She was brought out of her reverie when her chamber mate, flounced into her room before the rest of the girls returned.“La, why do you look so glum?” the silly girl asked.
“You must be one of the silliest girls in England to ask me that!” Caroline spat out with disdain. She earned herself a hard slap in the face.
“Do not call me silly; that is what my father calls me! I hate it!” Miss Thatcher informed Caroline then with a huff turned and flounced out of the room.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth was in anticipation as the two carriages approached the entrance of Snowhaven. She could not wait to show her brothers and Will how much progress that she had made since they had returned to their educational pursuits. She only used one crutch now as every day it seemed like her muscles were getting stronger.
Andrew was the first out of the lead carriage as he sprinted up the stairs and picked up his sister and twirled her around as her crutch fell to the floor.“My goodness, sprite, you have grown; it is so much harder to pick you up now!” The sprite appellation was one that only Andrew used. He was well pleased to hear the giggle of joy that his sister made as he put her down on the ground. Richard and William arrived on the top step just behind Andrew and both took their chances to hug the young girl. Their three friends stood back in amusement seeing how the petite girl had turned their three friends into little boys.
The Earl and Countess watched in indulgent pleasure as their sons and William forgot protocol to lavish attention on the recovering Lizzy. The Countess suggested that they repair to the drawing room where mayhap her sons would remember to introduce the two friends that they had not met previously. With a sheepish look, Andrew followed his parents as it was his office as oldest to make the introductions. His parents were familiar with the De Melvilles, Rhys-Davies, and the Ashbys, with Reggie working closely with all three patriarchs in the Lords. The connection with the Ashbys was even closer, with the vicar they had recommended universally loved in Hunsford.
William was especially happy to see Lizzy looking almost like her normal self and was pleased to hear that his parents, sister, and brother would arrive on the morrow. He had missed them all but had seen the logic in himself waiting for them at Snowhaven as it would only be one day before he saw them.
Charles Bingley was in awe; he had never seen a castle before, never mind been inside of one. He did not know what to expect when Richard told him that a castle was part of his home, but he had envisaged a drafty old building with crumbling walls and ramparts, certainly not what he saw. The castle portion of the house was well maintained, anything but cold and drafty, and the newer wings of the house had been incorporated seamlessly. Here he was, the son of a tradesman welcomed into the home of a peer of the realm.
It did not take long after he changed from the road for Elizabeth and William to be found ensconced in the library discussing the latest work, a Cowper anthology. Seeing Lizzy sitting close to him, William could not see any physical signs of her trauma except for the scar that was visible on her left arm. It was no longer red and angry as it had been in months past but had become the same colour as her skin and was less noticeable now.
Anne de Bourgh was most pleased to have her cousins with her for the holidays. She had turned twelve in October and was open with all of her cousins and their friends, except for Ian Ashby. She would blush when he talked to her and would only manage monosyllable responses.
By ten the next morning, the Darcy carriages arrived, and William was warmly hugged by all four of his arriving family. He was amazed at how much Alex and Georgie had grown since he saw them last. At almost six, his sister had grown taller and looked like a little lady in the making, and Alex at two and a half had stretched quite a lot and his speech was much more understandable now.
Charles extended an invitation for the Fitzwilliams and the Darcys to join the Bingleys for Easter the next year, which was politely declined as the family would be at Rosings. As the Rhys-Davies and De Melvilles would be joining the party at Rosings, the Countess extended an invitation to the Bingleys to join after she had understood that it would be four, not five, Bingleys in the party if they were to accept. She would never allow the youngest Bingley near her daughter again.
Chapter6
April 1800
The Fitzwilliams and Darcys arrived at Rosings in the last week of March, ahead of the four families that would be joining them and arrive the afternoon on the first day of April, two days ahead of Good Friday, bringing those at the various learning institutions with them.
The first thing that the Fitzwilliam brothers noted when they descended from the carriage was Lizzy running toward them at full speed from the direction of the rose garden, with Anne, Georgiana, and Alex trailing behind her. In a blur of dark tresses and yellow day dress, she launched herself into Richard’s arms. A little under a year since the attack, their Lizzy was fully recovered. William joined the brothers watching in amazement as the whirlwind blew between them talking at high speed.
The Darcy and Fitzwilliam parents smiled as they had purposely withheld the information that Lizzy was fully recovered so that the brothers and William would receive the surprise that they just did. Today was the first time that the three young men were seeing Lizzy since their return to Eton and Cambridge after Twelfth Night.
It was a few days before Georgiana’s sixth birthday that Lizzy had thrown her crutch aside permanently. At first, she had been tentative, as if she were worried that her leg would give out on her, but in a few days her confidence had built to where she allowed herself to run for the first time. Since that day she had not stopped. Now there was only one last hurdle to overcome, to get her back on a horse. As much as she professed her desire to ride, she was obviously reticent around the animals that she loved so dearly.
After she had disposed of her crutch permanently, Reggie and Elaine had gifted Lizzy a Great Dane puppy, who was promptly named Agatha, Aggie for short. The puppy almost never left her side. The now more than six-month-old puppy was nearing two thirds of her impressive full size; she was larger than any of the other dogs that the Fitzwilliams owned. The head gamekeeper at Snowhaven had begun to train Aggie in obedience, but also as a protector for the little lady.
When the carriages arrived, Aggie was being walked by a groom and, when she heard her mistress’gleeful voice, she took off towards the sound before the groom had a chance to grab her leash. William had just hugged Lizzy when he found himself flat on his back looking up at an exceptionally large puppy drooling on his face. Aggie was still learning to identify when her mistress needed protection or not.
“Aggie, off!” Elizabeth instructed and the beast complied and sat down next to her mistress, looking incredibly pleased with herself.“Sorry Will.” Lizzy was contrite as she extended a hand to help him up while the watching party were all trying to hide their amusement and not succeeding very well.“This is Aggie; she is about six months old and is still in training.”
“She is only six months!” William exclaimed as he dusted himself off and used his handkerchief to wipe the slobber from his face.“She will be the size of a pony when she is full grown!”
“I believe you are correct,” his Uncle Reggie agreed,“her parents are both huge, even for this breed. She comes from an estate in Staffordshire, not far from Hilldale, where they breed Great Danes.”
Elizabeth petted William like he was a dog, and he was about to decry her action when he realised that she was showing the beast that he was a friend. Aggie walked up to him, sniffed him, and then licked his hands as she accepted that he was not a danger to her mistress. The Fitzwilliam brothers were vastly amused as the exceptionally large dog inspected William, until it was their turn.
The young men had arrived with the Bingleys and Rhys-Davies’. After everyone had been shown to their chambers and washed and changed their traveling attire, they met back in the drawing room. Martha Bingley requested an audience with Ladies Elaine and Anne. Elaine led them to the mistress’s study where the three sat with the sisters on the settee and Martha on a chair facing them.
“I requested this audience to express my absolute mortification and deepest apology for my behaviour at Pemberley, and in not checking my youngest before she made the vile insults to Lady Elizabeth. It was not long after departing Pemberley that I saw the error of my past ways and vowed to improve and not repeat my follies,” Martha explained with sincere contrition.
Elaine looked at her sister-in-law who nodded imperceptibly.“Your apology is accepted without reservation. Mrs Bingley. There are none of us who have not erred in the past, but we must adopt a philosophy that I learnt many years ago: only remember the past as that remembrance gives you pleasure.”
“So that is why Lizzy always says that,” Lady Anne smiled.
“I thank you for your condescension your Ladyships,” Martha bowed he head to each.“It would be pleasing to me if you would call me Martha.”
