Mrs. Bannister led the Duchess and her maid up to the second floor which was the family floor. She opened a door and stood back allowing Her Grace to enter her chambers.
Elizabeth was pleased by what she saw. They had entered the bedchamber, which was a large airy room with an enormous four-poster bed against the wall facing the windows. There were bedside tables on either side of the bed and a pair of comfortable looking wingback chairs in one corner.
She was shown the walk-in closet, which was larger than the bedchamber she and Jane shared at Longbourn. Just past the closet was a door which led to the bathing room which contained a nice large brass tub.
When Elizabeth walked to the windows in the bedchamber, she was greeted with a view across the lake towards distant hills in the east. She noted there was a balcony running past the windows. She turned to the housekeeper with a questioning look. “The way to get to the balcony is from your sitting room, Your Grace,” the housekeeper supplied.
Mrs. Bannister led the way through a door at one end of the chamber which led into the sitting room and small dining parlour. The table was next to the windows with the same view as from the bedchamber; there was a sideboard close by. Above the latter piece of furniture would be a good place to hang Kate’s painting. In the sitting room itself, there were bookcases along the wall opposite the windows, a settee, two armchairs bracketing it and a low table in between them.
Where the windows ended, Elizabeth saw the door which led out onto the nice wide balcony. She used it.
There were benches and chairs to sit on if one so desired. A cool breeze was being blown off the lake which to Elizabeth felt heavenly. She turned to the housekeeper. “Do we have any neighbouring estates close by or towns in the area?” she enquired.
“The closest estate is Pemberley, to the east. The common border is only about two miles from here.” The housekeeperpointed. “Chatsworth, the Duke of Devonshire’s estate, is northwest of us, about twelve miles away. To the southeast is Snowhaven, the Earl of Matlock’s estate, more than ten miles distant. As far as towns go, the closest are Kympton and Lambton. We are about equally distant from each. Lambton is much larger and has a greater variety of shops.”
“Do they both have inns?” Elizabeth asked evenly.
“Yes, Your Grace, both do. Lambton’s is a large well established inn, the Rose and Crown. The Charging Bull Inn is in Kympton, but it is far smaller and I would never recommend it over the Rose and Crown,” Mrs. Bannister explained. “Your Grace, over the years some of the residents of Pemberley and the smaller estates in the area have been known to come fish in the lake. The late Duke used to welcome those who wanted to fish, and your husband has never changed that, mainly as I believe he is not aware of that fact given he has never been here.”
“Is it possible for me to meet with the local midwife and physician, or is there only an apothecary hereabouts?” Elizabeth enquired.
“The Darcys at Pemberley have long kept a doctor in the area. Mr. Harrison, the elder is about to retire but his practice is being assumed by his son, Mr. Benjamin Harrison. They live in Lambton,” the housekeeper averred. “Mr. Laraby is the apothecary and lives in Kympton. The midwife who serves both Pemberley and this estate, Mrs. Medford, works closely with both Mr. Harrisons. She has extremely high standards of cleanliness and as far as I know, has never lost a mother to childbed fever.”
“Thank you greatly for all of the information. It seems you have a vast knowledge of the area,” Elizabeth observed.
“I have lived in this neighbourhood for the whole of my life, Your Grace. Anything I am able to do to help, it will be my pleasure,” the housekeeper stated as she bobbed a curtsey.
“Could we have hot water brought up for my bath, please,” Elizabeth requested.
With another curtsey, the housekeeper bustled off to inform Mr. Toppin Her Grace required hot water.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Welcome home your Ladyship,” Mrs. Reynolds the housekeeper at Pemberley stated warmly. “And you, Sir, and it is good to see you, Miss Anna.”
“It is good to be home,” Georgiana exclaimed. “Mama and Papa, may I go change and then practice on the pianoforte please?”
“I think you should rest and allow Miss Younge to do so as well. You will have plenty of time to practice later, Anna sweetling,” Darcy replied.
Fighting her urge to pout, the youngest Darcy made for her chambers with a smiling governess following in her wake.
Lady Anne noticed Mrs. Reynolds was looking to see where William was. “It is good to see you, Mrs. Reynolds,” Lady Anne returned. “Master William left London after us with his two Fitzwilliam cousins. They will join us anon after Lord Hilldale sees to some things at his estate. Is there any news in the neighbourhood of which you think I should be aware?”
“According to my friend Mrs. Bannister,” the housekeeper saw the quizzical look on both the mistress and master’s faces. “She is the housekeeper at Castlemere,” she explained.
“Do not tell me the dastardly duke is finally coming to visit his estate,” Darcy stated distastefully.
“Not the Duke,” Mrs. Reynolds elucidated. “Her Grace is with child and while, according to my friend, the Duke is in London, he sent his wife to the country for peace and quiet so she can increase far away from the odours and bad air in London. If I understood correctly, she would have arrived today.”
“Is there anything else of which we should be aware?” Darcy questioned.
“Nothing of import.” Mrs. Reynolds turned to her mistress. “Will I meet you in your study in the morning on the morrow?”
“Please, after we break our fasts,” Lady Anne informed her housekeeper. “It is good to see you again.” Lady Anne gave Mrs. Reynolds’s hand a light squeeze. They were mistress and housekeeper, but there was almost a bond of friendship between them.
“Anne, will you call on Her Grace?” Darcy enquired.
“I take it you do not approve if I were to do so?” Lady Anne challenged.
