Mr. Darcy's Secret (7 page)

They entered the house at last, brushing off the snowflakes from their clothes and Georgiana explaining all to Mrs Reynolds about the accident with her boot. All, that is, except those parts she felt the old housekeeper did not need to know. Mr Butler turned to say he must be off before the weather took a turn for the worse, until he was persuaded by Georgiana to stay long enough to have his coat dried. She found herself saying that she would be delighted to show him the drawing if he would come along to the library in ten minutes.

Christmas Eve and the arrival of the Bennets and Bingleys to Pemberley marked the official start to the festive season. Elizabeth was pleased and surprised at her own feelings on firstly welcoming her parents and two of her sisters, Mary and Kitty, to her new home. For all her newfound happiness and exultation in the success of her marriage, she had not realised until coming face to face with them again how much she had missed them. It was especially heartening to see her papa again and, as he hugged her until she thought she might have no breath left, her feelings took her by surprise. The resulting misting of her eyes she quickly brushed away before his notice provoked a comment.

"I am very glad to see you, Elizabeth, and for this invitation from you and your husband, we are very grateful," he said, standing back at arm's length to admire the daughter he loved best. "I have missed you and it does my heart good to see you looking so well."

Mrs Bennet was, for once, struck quite dumb on their entrance into the hall and did not utter a syllable for the first ten minutes. Her eyes darted everywhere, alighting on the marble floors, staring at the grand curving staircases, the statues in the niches, and the paintings adorning the walls and the ceiling. She looked almost frightened and had such an appearance of stupefied shock upon her countenance that Lizzy felt quite concerned.

"Are you quite well, Mama?" asked Elizabeth, taking her mother's hand and rubbing it between her own. "Indeed, you do look very tired. But the journey is such a long one, I know. Come inside and get warm by the fire."

Mrs Bennet shook her head and spoke at last. "I am astonished, Lizzy. I knew Pemberley must be a great house, but I never expected this; not in all my born days did I expect to see such opulence, such finery! The floor alone must be worth a king's ransom, not to mention the gilded balustrades, the paintings and statues, the drapes, the chairs and settees, and I know not what. And this is only the hall! Lord bless me! I shall have to sit down. And as for the grounds, I thought Christmas would be over before we arrived, so long did it take to get from the road to the house. What a prospect! The finest house, the grandest park, the most magnificent hall that I ever did see. What a pity that Lydia cannot be with us to see it. I know she would have loved to see Pemberley, and dear Wickham too. I'm sure he would have enjoyed seeing his former home."

"But, Mama, though I admire your feelings of benevolence in consideration of Mr and Mrs Wickham's lack of invitation," observed Mary, who loved to reflect and sermonize on the folly of others, "in my opinion, such deliberation is ill conceived. If you dwell for just one moment on the real likelihood of such a summons to our misguided sister and her husband from Mr Darcy, who we know to be a rational man, you must also know it to be highly improbable."

"Oh, Mary, hold your tongue. Mrs Wickham can come to Pemberley whenever she likes, whatever you might think on the matter," rejoined Mrs Bennet loudly, with an expression of exasperation.

Mrs Gardiner advanced quickly to reach Mrs Bennet's side, to greet her and divert the course of conversation, just as Mr Darcy entered the hall to welcome his guests. He had thought it prudent to allow Elizabeth a little time with her parents and sisters before he came on the scene. His manners were as impeccable as ever and Mrs Bennet became quite girlish in her manner at his attentions, patting her curls and looking at him under her lashes. When Lizzy was able, she could not resist catching her husband's eye, raising her own heavenwards. She felt such a mixture of pride and love for all that he represented to her, the man who in disposition and talents suited her to perfection.

No sooner was the Bennet family installed--dispatched to become acquainted with their rooms over which Mrs Bennet was soon exclaiming, not only at the size, but also at the number assigned to them--than Elizabeth's sister, Jane Bingley, her husband, and his sister arrived. Never was a reunion more joyful between two sisters who adored one another and who had never before in their lives been separated for so long. Jane still had the glow of a new bride about her and Lizzy was overjoyed to see Bingley again. Elizabeth was not so pleased to see Mr Bingley's sister Caroline, who had in the past been the cause of a temporary rift between Jane and her husband during their courting days, not only separating them but informing Jane of her wish that her brother be married to Miss Darcy. But she received her with much civility, which in the circumstances was highly gratifying, as she recalled with a certain glee that Caroline had at one time fancied that she might take on the role of the mistress of Pemberley herself. How very satisfying it was to be addressed by Caroline Bingley as Mrs Darcy.

