Pride and pyramids : Mr. Darcy in Egypt

Chapter 2

Elizabeth woke the following morning with the feeling that something was wrong. At first she could not think what it was, but then she realised that no children were jumping on the bed or wriggling under the covers next to her.

She smiled as she remembered how horrified Darcy had been the first time the children had invaded their bedroom in the morning. He had been raised in a formal manner and he had seen his parents by appointment, usually for an hour after dinner, when he had recited whatever poem he had been learning or displayed his command of Latin. Then, having been smiled upon by his mother and inspired by his father, he had returned to the nursery, there to stay until the next appointed time. So when Beth had first toddled into the Darcys’ bedroom, having escaped her sleeping nurse, he had been torn between delight at seeing her waddling toward him and an uncomfortable feeling that she should have stayed in the nursery.

Elizabeth had not had any such difficulties, and she had given Beth a hug. Darcy had been charmed, despite the feeling that it was wrong for someone as august as Miss Elizabeth Darcy to crow with delight as her mother, the equally august Mrs Elizabeth Darcy, tickled her and teased her. But then he had been overcome with love and affection and he had succumbed entirely.

The Darcys’ room had become more and more crowded in the mornings as further children had arrived, until the older children had started to feel it was beneath their dignity to cavort in such a manner and had gradually absented themselves from the proceedings. Now Beth and William never came, John seldom, and even Laurence and Jane only whirled into the room about three mornings out of five. But Margaret always came. And yet here it was, past seven o’clock, and there was no sign of her.

Fearing that Margaret was ill, Elizabeth slipped out of bed and, throwing a wrapper round her shoulders, went along the splendid landing and into Margaret’s room. She need not have worried. The early morning sunlight, creeping in through a crack in the curtains, illuminated a peaceful scene. Margaret was sound asleep, clutching her Egyptian doll, and judging by the murmurs that came from her cherubic lips, she was dreaming.

A slight creak alerted Elizabeth to the fact that someone else was walking along the landing and a moment later Darcy entered the room and put his arm round her.

“I thought I would find you here. It is not the same without Meg climbing on the bed, is it, my love? I am glad she has not outgrown the habit. She must be worn out after yesterday’s excitement.”

“Edward certainly knows how to exhilarate people,” Elizabeth agreed.

“He does. He has always been carried away by his enthusiasms.”

“Which is no bad thing,” said Elizabeth. “I have been thinking for some time that I would like an adventure and Edward, with his talk of Egypt, is the next best thing.”

“An adventure? Do I bore you, my love?” asked Darcy teasingly.

She put her hand up to his face. “Never. But we have spent a great many years having our family—wonderful years and I would not change them for anything—and yet now that the children are older, I find myself thinking of all the places I have never seen. When I was younger, a trip to the Lake District seemed like an adventure, but now the Lake District is familiar and I find myself longing for that sense of excitement again, the feeling that I am going somewhere different, to see something new. To be transported beyond the confines of my normal life, to experience something that cannot be foreseen.”

“Then it is a good thing we are going to the British Museum. You can feast your eyes upon the Egyptian artefacts and imagine yourself exploring the pyramids!” he teased her.

Margaret stirred and then settled again.

“Let her sleep,” said Elizabeth. “It will be a busy day for her.”

“For all of us,” said Darcy.

***

The busyness was already apparent when Elizabeth walked into the drawing room an hour later to find the boys already up and dressed, surrounded by books.

Edward, who was pointing out something of interest in one of them, looked up with a laugh and said, “We breakfasted early, and ever since then we have been raiding the library for books on Egypt. Darcy has a fine collection.”

Elizabeth was used to seeing William with a book, but it was rare to see either John or Laurence anywhere near one by choice, and she thought with satisfaction that Edward’s visit had already been good for them.

Although she would never admit as much to Darcy, she did sometimes think that Laurence would benefit from school, but she hated the thought of losing him. He was her youngest son and she wanted to keep him with her. Now, seeing him so happy and engaged at home, she felt her somewhat guilty conscience being appeased.

