Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The newly wed Mr and Mrs Darcy travelled to Pemberley in the middle of July.
Henry was along, but as often as not, he rode with his nurse in the servant’s carriage.
He was a great favourite, and they would often vie for his favour, playing little games or showing him little tricks to amuse him.
Henry, even at his tender age, enjoyed giving them all their turn.
The Darcys’ carriage was far more sedate, though as they rode, their discussion would inevitably veer towards the beginning of their acquaintance and the situations in Hertfordshire that had come between them.
It could not be denied that Darcy had made his share of errors, but Elizabeth came to see that she bore a significant responsibility for having seen his every action in the worst possible light.
“You were flirting with me?”
“Of course. I believed you saw my admiration and that my efforts to control my outward expression of emotion could not deceive you.”
Elizabeth determinedly closed her gaping mouth. “What, then, was the purpose of tossing ink on your letter?”
“To say you were correct. I was filled with all manner of riotous emotion whenever I was in your presence.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I thought it a rebuke.”
“A rebuke! How might ruining my own letter rebuke you?”
“I cannot remember.” She laughed. “Another example of how a prejudice, when held to the critical light, can rarely hold to its supposed truth.”
“Prejudice?”
Elizabeth’s smile was a bit rueful. “From the moment I heard your insult, my sketch of your character was made, and anything you did could only verify what I supposed.” She leant over to kiss him. “Will you ever forgive me?”
“No,”
“No?”
He shook his head. “One kiss to forgive so much prejudice? Who can know what other manner of evil you have ascribed to me? Certainly one kiss cannot answer for all.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I must admit that my dislike of you—which I thought at the time to be rather immovable—was based on more than merely that.”
“You should confess it all that I might determine precisely how many kisses are required to ease my soul.”
“Very well, then.” She settled herself in her seat. “I noticed your gaze would linger on me a bit too long, and I believed you were finding fault.”
“I was admiring you.”
“You once scowled while I played and sang at Lucas Lodge. I considered it a criticism of my performance.”
Darcy laughed. “That was certainly no criticism. My scowl was directed at myself for imagining you at Pemberley.”
“A scowl for imagining me at Pemberley?”
“Some evening, I shall demonstrate my thoughts for you, and you will see that I did indeed deserve that scowl for thinking such things in company and of a lady for whom I had no claim.”
Elizabeth blushed red. “Oh.” For a moment, she was discomposed that he had thought of her so even back then.
“There was another time I saw such a frown: when you and Colonel Fitzwilliam were riding on Oakham Mount. You looked as though you might have liked to turn about without speaking to me but then realised I had caught you.”
“That was a jealous frown. I wanted to greet you, but I did not want you to meet Fitzwilliam.”
“Why?”
“He is so easy with ladies, always the gallant. I could not bear to see you fall to his charms.” He offered her a smile, but she detected a bit of insecurity therein.
She kissed him gently. “Instead, I fell to yours.”
He smiled against her mouth. “I did prevail, it is true, and I must wonder why.”
She pulled back to look at him and saw still the light of vulnerability in his eyes. This cannot be easy for him. He freely professes his love, knowing he will not have a return.
Elizabeth removed her glove and caressed his cheek. “I suppose I might say something of the goodness of your character, your charity, or your honour. I could also say something of your intelligence, your loyalty, or your diligence. All of that would be true, yet it was much simpler than that.
“After we returned from Kent, where I had grown accustomed to seeing you every day, I realised that I wanted to be with you more than anyone I knew or had ever known. Just be with you and talk to you…it was unimaginable to think I should forgo such pleasures.”
Elizabeth kissed him once again. “I am happy to be married to you. Please never doubt my affection.”
As they entered the grounds of Pemberley, Darcy could scarcely contain his enthusiasm. This was the moment he had dreamt of, longed for, and many times doubted would ever come to fruition: bringing Elizabeth to his home as his bride.
Her thoughts must have tended towards the same for she looked over at him with the mischievous sparkle in her eyes that he was coming to know so well. “When we were at Rosings and I invited myself to Pemberley, neither you nor I would have imagined I would be coming as Mrs Darcy.”
“Being that I had already proposed to you twice, I would have to disagree. I had imagined it many times by then.”
Pemberley had a lovely approach through a pristine woodland, and Elizabeth appeared to be lost in admiring the trees and the landscape, which were different from any she had known before. He enjoyed watching her admire his land and almost missed her teasing him.
