Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (143 page)

“ARE YOU CERTAIN that you want to do this?”  Samuel watched Darcy place his foot in the stirrup and with a bounce; lift himself up and into the saddle. 

He took a long breath and settled into place.  “I need to see some of the estate.  It has been entirely too long.”  Breathing in again, he looked around the busy stable and then up to the sky to admire the bright day.  “I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it is to be away from the fetid air of London.” 

“You hardly have to tell me, I am the one that wished to be a country lawyer.”  He looked over his cousin.  “How did the mounting feel?”

“Rough.”  Darcy admitted as he found his seat and gathered the reins, “But . . . good.  I have to test myself, I know from the fencing exercises which ways I can bend, but I need to know what part of me will ache with the riding.”  He smiled and glanced back at the house.  “However, Elizabeth will have no sympathy whatsoever if I come back smelling of horse and complaining of pain, so I will not push the issue, with her or the animal.”

“I imagine that you are feeling the affect of your grand entrance yesterday.”  Samuel laughed and was glad to see Darcy’s cheeks redden as his chin lifted with pride.

“It was worth every bit of suffering, but I
will
take this slowly.” 

“I did not expect to see you jumping fences.”  Nudging their mounts, they set off down the drive and rode in companionable silence.  When they came to a stop to look over a view of the home farm, he laughed at the proud man by his side.  “I cannot get over the change in you.  My last memory of you is . . . frankly you resembled a boy caught with a bowl of blackberries.  One who was wearing more than he ate.”  Samuel smiled as Darcy unconsciously rubbed his face.

“One whose brother pushed his head into the bowl.   How are you doing with Mr. Mayfield?”

“Very well, it is a particularly busy office.  I do not know why I was surprised.  I guess that I was used to Easterly’s and how they had so much business from wills and estates that they did not need to offer any other services.”

“And what are you learning?”

“Banking.”  He laughed.  “I am investing money for your farmers.” 

“I hope that you do well by them.”  Darcy smiled.

“I recommend the bonds, but if you have any thoughts . . .”

“The bonds are safe and reliable, and something they can understand.  There is no need to take risks like I do in these new ideas that are floating around.  I can afford a loss, they cannot.” 

Samuel nodded and shrugged, “I thought I would ask.” 

“I would be happy to give
you
advice, if you had any funds to invest.”  Darcy’s lips twitched.

“Me?  That’s a joke; I am indentured to Mr. Mayfield for the next four years as his apprentice clerk.”

“It was kind of him to recognize your year with Easterly as part of his time.”

“The man wants to retire, Darcy, the sooner I am trained, the sooner he can sit by the sea.”  Samuel laughed.  “I can see him now, a drink in hand, his feet propped up . . .”

“And his wife complaining that they never should have left Derbyshire.” 

“Ah yes.”  Samuel became more serious.  “Speaking of wives . . .”

“You are engaged?”  Darcy saw his eyes widen and chuckled.  “Forgive me, please continue.” 

“Please do not frighten me like that!” 

“I could not resist, blame the fresh air.”  He took in a great lungful and breathed it out.  “I love being home.”  Smiling, he looked back to his cousin.  “Now . . . what about wives?”

“Yours seems to have an admirer.”

“Besides you?”  Darcy lifted a brow and Samuel’s face coloured. 

“I meant Georgiana.” 

“Really?”  Darcy’s eyes lit up.  “Why do you say that?” 

“Well . . . Georgiana was talking to me a few weeks ago, and . . . she said that she hoped that Mother and Father would take the baby.”  Darcy’s brow creased and he nodded.  “She expressed her hope that you and Elizabeth have a baby soon, and that she thought Elizabeth will be a wonderful mother, loving and playful, just like you are.”  Seeing his cousin’s embarrassment, he laughed.  “Those were her words, not mine.  She was very, very sincere in expressing her admiration of her new sister . . . and she was equally sincere in her wish that my parents take the baby.” 

“Your father made it clear in no uncertain terms that he would not even consider that happening!  Why . . . that is one of the reasons that I was so desperate to marry!”  Darcy’s head shook.  “Have you told your parents about this conversation?”

“Of course not.”  Samuel tilted his head.  “What do you think?” 

