Philips and Gardiner traded letters; in essentials they were the same.
“Will we have to mourn him?” Kate asked.
“That will be up to each of you. You know I will not,” Elizabeth responded. She turned to her Uncle Frank. “Will youwrite to your clerk and inform him I would like to meet with the heir as soon as may be?”
“I will, but would you like to share why?” Philips averred.
“Let us see if the heir is willing to meet with a member of the fairer sex, and then I will reveal what I have in mind,” Elizabeth returned.
Even though she had not wished this on the man who had been her father, Elizabeth found she felt no sorrow at his passing. He had been complicit in selling her into slavery, making her a brood mare for a disgusting old man.
She was well aware it was her Christian duty to forgive, but not yet. Perhaps one day in the future, but she was not close to being ready to do so at present. Even if she was able to eventually forgive him, she would never be able to forget.
“We are for the Drury Lane with the Darcys and Fitzwilliams to seeMuch Ado About Nothingthis evening,” Hattie reminded everyone. “Those who need to, what say you we make for Meryton in the morning?” There was general agreement.
Gardiner took his leave to return to his wife.
A few minutes later the butler showed the Fitzwilliam brothers, Lawrence Portnoy, and William Darcy into the drawing room. Elizabeth found herself blushing with pleasure at the men’s arrival—just like Jane and Charlotte were doing.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A light dinner was held at Darcy House that evening for the group who would be attending the theatre. It was a fairly large group, but with the Fitzwilliam box right next to the Darcy box, there would be more than enough seats between the two.
Everyone would return to Hertfordshire House for supper after the performance.
When Lady Elizabeth entered the drawing room at his father’s house, William felt his breath hitch on seeing her. She was already beautiful. This night, however, she was resplendent in a hunter-green silk gown. Her jewels were chosen tastefully, rather than as a demonstration of wealth asso many in the upper ten thousand were wont to do.
Her raven, wavy hair—how he longed to run his fingers through her silky tresses—was piled up on top of her head with some curls loosely framing her face and cascading down her neck in back.
Andrew had a similar reaction to Jane with whom he was rapidly falling in love. In fact, he planned to find a moment to request a courtship that night. As soon as Jane entered the room, Andrew was at her side to lead her to a seat next to him, of course.
Lawrence Portnoy was convinced his future happiness lay with Miss Lucas, he intended to request a private interview from her soon. He suspected she had tender feelings for him, but he wanted a few more days to be sure.
Killion, Darcy House’s butler announced dinner.
William led Elizabeth into the dining room and seated her next to himself. His cousins Andrew and Lawrence did the same with the lady who held each of their interests.
The four younger girls—Anna, Mary, Kate, and Lydia—would remain at Darcy House for the night under the care of Miss Younge and some of the Darcy and Hertfordshire footmen and guards. As they all understood their time would come one day, none of the younger girls complained about having to remain at home.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The edict regarding no mourning for the late dastardly Duke of Hertfordshire had appeared in all the newspapers that morning. In addition was one from His Grace, Charles Manners-Sutton, The Most Reverend Willowmere, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Her Majesty’svicar, which announced that Archibald Chamberlain had been posthumously excommunicated.
Other than the few who briefly saw her at her presentation, no one other than the Duchess of Bedford and Lady Jersey recognised the newly widowed Duchess of Hertfordshire when she entered the theatre with a large group.
Both ladies kept their knowledge of the Duchess’s presence to themselves, informing only their husbands. They resolved to visit the Fitzwilliams and Darcys at the first intermission to garner introductions. All the while, the gossip-hungry attendees at the Drury Lane that evening clamoured to discover who the two unknown beauties were.
That the dark-haired beauty was on the Darcy heir’s arm and the blonde was being escorted by Viscount Hilldale only increased theTon’sdesire to know who they were. Another lady, not as pretty as the first two, was on the arm of the Portnoy heir. Although he had impeccable connections, their presence was not as interesting as his family was not nearly as wealthy as the Darcys.
The group did not stop to speak with anyone in the foyer, nodding to some acquaintances, and made their way directly up to the Fitzwilliam and Darcy boxes. Elizabeth, Gardiner—his wife had insisted he attend, and Charlotte were seated in the Darcy box while Jane and the Philipses joined the four Fitzwilliams.
Elizabeth was enchanted; the view of the stage was excellent from the Darcy box. She loved Shakespeare andespecially his comedies. For her, the one they were to see that evening was second only toAMidsummer Night’s Dream. Now that she had limitless funds, seeing all of the Bard’s plays from her own box would not be a problem for her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As was her wont, Caroline Bingley chose to arrive anywhere at a time she deemed to be fashionably late. In this instance, it was after the final bell signalling the commencement of the first act, so rather than crowds in the foyer looking at her admiringly—as she felt was her due, there were only the retreating backs of some patrons making their way to their seats.
Thanks to the late hour Bingley had purchased his two tickets, the seats he and his sister found themselves in were almost at the end of the second to last row, and there was a column which half obscured their view of the stage.
