Sons and Daughters, page 7
“Yes. Oh my gracious, indeed.”
“Is that what I think…?” Taking the card from him she settled into his lap and read – “You are invited to attend the Chatsworth House Michaelmas Celebration Hart and Hind Hunt…” After studying the rest in silence she handed him back the invitation. “I am astonished. Are you going to attend?”
“We are both invited Lizzy, and I hope we will both attend, if attending is our decision. Perhaps this is something we should discuss.” Lizzy’s father was a gentleman, she was a gentleman’s daughter; however, she was not schooled for the Royal Court and had often made sport of those who were.
“I don’t know, William. These people are at a station even above Aunt Catherine in importance, aren’t they? I wouldn’t know how to behave. What if I embarrass you, pick up the wrong fork, trip over a deer hide or momentarily forget how to address a Royal?”
“Nonsense. You have no idea how perfect you are or how proud of you I am. I have no qualms about your being at my side, Lizzy.” He brought her palm up to kiss. “My unease concerns why we were included at all. It’s true the Duke and I rubbed along well enough during our meeting, but this? For some reason I think there’s something else at play.” He proceeded to explain to her the details of his meetings with Devonshire.
“It would seem they want to influence your decision then. You are becoming an important figure, William, your influence going even beyond Derbyshire. His Grace must realize that. To paraphrase your own words to me, you have no idea how handsome you are or how brilliant. Your name will be very famous one day, I’m sure of it.” Lizzy returned her husband’s kiss. “I say he’s lucky to have you involved with Derbyshire’s interests, probably wants to reward you in some way. Perhaps you will be made a knight and then I can be Lady Lizzy.”
He laughed out loud. “I never before took you for an ambitious wife.”
“Not ambitious, just proud.”
“Well, I suppose I really must attend, mustn’t I? One doesn’t turn down something like this; it’s rather like a command performance.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and she snuggled further down. He settled his chin upon her head. “I attended this event once before, you know; many years ago with my father. It was shortly after our year of mourning following my mother’s death. My father, being the kind of man that he was, brought me along, refusing to leave me home alone. I was the only child in attendance and such a dour looking lad I probably spoiled everyone’s fun. From what little I remember, though, it really was a grand affair.” Darcy turned the invitation over and over in his hands, his thoughts lost in the past. “I often wondered if he had been offended, or heaven forbid, hurt, by their subsequent exclusion of him afterward. Perhaps I see this invitation as a sort of vindication. Fanciful, I know.”
Elizabeth rested her hand upon his chest. It was moments such as these that the tenderness he hid from all but her, hid from the world, touched her heart. “I have always wanted to see Chatsworth House. It is said to be exquisite and easily as large as Kensington Palace. They even say Lord Byron attends. Can you imagine? I could be meeting Byron. Perhaps he’ll perform Don Juan…”
“All seventeen cantos? Good lord, then surely we won’t go.”
“…and I’ll need new clothes for this, of course; gowns, riding habits, hats, boots…” Her eyes were twinkling with mischief.
“Elizabeth, have I ever mentioned to you that I’m not made of money?”
“Frequently. My only concern is that we’ve never both been separated from the children before; this will be very difficult on them.”
“That had crossed my mind.” Darcy knew Elizabeth’s true hesitance would be leaving the children. “What say we ask Amanda and Fitzwilliam to watch them? The cousins will be deliriously happy to be together.”
“For three weeks in that small house? Fitzwilliam will go mad.”
“A relatively short trip for him.” Darcy was laughing outright now. “Besides, it serves him right.” He gave his wife a brief, gentle kiss, and then revisited for a much more thorough one.
“It would be lovely to be alone for a while, just the two of us,” she sighed. “Thank heavens Amanda loves children as dearly as Fitzwilliam loves horses; she’d have a babe a year if it was up to her.”