“There are all sorts of interesting things in the museum,” said William. “Did you know it was opened over fifty years ago and that it has lots of Egyptian artefacts in it?”

“The Rosetta Stone was found by a soldier,” said John proudly.

“Only a French soldier,” said Laurence scathingly.

“Some of the French fought bravely. Colonel Fitzwilliam said so,” returned John. “I expect the Stone was found by one of the brave ones. The French invaded Egypt and they were working on the defences at Fort Julien when one of the soldiers saw the Stone sticking out of the ground,” he explained to his mama. “It was near a place called Rosetta, which is why they called it the Rosetta Stone.”

“But what is important,” said William, “is that it has some writing on it, and the writing says the same thing but in three different kinds of writing. One of them is in Greek writing, and one of them is ordinary Egyptian writing, and one of them is hiero… hiero… hieroglyphs, which are a kind of pictures. I can read and write Greek, so if I could make a copy of the Stone, I might be able to work out what the hieroglyphs mean.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” said Laurence. “No one can read the hieroglyphs yet, not even Cousin Edward.”

“And if not even Edward can read them, what hope is there for anyone else?” asked Elizabeth.

Edward laughed and moved some books so that she could sit down.

“I appear to have taken over your drawing room,” he said.

“Never mind, I do not have time to sit down anyway,” she said. “It is time we were all getting ready for our outing. Fitzwilliam has given orders for the carriages to be brought round and they will be at the door in half an hour.”

“Then we had better be ready for them,” said Edward.

There was a flurry of activity, but by the time thirty minutes had passed, everyone was ready; even Margaret, who had at last roused herself and who was holding her doll tightly in her hand.

Edward delighted the children by suggesting that he should go in the carriage with them while Darcy should drive Elizabeth in his new phaeton. The suggestion delighted Darcy and Elizabeth almost as much as it delighted the children, for as much as they loved their offspring, they valued having time alone together.

The morning was bright and sunny, with the first feeling of spring in the air, and Elizabeth could not have been happier as she took her place beside her husband. The two-seater carriage, which had an open top, was pulled by a pair of matched bays, and they cut quite a dash as they moved out into the road.

Darcy drove with skill through the London traffic, past brewers’ carts, hackney carriages, and ponderous coaches, while Elizabeth revelled in the feel of the soft air on her cheeks. By the time they arrived at Montague House, which housed the museum, she had a healthy glow to her skin and her eyes were bright, prompting Darcy to seize her hand and kiss it as he helped her out of the phaeton.

She had a sudden memory of the first time he had helped her out of a carriage, and she saw by his expression that he remembered it, too. She looked down at their joined hands and then looked at Darcy, whose eyes were full of his love for her. Thinking herself the luckiest woman in the world, she took his arm and looked up at the splendid museum.

Ahead of them, the children were spilling out of the Darcy coach. They had all been given strict instructions by Elizabeth to be on their best behaviour, but she need not have worried: the large and imposing building had its effect on them and they went quietly inside.

As they did so, she noticed the effect Beth had on everyone they passed. Without ever trying, Beth managed to charm people. They looked at her quiet, self-assured figure and felt the goodness she radiated. Coupled with her undoubted beauty, it entranced them, young and old. And yet Beth was unaware of it.

William looked around him with interest, while John’s eyes searched for any display of weapons the museum might have. Laurence, for once overawed, held Jane’s hand, and Margaret followed on behind as Edward led them to the Rosetta Stone.

“You seem to know your way,” said Darcy.

“I have seen the Stone before,” said Edward.

“How long has it been here?” asked William.

“Thirteen years,” said Edward. “Colonel Turner brought it to England when the French surrendered to the English in Egypt. He presented it to the king, and the king said that it should be put in the museum.”

“I should like to see the site of the battles,” said John. “Colonel Fitzwilliam has told me all about Aboukir Bay and the triumph of our armies. I wish we could go to Egypt,” he added wistfully.

They arrived at the Stone. Beth, who had shown little interest in the proceedings, was captivated by the hieroglyphs.

