Mr. Darcy Takes the Plunge (6 page)

Fleming's family had long ago gained substantial wealth in the manufacture of quality watches and clocks. They had generously donated and installed an ornate new timepiece on the exterior facade of the assembly hall nearest their home in northern Derbyshire, and that clock had become the tock of the town. When the elder Mr. Fleming succumbed to an untimely death the previous year, he left his extensive properties, wealth, and collection of watches and clocks to his only son. The younger Fleming had subsequently spent considerable time winding up the estate.

He was then a single man in possession of a vast fortune and in want of a wife, and it did not take long for the strapping young chap to find a woman of the right calibre. Ellis knew within minutes - nay, seconds - of first watching Georgiana Darcy's face and the precise movements of her hands that she was perfection personified; he was not alarmed by her fiery temper but thought she was rather well adjusted. Georgiana would be the jewel in his crown, their courtship would tick away like clockwork, and they would be happy for the rest of time.

The Bennets settled as best they could in London and were determined to make the most of their time away from the pastoral life they all favoured. Friends and relatives were visited, the youngest children were taken to the park, and the older girls enjoyed expeditions to exhibitions and museums. The family watched acrobats and jugglers on the street and were regular patrons of the opera and theatre.

Miss Edwards, the governess, spoke frequently with her employers regarding her charges, Lydia and Catherine. Mrs. Bennet was, of course, very involved in the daily lives of all her children. Mr. Bennet, to whom the importance of a child's education was a-parent, also insisted on being apprised of his daughters' progress. Therefore, when he was informed both girls were having difficulty with arithmetic, he had a suggestion.

"An abacus might help with their sums, Miss Edwards; though I would not
count
on it." The young governess smiled, thanked him for the recommendation, and waited until she was out of the gentleman's sight before sighing and rolling her eyes heavenward.

Mrs. Palmer, the housekeeper, passing in the hallway, said quietly, "Is Master at it again, Martha?"

Miss Edwards nodded. The two women shook their heads and then went about their daily functions. The family's derivative sense of humour could be a problem at times. All things being equal, the servants realized they were positively fortunate to work in such a cheerful household where voices were more often raised in laughter than in negativity and anger.

One late September afternoon, Jane and Elizabeth excitedly opened a letter from Miss Georgiana Darcy saying her family would finally be in residence at their London townhouse at the very latest by the end of the week. The two eldest Bennet sisters resumed work on their needlepoint projects in the sitting room and discussed the eagerly anticipated arrival of the Darcy family. They did not realize their little brother was behind the sofa, hiding from Alice as he munched on a pilfered biscuit.

Later that same day, Mrs. Bennet perused household accounts and menus while her son played with a spinning top on the floor near her feet.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Robert?"

"Is barberin here?"

"I beg your pardon, dear?"

"Is the barberin here?"

"The barberin?"

He nodded.

"Are you saying barbering, Robert?"

The little boy looked up at her with wide blue eyes, nodded, and then shook his head. Mrs. Bennet put her paperwork aside, lifted her son onto her lap, and said, "Your father's valet is responsible for his barbering, love. So if you are asking about his valet, then, yes, Morris is in the house somewhere. Are you in need of a shave, young man, or perhaps a haircut?" She tickled under his chin and on the back of his neck beneath the blonde curls.

Robert giggled and squirmed, shook his head, and said, "No, no, Mama. The hanson barberin is coming. Libazeth said so."

His mother blinked and repeated, "Elizabeth said 'the hanson barberin is coming.'"

Robert nodded.

"Well, if your sister said so, it must be true, darling. Just the same, perhaps I should confirm the details with her." Mrs. Bennet set Robert back down on the floor, rang for a servant to fetch her second eldest daughter, and glanced through the menus again while she waited.

"You wished to see me, Mama?"

"Lizzy, young Master Robert here has taken it upon himself to inform me of the imminent arrival of 'the hanson barberin.' Pray tell me, is 'the hanson barberin' already here, or do you happen to know its, his, or her expected time of arrival?"

To Mrs. Bennet's surprise, Elizabeth blushed and stammered, "Ah, the handsome ... um ... I mean ... I think ... that is, we ... seem to have a mischievous little eavesdropper in our midst!" She scooped up her brother and cried, "Aha! I have successfully apprehended the spying scoundrel and shall now take him away to be tickled until he confesses!"

Lizzy tried to flee the room, with Robert wriggling and giggling under her arm; but she was halted by her mother's words.

"Just one moment if you please, young lady. I believe we have determined the barberin is handsome; and since Morris could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered attractive, I further deduce we are not speaking of a barbering valet but someone else altogether. How am I doing thus far, Lizzy?"

"Rather well, actually, Mama. I believe Jane and I just might have mentioned, in passing, some triviality about a 'handsome barbarian' earlier today." She scowled at her little brother, who sat on the floor with thumb in mouth. "However, it is of no consequence."

"I see," Mrs. Bennet said. "Be that as it may, when should we expect to have the rather dubious pleasure of this attractive barbarian's presence here?"

