Chapter 31

A s had been expected, the smaller estates located in Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire, although good and well run, did not hold the attention of the group touring the ducal estates like Castlemere in Derbyshire did.

The latter was the largest and farthest north of the satellite estates. They had travelled as if on their way to Pemberley, except in Lambton, rather than northwest, the convoy and attendant outriders had turned northeast. They had journeyed almost the same distance from Lambton as they would to reach Pemberley’s boundary. A little shy of five miles from the town Madeline Gardiner had lived in as a girl, the lead coach reached the big brass gates of the estate. ‘CASTLE’ was on one gate in large letters and ‘MERE’ on the other, so that when the gates were closed the name of the estate was displayed as it should be. They were wide open and the gatehouse keeper, who had been told to expect the arrival of the Duchess and her party, was standing with hat in hand as the conveyances and outriders passed him by.

Those in the coaches heard the single shot the man fired in the air once the final equipage was well passed him. That shot sent a lad who was positioned a mile down the drive from the gates riding towards the manor house at breakneck speed to warn the staff and servants of the mistress’s imminent arrival.

“Look!” Lydia enthused in about two more miles, “Lizzy, it really is a castle!”

The three Bennet sisters, Anna, and Darcy were in the lead coach. Bennet, Charlotte and the companions were in the one following.

“So it is,” Elizabeth returned. “I am impressed by the way the newer buildings have been married to the castle.” She turned to Lydia with a wide smile on her face. “Unless you behave I will have to lock you in that tower.” Elizabeth pointed to the higher of the three drum towers.

“Rather than being a threat, I think Lydia would enjoy the experience,” Darcy opined.

The coach was guided over the remains of a moat into the ward via what used to be a drawbridge until it was made into a permanent bridge. A piece of the outer wall which remained was about five feet thick, but it had been torn down, and the moat filled in where the manor house had been built. From what they could see from the interior of the equipage, the attached structure was at least four stories high and ran from north to south and was attached to the side of the castle at its southernmost point.

There was a line of three older persons, two men and a lady, standing abreast ahead of an additional three rows of servants. Elizabeth correctly assumed they were the housekeeper, butler, and steward. “It is too cold for them to be standing in the elements like this,” Elizabeth lamented.

“As soon as I became master, I told Mr and Mrs Reynolds, my butler and housekeeper at Pemberley, that in the autumn and winter if they felt the need to welcome someone to the house in this fashion, it is to be done inside,” Darcy related.

Not that she needed another reminder, but what her William said only highlighted his quality as the master of an estate who cared for all those who depended on Pemberley. “Then I will issue that same order here,” Elizabeth resolved. She could not see any good reason why those employed at her estate should stand in the bitter cold waiting for her to arrive.

Darcy had not expected anything less from the compassionate woman who would be his wife in less than a month. He was well pleased the notices of his engagement to Elizabeth had been sent to the papers along with the announcement of his elevation to the peerage.

Like his father and others before him, this master of Pemberley cared nothing for titles, but as it had been presented as something which came with his marrying Elizabeth, unlike his predecessors, the new Lord Pemberley had not refused. If they only had one son then he would hold both titles, and like the dukedom, the titles would flow through a female if no male child was born or did not survive. If there was more than one son, then the eldest would be the Marquess of Hertford while the second son would be Viscount Lambton.

As soon as he alighted from the lead coach Darcy turned and handed out his fiancée. Before anyone else could talk, Elizabeth addressed the staff and servants. “It is far too cold to be standing on ceremony in the ward. Please all of you reassemble indoors where I trust it is much warmer,” she instructed.

There was no missing the grateful looks on the faces of those who had been waiting outside. While footmen unloaded the trunks, the servants used a door in the newer structure reserved for them, while the senior staff led the Duchess and her party into the castle. Once inside Elizabeth requested that the three staff members identify themselves. After they had done so, and Elizabeth had named the members of her party, everyone followed the senior staff through the great hall and into the manor house. There in the warmth were two neat lines of servants in the large foyer.

