Revelations an adaption of Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 24

The next three days are still very busy, reviewing references, interviewing applicants for the positions of one maid in residence, and two temporary maids. They have decided to hire a butler after all, but only when the family is in London, when they are at Pemberley, Simon will receive callers, of course they will be mostly have business with him or with Mrs Annesley anyway, when the family is not present.

To Elizabeth it is weird to be so close to a servant, somehow Simon is so ingratiating it is hard to keep a distance, and on top of that he is teaching both ladies of the house a lot about life in London, something Elizabeth especially feels a need for. And reading up on fashionable manners just doesn't do, somehow Simon knows exactly how to explain or even show them what response is fitting to which situation.

Fitzwilliam doesn't seem to mind at all to see them laughing and joking with his employee, of course Simon is more like a tutor now than a servant, and he is always respectful to all of them, including Mrs Annesley, who does in fact not outrank him, but who is of course old enough to be his mother, and earns all their respect with her quick thinking and organised mind. She seems very happy to go home to her family every night, and even Georgiana enjoys her company now it is no longer forced on her.

The first time Elizabeth rides through the streets of the big city she is less afraid than she expected to be, sitting on Daisy's back has become so familiar, and Elizabeth can feel no tension at all in the mare, not even with carriages overtaking them, carts rattling across the cobbles, and people shouting and making all kinds of other noises. Fitzwilliam is right next to her as he promised, but faithful, solid Daisy has no problem at all even in the thick of London traffic, and the next day Fitzwilliam can accompany her on horseback instead of on foot.

They start exploring in ever larger circles around the house, staying out until they get too cold, for on the second morning after their arrival they do wake up to a white world. As Elizabeth feared, the snow indeed gets trampled to freezing mud after a few hours, but in the parks they explore on horseback the snow is still pristine, and Elizabeth is reminded of Hertfordshire in winter, causing her to feel a short stab of homesickness for the first time in weeks. But another week will see her back in Hertfordshire for her sister's wedding, a guest at Netherfield instead of at Longbourn, but Fitzwilliam will probably not mind her walking over to her parents' house pretty often.

Elizabeth is actually glad that Simon will be coming with them, he has already taught her a lot of the city manners she can use to keep Miss Bingley in her place, and Fitzwilliam's idea of having Simon seduce the maids to head off any gossip seems an excellent one, and potentially a lot of fun, though of course Mrs Darcy should not condone such goings on among the staff.

As Daisy carries her through the snow-covered parks in London, Elizabeth is starting to think that riding is actually not such a bad thing, they can cover a lot more ground this way. If they were able to ride in Hertfordshire they wouldn't have to spend half as much time with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst, those two don't ride, but Jane and Mr Bingley do.

Struck by an idea, she calls out: 'Fitzwilliam!'

He is riding in front of her, on his sensitive black horse, ever since Peter's lessons it has become Fitzwilliam's favourite, because it reacts to even the slightest movement in his posture, forcing him to ride very precisely and subtly, a challenge riding hasn't had for him for a long time. He turns the black in a large circle and ends up riding next to her. 'Did you call for me, love?'

'I did,' is her answer, 'I don't exactly remember how far Hertfordshire was from here. Would it be possible to ride there? On horseback? Instead of taking the carriage?'

'Why would you want to ride through this cold weather, my love?'

She smiles, for she is not cold at all, thanks to Mrs Reynolds' excellent advice to have this lovely short coat made. Well, and some countrified woollen underwear under her riding dress, and a pair of very sturdy lambskin lined riding boots she bought at a store Fitzwilliam's family apparently has frequented for at least half a century. Elizabeth still finds it strange to buy hunting gear in the middle of the capital, but she cannot deny these boots are the best she has ever owned, and having tried them on a ramble she knows they are not only suited to riding, but to walking as well. They're not exactly the height of fashion, but perfect for their visit to the country.