Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (103 page)

“Smile sweetly, change the subject, and walk away.” 

“When in doubt, plead ignorance and suggest that they speak to me or your mother.”  Darcy raised his brows. 

“Well that should scare them off!”  Rosalie laughed and they both laughed with her.  Elizabeth kissed Darcy once more and caressed his face. 

“Relax, love.”

“I will.”  He smiled.  “Tomorrow.” 

Elizabeth laughed as she walked from the room and Darcy sighed.  “I love that laugh.”

“Do I sound like Mama?”  Rosalie asked as they strolled down the hallway to meet the others.  “Asher sounds almost like you.”

“Does he?”  Darcy tilted his head.  “Well, you still sound like a young girl, your mama’s voice is mellow and warm.  Listening to you, I hear the sweet woman I fell in love with.”

“The little girl you . . .”

“Rosa.”  He looked at her seriously.

“Yes, Papa.”  She smiled and leaned on his shoulder. 

“It is about time!”  Fitzwilliam looked out of the sitting room.  “Where have you been?”

“It is not your business is it?”  Darcy laughed when his cousin handed him a glass of port and Rosalie let go of his arm to go join Annabel, Margaret, and Grace.  “What is this?”

“That is my business.”  He chuckled and watched as Darcy sipped it.  “Well done!  Not so nervous, after all?”

“I hate this as much as you do.  How is Lord Matlock holding up?”  Darcy nodded at Stephen, who was staring out at the park.

“Utter mess.  Poor Margaret, she will have a time calming her father.  Singleton seems right though.”  He smiled as his brother wandered over.  “The big night has arrived.  I tell you, it is a good thing the estate is productive and Father left me hefty inheritance, or I could never afford to launch two girls.” 

“You are no pauper, Richard.  At least you do not have to worry about the three boys!  It is peace time; the young ones will be off to the army without a moment’s hesitation.”  Singleton laughed.  “And you Darcy, only one girl in the lot!  And you have an estate for each of the boys.”

“Well, my father made some purchases that were never needed,” he paused and seeing their discomfort, he lightened his voice, “And I have the talent for finding a good bargain.”  He smiled when they groaned.  “I do not hear any complaining from any of you with my investment advice.” 

“No, honestly I think that you saved Matlock with it.”  Stephen joined them and took up the remaining glass.  “Father was sure that the land would take care of us forever, he never could quite grasp the industrial age, at least the scope of it.  Thank you for twisting his; and my arm.”  He sighed.  “All those years that I was anxious to be Lord Matlock.  I’d give it up in a second to have Father with us again.”  He raised his glass.  “To Henry Fitzwilliam.” 

“To Helen Fitzwilliam.”  Fitzwilliam added softly.  “I would love to see her here tonight; she so loved sending girls out!”  His eyes brightened and he drew out his handkerchief to blow his nose.  “Look at me.”

“Are you well, Papa?”  Annabel asked worriedly, and came over to hug him.  “You heard Mama; you are not to get all sentimental until we are home.”

“I will try to remember that, dear.”  He kissed her cheek, then smiled sheepishly at his friends.  “I imagine you all have heard something similar?”

“Quite.”  Darcy admitted.  The sound of the bell caught their attention and en masse, they moved to the window.  Carriages were lining up and people were exiting, dressed in their finest.  “Here we go.”

Mary watched as the ballroom filled.  “I think this was a brilliant move.”

“What is that dear?”  De Bourgh tucked her hand onto his arm and scanned over the waves of milling guests.  “Inviting most of London to this event?  I will never become used to this sort of thing.”

“Neither will I, but the point is that by combining the four girls’ ball into one, they do not have to invite essentially the same people to each home, four times over.”

“Ah, that is brilliant.”  De Bourgh laughed.  “Well, let’s see . . . Jane!”  He called.  Jane and Lucas walked over to join them.  “What say we share Lucy and Rebecca’s coming out in a few years, be tortured together?”

“Well I like the sound of that.”  Lucas agreed.  “Neither of us want something this elaborate.  Do we?”

“Lucy will come out in Meryton, Robert, not London.”  Jane smiled at Mary.  “The daughters of Rosings will have something like this, I am afraid.”

“Oh Jane, they are cousins, I have no issue with them coming out together.”  Mary looked to her husband.  “Do you, Peter?”

“No, not at all.”  De Bourgh shook his head.  “I am but a simple farmer . . .”  Lucas snorted and he grinned.  “All right, you are a simple farmer . . .”

“Hush you two!”  Jane poked Lucas.  “Here they come.”

