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“My late grandfather had this designed and installed,” Hertfordshire explained.

“They hated being apart, so this way, even when they had tasks of their own, they could be together. My late parents always kept it open.” He looked at Lizzy lovingly.

“It will be up to my wife whether it will be recessed or closed.”

“I think I would like to keep it open at all times,” Elizabeth decided, much to her betrothed’s approval.

The last stop was a set of double doors just beyond the studies where the hallway ended. When the doors were pushed open, Elizabeth and Mary both could not help but gasp. As far as the eye could see were bookshelves, full of tomes. The welcoming smell of leather and paper pulled them inside.

The shelves around the perimeter of the room, where there were no windows—of which there were many—or fireplaces, were floor to ceiling and had ladders which rolled on tracks to reach the upper shelves.

There were several fireplaces, and near each one were seats and tables where one might read in peace.

There were rows of shelves in the centre of the room as well, but they were lower.

There were a number of glass cases with what appeared to be valuable, older editions within.

It was assumed they were first editions.

Elizabeth walked a few yards into the room and twirled around to take it all in.

There were more books in this library than she could have imagined.

“The first duke, elevated after the Conqueror took power, began the collection; every master since has added to it, this one included,” Hertfordshire explained. “Do you approve, my Lizzy?”

“Who could not approve of such a room! How is it organised?” Elizabeth asked excitedly.

“By fiction and nonfiction first.” Hertfordshire pointed to a relatively small part of the library for the former and swept his arm over the rest of the room for the latter.

“Then for non-fiction, by subject, and within by the name of the author. The novels are arranged by the name of the author. You may have surmised that the glass cases contain some of the first editions. Some are kept in a vault with exceptionally low humidity to preserve them.”

More than an hour was spent in the magnificent shrine to the written word.

That evening was pleasant in the extreme. They ate dinner in the small family dining parlour, which was larger than most houses’ formal dining parlours. Everyone who was present agreed it had been a very enjoyable day and evening.

Archy had been the one to lead Elizabeth to her chamber door. He had bestowed a lingering kiss on the pulse of each wrist before departing.

Elizabeth had been left breathless and had dreamed of him that night.

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

As was her wont, especially when she was in the country, Elizabeth was up before the sun on what looked to be a most promising morning.

It mattered not that they had all gone to bed late the night before.

Lettie—she preferred calling her maid by her familiar name—attended her soon after the bell had been pulled.

With her maid’s assistance, Elizabeth dressed in a dark green split skirt riding habit and laced up her favourite riding boots.

She had Lettie pull her hair back into a simple chignon, took her lightweight pelisse, and made her way into the hall where Brian was waiting.

She greeted a footman on duty using his name.

Word of how pleasant the future Duchess was, and how it seemed that a servant only had to tell her their name once for her to remember it, made its way like wildfire through dry brush to all those who worked below stairs.

Elizabeth was unsurprised when she found Archy, her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, Charlotte, and Anthony in the parlour where Brian had escorted her.

Warm beverages and some warm baked goods were on offer.

She helped herself to hot chocolate and a warm croissant.

Anna had begged off the previous night because she wanted to be at the house when Cathy, Lydia, and Maria arrived.

“Walk or ride?” Hertfordshire asked once they were done eating and drinking.

“It will be a ride,” Elizabeth informed her fiancé. “I very much want to see how Jamil is adjusting to her new home. As Mary is asleep, I will check on Aphrodite as well.” She turned to her best friend. “Charlotte, will you ride Mary’s horse today?”

“I will. The mare Anthony wants to gift me after the wedding is on her way to Rivington,” Charlotte replied gratefully, as she enjoyed riding Mary’s mare.

Archy assisted her into the pelisse she had decided to wear that morning.

She thanked him and donned the hat she had selected for that day.

The four of them, with Biggs trailing behind, were on their way to the stables.

She walked faster than normal, knowing that she would not be entirely easy until she saw Jamil was happy in her new stall.

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

The stables were like everything else at her future husband’s estate; they were exceptionally large.

The structure almost looked like an exaggerated hand with four fingers.

There was one building which housed the stable manager’s office, spaces for grooms and tack rooms. From that building were four perpendicular blocks of stalls to house the horses.

Each stall was at least twice the size of the ones Elizabeth was used to seeing.

She found Jamil and Aphrodite in neighbouring stalls in the first stable building, the one closest to the house. Both looked perfectly happy. Better still was the fact they would not leave Falconwood’s land, so Elizabeth was permitted to ride astride.

