Revelations an adaption of Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 143

For Frederick, their first week at Pemberley passed by quickly, with Elizabeth and Darcy out on their own most of the time, and the six of them making themselves comfortable on the second floor. Sharing a room with Simon was an unimaginable luxury, and spending whole days together was everything they had hoped for. The constant frustration of being separated between servants' hall and front of the house was nearly forgotten, especially since they often dined together on the second floor, Elizabeth and Darcy visiting in their own house. Nick and Simon would assist the Pemberley staff fetching and carrying everything up two flights of stairs, and when the regular staff had been dismissed they sat down at the table and joined the revelry. 

Dining together had made them grow even closer, and Simon and even Nick were now totally at ease using three sets of cutlery and two kinds of crystal glasses. They had learned to taste wine and to cut joints, and eat shellfish without making a mess. Whenever one of the others, generally Darcy, himself or Anne, thought of something a gentleman or lady should be able to eat or drink or talk about or do otherwise, they taught it to whoever didn't know. While Elizabeth sometimes admitted she'd never heard of some dish or obscure ritual, and Eric's education had a few holes in it, Georgiana usually remembered things from her early youth but had been too young to actually sit in on truly formal dinners when their parents had both still been alive. Nick had the most to learn but he did so very quickly, and he knew things the others could profit by, especially the art of self defence.

Of course it was more like dirty fighting in Nick's case, but they all had to admit it was more effective than the boxing or wrestling Darcy and Frederick had competed in at school. Eric was really too slight and sweet-tempered to put his heart in it, but Simon had been a London street kid at one time, and he knew how to fend off an attacker. Soon, he knew enough to escape a bad brawl or an outright attack and safely make a run for it. Eric would slowly try to learn the same, and so would Georgiana and Anne. They refused to stand by helplessly, and though Frederick thought they would be perfectly safe with him and Nick about, Eric and Simon would be, too, and yet they were learning. So the ladies were shown how to hit the right vulnerabilities, and eventually Darcy asked to be included in the lessons.

He did very well, and whilst Frederick and Nick were way ahead because of their superior natural strength, Darcy did have the right mindset. In a few months he would give Frederick stiff competition, and Nick confessed himself impressed.

'You fight like a demon, Mr Darcy, I hope I will do as well leaning to ride and shoot as you do fighting dirty.'

Having him as a teacher gave Darcy respect for Nick, and the latter's superior technique and insight into his opponent's way of thinking made it virtually impossible to beat him in a match. Yet Darcy kept trying, and it was clear he might one day succeed in subduing Nick. Once or twice, maybe.

Of course Frederick still had an estate to run, even from a distance, and his business with Mr Blackwood was blooming. Which enabled him to show Simon how to run a business, and if the others were as interested he was not surprised: Anne and Georgiana had their own fortunes, and Frederick would certainly see to it that Nick would have a small independence, too.

And Frederick had other arrangements to make: those which would enable him to marry Miss de Bourgh. The licence was in their possession, Mr Eliot was eager to perform the ceremony, and Anne and Simon would decide on the bride and groom's clothes.

'Do you want me to mention your wedding to Mr Goodfellow, Frederick?' Eric had asked, and Anne had replied for him, as was fitting since they were going to be husband and wife soon.

'If you would after the ceremony? I'm a bit afraid some reporters might turn up after all. I do want them all to know we're married, but after the fact. Maybe we can send him a little snippet to publish? As if he had been here in person?'