Elizabeth smiled and warmly said, “Mr. Darcy has told me many tales of your devoted service. We shall be the best of friends in time.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” While Mrs. Reynolds was rather more reserved and formal in her reply to Elizabeth than Darcy would have liked, he knew that Elizabeth would charm the old servant in quick order.
Darcy shook hands with the butler, with his steward, and with all the chief servants.
They went up to the house, and every step made Elizabeth seem more lovely. Darcy felt completely happy. “The stairs are marble as you see—” They entered the estate, and Darcy pointed for Elizabeth, “I told you about that painting.”
“It is delightful,” she replied, craning her head and eagerly looking around to see everything. She pulled off her bonnet, and Darcy had a free view of her ears, the lovely curve of her neck, and her dark hair.
He was so proud of her, and he felt as though the servants must see, simply from the way that she looked about, how he had provided them with a superior mistress.
“Shall we do a tour first,” Mrs. Reynolds asked, “or do you all wish to settle into your rooms?”
“Papa Darcy, Papa Darcy,” George said. “Can we go to the nursery! I want to see those toys you said would be there, from when you were a child.”
“Of course,” Darcy smiled at the boy. “Come, come.”
He picked George up and climbed the great staircase, enjoying the difficulty of the exercise, and glorying in how he was able to manage, though he was breathing hard and had to put George down a few steps before the top.
The others followed, Elizabeth carrying Emily.
When they reached the nursery, they found that Sally had already settled in and arranged a selection of the toys for the children to play with. After ten minutes of watching George and Emily run about screaming in delight, Elizabeth suggested that they look over more of the house, as she thought the two children would be happy there for a long time.
Pulled by an impulse that Darcy understood perfectly well, though he refused to explain it to himself in words, he said, “Elizabeth, you must want to look at the master suite first—you must wish to see your rooms beyond everything else.”
“Oh, yes,” Elizabeth replied. She looked at him with dear eyes. “I do wish to see them.”
When they went to the hallway Darcy pointed to Georgiana’s rooms, “Georgie, I imagine you might want to rest and see your own rooms again after such a long time?”
Georgiana looked between Darcy and Elizabeth briefly.
Then Elizabeth cheerfully said to Georgiana, “I dare say your brother can manage to show me our rooms alone.”
Darcy’s sister blinked several times then she smiled at Elizabeth. “But do fetch me before you go to the library, so that I can see how you like it.”
“I would notdreamof admiring your library for the first time without you being able to watch,” Elizabeth replied.
Mrs. Reynolds made a curtsey, seeming to divine Darcy’s preference, and said that she was sure they would wish to refresh themselves in theirrooms together, and that whenever Mrs. Darcy wished to resume the tour, they ought to call for a servant, but no one would bother them until then.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said clearly. “I look forward to it.”
Darcy took Elizabeth’s arm again, and she shuffled close to him as he opened the door to the suite. His hand oddly fumbled with the door handle, finding it difficult to open.
His nose was filled with the scent of her hair and her neck. His stomach felt light.
When they stepped into the room Elizabeth looked around, “Oh, my, how lovely!—I keep saying that, do I not?”
“It is not half so lovely as you.” They looked at each other, and Darcy flushed and looked down.
Elizabeth smiled to herself.
She stepped up to the windows with the curtains kept wide open that allowed a view of the whole park below, the stream running through the trees, the whole of everything.
It was as he’d imagined, seeing her here in his home, looking down from these windows.
He walked up next to her. “The whole of the park was designed so that the perspective would come together at this point.”
“It is almost too much.”
