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“William, I think that even though you were shot here, this is a place that we should look upon with pleasant memories, not bad ones,” Elizabeth stated, nodding at her betrothed’s quizzical look.

“There was much more good that happened here than bad. You saved my life, and it is in this park I finally admitted that I loved you.”

“Then I agree, my love, there was much positive that day. Even after everything that he did, murdering my father, trying to kidnap my heart, what he tried with Georgie, I still mourn the person that Wickham could have been, the one that he was as a boy before his viscous propensities came to the fore,” the Duke of Derbyshire said with sadness in his eyes.

“William, it is natural that you mourn the friend that was, but never forget that for far more of his life he was the person that died here while trying to harm me,” she said as she looked into his eyes, her love there for him to fall into.

“I think that we should hold true to our agreement and only think of the past as the remembrance gives us pleasure.”

“It is a good philosophy, my beloved Lizzy,” he said as he smiled.

“I do have so much to be thankful for, for I will soon marry the love of my life.” Elizabeth nodded vigorously in agreement with his sentiment.

“My dearest mother was brought back to us by a miracle when the doctors had given up hope, Georgie was saved from the dastard and his paramour…”

“By you , my love, do not minimise the fact that had you not arrived when you did…” Lady Elizabeth interjected and then he cut her off.

“I know that, love, I just chose not to congratulate myself again,” he blushed.

“We are surrounded by a large, expanding, and loving family. Yes, we are wealthy, but all the wealth in the world would be meaningless without your love and the love of family. It scares me when I think how different life would have been if God had not released my mother back to us, rather than calling her to Him.” Darcy shuddered as he said the last.

“But He did not take her, did He? How lucky am I? Soon I will have three mothers!” Lady Elizabeth added with glee.

“My Mama, Aunt Rose, and Mother Anne, I am so very lucky, some have no mothers, and I am to have many!” Darcy nodded his head in agreement with her sentiment.

He was fully cognisant of the fact that he would be gaining the Duke and Duchess of Bedford as an additional set of parents-in-law.

“Amy and Tom seem well suited,” Darcy changed the subject, inclining his head to the couple walking ahead of them.

“They are, and I am happy to welcome Amy as another sister. I have no doubt that they will be happy.” She agreed. “William, did you know that Tom’s estate of Birchington is less than thirty miles from Pemberley?”

“I do. Tom and I have discussed our estates, his is across the border of Yorkshire, the same shire that the Bedford’s primary estate is.

With Jane’s and Richard’s estate not more than ten miles from Pemberley, and Snowhaven, and Hilldale not much farther, we will have a lot of family in close proximity after we are married,” Darcy informed his beloved.

“I will miss Longbourn and the rest of my family, but I am sure that I will be very happy at Pemberley. Will I get to see it before we are married?” she asked hopefully.

“That depends on your father, my love. If he agrees, and we have time before the wedding and the ball, it would be my pleasure to show you our estate.” He agreed and Elizabeth recognised the look that he got when he was deep in thought.

“Mayhap we can suggest a trip that includes the Ashbys so that Tom can show Amy and her parents Birchington?”

“I think that is a wonderful idea, William.” Before she could call out to Tom and Amy, Darcy suggested that before they head north, if it was agreeable to all, he would like to have his fiancée take a tour of Darcy House.

She agreed and then called Tom and Amy who stopped and waited for them to catch up.

Lord Birchington and Lady Amelia heartily agreed with the suggestion. It was resolved that the four would talk to the various families and ask, cajole if needed, about taking a trip north after the Bingley-Phillips wedding.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The Tuesday before the Bingley-Phillips wedding Lady Sarah Bennet and her middle daughter arrived at Darcy House for the agreed upon tour; Lord Tom, Lady Amy, and her mother were touring Birchington House on Russel Square.

All three Darcys met Lady Sarah and Lady Elizabeth, the Dowager Duchess introduced her housekeeper, Mrs Cheryl Killion, whose husband Henry was the butler.