"We did not mean to imply he would be coming to our
home
, Mama, but rather to London in general," Lizzy said.

"Shall I alert the authorities of the impending barbaric invasion? Perhaps your friend, the Lieutenant-Colonel, might be interested in such military intelligence."

"Oh, good grief, Mother," Lizzy said, wanting the conversation to come to a rapid end. "Really, it is nothing of importance. Jane and I were just being silly. While at Pemberley ... uh. Well, when we first met ... ah..." Lizzy frowned and held her bottom lip between her teeth.

Mrs. Bennet sighed, rang for a servant to fetch her sensible eldest daughter, and read through the household accounts again while she waited.

When the enchanting story of the handsome barbarian was finally coaxed and coerced from her red-faced daughters, Mrs. Bennet was in possession of the following information:

1. The handsome barbarian had not been alone. There had been a whole horde of four of them.

2. The handsome barbarian was no less than the heir to the illustrious Darcy estate in Derbyshire, meaning there probably was no need to call in the army after all.

3. The handsome barbarian was temporarily in London and her daughters were quite fond of his sisters.

4. The handsome barbarian and his cohorts had been less than appropriately attired in her daughters' presence.

5. The handsome barbarian caused both her daughters, especially Elizabeth, to blush quite profusely; and, last but not least ...

6. The handsome barbarian's proximity meant the city had suddenly become not only more attractive but also infinitely more interesting.

The following week, an invitation arrived for Jane and Elizabeth to dine Wednesday evening at Darcy House. At the appointed time, the two young ladies traveled the short distance in their carriage in the company of Miss Edwards, who would be transported onward for a short visit with her own family in the city. While the Bennet sisters wholeheartedly looked forward to seeing Georgiana and Anna again, they were also somewhat anxious about becoming acquainted with their friends' esteemed parents. One of the sisters, in particular, wondered whether a certain attractive young gentleman might also be in attendance. She had chosen her dress and had her toilette performed with extra care that evening, just in case.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, too, dressed with extra care that evening and nervously paced in front of the drawing room fireplace as he waited for his sisters' guests to arrive. He had tried not to think about the Bennet ladies after their departure from Pemberley. Despite his best efforts, he had been dreaming, both day and night, about one in particular. When he had learned they were invited for dinner, he quickly changed his plans and decided to remain at home that night. It mattered not a groat to him that his withdrawal from the other engagement left its hostess, a duchess, with an unequal number of men and women at her table. He had a more important duty that evening; for he was still ashamed of his deplorable appearance upon first meeting Miss Elizabeth - and her sister, he reminded himself - and simply needed to impress her - and her sister - with his manners, to correct any low opinion the pretty, corky, fascinating young lady - and her sister - might yet have of him. Darcy twisted the signet ring on his pinkie finger and continued to pace.

Miss Darcy fretted over what might possibly go awry while her friends visited, and she was relieved when her well-groomed brother came downstairs properly attired. Georgiana fidgeted and frequently checked the magnificent new mantle clock, a gift to her parents from Ellis Fleming.

Although the Darcy family had not transported its entire menagerie to the city, Dust Bunny, Pug-Nacious, Geoffrey, Chaucer, and Barb Thorne had accompanied their mistresses; and George Darcy's Dalmatians, Rex and Regina, had also made the trip. Georgiana had ensured each pet was safely secured in an area away from the drawing and dining rooms, and servants were assigned to see to the needs and whereabouts of the dogs at all times.

Anna shared her sister's unease and concern; yet she sat quietly, except for the occasional wringing of her hands, and impatiently awaited the arrival of Jane and Elizabeth.

George and Lady Anne Darcy watched their normally composed grown children with amusement and wondered what special qualities the Bennet girls possessed that they were able to cause such anxiety. The gentleman especially observed his son.

A good father, though not an overly affectionate one, George Darcy had instilled in his children pride in their heritage. He had taught Fitzwilliam to be a proper and reserved gentleman, to exercise self-restraint in the expression of emotion, to always keep a stiff upper lip, and display fortitude in the face of adversity. The senior Darcy was a perfectionist, a trait he had passed on to his only son. In addition to instructing him on how to be an exemplary landowner and earn healthy profits, George Darcy also spent considerable time teaching Fitzwilliam to excel at the game of chess, to shoot expertly, and to ride extremely well. Pemberley's Master and heir were no strangers to their tenants and workers; the two gentlemen, so similar in appearance, could often be seen riding shoulder-to-shoulder across the length and breadth of their grand estate.

George had been an only child and upon the demise of his parents had become full of juice. The Darcy ancestral estate earned in excess of PS10,000 per annum, and that income had always been invested wisely. Because of his name, wealth, and good looks, many women were strongly attracted to the magnate; but George Darcy had already set his cap at the lovely Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, one of the Earl of Matlock's two daughters. That young woman was in possession of excellent connections, money, and beauty, in addition to being very accomplished, kind, and intelligent. Before he snared her for marriage, he also, conveniently, fell in love with Lady Anne; however, any displays of affection were strictly confined to private moments between the couple and never in public or in front of the children.