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To the housekeeper’s amusement, Mrs. Darcy was immediately fascinated. “There are five more volumes, going back to the building of the house, if you’re interested,” she added.

Elizabeth’s curiosity was indeed awakened, but upon seeing the size of the volumes in question, she laughed a little and chose to begin with just the first and the last. “If I take them all, I fear I’ll disappear into the library and not emerge ‘til spring,” she joked.

The housekeeper smiled, for she had been known to spend a quiet winter evening with one of the books herself.

“Well, once you’ve looked the most recent records over, I can show you the rooms themselves and we can make the final decisions.

For most, it will be just a matter of pulling dust sheets off the furniture and giving the rooms a good cleaning, but there’s always the possibility that a mouse has gotten into the cushions or some such. ”

“An excellent notion, Mrs. Reynolds.”

With that, Mrs. Reynolds looked expectantly at the mistress, clearly anticipating that their meeting was at an end.

Instead, Mrs. Darcy fiddled with the wedding band on her finger for a moment before sighing a little.

“Mrs. Reynolds,” she began carefully. “Before my family arrives, there are a few issues I wanted to speak to you about. Warn you, really,” Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow and attempted a conspiratorial air.

The housekeeper nodded but remained silent, not at all certain what the younger lady was hinting at.

“As you may know, I have four sisters, the three youngest of whom will be arriving with my parents. My elder sister has recently married Mr. Bingley; Jane is as sweet and undemanding as her husband and I expect nothing but pleasure from their visit. My sister Mary is next in age to me, and should be little trouble—she spends much of her time practicing the pianoforte and studying religious texts; I have some hope that Miss Darcy may help her with the former and distract her from the latter. Catherine, or Kitty as we often call her, is a good girl but can be easily led.”

Elizabeth sighed again. “Much will depend on the disposition of my youngest sister, Lydia. I will be honest with you; she is sixteen and grew up spoiled and ungoverned. She has recently been sent to school and, though I hope to see her manners improved, I will not be surprised to hear a great deal of complaining. When I last saw her in September, her mind was filled with little more than fashions and flirtations. I hope that her wildness is under better regulation, but… well, with so many guests, I thought it best to warn you so that we might work together to prevent any mischief she might get into before it happens.”

Mrs. Reynolds nodded her understanding. She was looking forward to seeing Pemberley filled with people (and children!) for the Christmas holidays.

To be honest, she was quite curious to see the new Mrs. Darcy’s family; the uncle and aunt who had visited Derbyshire with her during the summer would have won her full approval with their manners and good humor alone, even if she did not have fond memories of little Miss Madeleine the vicar’s daughter.

After a pause, Elizabeth continued, “I doubt my father will be any trouble. Expect him to appear suddenly where least expected; he enjoys observing the idiosyncrasies of human behavior, but at heart is a kind man. If he is ever missing, look for him in the library or some other quiet corner with his nose in a book. ”

Lizzy closed her eyes for a moment and considered how best to word her next point.

Finally, she decided to simply trust the woman who had looked after Mr. Darcy since he was four years old.

“My mother… oh, how to say this… Mama is a good woman who loves us all very much, but she is very … enthusiastic, very excitable … particularly in her joy over Jane’s and my marriages.

Please understand; my mother has spent most of her adult life fearing that she would be turned out of her home when my father passes.

I’m afraid that she will display more interest in the…

prosperity that Pemberley represents than its history as the Darcy family’s ancestral home.

” She attempted to smile but it was weak.

“I… I expect that she will demand to inspect every nook and cranny, from attics to cellars.” Lizzy looked at Mrs. Reynolds carefully and saw a dawning comprehension in the older woman’s eyes.

“Please let the staff know that Mrs. Bennet is somewhat easier if cosseted, but any significant orders should be checked with me. My mother makes many demands, not all of them sensible, and I do not wish anyone to be confused by how much… deference I expect them to give her.”

Seeing how worried her mistress appeared and recognizing how difficult it had been for her to speak so frankly, Mrs. Reynolds took the liberty of an old servant and patted the young lady’s hand.

“My dear, I appreciate your consideration, but I’m sure that Mrs. Bennet shall be no trouble at all.

