by Ola Wegner
“You too, Fitzwilliam.”
It seemed to please him that she used his Christian name.
Darcy left. Elizabeth put the candles down, walked to bed and climbed under the covers. As she stretched in the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in, she thought that never had she expected such a turn of events. She was allowed time to adjust and to settle in her new situation, to know him better. She was grateful to her husband for his consideration.
Chapter Five
The next morning Elizabeth woke up close to ten in the morning. She rarely slept that long. She had a good night’s rest. She slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.
As she stumbled into the dressing room, she found Drew there.
“Good morning, Drew,” she croaked.
“Good morning, mistress.” The servant smiled at her. “You slept well, I hope.”
“I certainly did. I cannot believe that I slept so late into the morning.”
“You had quite an emotional day yesterday. It is understandable. Master was very clear not to disturb your rest.”
Drew’s mentioning of Darcy returned Elizabeth’s thoughts to the events of last night. She still could not believe at what had transpired last evening. She was awed by her husband’s generosity.
“Where is Mr Darcy?” she asked.
“In his study, I believe. He had his breakfast a long time ago.”
“I see.”
“Do you prefer to have breakfast now, or a bath perhaps?”
Elizabeth felt her stomach grumbling. “Breakfast.”
“Very well, mistress.”
Elizabeth smiled at the woman’s enthusiasm. She guessed that they would understand one another rather well.
***
It was nearly midday when Elizabeth knocked at the door leading to the study.
“Enter.”
Darcy was seated behind his desk, writing busily.
On seeing her, he stood up and walked around the desk to greet her
“Good morning, Mrs Darcy.”
She could not stop the smile coming onto her face. “Good morning, sir.”
“I hope that you slept well.”
Her smile grew bigger. “Very well, thank you.” Then she realized how it could sound to him.
He laughed, seeing her expression.
“I am most pleased that you rested well and seem to be in high spirits this morning.”
“I am,” she assured him. She looked over at his desk. “I can see that you are quite busy.”
“Nothing which I cannot postpone.” He took her hand in his and let her to a nearby sofa. “Please tell me what are our plans for today.”
“I am not quite certain. Do you have any ideas?”
“The weather is quite nice for October. We could drive through the streets of London in an open carriage. Would you like that?”
“Oh, yes!” She clapped her hands together before she sobered. “I would like to thank you for your consideration which you showed to me last night.”
“I never thought that my wife would thank me for not making love to her,” he said.
Elizabeth looked down. His words of lovemaking touched something within her. She felt herself blushing.
Darcy rang for the footman, asking him to prepare a carriage.
Elizabeth walked to the window to look out onto the autumnal colours of the trees in the square. The weather was indeed pleasant. A ride in an open carriage was an excellent idea.
***
When years later Elizabeth remembered the first weeks of her marriage, she thought that Fitzwilliam and she had been extremely polite to one another. They acted as if they were participating in their very first tea party, careful to be on their very best behaviour.
One cold afternoon in the second week of her marriage, Elizabeth returned to the townhouse rather late in the afternoon. For most of the day she had been busy shopping with her maid, which she found daunting and a most boring occupation. Drew seemed to have excellent taste, thus Elizabeth was thankful for her advice.
Elizabeth did not expect to see another unfamiliar carriage waiting in front of the front entrance. Did they have guests? Darcy did not mention to her that they were expecting any calls.
As she entered the foyer, she instantly asked the footman who was with Mr Darcy.
“His aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
Elizabeth momentarily froze as she heard the name. She could easily guess the reason behind Lady Catherine’s sudden appearance. Elizabeth was not entirely certain if Darcy had informed his aunt of his wedding. He had never mentioned her name during the time of their engagement.
As she stepped to the door of the study, she could hear voices, but she could not make their meaning. Darcy’s baritone rose well above what was spoken by his aunt. Elizabeth did not wish to eavesdrop, nor did she think it wise for her to interrupt them.
She sat herself in the drawing room and asked for tea and refreshments. Soon she saw through the window Lady Catherine storming out of the house and into her carriage. Elizabeth was careful to stay behind the curtain to be certain that the woman would not see her.
The tea was served and together with it her husband entered the drawing room. Elizabeth thanked the maid and fixed the tea herself.
Darcy sat on the chair, leaning against the headboard. His eyes were closed. It was an unusually informal pose for him.
“Your tea, sir,” she said, handing it to him.
“Do not call me sir when we are alone,” he said. He opened his eyes and took the teacup from her. Instead of drinking it, he put it back on the table.
Elizabeth exclaimed softly as he pulled her over onto his lap. She sat stiffly but soon she relaxed into his embrace. One of his arms was wrapped around her back, the other was placed on her waist, while he hid his face against her neck.
“I gather that your aunt was not pleased with the news of our marriage,” Elizabeth said.She felt his arms tightening around her.
“I should be grateful that she came here after the wedding,” he said. “Not before it.”
“It is rather unusual that she did not learn about it earlier,” she commented. “Will you not agree with me?”
