Chapter 22
The convoy of carriages arrived at Bennet Park.
The housekeeper and butler had graciously exchanged places with the Hills for the period that the family was to be in residence.
Mrs Nichols was available should Mrs Hill have any questions.
The Bennets, usually with five daughters in tow, now had three additional girls in their charge.
Kitty and Lydia had contrived invitations for Georgie, Tiffany, and Loretta.
There would soon be a fourth for as part of a surprise for Lydia, Lord Longbourn had secretly communicated with Mr Jacobson, father of her best friend Helen, who had agreed to a summer with the Bennets.
Not only that, but Helen would be joining Lydia and Kitty at the Greenlake School for the first term of the new school year.
The two carts made their way to the side entrance of the house that led to the kitchens while the twelve outriders all headed for the stables leading the Bennets’ horses.
The five family conveyances halted on the circular drive in front of the house; the first two under the nice sized portico that Bennet Park sported.
A large portico was being added to Longbourn so that the days of running to or from a carriage to escape the rain would be a thing of the past. Mr and Mrs Hill waited next to the first carriage as one of the army of footmen opened the door and lowered the steps.
“Welcome home your Lordship and Ladyship,” the Hills, who had served the Bennets from just before Jane’s birth, offered the benediction for the first time in person and then Mrs Hill faced her mistress.
“The house is ready for your family and guests, Lady Longbourn. Bennet Fields too is ready to accept guests whenever needed.” She addressed the most important inquiry first as people’s comforts had always been one of her mistress’s truest concerns.
Elizabeth had ceded the duties of mistress of her house to her mother in deference to her.
The first coach only contained Lord and Lady Longbourn, the next carried the three eldest daughters, while the third had the two youngest Bennets and their three close friends.
The last two carriages held the companions and the personal servants between them.
With amusement, Elizabeth remembered the exasperation she had felt the last time she was at this estate.
The superior sisters were gone and would never be seen again and she knew the true Fitzwilliam Darcy, not the one that her prejudices had led her to think that she knew the last time they had been in this house.
Rather than disliking the man, she was in a courtship with, and well on her way to loving, him.
Once she had washed and changed, she threw herself onto her bed and thought about the Duke and Duchess of Surrey’s ball that they had attended just before leaving Town.
The night was very pleasant with a full moon and cloudless sky.
Darcy had already requested the three most significant sets from Lady Elizabeth the day before.
She had granted them with pleasure and no hesitation.
When the Bennets entered the ballroom, the assembled crowd went silent for a few moments before the hum of conversation recommenced with not a few looks of envy toward the family that had looks, fortune, and connections.
As soon as they set foot into the room, one betrothed and two courting gentlemen joined the Bennets with alacrity.
Darcy’s breath was taken away as he spied her in the cream gown with light green trim and sporting some of the Bennet jewels that were a mixture of diamonds and emeralds.
‘My how well William looks tonight, and so open and friendly, his mask of disdain is nowhere to be seen; how he looks at me!’ Lady Elizabeth thought as she warmed all over and felt a blush spreading over her whole body. She did not think about the fact that she no longer thought of him as Mr Darcy.
“You outshine the brightest star in the heavens tonight Elizabeth,” he said as he kissed both of her gloved hands with a besotted look, one that the Ton who looked on in amazement, would never have thought that Mr Darcy of Pemberley would ever sport.
His lady could not miss the look of pure love and adoration for her that shone like a beacon from his countenance.
“There is none here, or anywhere in the realm, that rivals you. No one is tolerable enough next to you your Ladyship,” he teased as he gave her a deep bow that her cousin Collins would have approved of.
“You look rather dapper yourself, William, I will have to defend you from all the single women here tonight,” she returned his tease with an arched eyebrow and her fine eyes shining with amusement. “Perhaps some of the married ones as well!” she added for good measure.
Darcy laughed, in public; at a ball! Members of the Ton who witnessed him doing thus wanted to know who this man was that had inhabited the body of the stoic, aloof and taciturn Mr Darcy.
The more they watched, the more they understood.
It was the delectable and fabulously wealthy Lady Elizabeth Bennet that had affected this sea of change that was noted.
Men who would have wanted to capture the lady for her beauty as much as her fortune knew that she was very much taken.
Debutants and their mothers who had pursued Darcy since he entered society could see the obvious before them.
Even had they wanted to ignore the stories from other lesser balls, the theatre, museum, and other social events where the courting couple were seen, they could not ignore the clearest possible evidence right in front of them.
As the strains of music signalling the imminent start of the first set were being played, Darcy had led his beloved to join the line with Mary and Birchington on one side of them and Jane and Fitzwilliam on the other.
The dance was delightful, and at the end of the half hour, the three Bennets exchanged partners as they did for the third set as well so that all three sisters danced with all three suitors.
If people were amazed before, they were completely shocked when for the fourth and fifth sets, Darcy had requested to dance with ladies that were not of his close circle!
Who was this man? As she proudly watched his dancing a little way from herself and her partner, Lady Elizabeth told herself, ‘He has made these changes for me. I know how uncomfortable he is around those he does not know yet, even this aspect of himself he is willing to change. If I was not already convinced, this would be the final proof that would show me the ardency and consistency of his love for me.’
They had a very enjoyable supper set and the three couples were joined by Lord and Lady Hilldale at their table during the meal.
After supper, Darcy had danced every set until he claimed his love for the final set, which was the waltz.
Others had seen this new Darcy at some of the smaller balls and soirees that he had attended with the Bennets, but this was the first major event since the infamous Bedford-Jersey-Matlock ball that so many members of the Ton had a chance to see him.
As she remembered that and other events they had attended during her courtship, Elizabeth finally started to admit to herself that perhaps he was not the last man she could be prevailed upon to marry but rather possibly the only man she could envisage being her partner through life’s surprises, joys, and sorrows.
When Lydia was shown to her chambers by Mrs Hill, she frowned when she saw she was in a suite of her own, with the bedchamber on the opposite side of the sitting room empty.
She accepted that there must be a good reason, which perhaps she would be asked to share with her cousin Lily when she arrived soon.
She acknowledged honestly that Lily would love the opportunity to stay in a suite rather than the nursery.
Kitty shared a suite with Georgie, and Tiffany and Loretta shared another but two doors down.
Kitty was not yet as proficient as her older sisters or her three friends on horseback, but she was now comfortable with the endeavour and could acquit herself very acceptably.
So long as she did not need to gallop, all was well.
Her mare, Venus, and Lydia’s, Titania, had arrived at Bennet House the same day.
Both were trained for side saddle and were as docile as advertised.
Lydia had taken to riding like a duck takes to water.
With far fewer lessons than her next older sister, she was off as if she had been born in the saddle.
She was a natural and berated herself for refusing to learn when her chief occupation was instead the hunting of worthless men in regimentals.
After recuperating from the four-hour carriage ride and changing into their riding habits, the five girls decided to go for a ride.
Jane pointed out that they should not ride beyond a canter as even though their horses had not been pushed, they had made the four and twenty mile walk from London.
Kitty and Lydia proposed that they ride to Longbourn as it was only three miles each way and would not tax their horses.
They were to be chaperoned by three of the companions, two grooms and four footmen led by the mountain like Biggs.