I’ll pass the word among the staff that she may be a challenging guest, but believe me, we’ve managed far worse. ”

Suddenly recalling that Miss Bingley had visited Pemberley before while she still had hope of attaching its master, Elizabeth finally relaxed enough for her smile to reach her eyes.

She was not convinced that her mother would not manage to disrupt the household in some way, but knew herself well enough to comprehend that she would not be calm until Mrs. Bennet was safely returned to Hertfordshire.

“Thank you for your assistance, Mrs. Reynolds.”

Standing, Mrs. Darcy brushed out the wrinkles in her skirts and picked up the housekeeper’s books. “Well, then. I’ll look over these records to get an idea of who has stayed where in the past. Shall we say, tomorrow at ten for our tour of the guest bedchambers?”

Mrs. Reynolds agreed and the pair parted amiably, both well-satisfied by the meeting.

In the end, the house party went surprisingly smoothly.

The Bennets, Bingleys, and Gardiners arrived a week before Mr. Darcy’s relations and as a result, Mrs. Bennet’s initial exclamations over her daughter’s new situation were heard only by those who already knew her well.

For the most part, her most tactless comments were smoothed over by the presence of so many other guests who sincerely wished for Fanny to show her best side to their new acquaintances .

When the Fitzwilliams arrived, it was quickly obvious that they themselves were quite a lively bunch when gathered together, particularly when the Earl’s various grandchildren were introduced to the Gardiners’ progeny.

Indeed, there was such a mob of youngsters running about that the Pemberley laundry seemed to be permanently decorated with damp mittens, scarves, socks, and other such articles, although few were allowed to dry entirely before another round of sledding, ice-skating, or other outdoor activities were announced.

When Brigadier General Fitzwilliam was not instigating snowball fights (outdoors) or scavenger hunts (indoors), he could be often found discussing political history and philosophy with Mr. Bennet over a chessboard.

The older gentleman had found that he rather enjoyed Richard’s lively humor and, once he had recovered from the certain surprising information about Mrs. Collins’ plans for the future, Thomas found that he quite enjoyed poking fun at the Earl’s second son.

One evening, when their guests had all retired for the night and the Darcys were curled up together in bed, Elizabeth teased her husband that his family was quite as rowdy as her own.

Will chuckled and pulled her closer. “For as long as I live, I’ll never forget the sight of the Earl being pelted by snowballs and set upon by his own grandchildren. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh so hard!”

He did not need to say how relieved they all were to see Lord Henry’s spirits rising again.

Lady Eleanor had confided to Elizabeth that her husband had been decidedly melancholy by the time he and Miss de Bourgh arrived in Bath.

The weeks they had spent at the spa town and then at Matlock appeared to have only exacerbated his gloom.

Every effort had been made to ensure that Lady Catherine’s brother felt comfortable at Pemberley, although Elizabeth rather thought that the good spirits of the children had been the best tonic.

It helped that their fathers (and occasionally their mothers) were easily drawn into their antics, and not even the Earl of Matlock could count himself too high to be drawn into a snowball fight when challenged by Sir James Darcy.

While some of the guests enjoyed the glorious Derbyshire winter weather, others were perfectly content to appreciate Pemberley’s warm, interior comforts.

Mrs. Gardiner’s new baby was admired and petted, although the tiny girl appeared to remind Mrs. Bennet primarily of her own experiences.

As a result, that lady became most insistent upon sharing her accumulated wisdom with Jane and Elizabeth, and, to a lesser extent, all her daughters.

Mrs. Darcy managed to escape her mother’s lectures on the bearing and raising of children as often as possible, citing her duties as mistress.

Although Jane’s serene smile appeared attentive, Elizabeth strongly suspected that her eldest sister’s mind was far away.

Indeed, it appeared that the greatest benefit of Mrs. Bennet’s discourse was to leave both Catherine and Lydia far more leery of married life.

Although Miss Mary Bennet remained inside most of the time (disliking the frivolity of the outdoor activities being offered), she neatly avoided her mother’s lectures through the simple practice of being elsewhere, an undertaking that was aided by a most unexpected introduction.