Elizabeth addressed her servants. “I thank you for welcoming us to Castlemere. I may not be able to learn all of your names during the few days we will be here, but I will make the attempt. Now please carry on per the housekeeper and butler’s instructions.”

The arriving party were shown to chambers one level up on the first floor. All of the chambers overlooked the lake and had spacious balconies attached to them. It was easy to see that when the weather warmed in spring, it would be a pleasure to sit outside and enjoy the view. Once everyone had washed and changed with the assistance of ladies’ maids and gentlemen’s valets, they met in the family sitting room on the same floor between the master suite and the first of the chambers meant for family members.

The wall facing the lake had large windows to allow an unimpeded view of the water below them. “Pemberley is a little more than three miles that way,” Darcy pointed to the east.

“Once we have inspected what needs to be here, I look forward to seeing your estate,” Elizabeth replied.

As much as he wanted to say ‘ our estate ’ Darcy refrained, knowing it would not be appropriate until after they were married. Rather he replied, “I am confident you will love Pemberley. Once there is a warming, you will have more paths to walk than even you could want. It will be my pleasure to show you one of our future homes.” Between them they had more than twelve estates.

Kate, Anna, and Lydia braved the cold to go outside onto the balcony. However, they did not tolerate the frigid temperatures for long, and soon scrambled back into the warmth of the sitting room due to a roaring fire in the grate. About an hour later, it was time to consume a delicious dinner, which proved the skills of the cook.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

After three days during which the younger three girls had explored the castle to their hearts’ content, the travelling party was on their way to Pemberley. The occupants of each coach remained the same as on their arrival at Castlemere.

Elizabeth was fully aware that once they were married, they would need to split their time between Falconwood and Pemberley when not in London for the season, where William would be needed to attend the Lords. She was bubbling with excitement to see the place which her fiancé loved so well.

Once they passed the gate house, it was not many minutes before forests were visible on either side of the drive. Other than a few evergreen trees, the vast majority of the trees were stark, having lost their leaves already. That fact did not stop Elizabeth from imagining the pleasure she would gain from exploring the woodlands in the spring and summer, which, from what she had seen so far, Pemberley had in abundance. About a mile after the start of the trees the coach began to climb an incline.

“Once we reach the crest of the rise, you will be able to see the house and the Pemberley Valley,” Georgiana enthused.

“I will have the coachman halt at that point,” Darcy related. “If you do not object to the cold, the view is quite magnificent, even if I say so myself. When Anna and I see it, it tells us, we are well and truly home.”

Elizabeth felt the aspect of the conveyance change and watched as William struck the ceiling with the head of his cane twice. Seeing that the speed had not been great up the incline, it did not take the team of six horses long to bring the coach to a halt.

As soon as she saw the view, Elizabeth understood why both Darcys were justifiably so proud of their estate. Never had she seen a place where, to this degree, nature was not spoiled with the awkward tastes of man, but rather in harmony with that which was man-made. Yes, the house was very large, and the Derbyshire stone on its facade glowed gold as the weak morning sun hit it in places, but it was not the size which was impressive. The location on rising ground on the eastern end of the valley, with the tree covered hill behind it, the gardens, small lake, and the congruence with nature, gave the impression that this was a home .

Darcy watched as Elizabeth looked around. The glow of pleasure was hard to miss, he had been sure she would appreciate the unspoiled nature of the estate. “Do you approve, Elizabeth?” Darcy wondered.

“Who could not approve of such a beauty filled estate? It is not quite as wild as we saw at Castlemere, but it is perfect,” Elizabeth enthused.

Before Darcy could respond, Bennet and Charlotte joined them. “As much as I appreciate what we are seeing, I think I would prefer to complete the short journey and gain the warmth of the house,” Bennet stated.

