Elizabeth's Ordeal

by Charlotte Browning

  “Well, what do you think?” Mr. Darcy asked her, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

  “I am speechless…” she muttered.

  “That is a new thing… I have never seen you speechless before.” he teased her, with a wide, proud smile.

  She tapped his hand, protesting. “Pemberley is just… perfect. How can you bear to leave it?” she finally expressed her opinion.

  “It is not easy, but sometimes, duty calls, and I have to attend the other properties I own.” Explained he, with a sigh. “Georgiana lives here almost all year round, she prefers it to the other houses.”

  “I totally understand her, believe me.” Assured she, her eyes still locked on the beautiful estate displayed down the hill.

  “The park around it, with its woods, belongs to the property, so you will have a lot to explore.” Informed he, smiling. “We can also ride our horses freely.”

  “It is marvelous.” She sighed, pleased.

  A few moments later, they were on their way to the house. Once there, the serfdom came out to receive them, starting with the butler and the housekeeper Mr. Darcy introduced to her as Mrs. Reynolds.

  “We wanted to welcome you home, ma’am and offer you our congratulations on your marriage.” The plump, older woman, dressed in grey said with a welcoming smile.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds. It is very kind of you.” Elizabeth responded, feeling a little shy.

  She had never been in charge of a house, and she was sure handling one this size would not be an easy thing. She would need all the help the housekeeper could provide her.

  “Where is my sister, Mrs. Reynolds?” Mr. Darcy asked, with a slight frown.

  “She went to visit Lady Catherine and Miss Anne with her governess, Mr. Darcy.” The woman replied, feeling a little uncomfortable. “She said she would not be long.”

  “Lady Catherine? My sister went all the way to Rosings?” he almost barked the question.

  “No, Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine moved to the Dower house a few days after your marriage. She told us she had discussed it with you, the need to keep Miss Georgiana company while you were at Scarborough.” The housekeeper explained, clearly feeling uncomfortable with Mr. Darcy’s reaction to the news.

  Mr. Darcy pursed his lips and said nothing more on the subject. Elizabeth was sure the old woman had not consulted her nephew on her decision and she had a very bad feeling about that.

  But that was not the moment, nor the place to discuss those things with her husband.

  Elizabeth slid her arm on his. “She had no way to guess at what time we would arrive.”

  The frown disappeared from his forehead and he smiled. “Yes, I guess you are right. I was just looking forward to introducing you to her.”

  “We shall have plenty of time for that.” She assured him, smiling back. “Right now, I would die for a good cup of tea.”

  It was past four in the afternoon and tea time was close. They had not stopped for lunch, eating on the carriage the bread and cheese they had bought in the last inn they had slept at.

  “Of course, ma’am. It will only take us a few minutes to serve it in the drawing-room.” Mrs. Reynolds announced, motioning her to enter the house.

  The serfdom was dismissed and Elizabeth followed the housekeeper into the drawing room, with Mr. Darcy right behind her.

  “Is there anything in particular you would like to eat, ma’am?” the good woman asked, as Elizabeth took a seat on a couch, looking around thrilled.

  “I am sure anything you have will be perfect.” Replied she, still smiling.

  “Very well, ma’am. I shall get it right away.”

  Elizabeth nodded, but her focus was on the elegant room she was in. Decorated in shades of beige and cream, with dark wood, it was quite beautiful.

  “Do you like the room?” asked Mr. Darcy, taking a seat in front of her on an armchair.

  “It is gorgeous.”

  “It is my mother’s work, but you can change whatever you do not like. This is your new house now.” Offered he, smiling.

  “I love it the way it is.”

  Mrs. Reynolds returned accompanied with one maid, and soon she had displayed the tea and the food on the table between them. There were cucumber sandwiches, pastries, toasted bread, butter and jam.

  “If you need anything else, please, ask, ma’am.” The woman said before she headed to the door.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, I will.”

