“Tell me, Vaughan, how is Mrs Lovell settling in?”
Vaughan put down the shoe he was polishing. “Finding her feet, sir. She is certainly very competent, but she ought to be, coming from Chisholm Park.”
“Is she well regarded?”
“In general, yes. It has taken some of the servants time to accustom themselves to a housekeeper who answers to the mistress of the house before the master. Mrs Reynolds was very much your creature, sir. Mrs Lovell is very much Mrs Darcy’s.”
“That is natural, given that Mrs Darcy was not here when Mrs Reynolds was in post.”
Vaughan inclined his head and resumed his polishing in a way that gave Darcy the distinct impression he had missed the point. It irritated him and with a grudging mumble of thanks, he left to await Mrs Lovell in the Argyll room.
“I am sorry you had to witness that, Mr Darcy,” she said when she eventually joined him there.
“Was anything found in her room?”
“Yes, sir. Ten guineas, a dozen beeswax candles, a large pouch of tea leaves, and some fine soap bars that were recorded as gifts given to Mrs Reynolds. She evidently took advantage of the period when there was no one in charge to make some money on the side.”
“What have you done with her?”
“One of the grooms is escorting her off the estate. If it pleases you, Mr Darcy, I thought it better not to send for the magistrate. If Edna were to be prosecuted, it would likely be reported in the papers, and I cannot see that such attention would help repair our reputation with suppliers, as Mrs Darcy has asked me to try and do.”
“A sensible decision, Mrs Lovell, thank you.” He took a deep breath. “I must apologise for the incident on Thursday. Mrs Darcy has explained the situation to me. I ought not to have questioned your competence. I hope I did not make you feel as though your position at Pemberley was in question.”
She observably struggled to decide upon her answer, settling at length for, “I am glad to hear you confirm it is not, sir.”
He had, then. That was regrettable. “I would not have you concern yourself a moment longer. You have more than proved your loyalty to this house today.”
“I am honoured you should think so. I have grown excessively fond of working here in a very short time. Mrs Darcy is an exceedingly kind and judicious mistress. I have learnt much from her already. Would that all mistresses could understand their houses so well.”
Darcy had no wish to deny Elizabeth her due, but this was nevertheless surprising praise, given that her tenure at Pemberley barely exceeded Mrs Lovell’s.
He thanked and dismissed her, frowning at the closed door after she was gone. It was preposterous that he should be in any way affected by his housekeeper’s opinion of his wife. Yet, he could not deny that he liked Mrs Lovell better for hearing her speak so well of Elizabeth. And that only made him angrier with Mrs Reynolds for never recognising her worth.
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
A PERVERSE TWIST OF FATE
Elizabeth paid a call on her aunt’s friends in Lambton on Saturday. Having seen neither Mrs Whitaker nor Miss Tanner since she and the Gardiners left Derbyshire in the summer, she was pleased to be able to pass on her aunt’s apologies for their abrupt departure. The call afforded a blissful hiatus from Lady Catherine’s incessant cavilling, though when she arrived back at Pemberley, Elizabeth felt rather bad for having abandoned Darcy to it, for it seemed that matters had come to a head in her absence. Her maid, Garrett, filled her in on most of it, and the rest, she determined to learn from her husband. She found him in the Stag Parlour, reading a book, which he set aside the instant he saw her in favour of pulling her down next to him for a kiss.
“That was a very enthusiastic welcome home.”
“I am excessively pleased you are back.”
“Yes, I heard that you have had a rather unpleasant time of it.”
At her behest, Darcy related the morning’s goings-on, ending with an enquiry as to why she had not informed him about the business with Edna.
“I did not know she was a thief, only that she was a malcontent.”
“Then you ought to have told methat. You need not shield me from these matters. When I asked you to choose the new housekeeper, it was so you would feel that the household was your domain, not because I expected you to take on everything, straight away.”
“’Tis not as onerous as you seem to think. It has taken some time to get to know everyone’s faces and understand how things work, but Mrs Lovell is very much running the show.”
“Mrs Lovell was all praise of your judiciousness and understanding. She insists that she has learnt a good deal from you already.”
Elizabeth bit her lip guiltily. “I ought to make a confession, but you are sworn to secrecy, do you understand? All these wonderful suggestions that Mrs Lovell thinks are mine have in fact come from my aunt Wallis.”
“Your godmother?”