“Look at the beautiful pictures. That one looks like a bird,” she said. “And that one looks like a shepherd’s crook.”

“It looks like a lot of squiggles to me,” said Laurence. “If it’s been here for thirteen years, why hasn’t anyone found out what it says yet?”

“Because the language is very different from anything we are used to,” said Edward.

William took out a notebook and started copying the hieroglyphs, but Edward said, “There is no need for that. I have a print of them in my bags. I will give it to you when we return to the house.”

Elizabeth was as intrigued as the children. The Stone seemed very exotic and she could almost feel the heat of the desert as she looked at it. How wonderful it must be to travel, to see the pyramids and deserts, to float down the Nile and smell the unfamiliar scents that permeated that strange world!

“I will have to leave you here for a while,” said Edward. “It is time for my meeting with Sir Matthew.”

As Edward was about to leave them, Darcy took him to one side.

“Does Sir Matthew know you are the son of an earl?” he asked.

“Of course,” said Edward. Adding, with a sudden smile, “How else do you think I managed to arrange an interview with him?”

“I suppose it would do no good to warn you that he is only interested in your family’s wealth and status, not your enthusiasm?” asked Darcy. “Expeditions cost a great deal of money to pursue, and scholars are always short of funds.”

“No good at all,” said Edward. “Just as it would do no good for you to warn him that I am not just interested in his knowledge, but that I hope to persuade him to take me with him when he returns to Egypt.”

He bowed and withdrew, leaving the Darcys to wander the room and exclaim over the strange treasures housed in the museum. There were Greek vases, marble statues, and even an Egyptian mummy, which delighted Laurence. John, meanwhile, was more interested in the collection of medals, and William perused the collection of books.

All was going well until Beth, looking around her, said, “Where is Margaret?”

Elizabeth looked round and realised that her youngest daughter had strayed.

“She went over there,” Laurence said.

He pointed in the direction of an antechamber and then immediately lost interest in his smallest sister as Darcy pointed out a ferocious-looking sword. But Elizabeth and Beth went in search of Margaret.

The antechamber was darker than the main rooms, without any windows, which rendered it mysterious and somewhat eerie. A few candles guttered on the bare walls and for a moment Elizabeth felt herself overcome with a sense of foreboding. The fact that there were no visitors in this particular room made it seem more sinister.

“There you are, Margaret,” she heard Beth say.

She turned to see her youngest daughter staring at a set of painted friezes in the corner of the chamber. The little girl’s eyes were set in enchanted wonder.

“What is it, my love?” Elizabeth asked, smiling, as she walked across to join both girls.

“Look, Mama. Margaret has found some pictures. Aren’t they unusual?” Beth replied.

Elizabeth examined the pictures. They were set into a thick wooden board which had been propped up rather haphazardly against the wall. There were only six pictures, although it looked as though there was space for several more. Each picture was of the same figure, that of a woman with elongated eyes and generously curved body. But she was clearly not a sympathetic character. In every picture she was pictured surrounded by tiny corpses at her feet, who had obviously not died of natural causes.

“Oh, Beth, how gruesome…” Elizabeth began, but another voice interrupted her.

“Ah, early visitors to my femme fatale.”

They all turned to see a man in his midfifties looking at them. He wore tightly fitting breeches, a long tailcoat cut away to show a rather faded waistcoat of cream brocade, and his cravat had been inexpertly tied. But his hair was his own, a faded brown with grey sideburns, and he smiled at them with merry eyes.

“Good day to you, sir,” said Elizabeth, while Beth and Margaret curtsied formally. “My daughters and I seem to have strayed into an unfinished exhibit room.”

“Unfinished and likely to remain so, madam,” said the gentleman. “I donated these artefacts to the museum and intended to fill the room with antiquities, but my sponsors have lost their appetite for the venture. Can’t say as I blame them, really. The minx in the picture isn’t the best advertisement for inspiring the imagination of the British public. But I took a fancy to her story while I was in Egypt and picked up this little trinket in a bazaar in Cairo.”

