‘And you, do you have brothers and sisters?’ she asked him.
‘Me, I have two brothers, but they are neither of them as handsome as me!’ he said outrageously.
Frederique laughed.
‘His brothers are the most handsome men you have ever seen. They quite put him—how do you say it?—in the shade!’
‘Are they married?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘Mais oui. Both of them have been married for many years.’
‘Do you have any nephews and nieces?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘More than I can count. Hundreds of them!’ he said.
Elizabeth laughed. Sometimes it seemed as though her Aunt Gardiner had hundreds of children, when they were all running around noisily on a summer’s afternoon!
‘Do any of you have sisters?’ Elizabeth asked, as they gathered on the rug and began to eat.
‘I have two,’ said Clothilde, between mouthfuls of game pie, ‘both older than me. I am the baby of the family.’
‘Do they live nearby?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘No, my family is scattered,’ she said. ‘Some of them live in France, some in Austria, and some even further away.’
‘So that is why you thought that Charlotte had settled an easy distance from her family,’ said Elizabeth to Darcy. ‘And when compared with settling in another country, then yes, she has.’
‘Everything, it is relative,’ said Frederique as he helped himself to a glass of wine, and then helped Elizabeth to one as well.
‘But what are you doing here?’ said Isabella to Darcy. ‘I hope you are thinking of living amongst us again?’
‘No,’ said Darcy. ‘The Count thinks he might have found a tenant for me.’
‘Vraiment? Who?’
They were all eager to know, and when Darcy mentioned the name they each had their own opinion to give.
‘He will not like it. He thinks he wants to live in the country, but he would never be happy away from town,’ said Louis.
‘He will come here for a few months and then he will go,’ agreed Carlotta.
‘Is he married?’ asked Elizabeth. ‘When an unmarried gentleman moved into Meryton it was the talk of the neighbourhood, and he was seen as the property of one or other of the Hertfordshire daughters! I am sorry if I offend you, but it was so!’
Isabella sat up straight and looked at Louis with interest.
‘Well? Is he handsome?’ she asked.
‘He is not handsome enough for you!’ said Louis with a laugh.
‘And how do you know what is handsome enough for me?’ she asked. ‘I might like him very well.’
‘You might, I suppose. Very well, he is unmarried.’
‘Louis!’ said Frederique with a groan. ‘You are a traitor! Why not tell them that yes, he is married, and then he can know some peace when he arrives.’
‘I think he would like very much the company of such beautiful young women; it will amuse him to have them all paying a call on him as soon as he arrives.’
‘But what is this you say?’ asked Isabella. ‘When we pay a call? It is our fathers who will call.
Carlotta’s father cannot call, it is true, but my Papa shall go for both of us.’
They continued to laugh and banter and tease each other throughout the meal, the women asking more questions about the prospective tenant and the men laughing at them whilst serving Elizabeth with all the choicest delicacies from the hamper. They were attentive and gallant, and Elizabeth responded in a lively fashion.
When they had finished eating, the ladies packed the remains of the picnic away in the hampers and the gentlemen carried them outside and put them on the roof of the carriage. The rug was folded, leaving a clean space where it had swept away the dust, and the windows were closed. The door was locked and then they went outside, those with horses mounting them in a flurry of skirts and boots, all except Carlotta who professed herself tired. Darcy offered her his place and handed her, together with Elizabeth, into the carriage.
The road back was full of pleasantries, and Elizabeth and Carlotta were not forgotten. Louis and Frederique rode beside the carriage, laughing and talking with them through the open window.
The castle at last loomed into sight. Against the backdrop of the late afternoon sunlight it looked less gloomy than heretofore, but once across the drawbridge, Elizabeth felt some of her apprehension return. The mercenaries were still patrolling the courtyard with their leashed hounds, and even the sight of Frederique and Gustav dismounting and talking to them did not make the sight any less threatening. Those with horses took them round to the stables, eager to make sure that the