“Well, the fact that they don’t is apparently not from lack of trying. Good Lord! Remember when we stayed over last month? Those walls at their house are bloody thin…”
Elizabeth laughed as she pressed her hand over her husband’s mouth.
Chapter Ten
“You must kiss my dolly Anne Boleyn, Papa.” Kathy shoved the battered and headless doll toward her father. “She’s not feeling at all the thing.”
“Very well but then go to sleep.” Fitzwilliam first kissed his daughter’s cheek then kissed the foot of the old dolly before tucking both under the covers for the night.
“What about Anne Marie, Papa? Don’t forget to give her a kiss also. She is very lonely for her Mama and Papa – you know they’ve gone away and abandoned her. She’s feeling so badly that she may want us both to have cake for breakfast.”
Fitzwilliam glanced at Darcy’s daughter sleeping soundly beside his own. “Needs cake does she? Well, I’ll see what the new cook can scrape together.”
“Anne Marie may not remember insisting upon cake in the morning so don’t bother asking her. Also, I believe that she wants me to go riding with the boys in the park when you take them there tomorrow. She wants me to ride in front, on the saddle with you, and wishes me to hold the reins.”
“Demanding little wench, isn’t she?”
“Well, it’s because her Mama and Papa have…”
“…abandoned her. Yes, I heard about that.”
“It will lift her spirits considerably.”
“If you go riding?”
“I mean a great deal to her.”
“I see. The only trouble is I was not aware that I’d be taking the boys out riding tomorrow. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“Mama is going to surprise you. I heard her speaking with Uncle Patrick O’Malley and they’ve gotten it all arranged between them. Please act surprised.”
“I certainly will.”
“And don’t forget about the cake.”
Within an hour the children were all asleep, the lamps were turned low, the growing pack of dogs were brought inside after tending to their business in the yard. The new cat, Bonaparte, was escorted outside. Finally, both mother and father Fitzwilliam were retiring to their own chambers for a well deserved rest.
As Amanda walked into their room she began to remove the pins from her hair. “Did I close the window in the boys’ room? Yes, I did.” she mumbled to herself. “It’s so damp and cold, perhaps they need more blankets.” Her husband came up behind her and slipped his strong arms about her waist.
“Are you as exhausted as I?” He snuffled his nose into her neck, his breath tickling her there. “By the way, you smell like tapioca.” He pushed aside her hair and nibbled her earlobe.
“Scoundrel.” Wriggling her bottom against him she smiled. “You most certainly are not exhausted.” She turned to face him, to hold him in her arms. “Do you know now dearly I love you?”
“No more than I love you…and for as long as we both shall live. However much you beg me, though, there will be no frisky play this night. I’ve an early day tomorrow, a dozen meetings straight through the afternoon.”
“I beg your pardon?” Amanda followed him into their bedroom, a worried look on her face. “You have meetings tomorrow? All day? Are you certain? Patrick was here and never said a word.”
“Last minute.” He undid his collar. “The meetings piled one upon another, all out of the blue, all with boring and long winded fellows too.” He turned to admire her in her chemise and winked. “Perhaps I’ll rethink that whole frisky business and have a shave before bed. What do you think of that idea?” He waggled his eyebrows at her and her heart raced. She even blushed.
“Well, if we absolutely must... Here, let me help you.” She reached for a towel as he prepared a bowl of soapy water, then she retrieved the strop for him. Happy and content she leaned her back against the wall and tried not to grin. “You don’t mind if I watch, do you?”
He took the strop from her hand. “Would you obey me if I said no?” He grunted at her narrow eyed look of offence. “All right, just promise to keep very quiet for a few moments. No speaking, no questions, no loud exclamations. I start at my throat and therefore need all my concentration in order to not slice off my head.”
“We’ve had quite a lovely two days, haven’t we?” she blurted suddenly.
“Blast!” he barked.
