and subtle pleadings for her company touched a hidden region of her heart. His skill in the bedroom far surpassed the unlamented Mr. Smyth and the sensations experienced burned through her body to an addictive degree. Equally enthralling was his interest in her views, Geoffrey caring for her opinions and welcoming her conversation as no one ever had. Gradually she began to imagine more from their relationship, even if her dreams were nebulous and not pondered in the light of day.
Geoffrey pushed to visit her at Darcy House so they would have the entire night together rather than brief minutes of rapid lovemaking. Emotion overruled discretion and she allowed him in to her private apartments, aware that the act was an unforgivable breach of Mr. Darcy’s rules. In the aftermath of inexhaustible passion, he asked personal questions about the family, and she enlightened him. As winter waned into spring with the looming onslaught of the family on the horizon, Mrs. Smyth lost all scruples in her craving for the special brand of comfort that Geoffrey Wiseman so capably gave her.
It had been three weeks since she last saw him and she anticipated his return any day, as he had promised. Every prudent bone in her body screamed against permitting him entry with Mr. Darcy in residence, but she knew that she would the moment he sent word of his arrival. A mere day of excessive racket was already wearing on her and she shamelessly needed consoling from her lover. A shiver of anticipatory pleasure raced through her core, settling in her belly.
Chapter Fifteen
The subsequent days passed in the usual manner for this time of year as the official London Season was soon to commence and Easter approached.
Traffic—foot, horse, and carriage—noticeably amplified as the elite members of Society relocated from their pastoral country abodes to their plush townhouses. Vendors of every type hopped into action as purchasing drastically increased with the steady influx of orders for everything from flowers and fabrics to fresh produce and meats. Covent Garden, Piccadilly, Cheapside, Adelphi, and even the smaller shopping districts met the demand with ease after decades of practice. Church ceremonies to honor Christ’s death and resurrection were held daily during Lent and Holy Week. Costers took advantage with booths selling hot cross buns, dyed hard boiled eggs, simnel cakes, flower-adorned crosses, white lilies, and palm branches lining the walkways nearby.
Couriers added to the press of bodies, busily delivering the invitations to afternoon teas, salons, and soirees. Musicians, actors, singers, and a dozen other entertainers exhausted themselves in perfecting their art while theatre owners and crewman frenetically primed for constant performances. Museums, art galleries, clubs, gardens, public rooms—every business catering to the entertainments of the ton gleefully threw open their doors, knowing a vast amount of money was to be made and prestige gained. Modistes, tailors, milliners, cobblers, and anyone else associated with providing fine garments and accoutrements worked long hours and employed additional helpers to meet the demand.
The residents of Darcy House passed the days in the usual pursuits as well.
Despite his claim to applaud all forms of laziness, George wasted only two days before reconnecting with his medical colleagues. He scheduled a series of lectures for new students, his reputation as an excellent teacher and expert practitioner well known, and volunteered at the local hospitals where he was welcomed gladly. His never- waning hunger to learn improved or unique methods of diagnosing and treatments prompted him to enroll in several lectures of interest. Of course, his serious, scholarly side did not totally rule with a fair number of frivolous entertainments embraced in between.
Georgiana submerged her impatience to see Mr. Butler. It was not easy, but the delight of shopping and gossiping with the plethora of friends she had not seen in months did soothe and distract. Her prior enthusiasm for balls at Almack’s and flirtatious strolls through Hyde Park was greatly diminished, an oddity Darcy noticed but did not comment upon.
Lizzy discovered the same degree of happiness in distraction. The strange vision of Lord Orman and any residual disquiet over Mr. Wickham disappeared with a full schedule of socializing and preparing for the holiday. After three previous Seasons in Town, Mrs. Darcy was acquainted with everyone, close friends with some, and esteemed as worthy company by all, her ability to easily socialize one Darcy remained in awe of.
Darcy spent the first days with his solicitors in their maple-paneled offices. Mr. Andrew Daniels and his sons brilliantly handled Darcy’s numerous business ventures while Mr. Darcy dwelt at Pemberley during the winter months with frequent messages passing over the miles. Nevertheless, the pile of documents requiring signatures or careful perusal grew and would take some time to deal with. He relished the work, even as he strived to consolidate and streamline his affairs so as to require less personal attention in the future. Mr. Daniels’s service to the Darcy family for decades, and Mr. Darcy specifically, meant he knew his client’s wishes and was ready with a dozen propositions to discuss, contracts written, bank drafts awaiting signatures, and so on.
Mr. Daniels quietly pursued his search for information on the Marquis of Orman while Colonel Fitzwilliam’s “spies” were unreachable and doing heaven-knew-what in their intelligence hunt. There was nothing for Darcy to do other than maintain his extreme diligence. Lizzy was cautioned daily, a reminder she comprehended and obeyed to the best of her ability. Yet, as the days turned into a week since leaving Hertfordshire, even Darcy began to relax and pushed the worries aside.
Maundy Thursday dawned bright and sunny. The Holy Day set aside to commemorate the Last Supper of Christ with his apostles began the Easter events Darcy most enjoyed, his delight compounded now that Alexander was old enough to attend. Church bells resounded from a multitude of steeples as they rode to St. Marylebone Parish Church for the service. Alexander sat mesmerized throughout the foot-washing ceremony and adaptive Passover Seder, finally falling asleep in his father’s lap during the choral worship. He missed the ritualized stripping of the altar sacraments in symbolic preparation for the Good Friday mourning services, but Darcy was content to observe the solemn proceedings with his family close.
The weather for Good Friday reverted to cold and blustery with rain threatening. Lizzy opted to stay indoors with Michael rather than subjecting the infant to illness, but the ominous skies did not deter Darcy from taking a thickly coated Alexander to watch St. Sepulchre Church’s reenactment of the medieval Easter Sepulchre liturgy.
Carved sepulchres of stone and wood created for Easter commemorations were once a common fixture in ancient churches. Some were simple works of art depicting the burial place of Christ with sleeping soldiers or visiting women carved as a niche in the wall of the church. Other sepulchres, such as this one, were large, elaborate sculptures with the entire story of Christ’s burial and resurrection conveyed in detailed etchings surrounding and on the tombs. Steeped in history and a fair amount of mystery due to lost documents and the ritual being banned during the Reformation, this ceremony was a highlight whenever Darcy managed to be in London for Easter.
Darcy, Alexander, Georgiana, and George joined a large gathering observing the formal rite. Sacred hymns recounting the Passion were sung by the choir as four dark-robed, barefooted monks walked soberly down the aisle carrying a red velvet-draped cushion upon which rested a plain wooden cross with an exquisite effigy of Christ in gold. Reverently, the cross was placed beside the candle-encircled sepulchre, the monks falling to their knees and bowing before the image with foreheads touching the floor. Lifting mere inches to bestow a kiss to the sculpted feet, they then crept backwards as the waiting monks lowered to their knees and in the same humble pose approached the cross to kiss.
The assembled clergy completed that part of the ceremony, forming a ring of kneeling worshippers around the cross. It was then that the priest rose from his seat, and slowly descended the steps of the chancel and front of the nave until standing with his brothers directly before the cross. With calm deliberation he removed his traditional vestures to reveal an unadorned black cassock, his eyes never leaving the graven face of suffering as he handed the garments to a waiting monk, removed his shoes, and bent to his knees. Crawling forward, he too respectfully kissed the nailed feet of his Savior before rising and lifting the laden cross high above his head for all in the audience to see.
The heavy lid of the wooden tomb was opened and the crucifix placed inside with due pomp. Responsories