“Shall we reach the house itself before nightfall? These woods are beautiful, but I am not of a mind to spend the night in them.”
Darcy laughed and caressed her hand with his finger. “Yes, teasing miss, we shall reach the house soon and, before that, a place from which to see it before we arrive.”
He watched her again for a moment before commenting, “I love that you tease me. No one else does, and I rather enjoy it. It is a surprise to me. I once imagined you were rather timid.”
“Timid? Me?” Elizabeth laughed. “I have been known as many things but never timid.”
“You were so quiet when we met, and at times, a look of trepidation would be on your countenance.” He shrugged. “I could not comprehend you, so I believed you timid.”
“I have you to thank for it.”
“Me?”
“In my younger years, I was known for my vivacity. However, that part was swallowed up by everything that happened to me, and I became more serious and restrained. When I met you, I wished to tease you. So I did.”
She shrugged. “I once told Jane that if I did not begin by being impertinent, I would undoubtedly grow afraid of you. So you see, I am much in your debt. You found a part of me that I believed had been lost.”
Darcy’s heart pounded with her sentiments, but he could say no more as the carriage had ceased moving. He smiled. “The men have stopped the horses so I believe we can now see the house.”
He assisted her out of the carriage, leading her to where the house could be seen, and he watched with great enjoyment as she saw her new home for the first time. He pulled her back to his chest and put his arms around her as she exclaimed over the house. “Will you be happy here, my love?”
She tilted her head, looking at him as best she could with the restriction of her bonnet. “I shall be nearly mad with felicity, and I shall make certain you are too.”
“Let us go then. Let us get you to your new home.”
Their first days passed quickly as Elizabeth busied herself in coming to know the household while Darcy tended to matters requiring his attention. They also began receiving callers from among the local gentry, including Mr and Mrs Graham Russell.
Mr Russell was the son of a local baronet and nearest to Darcy in consequence among those in Derbyshire, though not as wealthy. He was in his early thirties, and his wife, Sarah, was in her mid-twenties and increasing with their first child.
Mrs Russell was pleasant enough, if a little too determined to impress.
She spoke of any titled person among her acquaintance with a too-familiar air and had a vulgar habit of discussing the cost of things such as gowns and jewels.
As Elizabeth was accustomed to her mother doing the very same thing, she could not hold it against Mrs Russell and reasoned she would stop once she knew Elizabeth better.
Darcy had told her that he liked Mr Russell a great deal, and Elizabeth’s first meeting with them confirmed that she would as well. Mr Russell was not the most talkative of men, but when he did speak, he proved learned and interesting.
“I was at university with Lord Courtenay and his brother, Mrs Darcy,” Mr Russell told her. “I once visited Warrington Castle. An enjoyable time, indeed.”
“I have been there but little,” Elizabeth confessed. “I am fortunate the land steward and the housekeeper are both excellent.”
The evening passed enjoyably, and when it had concluded, both Darcy and Elizabeth agreed they would not mind spending more time with the couple. After preparing for bed, Darcy joined Elizabeth in her bedchamber.
Although Elizabeth had never slept in the same bed as Henry, Darcy made it plain from the beginning that he wished to stay with her. She liked having him there even when more amorous activities were not included, though they generally were.
“I must offer my compliments,” he said as he slid into bed.
“For what?”
“I am impressed by how well you have overseen the Courtenay estates and fortune.”
“Both my uncle and yours have been of great assistance.”
“They could not have done everything.”
She shrugged slightly. “It is my son’s inheritance. I wish to ensure the estate prospers for him and his future.”
“Well, perhaps I shall hand over the books of Pemberley to you,” he teased, “and see how you do with those.”
“I thank you for the compliment,” she teased in return, “but I think I have more than enough of that at the present.”
He chuckled lightly, settling down into the blankets and drawing her near.
“Warrington Castle has been much on my mind of late,” she continued. “I was last there in September, above nine months ago. I had only just returned to Hertfordshire when Mr Bingley took possession of Netherfield. I cannot imagine that I shall be there more often.”
“I am always willing to go with you. We should go before our visitors arrive. It is but fifty miles from here, an easy enough distance.”
“You think fifty miles an easy distance?”
He smiled teasingly. “It is fifty miles of good road. At this time of year, we would need but two days for travel and some days in between to tend to whatever needs to be done.”