Three high pitched squeals had Mr. Bennet covering his ears. “Good luck to you Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Greaves, niece. Longbourn will be blessedly quiet for another month.”
Mr. Bennet and his three eldest left the next day for the journey back to their home. Beth was disappointed her cousin William still had not met the Bennets, but she was sure he and his cousin would return with her carriage soon.
It was an idyllic week of spending time on the beach, painting watercolors, speaking in conversational French, and walking the promenade before two carriages arrived at Rock House. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam exited out of Beth’s carriage, while Darcy’s valet and Ratcliff exited the small travel carriage. The denizens of Rock House had all just dressed for supper and had come down to a meal on the terrace when the two gentlemen were ushered in by the butler.
“Brother! Cousin!” Gigi ran to them both and threw herself in her brother’s arms first and then Richard’s. “I am so glad you are here! How are you? How is Pemberley? Did Theo return to Rosemont?”
“Slow down, my dear. We are both covered in road dust and have not greeted anyone else.” William smiled fondly at his sister andthen turned a wary face to the girls he did not know. “And you have not introduced me to your friends.”
Lydia had seen the kind look he gave his sister, and then the wary look he had given her and Kitty. It had taken some time, but Lydia was finally feeling some of the ease and joy of life coming to her. She had spent so many years feeling betrayed and unhappy, that she recognized something in Gigi’s brother.Hehad been betrayed.Hewas unhappy with life. The haughty look that had slipped over his face looked like a mask. She knew all about masks.
“Oh! Of course, brother. Let me introduce my friends, Miss Catherine Bennet and Miss Lydia Bennet, and their governess Mrs. Greaves. You know everyone else. Mrs. Greaves, Kitty, Lydia, my brother Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
Curtsies and bows were performed and the butler returned to show the gentlemen to the rooms that had been prepared for them. John was just coming down the stairs and gave a hearty shake to the gentlemen’s hands. Both men liked John Smith very much. “I hope you plan to give me a thorough report on what happened here, John. I should have been here to protect my sister, but knowing you were here eased my mind.”
“I will be happy to tell you everything. Miss Darcy was never in danger. The twins could have handled everything.”
Supper on the terrace was convivial. Miss Kitty was effervescent and lively. Miss Lydia was quieter and watchful of Darcy. Apparently, she had spent enough time around the Colonel to be talkative, but when Darcy turned his eyes her way, she became silent again. After supper, she seemed to giggle with Gigi fairly often. Darcy wondered if she was just shy. She was not out, after all.
“So sister, what shall we do for the rest of summer?”
There started a lively conversation that lasted late into the evening when the stars came out. There was three more weeks to their summer holiday, and Gigi wanted to take her brother to see everything she had seen. Richard would stay just one more day before returning to London and the Horse Guard. He would try to join them all again at Christmas.
Darcy enjoyed the lazy days of summer getting to know his cousin Elizabeth much better, and their friendship grew by leaps and bounds. Having a female relative, close in age, who seemed to understand him so well was a relief to William. He found he could talk to her about almost any subject…even the ones he did not think appropriate for a man to discuss with a lady. Beth explained that, growing up with a brother, made her uniquely able to get under his skin and comprehend what his worries were. Beth had watched her brother in his first throws of infatuation and watched him struggle with adolescents and trying to grow friendships outside of where he was comfortable. She made a game of reading his face and guessing what he was thinking. William was hauntingly similar to Ethan in his expression and movements. Beth could tell when he was uncomfortable, fatigued, amused, annoyed, being arrogant and prideful. She did not see much of the last two during the languid summer days, but when they strolled into town, he would pull himself up and was always ready to show disdain to anyone who tried to approach. She had to admonish him several times.
“You haven’t really spoken of your other female cousin, Marie. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
“She is not like you. Marie is…prickly. She was a sweet little girl, but then she went away to a very highly rated finishing school. She came back with a very sharp wit and teasing attitude.”
“Did anyone ask her what had happened to her at school?!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, were the other girls mean to her? Who taught her to behave that way? Why would a sweet girl go off to school and come back sharp and teasing? A peach does not turn into a crab apple for no reason William.”
“I…I would assume her mother talked to her.”
“She may have needed someone closer to her own age to talk to. Gigi is still a bit young. She has no other female cousins?”
“Just Anne. She is sickly and has rarely left Rosings.” Will frowned and looked out at the ocean for a long time. “I think I owe my cousin an apology.”
Beth slapped him on the arm. “Quite likely! You are rather thick skulled.”
William just smirked at her, and they changed the subject while enjoying their last few days of quiet and relaxation. It would be harvest soon.
Chapter Twenty-six
Mr. Bennet sent his carriage to retrieve Mrs. Greaves and his two daughters. With it came letters from Ethan Darcy. He had received the letter from Beth of her arrival in London and the other after meeting their Darcy cousins. At that time, she still had not met her Bennet cousins in person but informed him of her plans and their directions. Although he did not know where his sister would be at the time, he had figured the Bennet’s would forward any letters for him. He included in his packet a letter to Fitzwilliam Darcy:
Dear Cousin Darcy,
I regret I was not with my sister when meeting you. In her letter, she informed me that we are rather alike and obviously of the same family heritage. I hope I can travel in the next year or two to meet you.
Please cousin, watch out for my sister. She is intrepid and bold and sometimes sticks her foot in it. She is all I have left. Well, that is not true since we also have you and your sister. As onebrother to another, I ask that you care for her while she is in England.
As much as I miss her, please encourage her to stay until next spring. I would not have her sailing during the winter months. I hope to have things well in hand at Rolling Meadows by spring and maybe can sail to England myself to retrieve her.
My thanks in advance,
