote plainly, with an elegant hand.
She must be educated. Darcy had only met a couple of Americans who went to Cambridge with him.
They seemed civilized. Oh, what was he doing?
‘Stop dithering old man.’ Time to go meet his cousin.
Elizabeth was trying not to pace in the drawing room they had been shown to, but she was so nervous!
The only extended family she had ever met in person was Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and that was just yesterday, and they weren’t even blood relations.
What did her cousin look like? Would she be able to tell he was a Darcy?
Did he look more like his mother? She fussed with her dress, and smoothed her hair, where had her confidence gone?
She was THE Elizabeth Darcy of Rolling Meadows.
The largest landowners in Virginia. She was rich, she was beautiful, she was sought after, well educated…
.still wearing black like a crow. She frowned at herself in the window’s reflection.
The door that had been mostly closed swung open and a tall man walked in.
Darcy looked around the room as an older lady and a huge man stood.
There was another lady standing by the window.
She had the Darcy’s almost black hair. It was hard to tell from across the room, but she looked like she had his father’s very dark eyes, unlike his own that were Fitzwilliam blue.
He stepped closer to her, “You must be my cousin Elizabeth.” He bowed appropriately.
“Would you mind introducing me to your companions?”
“Of course, Cousin Fitzwilliam, this is my companion Mamie Russell, and my man of business, John Smith. Mrs. Russell, Mr. Smith, this is my long-lost cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Curtsies and bows were accomplished all around. Darcy gave her a small, sardonic grin. “I am not sure which of us is the long-lost one, cousin. Please, have a seat. Tea will be served shortly. I trust your crossing was without mishap?”
“This was my first trip across the ocean, but it seemed easy enough to me. I do not suffer from the waves and motion as many of my fellow passengers did.”
“And you Mrs. Russell, Mr. Smith?”
John allowed Mamie to answer for them both, “Neither of us have trouble with seasickness, although it was not my first ocean crossing.”
“From your accent, I would think you are a native of this land?”
“My family is from Devonshire, but I have lived in America for these past thirty years.”
Darcy looked at her more closely. A Russell from Devonshire?
Could she be from that family, or had she married into it?
Mr. Smith seemed innocuous enough, other than being so very large.
He was dressed well enough for a man of business.
He had intelligent eyes that seemed to be taking everything in.
He had not said a word yet. His cousin? She was quite beautiful and looked a bit like a picture of his grandmother. “Ah! Here is our tea.”
“Might I serve, cousin? How do you take your tea?” Elizabeth was too fidgety to just sit and do nothing.
The ‘tradition of tea’ was a soothing bit of movement.
Her mother had taken it very seriously, and so did Mamie.
The hands must be placed just so. The tea must be made precisely right.
It must be served by rank and seniority and handed over with grace.
The tasty treats must be carefully and elegantly placed.
By the time everyone was served, and Elizabeth had returned to her chair, she was once again calm and in command of herself.
“So, tell me cousin, are you named after your mother’s family? Fitzwilliam is rather a mouth full.”
Mamie gave Elizabeth a quelling look.
Darcy was caught by surprise and nearly choked on his tea.
“Ha!” He put his napkin to his lips to stifle his laughter at her impertinent question.
“Yes. It is a Darcy tradition to name the first son after his mother’s family.
My father was lucky his wife’s maiden name was George.
Our great grandfather’s name was Arundell.
His friends called him Delly. Can you imagine? ”
“My father mentioned that. So, do your friends call you Fitz or Fitzy?” Elizabeth tried very hard not to smirk.
Fitzwilliam squinted his eyes at his impertinent cousin, “Not if they wish to keep my friendship.”
“Oh! Well, I will not risk that then! You may call me Beth or Cousin Beth as you like. My father and brother always call me that. Mother only called me Elizabeth when she was vexed with me.”
Again, the sardonic smirk, “Which I imagine was rather often. You may call me William, or Cousin William, as you like. Just do not call me Fitzy.”
The conversation was easy and free flowing after that. They did not even realize more than an hour had passed before Mamie mentioned, “Oh look at the time! We will be late for dinner at the Gardiners if we do not return to the hotel and change.”
“I am sorry to have kept you. I was lost to time myself. I did not even send for Georgiana to meet you. She will be quite vexed with me. Do you have plans for supper tomorrow? We normally eat at eight of the clock but we could serve it earlier if you like.” Town hours were different than country hours, but Darcy could not stand the tradition of having supper at 10 o’clock at night. Midnight was even more ridiculous.
“We would be pleased to join you! I am looking forward to meeting my other cousin. Eight o’clock would do very well for us. It was so very nice to meet you, cousin.” Elizabeth stepped forward and gave Darcy a very quick hug. He was so shocked he started and stared.
Mamie tried not to laugh, “Americans are a bit more demonstrative than the English, Mr. Darcy. Brief hugs, or cheek kisses, are normal greetings and farewells there. It is not thought of as too familiar or compromising. It is simply a sign of affection. It is a custom I quite enjoy about Americans. A bit like the French, I suppose.”
“I…well of course. In England we are a bit more reserved, cousin. If I am particularly close to a lady, I might bow over her hand.” He showed her. “Or maybe even give it a light kiss.” Which he also demonstrated.
“Well! I had best learn the customs of this country, or I might embarrass myself. Thank you for your instruction, Cousin William. I look forward to dinner tomorrow.”
Darcy showed them all the way to the front door, and as he turned, he saw Georgiana at the top of the stairs. ‘Oh bother. Something else for her to be angry with me about. It did not even cross my mind to call her down. I had best tell her all about our cousin and about dinner tomorrow.’