“Should we bow?”  He whispered.

“Oh no, save that for the papas, and perhaps toss them coins, they have to pay for this spectacle.”  De Bourgh whispered. 

“Are you kidding?  They will leave it all on Darcy!” 

“Well that is not fair!”

Mary turned and glared at her husband.  “Are you going to behave?”

The men looked at each other and laughed.  “No.” 

“This evening is ripe for commentary, my dear.”  De Bourgh took Mary’s hand and kissed it.

“I will remember that when it is your turn.”  She lifted her chin and turned around.  “And will be sure to tell Lizzy.”

“And she will be glad to comment on you.”  Jane’s eyes sparkled at Lucas.  “As will the rest of your band of brothers.”

“Janie . . .”

“Hush.”  The sisters warned and turned to watch the evening begin.

Elizabeth, Audrey, Evangeline, and Alicia finished greeted the last of the arrivals and hooking their arms together; walked into the ballroom and took their places.  Elizabeth nodded to Porter, who had closed the doors behind them, and with a flourish, he opened them again.  Each father and daughter were introduced, and the couples walked through the parted crowd to take their places.  As if choreographed, the fathers simultaneously took their daughters’ waists and clasped their hands, and with Elizabeth’s nod, the music began.  They swayed and stepped off together to begin the waltz they had collectively refused to practice for weeks.

“Look at how grim they are.”  Alicia whispered. 

“Now I know how Richard looked when riding into battle.”  Evangeline smiled to see Fitzwilliam’s intense eyes fixed on his mesmerized daughter.  “Poor Annabel does not recognize this warrior!” 

“Where did their sweet papas go?”  Audrey laughed.  “Oh Robert, relax!  She is not marrying today!” 

“I think they are remembering all the times they spent playing with their toys in this room.”  Elizabeth sighed.  Gradually the dance floor filled with guests, and still the fathers danced unhappily on.  “Come love, where is your smile?  Rosa needs you to smile.”  Elizabeth whispered urgently.  Darcy’s face was blank and she knew exactly what he was feeling.  Rosalie was trying her best to tease him out of his sadness, but not even his little girl could succeed.  As they spun by she looked worriedly at her mother.  “Oh Will.”  Elizabeth stepped forward so that she was directly in his line of sight.  He focussed on her and she smiled, caressing the locket that held curls from all of their babies and her husband.  Darcy visibly relaxed, and his lips lifted.  He turned with Rosalie and looking into his little girl’s eyes, smiled at last.

“There you are, Papa!”  Rosalie said with relief.  “What would we do without Mama?”

“I do not care to know.”  He laughed softly.  “That smile is a blessing.” 

“Oh Rosa, you won!”  Annabel giggled.

“Won what?”  Fitzwilliam startled out of his trance.

“Are you betting?”  Stephen demanded of Margaret.

“Oh really, Papa, with you constantly wagering on the silliest things . . .”

“I am a man.”  He glared.

“Well . . .what . . .what was the bet?”  Singleton asked Grace.

She blushed and looked at him shyly.  “Which one of you would smile first while we danced.”

“Rosa!”  Darcy laughed fully and spun her around.  “You had faith in me?” 

“I certainly hope that you bet on me.”  Fitzwilliam asked Annabel.

“Of course I did, Papa, but you lost.”

“Yes, he did.”  Darcy grinned. 

“Watch it, Darcy.”  He growled.

“And what is the prize?”  Stephen demanded.

“A trip to the pastry shop for ice cream.”  Rosalie told Darcy who beamed at her.  “I knew you would like that, Papa.”

“I do!”  He chuckled and his eyes twinkled.  “You know my weaknesses.”

“Well it was that or books, soooo . . .”  Rosalie giggled and smiled triumphantly at Elizabeth who wore a glowing smile.  “It is for all of the papas and daughters, just a day to ourselves.”

“No mamas?”  Darcy looked to the ladies lined up and watching them.

“I think they will be glad to be rid of us.”  Fitzwilliam grinned as he matched Darcy’s moves, step for step.

“I have no doubt of that, after all the trouble they have suffered leading up the presentation and this ball . . .”  Stephen joined them and smiled at Alicia.  “Look at her, she knows!”

Singleton studied their wives and was soon in stride with the others, then laughed when he noted Audrey’s nod.  “They always know.” 

“What did Eva call us once?”  Darcy asked Fitzwilliam as they passed the mothers in tandem.

The four ladies all looked at each other and laughed, calling out together, “Idiots, but ours!” 

