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I am planning a trip to Egypt—”
    â€œEgypt!” 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?”
    â€œShe 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.”
    â€œI see. It is not very sedate, you know.”
    Darcy laughed quietly, for there was nothing sedate about Elizabeth either.
    â€œYou 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.”
    â€œTaking them with you?” asked Potheroe, surprised.
    â€œYes. It will be educational for them.”
    â€œAre they not a little young for that kind of thing?”
    â€œIf 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.”
    â€œThere 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.”
    â€œThat 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.”
    â€œI 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 will: 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.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œAnd of course you are free to draw on my experiences at any time.”
    â€œI 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.
    â€œI 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