The Bennets were the first to arrive. Mr. Darcy had sent a carriage for them a fortnight earlier, along with a pouch of money to pay for the journey, and evidently they had not delayed in starting out.
Humboldt, Pemberley’s butler, informed his mistress the moment a carriage was sighted; Elizabeth, not one to sit in state in the drawing room, rushed out to the front of the house.
“Lizzy, Lizzy!” Lydia all but fell out of the carriage in her eagerness. Then she stopped, her mouth falling open. “Why, you live in a palace!”
Kitty tumbled after her. “Oh, Lord, she does! Maria will never believe this!” Both girls stood and stared at the house.
Mr. Bennet then emerged, looking quite weary, and he handed his wife out. Mrs. Bennet, too, had to gape at the house for a moment before allowing Elizabeth to greet her.
“Come in, all of you!” she said. “Your rooms are ready for you, and there will be refreshments waiting as soon as you are ready.”
Mrs. Reynolds was on hand to greet the new mistress’ family. If she was shocked at the behaviour of the younger sisters, she gave no sign of it; like the rest of the house servants, she was delighted with the new mistress and would not do anything to injure her. She led the Bennets to their rooms, listening with a wide smile as they gaped at the size of thehouse, the artwork on the walls, and – finally – the luxury of the rooms they had been assigned. She introduced a footman who was waiting nearby, and instructed him to lead the Bennets to the family drawing room when they were ready.
When the Bennets appeared in the family drawing room, Mr. Darcy and Georgiana greeted them warmly. Elizabeth rang for refreshments, and tried to answer the barrage of questions that were fired at her.
“How many rooms does this house have, Lizzy?”
“Mama, I believe there are just over one hundred rooms.”
“Goodness! Do you use them all?” Lydia demanded.
“No; a good many of them are closed most of the year. For this party, though, many of the bedrooms that are usually closed have been opened and aired out.”
“How many dining rooms?” This was Mrs. Bennet again.
“There is the family breakfast room, the larger breakfast room, the largest breakfast room, the small family dining room, then one that seats twenty, another that seats… Georgiana?”
“Fifty,” she said.
“Good heavens!” Mrs. Bennet sat back in her seat. “Wait until Lady Lucas hears this!”
“I believe Pemberley is a good deal larger than the Matlock estate,” Elizabeth said. “But perhaps it would be best not to bring this up.”
“Not bring it up?? Lord, Lizzy, all I do is listen to her talk about the Viscountess this and the Viscountess that! Not that I mean anything against Charlotte, of course,” Mrs. Bennet added hastily. “Only that it does get rather wearying, you know.”
“Doubtless she felt the same when you spoke of Jane’s beauty,” Elizabeth said, dryly. “But, Papa, you must see the library!”
Mr. Bennet stood up at once. “Good,” he said. “I have not come all this way to talk about dining rooms, you know.”
Elizabeth glanced at her husband, who understood at once. “Come, Bennet,” he said. “Allow me to show you the collection.”
***
That was only the beginning. Mr. and Mrs. Collins arrived soon after, also in a carriage sent for them by Mr. Darcy, and they too expressed their astonishment at Pemberley’s size and beauty, and Mrs. Reynolds was pressed into service to give another tour, with Lydia attending again.
When the Bingleys and Hursts arrived, Lydia insisted on being the one to lead the tour for Jane, as she had attended two tours and asked any number of questions, so she felt eminently qualified to do so.
Then Lydia was pressed into service yet again, when the Gardiners arrived. Mrs. Gardiner was delighted to finally be allowed not just toseethe grand estate, but to actually be a guest there!
A good-natured Mr. Bingley joined his wife on the tour, though the Hursts and Miss Bingley, having been to Pemberley several times in the past, went at once to their rooms.
***
The next day brought the Matlocks with Anne de Bourgh, the Fitzwilliams, and – surprise! – Lady Catherine. Mr. Darcy had invited her without the least suspicion that she would actually attend.
But there was yet another surprise in store, for that very afternoon, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam rode up on his stallion, tossed the reins to the stable boy, and breezed past Humboldt to stride into the drawing room.
Lady Matlock nearly fainted away, but her second son caught her up in his arms and said, laughing, “Mother! I wouldnot have surprised you, had I thought it would kill you on the spot!”