  She served the tea for Mr. Darcy and herself and soon they were enjoying their tea.

  “It is a pity Georgiana is not here, with us.” Mr. Darcy commented at some point.

  His sister’s absence clearly, upset him.

  “I am sure she thought she would have enough time.”

  “Yes, I am sure you are right, but it still bothers me a little.” Admitted he, finishing his cup of tea. “I have not seen her in a while now, and I truly thought she would be here to receive us and finally meet you.”

  “I am sure you are giving too much importance to her absence. She will be here soon and you will be able to introduce us.” Elizabeth tried to appease him, but she did understand his concern.

  The girl’s absence was not a good sign for her and though she tried to shake that thought out of her mind, it was not very easy.

  After the tea, Mr. Darcy took her in a quick tour around the house, showing her the main rooms. She asked him to show her first the library she had heard so much about and she almost started hopping when she saw it. The room was any reader’s paradise, with thousands of books all over the room.

  For the reader’s comfort, there were a couple of sofas, a chaise longue and a desk with its chairs. It was amazing. The sunlight still enlightened the room and she was sure she would spend amazing moments in that room.

  Mr. Darcy almost had to drag her out of the library to continue with the tour.

  “I shall have a lot to explore. The house is bigger than I expected.” Admitted she, as he guided her to her new room.

  “You shall have all your life for that, my love.” Assured he, opening the door to her bedroom.

  She let out a small cry of ecstasy when she walked in. The room was incredibly beautiful, decorated in shades of oranges and yellows, with dark wood and a fabulous brown carpet on the floor. The canopy bed had its drapes made in an incredible terracotta silk chiffon. The whole room was amazing and she loved it.

  “I love it.” Said she, with a broad smile.

  “Do you think you can live happy here?” asked he, pleased with her reaction.

  “Of course, I can. There is no doubt in my mind.”

  He showed her the big dressing room that connected with his own room and with the hallway. “This way, the servants can prepare your bath without disturbing you.” He explained.

  All of their clothes were already hanging in the wardrobes of the room and Elizabeth was able to see the huge bathtub stored in the corner of the room.

  “It is perfect, I really love it.”

  “That makes me very happy, my love.” He picked up one of her hands and kissed its palm. “Would you like to take a bath before dinner?” asked he, with a smile.

  “Oh, yes that would be perfect, thank you.” Nodded she, going back to her room to ask Maggie to assist her with the bath.

  “I shall leave you to it, my darling. Dinner will be in an hour and Georgiana should be here by then.” Said he, still upset with his sister’s absence.

  “I am sure that will be so. Please, do not scold her for such littleness.” Pleaded she, with a faint smile. The last thing she wanted was for Mr. Darcy to give her a bad start with her sister in law.

  “I should, but I believe I understand the reason behind your request, so I shall not mention her absence.” He acquiesced, kissing the back of her hand before he left the room.

  Elizabeth pulled the bell’s cord to call Maggie and walked to the window, thrilled to see it opened to the front part of the house and its gorgeous gard
ens.

  A gentle knock on the door announced the arrival of her maid and soon she was ordering her bath and getting rid of her dusty clothes. It was impossible not to get some of the road’s dust on you when you travelled such long distances.

  She chose her simplest evening gown for dinner, a dark blue chiffon dress, determined not to outshine Georgiana in any way. She wanted to become a good friend for the girl, and she was willing to do all in her power to achieve that goal.

  Chapter Three

  When she was ready, she went down the stairs, directly to the drawing room, where she expected to find Mr. Darcy already waiting, and so he was, handsome in his dark blue jacket and cream pants.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Darcy. Did you find all to your pleasure?” he asked her, smiling.

  “Good evening, Mr. Darcy. I could not be more pleased.” Assured she, looking around, in search for Georgiana.

  “My sister arrived only a few minutes ago, so it will take a few minutes to ready herself for dinner.” Explained he, noticing her search.