No one disagreed with him, and those who had alighted from the two conveyances remounted them, and the coachmen soon had them in motion once again with the outriders still next to them on both sides. Soon enough they passed through a porte cochère and into an internal courtyard

From up close the size of the house became all the more evident. As expected, there were no servants lined up outside other than the cadre of footmen who would be unloading the coaches.

Darcy, with Elizabeth on his arm, and Anna led everyone up some stone steps to a door which led into the house. Footmen divested them of their outerwear when they entered before Darcy presented the Reynolds to his fiancée and her family.

On the walk to their chambers—per the master’s instructions, Mrs Reynolds had placed all of them on the family floor—Elizabeth was impressed by the understated elegance she saw as they passed drawing rooms and parlours. She was not surprised her William did not enjoy gaudy opulence, regardless of the fact that had his tastes tended in that direction, he could afford it.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Once they had washed and changed, everyone met in the principal drawing room for tea and some very tasty treats. Thereafter the two Darcys conducted a tour of their home themselves, rather than leave it to the housekeeper.

As they viewed many rooms, Elizabeth could see nothing she would need to change. The impression that this was a home and not a monument to Darcy wealth was confirmed. When it came time to view the mistress’s suite, Darcy allowed his sister and Mrs Reynolds to escort his Elizabeth into the rooms which had not been used since his mother had passed away more than sixteen years ago.

The colour pallet, décor, and furnishings were not to Elizabeth’s taste, so these were the only rooms she requested to be redone. She told her future sister-in-law to take anything which belonged to her late mother that she wished to keep before the suite was renovated. Anna was very grateful for Lizzy’s consideration.

They met William and the rest of the group in the large private sitting room between the bedchambers. Elizabeth could see nothing she would change in this space, which was obviously oft used by William as evidenced by the bookcases on one wall, with shelves loaded with tomes.

The last stop was the highlight for both Bennet and his second daughter. It was the most magnificent library the former had seen outside of university and the latter had ever seen.

“That corner,” Bennet pointed, “will be the perfect place to locate my bed. When I come to visit, I will never exit this hallowed hall of reverence to the written word.”

“Papa, you know that is not true, you are not as unsociable as you used to be,” Elizabeth chided playfully. “If he was able, I am sure William would have his own bed placed in the library.”

“It is something I had considered. My compromise was to keep a good supply of books in the sitting room,” Darcy admitted.

Given the cold, only the grounds close to the manor house had been explored briefly. In mere days, Elizabeth had begun to fall in love with William’s childhood home.

For his part, Darcy could not have been more pleased at Elizabeth’s reactions to Pemberley. In addition, she had charmed the staff and servants, especially Mrs Reynolds. Since first, his mother’s and then his father’s passing, she had been more of a surrogate relation than servant, so her opinion carried a lot of weight with him. Before he departed the estate, she had told him how well he had chosen.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The day those who had travelled from the north arrived at Hertfordshire House, they were met by all six Fitzwilliams. The reunion with Jane, Mary, and their husbands, as well as Lord and Lady Matlock, was everything warm and wonderful. There were many hugs and not a few tears as the five Bennet sisters were in company together for the first time since the wedding in November. Even though both brothers and their parents owned houses in London, it had been agreed that everyone would reside at Hertfordshire House. The ball would be held there, and it was an abode of epic proportions.

The two new husbands watched their wives revel in their sisters’ and Anna’s company indulgently until they joined Bennet, their father, and Darcy for some chess in another drawing room. In the meanwhile, the five sisters, Charlotte, and Anna caught up with each other.

Ladies Matlock and Gardiner had done everything needed to arrange the ball during the month-long tour of the estates which had been undertaken. Jane and Mary had arrived in London a little more than a sennight previously and had joined the other two ladies in making sure everything would be done. Given that both Her Majesty and the Regent would attend, the arrangements had to be just so .

