21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I n agreeable weather, they could have walked to Walmer Castle, but today, it was out of the question. They were soon there, and the castle appeared as a dark blur through the downpour. Once they stepped out, Elizabeth's first impression was of a squat, round building with dark, weathered stone, and small Tudor windows. To enter it, they had to cross a dry moat. There was some comfort in knowing that it had stood since it was built by Henry VII.

Defying a forceful squall, Elizabeth paused on the moat and filled her lungs with the strange tangy sea air, before Darcy pulled her out of the rain and inside.

"You will have time to experience the sea tomorrow, or the day after," he shouted into her ear. "No need to make your clothes wet again."

He was right, of course. The castle would undoubtedly be damp, and trying to dry wet clothes under these conditions would be very difficult. She hoped their luggage would arrive soon. She would need to change quickly. It had been irresponsible of her not to run inside. But how could she possibly resist her first taste of the sea?

As they all gathered inside, they were welcomed by an officer who introduced himself as Captain Laker.

"The Lord Warden of Walmer Castle -- Lord Liverpool -- is unfortunately not here to welcome you, due to other obligations."

Elizabeth laughed along with everyone else. As the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool had other priorities.

"For those of you who aren't familiar with military history, Walmer Castle is one of three forts built here in Deal by Henry the VIII to protect the Kingdom from invasion. All of them have the same structure, which is roughly in the shape of a rose. That should make it easier for you to orient yourself. I would be happy to take you around tomorrow, if you are interested. You might also wish to enjoy the gardens," he paused as the wind let out a particularly mournful howl, "—depending on the weather, of course! The niece of the former Warden, Lady Hester Stanhope, was responsible for creating them."

"But for now, you will be shown to your rooms while dinner is prepared."

The housekeeper, Mrs. Dixon, was an amiable lady. Elizabeth had expected the furnishings to be sparse, but she quickly discovered that Lord Wardens enjoyed their luxuries.

Mrs. Dixon showed Elizabeth to a well-appointed but small room with blue paneling, and apologized for not providing an adjoining bed chamber with Mr. Darcy.

"It being a military building, it is not set up for House parties," she explained. "If we'd had more advance notice, I might have made other arrangements, but it being so sudden—. Still, Mr. Darcy's room is right next door, after that alcove – when you want to find him."

She gave Elizabeth a knowing look.

Elizabeth blushed. If only it were that simple! "Very kind of you, Mrs. Dixon."

"It is an honor. It is not often that we are visited by a Janus Mage. Let me know if you need anything at all. I suppose you would like hot water. I will send it up at once."

Elizabeth was grateful for the warm welcome, especially after her difficulties at Rosings. The first thing she did was go to the window to see if it faced the sea, but there was nothing to see.

The conversation over dinner revolved around preparations in case of an attack. Captain Laker had been there when Napoleon had plotted to cross the Channel, and they were all eager to hear his perspective and gather as much information as they could.

"Napoleon's success has come from doing the unexpected. It is true that his last attempt was a miserable failure, but you must not forget, he did not carry out an invasion. He was defeated by the Royal Navy. But he has continued to express his determination to ‘jump the ditch' as he calls it. He has been collecting all kinds of mages over the years, and we cannot discount anything at this point."

"Fortunately, it is universally known that mages cannot perform magic over large bodies of water," said Mr. Bennet, "so he will still have to rely on conventional methods of attack to bring the mages over."

"True. We have the elements on our side. It would be foolish to attempt it. The winds are not favorable, the currents are unpredictable. Add to that, the treacherous waters around Goodwin Sands," said the captain. "Part of the role of the garrison here is to deal with salvage operations, and we are constantly being called out. Ships are constantly flailing." He leaned back and sighed. "Still, Napoleon has had years to plan this, and he will have learned from his mistakes."

An uneasy silence fell on the group as they contemplated the officer's statement.

"Does anyone have an estimate of how many mages Napoleon would be sending over if he invades?" Lady Alice asked.

"We have no idea." Lord Matlock drummed his fingers against the table. "Riquer has told us previously there are around two thousand Imperial Mages scattered around the Continent." He turned to Elizabeth. "Perhaps you could ask Riquer to give you an estimate next time you talk?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It is not always possible to ask questions, and the mirror connection is weak, but I will do my best."

"If Napoleon sends half that number," said Lord Harcourt, "we will struggle to stop them. Look at the damage a handful of Imperial Mages caused when they attacked the Guild Hall and Founder's Hall. Imagine what it will be like with even fifty well-organized mages with a plan."

"He will not risk too many mages on the Channel." Captain Laker's confidence was convincing. "They are defenseless on the water. When he ordered a practice crossing before, he lost scores of soldiers to the waves, as well as boats."