“I do not know what to think . . . but I will not be the one to bring the subject up.  Elizabeth and I are prepared and willing to parent this child.”  Giving the horse a little nudge he groaned and turned towards the stables.  “But I do know that I am not ready for this.” 

“OH ELIZABETH, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!”  Georgiana gasped as each new gown was unfurled upon her bed.  Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes were bright.  “These are the dresses of a
woman
!”

Elizabeth looked at Susan and tried to find a way to respond delicately, “These are maternity dresses, Georgiana.”  She smiled when the girl nodded without really hearing and sighed when she picked one up and held it before herself, looking down at the colours and style she had never worn before. “I am glad that you like them so much.  I bought several things for my sister Jane’s wedding, but of course I know her taste.  I have not known you long enough to guess.”

“I like the same things that you do.  I was admiring the gowns that you had made when you married and only hoped that one day I could have something so lovely.  I do not like all of the frills that some ladies like.  And I prefer the light colours, pinks and shades of white . . .”

“Not poppy orange?”  Elizabeth said with a wink.

“Were you thinking of Miss Bingley?”  Georgiana whispered and giggled when Elizabeth nodded.

“Miss Bingley . . .  I met her this summer when she visited with your future brother.”  Susan shook her head and picked up one of the gowns, holding it up to herself for a wistful moment and then laying it back down.  “Now that is a woman in need of a new modiste!”

Elizabeth’s burst of laughter naturally led to her telling the story of Caroline’s dressing down by Lady Catherine.  By the time she was finished, the three ladies were hugging themselves from laughing so much.  “Oh dear.”  Elizabeth wiped her eyes.  “I have not laughed so hard in . . . well since last night, but that was for another reason.”

“What made you laugh then?”  Georgiana found a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.

“Your brother was entirely too silly last night.”  She took a breath and seeing Susan’s knowing smile, regained control of herself and waved her hand over the bed.  “Speaking of your brother, he is the one to thank for this.  I have never liked shopping all that much, but now that I have this pin money, I have discovered the joy of buying things for others.  Before they had to just suffer with whatever I was able to make.”

“I am sure those things were greatly appreciated, Elizabeth.  And very well done.”  Susan said kindly.

“I will ask Fitzwilliam to model the breeches I made at Georgiana’s age.  In fact, I would like to see them again myself!”  Her eyes dancing, she turned to her sister.   “Do you think there is an abandoned periwig about the house?”

Susan smiled, “A periwig?   Well there is Harding’s . . .”

“Oh no, I could not use his . . .” Blushing, she smoothed her dress with her palms.  “Forgive me; I am being just as silly as Will.  I will blame Aunt Catherine’s antics and will speak nothing more of it.”

“I could not ever think of Aunt Catherine performing antics.”  Georgiana giggled.  “She scares me.”

“Me, too.”  Susan and Elizabeth said together.

“But never let her see that.”  Elizabeth shook her finger significantly.  “Else she will lose all respect for you.  I have to ask, is there something about Matlock that creates such forceful women?  My goodness, Aunt Catherine and Aunt Grace in the same room was absolutely exhausting!”

Susan laughed.  “I cannot remember the last time I experienced that, oh it must have been when Anne was still living and we were together for Christmas in London.  What did they do?” 

“Well, they were pushing their children together, is what it boiled down to.”  Elizabeth’s merriment faded and she put the lid on the empty dress box.  “Albert was very distant from everyone in the room; he had such a cloud over him.  Fitzwilliam never expressed it directly, but he was not happy to be going.  He still does not forgive his cousin for his behaviour towards me . . . but he went to support Richard, and to see the family since it will be so long before that happens again; and . . . just made sure that Albert kept well away from me.”  She shrugged.  “I did not think he had anything to fear.  The viscount is a different man from the one I met at Christmas.” 

“It sounds as if his recovery resembles Harding’s.”  Susan said softly.

“Lord Matlock kept well out of it, just watching from the periphery and poor Richard was beside himself.  He does not like this one bit.  He wants his brother to make his own choices, and live a long healthy life, however it is achieved.” She paused and thought of the colonel visibly taking on the burden of his family. 

“And how were Albert and Anne with the plan?”

