Jane and Mary were riding with their aunt and uncle, the two youngest Bennets were in the rented carriage following along with the three Gardiner children and their nursemaid.
She did not realise she was holding her breath until the conveyance made a turn from the drive into an internal courtyard. Several people were waiting to welcome them, but Jane only saw one. She finally exhaled when she saw Lizzy standing between two older ladies with a blonde girl.
The footman had barely opened the door when Jane, followed closely by Mary, exploded out of the carriage.
Elizabeth dropped Anna’s hand and ran forward her arms open to receive two of her sisters. Before the rented carriage stopped, the three sisters were already crying tears of joy. No sooner had the carriage they were in come to a halt, if not before it did, Kate and Lydia were running to join the group of their sisters hugging and crying unashamedly in the middle of the courtyard.
The five sisters were all speaking at once which came out as a garbled mess of words, but they were together, and that was all any of them cared about.
The Gardiners stood back to allow the sisters their time.
Soon enough the other two conveyances had come to a stop and those riding within alighted with slightly more dignity. Charlotte wanted nothing more than to hug Eliza as well, but she held back, knowing her time would come.
The Lucas parents, Maria, and the Philipses joined the Gardiner parents who were standing with their children at that point.
The Bennet sisters, all trying to dry their eyes, stepped back from one another. There followed a stream of family and friends who wanted to greet Elizabeth and hug her to assure themselves she was as well as she looked.
Aunt Hattie tried to apologise for her sister and Elizabeth would not hear it. She held her aunt blameless and informed her aunt her only request was there would be no talk of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. It was something with which her aunt and all others from Meryton were more than happy to comply.
There were many happy tears shed as Elizabeth was embraced and kissed, even by Sir William.
The last was Charlotte who had stood and waited until everyone else had their turn. Just when Elizabeth thought she had cried all of her happy tears for that day, she fell into her friend’s arms and cried all over again.
“Should we enter the house? My housekeeper will show everyone to their chambers.” Lady Anne suggested.
“Before we do, I would like to introduce everyone,” Elizabeth stated.
“Go ahead, Elizabeth,” Lady Anne agreed.
It took some minutes, but Elizabeth made the introductions. As they all began to move towards the entryway, Elizabeth leaned towards Jane. “Your bedchamber is the second one in the suite where I am. We will only have a sitting room between us.”
“Are the Darcys really able to accommodate all of us?” Jane enquired worriedly.
William turned as he heard the tinkling laugh that had captivated him at the lake. How much more beautiful the Duchess was while she glowed with happiness.
“Jane, this house is enormous, even larger than the one at Castlemere, which is three to four times larger than Netherfield Park’s manor house,” Elizabeth giggled. “Anna told me…” Elizabeth trailed off when she saw Jane’s questioning look. “Anna is Miss Darcy. She told me there are three floors of guest chambers, and a full floor of family apartments. Two families, Mr. Darcy’s sisters and their families, arrive on the morrow, and even with them added to the rest of us, only about a quarter of the available chambers will be filled.” Elizabeth paused. “The only house I have seen to rival this one in size ishisat Falconwood.”
There was no missing the moue of distaste whenever Lizzy referred tohim. Jane shuddered as she imagined what her sister had to endure to become with child. She still had her maidenly sensibilities, but until recently, she had lived on a working farm all of her life.
Charlotte was walking with the two eldest Bennet sisters but was content to just listen to Eliza’s happy babbling. This was the Eliza she knew and loved, not the one who had written to her while in the Duke’s house.
Unsurprisingly, Anna led the three youngest Bennets and Maria Lucas to their chambers. Mary and Kate shared a suite while Maria and Lydia another.
Across the corridor from the suite Jane and Elizabeth were in, was Charlotte’s bedchamber. The Gardiner parents, Philipses, and Lucas parents all had suites close by the girls on the same floor. The Gardiner’s was very close to the guest nursery where Lilly, Eddy, and May would be.
While the maid Jane had been assigned was unpacking her trunk, she made her way into Lizzy’s bedchamber. Just to make sure it was not a dream, the sisters hugged one more time.
Seeing Loretta carrying some gowns to her walk-in closet, Elizabeth called her over and introduced her maid to her beloved sister. After the maid curtsied, and went back to her work, Elizabeth turned back to Jane. “She is completely loyal to me, as are the two huge guards, John and Brian, who you will see whenever we venture out of the house.”
“You are sure none of them will report back to the vile old man?”
Elizabeth explained why the staff and servants were loyal to her. Jane was amazed the Duke owned so many estates and business interests, and took no care of the dependants or tookthe time to manage them himself, not even visiting any of his satellite estates.
“Your husband is extremely wealthy, but he seems to be as indolent as Mr. Bennet.”
“As distasteful as I find it to speak of Mr. Bennet, I tend to agree with you.” Elizabeth shook her head.
“How does it feel to be with child?” Jane asked to move them away from the subject Lizzy disdained.
