Chapter 3 Introductions
Jennings and Mrs Reynolds preceded Elizabeth up a flight of stairs and through a long corridor. The housekeeper pointed out all the rooms they passed along the way and suggested she would be happy to arrange a more thorough tour at Mrs Darcy’s convenience.
When they arrived at the library, Elizabeth made a cursory survey. With the utter lack of alternative entertainment, aside from having a great deal of time to practise the pianoforte without arguing with Mary, she expected to be reading and walking a great deal.
The library was large, well appointed, comfortable, and entirely adequate to her needs (or anybody’s).
She could not imagine spending her limited pin money on books, since she could easily see at least a couple dozen interesting specimens at the first glance.
The room was enormous and well stocked, as one would expect for the work of many generations.
She even took a surreptitious look at the infamous black shelf and grew angry and bitter all over again. She saw any number of wonderful tomes that might have consumed days, yet she was not to read them, because her husband wished to regulate her reading like a child.
When she finished a short inspection, she found Molly waiting, looking pensive. The younger girl curtseyed, and Elizabeth gave her a grin and a wink, which only they could see.
“It is nice to see you again, Mrs Darcy.”
Elizabeth smiled. “I could say the same, Molly. Has Mrs Reynolds explained what I would like you to do?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you have no objections?”
“Of course not.”
“Are you a good walker? I may be outdoors more than in much of the time and am not intimidated by bad weather.”
Molly grinned a bit. “I happened to come into some unexpected coin a month ago. I bought new boots and a new coat. I can keep up with anybody.”
Elizabeth laughed at the boast, thinking her new maid sounded a good deal like a better incarnation of Lydia. “We shall get along fine.”
Elizabeth then turned to her butler and housekeeper. “Shall we see the mistress’ suite?”
The group gained three footmen, who were waiting outside the library.
Elizabeth wondered exactly how many servants Pemberley boasted, and what they did when the master was not about.
Mrs Reynolds would tell her, and she would have to learn their names and duties if she wanted any slight hope of succeeding as mistress of this monstrosity—eventually.
They climbed one more flight of stairs, went down a corridor, and Jennings opened the doors to a large suite. Elizabeth entered, looked around, and thought her eyes might never recover from the shock. She just stood staring in horror and stunned disbelief.
Mrs Reynolds noted her expression. “Lady Anne Darcy was daughter of an earl, and she liked her furniture,” then she paused a moment, scrunched her eyes in concentration, discarding words as she went, and finally settled on, “ornate.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I believe you have a talent for understatement I will greatly appreciate, Mrs Reynolds.”
She stared at the furniture which, was indeed, ornate. It was exactly the way she pictured Rosings, based on Mr Collins’ description. She decided she would use that word instead of—well—she would just stick with that one. There was no point in disparaging the taste of a dead woman.
“What are the other chambers like?”
“There has been no mistress for fifteen years, so the rest of the rooms are not consistent. Some are nicer than others. If you like, I can show you the most recently decorated.”
Elizabeth nodded and went with Jennings, Reynolds, and Molly several doors down the corridor, where they found a suite that was much more to her taste.
To be sure, the furniture was very nice and quite expensive, but it was all tastefully elegant.
Sitting proved it was not only tasteful, but comfortable.
The colours were muted, the lines clean, and the upholstery subtle. She liked it very much.
Elizabeth briefly considered simply moving into that suite but rejected the idea reluctantly. Her arrival would already be the stuff of legends for generations, and adding yet more gossip to the mix by avoiding the mistress’ suite could not help.
She studied the room for some time and finally asked, “Could your footmen just swap all the furniture?”
The butler looked perturbed by the idea. “What do you mean?”
“Swap them—have your men move all this lovely furniture into my suite, and all that horrid furniture into here—or the attics, or the burn pit—you decide.”
Mrs Reynolds said, “That seems a good immediate solution. It will make your chambers more comfortable until you have time to redecorate properly.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I suppose your men may as well get started.”
“We shall get to it immediately, madam.”