"My dear Mrs Darcy, how splendid it is to see you again. It is exceedingly kind of you to invite me to Pemberley for Christmas, which, as I am sure you have heard, is always unsurpassed in both hospitality and by its splendour." She turned to Mr Darcy, who was regarding her with what Elizabeth had come to recognise as the expression he reserved for those he could not tolerate--a look of polite indifference, but happily undetected by the person on whom it was bestowed. "Oh, Mr Darcy, we have enjoyed one or two merry Christmases together, have we not? Such parties and balls that I have been quite spoiled forever. I do not think I shall ever enjoy such entertainments again. But, forgive me, Mrs Darcy, you are hosting a grand ball on the morrow, are you not? What felicities we shall enjoy, I cannot wonder. Do you remember, Mr Darcy, when Reynolds fetched out the old fancy costumes from the attic and we dressed up? I thought I should die laughing when I saw you as Robin Hood and I was Little Bo Peep, as I hark back. What fun we had. Do you recall, Georgiana? You were the sweetest lamb, all in white with a pink ribbon on your tail."

Miss Bingley, having found a willing listener in Georgiana, immediately led her away talking at the top of her voice about the wondrous parties of the past.

Elizabeth was starting to feel quite sick with nerves at the prospect of the coming ball. She did so want it to be a success and, whispering into Mr Darcy's ear when the others were busily engaged in directing the servants with their luggage, said, "Oh dear, do you suppose we should have had a fancy costume ball?"

To which came the rapid answer, "Absolutely not. The whole idea was of Miss Bingley's engineering and I loathed every minute of it. I absolutely forbid fancy costume balls to be held at Pemberley ever again!"

Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley soon repaired to the library and Elizabeth and Jane were at last left to themselves. Lizzy took her sister's arm with much affection and led her upstairs to her small private sitting room, which on her marriage had been one of the many surprises her husband had presented. She had always preferred the style of the past to what was currently in fashion, and everything within the cosy room had been chosen with that in mind. A richly coloured tapestry, glowing with hues of yellow and rose, green and sand, hung on one of the oak-lined walls. Crewel-worked drapes framed the Venetian window, whose glass panes reflected cheerful flames from the fire in the chimneypiece, to glimmer on blue delftware bowls of dried lavender scenting the air with a fragrant potpourri. Much of the furniture consisted of pieces that had been in the Darcy family from Tudor times. A gilt-wood settee upholstered in ivory Genoa velvet and embossed with green pineapples was placed on one side of the fire opposite a Queen Anne love seat beautifully worked in needlepoint. Elizabeth's writing desk sat before the window next to her books from Longbourn, housed in a handsome bookcase in the corner, the one exception to antiquity. With the addition of a scattering of useful tables and several exquisitely painted Dutch floral pictures in gilt frames, the whole scene suggested comfortable and easy elegance, a refuge from the demands of a busy life as mistress of Pemberley.

"Oh, Elizabeth, what a perfect room," declared Jane as soon as they entered. "I've tried to imagine you sitting at your desk so many times, but I really did not do justice to this heavenly place in my mind. And now, when I am home once more, I can picture you sitting there before the window filling a page with your news."

"Oh, do not talk of going home yet, Jane, when you have been here but five minutes; I cannot bear it. Come, sit down, I wish to hear everything you could not put in a letter."

Jane laughed. "I do not know where to begin."

"Oh, my dear sister, that does sound promising."

"On which particular subject are you most curious, Lizzy?"

"There are so many. First, are you happy, Jane? No, do not answer such a stupid question. Happiness is radiating like sunshine on a summer's day from every part of you. But tell me, is Charles everything you hoped he'd be?"

"I could not ask for a kinder husband."

"And are you in love with him still?"

"I love him more than ever."

"And as a lover, is he all that you ever dreamed?"

"Lizzy, you are truly shocking! Whatever would Mr Darcy say if he knew quite how brazen the woman he married can be?"

"'Tis too late, I fear, Jane, he knows already. And I will confess to you, dearest sister, that I am quite delighted with my husband in every respect. And please forgive me, but my knowing such joy has only made me wish to discover if you too have found such happiness with Charles."

