Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (77 page)

“And I shall learn self-confidence from you.”  Elizabeth kissed him, and looked down at her gown.  “But I wish that I had changed.”

“You are lovely, dearest.”  He touched the ruby and bent to kiss her again when maids entered bearing trays of tea and cakes.  They set things up and quickly disappeared, just as the sound of the guests coming down the hallway reached them.  Elizabeth spotted where some hot water had splashed onto the table, and was bent wiping it up with her handkerchief when their butler, Mr. Evans, showed them in. 

“Darcy!”  Lady Matlock said a little too cheerfully.  “It is so good to be here once again, we missed visiting Pemberley.”

“Welcome, Aunt.”  Darcy bowed and nodding to the others, began to introduce Elizabeth when he was interrupted. 

“Have you any word of your uncle?”

“Yes, they are in the park, they were to stop off at the dower house, but I imagine they should be joining us very soon.”

“Ah, they are stepping off the coach now.”  Gladney nodded at the drive.  “Did the judge come as well?”

“No, just Samuel, Aunt Susan is very disappointed.”  He began to make the introduction again.  “May I . . .”

“Where is Georgiana?”  Cathy asked.  “With your wife?”

Darcy stared at them and looked at Elizabeth.  Lady Matlock followed his gaze and waved her hand dismissively.  “There is no need for you to stay, girl, we are quite capable of pouring tea.”  Barely glancing at her she took off her hat.  “Here, mind that feather, the snow nearly ruined it.  I want a good fire in my chambers at all times, I do not like going into a cold room.”  She held out her things and Elizabeth did not move.  Lady Matlock sighed.  “Do not tell me, you are above the station of being a maid?  You are obviously not the housekeeper; you are far too young for such a position.” 

Elizabeth sent a look to Darcy and saw that his mouth was open in astonishment and his expression was rapidly darkening.  “Aunt . . .

“I agree, a position of such importance should be held by a trusted woman of great experience and skill, Pemberley is fortunate to have such a woman in charge.”  Elizabeth smiled at Mrs. Reynolds, who had just arrived at the doorway.  The elder woman drew herself up as her cheeks pinked with pride.  “And I am sure that you are capable of pouring tea, however, that
is
a requirement of my position here.”  Her eyes danced.  “May I welcome you to Pemberley, madam?”

“You keep young women about just to pour tea, Darcy?  What will your wife say?”  Gladney snorted and wiped his nose. 

“Who are you to be welcoming us?”  Lady Matlock demanded.  “Darcy!  Do you tolerate this . . .”

“
I
am the mistress.  How fortunate I am to have such an experienced staff behind me as I know so little of running this house, let alone decorating it.”  She spoke unflinchingly to the women.  The viscount looked at her speculatively.  Cathy caught sight of the ruby sparkling against Elizabeth’s gown and nudging her mother, looked at it pointedly.  “I appreciate that you admire our home as we do, and my husband as well, dull as he is.  What happy news it must have been for you to learn that it is my misfortune to have to bear his company.”  She could hear a soft chuckle from Darcy.  “Perhaps it is because I was raised on a smaller estate, but I have never thought of servants as invisible.  I am astonished that you would express such opinions before them, and making assumptions about others before you know who they are.”  Seeing the countess’s reddening cheeks, she felt vindicated. “I suppose that I do know a few things about proper behaviour in a great house, or anywhere for that matter.” 

“Well done, love.  Shall I at last be permitted to perform the introductions?”  Darcy held out his hand to her, and standing together, he indicated his gaping relatives.  “This is my aunt, Lady Grace Fitzwilliam, Countess of Matlock; her son, Albert Fitzwilliam, Viscount Gladney, and her daughter, Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam.”  Smiling, he looked to them.  “And this is my dear wife, Elizabeth Darcy.  As you can see, my dullness has not rubbed off on her.”

Lady Matlock glanced at her daughter and cleared her throat.  “I do hope that you will excuse this awkward beginning and allow us to wish you joy.” 

“Why should meeting you be unlike the indifferent and disrespectful welcome I received at first from the rest of your family?”  She said quietly.  “Hopefully their opinions have changed.”

Before Lady Matlock could answer, the sound of conversation filled the air.  All eyes turned to the doorway and Richard appeared, closely followed by Lord Matlock.  Behind them came Samuel. 

“Look what the cat dragged in!”  Richard called and laughed. 

