Chapter Twenty-five
“Oh uncle. Are you sure you need to leave and take the girls with you?”
“Yes, Beth. Mr. Cramer fell and broke his leg. Mrs. Giles is having a difficult lying in, and there’s no one to help with the children or start putting up food for winter.
Lizzy and I are needed on the home farm, and Jane is needed for the tenants.
I suppose I could spare Lydia and Kitty, as well as Mrs. Greaves.
” Uncle Thomas was rubbing his chin and thinking.
“Maybe Miss Darcy can continue to stay here since she no longer has a companion. I’ve written Darcy to let him know she is here so I can keep a close eye on her.
He should have received the letter by now.
I worry that he might be quite unhappy to find me gone when he eventually arrives. ”
“He knows John well, and the twins have kept her safe. With Jackson, Smithers, and the Fredricks here, Darcy should be happy enough with her chaperonage. Mamie will be sorry to see you go.”
Thomas Bennet turned red from chin to ears. “Mrs. Russell will be missed. If I let you keep my two youngest, I guess that guarantees you will be back to Longbourn eventually. You will not abscond with them to America, will you? I might miss them after a year or two.”
Beth hugged her sarcastic uncle and promised to take care of his two youngest. At dinner that night everything was discussed, and the two eldest agreed they needed to return with their father. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia were given the choice of staying at the seaside or returning home early.
“I believe I need to return home also. It sounds like the tenants need a great deal of help.” Mary said after only a moment’s thought.
Jane smiled, “I was hoping you would choose to return with us. I would appreciate your help with the tenants. Lizzy will be with father most of the time.”
Kitty and Lydia began bouncing in their chairs as Gigi looked at them beseechingly. “We can stay papa?! Here with Gigi?”
“You may, but you will have to listen to Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Greaves, John, and your cousin. There will be no running wild! You will continue your lessons, and that also means you Miss Darcy. I mean the younger Miss Darcy.”
Three high pitched squeals had Mr. Bennet covering his ears. “Good luck to you Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Greaves, niece. Longbourn will be blessedly quiet for another month.”
Mr. Bennet and his three eldest left the next day for the journey back to their home. Beth was disappointed her cousin William still had not met the Bennets, but she was sure he and his cousin would return with her carriage soon.
It was an idyllic week of spending time on the beach, painting watercolors, speaking in conversational French, and walking the promenade before two carriages arrived at Rock House.
Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam exited out of Beth’s carriage, while Darcy’s valet and Ratcliff exited the small travel carriage.
The denizens of Rock House had all just dressed for supper and had come down to a meal on the terrace when the two gentlemen were ushered in by the butler.
“Brother! Cousin!” Gigi ran to them both and threw herself in her brother’s arms first and then Richard’s. “I am so glad you are here! How are you? How is Pemberley? Did Theo return to Rosemont?”
“Slow down, my dear. We are both covered in road dust and have not greeted anyone else.” William smiled fondly at his sister and then turned a wary face to the girls he did not know. “And you have not introduced me to your friends.”
Lydia had seen the kind look he gave his sister, and then the wary look he had given her and Kitty.
It had taken some time, but Lydia was finally feeling some of the ease and joy of life coming to her.
She had spent so many years feeling betrayed and unhappy, that she recognized something in Gigi’s brother.
He had been betrayed. He was unhappy with life.
The haughty look that had slipped over his face looked like a mask. She knew all about masks.
“Oh! Of course, brother. Let me introduce my friends, Miss Catherine Bennet and Miss Lydia Bennet, and their governess Mrs. Greaves. You know everyone else. Mrs. Greaves, Kitty, Lydia, my brother Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Curtsies and bows were performed and the butler returned to show the gentlemen to the rooms that had been prepared for them.
John was just coming down the stairs and gave a hearty shake to the gentlemen’s hands.
Both men liked John Smith very much. “I hope you plan to give me a thorough report on what happened here, John. I should have been here to protect my sister, but knowing you were here eased my mind.”
“I will be happy to tell you everything. Miss Darcy was never in danger. The twins could have handled everything.”
Supper on the terrace was convivial. Miss Kitty was effervescent and lively.
Miss Lydia was quieter and watchful of Darcy.
Apparently, she had spent enough time around the Colonel to be talkative, but when Darcy turned his eyes her way, she became silent again.
After supper, she seemed to giggle with Gigi fairly often.
Darcy wondered if she was just shy. She was not out, after all.
“So sister, what shall we do for the rest of summer?”
There started a lively conversation that lasted late into the evening when the stars came out.
There was three more weeks to their summer holiday, and Gigi wanted to take her brother to see everything she had seen.
Richard would stay just one more day before returning to London and the Horse Guard.
He would try to join them all again at Christmas.
Darcy enjoyed the lazy days of summer getting to know his cousin Elizabeth much better, and their friendship grew by leaps and bounds.
Having a female relative, close in age, who seemed to understand him so well was a relief to William.
He found he could talk to her about almost any subject…
even the ones he did not think appropriate for a man to discuss with a lady.
Beth explained that, growing up with a brother, made her uniquely able to get under his skin and comprehend what his worries were.
Beth had watched her brother in his first throws of infatuation and watched him struggle with adolescents and trying to grow friendships outside of where he was comfortable.
She made a game of reading his face and guessing what he was thinking.
William was hauntingly similar to Ethan in his expression and movements.
Beth could tell when he was uncomfortable, fatigued, amused, annoyed, being arrogant and prideful.
She did not see much of the last two during the languid summer days, but when they strolled into town, he would pull himself up and was always ready to show disdain to anyone who tried to approach. She had to admonish him several times.
“You haven’t really spoken of your other female cousin, Marie. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
“She is not like you. Marie is…prickly. She was a sweet little girl, but then she went away to a very highly rated finishing school. She came back with a very sharp wit and teasing attitude.”
“Did anyone ask her what had happened to her at school?!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, were the other girls mean to her? Who taught her to behave that way? Why would a sweet girl go off to school and come back sharp and teasing? A peach does not turn into a crab apple for no reason William.”
“I…I would assume her mother talked to her.”
“She may have needed someone closer to her own age to talk to. Gigi is still a bit young. She has no other female cousins?”
“Just Anne. She is sickly and has rarely left Rosings.” Will frowned and looked out at the ocean for a long time. “I think I owe my cousin an apology.”
Beth slapped him on the arm. “Quite likely! You are rather thick skulled.”
William just smirked at her, and they changed the subject while enjoying their last few days of quiet and relaxation. It would be harvest soon.