  “That will give us time to enjoy an aperitif before dinner.” Suggested she, smiling.

  “Indeed, it will. What may I get you?”

  Elizabeth took a seat in one of the room’s sofas. “A glass of white wine would be perfect, Mr. Darcy.”

  “The butler brought us champagne, to celebrate our wedding. Would you like that?” suggested he, with a smile as he approached a small table with several bottles on it, including a small bucket with ice where the bottle of champagne waited to be opened.

  “That would be excellent.” She clapped her hands happy and Mr. Darcy, proceeded to open the bottle. He was handing Elizabeth her cup when the door opened up and a beautiful girl entered the room. With fair hair, and a petite figure, Georgiana Darcy did not resemble much her brother.

  “Ah, Georgiana, here you are.” Mr. Darcy exclaimed when he saw her come in.

  “Brother, please forgive me for not being here when you arrived this afternoon. Aunt Catherine asked for my help in her intents to cheer poor Anne up.” Explained she, in a very cold tone.

  Elizabeth was sure she could sense scold in her tone, though it was beyond her imagination why the girl would be scolding her brother.

  Mr. Darcy deposited the cups on the table and crossed the room to greet his sister appropriately, with a tight hug and a kiss on the girl’s cheek. “I was very sorry you could not travel to Rosings for my wedding, but we are here now, and I would like you to meet my wife, Elizabeth.” He guided her to where Elizabeth was now standing. “Elizabeth, darling, she is my beloved sister, Georgiana.”

  Elizabeth took a step closer to the girl to greet her, just to freeze on the spot, when the girl took a step back. The cold tone of her following words showed perfectly, she resented Elizabeth’s presence there.

  “It is a pleasure to know you, Mrs. Darcy.”

  “You can call me Elizabeth, Georgiana. After all, we are now sisters.” Said Elizabeth, trying to alleviate the heavy tension installed in the room, in vain.

  The girl nodded and turned to look at her brother. “You will excuse me for not having dinner with you, but Aunt Catherine insisted that I had dinner there, and I saw no reason to oppose her desires.”

  Mr. Darcy frowned, obviously wishing to protest, but Elizabeth’s hand on his arm prevented him from exteriorizing his nuisance. “Will you at least, join us at the table? I have not seen you in a while and I would like to talk to you.”

  “It will have to be tomorrow, brother. You must understand I am feeling quite tired tonight.” She excused herself, and without waiting for an answer, she left the room.

  Something was wrong, Elizabeth could feel it and Mr. Darcy’s expression told her this was not a typical behaviour of his sister and she wondered what could possibly be behind all this.

  “Something is wrong.” Mr. Darcy’s words confirmed her suspicion. “Georgiana is not like this. I am sure her attitude is a result of my aunt’s influence.”

  “Did your aunt show any rejection to our marriage when you announced it?” Elizabeth asked, trying to find an explanation.

  Mr. Darcy sighed, drinking the contents of his cup in a single gulp. “She was not pleased, that is for sure. She had held hopes of me marrying my cousin, in order to inherit Rosings when the poor girl finally died due to her various illnesses.” He admitted.

  “Perhaps, she has shown her nuisance to Georgiana and that has influenced her.” Elizabeth suggested, realizing she was in for more trouble than she had anticipated, as she took a sip of her champagne.

  “Yes, I am starting to believe that. I must pay a visit to my dear aunt in the morrow.” Said he, upset.

  “Let us not allow this to ruin our night. I am sure you will be able to solve whatever problem there is.” She asked him, with a faint smile.

  “Of course not. I do not want the memories of your first night at Pemberley, tainted by the occurrences of my dear aunt.” He assured her, picking her hand and kissing its palm, in a sweet caress.

  The butler announced dinner was ready and the couple headed to the dining room, trying to recover the mood they had prior to the arrival of Georgiana.

  The rest of the night was not as bad as its beginning and they were able to enjoy a succulent meal, and an exquisite wine.

