Carefully, she put the mementos back into the chest. After returning it to the closet, she ordered a tray. No longer a young woman, she preferred to retire early. Though it was not quite six in the evening, she felt unaccountably tired.
Rest is all I need,she told herself.I shall be well in the morning.Yes, for the first time in many years, she had a direction. Elizabeth would be found soon; she knew it deep in her heart.And when she is safely back in my arms, I shall make her my heir. Elizabeth will have everything that should have been her due, and more.It never occurred to her that her grandchild might wish for anything different. After all, family was everything to Lady Maude Montrose. Would it not be the same to anyone who shared her blood?
Chapter Five
Hertfordshire
October 1811
Darcy
“Really,Bingley,anassembly?I have barely set foot in the house!” Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy cast his friend a mildly irritated look. How very like Charles Bingley to schedule a social event the evening his guest arrived from town.
“You will have six hours to rest before we depart.” Bingley nudged Darcy in the ribs. “Now, let us take tea and then I can give you a tour!”
“Are your sisters in residence?” Darcy liked Bingley’s sisters well enough. The elder, Mrs. Louisa Hurst, had lately married a gentleman of some means. Mr. Reginald Hurst owned an estate in Surrey. They shared a marriage of convenience, and he tolerated the pair when needed—for Bingley's sake.
The younger sister, Miss Caroline Bingley, had at first annoyed Darcy with flattering words and attention. Then, her affections were won by Sir James Blackwell, a decorated military officer and second son of a wealthy country gentleman. Sir James received a knighthood in recognition of his prowess on the battlefield. Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, was acquainted with the gentleman and lauded his bravery.
“Louisa and Hurst will arrive in a few weeks. I believe she wrote that they intend to leave Surrey on the first of November, stopping in London for a day or so along the way. That should put them in Hertfordshire by the fourth.” Bingley led the way down the hall to a large, well-appointed parlor. “Nicholls will bring us tea,” he said, plopping down into an overstuffed chair. He slung one leg over the arm and grinned cheekily. “Caroline and Sir James are in Cheshire until December. He wished to introduce his future bride to his family. Her companion is with them, of course. I understand that he has purchased a house in town and means to purchase an estate in the future.”
“I am very happy for them.” Indeed, he was. Darcy despised fawning and false flattery. Miss Bingley had not been the worst artful woman he had ever encountered, but she certainly had been amongst them. Since becoming engaged to Sir James, however, she had revealed more of her true nature—and to Darcy’s surprise, it was not entirely disagreeable.
Despite being born to trade, Miss Bingley dressed, walked, talked, and acted just like a gently born lady. At first, she had annoyed him with her flattering words and attention, but after meeting Sir James and falling in love, her manner had changed entirely. Where once she had disguised insults to look like compliments, Miss Bingley spoke sincerely, offering friendship and kindness to everyone, regardless of station. Her genuine manner impressed many higher-born ladies seeking honest friendship, opening doors that might otherwise have remained closed. Somewhere along the way, she had grown tired of artifice, disliking the woman she saw in the mirror and resolving to change her ways.
Darcy wondered if Sir James would have fallen in love with the Caroline Bingley that had fawned overhim.
“You will dance tonight, will you not?” Bingley swung his leg off the arm of the chair and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “These are my new neighbors, and I want them to think well of me—and my friends.”
“And my behavior will be a reflection upon you. Very well, Bingley, I shall dance. No more than three dances, however, and with ladies of my choosing. I shall not be pushed toward any particular woman.”
“I shall only agree to that stipulation if you promise to dance at least two dances with unmarried ladies.” Bingley folded his arms triumphantly.
Darcy laughed in surprise. “How well you know my habits. Very well, I shall dance two dances with unmarried misses. I shall even agree to dance an additional set with another married woman, bringing my total performances to four.”
“Done.” Bingley extended his hand, and they shook to seal their agreement. “Look, here is Mrs. Nicholls with tea!”
A middle-aged lady with silver gray hair placed a tea tray carefully on the table next to Bingley’s chair. She curtsied and departed, leaving Bingley to pour the tea.
“Cream and sugar, Darcy?” his host asked.
Darcy nodded and accepted the cup Bingley offered. He sipped, savoring the pleasant blend. “The estate appears sound from the outside. Did you tour it in its entirety before signing the lease?”
“I did. Mr. Morris, the agent, said that the owner recently repaired a leak in the roof. There were also a few drainage issues addressed, from what I understand. The park is only four miles around—nothing to Pemberley, but it is a good size for me to test the waters.” Bingley grinned and picked up a little sandwich from the tray and popped it whole into his mouth.
“And the owner has agreed to allow you to learn alongside the steward?” Darcy, too, picked up a sandwich, though he did not eat his in one bite.
“He has. I am allowed to make decisions as long as it will not jeopardize the prosperity of the estate. Your agreement to assist me convinced the owner to grant me the liberty to try my hand at it all.”
Darcy smiled. “I assume you regaled him with tales of your prominent, land-owning friend from the North with five years’ experience managing his own estate?”
“Do not forget that it is more than twice the size of Netherfield. Yes, he was convinced by just that logic.” Bingley stood and placed his empty cup back on the tray. “Are you finished? I would love to show you the house. It is a good thing Caroline will not be my hostess. She would want to redecorate every room.”
“Your sister is a lady of fashion.”
“There are ten bedrooms in the family wing,” Bingley said, leading his friend from the room. “On the opposite side of the staircase is the guest wing, with ten additional rooms. Both sides mirror each other. The third floor holds the nursery, rooms for the governess and nursery maids, and a few additional chambers. Servants reside in the west attic and below stairs. The east attics are for storage.”
Bingley rambled on as they walked. Darcy admired the portrait gallery and peeked into a few guest chambers before Bingley showed him to his own. “There is a sitting room through there,” he said, gesturing to a door on the opposite side of the chamber. “Your valet can stay here or with the servants—it is your choice. Now, I know you wish to refresh yourself, but I simply must show you the ballroom downstairs. I have plans to hold a ball there before Christmas.”