The day after they arrived in Town, all of the ladies in the family joined Elizabeth in visiting Madam Chambourg. Even though she had ordered a whole new wardrobe when she had been in London some months past, Elizabeth still needed to order some additional items of clothing which would be required during the harsh Derbyshire winter, to be added to her trousseau, namely more warmer items, from day dresses, to gowns, coats, and accoutrements like muffs and gloves.

It was the first time the Duchess of Hertfordshire had been seen in public since the announcement of her engagement to the new Earl of Pemberley. Hence, the party was approached by many in order to convey their congratulations. Some who had had designs on Mr Darcy, as he was then, had to grit their teeth, but they did so as they would not incur the wrath of the royals. Those who had not yet been invited to the ball at Hertfordshire House hoped to garner an invite from Her Grace if they fawned over her enough. None were gratified in that endeavour.

Two days were dedicated to shopping, which was as much as Elizabeth could bear.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As it was wont to do when one was having an enjoyable time, the days flew by quickly. The ball had been most enjoyable, notwithstanding the protocols in place for the Queen, Regent, and some of the princesses and princes.

The Gardiners and Phillipses had attended the ball, with the latter being hosted at Elizabeth’s house. Although her Aunt Hattie was much calmer than she used to be, she had been in awe when she saw the house, almost as much as when she had been hosted at the Pavillion.

Rather than open the ball with William, the Regent had claimed Elizabeth’s hand. While she danced with the Prince of Wales, William did so with Mrs Fitzherbert. Elizabeth had been surprised at how light on his feet the Regent was. Knowing she would much rather be dancing with her betrothed, after two or three minutes the Regent had given her hand to William while he took Maria’s hand and danced with his lady love.

It seemed not one who received one of the coveted invitations had refused it, and the upper echelon of the Ton were present in full force.

Elizabeth and William had spent some time sitting and talking to Her Majesty, who claimed she was too old to dance, and besides, unless she could dance with her beloved George again, she would not partake. Always with a keen eye, Queen Charlotte had noted Elizabeth’s father had opened the ball with Miss Lucas, and from what she had heard, he had requested the supper set from her as well. Elizabeth shared her suspicion that her father would propose to Charlotte shortly after her own upcoming wedding. Her Majesty had expressed her approbation for the possible match.

It had been past four in the morning by the time the last guests departed Hertfordshire House. Elizabeth had fallen asleep dreaming of her tall, well built, handsome fiancé with whom she had danced three sets. It was less than a week before they would never have to be parted again.

Three days after the ball the contingent from Meryton who had been invited to attend the wedding had arrived. Those invited included the Lucases, Longs, Gouldings, and Purvises, all who were accommodated at Hertfordshire House. Although muted, they had had similar reactions to Hattie Phillips upon arriving at the mansion. Hearing about Her Grace’s wealth and seeing evidence of it were two different things. Sir William who used to crow about his knighthood at every turn, no longer mentioned it since Elizabeth’s and the Gardiners’ elevations.

Now it was the evening before Elizabeth’s wedding to William, and Aunt Maddie had just left after giving her the pre-wedding talk. Nothing her aunt had told her had made Elizabeth apprehensive for her wedding night, in fact, it had achieved the opposite. Not a minute after her aunt departed her cavernous bedchamber, Jane and Mary slipped in and joined Lizzy on her enormous bed.

“If you have any queries which do not pertain to personal information of what passes between us and our husbands, we will answer questions you have, which we would not have done, when you asked before our weddings,” Jane quipped.

“I think Aunt Maddie was very thorough, so I believe I am well prepared and need no further information,” Elizabeth replied. “Before you and Mary married my brothers, I was inquisitive, but I believe all of my questions were answered. If I am half as happy in my marriage with William as you two seem to be in yours, then I will have a very felicitous marriage.”

“Being married to Richard is everything I hoped it would be and so much more,” Mary stated dreamily.

“The same is true for Andrew and me,” Jane agreed.

