Chapter 25
At the moment they passed the Hunsford parsonage, Elizabeth half expected her ridiculous late cousin to be standing in the garden bowing low as the coachman guided the Darcy coach onto the drive leading to the mansion.
She was in Mr Darcy’s coach along with the man himself, his valet, Miss Jones, and Jenny.
Kitty, Anna, and Lydia were in the Bennet carriage accompanied by Mrs Annesley.
Elizabeth had to admit, if only to herself, that she no longer felt any discomfort in Mr Darcy’s company—in fact, the opposite was true.
On the journey from Netherfield Park to Rosings Park, they had enjoyed some debates—free of any of the acrimony she used to try and insert.
They played two games of chess—they had played one to a draw and the other she had won in the end—and he had convinced her to agree to learn to ride.
After all, Papa now had a stable of very good horseflesh at Rosings Park.
Elizabeth also expressed an interest in learning to drive the pony-pulled phaeton her late distant-cousin, Anne de Bourgh, drove until about a year previously when she had become too infirm to do so.
When the two conveyances were drawn to a halt in the drive close to the front door of the manor house, Elizabeth saw Mamma, Papa, Jane, and Mary, flanked by several footmen, waiting to welcome them on the broad top step.
“Thank you for bringing my girls to Rosings Park, William,” Fanny said gratefully. “We only arrived some three hours before you.”
“I second my wife’s thanks, Darcy. The Fitzwilliams and Hadlock are waiting for us in the drawing room,” Bennet agreed as he extended his hand to the younger man.
He did not feel it necessary to mention that Hadlock was sleeping in the dower house to make sure they observed propriety.
After coming so close to ruin before, Bennet was leaving nothing to chance.
“Mrs Starkey will show you to the chambers my wife has assigned to each of you. I assume the new arrivals would like to wash and change before joining the rest of us?”
Darcy was about to make his way to the suite he and Richard shared in the family wing when he stopped himself.
This was not the Rosings Park his Aunt Catherine had ruled, and he was no longer family.
Instead, he waited for the housekeeper to inform him that he was still sharing a suite with Colonel Fitzwilliam, only now they were in the guest wing.
Thankfully, Richard was on hand to show Darcy to their shared suite.
“You almost did the same thing I did when we arrived earlier and marched off towards the suite we used to share,” Fitzwilliam said with a wide grin. “Bennet would not have been impressed as it is being shared by Misses Elizabeth and Mary until they can redecorate this mausoleum to bad taste.”
“Where are Andrew and your parents?” Darcy enquired.
“My Father and Andrew are waiting for Bennet in the study. They need to go over what Andy did between Anne’s passing away and Bennet’s arrival.
Seeing that you have as much experience as anyone with the management of this estate, I suggest you make yourself available to assist. It could not hurt you in the eyes of a certain lady.
” Fitzwilliam waggled his eyebrows at his cousin. “Mother is in the drawing room.”
“What of you?” Darcy queried, praying that Richard’s reply would not be one which would freeze his heart. “You always said you needed an heiress. The Bennet sisters are that now.”
“I said that flippantly. I am not as poor as I make myself out to be. I have been saving my allowance and most of my wages since the day I joined the Royal Dragoons. Also, I am neither too proud nor foolish enough that I turned down the estate Father gave over to me,” Fitzwilliam stated as he led his cousin into the sitting room between their bedchambers.
“Which estate, and does that mean you will be resigning from the army?” Darcy responded excitedly.
“General Atherton is already in receipt of my resignation, and as soon as it is processed, I will sell my commission,” Fitzwilliam revealed. “As to the estate, I assume Father did not tell you?”
“Inform me of what?”
“Father swapped Pale Run in Surrey with the Duke of Hertfordshire and received Castlemere in return. Hertfordshire was thinking of selling the estate, as it was not one of those entailed to the dukedom. He is tired of managing an estate so far away, and as Pale Run was not entailed either, the two men agreed to exchange them. They both earn between five and six thousand pounds per annum, so to them, it was fair. Father had the deed issued in my name. For a few moments, my old pride at not wanting charity raised its head, but I did not act on it. This is all very recent. With regard to the Bennet sisters, you may relax; none of them has turned my head, before or after their change of fortunes. I have my eye on a lady, but I need to wait a while before I may approach her.”
