Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (80 page)

“But surely, he of all people understands thoroughly what the laws of entailment are.  How can he carry resentment for Uncle George’s good fortune?  And mind you, Mother, the better I know Darcy, the happier I am
not
to be in his shoes.”

“I know, dear.”  She chose her words carefully.  “But your father grew up knowing every day that none of this was his.”  She smiled at him and shrugged as her eyes brightened.  “I wish you could remember him before your brothers and sisters died.  He was such a lovely man.  He still is.” 

“Mother . . .”  Samuel paused and then shook his head.  “Never mind.”

“No, no, tell me.  We at last have the luxury of speaking in person.”  She took his hand and squeezed.  “What do you have on your mind?”

“Is . . .”  He stared down into his cup.  “Is Father . . . ill?”  Looking up he saw her brow crease.  “He has debilitating headaches, did you know?”

“No.”  Susan whispered.  “He has not told me.”  She fell into thought and Samuel watched, trying to read the emotions that were displayed in her eyes.

“I am sorry for telling you.  You do not need more to worry over.  It has been hard enough for you with Georgiana . . .”

Susan started and pasted a smile on her face.  “I am glad to have been here for her, and hopefully with time she will accept Elizabeth.  She is a sweet woman, and so good for Fitzwilliam.”  Susan noticed him smiling.  “You like her.”

“Very much.”  He nodded.  “I do not feel nervous around her, she puts me at ease, and I know she works her magic on William.  I have never seen such levity in him.”

“Yes, I noticed that when he carried her into the house.”  Susan smiled.

“He did not!”  Samuel laughed and sat back in his chair.  “Lucky man.” 

“You will find your lady one day, dear.”

“Father was nearly begging me to reconsider marrying Georgiana.”  He sighed.  “I want what my cousin has found.  But I promised him I would consider her while I visited.  He seemed tremendously relieved.”

“Did you lie?” 

“No, Mother.  I have not seen my cousin since last summer.  I will do as I promised for Father, but . . . only because I promised.  What do you think I will conclude?” 

“I know what I hope you will conclude, dear.”  Susan squeezed his hand.  “But I will leave you to decide.”

RICHARD ADJUSTED HIS COAT and brandishing his riding crop like a sword, waved it in the air, parrying with the portrait of a man in uniform, one he vaguely recalled was a great uncle of Darcy’s killed in some skirmish in America, or maybe it was India?  Some colony or other.  He considered the proud stance of the man and soberly wondered if he too would be reduced to being nothing more than a slight memory to a future occupant of Matlock.  His mood dampened, he walked down the stairs slowly, and thought of his brother.  He looked thin but well enough, from a distance you would hardly know anything was wrong, but his behaviour following dinner gave everything away to his sharp-eyed sibling and cousin. 

From the time Richard and Darcy had turned their backs to speak quietly of Georgiana, Gladney had changed from being bored and dissatisfied with all he saw to behaving with excessive charm.  And the size of his pupils gave away the telltale signal that his enlightenment did not come from the fine port Darcy served, but rather from the ever present powder that was stowed in his snuff box.  “All in pursuit of a stronger cock.”  Richard snorted, and could not imagine inhaling poison to enhance his virility.  “No matter how good it makes you feel.”  Pausing for a moment, he remembered an evening spent in a brothel somewhere in France with a group of comrades and some opium . . . then shaking his head with a smile, he continued on.  “I am sure that the experience was exceptional at the time, but if you cannot remember it, what is the point?” 

It was early, but his father and brother would be along soon to join him and Darcy, and hopefully Samuel, on their planned fox hunt.  He looked around expecting to spot the master of the house; he was always up and about early.  “Well, the old master would be, but the wedded one . . .
You
have no need for false courage like my brother does, I am sure!  I should have pilfered a few more of those condoms . . .”  He laughed and looked behind him, and seeing only servants, coughed and continued his stroll down one of the many hallways, taking a tour of the home.  Eventually his wandering returned him to the front of the house and he was just going to enter the library to wait for everyone when he heard the unmistakable sound of Darcy cursing.  Curious, he walked along the corridor, listening for more, and at last came to the open door of a small parlour located adjacent to Darcy’s study.  Standing in the centre of the room his cousin was staring at a portrait on the wall. 

“Bastard!”  He growled.