“I am glad of it, Lord that was a cold ride!”  Lord Matlock rubbed his hands together.  “Ah Grace, you arrived in good time, I see.”  He joined his wife and kissed her cheek and then did the same with his daughter.  He cast a quick assessing look over his son and at last noticed the strained expressions.  “Let me guess, Mrs. Darcy has displayed her biting wit to you, and deservedly, I imagine.”

“She has, Uncle.”  Darcy smiled.

“We missed it!”  Richard moaned.  “Well then, Elizabeth, I beg you not to declare peace just yet with them, I want to see someone besides me receive your attention.”

“You make me sound as if I am forever taking you to task, Richard.”  Elizabeth smiled when he raised his brow.  “Well, as your father said, deservedly.”

“Ah, there you go.”  He smiled.

“It is good to see you, Elizabeth.”  Samuel smiled and he took her hand to kiss.  “You are blooming.  And the house is beautiful.  Mother told me how you have worked so hard transforming it today.  I cannot remember it being so lovely.” 

“Thank you, Samuel, but I only made suggestions; it is the staff that did the work.”  Elizabeth said softly and squeezed his hand while Lady Matlock’s face reddened once again.  “She decided to remain at home?”

“Yes.”  He sighed and placed his hand over hers.  “She apologizes for not joining the party.”

“I understand.” 

“Better watch your cousin, Darcy.  He has a soft spot for your wife.”  Richard laughed when Darcy’s hand slipped around her waist.  “Oho!”

“Quiet.”  Darcy growled and Samuel groaned and let go when she laughed. 

“Where is Georgiana?”  Lord Matlock looked around and pointedly met Richard’s eye.  “Do not tell me she is shy of us?”

“No, not at all, but she needed to retire for a little while, she will join us later, after you are settled.”  Elizabeth noted varied expressions of concern and looked up at Darcy. “Just before you arrived we were examining some things of her father’s and she was a little affected by them.”  She smiled back at their guests.  “That is not unexpected, is it?  To be sentimental, especially at this time of year?”

“No, not at all.”  Darcy spoke quietly.  “I confessed to feeling a little emotional today myself.” 

“What sort of emotion, Darcy?  I cannot imagine you being emotional.”  Richard picked up a cake and popped it in his mouth.  Seeing the stares, he shrugged.  “I am hungry.  Would you ladies please sit so that I might indulge without your unspoken chastisement?”

“Your cousin does have his uses, Fitzwilliam.”  Elizabeth sat down and was followed by the rest of the party, and began to pour out the tea.  “At least with breaking the ice.”

“Have you learned no manners in that army of yours, Brother?”  Gladney sniffed.

“Entirely too many.  May I offer you a rag for your nose?  No wonder you are unmarried.”

“Ha ha.  You are one to talk.”  He sniffed again and dabbed delicately with his handkerchief.

“Nobody will want me.  Now Cathy here, you are getting long in the tooth.”

“How dare you!”  She cried.

“Five and twenty?  Old maid.”  He clucked his tongue when he felt her kick.  “Darcy is long gone, time for you and Anne to join forces and find a replacement.” 

“I am quite capable of finding someone on my own.”

“All evidence to the contrary.”  Richard snorted. 

Darcy settled back against the sofa and drew Elizabeth to his side.  She looked at him and he shrugged.  “I know what you are thinking.”

“What is that?”

“How could I ever have looked with disfavour at your sisters.”  He smiled when she raised her brow.  “Keep in mind, these siblings would never do this in public and they have not seen each other in a very long time.  They seem to fall into the roles of childhood when they meet because it was the only time that they had anything in common or liked each other.”  Nodding to his aunt and uncle, he whispered, “See how their parents are looking at them fondly?”

“Will it last, do you think?”  Elizabeth whispered to him.

“Time will tell.” 

Samuel stared at the family dynamic before him and shifted uncomfortably.  Elizabeth thought to speak to him, but noticed he had turned his attention to the door when he spotted Georgiana hurrying past.  Richard watched as he berated his brother, and raised his brows to Darcy who looked down to Elizabeth’s hand clasped tightly in his. 

“She has much to recover from.”  Elizabeth said softly.  “Time will tell.” 

“WHAT DO YOU SAY to a ride in the park?”  Bingley suddenly suggested.  Hurst glanced out of the window at the gray day and tilted his head.  “There must be
something
to occupy us!  We are in London!”  Jumping up from the sofa, he started pacing around the room. 

“We could visit the club . . .”  Bingley groaned and Hurst snapped his fingers.  “There is that ball tonight, you could study the society columns along with our wives and prepare!” 