“You have been to Egypt?” Beth said with interest.

The gentleman smiled at her.

“I have, my dear, many times, for pleasure and in the pursuit of academic interests. It is a fascinating place.”

Elizabeth said, “You are making us very envious, Mr.…?”

“Rosen, madam,” he said, tipping his top hat. “Sir Matthew Rosen.”

“Sir Matthew, it is a pleasure to meet you,” said Elizabeth, taking the introduction upon herself. “I am Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy and these are my daughters Beth and Margaret.”

“Enchanted. And what do you ladies think of my Egyptian lady? I admit to a certain doomed attraction for her, although I strongly suspect her story is no more than the figment of some wily souk keeper’s imagination in order to sell a worthless bauble to a Western souvenir hunter.”

He smiled as he said this, and Elizabeth laughed.

“She is certainly very wicked if these images are anything to go by.”

“She wasn’t very happy,” said Margaret, speaking for the first time.

Sir Matthew looked at her curiously.

“What makes you say that, my dear?”

“Because it’s true. People were mean to Aahotep, so she was mean back.”

Now Sir Matthew looked at her in frank surprise. “However did you know that?”

“My daughter has a vivid imagination,” said Elizabeth with a smile.

“And your lady looks like the doll Cousin Edward gave her, doesn’t she? Look,” said Beth, taking Margaret’s hand and revealing the doll.

Elizabeth glanced at the wooden toy in Margaret’s hand and noticed that it did bear a striking resemblance to the figure in the pictures.

“And who is Cousin Edward, young lady?” asked Sir Matthew, looking more interested in all of them now.

“My husband’s cousin, Edward Fitzwilliam,” explained Elizabeth, taking Margaret’s hand.

“Would this be the Honourable Edward Fitzwilliam, with whom I believe I have an appointment imminently?” Sir Matthew asked, examining a pocket watch as he spoke.

Elizabeth smiled. “Indeed. He is looking forward to it very much. Edward has a great hunger for all things to do with Egypt, as my daughters will testify.”

“Then I look forward to meeting him,” said Sir Matthew.

Elizabeth sensed the unspoken comment that he had not been looking forward to meeting her young cousin before, which would explain why he was alone in a room devoid of nearly all decoration rather than trying to interest Edward in funding his trip.

“Yes, we must not detain you, Sir Matthew,” she said, leading Margaret and Beth out of the room and into the light again.

Sir Matthew followed them, saying, “Good day to you, Mrs Darcy, ladies,” and disappeared up a flight of stairs toward a set of rooms marked Private.

“Mama, we’re over here,” shouted a voice, and Elizabeth turned to see William waving to her.

Darcy and John were marvelling at a huge sculpture of an Egyptian pharaoh, but on seeing Elizabeth, Darcy moved across to her.

“The artefacts are fascinating,” he said. “I’ve seldom seen all our children so captivated.”

“It is good for them to see that matters educational do not have to be dull,” Elizabeth agreed. “And yet I have to confess that this trip to the museum, far from satisfying my desire for an adventure, merely makes me want more. Darcy, you will never believe who we just met!”

“Tell me, my love.”

“Sir Matthew Rosen himself. Margaret found a picture of the doll Edward gave her and while we were looking at it, Sir Matthew arrived.”

“Surely he should have been at the meeting with Edward,” Darcy said with a frown.

“He has just left to meet Edward. I rather felt he was reluctant to speak to him. We assumed that he was desperate for funds and prepared to do anything to obtain them, but it must be tedious to have to flatter those who think only of self-aggrandisement. I think Sir Matthew will be pleasantly surprised when he meets Edward, for Edward does not have a haughty bone in his body.”

She placed her arm through his and was about to speak further when they were distracted by a museum attendant who was staring in alarm at Laurence and Jane. Both children were engrossed in a game which involved them touching the long, doglike snout of a statue of Anubis and then running away shrieking with laughter.

“Oh dear,” she said.

She joined her husband in rescuing the room from the worst of their children’s excesses, before organising an orderly departure from the museum.