"And with our Wards pushing the mages back," said Darcy, "they will not be able to land. We have two sets of Janus mages on our side. Our Wards are strong, so is our Elemental magic."

Captain Laker agreed. "Exactly."

"In any case," said Matlock. "If Riquer confirms to Mrs. Darcy that the French are about to attack, we will request reinforcements from the Rochester Academy. I have already dispatched a letter to prepare them, as well as to Rosings to ask some of the Healers to join us here."

Elizabeth hoped they would not abandon Jane. She would just have to trust Anne to ensure that her sister was taken care of.

"It would be good to have more numbers," said Darcy. "And I am looking forward to meeting some of the mages from Rochester." He turned to Captain Laker. "However, I would like to hear your thoughts on how we should set up our preparations."

At that point, Elizabeth stood up. "I will leave you to your discussion. I need to be outside, in case Riquer tries to contact me."

Darcy rose. "I will walk you to the door."

"I am still not convinced that Napoleon will attack," he said. "From everything Captain Laker said, it is impossible. The Channel defends itself against intruders without our help." He leaned over for a quick kiss. She was happy to oblige.

"We may find ourselves going to Pemberley after all." He murmured.

Elizabeth laughed. "I do not quite share your optimism. I suspect it is the excellent brandy that is talking. However, I certainly hope you're right."

"I am usually right," he said.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Go and enjoy your brandy, husband. The boatmen outside went to a great deal of trouble to smuggle it for you."

She did not have the luxury of staying inside. She had to brave the storm to wait for Riquer.

As two of the soldiers opened the latticed portcullis for her, the stinging rain brought with it a salty tang. She could not venture outside to the drawbridge. The wind would have knocked her down. She settled for standing just inside with the door open, though she fretted that if he reached out to her, she would not hear him.

Fortunately, he did not.

At breakfast the next morning, an express letter arrived. The soldier approached Elizabeth and handed it to her on a silver salver. Taken aback, she took it and turned it over, examining the unfamiliar seal, and overcome by a sense of dread. She could only imagine one person writing to her.

When she opened it, the signature was just as she expected.

"It is from Miss de Bourgh," she said, trying to control the trembling of her hands.

"Why would my daughter write to you ?" said Lady Catherine, sounding outraged. "There must be some mistake. That letter must be addressed to me."

Elizabeth was too agitated to answer. She stood up, excusing herself. A part of her mind registered that Lady Catherine was insisting on seeing the letter, but Elizabeth was too worried about Jane to care. She ran to her room, where she could read it in peace.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "It is me, Darcy."

"Come in."

She was glad he was with her, in case it was bad news. Now that it had come down to it, she was frightened to read the letter.

"Do you want me to read it first?" said Darcy, gently.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to face whatever Anne had to say.

"Thank you for offering, but I will read it myself."

Dear Mrs. Darcy,

I am writing to let you know that Miss Jane Bennet is recuperating, thanks to the Rochester Healers' efforts. Her leg is still paining her, but she has improved enough to be able to sit up in bed for a short time and eat some broth.

Unless something unexpected happens, the Healers are saying they will expect her to recover her strength in a few days. It will take some time for her leg to heal, obviously, but they are optimistic that she will be able to walk eventually. Most of the Rochester Healers have departed, but they left one behind, just in case.

Meanwhile, I hope Napoleon will take one look at the fearsome Royal Mages and run as fast as possible.

Your friend,

Anne

Elizabeth dropped the letter into her lap. Her throat was tight with emotion. She was relieved that Jane was doing well and was touched by Anne's kindness.

"Anything the matter?" said Darcy, alarmed by her silence.

"No. All is well. It was so good of your cousin to write to me. I did not expect it."

She handed him the letter. He read it quickly. As he reached the end, he let out a huge breath.

"Why, this is excellent news, my love!" he said.

"We must still exercise caution. Anything can happen, of course."

"Naturally, but this is much better than I would have expected."

The news was starting to sink in. Jane was safe! The Healers were confident she would heal! Her sense of relief made her giddy. It was real! Jane would pull through!

She threw her arms around Darcy and kissed him, joy bubbling up inside her.

"I am so happy!" She did a little pirouette across the room.

"I am very glad, my love," he said, his eyes following her, a wide grin on his face. "You might want to let your father know. He was looking anxious when you left the breakfast table."

She struck her brow with her hand. "Oh! Goodness. Yes! I had quite forgotten Papa! Thank you for reminding me. I will go at once and give him the good news."