“Very well. The rooms are similar enough that you should be able to exchange like for like or use your judgement. If we need to make alterations later, I have all the time in the world. For now, I do not need to watch over the men making them nervous, so I shall leave it in your hands. I have been cooped up in a carriage for days. Molly and I will explore the grounds.”
“Very well, madam. We should finish in two hours.”
Molly went to retrieve her coat and boots.
A quarter-hour later, both women were alone in the garden.
Elizabeth was happy she had a great many gardens and woods to explore.
The weather was, according to Mr Gregory, very mild for that time of year.
He did not know how long it would last. He said sometimes they were snowed in for weeks at a time, but thus far, all they had was rain and light snowfall.
Elizabeth thought light snowfall would be great fun, but being snowed in for weeks, much less so.
Once they got away from prying ears, Elizabeth said, “Molly, you can see my efforts at escape were in vain.”
Molly looked just a bit nervous at the unexpected intimacy, but she gamely replied, “I suppose so. Do not worry—I will not gossip. Mr Bartlet and the innkeeper know to hold their tongues as well. Your secret is safe, at least with everyone I know.”
“I never doubted it,” she replied, then paused a moment. “We must play our parts when in company, but when alone, I would like you to not be overly deferential. I would like one confidant in the area.”
“I am not certain I can do that. I know my place.”
Elizabeth understood the sentiment, but insisted, “Yes, I know it may be uncomfortable, and perhaps someday when all of this is behind us, we might have to behave differently; but I would like you to try, within the limits of your own comfort.”
Molly nodded reluctantly and decided it was time to broach the other awkward subject.
“I still have most of the money you gave me. I can return it tomorrow.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because it is yours.”
Elizabeth reached over to take the younger woman’s arm and pulled her along, so they might both find some comfort in movement.
“Trust me. I knew exactly what I was doing when I gave it to you. At the time, I expected this precise moment to be almost certain. The coins are right where I wanted them. If I thought I might want them returned, I would have asked you to hold them. I did not. I gave it to you gladly, and I would do so again without qualms. It is yours to keep, with my blessings.”
Molly was dubious, but unless she wanted to have an argument with her new mistress on their very first day, she saw no need to press her point.
It was not as if the money would be unavailable in time of need, or Mrs Darcy would be short of funds.
She had spent little, had the balance well hidden, and imagined Mrs Darcy’s allowance must be enormous beyond comprehension.
“If you say so, I must agree; but if you have no objections, I will keep most of it handy, just in case.”
Elizabeth smiled. “You never know what will happen in life. A month ago, you and I were both in between one life and another. We have begun a journey, but I have no idea where it will end.”
“Will Mr Darcy be joining us any time soon?”
“Apparently not. He is off on some critical family business. I would not want you to gossip, per se, but if people happened to believe he was engaged in business for the Crown, the war effort, or something similarly heroic, it might not be the worst rumour. I suppose speculation on some vague connexion between my mourning and his mission would not be terrible either. There will be speculation, so we may as well try for the least damage.”
“I will do my best. Have you engaged Mrs Reynolds?”
“I have.”
“Who would have thought I would be sharing a task with Mrs Reynolds? I feel like a courtier to the Queen.”
Elizabeth laughed and they talked of this and that for a while, which mostly amounted to a discussion of Molly’s family, since Elizabeth still could not speak of hers without abusing the poor girl’s ears.
The young woman was mostly alone, with both parents dead, and four brothers scattered around the world in the Navy.
She did have a few aunts, uncles, and the like that she visited occasionally, but not often.
Two hours later, Elizabeth returned to find the mistress’ suite much improved. Mrs Reynolds was examining the work with satisfaction, and watched Elizabeth carefully to see her reaction.
“Mrs Reynolds, this is wonderful.”
“It will do for the moment. When shall we start redecorating?”
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. “What redecorating is that?”
The housekeeper shook her head. “Mr Darcy explicitly said that you were to redecorate the mistress’ suite to your preferences.”
Elizabeth laughed. “That he did. Your footmen just did that. We are done.”
“What do you mean, done? Done for now?”
“I mean done. I am entirely satisfied. If I need a piece or two moved here or there, I will ask a footman, but otherwise, all is well. To be honest, I could not have chosen better anyway.”