As Edward had asked them not to wait, for he expected to be with Sir Matthew some time, they returned to Darcy House in the carriage, leaving the phaeton for his return.

***

“Congratulate me,” Edward said as he burst into the ground floor sitting room much later on that afternoon.

“Congratulations, Cousin Edward,” Laurence and Jane chorused together.

“Edward, at last.” Elizabeth looked up from the pianoforte where she was engaged in giving Beth her lesson. “We missed you at luncheon. Did everything go well at the museum?”

“It went splendidly, dear Elizabeth,” he said in exceptionally high spirits. “Where is Fitzwilliam? I have so much to tell you all.”

“I saw Papa in the garden earlier. Shall I go and fetch him?” Laurence asked, but he and Jane were off even before their mother had nodded her assent.

“Sir Matthew is the most interesting man I have ever met,” Edward declared, sitting down on the Louis Quinze chair.

“Yes, we met him too,” Elizabeth admitted, sitting down opposite him. “Beth, go and ask Molly to bring in some tea.”

“He told me,” Edward said, sitting forward, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. “He said he had been impressed by my family and that he was further impressed by my knowledge of Egypt’s history and legends. We talked for hours, Elizabeth. I cannot tell you how marvellous it was.”

“How marvellous what was, Edward?”

Darcy’s voice from the French windows interrupted their conversation and Edward jumped up, unable to keep still for long in his passions.

“My talk with Sir Matthew Rosen. We discussed his forthcoming trip to Egypt at length, and in exchange for my sponsorship, he has agreed to allow me access to his dig. Can you believe it? I will sail for Cairo as soon as I can make my arrangements. I can hardly wait.”

“You must be so excited,” Elizabeth said, watching the young man pace the room. “I confess to envying you such a thrilling journey.”

“I have waited all my life for this chance,” Edward said. “Ever since my father told me of his adventures, I have dreamed of seeing Egypt for myself. To sail down that ancient river on a felucca among the crocodiles, to visit the pyramids under the moon, to experience for myself the Valley of the Kings. It is all I have ever wanted.”

“Then we are both happy for you, Edward,” Elizabeth said warmly. “And your father will be, too. You must write to him tonight.”

Edward’s expression of unalloyed delight faded somewhat.

“Yes,” he said colourlessly. “I shall write directly after dinner.”

“Edward, he does know about your plans, does he not?” Darcy asked.

Edward turned away from his cousin.

“He knows of my enthusiasms,” he said. “He knows it has been my dearest wish since childhood to visit the land of the pharaohs. But if you are asking, Will he be pleased to hear that his youngest son will be leaving England in the next few weeks to take part in an archaeological trip to the Dark Continent? Then no, I fear that he will not be as delighted as you are at my good fortune. After all,” he added bitterly, “I am the son of an earl. It is my duty to join either the army, the navy, or the church, not waste my time digging up bits of old pottery in the sands of a foreign country.”

“I am sure that’s not how your father views your interest at all,” said Elizabeth, but Edward shook his head.

“If only that were true, but he has done everything he can to dissuade me from this course.”

“Then perhaps you should listen to him,” Darcy said. “Such an undertaking is full of dangers as well as excitements, and he knows more than most the price of such adventures.”

Edward glanced up, anger and resentment in his eyes and Elizabeth was reminded that Edward was still very young, barely past twenty-three.

“It is no more dangerous than joining the army, and I could do that with his blessing,” Edward said.

“I’m sure that once your father realises how important this trip is to you, he will understand. Sometimes, in concerning themselves with safety, fathers can forget the exhilaration of the new. Is that not so, Fitzwilliam?” she added as the maid appeared with the tea.

“Perhaps so,” he replied as the children rushed in again, attracted by the plate of cakes which the cook never failed to add.

But as he watched Elizabeth dispense tea and pastries to the various parties, his expression became thoughtful as an idea began to form in his mind.

***

Elizabeth dismissed her maid and began to prepare for bed. She removed the combs from her long dark hair and picked up an elegant silver-backed brush as Darcy entered the room.

