Page 22 of Shields and Roses

"I remember something of that event," Rand chuckled. "Those two were in a good bit of trouble with Mrs. Bennet at that time. But what brought up the subject of my preference in biscuits?"

Madeline offered him the plate of lemon-iced biscuits and he took three. "The same story prompted a comment from Mary. She said you enjoyed them during one of your visits and had asked for them a few times since. She hopes to learn how to make them one day so she can present you with a box of them as a gift. She appreciates having you as her godfather and would like you to know it."

Rand nodded. "I do know it. I am very fond of the dear girl and am glad she and Lizzy are so close. With so many girls in the family, Mary could so easily have become neglected. I believe Lizzy makes sure her sister gets the attention she deserves, while Mary provides good company in return."

Edward selected one of each type of biscuit as he replied, "That is very true. Of course, it is my hope that as they get older, all five sisters will come together and support one another. I think Jane and Lizzy would have been very close, despite their differences in personality, had Miss Stanton not driven a wedge between them."

"Which leads us back to my Aunt Catherine yet again," Richard said, brushing a few crumbs that had fallen from his biscuit off his new red coat and into his hand so he could transfer them back to the plate. The other three shared a slightly amused glance at the care he was taking to keep the uniform clean as he said, "By the way, you probably should not mention it at Longbourn, but I think these biscuits might be even better than Mrs. Hill's."

"I am glad you think so. If you would care for them, I will happily send a tin of this bake with you to see you through your first few days of training." Madeline replied.

Smiling brightly, Richard answered, "I have no idea what the regulations are regarding biscuits in the barracks, but I will happily find out if it means I can enjoy more of these."

Richard joined his companions as they laughed at his comment. Viscount Rand took another bite of his lemon-iced biscuit before he said to Madeline, "I appreciate you feeding this poor, starving young man in his hour of need. Do I remember correctly that you come from near Lambton in Derbyshire?"

"Your memory serves you well," she replied. "The Damask family estate is a little to the north and east of Lambton. I understand you have family there as well."

"Yes. My younger sister married George Darcy of Pemberley. Their son is a year younger than Richard."

"Ah, yes, I was loosely acquainted with Lady Anne Darcy. We attended some of the same gatherings after I first came out. Of course, she was a few years older than I and she was already married, so we did not interact as much as we might otherwise have done. She was a very pleasant and kind woman. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. We miss her very much even though several years have passed since her death. Do you maintain your connections in the area, Mrs. Gardiner?"

"Oh, yes," she said with a little smile. "I have quite a bit of family still there. When my nieces are old enough, my mother, her two sisters and my older sister will all help me introduce Jane, Lizzy and the other girls to a much wider circle of acquaintance than they will find if they stay in Meryton. Of course, some of that will be here in London, but I expect they will visit with my family and attend events in Derbyshire as well."

"That will be very helpful," Rand agreed. "If my wife were still with us, she would have helped as well, since it is so difficult for Bennet to travel. I do not think he would be able to manage even a single season in London, let alone one or more for each of them. When the time comes, if you need my contacts to help out any of the girls, let me know."

"Thank you, Viscount Rand. I will keep that in mind." Madeline said.

Richard once again carefully brushed up the biscuit crumbs that had fallen onto his red coat. As he reached for another biscuit, he saw all the others looking at him. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"I do not think anything is, Lieutenant Fitzwilliam," Madeline replied. "I was just noticing that, even though your uniform is clearly very new, it suits you and you suit it as well."

Adjusting the front of his coat a little self-consciously, Richard said, "I hope so. I feel it was always meant for me, although I know my father would rather it was not."

"A parent always worries," Rand said with a smile, "although Mrs. Gardiner is correct. It does look like it belongs on you. I will have to hope you can do your duty without also doing anything reckless that takes you from us."

"I take calculated risks, Father, not wild ones. I will do my best to come home safely while doing my duty at the highest possible level."

"I know, Richard. And now, thanks to the agreement we are making with Mr. Gardiner, you will know you have funds set aside to help you advance your career, come what may." Rand said.

"The agreement will be beneficial to us both," Gardiner added. "I will also gladly serve as a go-between if the two of you need to communicate while maintaining the illusion of disagreement between you or for communication with Bennet. Together we can outfox your sister and her spies."

"That is my hope," Rand said, reaching for another biscuit. "Thank you, Mr. Gardiner."

Chapter 14: Deception

As per her instructions from Bennet, Mrs. Hill closed the study door quietly after letting Viscount Rand into the room. The Master of Longbourn was already standing to greet his friend. As they shook hands, he quietly said, "Welcome, Rand. Even if we will have to pretend otherwise, it is very good to see you."

Rand replied in equally low tones. "I say the same, Bennet. Mrs. Hill had me practically tiptoe in here. I saw Miss Stanton in the music room with the girls, but we were very careful she did not see or hear me."

"Good. If we are quiet, we can talk for a little while before we begin our show. With the door closed I can just hear Lizzy playing her lesson. We will want to start our argument as they shift from Lizzy to Mary. So, tell me how things went in London. Were you able to complete all your business and is Richard settled with his new unit?" Bennet gestured Rand into one of the seats arranged to catch a breeze through the partially opened window.

As Rand sat, he said in what was nearly a whisper, "I have become far too used to these little performances. I wish my older sister had a personality more like our younger sister did. Anne was too kind a person to ever cause the sort of trouble of which Catherine is capable. The work in London did go well, however, and I am certain my older son believes that Richard and I are out of sympathy with each other. Richard even complained to his brother about how he had to rely on his aunt to help him enter his profession because I was too much of a tightwad to assist my younger son myself. It was fun in a way, but also stressful because a little bit of it is true. I do not really want him to be in the military even while I am very proud of him for being willing to serve his country and follow his calling."

"I know what you mean. I am as fond of that young man as I would be of a nephew or son of my own and I feel torn about his choice the same way you do. At least I have the easy role and can offer my support openly. Lizzy could probably sympathize with you even more than I. She has been very careful of her speech and no longer calls him anything other than 'Lieutenant Fitzwilliam' when she speaks of him, which she is doing less and less."

"That is probably wise. I doubt Catherine ever approved of those two so much as knowing one another, let alone being friends."