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The unusual sound of the Master of Pemberley’s footsteps clattering down the marble stairs like a schoolboy echoed through Derwent House.

Mr. Darcy smiled to himself—he could not remember feeling so carefree in all his adult years, and he was certainly happier than one would expect of a new husband who had just been banished from his wife’s rooms.

He had left Elizabeth with her modista and a small cadre of maids.

Lizzy had refused to let him see the gown they were fitting for the Matlock ball, but he had managed to draw Madame Lavoisier aside and question her with regard to appropriate jewelry.

At his inquiry, the petite Frenchwoman’s usually serious face became wreathed in smiles.

“Bien s?r! Madame does not wish for you to see the gown, but I can show you a sketch.”

The drawing had been enough to make his mouth go dry and the swatches of cream silk with a sheer overlay embroidered in deep red had instantly inspired him. After a few further questions, he was off to visit the bank and the jeweler, among other errands.

Miss Bingley had not underestimated the value of the Darcy family jewels, although the content might not have matched her fevered daydreams. The Darcys were among the oldest of England’s great families and, regardless of the variations in personality that distinguished their generations, the majority had favored quality over ostentation.

Even the most old-fashioned settings had gems of such clarity and color that they were capable of making a jeweler weep.

At his first stop, Darcy climbed the Bank of England’s steps with a light tread and, as was his habit, paused for a moment in the rotunda.

Before he had time to truly appreciate the architectural feat, however, he was approached by a tall, rail-thin man with a set of wire-rimmed spectacles perched on a beaky nose .

“Mr. Darcy, it is good to see you, sir,” called the banker in a whispery voice.

“Mr. Binns, thank you for making time for me on such short notice,” responded Fitzwilliam respectfully. The elderly man had handled the Darcy family’s accounts for longer than Will had been alive.

The pair turned toward the stairs that would take them down to the vaults. “May I congratulate you on your marriage, sir?” Darcy’s unusual grin left the banker blinking.

“Thank you, Binns. In fact, that is my purpose here, today. I wish to retrieve a few items for my wife.” His pride in referring to that lady’s new title was obvious enough to make Mr. Binns’ lips twitch.

“Of course, sir. I took the liberty of having the appropriate items from your family’s vault set out in one of our private rooms.”

Even Darcy, accustomed as he was to a lifetime’s service by a small army of servants, was left blinking at the man’s prescience. Before he could think of how to respond, however, he was shown into a small, well-lit room with a series of lockboxes set out along a large table.

“You have the keys?”

Darcy nodded, retrieving a small key ring from an inner pocket of his coat.

Binns nodded approvingly. “Very well, sir. If there is anything further you need, do not hesitate to ring.”

And with that, Darcy was left alone. After a moment of consideration, he moved along the table, sorting through the keys and opening each box in turn.

Although some of the velvet trays were faded and the metals needed polishing, the rainbow of jewels that they revealed sparkled in the lamplight as if lit from within.

Fitzwilliam recognized many of the pieces as having been worn by his mother or grandmother, but there were others that he doubted had seen daylight in a century.

Never had he seen the entire collection together and for a moment he simply stood, taking it all in.

Darcy knew that he often took his wealth for granted, but faced with such a sight, it was impossible not to reflect upon how blessed he was.

He silently vowed to do everything in his power to preserve the legacy for his own children…

and to ensure that they appreciated the good fortune of their birth.

After a moment, he returned his attention to the task at hand. He gently extracted an exquisite diamond necklace set with nine flawless, crimson rubies. He had not seen them in decades but they were instantly recognizable as the jewels gracing not a few of the portraits in Pemberley’s gallery.

He knew that it was not the sort of adornment that the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet would have chosen for herself—a fact that was amusing in itself given the number of women who had thrown themselves at him for just that right over the years—but nor had Darcy needed his aunt to take him aside after dinner and suggest that Elizabeth wear the Darcy rubies to the ball.

Once he had recovered from the shock of discovering just how large the event was to be, Will had quickly appreciated the sense in Elizabeth’s observation that they might as well expose themselves to as much of Society as possible in one night, rather allow the gossips’ curiosity to ferment over the winter.