“Has Edward retired for the night as well?” she enquired.

She had left the two gentlemen to their port after dinner in hopes that Darcy might be able to impart some words of wisdom to their young guest. Despite managing to keep his mood from the children, Edward was still alternating between tremendous excitement at his forthcoming trip and bitter resentment at his father’s disapproval of his chosen path.

“Yes, he has, although from the number of candles alight, I suspect he has little intention of sleeping straightaway.”

“It is natural at his age to be so exuberant,” she said, beginning to brush her hair.

Darcy crossed the room and stood behind her, taking the brush from her hands. She willingly relinquished it, for if there was one thing she enjoyed more than brushing her own hair, it was having Darcy brush it for her. But after a few minutes, she put her hand on his to stop him, for she could tell by his frown that something was worrying him.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said.

But she was not to be put off.

“There is something; I can tell. You are worried about Edward. You are not happy about this trip of his.”

“It is none of my business. He is of age and free to do as he likes. Besides, travel broadens the mind and I think every young man should experience it at least once in his life. I admire his enthusiasm, but sometimes I feel that, for Edward, Egypt has not simply been an interest but an obsession.”

“Are you worried that he will be disappointed?”

“I think it is more that I am worried he is too inexperienced to take care of himself abroad. He is very trusting, and there are plenty of people in the world who will be only too happy to take advantage of his generous nature, and his generous allowance. His father and mine were older when they undertook their trip to Egypt, and even they found themselves out of their depth. I am not sure you should be encouraging him.”

“I cannot help encouraging him to follow his heart. You, above all, should know the importance of that. After all, would we be here now if we had followed the advice of older, wiser heads?”

“Perhaps not. Though I am not convinced the heads in our case were wiser.”

Elizabeth laughed. “No, it was not very wise of Lady Catherine to visit me and attempt to bully me into saying that I would never marry you.”

“Or to tell me that you had wilfully refused to assure her that there was no truth in the rumours, for that is what gave me reason to hope. I knew that, if you had really been set against me, you would have told her so.”

“Then since things turned out so well for us, will you not agree with me that Edward should not be prevented from pursuing his passion? For who knows where it might lead?”

Darcy was thoughtful. “Perhaps…”

“Yes?”

“Perhaps we should go with him.”

“Darcy, do you mean it?” asked Elizabeth, with a sparkle in her eye.

“I do,” he said, smiling to see her so happy.

“But what about the boys’ schooling?”

“We will be gone for less than a year and the trip will be educational. It will give them a chance to travel, and although it would perhaps be better for them to wait until they are older, such a trip might not be possible when they come of age. Europe has just emerged from a long period of warfare. Who knows when there might be another?”

“Oh, this is so exciting! Just think of it. Egypt! With its pyramids and palm trees and golden sand dunes. What an adventure it will be. We must start to make plans immediately—”

“However,” Darcy interrupted as she got up, her eyes sparkling with pleasure, and ran to her escritoire. “Once we return, we will send Laurence to school.”

Elizabeth stopped. “He is still so young.”

“I was at school already by his age. He needs more society than his family circle can give him. He needs it for his own sake and for his future as well. He is ready to experience a life that allows him more companions of his own age and inclination.”

“You mean he wishes to go to school?” Elizabeth frowned. “He has never mentioned it to me.”

“Of course not. He does not want to upset you; he adores you, as all our children do. However, when you are not present he talks of little else but the day when he will attend a proper school.”

As she stared at him, Elizabeth knew he was speaking the truth. She gave a sigh.

“You are right. I knew it must come eventually, and although I did not admit it, I knew only this morning that the time had come. When Laurence was running around the museum…” She gave a rueful smile.

“He is lively and energetic and full of enthusiasm, but he grows ever wilder as the days progress,” Darcy agreed. “And what is more, he leads Jane astray. She will be far more ladylike without Laurence to lead her into mischief. So we are agreed?”

“Yes,” she said.

“And we are agreed on the trip to Egypt?”

“Yes, a thousand times yes. It will be the holiday of a lifetime.”