“There is a large linen closet on the second floor. Mrs Lovel, we will most likely need the linens for the villagers anyway, so perhaps we could have all of those delivered to the ballroom, then go through the other rooms in the family wing and move anything small and valuable to the linen closet where it can be locked up, or in the master’s suite.”
Elizabeth said gently, “We have time for that, but if we were in a hurry, you might delay that step. I should think the injured, along with their parents, should be able to fit in a guest suite comfortably. A house like this could easily accommodate five or ten in a suite. The bedding will be forfeit, but your brother will not care about that. I applaud your good sense.”
“That is like applauding a horse for drinking once you have led him to water.”
“What else?”
“Light fires in the rooms to ward off the chill, and carry water for washing? If the fireplaces have pothooks, perhaps put on some water for warming.”
Elizabeth nodded, and a footman went off to set to the task.
“Well done, Miss Darcy, but think not only ofthe present, but tonight and the morning.”
“Yes, normally the fires would be handled by servants, but they may be busy. Perhaps some of the stable hands can stock extra coal.”
Elizabeth smiled her approval and was pleased to see Mr Breton signal one of his men without being asked, so she continued, “Now for the ballroom.”
“The east door opens to a courtyard. This is the ground floor, so they can bring in whatever they need, and leave the rest in thewagons. The stables are just across the way, and we can place things or shelter people there if necessary.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Very good. Now picture it. Villagers coming in wet, bedraggled, with squalling and frightened children. What do you do?”
Thus encouraged, Miss Darcy started walking through the ballroom issuing instructions.
“These sofas against that wall. We could cover them with sheets, but they are all about due for reupholstering anyway. They have been here since my mother’s time, and I have occasionally been tempted to light one or two on fire just to force the issue. We should be able to bring in some parlour tables, or from the small breakfast nook. Get these fires lit post-haste and bring water. Get the stable hands to bring in some straw and stack it along those walls. Go to the stores and get some food people can eat quickly and have it readily available, perhaps cooking on the fireplace on the south wall. Tell the cook to make broth, stew, and porridge starting right now.”
The servants nodded and hurried off in different directions; Elizabeth smiled in satisfaction. She would occasionally offer a suggestion or quietly delay a footman or maid to suggest ways to accomplish the task or give Miss Darcy suggestions about the direction or frequency of her efforts; but she mostly left it to the actual mistress of the estate to manage things.
People often said it was ‘in the blood’ or ‘blood would out.’ It might be true, because years of living in a functioning house would train someone in a way that another upbringing would not.
In the end, it did not matter. Miss Darcy needed a bit of a push, but she was showing herself to be a Darcy, not to be intimidated by a few unexpected guests.
Parlour
“Mr Darcy, what did you do to our dear Mr Wickham? Papa says he was a scoundrel, but he told me all about you, and I believe you just wanted him out of the way.”
Darcy regarded his antagonist in consternation, wondering how far he ought to go in correcting her. He glanced about the parlour to see if any wisdom was forthcoming from his companions. Anne and Jane sat together in a small cluster, conversing quietly. At Miss Lydia’s voice, they turned their attention towards the disputants, but neither lady seemed inclined to meddle.
Anne liked to keep Ellen Taylor in the group as well, though Mrs Bennet found it odd. Anne explained it as a need to train Ellen as a lady’s maid, but Darcy knew she did it merely to converse with him about Robert Breton. There had already been quite a few stories about the childhood companions, inevitably mentioning Wickham, usually in a negative light. Having conversed quietly with Miss Taylor for some time, Darcy had almost forgotten the youngest Bennet sister before the interruption.
Seeing no help for it, he asked, “Why do you think that, Miss Lydia? Do you trust Mr Wickham over your own father?”
“You should ask Lizzy. He told her about the living you denied him. He gave all the particulars: dates, places, everything. Had he the promised living, he would not be incurring debts.”
“Yes, that is true, but did you ever consider that perhaps he did notwantthe living my father so generously provided?”
“Why would someone not want a good competence? I mean, a clergyman is nothing to an officer, but it is a good situation. Who would decline it?”
“Who indeed, Miss Lydia. Who indeed!”
Making no headway, Darcy decided to take another tack.
“Do youtrulywant to know, or just want to tweak my nose? I am content either way, as I could use a bit of nose tweaking from time to time, but I would like to know how best to answer your query.”
For the first time in their acquaintance, Lydia Bennet ceased giggling long enough to give him a long, searching look. Finally satisfied with her scrutiny, she replied, “I should like to know. It seems the two of you switched characters. First, he was amiable, and you were disagreeable. Now you seem amiable while he is judged disagreeable. Which is true?”
Darcy laughed. “I hope our true characters are revealing themselves. Perhaps I can alleviate some of your confusion. Would a small lesson in life be acceptable? I promise, you can disregard it as much as you like.”
“If it is interesting.”