Elizabeth woke from her reverie, “Anne barely spared Albert a glance, she seemed so determined to stare at Fitzwilliam and glare at me.  Her mother might have come to peace with our marriage, but Anne most definitely has not.  I doubt that she will ever like me.  Perhaps it was Albert’s silence that drew her attention back to Fitzwilliam, he is . . . so determined to not waste a moment.”  She smiled down to her hands and smoothed her skirt again. “Now that he is feeling better, he seems to have embraced life with both arms.”   

“He certainly made that clear with your entrance yesterday.”  Susan laughed.

“He was terribly sore a few hours later.”  Elizabeth looked at her and shook her head.  “But he said that he would do it all over again.  I cannot imagine him married to Anne.  She seems so cold.”

“You have to remember, she was raised solely with the idea of him being her husband.”

“Yes, but now that the marriage is accomplished, what good does it do her to continue this way?  She was practically gleeful with the thought of being a countess one day.  But then she did not pay Albert much mind.”

“Because that marriage is guaranteed, is it not?”

“I do not know.  Not if Richard has any say in it.  Maybe we were just too much of a distraction and it would have been better with us not attending.” 

 “I am so glad that Fitzwilliam did not marry her, Elizabeth.”  Georgiana hugged her and letting go, she picked up a new bonnet and went to the chamber door.  “I am going to tell him that and thank him for the beautiful gowns.”

“He would love that, Georgiana.  It will make him so happy.”  The two women watched her go and looking at each other they sighed.  “Do you think that she really understands what is to come or is she still denying everything?”

“Sometimes I think that she is quite mature, and sometimes I think that she wishes she could turn back the clock.  She asked Harding why he has not chastised her as everyone else has yet.  And she said how ashamed she was with everything . . . That is when he mentioned taking her to Scotland in your stead.”  Elizabeth’s eyes expressed her surprise with her sister and Susan’s head shook.  “I do not know what to make of him anymore.  He is recovering and I know that this is a delicate time for him.  I am terrified whenever he goes out alone, what he might do, if he might become so depressed that he might harm himself.”  She wiped her eyes and Elizabeth hugged her.  “I am sorry; I should not be burdening you with my troubles.”

“No, no, I want to hear them . . .  You need to have someone to confide in as much as I do.  You have been such a help to me already.”  Looking back to the door she leaned in and whispered.  “Fitzwilliam is as you predicted, worried about the baby in our lives, and his place in my heart.”

Susan’s hand went to her breast.  “Oh my, that was bothering him in London and he was not even here to see his sister increasing?”

“I did not expect it so soon, either.  It just tells me how deeply it concerns him.  I am grateful that you and I talked and I was somewhat prepared to reassure him.”  Susan took her hand and Elizabeth closed her eyes.  “Oh, what will he do when the baby comes?  He is trying so hard to be positive, but I know that it is because we have no choice.”

Susan bit her lip.  “I have not been brave enough to ask about taking the baby since Harding was so vehement before, but . . . he is so different now.”  She sat down on the bed.   “I have always thought it would be the perfect solution.  But the subject of children is so incredibly difficult with us.”

“I cannot see Fitzwilliam giving up his responsibility to Georgiana or this baby in any way.  We
will
be going to Scotland, and we
will
be raising the baby.”  Elizabeth looked at Susan.  “And I will
not
lose this new happy man.”

“WELL, PRITCHARD?  How is my brother doing?”  Richard asked the man assigned as the viscount’s minder.  “Any improvements?”

“He is quite lethargic, sir.  But there is little we can do to alleviate the depression,” the doctor said thoughtfully. 

“That is obvious since the treatment is the drug that got him into this predicament in the first place.”

“Exercise may help . . .”

“Oh, so let us leave the country house with miles of open land and bring him to London, where if the congestion does not kill you, the fog will!”  Richard paced the room and turned to him.  “What are you going to do with him now that he is here?”

“I am going to encourage him to embrace this opportunity that presents itself to him.”  Pritchard said in response to Richard’s disbelieving stare.  “Quite frankly sir, I feel that a good home life and the goals that come with marriage would give him new purpose.  He would no longer be left to while away his hours in dens of inequity, but to return to his wife, possibly begin his family . . .”