Chapter 29 #3
“When I am a guest here soon, am I to be given a map so I do not get lost and cannot be found for days on end?” Lizzy asked William, her manner both sportive and impertinent as they entered the drawing room, which caused a round of good-natured laughter.
Lord, he loved it when she teased him. “My dearest departed mother told me that she was intimidated being a mistress in her own right and finding her way about a new house when she first married my honoured father, and she was raised in a castle at Snowhaven! However, her trepidation only lasted some few days and she never did get lost. You, Lady Elizabeth,” he smirked down at her so she knew he too was teasing, “have always told us how your courage rises at every attempt to intimidate you, so I have no doubt that you will soon know your way around like a native.” Neither noticed or complained that they were talking as if it were a foregone conclusion that Lady Elizabeth Bennet would be the next Mistress of Pemberley.
After the meal, Darcy asked if the Gardiners, Elizabeth, and Charlotte would like a tour of the entrance level of the house to which all four assented.
Though he wanted to take Lady Elizabeth through all of the house he one day hoped to share with her, he thought that it would be presumptuous to tour the levels that held the bedchambers.
The memory of her setdown not many months past deeming him ‘hateful, arrogant, and a hypocrite’ made him more circumspect so he would assume nothing.
The library that sat above the ballroom one level up was something that he wanted to reveal to his beloved when she soon arrived for her all too short visit.
Mrs Reynolds conducted the tour. There were two public drawing rooms, the music room with the new Broadwood Grand pianoforte that the master had recently purchased for his sister whom he loved to distraction, a nicely appointed receiving room, three parlours of varying sizes, a study for the master and another next to it for the mistress, a breakfast parlour, and both a large and small dining parlour, the larger of which could seat up to eighty people.
When touring the mistress’s study, Elizabeth could visualize herself sitting there and meeting with Mrs Reynolds about household matters while her husband sat next door in his study with the connecting door open.
‘Where did that come from? He has to propose first, and here I am imagining him as my husband. He has to forgive my making him wait for no good reason other than my own selfish uncertainty based on a false premise and offer for me again.’ With this last thought she realised that there were no more barriers, her heart and head were at long last in complete agreement.
William was the one, he was in fact the ONLY one that she could be prevailed upon to marry!
The last stop was the huge ballroom where they were informed that the last time that Pemberley had hosted a ball was before the death of Lady Anne Darcy.
Mrs Reynolds pointed out the entrance to the kitchen and the rest of the service area, expecting that the guests would just note where the kitchen and servant areas were then wish to proceed.
It pleased her very much to be proven wrong.
They were not just feigning interest either, they requested to see the kitchen, the pantry, the storerooms, and the housekeeper’s office.
Mrs Reynolds personally believed this boded well for Master William and further cemented her good opinion of Lady Elizabeth and her family.
The housekeeper was not blind; she could clearly see the looks of pure love and adoration that were surreptitiously directed at one another when the other was not looking during the tour.
What she noted was more reinforcement of her feeling that Master William had finally met a woman worthy of him.
‘This lady is genuine, she really loves the master and he her, Pemberley will come alive again!’ Yes, Cheryl Killion had spoken very highly of Lady Elizabeth Bennet and now Mrs Reynolds could see why.
She had never seen the master look so happy and be as easy in company as he was around Lady Elizabeth.
She could see beyond a shadow of a doubt that was due to the love he radiated towards the lady that he was courting.
In the kitchen they were introduced to the cook and baker, Gertrude McInnis, who had been born in Scotland but had been raised in England and was said to make the best shortbread anywhere in England.
Also introduced was the French chef, Claude-Michel Henri.
The guests impressed both the servants and their master by giving a cordial greeting to all present from the scullery maids up.
‘If, no when I marry him, how happy Jacqui will be in a house with a French Chef to converse with in her native language since she has left the company of Jane’s maid,’ Lizzy thought to herself with determination.
Charlotte Collins spent much of her time on the tour talking to Mr Elliot.
It did not hurt his appreciation of the lady that his daughter and light of his life, Grace, had taken to her like a duck to water and that Charlotte showed genuine affection for his daughter.
He watched when they thought they were alone and he was relieved to see that it was not the normal tolerating of children that showed in the attitude of a large number in society.
Elliot was unprepared for how quickly his heart had opened up to Mrs Collins as he had been determined to hold his wants at bay, but in seeing her interact with Gracie he felt genuine relief that he may have his wishes granted in this woman.
After his Adi, he did not believe that his heart may again be touched with true affection for another woman, which he could see could well lead to love.
Elliot was not the only one who was both excited and dismayed at developing feelings.
Charlotte, who had made the now fully discredited statements to her friend that ‘felicity in marriage is a matter of chance’ and ‘it is better not to know one’s groom too well before the wedding…
,’ was surprised at the rapidity of the onset of the stirrings in her heart that she felt for Mr Elliot. She was not a romantic, was she?
After time spent in convivial company and afternoon tea had been served, when the Gardiner carriages departed Pemberley Lizzy knew without a shadow of a doubt, she had left her heart behind in Darcy’s care.