“Who has earned that title so early in the morning?”  Richard asked and was taken aback by the venomous look he received.  “Dim that glare, man!”  He held up his hand.  “I will be reduced to a pile of ash if the fire in your eyes held any more heat!  What is it?” 

“See for yourself.”  Darcy waved his hand at the wall and turned away to go stare out of the window.  Richard watched him then turned his attention to the portraits.  “Do you see it?  Georgiana comes here to cry.”

“Cry?”  He examined each face and jumped.   “Wickham!  Why the devil is that hanging here like some trophy?”

“I forgot about it.”  Richard turned to stare.  “Well, I have not been here for months!  In any case, I never come in here; it is  . . . I have not had a thing touched in here since Father died.  And there
that
is.  Mocking me more now than it did when Father hung it for a reason that eludes me to this day.” 

“Well . . .” Richard strode forward and took down the portrait.  “Burn the damn thing!”

Darcy spun and nodded vehemently.  “Exactly!  That is what I wanted to do last night, but Elizabeth said no.”

“Elizabeth?  Must I remind you that you are master?”  Richard ignored Darcy’s snarl and knelt down before the hearth, pulling out the makings of a fire from the supplies kept in the empty grate.  “What does she want to do, build a shrine to him?”

“No.  Of course not.”  Darcy knelt and handed him coals from the bucket.  “She thinks that Georgiana should be asked . . .”

“Georgiana?  Her judgement is hardly sound.”  Richard snorted and looked around for the tinder box.  Spotting it on the mantle, he grunted as he stood and snatched it down.  “If she is crying over it for any other reason than what that bastard did to her, I have irrevocably lost all the affection I held for her.”  He picked up his riding crop and slapped it across his palm.  “You should have taken her over your knee long ago and she never would have been tempted by that devil.  Put a good healthy fear in her!  Clearly the church and her schooling did not succeed with it!” 

“I see how well that method worked on your brother.”  Darcy stayed his hand.  “I know you do not mean that, you are letting your helplessness get the best of you, just as I am.”  Richard dropped the riding crop and glared into the fireplace, nodding curtly.  “I have spent the last five years spoiling her to make up for Father’s loss.”

“Spoiling means she can have whatever she wants, but upbringing means that she should have known what she cannot.”  Richard said seriously.  “I will not accept you wallowing in guilt; you have done enough of that already.”

Darcy sighed, “Do you think that she loved him?”

“I do not know.”  He ran his hand through his hair.  “Prying a word out of her last night was challenging enough, what do you think is whirling around in her mind?” 

“I have no idea.  I have expressed my disappointment and anger.  I am not by any means free of it, but I do not know if it will do any good to say more.  I suppose that it all depends on her.”  He looked at the half-built fire and taking another coal, threw it angrily onto the pile.

Richard lowered his voice.  “Has she felt anything?”

“No, I do not believe so.  But your mother noticed something about her.”

“Everyone with eyes noticed something about her.  Her figure is formed, whether from the child or simply from aging.”  He closed his eyes.  “Look out for Father.”

“Why?”  Darcy sat back on his heels.  “He was so quiet last night, even Elizabeth remarked on it.”

“Fitzwilliam Darcy!  What are you doing?”  Elizabeth entered and stood with her hands on her hips.  “What has this cousin of yours convinced you to do?”

Darcy heard Richard’s whispered reference to his manhood and affronted, stood up to tower over her.  “Pardon me?  I do not need prodding from him to make up my mind.”   

“Oh, so you are capable of acting in a precipitous manner all on your own, I see.”  She turned to Richard who had risen with him.  “Forgive me for insulting you.  I see that my husband has chosen to assert his position this morning.”

“I was not insulted.”  Richard smiled and looked between the pair, then offered Darcy the riding crop.  “This works on wives, as well as children.” 

Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open and her wide eyes went from the whip to Darcy.  He stepped towards her and away from Richard.  “You know what you can do with that.”  He said as he approached Elizabeth.  “Dearest, I cannot have this in my home.  I
will
not have it in my home.  You saw what an affect just speaking of it had on me last night.”  His cheeks coloured when he met her eye then looked down at the portrait in his hand.  “I do not know if I will ever physically meet this man again, but I do know that I will not hesitate to express my wrath to him if I do.”