While the horses were being tacked, the Duke led them on a walk to circumnavigate the house.

Elizabeth discovered just how far the wings extended out towards the back.

The formal gardens were as extensive as she had guessed they would be.

There was a genuinely nice mix of colours in flower beds, not ordered in any way.

The rose garden was very pleasant, especially the wonderful riot of colour of all of the blooming roses.

Much to her approbation, the rose garden was giving off a most pleasant fragrance.

At the rear of the house was a large hedge maze, something Elizabeth would puzzle out—it never took her long to solve them—another day.

The walk had taken the best part of an hour.

As they passed the one side of the house on the way back to the stables, Elizabeth could see the wooded area about a mile distant.

Archy saw the longing look as she viewed the woods, so he led them back to the stables where their horses were ready and waiting for them.

They rode directly for the closest part of the woodland.

As they entered the treeline, Elizabeth could feel the cooler air.

The sun was beginning to climb into the eastern sky, but thanks to its angle, the forest was not yet warmed.

Riding among her friends—the trees—Elizabeth felt completely relaxed as she leaned forward and rubbed Jamil ’s neck.

Seeing Archy right next to her made her feel safe.

The one thing she had noticed on the drive into the estate—well, of what she had seen of it—was there was no equivalent to Oakham Mount or the hill at Rambler’s Run for her to climb or ride up in order to watch the sunrise in the mornings.

Of course, she could watch it from anywhere with an unobstructed view of the east. As long as Archy was with her, the where was not important.

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

While the riding party took an extended ride, the carriages conveying the Phillipses, with Cathy and Lydia, and the Lucases arrived at Falconwood. The adults and the two Lucas sons were awed by the size of the mansion before them.

While they alighted, a cadre of footmen removed trunks and began carrying them to the suites Mrs Greaves had assigned the guests.

The three younger girls were too pleased to see Anna to be dumbfounded by the enormous house.

While the Gardiner parents welcomed the rest of the travellers, the four girls were chattering happily as they walked towards the house where Lilly Gardiner was waiting for them.

Anna and Lilly had been very keen to show the rest of the girls around the enormous house.

On the way into the house Phillips, Sir William, and his sons were still grappling with the fact that it was five miles from the border of the property on the Hertfordshire side to reach the mansion. It was that distance again to reach the estate from Meryton.

The two families from Meryton were shown up to their suites.

It was the first time that Cathy, Maria, and Lydia noted the size of the house, which ended their chattering.

The girls were pleased that Cathy and Anna would share a suite, while the adjoining one would house Maria and Lydia.

Lilly would be with the girls during the day and even for most meals, but as she was not ten yet, she would sleep in the nursery.

While the new arrivals were busy washing and changing in their suites, the riding party arrived back at the house. They too went to wash and change, and soon enough everyone met in the summer breakfast parlour.

“I swear, had there not been so many footmen on duty, I would have been lost for the rest of my days,” Hattie jested while her husband was at the sideboard filling a plate for her.

“Of all of this, you will be mistress, Lizzy. Oh, do not let me forget all of the other estates and houses in London and other cities.”

“If anyone can manage all of this and more, it is our Eliza,” Charlotte insisted.

Lady Lucas wished His Grace and Lizzy all that was good, but she secretly would not be upset if Lizzy did not bear children because it would be Charlotte who would preside over everything.

She was not aware of the terms of the settlement of the Duke’s will.

Even though she nursed a secret hope, she would never verbalise it, especially not to Charlotte, who had made her opinion known without any room for interpretation.

She was happy to marry Anthony and cared not about the dukedom.

“So, Anthony. When do your parents, sisters, and their families arrive?” Sir William boomed jovially after handing a plate to his wife and placing his, heaped with all of his favourites, before himself.

“They will arrive in a little more than a sennight,” Anthony replied. “The Fitzwilliams and Darcys you met at Netherfield Park will be here a few days later.”

“Is Captain Fitzwilliam in England to join his parents?” Elizabeth wondered.

“Not that I heard, Lizzy,” Hertfordshire replied after setting her plate down, then his own, and taking the seat next to her.

“However, you will meet the eldest sons of both families. Hilldale will be here because my cousin, Marie Russell, will attend with her parents, and the Darcy heir, William, will arrive with his family.”

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow. She had heard some talk of this William Darcy and his arrogance. She was sure he would behave at the home of a duke.

After they had all broken their fasts, the under-housekeeper led those who had arrived that morning on a tour of the public rooms, while Mrs Greaves and the Duke led the same group as the previous day to see one of the family wings and a guest wing.