Pemberley’s revered housekeeper, Mrs. Esther Reynolds, graciously entertained, in her own comfortable private quarters, three genteel ladies, one of middle age and two much younger. Once they had finished their tea and the older women had caught up on all the latest news and gossip, Mrs. Reynolds inquired as to whether her guests would care for a guided tour of the grand estate’s public rooms and its immediate lawns. The visitors had anticipated such an invitation and quickly and eagerly agreed to the scheme. The housekeeper was mightily proud to show to advantage her employers’ excellent taste and elegance, for the rooms were richly furnished and tastefully decorated with the very finest-quality pieces without pretension.
Mrs. Reynolds was highly efficient at her job and had held the esteemed position for the past three and twenty years. As a native of nearby Lambton, the young Esther Bentley had begun work at Pemberley as an upstairs maid. She had even met her husband, Owen Reynolds, at the stately estate when he was but a burly footman; and the loving couple had progressively worked their way up through the ranks of servants to their present important positions of housekeeper and butler.
Both fiercely loyal and protective of Pemberley’s Master, Mistress, and their offspring, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had no complaints about serving the distinguished family; although they could not quite understand the family’s propensity to allow a motley assortment of dogs, rabbits, hedgehogs, and other sundry critters the freedom of the manor. Not that the housekeeper and butler disliked animals, nonetheless, their jobs, and those of their underlings, would be made much easier if the beasties were kept outside where, in their humble opinion, God intended them to live. From the time they had each been in leading strings, the Darcy progeny brought home countless stray and wounded creatures of the furred, feathered, and scaly persuasion; and they had never entirely outgrown performing such rescue missions.
As Mrs. Reynolds guided her dear friend and the two young ladies through Pemberley’s public rooms, she kept a constant and wary eye out for anything flying, slithering, crawling, creeping, hopping, or racing through its corridors, especially the first four categories; and she involuntarily shuddered. When the indoor portion of the tour was nearly complete, Esther Reynolds breathed a sigh of relief that no critter encounters had occurred. Over the years, the housekeeper and her staff had suffered countless unexpected and heart-stopping discoveries of birds, snakes, spiders, turtles, and toads whilst performing their duties. They had learned the hard way that boxes hidden under beds were an especial reason for suspicion and caution.
When the party neared the music salon, it became apparent they would have to bypass that room, as from behind its closed doors came the sound of scales being practiced on the new pianoforte. As they started down the hall to the portrait gallery, the musical training ended, the door opened, and a young lady appeared at the doorway and said over her shoulder, “Do continue, dearest, and I shall return in just a moment. You are progressing well, Anna. I am so very proud of you.” As she exited the room and spotted the others, she rushed forward and exclaimed, “Oh, Mrs. Reynolds, I understood you to be off duty today. Are you conducting a tour?”
An indistinct white shape dashed out of the music room, followed by another blur of fawn and black; the objects skidded across the highly polished hardwood floor of the hallway and ended up in a heap together at the feet of one of the visitors. That astonished young lady gathered her skirts, stepped aside, peered down, and smiled in delight at the two small balls of fur, which proved to be a sweet, silky Maltese and a cute, cuddly Pug.
From the direction of the music salon, a girl’s voice urgently called, “Dust Bunny! Pug-Nacious! Come back here at once, you little scamps!” A pretty young woman of approximately six and ten years appeared in the doorway and looked to the left and then to the right. Upon seeing the assemblage in the hall, her eyes widened, she blushed, and covered her mouth with an elegant hand. “Oh, I am so very sorry. The rapscallions were both sleeping so peacefully until Georgiana left, and then they just suddenly careened across the floor and out the door after her. I should have been attending them, but … ”
“Anna, do not fret, dearest. As you can see, no harm has come to these ladies; and the puppies are fine,” the older girl reassured the younger.
Mrs. Reynolds also stepped in to soothe the girl’s unease and spoke kindly. “Yes, Miss Anna, we were momentarily startled but have come to no injury. The little beasts are relatively harmless, except perhaps to the finish on the floor.” The housekeeper spared a brief scowl for the two canines, which were by then sitting at Georgiana’s feet, staring up at her with rapt adoration. A pretty lady of about twenty years, Miss Darcy had pale blonde hair and lovely azure eyes, whereas Miss Anna had darker blonde hair and captivating eyes of hazel. The sisters were both quite tall and had light but well formed figures.
