Love Abounds And Abounds And Abounds

LOVE ABOUNDS AND ABOUNDS AND ABOUNDS SEQUEL TO LOVE ABOUNDSA Pride and Prejudice Mystery/Romance Variation By Glenna Mason Dedicated to my faithful readers Also by Glenna Mason Pride and Prejudice Variations: Mr. Darcy and the Lady with the Fine Eyes Mr. Darcy’s Foreboding The Pleasure of Mr. Darcy’s Love Darcy Meets Elizabeth in Kentucky The Murders Begin at Netherfield Love and Murder Begin at the Bingley Ball Villains from Scotland Love Will Not Bend Seven Part P & P Series: The Luck of Fitzwilliam Darcy Through As the Years Go By Mystery Series: In the Rafters Of the Glen CHAPTER ONE A horseman rode up to the front steps of Pemberley, jumped from the mare’s back, slipped the bridle carelessly over the hitching post and happily sauntered up to the front door. He rapped the knocker loudly and enthusiastically. In less than a moment the butler opened the door, saying politely, “May I help you, sir?” “I have a special delivery letter for Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. I am to hand it to them personally. I am sent from Hertfordshire by Mr. Thomas Bennet. I slept one night on the road, trading mares every four hours, “ the rider declared. ”Please come in. Go down the hall to the kitchen. Dolly will get you a drink and some lunch. I will send a lad to take your mare to the barn for a drink, a rub down and the a roam in the grassy field next to the barn.” “Thank you! But may I see Mr. and Mrs. Darcy first? I am to return with a reply as soon as possible.” “Go get a drink at least in the kitchen straight down the hall. I will find Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. They will be delighted to hear word from Longbourn, I am sure.” The rider scurried down the hall for his drink. Mr. Carter, the butler, sent a footman to see to the care of the mare and another to find Mrs. Darcy. He then headed to the Pemberley library where he knew Mr. Darcy was meeting with his thoroughbred horse trainer and his farm manager. Knock! Knock! “Please enter, Carter,” Fitzwilliam Darcy said. “I am sorry to disturb you, Mr. Darcy, but a rider just arrived from Longbourn. I sent him the kitchen for refreshment. He wants to meet with you and Mrs. Darcy, since he has an urgent message from Mr. Bennet.” “Wonderful! Paul and John, I think we are finished here. Go grab your lunch in the breakfast room. I told Sarah to have it ready by noon.” “Shall I bring you and Mrs. Darcy and the lad lunch in the dining room?” Carter asked. “Yes, please. I’ll head there now,” Darcy said, bowing Carter through the library door. Looking up, Darcy saw Elizabeth hurrying down the hall. “Oh, good. Here is Elizabeth now.” Smiling Darcy said, “Elizabeth, join me in the dining room. We have a visitor to join us.” “The lad from Longbourn?” Elizabeth asked, smiling happily. Darcy returned his wife’s smile, answering, “Of course.” They strolled arm in arm down the hallway to the dining room. Darcy opened the dining room doors and then bowed Elizabeth through. After seating his wife at one end, Darcy got three wine glasses and the crystal decanter, which was filled with wine from the case they purchased on the honeymoon in Italy, one year ago. “I believe this visitor will bring good news, my love,” Darcy said, grinning, as he poured her a glass of the lush red wine. “So do I,” she said. “Here let me help.” She took the decanter and poured two more glasses. They clicked the wine glasses and took a sip, just as a knock was heard on the door. “Enter,” the two said in unison. And exuberant lad bounced through the door, grinning. “Miss Elizabeth!” he exclaimed. “Peter!” Elizabeth exclaimed excitedly. Pushing her chair back, Elizabeth rushed over and hugged the lad, who had taught her how to jump fences. Elizabeth had always been a fine flat rider, as well as a true expert curricle driver, but when she knew she was marrying Fitzwilliam Darcy, who took hunt parties, minus the fox, across his Pemberley fields and fences several times a year, she gave into fate and had the lad Peter teach her how to approach the jump, then when to lean in and let the horse do the rest. Thanks to Peter’s training, Elizabeth had become a fine jumper, quite capable of helping her husband lead his guests on riding jaunts across the fields, surrounded by barking hounds, who of course sometimes found a squirrel or a rabbit to chase, but never a fox. “Peter, this is my husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and, Fitzwilliam, this is Peter, the rider supreme who turned me into a lady who could join a group to jump across fences.” “Thank you for riding all this way, Peter. We met several times at Longbourn, mainly in the barn lot,” Darcy said smiling. Darcy then shook Peter’s hand and gave him a glass of the red Italian wine. “To Riders!” Darcy toasted. They all drank to that. “Please join us for lunch, Peter. As we eat, you can rest, relax and tell us the news you rode all this way to deliver,” Elizabeth invited. She then sat in her seat at the top of the table with one gentleman seated on each side. “Now what is the news from Father, Peter?” Elizabeth asked. “I can be patient no longer.” “I have a letter for you, Miss Elizabeth,” Peter said, laying it next to her plate, “but . . .” “But?” Elizabeth queried, her voice a little concerned. “But, I know what it says,” Peter said, grinning. “Oh,” Elizabeth responded with a sigh of relief. “Okay you tell me. What does the letter say? Then we’ll open it and see if you are correct.” “It tells you the date set for the weddings of Miss Mary and Miss Katherine