Chapter 22
Darcy was able to sleep better than usual despite all his talk with Elizabeth about not sleeping. He woke up at six feeling more rested than he had in a long time.
Of course he slept better: there was something peaceful and soothing in having a wedding date set and in having Elizabeth and her favourite relations safe in his own home.
The fact that they had both found themselves awake after everyone else was fast asleep gave him an even stronger-than-ever feeling that they were compatible.
As for the embraces and kisses they shared in his study—they were pleasing in all ways.
Elizabeth, even dressed in borrowed clothes and far from her own grooming practices, had a fragrance that seemed to him to be equal parts sunshine and spring rain.
Her body seemed to fit his perfectly, and her warmth and responsiveness were more than he could have dreamt of.
The tenderness of Elizabeth raising one of his hands, then the other, to her lips for her sweet kisses—he would always remember, would always treasure that memory.
It so pleased him that his ardency in the maze at Pemberley and in the road near Hatfield had elicited moans of pleasure and fervent responses equal to his own, but that the words “improper thoughts” had evoked shock and at least a bit of disapproval.
His Elizabeth thus proved, again and again, that she was very much in love with him and open to his expressions of love, but at the same time, she remained innocent regarding the specifics of what “liberties” meant even as she remained loath to take them.
He fairly leapt out of bed and swiftly rang for Cooper, readying himself to greet his guests in record time. When he saw Elizabeth, he was gratified to see both a smile that reached her eyes and a lovely blush.
After breakfast, Darcy consulted with his housekeeper, Mrs Brown, about some old games that Georgiana used to play.
She eagerly directed him to the attic, and soon Gardiner and Darcy climbed to the seldom-dusted place.
They found the Battledore and Shuttlecock set, a trunk of dress-up clothes, and a set of ninepins with the “cheese” that could be sent flying across the floor to knock them down.
When the Gardiner children saw the games, a gleeful morning ensued. Darcy and Elizabeth played with the children while Mrs Gardiner watched; Gardiner had already set out in his carriage for his warehouses.
Richard and Georgiana were formally announced at the ballroom door, and Mr Stanford escorted them in as if they were the guests of honour at a ball.
Richard looked around at the chaos and started laughing, Georgiana flew to Elizabeth with an emotional clasp, but then she squealed “I remember this!” as she admired little Emily’s red velvet cape and wooden crown.
Elizabeth and Darcy immediately stopped cavorting, and welcomed their guests, introducing them to the Gardiner family.
Once the newcomers were well refreshed, a picnic luncheon was served in the ballroom.
“Georgiana,” Darcy said to his sister, “Elizabeth and I need to consult with Richard after luncheon. Would you like to do a lesson with Mrs Annesley, play the pianoforte, or play some games, if the Gardiner children have any energy left? Of course resting and many other activities are possible as well.”
Before she could answer, Mrs Gardiner said, “And do not think that my troupe of urchins needs entertainment, Miss Darcy. We brought their nursery maid and their governess, and we are ready to get down to lessons or quiet games, if you need more calm.”
“I would dearly love to play with the children, Brother, Mrs Gardiner.” Georgiana’s face showed her sincere delight at the notion. “When I get tired, I will let you know, Mrs Gardiner.”
“Well, Richard,” Elizabeth said, “thank you again for doing so much to discover my location and safeguard my person.”
“You are most cordially welcome, almost-cousin Lizzy.” He grinned. “I would have done so even if I had never met you, and even if my cousin was not ridiculously besotted with you.”
“Caution, Coz.” Darcy made sure his stern voice was also playful.
“When you say I am besotted, that is no more than the truth, which I gladly admit. However, when you say that such besotment is ridiculous, it seems to me that you are insulting my nearly-official wife, and I cannot have that. Why, there must be thousands of men in England alone who would be equally besotted if they had the pleasure to know my Elizabeth.”
“No, no,” Richard protested. “I did not say nor hint that it is ridiculous to feel love for your bride, I just used an appropriate adverb to describe the manner in which you are besotted. Believe me, the flavour of your besott-osity is absurd, humorous, and in all ways ridiculous. You, who are generally dignified and sober, are in Elizabeth’s presence utterly ludicrous. ”
“Fine, as long as we have that sorted.” Darcy drew a stack of paper and a pencil towards himself.
“I will take notes. Let us think up every question and every possible punishment, consequence, response, et cetera, we can dream up for the Earl and Countess of Matlock and any others we discover who dreamt up this scheme.”
Elizabeth began: “First, Colonel, you told me your theory—that your parents wished for Darcy to marry one of your sisters because they wished for access to his money and the benefit of his reputation. Honestly, though, kidnapping and imprisonment of an innocent gentlewoman? I have not met your parents, but it seems entirely unlikely for peers to do something so…abhorrent.”