The senior female servant then began her introductions. “Madeleine, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, please allow me to introduce to you Miss Georgiana Darcy and her younger sister, Miss Anna. I was just about to show you their beautiful portraits in the gallery, but here they are in person.” She smiled lovingly at the girls and then introduced her dear friend, Mrs. Madeleine Gardiner, from London, though formerly of Lambton, and the lady’s nieces, Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, from Hertfordshire. Curtsies and smiles were exchanged, and polite small talk ensued until Mrs. Reynolds suggested she and her guests should continue with their tour.
The kindly housekeeper was pleasantly surprised when Miss Darcy made a suggestion. “Mrs. Reynolds, perhaps you and Mrs. Gardiner would enjoy more time to chat together. In the meantime, Anna and I would be delighted to take a turn in the garden with the Misses Bennet.” Georgiana paused and frowned at the two furry creatures at her feet. “As for these little rascals, I believe they would benefit from a tiring romp outside.”
Agreement was immediate; and bonnets, gloves, and parasols were brought to the four young ladies, while the two older women continued on to the impressive portrait gallery. The Darcy sisters each scooped up a pooch and accompanied the Bennet siblings through the doors and down the front steps. As soon as they were on the garden path, the dogs were released. Miss Darcy explained, “These are my newest pets, Dust Bunny, the Maltese, and Pug-Nacious, obviously the Pug. Mother and Father presented the puppies to me on my twenty-first birthday, several months ago, and I am still endeavouring to train them. Do you have any other siblings or any pets, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth spoke first. “We have no pets, at least none allowed inside our house; but our father raises hounds for hunting, and there are a number of barn cats at Longbourn.”
Jane scolded, “Lizzy, perhaps you should have first mentioned our siblings before alluding to any animals.”
“Oh, of course, yes. There is only one year between Jane and I; however, the rest of us are all spaced about four years apart. We have three younger sisters, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia, and a darling baby brother, who is but three years of age and the pet of our entire family.” Elizabeth smiled fondly and continued, “Our parents waited so long for an heir, I am afraid little Robert Thomas Bennet is quite spoiled by all of us. I understand you ladies have an elder brother.”
Georgiana plucked a plump rose from a bush and replied, “Yes, Fitzwilliam is five years my senior; and Anna is five years my junior, which means I, alas, am the poor, neglected middle child.”
Anna Darcy gasped. “Georgie, you are neither poor nor neglected. Mother and Father dote on us all equally, as you are well aware; although dear Fitzwilliam, being the heir, is held up to very exacting standards and great expectations.”
Jane asked whether their parents and brother were presently at home. Miss Darcy answered, “Mother and Father were called away rather suddenly to take care of an urgent family matter in Kent.” Georgiana furtively rolled eyes at her sister and continued, “But Fitzwilliam is expected later this evening or early tomorrow with a party of his friends.”
Miss Anna added, “It is unfortunate you will most likely not have the opportunity to meet the young men, for they are all quite attractive and dashing. Our cousin, Richard, is an army officer and has earned a rather suspicious nickname. We have heard him referred to as Colonel Stu … ” She had been about to reveal the sobriquet but caught her sister’s disapproving glare and quickly changed the subject. “Um … and I may not be totally impartial; nevertheless, I believe our own brother to be the most handsome of men, as do many of the ladies, both young and old, in Derbyshire and in London. However, Fitzwilliam does not much care for Town society, except for attending the theatre, opera, museums, and art galleries. He prefers the bucolic country life but is still always impeccably dressed and proper, even here at home.”
“Dearest Anna, our guests do not care to hear so many details about our perfectionist brother and please refrain from ever mentioning Richard’s scandalous nickname. But now, Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth, you must tell us about your summer travels. Is this your first visit to Derbyshire, where are you lodging, and how long will you be staying?”
Jane answered, “You have already met our aunt, and we are also here with our Uncle Gardiner. He is in the import-export trade and is conducting business in the area, so our aunt took the opportunity to accompany him in order to visit with some of her dear friends, Mrs. Reynolds being one of them. Lizzy and I were fortunate to be invited along to enjoy the rugged beauty of Derbyshire. It is our very first visit to your breathtaking county. We are staying at the inn at Lambton for two more nights. We will travel home to Longbourn after a brief stop in London.”
“Do you spend much time in the city?”