“Ooh, you silly person you’ve cut yourself. Try and be more careful, will you? The Darcy’s children are so well behaved, especially compared to ours. Of course, that’s not very difficult, is it…? In fact, I truly believe our children behave better when they are with them, don’t you agree?” Without meeting her husband’s eyes she went on quickly. “George and Anne Marie will be here such a short time and we won’t see them again until Christmas. They are such sweet children, and demand so little. ”
It was a moment before she became fully aware that Fitzwilliam was staring at her, one fist leaning on the table and the other on his hip. He was not smiling.
“Amanda, you’re not with child again, are you?”
“No, of course not. Not that I’m aware. Yet. Perhaps. Don’t you want more children?”
He stared at her long and hard then shrugged. “Oh lord, I suppose I do but that’s beside the point.” She had suffered two miscarriages already, their baby Luke was just a year old.
“I wish you’d explain the point then.”
“A woman puts her life at risk each time – you know this. With each child the odds of your having difficulty increases, especially with your advancing age.” When he saw her eyes narrow at that witless remark he cleared his throat and changed course. “What I mean to say is Luke is barely a year old, still on the breast. Dear, even you must admit that this counting of days method for preventing your becoming enceinte is not working very well for us. We need to think of the children we have now; most especially we need to protect you. I don’t know, perhaps we should sleep separately, make things a bit less convenient...”
“Sleep away from each other?” Tears filled her eyes. “After that – well what would be next, Richard? A mistress? I thought you loved me.”
“How in the world can you make that leap of logic? Of all the…I would never take a mistress; I promised you that from the beginning. It’s just that, well, you won’t allow me look after you properly because of your religion.” This was an old and familiar disagreement, often volatile – one that threatened the very heart and privacy of their marriage. He refused to understand her religion and she refused to disobey it.
“Richard, we must leave all that up to God.”
“God and Father Riley.” He continued his shaving with a more agitated gusto. “Dammit, you are with child again, aren’t you? I knew it! You’ve been extremely grumpy in the mornings.”
“I really don’t believe I am; with child I mean. And I am not grumpy.” she said indignantly. “You’ve been ill tempered. How in heavens name did this argument start? Weren’t we speaking of George and Anne Marie Darcy?”
He tried his best not to smile and wondered when she’d begin to hint at her ‘surprise’ for him. “Well, you are right about those two; they are wonderful children. You know, George reminds me so much of his father at that age, a bit more adventurous perhaps but with Darcy’s infuriatingly decent character. He’ll be a truly good man when he grows.”
“You missed a whole area here on your cheek.”
“I’ve barely begun, Amanda!”
She learned forward to kiss his neck. “Well, hurry then.” She yawned behind her hand. “We’re not getting any younger.”
“Then be still for five minutes.” He continued on with his shave and scraped the razor over his cheeks in silence until he was relatively whisker free. He then rested his forearms atop her shoulders, turning his cheek first left then right as she used the towel to wipe the remaining soap from his face.
“Am I now Adonis?”
Smiling impishly she nodded. “You are to me.”
“Excellent. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss because I really do need to leave early tomorrow so if we could get things moving along here…” He began pulling off his shirt.
“Yes, we have something else to discuss!” She knew her husband and could tell he was being deliberately provoking.
“Ah, I see. Enough of this. Amanda, tell me what it is you really want me to do, or tell me what the children did or what they want to do. Better yet, just tell me how much the whole damn thing will cost me.”
“Well, of all the… I don’t know what you mean, Richard, I truly don’t. By the way, the boys would like to go into the park tomorrow and ride their pony carts.”
He tossed his rolled up shirt into the corner. “Absolutely not. Call me overprotective if you like but there is a great deal of activity in Hyde Park this time of year and the boys are all far too young to go riding there with only our groom, Toby.”
“Here’s a thought. You could take time tomorrow, it’s just one day after all, let someone else meet with the long winded gentlemen, and supervise the expedition yourself. Patrick has spoken to the Darcy’s groom and he promised he would be there, plus Harry can keep an eye on things as well.”