  That night, Mr. Darcy chose to go up to her room with her and play Maggie’s role, helping Elizabeth to disrobe and prepare herself to bed, interspersing every chore with sweet kisses and caresses. Somehow, they both needed to spend all the time they could together.

  The following morning, Darcy got up early and decided to pay a visit to his aunt. She had never paid him a visit uninvited, and of course, she had never settled in one of his houses without asking for his permission before.

  Something was definitely wrong and he needed to know what it was.

  He returned to his own bedroom where his valet was already waiting for him with his bath. “Thank you, Jones. Could you please warn Jameson I’ll need a horse as soon as I am done? I need to pay a visit to my aunt.”

  “Of course, Mr. Darcy. Will you have breakfast before you leave?” the older man asked him.

  “No, I do not wish to waste any more time. I am sure my aunt will invite me to her table.”

  “Very well, sir.”

  A few minutes later, Darcy was riding his horse on his way to Dower’s house.

  Lady Catherine’s butler opened the door for him and guided him to the dining room where his aunt was already having breakfast.

  “Darcy, I was expecting you yesterday.” She scolded him, in a cold tone.

  “I arrived yesterday, aunt. I had a lot of things to attend to.” He explained in a soft tone, trying to remain calm despite her tone.

  “Have breakfast with me.” Ordered she, pointing a chair next to her.

  He kissed her cheek and took a seat where she asked him to.

  “How are you, Darcy? How was your ‘honeymoon’?” Asked she, sprinkling the last word with obvious scorn.

  “I am fine, aunt, thank you for asking. My honeymoon was very good.” He poured a cup of coffee for himself.

  She snorted, still emphasizing her displeasure. “You should have listened to me when I told you not to marry that simple commoner.”

  “I have no idea why you are still bringing up this subject, aunt. I am married now, and Elizabeth is everything but simple.” He replied, keeping his temper under control.

  “But now things will be a lot more complicated.” She scolded him still.

  “What things?” he asked, tired of her little game. “Why do you not tell me what is on your mind, aunt?”

  “You will have to find a way to dissolve that marriage.” She ordered him.

  Startled, he raised his head to face his aunt. “Have you lost your mind, aunt?” he asked her in a stern tone.

  “I have never been saner in my life.” She assured him, in a cold tone.

  “Why would I ever even consider dissolving my marriage to the woman I lov
e?” Asked he, furious with the intrusion in his private life.

  “I told you it was mandatory for you to marry your cousin Anne. I shall not live forever and neither will she with her weak health. And if that happens while she is still single all will be lost.” She declared once more, repeating a speech Darcy had heard a thousand times.

  “And I told you I would never marry under such circumstances.” Retorted he. “You should have chosen another man for the job.”

  “You are the only man I could ever trust my daughter to.” Insisted she.

  “Then, I am afraid she will never get married. I am happily married and I intend to continue that way.” Assured he.

  “No, you shall not, at least not with that unimportant woman.” Lady Catherine pounded her fist on the table. “I am sure she will accept to be your mistress, when you are already married to Anne. After all, your money is the only thing important for her.”

  Darcy got up, furious. “I shall not allow you to address my wife this way. I am afraid you have lost your mind completely and I will not continue hearing your mumbling.”

  “Sit down, Darcy. I am not done yet.” The old woman yelled at him.

  “But I am.”

  “Anne is expecting a child.” She dropped the words like a bomb.

  Darcy was so surprised it took him a few moments to react to them. How was that even possible? According to her mother, his cousin was on the brink of death.

  “Then, all you have to do is to marry her with the father of her child.”

  “I am glad to see you agree with me, because that is exactly what I have been talking about.” Said she, with a triumphal smile on her face.

  “Then…” started he, when comprehension hit him like a brick wall. “Oh, no… you will not do this.”

  “Of course, I will. As far as I am concerned you are that child’s father and I shall make sure everybody knows it.” Threatened she, with a determined look on her face.