“Not really, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth replied. “Similar to your brother, although we enjoy the arts and entertainment available in Town, our family also favours the peaceful country life.” She plucked a small stick off the ground and tossed it down the path. The little dogs fetched it and scampered back, side by side, with the twig held between them. Their tails wagged in unison, and the four young ladies laughed at the delightful sight.
“You mentioned Longbourn,” Miss Anna said as she walked carefully between the puppies while they frolicked around her feet and wrestled for the stick. “Is that your family’s estate, Miss Bennet?”
Jane looked down, also taking care not to step upon tiny paws, as she replied, “Yes, it is one of the county’s largest and has been in our family for many generations. Papa is a very attentive landowner and is responsible for a large number of tenants and workers, with the help of our steward. Have you ever been to Hertfordshire?”
“I believe we have passed through after visiting Kent or London, but I regret to say we have never stopped,” Miss Darcy responded.
“Well, now that you have such interesting new acquaintances there, you must promise to visit and not simply pass us by next time,” teased Elizabeth.
In the twinkling of an eye, the four genteel young women were sufficiently comfortable with one another to use first names, chat, and laugh as though they had been friends of some longevity rather than mere acquaintances of an afternoon’s duration. When the beauty and fragrance of the estate’s gardens had been enjoyed to everyone’s satisfaction, they decided to take a leisurely stroll around Pemberley’s manicured lawn toward the river. As they walked, they twirled their parasols and giggled at the antics of Pug-Nacious and Dust Bunny.
Five miles in the distance at the grand estate’s boundary, four overheated young men arrived earlier than expected on horseback and in a cloud of dust. They had been riding hard since mid-morning from the Fleming estate farther north in Derbyshire and, as a result, were uncomfortably sweaty and grimy. Mounts were reined from a canter to a walk upon entering the park, making repartee easier for the chaps.
When the blue-eyed, fair-haired Bingley realized they would soon reach the spot where the house came into view, he exclaimed, “I say, Darcy, I am quite looking forward to soon being able to slake my thirst with several pints of Derbyshire’s finest ale. In fact, I daresay Pemberley’s brewer can attest to producing the best in the kingdom.”
“Really, Bingley? I know your fondness for our barley and hops; all the same, can you honestly boast of having sampled enough brews across the land to be an expert and make such a claim?”
Fitzwilliam, the eldest of the four, spoke up. “Sample is certainly all Bingley can handle, cousin. The chap is entirely in his cups before a third serving.”
Charles Bingley came to his own defense. “Aye, I am not such a seasoned old elbow-crooking imbiber as you, Fitz. I have only ever been half-sprung and, unlike you, certainly never as drunk as a wheelbarrow. Nevertheless, I would always prefer to have good quality ale in my cup before quaffing enough to get me in my cups. I could not abide the swill I am certain you, as a military man, are forced to guzzle. Your love of drink, my friend, is an ale-ment.”
“Enough talk of ale, gentlemen, for my throat is positively parched. Blast this insufferable, sweltering heat!” Ellis Fleming wrenched at his neckcloth and continued, “How much farther until we finally reach your home, Darcy? I am afraid I shall appear at your illustrious parents’ doorstep a sopping dishrag if we have to travel much longer. I had much rather make a good first impression and sincerely hope my accoutrements have preceded me to Pemberley. A good washing-up and fresh clothing are very appealing right now.”
“I am sure your valet has your belongings awaiting you in a guest room, my friend; and you have, in fact, been on Pemberley’s grounds for some time now. My parents are presently not in residence, so you only have to worry about impressing my impressionable younger sisters. But I share your discomfort, Fleming. Hell, ’tis hotter than Hades today.” Fitzwilliam Darcy doffed his hat, wiped his brow with his handkerchief, and gave his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, a challenging look. “Too bad we are no longer carefree youths, for the pond is but another ten minutes afar.”
“Youth is a relative term, Darcy; and I am not yet eight and twenty. As for being carefree, are we not all gentlemen of leisure, or at least on holiday or leave?”
“To the pond, then?”
“To the pond. Charge!”
Pemberley’s heir and his army-officer cousin left their friends in the dust as they galloped off. Bingley and Fleming exchanged grins before urging their horses to follow the others around the bend. The four then veered off and, at a trot, followed a narrow path through the woods; within minutes they emerged into a grassy clearing edging a small lake.