“I said ‘no’, evidently you cannot hear.”
“I hear, I’ve evidently chosen to ignore. Now it’s your turn to tell me the truth; Kathy already informed you, didn’t she – about you taking the boys riding? I see, so there really are no meetings tomorrow, none of this is news to you and the boys are already expecting to go. I rarely ask you for anything, do I? Be quiet. Patrick checked your schedule and the next two weeks will be impossible; this is your only time available. So, now, will you or will you not take them to the park?”
“I will.” His mouth was twitching with humor. An exemplary wife, she really never did ask for much and besides, she looked so pretty all aggravated and flushed.
“Splendid.” She kissed his cheek.
“Any other demands?”
“Yes. Finish shaving, if you please, before I forget what we were about to do.”
Chapter Eleven
Darcy and Elizabeth arrived at the outskirts of the Duke of Devonshire’s property shortly before four in the afternoon two days after their departure. Their coach turned onto the long private road but did not arrive at the mansion itself for nearly half an hour. Elizabeth gasped when the building came into view.
It was larger than Pemberley, more grand than Rosings, and very nearly as extravagant as Kensington Palace. As she continued to stare in slack jawed admiration she observed the head butler, the under butler, several footmen, and a few maids scurry down the great stone entranceway and across the courtyard, assembling like soldiers to assist them to their rooms.
“Amazing how you remember things being so much larger when you’re a child…”
Elizabeth pressed her fingers to her mouth to keep from laughing. “Behave yourself.”
The carriage soon stopped and the couple within were assisted down. The butler stepped forward and bowed. “Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, welcome to Chatsworth House. Your rooms have been prepared for you and your valet and maid await you within.” He then turned to his second in command. “I shall show Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to their rooms personally, Joseph.”
The couple was led through a long portico and into the grand foyer. “His Grace desired to greet you himself but is now taking his mandated afternoon rest. Dinner shall be served at eight o’clock and the Duke wishes you and Mrs. Darcy to be his particular guests this evening. Of course, there will be a smaller, more private gathering before dinner in the red parlor at seven. If you like, I shall send a footman to your rooms to escort you to that. Very good. The dressing bell will be rung directly at six. My name is Henderson, Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy. Should you require anything at all please call on me; I have been instructed to extend to you my personal attention.”
“Elizabeth, aren’t you ready yet? It’s after seven and we don’t want to be too late in arriving. Fashionably late is one thing, but if we’re any longer I’ll need to shave again.”
Elizabeth was hidden from his view, her maid Cara applying finishing touches to her hair. When the maid stepped aside Elizabeth stood and turned. “Well? What do you think?”
He was speechless; stunned. He hardly recognized the sophisticated beauty before him – how she had changed over the years from the little country girl he had married! The woman who stood before him now was perfect; loveliness personified.
Elizabeth believed her gown to be very nice, a royal blue color that went well with her dark hair and pale skin. The material was satin and luxuriously soft, with both puffed sleeves and a form fitted bodice intricately embroidered with design of shimmering silver and golden threads, as was the short train of the dress. Her creamy white bosom began to expand and contract as her husband studied her intently.
“Oh, William! You don’t like my dress, do you? I was afraid you wouldn’t approve. It’s a bit extravagant I know but Madame Riche insisted this was the height of fashion and I do love the color, and the fabric. Are you all right, dear? Please say something.”
“You misunderstand my silence, Elizabeth. It’s just, well, I’ve never seen anything or anyone more beautiful in my life.”
Lizzy clasped her hands before her and beamed.
Still trying to recover his wits he motioned to dismiss Cara, who left smiling broadly. “I almost didn’t recognize you, Lizzy.”
“Ah, well.” She laughed. “I don’t know if I should be insulted by that or pleased.”
“Hush. Good lord but you’re pretty. I’ve completely forgotten what I was going to say.”
