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“I tell you this because without going into the whole of the tale, she too has deficiencies, serious ones, in her character. She is currently serving as a maid at Greenfield in Ireland. When your father referred to Miss Millar, that is what he meant.”

William lost all of his colour. “Father, Mother, surely you would not have your son and heir work as a servant? I am of age; I could refuse to go,” he blustered, trying to find a way out of his father’s proposed punishment.

“Yes, William, you may refuse to go. Before you make that decision, I suggest you weigh the results of your disobeying me in this,” Darcy returned calmly.

“You will be disinherited and sent out into the world with one thousand pounds to study a profession. You will not be permitted to enter any Darcy property, and I would ask your uncle to embargo you from his as well. I suppose you could go live under your Aunt Catherine’s thumb and marry Anne, although she will know you are disinherited, so I believe that door would be closed to you as well.

” He paused to allow time for his words to sink in.

“I, we, are not doing this to humiliate you, but rather to teach you humility.

“Unlike Miss Millar, who is in service for an undetermined length of time, you will be there for up to a year. If the reports indicate a shortened stay is in order, I will bring you home sooner. However, it will be a minimum of four months. You will be a footman in the house. From what His Grace has told me; his footmen work in the fields when needed.” Darcy paused again.

“It is up to you, William. What will it be?”

He knew there was no real choice. Regardless of the potential financial and inheritance pitfalls, William would not defy his father; he had to try. “I will accept my punishment,” he said softly.

“You will dress as a footman and be given enough coin to reach the Duke’s estate in Scotland by post. It is late in the day, so you will be on the first post travelling north from Chesham in the morning.

One of my footman guards will travel with you; he will make sure you do not come to harm.

At the inns, you will sleep where the male servants do.

This is your chance, William; take it and become a better man, the man we all know is inside of you,” Darcy laid out.

“Yes, Sir,” a greatly shocked William managed. Asking to be excused, he gave a proper bow to all in the study and left to prepare for his new life, at least for up to the next year.

“I will write to my senior staff at the estate to inform them of what we hope to achieve. They will be the only ones who will know who he truly is,” the Duke said.

“Hertfordshire, may I include a missive for the steward, butler, and housekeeper of Glen Morgan Heights?” Darcy requested.

“I want to emphasise that William is to receive no special treatment. As soon as I have it ready, I will add it to yours and dispatch a courier who will arrive before William does.”

“You may use what you need on my desk as soon as I write my note,” Hertfordshire allowed. He wrote what he needed to and set it aside to dry before he moved to the front of his desk to allow Darcy to sit. “Lizzy, will you walk with me?”

She nodded and accepted his arm as they made their way down to the ground level and out a side door into the gardens. “Archy, I did not say anything in the study, but in this case, did the punishment fit the crime? It is not like he did anything similar to what Miss Millar did.”

“You are correct, Lizzy. What William Darcy did today was not so terrible in and of itself, aside from insulting you, that is. It is, however, not the first instance of his improper pride governing his behaviour. This was just the event which forced his parents to take some rather drastic actions, like they did today. In their opinion, a little short-term pain is worth the long- term realignment of his character. I cannot say that I disagree with Anne and Darcy,” Hertfordshire explained.

“You do not think they did this lightly, do you?”

“No, I know this was a very difficult decision. Thank you for explaining; I did not know the depth of his bad behaviour. His parents know what is best for him, so I will not attempt to substitute my judgement for theirs,” Elizabeth replied.

“It will be a test of his character, will it not? From the reports you have shared, it seems Jane Millar is working to better herself. I wonder if Aunt Anne’s and Uncle Robert’s son will do the same or just seem to, while becoming resentful? ”

“From what I know of him; he is not one to use disguise. If he seems to improve, I am sure it will be genuine,” Hertfordshire assured his beloved.

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

Dressing—on his own, Carstens would be employed as an under-butler until he returned—in a rough set of footman’s clothing was one thing, but the night he had spent at the inn in Chesham had made it seem like he was wearing his best tailored clothing.

William had slept on straw above the stables with the other manservants the previous night.

It was by far the most uncomfortable night he had ever passed.

Now he was seated on the box of the post coach as it wended its way towards London.

From there he would transfer to a post travelling north along the Great North Road.

William knew that until he arrived at Glen Morgan Heights, his experience from last night, where he had barely slept, would be repeated many times.

At least the footman-guard riding with him had shown him how to use his neckcloth, such as it was, to cover his mouth while they travelled to make sure that insects did not end up in it.

As much as he wanted to blame everyone else for his current situation, there was one thing of which William was certain; he was the only one who was responsible for it. What was the price of his pride and arrogance now?

As he examined his actions, starting with his berating of the Duke’s betrothed, going back, he found himself wanting.

Richard had called him a hypocrite once, something William had rejected out of hand.

But his cousin had the right of it. He finally understood that while on the one hand he considered Bingley, a man whose father earned his fortune from trade, a friend, while at the same time he disdained others for no reason but their occupations.

That was completely contradictory. As much as he disdained her, he was more like Miss Bingley and, even worse, Aunt Catherine, than his honoured parents.

Sending him away like this had not been easy on them.

He had seen the tears in his mother’s eyes and the sorrow in his father’s looks.

But they had done this to give him the opportunity to address all the reproofs regarding his behaviour and attitude.

It was a heavy load, indeed, which required consideration.

Anna had said a short goodbye to him. She was still angry at him for insulting her friends the previous day.

He could not blame her either. He had seen a change in his sister; she had begun to blossom, and he had been too wrapped up in his own selfish concerns to ask her what had helped her change.

He knew now it was the Bennet sisters. They were the friends he had judged lacking, and why?

Because they had not had a coat of arms on the door of the coach he had seen. He was worse than Caroline Bingley!

William was certain there were only so many chances one was granted to correct their course in life. This was his, and he would grasp it with both hands and learn to be humble and a much better man.

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

Lady Catherine had been demanding the post be brought to her each day the instant it arrived.

She was certain this would be the day she would receive the expected invitation to the Duke of Hertfordshire’s nuptials.

There was not a world she could envision where she was not invited to the ceremony.

Anne had opined they would not be invited, but what did her sickly daughter know?

She had everything planned. It would be the work of moments to expose the country chit as wholly inappropriate to marry a duke. Then she would finally get her wish and become a duchess.

Lady Metcalf had boasted about her and Lord Metcalf’s invitation arriving a sennight previously.

No longer could Lady Catherine tell herself they were being posted out alphabetically by last names.

De Bourgh was much before Metcalf. She perked up as her butler proffered her the salver with that day’s correspondence. No invitation!

Lady Catherine Bertha Fitzwilliam de Bourgh was not to be denied! She had gleaned the date of the wedding from Lady Metcalf, and knowing it would be nowhere but at St Paul’s in London like his first wedding, she began to plan to arrive in time to accost the pretender before she entered the church.

Yes, she would not be denied…a second time.

Once she became a duchess, her sister and her low born brother by marriage would beg her to allow their son to marry the daughter of a duchess.

She left her throne-like chair, as she had plans to make.

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

William Collins was humbled. He had suspected the talk of being invited to the Duke’s wedding was just hyperbole.

It was not; here he sat, a very elegant invitation in hand.

He reminded himself of what His Grace had told him during their prior meeting: he and most peers did not enjoy someone fawning over them.

Collins would remember that because he very much did not want this to be the last time he would be included as one of the family party.