If the gentlemen expected to behold pristine, fresh water, they were certainly disappointed. The lake was partially covered with a film of slimy pea-green scum. Dragonflies and a variety of other insects droned, dipped, and danced above the putrid soup. The four dismayed gentlemen dismounted, saw to the comfort of their horses, and gazed in disgust at the stagnant pond.
“You cannot be serious, Darcy! I can certainly believe it of Fitz. But you, Mr. Meticulous, actually swam here?” Ellis Fleming wrinkled his nose in repugnance and exclaimed, “Well, I, for one, absolutely refuse to submerge my body in that!”
Bingley nodded in agreement. “Ugh! Is that unpleasant odour actually emanating from the water?” He bent his head to take a wary sniff beneath his clammy armpit.
Colonel Fitzwilliam told the two youngest men not to be so fastidious and turned to Darcy. “I do not believe this pond has been tended since we used to swim here years ago, cousin. Nevertheless, are you game?”
“Are you daring me, Richard?”
“Last one in is both a chicken and a rotten egg; and no, I do not know which came first, so do not bother to ask.”
The others watched in amazement and disgust as the cousins quickly divested themselves of hats, cravats, coats, waistcoats, and riding boots in preparation for a plunge into Pemberley’s polluted pond.
The meticulous Fitzwilliam Darcy ensured each and every piece of his clothing was neatly folded – or it may simply have been a delaying tactic – so Richard Fitzwilliam was the first to disrobe down to shirt and breeches. The Colonel dashed toward a small, decrepit wooden pier that extended from the bank several yards into and over the murky water hole. The rickety boards creaked and groaned under his weight as he ran; and with a shout and a running leap, he cannonballed into the middle of the pond. When he surfaced, green slime oozed down his head and dripped back into the lake. He grinned and slicked back his sandy hair while he treaded water. His three companions stood at the water’s edge, arms akimbo, and shook their heads.
“I always knew Fitz was a slimy fellow. Absolute pond scum!”
“Slimeball!”
“Scumbucket!”
Colonel Fitzwilliam paddled toward the others and said, “So happy to be of service to you by way of providing such amoozement. I admit this pool could use a good dredging, but you fellows could use a good … drenching!” He launched a dousing spray of water toward Bingley and Fleming and lunged for his cousin. Darcy realized what Fitz was up to just a moment too late; the hand that clutched his ankle suddenly jerked the young man off balance; and, with an ungentlemanly oath, Pemberley’s distinguished heir was yanked into the muck.
The friends on shore were surprised when Darcy proceeded to the deeper middle instead of rejoining them on clean, dry land. Their algae-covered host shouted to them, “Come, you two blokes. I must have you swim. I hate to see you standing about on the bank in that stupid manner. You had much better swim.”
Colonel Fitz added, “For wat-er you waiting? Just jump in, you rotten-egg chickens.”
Bingley and Fleming looked at one another, shrugged their shoulders, and stripped down as far as propriety dared. If the slime-surfaced water met with the persnickety standards of Fitzwilliam Darcy, then it should certainly be acceptable to them. They raced to the dock and enthusiastically launched themselves into the scummy pond. They surfaced, spitting and sputtering, and pointed and laughed at the goop and gunk adhered to each other’s hair and linen shirts. Ellis Fleming started to fuss again about appearing as a slimy and foul-smelling dishrag in front of Darcy’s siblings. Bingley assured him it would not be a problem; but he suddenly stopped and cried out in alarm, “Bloody hell! What was that?” Bingley frantically tried to see, with wide, panicky eyes, below the lime-green surface. “Good God, Fleming! Something vile just latched onto my foot!”
Fleming floated on his back in a clear patch of water and calmly said, “Probably just vile Fitz again, kicking up a lark.”
“No. Fitzwilliam and Darcy are on the other side, wisely climbing out of this godforsaken hole.”
“Then probably just vile leeches feasting on your blood and sucking you dry.”
“Very funny, Mr. Phlegm-ing.”
“Well, Bingley, duck underwater and detach the nefarious sucker.”
“Swim underwater in this turbid … phlegm? Do not hold your breath, Fleming. Fiend seize it! There it is again!” Bingley began to thrash about and pant. “I am not staying another second in this foul murky soup! Who knows what sinister denizens of the deep reside beneath this scum!” He splashed toward the shore, slipped and slid in the mud, and scrambled up the bank to safety with an anxious Ellis Fleming close on his heels. Firmly entwined around Bingley’s right ankle and trailing behind were several strands of slimy aquatic grass.
