Page 56 of New World Tea Company
“And I am doing things differently.” This time, there was a stern tone in his voice.
“But Old Mr Darcy insisted on the summer visits!” declared Mrs Reynolds.
Now, Fitzwilliam Darcy stood and addressed the housekeeper sternly, “Mrs Reynolds, my father has been dead for seven years. Have you not noticed that I am not he? I do not bring a mistress into my family home. I do not order the servants to lie about such arrangements.”
The woman tried to justify the deception saying, “We tried to protect you, sir.”
Darcy frowned and explained, “Then you should have cut the tongue from George Wickham’s head. As soon as he joined me at school, Wickham made certain I heard every detail of Mrs Cleary’s residence in my mother’s rooms at Pemberley. As soon as I left each year for school, she moved in. I knew that her bastard son was born in the same room where my sister and I were born.”
The servants blushed as the master of Pemberley continued speaking, “George congratulated me on having a new brother when someone sent him the news in a letter. Everyone in Lambton was aware of Mrs Cleary’s presence in Pemberley.”
“And I remain disappointed that neither of you discussed this matter with me after I inherited Pemberley. I learned later that my mother’s belongings were used by my father’s woman.”
“The rooms were cleaned per your instructions, sir,” the housekeeper replied, thinking of the bare walls in the rooms once used by the master and mistress. Young Mr Darcy had ordered the furniture removed from both sets of rooms and had the walls stripped of their wallpaper. The rich draperies were used to make clothing for children in the tenant farms. The carpets were used in guest rooms on different parts of the house. In both sets of adjoining rooms, dark curtains covered the windows.
Chesterfield asked, “Mr Darcy, did some member of the staff gossip about Mrs Cleary using the rooms?”
“No, but when I could not locate several pieces of my mother’s jewellery and several pieces of the Darcy family jewellery, my secretary explained what had occurred. He wrote letters to the woman and demanded the return of my mother’s jewellery, but the Darcy jewels are lost. My father could grant those items to his mistress.”
“Old Mr Darcy was adamant that we allow Mrs Cleary free use of the house,” Mr Chesterfield explained.
“I understand, but you should never assume that I shall be the same man as my father,” Darcy insisted. The housekeeper looked away and curtseyed before leaving the man’s office. Mr Chesterfield remained a moment longer to hear Mr Darcy’s requirements for the evening.
Fitzwilliam’s mind was in disarray after the unpleasant interview with the butler and housekeeper. To relieve his distress, Darcy walked through the halls of his manor house–he remembered running along the long hallway as a child.
‘Will my children play here someday? Shall I walk with my wife along these halls?’he wondered.‘My wife…’
Only a single vision of a young lady came to his mind. The only face that appeared was the young woman with dark eyes glittering with life and excitement when they discussed a book, dancing, or tea.
~~~
During the same week, Louisa Hurst spoke to her sister about marriage prospects in the coming year among the eligible men in London society. Louisa was blunt and to the point, “Caroline, you are a beautiful woman, but there will be many young women introduced to the queen when the season begins. You are five-and-twenty!”
Hissing, Caroline refused to allow her sister to say those words aloud, “Sister, do not say such. Mr Darcy will never ask for my hand if he thinks I am old and wrinkled.”
“Wrinkled? At five-and-twenty? Caroline, Mr Darcy will not ask for your hand this summer or any other season.” Louisa asked, “Why cannot some other man be your husband? You must know Mr Darcy would never be amenable to your wishes for a constant stream of parties and reviews.”
Caroline replied, “Darcy has lovely homes, and his wife will have unlimited monies for gowns and parties.”
“But the man spends his winter in Derbyshire and does not entertain,” pointed out Louisa. “He never goes to Bath to attend the glittering parties you wish to haunt.”
“If I were his wife, he would allow me to do as I please,” Caroline said without a great deal of conviction in her voice.
“Caroline, Charles learned that you were too spoiled, and he limits your allowance very carefully now. You no longer do as you please. Why would you think Mr Darcy would allow you to do as you please?”
Caroline remained silent as Louisa continued, “The man avoids you. Did you not notice Darcy turned his carriage in the opposite direction of London when he learned that you planned to return to the city?”
Embarrassed, Caroline Bingley asked, “What do you suggest?”
“There are several gentlemen at Geoffrey’s club in the city who need wives to manage their households. They are respectable men with children away from home at school, and they enjoy the season.”
“From the side lines!” argued Caroline. “None of them attends the grandest parties or reviews.”
Louisa frowned and counter-argued, “Neither do the old maids who live in quiet rooms above stairs or rented rooms in the homes where the persons never attend any party or review.”
Displeased with this conversation, Caroline remained silent for a time, until Louisa ventured to say, “We are invited to a family dinner this week with a suitable gentleman in attendance. Make yourself pleasant with him and speak about his home and family.”
~~~
