“Better looking than Snowhaven?” the master of the estate asked with mock effrontery, “I know, in all seriousness, Pemberley is one of the finest looking estates in the country, with the backdrop of the peaks, there are few that can rival it.”
There was general agreement as the butler announced dinner. After dinner they eschewed separation of the sexes and a convivial evening in the company of the best of friends, that would soon all be family indeed, was had by all.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At Pemberley, Darcy was meeting with his steward, Mr. Edwin Chalmers, who had taken over on the passing of Mr. Lincoln Wickham. As he waited for Chalmers to join him, Darcy thought back to the former steward.
The late Mr. Wickham was nothing like his son, he was an honourable and honest man. The actions of his son would have caused him much grief. Unfortunately, his wife, who died when George was ten years old, had passed all of her bad habits onto her son. She was an envious spendthrift who always thought whatever she wanted was her due and to the chagrin of mankind, George Wickham had learnt from his mother and not his father.
Subsequent to his wife passing Lincoln Wickham had tried to teach his son right from wrong, but unfortunately young Wickham’s godfather, Darcy’s own honourable father, had a soft spot for young George, and he felt bad for the boy losing his mother.
Lady Anne had attempted to council her husband that he was not doing the boy any favours, she saw the true Wickham as his character started to reveal itself. After his wife’s passing old Mr. Darcy got even closer to George Wickham as the boy was outgoing and entertaining where his own son was more serious and stoic.
What his revered father never knew was what everyone else saw in his godson. Darcy decided rather than hurt his father he would pay Wickham’s debts and cover up his profligate and dissolute ways.
As he thought back, he admitted to himself that covering for George Wickham was neither good for his late father nor for George himself.
Darcy was snapped out of his reverie by a knock on his study door; so he called out “Enter.”
Chalmers seated himself in front of the large, highly polished oak desk. Darcy’s aim was to cover as much ground with his steward as possible so he would have time on the morrow to take the twins on a tour of the park on horseback and be ready and available when his fiancée was scheduled to arrive for a tour of the rest of the house after luncheon. There was nothing too serious in all that the two covered.
When they had completed the planned business, the steward asked, “Is there anything else that we need to cover, Mr. Darcy?”
“No, thank you Chalmers. I believe that is all for now. If I need you again, I will have one of the grooms let you know. If not before, we will have our scheduled meeting on Thursday afternoon,” Darcy stated in closing.
With that, Chalmers left his study and Darcy looked through his correspondence. He had two letters of business he knew could not be delayed, so he answered them as needed. When he was complete, he repaired to the drawing room just as the dinner gong was rung. He was happy he had managed his time well so that he would be free on the morrow for some sport with Bingley, his cousin, and the twins.
The party from Snowhaven was scheduled to stay until after dinner on the morrow. He was impatient waiting for the pleasure of his beloved Lizzy again being at Pemberley for a more extensive tour of the house.
Whenever he had not an occupation, his thoughts were of his beloved fiancée. Darcy ruminated again about what a change these last months had made. He had gone from thinking dark, pessimistic thoughts to optimistic, dare he say happy ones. He had believed he would never find the kind of love his beloved parents had shared, and now he had found it in his beloved Lizzy and oh so much more. Before he had seen a bleak, lonely future. And now he saw a long, wonderful future full of companionship and love.
When his eyes had locked onto Lizzy’s that first time, he had been both lost and found. ‘I cannot wait for my Elizabeth to be my wife. She has invaded every corner of my heart and I belong to her mind, body and soul and will do so until I breathe my last breath. How I love her,’ he thought with a dreamy look on his countenance all thoughts of dinner forgotten.
Chapter 18
Andrew Fitzwilliam was leaving for his estate at dawn. The Viscount’s estate was about half the size of his father’s, but it was very profitable and well taken care of. He hated to be away from his family for any length of time so he would make sure he finished his business at Hilldale as quickly as possible before returning to Snowhaven.
By the time the Earl and Countess joined Marie, Bennet, and Fanny who were breaking their fasts, they noticed Andrew had already departed, and their daughter Marie appeared deeply saddened as she already missed her husband who she loved beyond all reason.
“He will return as soon as he can,” the Countess stated, as she took Marie’s hand in her own in a display of motherly understanding. “By the way, where are your daughters?” she asked the Bennet parents.
“For old times’ sake, they decided to negotiate the maze,” said Fanny, “on the condition they all return and leave none lost, we saw no harm in allowing them to go.”
All who had been present remembered the first time the Bennet children had attempted the maze and returned not noticing that four-year-old James was not with them. He had been found quite quickly but the young boy had been wailing at being left behind, lost in the maze.
“Your daughters have known their way around the maze for some years and will not get lost,” the Earl reported with a chuckle.
After theJames incident, all of the Bennets had been taught how to find their way out of the maze. No one reminded James of the occurrence any more so as to not embarrass him.
After her reminiscence in the maze, Elizabeth took a morning constitutional before joining the rest of the residents of Snowhaven to break her fast. As she walked, she was again lost in thoughts of her William.
She had felt she would be his, almost from the first time she got lost in those intense, cerulean orbs that were his eyes. They were so expressive, and though he was sometimes reserved and stoic, even what she considered as occasionally dour, she could see a man who was trying to hide his pain from the world.
If you knew what to look for, his eyes conveyed the real William, what he was truly feeling. From that first instant connection in the drawing room at Longbourn, Lizzy had recognised the possibility of the deepest love because he was one who allowed himself to feel things as deeply as she did. It was with a dreamy look on her countenance when Lizzy seemed to float as if on the wings of the wind into the breakfast room to join the others.
“I thought it was only birds that could fly,” teased Marie Fitzwilliam feeling much better herself, “but look at Lizzy, love has enabled her to float.”
“I would have never suspected our most intelligent daughter would be walking around with that dreamy expression all the time.” Fanny teased her second daughter with an indulgent smile.