Richard shook his head. “I do not have a rosy picture of our country’s peers, believe me.
It is common for peers to buy and sell seats in the House of Commons, upending the reason we have such a house in Parliament, and the bribery and coercion to vote in the desired way is almost entirely out in the open.
People buy their children military and clerical placements with impunity, and they arrange horrible marriages for their underage daughters in order to gain or retain fortune and power.
What’s more, they lawfully ruin commoners who dare to truthfully complain of their misdeeds, and many peers have not only fought illegal duels, but have even cheated in such.
Furthermore, peers have voted for themselves immunity in many legal proceedings, so my parents were not facing nearly the legal problems your own parents might face. ”
“Oh, my!” Elizabeth said. “So I suppose that we simply allow them off the hook, because anything we could do would bounce back and hurt us?”
Darcy said, “I will not be doing nothing, I assure you.” He turned to his cousin.
“Richard, your parents’ despicable plan, which surely cost them some time and money, could not have been only that they wished me to marry one of your sisters.
Why would they care so much? Are they in dire need of additional funds, by any chance? ”
“I am certain that is it, although I still do not know why. Let me be plain: I continue to receive the allowance I have always received, and I see no slowing or retrenching in their expenditures.”
Elizabeth looked thoughtful. “I suppose,” she ventured, “that many a wealthy family, especially one with a title, would carefully maintain the appearance of wealth even if they were struggling. Do you suppose that one of your sisters has run into some sort of problem with a scoundrel, and your father had to pay a huge sum to save her reputation? Could the viscount have enormous gambling debts? Could someone in the family face a blackmail scheme?”
“My word, Darce, your bride is a frightening creature, is she not?”
“Not at all, just frightfully intelligent,” Darcy said with a smug grin. “You would do well to consider her many suggestions—one of them could be correct.”
“Absolutely, one of them could be…and I believe that the likely culprit is my brother,” Richard said after a moment.
“I had not really put several disparate pieces of information together until just now, but I have heard a few rumours over the past few years, that he has been quite unlucky at the tables. Another, separate clue is that my visit to Hargrove two months ago was cancelled with barely an explanation—but what if my brother has emptied it, selling off family heirlooms piece by piece to satisfy those he owes?”
Darcy said, “I will have my man investigate.
We will start with Hargrove and Stephen, and perhaps broaden our search for all manner of debts and mortgages.
If I find them and buy up their debts, very discreetly, perhaps I can apply for a writ of elegit and therefore start taking their rents and agricultural profits unless they wish to sign over to Elizabeth one of their minor un-entailed properties.
“Sign something over to me?” Elizabeth asked, astounded.
“Why not? Their actions hurt you more than anyone.”
“And what would I want with a minor property if I get to marry you? I would certainly hope to live with you at Pemberley.” Her impertinent smile made him long to embrace her and perhaps indulge in other improper activities.
“You know those twelve children we have been hoping for?” Darcy asked. Of course, he was teasing; they had shared with one another the hope that they would be blessed with children, but a number had never been suggested—certainly not such a high number!
Elizabeth swallowed down a laugh and managed to say, “Yes.”
“Well, that means we will need every estate we can lay our hands on, does it not?”
Richard laughed so suddenly, he sprayed a mouthful of bourbon on Darcy’s paper.
“Good God, man, I cannot take you anywhere!” Darcy muttered. Then he added, “And it is barely afternoon.” His glare stopped Richard before he could get a refill. He sat down without and looked positively grumpy.
“Do we know for certain that Lady Catherine was not a part of this?” Elizabeth said.
“No, but we have no evidence linking her to the dastardly deed, either,” Richard said.
“I think we can plan a wedding tour that involves a brief visit to Kent,” Darcy said. “There we can interview Anne and Mrs Collins, and perhaps on the basis of those conversations, we may be certain that we need not consider the possibility of their involvement.”
“I love that idea,” she said.
“We have plenty of ideas to work on,” Darcy said. “I wish to ask for the Gardiners’ advice as well, but for now, I will write to my investigator. Elizabeth, I suppose you might want to write your letters to your family.”
“I do, thank you.” She said, “However, I will not be sending the letters until we are married, as we planned.”
Richard said, “As I am not needed for your correspondence, I suppose that I will join the children in the ballroom?”
“Yes, little Richie, you are excused, for now.” Elizabeth grinned, the men laughed, and the conference that had seemed so grim as Darcy had contemplated it, the day before, ended more pleasantly than he could have imagined.