“You my dearest loveliest Elizabeth,” Darcy said in a teasing manner, “have always told us how you do not allow anything, or anyone to scare you so I have no doubt you will soon know your way around like a native. Besides, I would never allow you to stay lost for more than a few minutes. Where would I be without my beloved?”
Elizabeth relaxed as the momentary self-doubt, which had been disguised as humour, passed. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint William. As she looked into his eyes and saw the most ardent love shining back at her, she knew he would never allow her to fail, and he had already promised her they would have a true partnership.
When one faltered, the other would provide the support to move on together. Looking into her fiancé’s eyes, she was sure all would we well as long as she was with him.
The party enjoyed refreshments consisting of tea, water, and lemonade, served with finger sandwiches, and the most delightful selection of biscuits, cakes, and fresh fruits from Pemberley’s conservatory, which included the very hard to acquire and rare pineapple. Once all were sated, Lizzy, accompanied by all of the Bennets and Darcy, followed Mrs. Reynolds as she gave them a tour of the first floor of the house.
There were two public drawing rooms, the music room, a welcoming receiving room, a study for the master and another next to it for the mistress, a breakfast parlour, and a large and small dining parlour. The large dining parlour could seat up to seventy people.
They also saw the magnificent ballroom and were informed that the last time Pemberley had hosted a ball was before the death of Lady Anne Darcy. Mrs. Reynolds pointed out the entrance to the kitchen and the rest of the service area, expecting the soon to be mistress would just note where the kitchen and servant areas were, and they would proceed with the tour.
To her joy, Miss Elizabeth wanted to see the kitchen, the pantry, storerooms, and the housekeeper’s office. This boded well to Mrs. Reynolds because she could see Miss Elizabeth wanted to be in their spaces with them, not expect to always be met somewhere outside the busiest areas of the house. This indicated the lady respected the time of those that worked in these areas.
In the kitchen she was introduced to their cook who had been born in Scotland, Gertrude McInnis, and had been raised in England, and the French chef, Claude-Michel Henri who she charmed as she employed her impeccable French to greet him.
Miss Elizabeth impressed all the servants by giving a cordial greeting to those present from the scullery maids on up. She was happy her French lady’s maid would be in a house with a French Chef to talk her native language to as she was leaving the company of the other French lady’s maids employed by the Bennets.
Once the tour was concluded, the Bennets minus, Tom and James who would remain at Pemberley, and the Fitzwilliams minus the Colonel, were assisted into four of the coaches to make the short fifteen mile trip to Snowhaven.
After so long with so many women, Georgiana was relieved Anne and Louisa would stay at Pemberley with her so she would not be devoid of female companionship, and they were all gladdened by knowing the two parties would be in each other’s company almost daily at either Snowhaven or Pemberley.
As they departed Elizabeth Bennet was lamenting the separation from her beloved, as he was from her, but both were consoled that all too soon they would never have to part again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Snowhaven’s manor house consisted of the old Matlock Castle which looked like it had welcoming arms reaching out on either side of the drive. Over the more recent generations, and finished by the current Earl of Matlock, two wings had been added for additional living space and chambers.
Unlike many others, the Fitzwilliams had not allowed their castle to fall into disrepair and ruin over the years. The Castle and lands had been presented to the first Earl of Matlock in December of 1485 when Sir Fredrick Fitzwilliam; a knight at the time, had supported and significantly helped the winning side in the Wars of the Roses.
As his reward, he had been elevated to the title of Earl of Matlock and presented with the Castle, renamed Matlock Castle at the time, and the vast Snowhaven estate.
Reggie and Elaine Fitzwilliam as well as the rest of the family loved and were justifiably very proud of their home. The land was slightly more level at Snowhaven than at Pemberley as they were further from the peak district than the Darcy’s estate.
The Derwent River ran through Snowhaven as the water flowed from the split with the Trent River in Derby. One of the Fitzwilliam ancestors had had a canal dug that fed into a manmade lake to the right-hand side of the manor that was a boon to anglers as it was a fisherman’s paradise.
In the front of the manor was the formal garden with a complex maze the Bennet siblings had long loved playing and hiding from each other in on their previous stays at Snowhaven.
‘If it would not mortify him, I would remind James of his first time in the maze when he had got so lost,’Elizabeth thought as they approached the end of their short trip.
The estate had more extensive formal gardens than Pemberley, but nature was still given free rein in the surrounding woodlands. As the coaches pulled up in the circular drive in front of the castle, the travellers were met by the butler and the housekeeper. Both had been in their positions for over twenty years and kept Snowhaven running like a well maintained clock. As it was only an hour to dinner, everyone retired to their chambers.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Andrew and Marie Fitzwilliam along with their son had chambers in the east wing that was their home whenever they were in residence at Snowhaven. Their apartments gave them the privacy that a young family craved while still being near to family and friends. Their estate of Hilldale was less than twenty miles to the east of Snowhaven, just over the border in Staffordshire.
The family wing was in the castle and the guest chambers were situated in the west wing. There were additional chambers for guests in the east wing, but those were only used when all others were filled.
Jane and Lizzy were in their regular suite directly across the hall from the suite Mary and Kitty shared in the family wing. Their parent’s suite was a few doors down from the girls, next to the suite Tom and James used when they were with the family.
After washing off the dust from the road and changing for dinner, everyone met in the warm and large family sitting room. Elizabeth could not but think about how much she missed the man she loved above all others. She was now in his home shire, less than two hours from his beloved Pemberley, so near, but yet so far. On the morrow, they would depart after luncheon, and she would see her beloved fiancé and enjoy the promised full tour of her soon to be home. Tomorrow could not come fast enough for her.
‘The more I know him, the more I fall in love with him. I wish that we were married already.’ As Elizabeth thought about him, she had a beatific smile that spread to her eyes and beyond as she felt warm all over and especiallydown there, ‘Oh my, what thinking about this man does to me, I hope no one notices. It will not be much longer my beloved William before we are married, and we will never have to be apart.’
“What was your first impression of Pemberley?” The Earl asked Lizzy and snapped her out of her reverie. She blushed a deep scarlet, sure everyone in the drawing room could sense her wanton thoughts about her William. She noticed that Uncle Reggie was looking at her with a big smile on his face waiting for her answer.
“I-it is magnificent Uncle Reggie, I am chagrined to say this with you, Andrew, and Papa here that I have never seen an estate its equal.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed about Lizzy,” her father reassured her, “it is only natural and right that you should feel such about your new home. Your love for William would not allow anything else. That being said, I cannot but agree with you, I too have never seen its equal. Sorry Reggie.”