“Can you believe all which has occurred, directly due to your bravery in thwarting the treachery of that evil man and his men?” Mary asked. “He and the rest of them are, I am sure, in hell where they belong.”

“And now with the apprehension and execution of Mr Wickham, none of the wicked men are left to bother you or anyone else,” Jane added.

“Misses Younge and Gardiner are well on their way to Van Diemen’s Land now,” Elizabeth mused. None of the sisters felt sympathy for the woman who had given birth to them, and would not call her mother any longer.

“Like you told us the night before our wedding, try to get some sleep and do not forget to break your fast in the morning,” Jane reminded her sister.

“Yes, Mi’lady,” Elizabeth gave a mock half curtsy as she sat on the bed.

Jane and then Mary hugged and kissed their sister before leaving her to attempt to sleep.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Dressed in Madam Chambourg’s creation which was an off-white satin gown with long sleeves down to below her elbows, all covered by an organza overlay which had diamond and emerald chips attached, Elizabeth stood ready in the vestibule with her father. Once Jane reached her position to the left of the Archbishop and opposite Richard, the clergyman gave a signal, and all save the royals stood.

The aisle at Westminster Abbey was more than three times the length of the one at the Longbourn Village Church, so it took Bennet with Elizabeth on his arm much longer to reach the steps leading to the altar.

From the instant his Elizabeth entered the nave, Darcy saw nothing or no one else. She looked magnificent. She had never been more beautiful than she was at that moment, and soon they would be joined together in holy matrimony. The wait was over! If she had a fraction of the passion he believed his Elizabeth possessed, their lives, including time spent in the marriage bed, would be exceptional.

When Bennet stopped, they and those on the altar turned towards the royals and bowed and curtsied. As soon as the Queen and Regent acknowledged them, they proceeded. Bennet lifted Elizabeth’s delicate silk veil, kissed her on the forehead, replaced her veil, and then placed her hand onto Darcy’s forearm. The latter had approached while his father-in-law to be had been kissing his daughter.

Darcy led Elizabeth up the four marble steps, and they stopped in front of the Archbishop. He had his book ready, and signalled for those members of the congregation who were standing to be seated. He cleared his throat and proceeded with the marriage ceremony. Unsurprisingly there were no objections when that part of the service was reached.

Soon enough Elizabeth was reciting her vows to William. When the ‘to obey ’ was heard, those who could see her would have seen Elizabeth arch her eyebrow as she repeated those particular words.

Fully cognisant that his wife would never blindly follow, Darcy was sanguine with that. If he wanted a bauble on his arm who would agree with everything he said, he would not have desired to marry the wonderful woman standing next to him. Her impertinence, intelligence, and spirit were among her most attractive qualities.

After they were announced as man and wife to the full church, Elizabeth and William and their witnesses followed a clergyman to a large room off the altar where the register was found. As soon as the required signatures were placed, and the other three exited the room, Darcy made sure the door was securely closed and pulled his wife into his arms, proceeding to kiss her as only a man passionately in love with his wife would. They continued without keeping track of time while getting more and more lost in the burning passion each felt for the other.

There was a knock on the door. “William! Lizzy!” Henderson called out, “We need to make for Hertfordshire House. As much as you would like it, you cannot spend the rest of the day in a room at the Abbey.”

“I forgot how annoying Richard can be,” Darcy growled, already feeling bereft of his wife’s lips.

Elizabeth fought to bring her breath and her heart rate back to normal speeds. Once she had somewhat succeeded, she spoke. “He is not wrong, is he? Besides, you have to be kind to him, he is your brother now, after all,” she teased.

“Then I suppose we should join our family and friends and begin the rest of our lives together,” Darcy grinned. The time they would be alone at Darcy House could not come quickly enough. With all of those in residence at Hertfordshire House, they would have peace and quiet at the house on Grosvenor Square.

“Yes, let’s,” Elizabeth agreed.

They checked each other to make sure they were presentable and opened the door and walked into their shared future.