Jane nodded and blushed, turning her head towards her sister with a smile. "Sometimes I feel so consumed by his affection that it almost frightens me. I do not know what I ever did to deserve such happiness, but I am so relieved to know you feel it too. But enough of such talk, you are making me blush. One thing I must ask you. In your last letter you said you had persuaded Fitzwilliam to write to Lady Catherine. Has there been any response?"

"Oh, yes! Lady Catherine has replied in her inimitable way; she is still refusing to visit, but I am sure she will come in time. Curiosity will get the better of her resentment, you'll see."

"Oh, Lizzy, you are of a stronger constitution than I am; I do not think I could handle a woman like that."

"But you do and on a daily basis. Tell me, how does Caroline Bingley behave? Your letters paint such a generous description of that lady that unless she has undergone a complete character transformation, I am not entirely sure I can have any faith in what you have written."

"Caroline is much improved, Elizabeth. But it does not mean to say that I have completely reformed our friendship in the old way. I do not bear grudges easily, but I believe it will take me a long time to allow her into my confidence again. However, she is very civil, and I will say is improving daily. I think she was quite surprised to find how reserved with her I became after Charles and I were married. And my dear husband has made it very clear from the start, without any unpleasantness, that I am the sole mistress of Netherfield Park. I daresay that is why we have been so fortunate to enjoy her absence from home this last week. She has been visiting her sister in London. No doubt, Louisa and Caroline had plenty to discuss on the subject of my marriage and my housekeeping."

"If they have, and I think we may assume not a doubt of it, I hope the venom produced from their malicious tongues poisons them once and for all. Well, Jane, we do not have to be resentful, for we have the whip hand over those two embittered sisters."

"We do, indeed, Lizzy! Now, we shall not waste any more time on them. I've been thinking about dear Georgiana, how does she settle? It must be strange for her to be returned to Pemberley after such a long time living in London."

"Oh, Jane, what can I say? She is a delight, a true sister, but I have a little tale to relate, which you must promise not to divulge to anyone. She has settled back to Pemberley very well and made a new friend. I think she is in love, but I do not quite know what to do about it and I feel partly responsible."

"Oh, Lizzy, how could it be a bad thing for her to be in love? She is young, but I know if I had met Charles sooner, it would not have made a jot of difference to my feelings for him."

Elizabeth related the connection between Mrs Gardiner, her friend Martha, and Tom Butler and explained how the latter had been employed in producing some designs for the grounds. "Mrs Annesley has been away, and I had not appreciated quite how much time Mr Butler and Georgiana have been in company with one another since then. Last night she told me of her high regard for him. She did not say she was in love with him exactly, but I could tell there was more than an innocent interest in his talent for drawing. Apparently, they have been out every day for part of the time sketching together. I dare not tell Fitzwilliam for he is sure to be angry with me. He will think that I have not been supervising her properly. To be sure, she always told me she was working on a drawing, but I had no idea. This house and park are so enormous that it is not difficult to lose people. I feel so responsible, notwithstanding the fact that I did encourage their friendship from the start."

"I still do not know why you are so concerned, Lizzy. I thought you said he is a gentleman and that his family are respectable, even if their fortunes are not what they have been in the past."

"That is precisely the problem. Fitzwilliam means to find Georgiana a suitable match, in other words, an alliance where money and fortune will be a priority. He is hardly going to be thrilled to hear that Georgiana has fallen for a penniless landscape gardener."

"Oh, dear. But I should have thought his old prejudices were quite changed. Are you so sure that he would make Georgiana marry against her wishes? In any case, perhaps there is no reason to panic. Now that Christmas is upon us, Mr Butler will not have any occasion to visit Pemberley. Perhaps this is just a fleeting infatuation that will soon pass with a bit of figgy pudding and some other young men to dance with tomorrow evening."

Elizabeth sighed. "If only Fitzwilliam's prejudices were completely vanquished and if only Mr Butler did not have an invitation to the ball."

"He has an invitation?"

"Mr Darcy invited both Tom and his mother himself only yesterday, and they have both accepted," said Elizabeth ruefully. "Still, I daresay at her first ball, Georgiana will find she has so many suitors to divert and entertain her that she will hardly notice Mr Butler's presence at all. She will have no need to pay particular attention to one person. I am certain she will be sensible."