“So you wish to destroy him by proxy?”  Elizabeth moved forward and tugged the miniature from his hand.  “What do you expect to feel in return?  Will it restore Georgiana?  Will it make you feel in control of this circumstance?  Nothing will happen other than you will feel a fleeting moment of satisfaction.  When it is gone, you will see that nothing has changed.  This portrait is a symbol of your pain, but what is it to your sister?”

“That is what I fear knowing.”  Darcy stared at Wickham’s familiar smile.  “I suppose that I wish to destroy this before I find out her opinion.  I will not have it on display, Elizabeth.  I will not.”  He looked into her eyes and spoke seriously.  “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  She glanced at the face in her hand and put it behind her back.  “I will find it a suitable resting place until we can speak to Georgiana about it; however I think that we should refrain until after our guests leave.”  Darcy’s mouth opened and then he nodded.  “If she does not want it then I will gladly build a bonfire with you on the front lawn.”

His lips lifted slightly.  “Shall we dance around it like savages?” 

“How does a savage dance?”  She tilted her head and reached out to take his hand.

“Well,” Richard crossed his arms and leaned back against the fireplace, “it is my understanding that they are unclothed.” 

“Are you still here?”  Darcy muttered and leaned down to kiss Elizabeth.

“Apparently I am invisible.”  He laughed then snapping the riding crop against Darcy’s backside, he laughed again when his cousin jumped and spun to face him.  “I hear Father and my dear brother coming.”

“I will join you momentarily.”  He looked pointedly to the door. 

Richard bowed his head to Elizabeth and headed out.  “It is time that you mount, Cousin.  Your horse, I mean.”  Darcy’s eyes closed and Elizabeth looked at him curiously. 

“What did he mean?”

“We are going riding, remember?”  Darcy said softly and taking the offending miniature from her hand, threw it out of sight before drawing her into his arms. 

“That is not what he meant by mounting.”  She searched his eyes.  “You are blushing.  What else could one mount besides a horse?” 

“Lizzy.” 

“I want to know.  What could embarrass you so?”  Her dark, curious eyes fixed on him. 

Darcy groaned.  “Why, why must you tempt me like this?  Why when I am about to be in a hard saddle bumping against a pommel do you leave me in this condition?”  He glanced down at his breeches and looked at her pointedly.  She gasped and started to laugh.  “To mount, love, think of the education you received at Longbourn amongst the livestock.”  Her brow creased.  Turning her around, he kissed her throat and whispered before nipping her ear.  “Think of how I spoke of wishing to teach you to play billiards when our guests depart.”   His hands moved down her waist to her hips.  “Think of how you must bend to take a shot, and how one must jab purposefully with the stick.”  His voice had grown hoarse and one hand moved to cup her bottom.  With his chin resting on her shoulder, he could feel her breathing hitch and her heart start to pound.  “Would you not enjoy being mounted in such a way, love?”  His deep voice nearly cracked as he pressed and rubbed against her.  “What I would not give to lift your skirt this moment . . .”  Darcy nipped her throat and she gasped. “Would you like that, love?”  His soft lips moved around to her mouth.  “Shall I give you a lesson?” 

“Pardon me.”  Richard cleared his throat.  “Darcy.   DARCY!”  He bellowed and the couple started and broke apart.  “Everyone is waiting.”  He grinned and winking, turned away. 

“Damn.”  Darcy muttered and stared at her ruby red lips. 

“We really need to start closing doors when you are feeling amorous.”  Elizabeth giggled and pursing her lips smiled as she fixed his cravat.

“Who wants to chase a fox in the freezing cold?”  He stopped her efforts by taking her back into his arms.

“Apparently men do.”  Elizabeth settled on his chest.

“Women ride the hunt, too, dearest.  I shall teach you to fly over fences with me.”  His forehead rested on hers.  “And I will teach you how to ride a
very
impressive mount.” 

“DARCY!”  Richard called.

He snarled.  “I hate having company.” 

“At least you get the interesting members of the party.  I am left with three miserable women.  I hope that Susan comes with Samuel.”  Elizabeth smiled and reached up to trace over his cheek.  “Be careful, please.” 

“I promise.  Thank you for making me feel better again.  I am afraid that I will need your gentle ministrations frequently as time goes on.”  He sighed and kissed her smile.  “What will you do?”