“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.”

Chapter 3




Elizabeth and Darcy agreed not to tell the children about the Egyptian trip at once, as the thought of six overexcited children was rather too much of a good thing, but they discussed it with Edward at the earliest opportunity. Elizabeth was not sure how he would take the news, whether he might think they were interfering, but she need not have been concerned, for he was enthusiastic about the idea.

“It seems only fitting that the two of us should go together,” he said to Darcy. “After all, it is what our fathers did.”

“If only we knew the name of the third member of their expedition, we could invite his son, too,” mused Darcy.

“I did not know there were three men in the original party,” said Elizabeth, who had not heard it mentioned before.

“Yes, there is a portrait of all three of them,” said Edward. “I found it on a wet afternoon when I explored the attic. It was covered in dust and had obviously not been good enough for my father’s refined tastes or he would have hung it in his study. The three men were painted in front of the pyramids.”

“And do you not know who the third man is?” asked Elizabeth.

“I did not recognise him,” said Edward carefully, adding, “I did not even recognise my own father. He had a beard, he was very thin, and his skin was as brown as a nut. It was only the ring on his finger which gave away his identity.”

“And could your father not tell you?”

“He does not like to speak of Egypt. He fears it will encourage me. It is a pity we do not know of any artists who might be willing to come with us. I would like to have someone to record the expedition,” said Edward. “We could have our portrait painted in front of the pyramids like our fathers.”

Elizabeth opened her mouth, and Darcy said, “No, you cannot ask him.”

“Why not?” she replied. “I am sure he would like to come with us.”

“The poor man was of a nervous disposition. He jumped every time I spoke to him,” said Darcy. “He would probably faint at the sight of a camel.”

“You forget, my dear, that you are far more awe inspiring than any camel!” Elizabeth returned with laughter in her eyes.

“Do you mean you know someone?” asked Edward.

“Darcy has just commissioned a family portrait,” said Elizabeth. “We were going to have it painted in London, or perhaps at Pemberley. But as we already have several family portraits with various Darcy houses in the background, I think the idea of being painted against a backdrop of camels, sand, and pyramids is an excellent one.”

“I doubt if Paul Inkworthy will think it an excellent idea,” said Darcy.

“We can at least ask him,” said Elizabeth. “It would be an adventure for him, and I think he is in need of an adventure. He is very thin and pale, poor man; he has obviously spent too many hours sitting in a studio. Some sunshine is just what he needs. It would improve his nerves too, I am convinced of it.”

“My dear wife, you are incorrigible,” said Darcy.

“Alas, dear husband, I am. I will write to him and suggest the idea at once,” said Elizabeth.

As she went over to her writing table, she had a brilliant vision of Darcy and herself standing in the middle of a glorious Egyptian painting, with their children seated in front of them. She imagined the girls in pristine white dresses and the boys looking immaculate in coats and breeches, surrounded by golden sand dunes. Then the impossibly perfect picture dissolved as her lively mind provided her with a more realistic picture: Laurence and Jane running about, Margaret sucking her thumb, and a camel eating the flowers on Beth’s bonnet. Elizabeth laughed at herself then sat down at her desk, and taking up a quill pen, she started to write.

Darcy and Edward excused themselves. Edward went upstairs, while Darcy called for the carriage and set out for his club. He knew that Lord Potheroe would be there, and as Potheroe had travelled to Egypt the preceding year with his wife, Darcy wanted his advice.

As the carriage rattled through the streets, he felt his own excitement stirring. He had been deprived of a Grand Tour in his youth because of the Napoleonic Wars, which had ravaged Europe and made travel through France and Italy impossible. It had been a great disappointment to him at the time because as a boy he had listened avidly to his father’s tales of Paris and Venice, and he had longed to see them for himself. And not only Paris and Venice. His father, in common with Edward’s father and other young men of their generation, had extended his Grand Tour to include Greece, Turkey, and Egypt as well. Indeed, one of their friends, Lord Sandwich, had been so enthusiastic about these far-flung places that he had founded the Egyptian Society, opening it to any gentleman who had been in Egypt, and Darcy’s father had joined.

It had been a disappointment to Darcy that he had never been able to do the same, but now his chance had arrived. The only thing troubling him was the fact that his father had suffered from various illnesses while in Egypt, and the whole adventure had weakened his constitution. There was no doubt that his Egyptian adventure had contributed to his early death, leaving Darcy an orphan at the age of twenty-two and Georgiana an orphan at the tender age of ten. Darcy did not want to expose himself, or his family, to the same evils, and he meant to take every precaution.

The carriage rolled to a halt. He descended to the pavement, drawing admiring looks from passersby, and went into the club.

As he had hoped, Potheroe was in his usual seat by the window.

“Darcy!” he said, rising, as he saw his old friend. “Join me.”

“I would be happy to,” said Darcy.

He sat down and ordered a drink, and the two men exchanged pleasantries.

“What are you doing in London?” asked Potheroe.

“We have been down to Kent to visit my aunt, Lady Catherine, and we decided to spend some time in London on our way back to Derbyshire.”

“They are all well in Kent, I hope? Anne and her children are thriving?”

“Yes, I thank you.”

“So when are you returning to Pemberley?” asked Potheroe, as the waiter brought Darcy his drink.

“Not for some time,” said Darcy. “There has been a change of plan. And that leads me to the reason for my being here. I came especially to see you.”

“My dear boy, I did not know I was such a draw!” said Potheroe, laughing.

Darcy smiled and then said, “It is not so much you, as your experiences. I am planning a trip to Egypt—”

“Egypt!” said Potheroe, startled. “Will Elizabeth not mind? It is a long way, you know, and you cannot go there and back in a day. Unless she intends to travel with you?”

“She does,” said Darcy. “Elizabeth has always liked to travel, and when my cousin Edward turned up unexpectedly, he infected her with his desire to see Egypt.”

“I see. It is not very sedate, you know.”

Darcy laughed quietly, for there was nothing sedate about Elizabeth either.

“You will be leaving the children with the Bennets, I suppose?” Potheroe continued.

Darcy stretched out his legs in front of him and made himself more comfortable. “No, we will be taking them with us.”