“Now Lizzy, if there are any changes that you want to make, you will not offend me in any way. In a little more than a month you will be mistress of this and the rest of the Darcy properties, so it is only natural that you would want to make some changes as I did when I became mistress,” Lady Anne squeezed Lizzy’s hand, her heart filling with happiness at the idea of soon having her with them all the time as she loved the young lady dearly.

“I thank you, Mother Anne. If there is anything that needs to be changed, I will be honest about wanting to, but from what I have seen when I stayed here while William was ill, there will be little or nothing to change for my tastes.” She smiled warmly, wanting the Darcys to know that she had no intention to make changes just because she could.

“I was informed that you never took a formal tour when you were nursing me, my love,” Darcy noted, “and I understand that you saw little outside of my chambers and your own.”

Lady Elizabeth acknowledged the truth of his statement, and with a nod from her mistress, the housekeeper commenced the tour.

The house was very similar to Bennet House except for some cosmetic changes that the Darcys had made over the years.

On the entrance level there was a wide hallway that led to the grand marble staircase ascending to the second floor.

The ceiling in the hall was two floors above rather than one, on which was a very tasteful fresca.

The hall itself was lined with tapestries, one of which showed the Darcy family trees and was hung next to the stairs.

There were three drawing rooms, a very large music room, a receiving room, and three smaller parlours on the first-floor ground level.

In addition to those, there was a breakfast parlour, family dining parlour, and a formal dining parlour.

A magnificent ballroom was down but a short hallway to the right of the double front doors.

There were multiple crystal chandeliers and many wall sconces, it was nearly a twin of the ball room at the Bennet’s house.

On two of the four sides were a number of large floor to ceiling windows, and a set of large double doors that led out to a veranda with steps that ended at the entrance to a garden on one side of the ball room.

The walls between the three dining parlours could be folded and rolled back to expand the ball room, if ever needs required.

The next stop was the guest wing that spanned the third and fourth floors.

There were multiple suites that had two bedchambers with a shared sitting room, and a good number of single bedchamber suites with smaller sitting rooms. In addition, each floor had a nice sized guest sitting room.

Between the two floors they could accommodate fifty guests with ease.

On the fifth floor were the school rooms and the chambers for nursemaids, governesses, tutors, and companions.

Thus far, Elizabeth had found nothing she would classify as a major change, although she had suggested some minor updates to a few of the guest chambers.

The servant’s quarters were spread between the attic and an area on the kitchen level.

The last floor they toured was the second floor, which held the family wing, and Lizzy learned that Lady Anne no longer inhabited the mistress’ suite.

She now had a full, two bedchamber suite one door down from Georgie’s.

There was a large family sitting room that could comfortably accommodate around five and twenty, and a family music room.

The music room contained Lady Anne’s harpsicord, a small square pianoforte, and a harp.

The penultimate stop was the mistress’s side of the master suite.

Lady Elizabeth’s soon to be chambers included a very large bed chamber, a huge walk-in closet, and dressing and bathing rooms. Opposite the bed was a fireplace with a mantle that held miniatures of the family.

To the left was a floor to ceiling window, and to the right were double glass doors that opened onto a balcony which overlooked the gardens.

Try as she may, she could not hide her blush on spying the very large bathing tub in the bathing room.

She had no doubt that it would fit two with ease.

She felt wanton as she considered sharing it with William, and the ability to wash him with a cloth, then her cheeks flushed hotter as she pictured washing him without even that between her fingers on his wet, soapy skin as she slid them up and…

down. A light brush of his hand on her back startled her out of her thoughts and she attempted to refocus, finding it difficult when he murmured that he wanted a full accounting of her thoughts when next they were in the room.

Between the mistress and master chambers was a spacious, private sitting room.

Her future chamber and the sitting room were the only two spaces in which that Lady Elizabeth had asked for substantial changes.

The wall coverings were a little faded and Lizzy preferred other styles of furniture.

She told Lady Anne that she and Georgie were welcome to anything that they wished, and she would add its replacement to her list if not already on it.