“There is nothing unusual to it,” Darcy said. “Colonel Fitzwilliam made sure that no one from our family wrote a letter to her informing her of our betrothal. I even paid that fool Collins to keep his mouth shut. It seems that he waited with writing to his noble patroness only as long as we said our wedding vows. It was a precaution. Lady Catherine has always been temperamental. I feared that she might appear at our wedding, hoping to disturb it. We were successful in avoiding it.”
Elizabeth pulled away from him enough to look into his eyes.
“You paid Mr Collins?”
Darcy nodded.
“Was he not offended with your offer?”
“There are very few people who can resist several hundred pounds in cash. Your cousin is not one of them.”
Elizabeth looked into his eyes. “May I ask what Lady Catherine said to you?”
He sighed. “Nothing I did not hear before. She has always been of the opinion that I should marry Anne. No one would satisfy her as Mrs Darcy but her daughter.”
“Mr Collins told me once that Anne and you were engaged since her birth. That such a union was a dream of your mothers.”
“Neither my mother nor father ever mentioned this to me. It is all Lady Catherine’s imagination, nothing more. Moreover, my father and mother were always against marriages between first cousins. In their opinion, such unions often produce both mentally and physically weak children.”
Elizabeth looked down. There were many more questions she wished to ask him. She suspected that similar to Lady Catherine, the rest of her husband’s family would never fully accept her as Mrs Darcy. She knew that she had a friend in Colonel Fitzwilliam, but what about other relatives? Did she care if they would accept her? She should not worry about the matters which she could not change.
She felt his finger under her chin. “It was not my intention to upset you,” he said.
“I am not upset. I do not fear Lady Catherine.”
That confession brought a smile to his face. “I am aware of that. I was always impressed with the manner you dealt with her during your stay in Kent.”
“At the time, I cared little for her opinion,” she confessed. “The thought of Lady Catherine becoming my relative one day was utterly ridiculous at the time.”
“Was it truly?” he enquired.
“You know very well that I never expected your proposal.”
He was silent for a longer while, his expression unreadable. His hand was playing with the ribbon which modestly adorned the front of her black dress.
“What about Colonel Fitzwilliam?” he asked. “He is Lady Catherine’s nephew, the same as I am.”
“I never thought that he could ever propose to me,” she said. “He was friendly but also honest. He made it very clear from the beginning of our acquaintance that as a second son he must marry into a large fortune.”
Darcy stared into her eyes. He cupped her cheek and kissed her. Elizabeth stiffened at first but then relaxed. His kisses were not unpleasant, and since the wedding night they did not put her into a state of panic like before when she had thought that they must lead to something more.
“Now tell me please how was your day,” he said. “How long will it take before you complete your entire wardrobe?”
Elizabeth rose from her husband’s lap and called for fresh tea. She told him about her shopping experience. She could see that he only feigned interest, for which she could not blame him.
They drank tea and talked about general matters. They did not return to the subject of Lady Catherine or Colonel Fitzwilliam.
***
Elizabeth stepped out of the carriage. She looked up at the handsome two-storey building built of red brick.
She saw little faces peeking up through one of the windows. She smiled. It had been quite a long time since she saw her youngest cousins. It was good that she had thought about buying them some candy and toys on her way here.
As she entered the house of her relatives in Cheapside, she was greeted warmly by children’s laughter, many embraces and kisses. She sat on the floor playing for nearly an hour with the Gardiner children, who wished to make instant use of the toys which they had just received.
Mrs Gardiner decided that she wanted to speak with her niece in private, thus she sent the children and Lydia upstairs. Lydia was not very pleased with it but she obeyed, settled with the promise that she would be able to join Elizabeth tomorrow on her shopping trip.
Mrs Gardiner and Elizabeth were alone, as Mr Gardiner had not yet returned home from his busy day.
“Lydia seems much improved,” Elizabeth noted.
“There is certain improvement in her behaviour,” Mrs Gardiner agreed. “She can be quite helpful with the children, who like her. To be perfectly honest, she can be a child herself many times. We give her some pocket money for her help with the children. She is not a big saver. Once she receives it she instantly splurges it on ribbons, hats and other things which she does not need.”
“She just turned sixteen. She should mature a little.”
“I think that we can both agree that she will never become the woman you and Jane are.”
“Mama is really grateful that you invited Lydia here to live with you for some time. She became quite uncontrollable when she was refused the chance to join her friends in Brighton. Now when Mama and the girls are to move to Purvis Lodge, I am sure that Mama shall want to bring Lydia back to live with them.”
Mrs Gardiner watched Elizabeth for a moment. “Now, Lizzy, I wish to hear all about you. I am so sorry that I could not attend your wedding.”
“I understand, Aunt. I truly do. Everything happened so very quickly, both the engagement and the wedding.”
“It certainly did,” the older woman commented.
“Sometimes upon waking up I have to remind myself where I am,” Elizabeth said.
