“I have not visited in some time.”
“Well, I hope your visit is a pleasant one.”
“Pleasant is not quite the term. By the end of tomorrow evening, I will have walked through three parks, read countless fairy tales to the children, and listened to several new recitations. It is not pleasant. It is marvelous.”
He watched the light dance in her eyes and was reminded not for the first time of why he loved her. Why in another life he offered all he had to her, and although she rejected it, he persevered.In this life, I will not make the same mistakes. I will prevail!
Elizabeth’s uncle had returned from his warehouse shortly after their carriage had arrived from Rosings, and Darcy was surprised to have recognized him from business dealings in London in his other life.A reputation of impeccable character, if I remember correctly. And his wife seems such a genteel woman.
Darcy appreciated the subtly raised brow of the woman who was maybe five years his senior as he had bowed and placed a light kiss upon her niece’s gloved hand.
And Elizabeth had turned a lovely shade of pink.He felt himself grinning at the recollection as the carriage carried him across Town toward Grosvenor Square.I did not realizeAnne’s townhouse would be this close to Hyde Park. I wonder if it is near Darcy House?
At that, the carriage made a familiar turn and proceeded to the end of the street before making another familiar turn and stopping before the London home Darcy’s grandfather had purchased as a wedding gift for his grandmother.
He sat stunned as the footman opened the door to the carriage. Darcy forced his limbs to move, and he exited the equipage. He stood stupidly looking up at the façade of his own home when the door opened, and an unknown butler greeted him.
“Mr. Fitzroy. I am Mr. Duncan. Welcome to Darce––excuse me—de Bourgh House. Miss de Bourgh sent an express informing us of your stay. Do come in.”
Darcy took a deep breath, unprepared for the emotions that assaulted him as he entered the foyer. He looked about, surprised to see the familiar décor, the portraits of his mother and father where they had always hung, as well as his grandmother and grandfather Darcy portraits. A never before seen painting of his parents with Georgiana as a child hung where his should be.But it is not.An emptiness filled him, and he followed a footman to his room. As he progressed down the corridor, the jangling of keys behind him made himturn. He gasped at the woman standing before him, mouth gaping like a fish.
“Mr. Darcy!”
“Mrs. Reynolds!”
He had not yet recovered from the shock of seeing the woman he had known since birth standing to greet him here in London as she always had at Pemberley. She stared at him, and he at her, for what seemed hours but had only been seconds before:
“I beg your pardon.Mr. Fitzroy, I presume. Welcome to Darce–– de Bourgh House. Miss de Bourgh has informed us you are to have full access to the house and stables. Dinner will be at six.”She had curtseyed, cast him another quick glance, and scuttled down toward the kitchen as a footman led him to his room.
He watched her go and could do nothing. He was a visitor in his own home, and it rankled him exceedingly. And now, it took considerable force to follow the footman to the guest wing of the house and not proceed directly to the master’s rooms. But this actually suited his purpose, as he could question the servant with impunity.
“This is a beautiful home,” Darcy said to the young man.
“Yes, sir.”
“Have the de Bourghs resided here long?”
“No, sir.”
Not one of the more loquacious servants, is he?“And how long have you been with the family?”
“I was recently brought above stairs after another footman was let go for...after another footman was let go,” he said in the sharp northern accent of Derbyshire. “You will be in the Blue Room, sir. If you need assistance, there’s the bell. Briggs has been assigned as your valet during your stay.”
“Briggs?” Darcy asked in surprise. “Is he no longer residing at Pemberley?”
The young man looked at Darcy quickly, then lowered his eyes as a good servant would. “No, sir. He left Pemberley since it is no longer in the family. Many of the staff have moved to Darce––de Bourgh House since…well…since. Miss de Bourgh has seen fit to put us to work here, but others have moved on, sir.”
“And you are from Pemberley?” Darcy asked, not recognizing the footman from his other life.
“Yes, sir. My family has lived at Pemberley since my grandfather was a lad.”
“And what is your name?”
“Gale, sir. Ranse Gale.”
“Ranse Gale? Why I thought you had gone to the Americas to apprentice with an uncle eight years ago?”I know you did! I gave your father money to help with your passage when you were but twelve years of age.
The young man stopped short and looked at him questioningly. “I do have an uncle who is in America and asked me to apprentice, but our family could not afford the passage.” He began walking again and opened the door. “Here is your room, sir. Briggs will arrive shortly unless I can help you with something else, sir.” And with that, the young man bowed and left the room.
