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.”
“Taking them with you?” asked Potheroe, surprised.
“Yes. It will be educational for them.”
“Are they not a little young for that kind of thing?”
“If we wait, who is to say that the opportunity will be available to them when they are older? You and I both know that wars can erupt at any time and make Europe impassable for decades. I do not want them to be confined to England forever.”
“There is something in what you say. Even so, taking children to Egypt… You will need plenty of help. And, mind, not all of your maids and footmen will want to go with you, nor your tutors nor governesses either. It is a long trip, and life is very different when you get there. Not that I am saying it cannot be comfortable, because it can, particularly for a man of your wealth, but it won’t be the same as being at home.”
“That is exactly why we are going,” said Darcy. “For an adventure. But I want to do everything I can to ensure the safety of Elizabeth and the children, which is why I came here to find you. You have been there recently and can give me your advice. I need to know how to travel, where are the best places to stay en route, and how to look after my family when we arrive.”
“I will do so, and gladly. I will give you the address of the British Consul General out there and let him know you are coming. He will be glad to give you his aid. He will be able to arrange some suitable accommodation for you and have it waiting for you when you arrive. In fact, he will be able to help you with all your practical concerns. He was a great help to me when I was over there, even going so far as to arrange a suitable guard for us. It can be a dangerous place, but a few men following a party are enough to scare away any cutthroats and take care of things if help should become necessary. Not that I think it wilclass="underline" with our show of strength, we were never troubled by anything of that kind. And never fear, the guards are discreet. They will not be intrusive and you will soon forget they are there.”
“Thank you.”
“And of course you are free to draw on my experiences at any time.”
“I hope that you and your wife will dine with us; we will be very glad of your company and I know that Elizabeth will be as eager as I am to hear of your experiences.”
A date was set for the following week, and then they fell to discussing the travel arrangements for the Darcys’ journey.
“I advise you to arrange matters so that you arrive in Egypt toward the end of August or the start of September; you do not want to arrive during the plague season in June, and it is best to avoid the Nile floods in August. I advise you to hire your own ship to take you to Alexandria from Southampton, it will be much more convenient than changing ships at various ports along the way, and for a man of your wealth it will not be difficult. There is a captain I can recommend…” Lord Potheroe began.
A few hours later, Darcy left the club with all the information he needed to make a start on the arrangements. It was not a small undertaking, transporting so many people so many miles, but it was stimulating and he found himself looking forward to the expedition with enthusiasm.
On leaving the club, he went to see his man of business and informed him of the coming trip, leaving him with a list of instructions based on Lord Potheroe’s experiences.
By the time he returned to Darcy House, he found that Edward had taken the children riding in the park with their grooms and that Elizabeth was upstairs. He found her in her bedchamber, sorting through her clothes.
“What do you think I should wear in Egypt?” she asked, holding up two gowns.
“I have never been able to understand the mysteries of women’s clothing, but I am sure that Lady Potheroe will be able to advise you. I have invited the Potheroes to dinner next week. They have been in Egypt recently, and they will be able to give us a great deal of help. I have already had the benefit of Lord Potheroe’s advice as far as travel and accommodation go. I am sure Lady Potheroe will be just as helpful with the more domestic arrangements. Although you, my dear Elizabeth, will look beautiful whatever you wear,” he said, putting his arms around her waist.
She laughed but was pleased nonetheless, and she slid her arms around his neck as he pulled her close, feeling a mixture of warmth and longing as he bent his head to hers.