“Mr Darcy appears to be a very decent man. When he was here talking to your uncle about your marriage contract, he made a very good impression on us. Edwards thinks that he truly has your best interests at heart.”
“Mr Darcy is very generous, there is no doubt about it. I will not pretend it is a love match, Aunt.”
“I see. I remember how you mentioned your dislike of his person.”
“I misjudged him in the past. He is a better man than I thought him to be,” Elizabeth admitted. “Nevertheless, were it not for our circumstances, I would have never agreed to marry him.”
“Never? It is quite harsh.”
Elizabeth sighed. “I refused him once before,” she revealed.
Mrs Gardiner’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead. “You did?”
Elizabeth nodded. “We met last spring while I visited Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent. He was a guest at his aunt’s house. One afternoon when I was alone at the parsonage, he came and simply proposed.”
“I see. Well, Lizzy, I daresay that he must love you very much. He is a proud man, and to return to you after being rejected…” Mrs Gardiner mused.
“I am at a loss, Aunt. I do not know him. I still cannot believe that Papa is not with us.”
“Give yourself time, my dear. It is the best advice which I can give you. I know that it has been only a short time, but is he treating you well?”
“Yes, he is. He is very generous, as I have said before. He insisted on ordering an entirely new wardrobe for me. He claims that Derbyshire is much colder than the south thus I need new coats and boots, but I suspect that he does not wish to be embarrassed by me in my plain dresses. I have met the seamstress almost every day since our arrival in London. Today we finished earlier and I could come here.”
“Derbyshire is much colder than the south. You may trust me with it. And what about other matters? Is he kind to you in other respects?”
“He is attentive. Perhaps not very talkative, but I do believe that a certain taciturnity is simply in his nature.”
Mrs Gardiner stared at her expectantly. “I had something different on mind than his conversational skills.”
“Oh…” Elizabeth finally guessed her meaning. “He was very kind in that respect. He said that we could wait with … until I was ready.”
“Well, Lizzy, it speaks of his deep consideration for you. There are not many men who would act so unselfishly.”
“I know, Aunt. I appreciate it, I truly do.”
Mrs Gardiner was silent for a longer while, observing her niece. “One more piece of advice, Lizzy,” she said.
Elizabeth’s dark green eyes rested on her aunt curiously. “I am listening.”
“Do not wait for too long with your participation in the intimate side of the marriage. You would not like his attention to divert somewhere else.”
Elizabeth frowned. “He does not strike me as a man who would involve himself in such…” She searched the right words. “Extramarital activities.”
“Of course, Lizzy. Mr Darcy is decent man, I do not question it. Bear in mind though that he is rich and undoubtedly handsome, not to mention sensible and kind. There is no doubt that women have been throwing himself at him since he was a very young man. Your resistance and indifference for his person must have piqued his interest in your person from the very beginning.”
“Dear Aunt, are you encouraging me to invite him to my bed?”
Mrs Gardiner smiled. “Well, my dear, I can assure you that marital relations can be rather enjoyable.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I cannot think about it now.”
“I understand. You are still adjusting to your new life. Treat him with kindness and I am certain that he shall repay you in a similar manner.”
Elizabeth looked over at the clock on the mantelpiece.
“I am afraid I have to go even though I would prefer to stay here with you all.”
“Yo
u can visit whenever you wish to, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth leaned over to embrace Mrs Gardiner. “Thank you, Aunt.”
“Well, how long shall you and Mr Darcy going to stay in London?” Mrs Gardiner asked as Elizabeth was putting on her hat in the foyer.
“Another week, I believe.”
“We shall be most happy to have you for dinner. Send me a card when you wish to come.”
“Thank you, Aunt. I shall discuss it with Mr Darcy.”
Mrs Gardiner kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. “Please remember, my dear, that I am always ready to aid you with anything you need.”
Elizabeth hugged her aunt before stepping onto the wet London street.
Chapter Six
It was well after five in the afternoon when Elizabeth entered the Darcy townhouse. Her spirits were much improved after the time she had spent in the company of her aunt. Mrs Gardiner had always been a good friend to her and Jane.
As she was removing her hat and coat in the foyer, Darcy walked in. Elizabeth looked up at him, smiling. She remembered her aunt’s advice. She should try to return his kindness.
“May I ask you to join me in the study, Mrs Darcy?”
The chill ran down her spine at the sound of his voice. She followed him into the study.
“Can you tell me what hour it is?” he asked, closing the door behind her.
She glanced at the clock. “It is half past six.”
“I expected you before four o’clock.”
“My appointment ended earlier. I thought I would use the time to see my aunt and uncle.”
“You were in Cheapside then?”
“I wished to see my family.”
“I was concerned over you.”
She frowned. “Concerned?”
“Yes.”
“I was with the maid and the footman. What could happen to me?”
“In the future, I will ask you to inform me of your plans if you want to return home later.”
“It was not my plan. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I wished to see my family,” she said as the tears stood in her eyes. She did not want to cry in front of him, but her emotions were playing havoc with her at the moment.