Needless to say, Mr. Bennet was overjoyed to read Anne's letter. He even went as far as smiling at Lady Alice, who met his inexplicable friendliness with suspicion. Meanwhile, Lady Catherine demanded to see whose name was on the letter, still insisting Anne must have written to her. However, she was forced to be satisfied when she saw Elizabeth's name written in a sprawling hand on the envelope.

"Anne would have had the best handwriting among my acquaintances," she remarked. "She would have been a true proficient if she did not tire easily when gripping the pen. It is unfortunate that her illness prevents her from pursuing her interest in calligraphy."

"As long as she is able to pen a letter and express herself effectively, surely that is all that matters, Aunt Catherine." Darcy could not help himself from pointing it out, especially since Elizabeth was rolling her eyes in the corner.

Lady Catherine gave him a dour look, but he was in too good a mood to let that bother him.

"Now, if you will excuse us, we would like to take advantage of the sunshine while it lasts. We are going to discover the castle gardens. We have heard so much about Lady Hester's improvements, I for one would like to see them. Please send someone for us once work on the Wards begins, Mr. Bennet."

"Certainly."

Darcy put out his arm to Elizabeth. "Shall we go and explore Lady Hester's gardens, Mrs. Darcy?"

"I would be delighted."

Darcy tucked her arm under his and they set out to enjoy the open air.

It was, indeed, exactly what Elizabeth said: delightful. The grounds were extensive. Lady Hester had made use of a chalk pit to create meandering paths and steps through evergreens. The trees and hedges glistened with rain. It afforded them a sense of privacy in a castle full of mages and soldiers.

Walking outdoors with hope gave him a renewed feeling of vitality. He felt a renewed sense of hope. They had been given a chance to be together, away from the stifling demands of the Hall. On such a peaceful day, with the sun shining out of a pure sky, it seemed impossible that Napoleon was planning anything.

"I still think it is all a false alarm. Until then, we can think of it as a holiday. Then, before we know it, we will be back in Founders' Hall, and we can set out for Pemberley."

Elizabeth did not have quite as much faith in the idea as Darcy did. She had spoken to Riquer, and it was obvious he was not his usual self. His manner of speaking was urgent. She did not, however, mention anything to Darcy, who would very likely dismiss anything Riquer said on principle.

When it happened, they would deal with it. For now, what was the harm in pretending to themselves that all was well? Going to Pemberley might seem like an unreachable aspiration, but they could still daydream about it. She needed to imagine a different life. It distracted her from thinking about what was going to happen in the next few days.

As for being alone with Darcy...

She cast him a sidelong glance. She could not wait to discover the joys of marriage with him.

"When we go to Pemberley. What will we do with ourselves all day?" she asked with a smile. "We are accustomed to having our days full of activity. How will we occupy ourselves?"

Darcy wagged his eyebrows. "I can think of some ways."

She blushed. "Surely not the whole day?"

"Not the whole day. We will need to eat sometimes."

She did not know where to look. She felt both hot and cold as she tried to imagine what it would be like to spend most of the day in Darcy's arms.

Darcy chuckled. "It is rare to see you so abashed. I will not tease you further. You will find out what I mean soon enough."

At that moment, a gardener with a wheelbarrow came around the corner and Darcy quickly changed the conversation.

"You need not worry about how you will fill your days, Elizabeth. Pemberley is very extensive. Believe me, running an estate of that size will occupy much of our time. There are tenants to take care of, repairs to oversee and crops to harvest. And we will, of course, be hosting events and visiting our neighbors."

"But how is it that all these years you have been away, someone else has managed the estate?"

"My steward consults me often," said Darcy. "And don't forget, the house has been closed, so of course, things have been very quiet there. It will be different when the house is inhabited. There will be many decisions to be made."

Beyond organizing dinners and deciding on the menu, Elizabeth found it hard to see how her input would be needed.

"I will probably leave most of the household tasks to the housekeeper, since she has been doing them for years without me," said Elizabeth. "But I would like to discover more about the estate and the tenants."

"If that is truly where your interests lie, the first thing you will need to do is learn how to ride. Pemberley is too big for you to go around on foot, and, away from the main roads, it will be difficult to move around in a carriage."

"Is it bigger than Rosings?"

"Definitely bigger. Sheep are a part of the estate, and they need room to graze. Some of the land is moorland. Some of it is untamed, full of crags and rocks and caves. You will love the peaks around Pemberley, and the bluebell woods in the spring. We will walk together to Lambton to buy you lace and ribbons. And we will dip our feet in the river Derwent when it is hot."

At this moment in time, it sounded idyllic, and she felt an intense longing to be there. "I think I would like that very much."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her to him. She breathed in his scent, thrilling at their closeness.

"We will be there soon, my love. Very soon," he whispered, and she allowed herself to believe it.