“All is right with the world again.”  Georgiana breathed as guests all around watched the family with reactions ranging from admiration to disbelief.  “Look at them, all dancing together now!  It is a shame that Abigail is missing this.  It is such a special day for the family.” 

“She will dance soon, and with so many children between us, there will be many more days like this.”  Bingley laughed to see the fathers challenging each other and posturing again, and smiled back to Georgiana.  “I remember dancing with another Miss Darcy not so very long ago at her coming out ball.  If I am not mistaken, she was wearing precisely this same necklace.” 

Georgiana laughed and touched the jewels glittering around her throat.  “You remembered!”

“Oh, if there is one thing that I have learned from your brother, it is remembering the significance of symbols.  In your case it is jewellery that marks events in your life.  I remember a certain butterfly . . .”

“Well when my daughter receives that on her seventeenth birthday, she will certainly know what it means.”  Georgiana said decidedly. 

“And your husband will stand out of the way.”  Bingley chuckled.  “It is at times like this that your blood is truly on display.” 

“You have always liked teasing me, Mr. Bingley.” 

“I suppose it is just my nature.  Ask your sister, I always teased the girls I like.  I remember when Abbey thought that I loved Elizabeth . . .”  His smile faltered a little and he looked back out at the dancers.  “I cannot wait to dance with my daughter at her coming out ball.  I will not be like this lot and be scared; I will be smiling like a fool.”

“I can believe that, and she will be just as happy.”  Georgiana smiled gently up at him.  “I thought she would do for Asher one day.  She reminds me of Elizabeth, so lively, and he is so like Fitzwilliam.”  Seeing his surprise she started to laugh.  “Oh that is right,
you
are the matchmaker in this circle.”

“No, that is your sister.”  He smiled at Elizabeth, who was talking with Kitty about the painting she envisioned.  “I cannot wait to see what she and the ladies do about all these children growing up.  The next decade will be very busy.”  Laughing, he nodded towards Kitty as she drank in the scene.  “Many pictures will be drawn.  I wonder if Evans will ever dance with her, she will be so busy.”

“Oh he will get his dances.”  Louisa walked up to them.  “She just wants to talk it out so she will remember everything.  Her husband will see things she forgets.  I am sure that each family will have a new oil painting waiting for them when they return home in July.”

“Why are you not dancing?” 

“I will.  Gerald just has to get his courage up.”  She smiled.  “One will be more than enough for us both.” 

“Robinson and Lydia though . . .”  Bingley laughed to see them whirling around and grinning at each other.  “She will have him spinning all night, pregnant or no.”

“She is so good for him.”  Georgiana smiled and passed her hand over her baby.  “But far less cautious than me.”

“Well if she goes into labour, Darcy can deliver it, so there is no problem at all.” 

“Heaven forbid, in the middle of the ball?”  Louisa clucked.  “I think that his days as a mid-wife are over.”

The dance ended at last and reluctantly, Darcy handed Rosalie off to the first young man brave enough to approach.  He kissed her cheek and glared menacingly at the boy, then walked off to stand with Elizabeth, taking her hand and entwining their fingers without a moments’ hesitation. 

“You were wonderful.”  She said softly and smiled at him. 

“It was so hard.”

“But once you smiled, it seemed to be easy.”

“Once you made me smile it was easier.”  He looked down at her.  “Thank you, love.  I could feel how nervous she was and I just could not muster my courage.  I will miss her so much.” 

 Elizabeth sighed.  “She will not be gone for years, I am sure of it.  Rosa wants to marry someone just like her papa; she is spoiled by watching our marriage, and will expect so much from her own.  I am afraid she is about to find out how unique we are.”

“She deserves the very best.”  He squeezed her hand and took a steadying breath.  “Will I feel this way with the boys?”

“No.”  Elizabeth leaned on him while they watched Rosalie dance, and her voice broke.  “It will be me feeling so lost then.” 

Darcy let go of her hand and slipping his arm around her waist, drew her close.  “Dearest Elizabeth, then I will be the one to help you.”  He looked down, saying that he loved her without words, when they both jumped.  “Did . . . did you feel that, love?”  He looked to where his hand rested on her belly and back to her wide eyes.

“Yes.”  She whispered and put her hand to her mouth.  “Oh, Will, it
is
true.”  Tears began rolling down her cheeks.  He laughed, and wiped his eyes while she laughed and hugged him.  Joy radiating from them both, he picked her up and ignoring the stares of the crowd, spun her around and kissed her lips.