“I do not need to prepare to go dancing.   I am not reconnoitring to establish useful contacts, unlike my sisters.”  Finally he stopped by the window and stared out at the street, playing with a fringe that decorated the draperies.  “I am rather worried about this ball, actually.”

“Why is that?” 

Shooting him a look, Bingley returned to the fringe.  “I have a feeling that tonight all of the theories about me are going to be tested.”

“Oh, the falling in and out of love theories?  Good heavens, Bingley, I do think that you are capable of walking into a ballroom and not instantly being smitten irrevocably by the first lady who bats her eyes at you.”  Hurst laughed and folded up his paper, then settled comfortably back against the sofa.  “I never saw anything particularly wrong with your roving eye, if I was as handsome as you, I would have happily done the same, well, even without being handsome, I did the same!  But few of the ladies looked back.”  He chuckled when Bingley’s eyes rolled.  “You never harmed any lady; you simply enjoyed your time with whoever happened to be in your line of sight.  And they undoubtedly have enjoyed you.  You have broken no hearts.”

“Not intentionally.”  He murmured and continuing with his fingering of the fringe, threw his head back.  “I wish that I knew her mind!”

“I imagine she wishes that you would read it.”

“Well I cannot and I will not try.  What am I to do when even her sister does not know?”  Frustrated, he turned away and faced his brother.  “I am caught in this purgatory, not knowing if I should forget anything that I felt for her or if I should pursue it.” 

“I thought that you were not sure of what you felt?”

“I am not, but why should I attempt to encourage more if there is no interest?  You know me, I am not one to plod ceaselessly onward with no hope in sight.  I am not Darcy.”

“Darcy?”  Hurst laughed.  “He hardly waited.”

“Oh yes, he did.”  Bingley’s arms crossed and a smile appeared.  “He never spoke of it, but I have borne witness to the past few years of his life.  And if ever there was a man who kept his eyes fixed firmly on the horizon and was not to be distracted by frivolity or temptation of any form, it was he.  And if ever there was a man who felt utterly unhappy about what the future held for him, it was he.”  Shaking his head, he laughed.  “When he spotted the answer to his prayers, he grabbed it with both hands.”

“Literally.” 

Both men laughed and Bingley relaxed a little.  “I suppose that if I feel a thunderbolt strike me when I look upon a new lady, then I should not resist.” 

“Is that what you felt when you met Miss Bennet?” 

“I cannot say I was . . . giddy, I think.  It was such an overwhelming evening, my first time being fawned over for being a gentleman.”  Hurst smiled and he shot him a look, “Well you know; nobody cared that I was a tradesman’s son in Hertfordshire, it was nothing like having to scramble around establishing myself here.” 

“Fortunately at Darcy’s side.”

“Yes.”  Bingley smiled.  “He has been so good to me.”

“Lord knows why.  What he needs with such an indecisive friend . . .”

“What better time is there to be indecisive, when I am making the most important decision of my life?  Is it foolish to want to test myself amongst the ladies of my set and determine that what I felt for Miss Bennet was not the convenience of her presence, but something real?”  Bingley demanded.

“No.”  Hurst smiled. 

 Bingley stared at him for a moment and deflated.  “Lord, I am a fool.  Darcy was correct, separate for a while to think it through.” He shrugged and held out his fingers as he counted, “What is preferable when it comes to matters of love do you think?  Dumbfounded by beauty or impulsive with possibility?”

“I am rather fond of being sensible myself.” 

“The dowry.”  It was Hurst’s turn to shrug.   “That would make Caroline so happy.”

The two men looked towards the doorway where the sound of Caroline and Louisa’s voices could be heard as they walked down the hall and started up the stairs.  “Tell me, Bingley.  Do you want to spend your life being led by the nose?  If so, make Caroline happy, and she will forever be in your business, especially if you fulfil her fondest wish and marry that little girl, Miss Darcy.”

“Which I will not.  So you are advocating disappointing my dearest sister?  Well, that is an idea.”  Bingley rubbed his hands together.  “Now to find which lady would disappoint her the most.”

“Miss Bennet would do nicely, I think.” 

“Yes, she would.  Of course that might just be out of hate for Mrs. Darcy.”  Walking back to the window, he looked out at the gloomy day.  “Let me pass this test I have set for myself.”  Turning back to Hurst he smiled softly, “Let me see if I am worthy of her.  Perhaps the dowry is not such a big issue for me.”