“It is the best news that you will no longer ride into battle! Not only that, but your estate shares a boundary with Pemberley,” Darcy said as he clapped his cousin on his back.
“You have been very sly; I had not an inkling of this occurring.” He paused as he looked into his cousin’s eyes.
“Richard, any help you need to learn to manage your estate, anything at all, you need only ask.”
“I know, William, and when, not if, I need guidance from you, I will request it.” Fitzwilliam gave his cousin a knowing look.
“Things between you and Miss Elizabeth look far warmer than the previously iced-over relationship you had. Has she not agreed to ride with you in your coach several times?” He saw his younger cousin nod as a silly grin formed on William’s face.
“Surely you must have detected a change in her feelings towards you?”
“Yes, things are much better between us. However, I am determined to give Miss Elizabeth as much time as she needs before I rush in and declare myself. Previously, in my arrogance, I could not conceive of her refusing me, and you know how well that went. My desire to have her as my wife is immutable. That being said, I am fully cognisant that for anything to develop between us, it must be a mutual choice.”
“That, my young cousin, is a much healthier attitude. In my humble opinion, it is not if but rather when Miss Elizabeth will be ready to hear you speak.”
“May He hear you and allow it to be so.”
With that appeal to God on High, Darcy made his way into his bedchamber, where he found Carstens already at the tail end of the unpacking.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Except for the grand pianoforte, which Mary says is in excellent condition, this house needs to be completely made over with both décor and furniture,” Fanny pronounced after she and Mrs Starkey, her housekeeper, had toured every room of the house from the attics to the kitchens.
“I will request that Edward have his men remove everything and sell it for us. When we know what we will receive for the sold items, we will be able to plan what the budget will be for the refurbishing and redecorating.” She had stopped by the study after the tour.
On seeing Mrs Bennet enter, Matlock, Hilldale, and Darcy had left the room to allow husband and wife to speak.
Bennet’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.
It was a very pleasant surprise given that in the past Fanny had refused to look at budgets, never mind sticking to one.
“Do not forget our newfound wealth. If the proceeds from the sale of everything is not enough to cover the new items, that will not be an issue.”
Her calmness and interest in budgets were not the only changes Bennet had noticed in his wife.
Her infamous nerves had been banished the day she knew she and any unmarried daughters would never be homeless.
A benefit Bennet enjoyed greatly was that since that day, they had shared a bed, something they had never done in their over twenty years of marriage.
“I appreciate that, Thomas; but the more we have from the sale of what is here, the better,” Fanny insisted. “I will make for the drawing room where Elaine and some of our daughters and guests are.”
Thanks to some languid kisses from her husband, it took Fanny somewhat longer than she had planned before she exited the study.
Once she was sure her heightened colour had receded, Fanny entered the drawing room where, other than Thomas, all the residents were located.
She was not surprised to see Jane and Jamey with their heads close together.
Fanny expected to see Lizzy and William sitting near one another and conversing convivially.
What she could not account for was the fact that her middle daughter and Lord Hilldale were deep in conversation, one with the other.
It seemed they were debating, and Fanny hoped Mary was not scolding him. Fanny sat next to Elaine.
Lady Elaine did not miss the direction of Fanny’s eyes or the questioning look as if she were trying to solve some great conundrum.
“They only just met,” Lady Elaine reported in sotto voce. “They both seem to have some rather strong ideas on certain subjects and have been debating for some time. Andrew has never met a woman who, rather than fawn over him, challenges him when she does not agree with him.”
“I always used to think that all it took was beauty to attract a man’s attention.
It seems I was wrong in my opinions. William is interested in Lizzy for her mind, and unless I err, your older son enjoys Mary’s intelligence.
” Fanny shook her head; of late, so many things she had believed had been thrown on their heads.
“Evidently, I did not have all the answers about how to catch a man as I used to believe I had.”
“Mamma, may we go to the music room?” Lydia requested. “Anna said she would be happy to begin teaching Kitty and me to play the pianoforte. Miss Jones and Mrs Annesley will be with us.”