The friends spent a few moments drying themselves out in the sun and ribbing Bingley, who insisted he quite easily might have drowned. The four then donned their boots, gathered their belongings and mounts, and squished and squelched their way, on foot, the short distance toward the manor. Two stable boys met them at the edge of the meadow and took the horses. With algae-tinted hair and clinging, revealing shirts and breeches, the sodden, malodorous gentlemen continued across the lawn, on a direct trajectory to four genteel and unsuspecting young ladies.
The gentlemen, for they were still worthy of that distinction even though they did not appear to deserve it at that moment, strode onward, four abreast, and continued to tease Bingley about his hair-raising encounter. The victim, an easy-going chap, took it all in stride. Fleming suggested they should search the shelves of Pemberley’s library for information on plant life so they could identify the lank specimen from the abyss that had latched onto their friend.
Darcy’s smirk belied his serious tone when he said, “I do not believe we would succeed in finding such books, for our family has not recently botany.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam added, “That is a shame, for Bingley will be unable to weed ’em and reap. Fortunately, our friend has his feet firmly planted on the ground and, like a mushroom, he is a fungi.”
The good-natured Charles Bingley shot back, “Fitz, unlike you, grass grows up; and with fronds like you, who needs anemones. I think you should make like a tree and leave.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake,” groaned Ellis Fleming, “enough already!”
“Yes,” Darcy agreed. “Incorrigible punsters should never be incorriged.”
“Darcy, I swear you are behaving just as badly as Fitz and Bingley today. You are, you know, quite a different fellow in public settings, always so perfect and proper and notoriously picksome, with a stiff upper lip and all. I am still trying to recover from the awful shock of seeing you in your current unkempt state. I sincerely hope we can all avoid detection until we have had an opportunity to put our appearances to rights. It would simply not do to be observed as we are now.”
From behind a seven-foot neatly trimmed hedgerow, four very elegant and pretty young women suddenly appeared before the four creatures from the green lagoon. The ladies had their backs to the men while they searched the bushes for the puppies and did not initially notice the swamp savages.
“Bloody hell! Look,” whispered Richard Fitzwilliam as he grabbed his cousin’s arm to halt forward momentum and pointed in the direction of the females.
Darcy glanced toward the hedge and the colour drained from his face. Nonplussed, he frantically swung his head around looking for a place to hide but saw no options for concealment and was brought to point non plus. “Oh God,” he groaned. “They cannot possibly be allowed to see us like this,” he hissed, “and who are those ladies with my sisters?”
The other two men froze in their tracks and Charles Bingley muttered out of the side of his mouth to Ellis Fleming, “Perhaps if we stand absolutely still, they will not even notice us.”
“Bingley, sometimes you are as thick as two short planks. We are obviously quite highly visible out here in the middle of the lawn, I foresee no possible way to salvage this unacceptable encounter and my chance of making a good first impression is now certainly dashed.” Fleming spoke in a quiet undertone, not wanting to draw the ladies’ attention.
“By golly, your mention of pieces of wood and ‘dashed’ has just given me an excellent idea, Fleming. I shall gather some twigs, toss them behind the bushes and while the ladies investigate the sound, we shall all make a mad dash for cover.”
Fleming looked at Charles Bingley as if he had grown a second head. “Mad is right, my friend; for you are certainly as mad as a March hare. Egad, man, I have always suspected you were dicked in the nob!”
Bingley picked up two projectiles and quite precisely lobbed them over the hedge. To his friend’s amazement, the ruse actually worked, for the young women disappeared behind the bushes. Fleming hissed and frantically gestured, “Psst, Darcy! Fitz! Make haste! Bingley has created a diversion so we can run and hide. Come, let us remove ourselves from this horrible hobble.”
Bemused Fitzwilliam Darcy and befuddled Richard Fitzwilliam stood momentarily rooted to the spot and looked at their friends in bewilderment. Unfortunately, a moment was all Dust Bunny and Pug-Nacious needed to each snatch up one of the sticks and bound toward Darcy, overjoyed to welcome him home and to play fetch with the toys that had fallen from the sky. This action, of course, alerted the ladies to the fact they had unexpected company.