Page 82 of Shields and Roses

"Oh, you just stay as long as you wish, Sir William," she said pleasantly. "Although I think Charlotte may be sleeping now. When Jane checked on her earlier, Charlotte said she thought she might nod off for a bit. I sent a servant with the cart over to the Lodge for some of her clothes and they arrived a little while ago along with a note from Lady Lucas. She would have come herself, but you had the carriage."

"I am certain she will come tomorrow," Sir William said. "For now, though, I need to go check on my girl." He added softly to Richard, "And if she is awake, I will pass on your regards." With a sly wink, he took the stairs ahead of Bennet, knowing his friend's ascent would be slow.

"Well, once you are settled, Mr. Bennet, just send the Colonel and Mr. Darcy down to keep us company. It is not often I have such handsome young men in my parlor."

"I am sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Bennet," said Richard. "My cousin and I have another errand we must run before dinner. When we come back, however, we will chat with you for a time."

Mrs. Bennet disappeared back into the room, talking happily about how delighted she was to have handsome guests. Darcy heard the younger sisters giggle a little at their mother's comments and realized he still needed to get a message to his uncle about bringing Georgiana for a visit.

"Clever man," whispered Bennet as they began the slow trek up the stairs. "Although I imagine if you had not already had the errand with the horse, you would have thought of something else."

"I love your wife like an aunt, Mr. Bennet – far better than my own aunt, in fact – but a little bit of her conversation goes a long way," Richard whispered back.

"Well, thank you for including me in your errand," Darcy told him. "I am not certain how I would manage sitting with a roomful of women alone."

"I did not want to subject them to your Darcy stare of disdain," Richard joked quietly. "You know you take on the look of a gargoyle when you become uncomfortable in company."

"That is why I usually take you or Bingley along," Darcy replied.

"I am looking forward to meeting this Mr. Bingley," Bennet said, and then winced as he stepped wrong, jarring his shoulder.

"You will like him, Mr. Bennet," Richard said, helping him ease his way to the next step. "And you will have hours of fun teasing him. He is so good-natured it is hard to believe he even has a temper sometimes."

"An ideal son-in-law, then," Bennet joked.

"Well, if you are not going to get me," Richard replied, "you will need someone jovial and fond of a good joke. Will, here, is good for teasing, but he is far too serious to make fun of all the time."

"Thank you for the recommendation, Richard," Darcy said.

Mr. Bennet's steps wove a little as they reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hall to his room. Darcy wondered if it was the pain or the medicine but thought it might be both. A short, stout man met them near the door to Mr. Bennet's room.

"Ah, Hill," Bennet said. "I will need your help, I think."

"Very good, sir. Sir William told my wife you might," the man replied.

Darcy and Richard stepped back as Mr. Hill took over supporting Bennet. "You lads head off and rescue that horse," Bennet told them. "Take all the time you need, so long as you return in time for dinner." He chuckled as he disappeared into his rooms.

"Back stairs," Richard said, pointing to a small door located where the corridor turned. Darcy followed his cousin down the servant stairs, through a few rooms and into the hallway he recognized as leading to the side door. Clearly Richard was taking no chances on being caught by Mrs. Bennet again.

~o~

Dinner was not nearly as difficult as Darcy had feared. Yes, Mrs. Bennet talked a great deal while making very little sense, but she rarely needed more than a few words of encouragement here and there to keep her happy. Richard and Darcy took turns paying attention to her so the other would have the chance to talk with one of the three Bennet daughters present at the meal.

There was great excitement when Darcy told Kitty and Lydia that Mr. Bennet had extended an invitation for Georgiana to come visit for a month or two and that Darcy hoped his uncle would be able to bring her when he came to the wedding. Richard raised an eyebrow in his direction, even as he listened to Mrs. Bennet speak of the flowers she hoped to use for decorations, and Darcy knew he would be in for some teasing over his change of heart later. He did not mind. Kitty and Lydia seemed bright and cheerful girls, not to mention very well-behaved, considering the example they had in their mother. Darcy thought Miss Parks must have been a very diligent and dedicated governess to have so successfully counteracted the influence of Mrs. Bennet.

He remembered Mr. Bennet mentioning that they had learned to play chess, so he challenged each of the younger girls to a game after dinner. He told them he had a few more of the miniature chessboards, like the one in their father's study, at Pemberley and if they each won at least one game against him, he would have Georgiana bring two along with her as prizes. From their responses, he expected he would have a few challenging games that evening.

Instead of separating after dinner, Richard and Darcy borrowed the chessboard from Mr. Bennet's study to supplement the one that already occupied a corner of the parlor. That way, while Darcy played against one of the younger sisters, Richard could play against the other. Mrs. Bennet could not understand the draw of the game, but Jane distracted her with more discussion about the wedding, and the evening passed away swiftly. Darcy only had to overlook one potentially losing move of Kitty's to ensure she won her board, and Lydia won her game with him without any help at all, although she fared less well against Richard.

It was only as he climbed into his bed that Darcy realized how eventful the last few days had been, and how much he had changed in response. Learning the identity of his mystery woman, dining with the Gardiners, defying his aunt, visiting the Bennets, fighting with Wickham and playing chess with young ladies was only a part of what he had experienced and done. He fell asleep wondering what events and changes were to come.

~o~

As was his usual habit, Darcy woke early the next morning. He dressed quietly, wondering about the habits of the house and how soon he could go down for some breakfast. Pulling a chair to the window, he sat and looked out over the well-tended landscape, watching the sunrise and listening to the sounds of the day beginning. Finally, he heard some boards creak in the hallway and thought he might venture out. After checking to make sure he was completely presentable, he quietly headed downstairs.

He was surprised to find Bennet already seated in the breakfast room. "Another early riser," Bennet said by way of greeting.

"Yes, sir. It is a habit of long standing. How do you feel today?" Darcy asked.