The new Mrs. Darcy would not be presented at court until spring, but her appearance at the Matlock ball would be equally important (if not more so), and Fitzwilliam was not above draping her in his family’s most priceless jewels to bias the opinion of those who cared about such things.

After a moment of consideration, he also chose out a delicate lavalier necklace with a single large pearl that had belonged to his mother before her marriage.

He thought that it would suit his sister, and Elizabeth had suggested that Georgiana might appreciate having something of Lady Anne’s to wear.

Although Miss Darcy would not be allowed to dance, he had agreed that she (accompanied by Mrs. Annesley) might observe the opening of the ball.

At first, he had resisted Elizabeth’s suggestion, disliking the idea of exposing his sister to Society any sooner than he had to and arguing that Georgiana would not wish to be part of such a crush unless it was absolutely necessary.

Wisely, Lizzy had suggested that he apply to his sister as to her preference, and Will could not have been more surprised by the excited squeal that resulted.

Not for the first time, he was uncomfortably reminded that his baby sister was growing into a young lady with likes and dislikes quite independent of his own.

And once again, he thanked his lucky stars that they would both have Elizabeth beside them during the trying years to come.

With that in mind, he chose out several other pieces and put them in a separate case before ringing the bell to recall Binns. The man appeared so quickly that Darcy wondered if he had been standing just outside the door.

“Mr. Binns, I need to have these two cases couriered to Garrards’, this morning if possible.”

“Of course, sir.”

After a few more words and a last look over this stunningly tangible proof of his family’s wealth, Darcy was off. In short order, his carriage was stopping again and he stepped into the rarefied confines of one of the most exclusive jewelers in London.

“Mr. Darcy, sir! How good to see you! How may I help you today? Are you looking for something in particular?” Although similar in age to Mr. Binns, Mr. Garrard was as different in physique and manner as could be imagined.

Darcy summarized his morning’s activities to the short, plump man and the master jeweler agreed eagerly.

“Yes, yes, of course! We shall have the pieces cleaned and check all the settings to be sure none are loose. My son and I shall do the work ourselves—there will be no problem getting it done before the ball, sir, none at all.”

“Very good. Now, the other work that I wished to speak to you about will be rather more involved. We expect that both my wife and sister shall be presented at court this spring and they will need appropriate jewelry.”

Though Mr. Garrard’s breath caught at just the thought of such a commission, he managed to restrain himself to a solemn nod.

Darcy continued, “I chose out a number of older pieces that can be remodeled for the purpose—the gold melted and the gems reset or recut, as necessary; you will find them in a separate case from the ruby parure, the lavalier and the others I wish kept as they are.”

The jeweler’s eyes sparkled as brightly as his gems. “Very good, Mr. Darcy. We shall take great care not to mix them up.”

Fitzwilliam nodded. “Once you have had a chance to look over the gems, I would like to see sketches of the designs you propose to make. We are only in town for another week before we remove to Derbyshire for the winter, but perhaps you could send them by post?”

Entirely in his element now, the older man bobbed his head. “Indeed sir, I have done exactly that on several occasions before, and I believe that my clients have been extremely satisfied with the result. If I might suggest, sir?”

Darcy nodded for him to continue.

“It would be most helpful to see the ladies themselves, so that I may determine what would best suit them, you see? And I should speak to their dressmakers as well, so that we may be certain that the design of their gowns will properly compliment my creations.”

Having never commissioned ladies’ jewelry before, Darcy chose to believe that the man knew his business.

Thinking quickly, he suggested that the jeweler and his son personally deliver the rubies to Derwent House on Thursday, at which time they could meet Mrs. and Miss Darcy, as well as the modista who would be there to make the final alterations on Elizabeth’s gown for the Matlock ball.

Once the arrangements were made, Fitzwilliam yielded to temptation and wandered among the display cases for a time.

In the end, he could not resist an intricate silver hair comb made to look like a lacy fan as large as a child’s hand, set with tiny diamonds that he could easily imagine sparkling against Elizabeth’s dark curls.