Elizabeth's
Ordeal
A Pride and Prejudice Regency Variation
Charlotte Browning
GTQ LLC
Orlando, Florida
Copyright © 2017 by Charlotte Browning
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
GTQ LLC
PO Box 540375
Orlando, FL 32854
www.gtq.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Elizabeth’s Ordeal/Charlotte Browning -- 1st ed.
ISBN 9781370741533
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Elizabeth looked around enjoying the beautiful view from her bedroom window and sighed, feeling a little sad. She had lived some amazing days in this house, in some sort of fantastic world, where the daily problems seemed to elude them. But, even the best honeymoon has to end and now it was time to leave, to go back to the real life. After a few weeks in paradise, she and Mr. Darcy were heading to Pemberley, her new home.
For some reason, that idea pressed her heart a little bit and though she tried to ignore it, it was not easy. She did not seem able to shake that bad feeling off of her.
Of course, she wanted to finally go to her new home, especially to see the library she had heard so much of and yet, she would have stayed here if she could.
With a heavy sigh, she turned to look at her maid Maggie. The girl was just finishing packing all her clothes and all the incredible dresses she had found stored in the house, in what she named the treasure room.
Maggie had been her maid while they were at Scarborough, but she had accepted her offer of becoming her personal maid and she was traveling with them back to Pemberley. That idea made her a little more comfortable with going to there. She would have a familiar face with her.
The journey back to Pemberley was a very long one, but Mr. Darcy had decided to make it slowly trying not to tire themselves or the horses. The traveling would take them at least three days.
“There are a few good Inns on our way, so we shall not have problems with that.” He had assured her when he was discussing his plans with her and she had nodded pleased.
The departure day had finally arrived and she was not feeling euphoric.
“All done, ma’am. Will you need anything else, or may I call one of the servants to take the trunks to the ground floor?” Maggie’s voice interrupted her thoughts and with a faint smile she shook her head.
“No, Maggie, nothing else. Please, call him to help you. I shall meet my husband in the dining room.” Informed she, leaving the room.
Mr. Darcy was already waiting for her at the table, enjoying his first cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Mrs. Darcy. How was your night?” he asked her with a broad smile on his lips.
She smiled back, in a smaller version. “It was good, thank you.” she assured him.
He looked at her with a slight frown. “You do not look very happy. Is there a problem?”
“I would not call it a problem, Mr. Darcy.” Recognized she. “I cannot help feeling a little sad for leaving this place.”
“Why is that?” the frown on his forehead became deeper.
“We have been so happy these last few days I fear to change things. I am aware that does not make any sense, but it is how I feel.” Admitted she.
Mr. Darcy got up and closed the distance between them, and crouched next to her, taking her hand in his. “No matter where we are, as long as we are together, we will be happy, I promise you that.” He assured her, kissing the back of her hand.
“I know that, it is just a bad feeling. The last thing I want is to ruin what we have achieved here.” Confessed she.
“I feel the same way, my love, and trust me, that shall never happen.” He kissed her hand once more, before he kissed her forehead.
“Of course, you are right.” She put on her brightest smile and he returned to his place at the table.
They left right after breakfast. This time, Mr. Darcy traveled next to her the whole time, talking about all the things they would be able to do in Pemberley as well as in his house in London. The enthusiasm in his tone was quite contagious and her irrational fears soon were forgotten.
The journey the first day was quite pleasant and they stopped for the night, before sunset, in a very cozy two stories high inn. It was clearly a family business, handled with care and attention. You could smell fresh bread all over the ground floor and that was quite promising.
A very kind girl guided them to their room, and Elizabeth was finally able to freshen up a little.
“Would you like to go for a walk before dinner?” Mr. Darcy suggested after they settled down.
“Oh, yes, it would be fantastic to stretch my legs a little.” She accepted at once, turning to pick her shawl from the bed. It was a bit cold but fortunately it was not raining.
Mr. Darcy offered her his arm and soon they were following a trail through the woods near the inn.
“I have meant to ask you this for some time now, but I guess the moment has never been appropriate.” Mr. Darcy said at some point, during their walk, sounding a little concerned.
“What is it?” she asked him, tilting her head to look at him.
“You have not met my sister yet. She has been living with me ever since my father passed away. As you know, I share her custody with my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, whom you already know.” He started explaining.
“Yes, of course.”
“Probably is not fair what I am about to ask you, since no newlyweds need another young woman living underneath her roof, but I would really love to keep her living with us, if you agree, of course.” He finally asked her.
Elizabeth almost sighed with relief. She had feared he would tell her something else. She had no problems accepting his sister in her new home, after all, she had lived with four sisters most her life. “Of course, I agree. I am sure we will get along well, like the sisters we now are.” She assured him with a big smile.
Mr. Darcy stopped and pulled her closer to him. “Thank you, Elizabeth, this means a lot to me.” He cradled her face in both his hands, before he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.
“There is nothing to thank, Darcy. She is now part of my family and I am more than pleased to have her near me.” Said she, with a broad smile, feeling her heart jumping in her chest. The passion between them was still new and amazing and the slightest caress set her heart on a frenzy.
He kissed her once more, this time deepening the kiss, stealing her breath away.
“I love you, have I told you that today?” asked he, with a naughty smile on his face.
“Hmmm, not today, I do not recall it.” Replied she, tilting her head with a wicked smile.
“Oh, my shame. I promise it shall not happen again.”
She chuckled and caressed his cheek. “I love you too.”
They continued their walk for a little longer, before they decided it was time to return to the inn. The sun was starting to set on the horizon and it would not be sensible to be out in a strange forest at night.
When they reached the inn, the main room was full of people, ready for dinner. Fortunately, Mr. Darcy had rented a private dining room and they would be able to eat in peace, away from the roar produced by all the conversations taking place in the main room.
He guided her there and they
were about to enter the private section when a man’s voice across the room surprised them.
“Darcy… old chap.” A man, around Mr. Darcy’s age, with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in black, crossed the room to meet them.
“Sutherland. What a surprise.” Mr. Darcy said, in a cold tone.
It was evident to Elizabeth that the man approaching them was not a close friend, more likely an acquaintance he did not appreciate much.
“I know. You are the last person I thought I would find here.” The man said, standing close to the couple with a fake smile on his face.
“I could say the same. I thought you never left London.” Mr. Darcy replied in a curt tone.
“And I do not. There is no better place to be in, as the old city.” The man agreed. “But one of my aunts passed away last week and I had to come pay her my last respects.”
“Of course.”
“Will you not introduce me to the fair lady with you?” the man asked, finally noticing Elizabeth’s presence at Mr. Darcy’s side.
“Of course.” Mr. Darcy said, but his tone revealed he wished he could avoid it. “Elizabeth, meet Rufus Sutherland, a friend from Oxford. Rufus, she is my wife, Elizabeth. We got married a few weeks ago.”
“Oh… I did not hear about your marriage. Was it a rushed thing?” asked he, in a very impertinent tone, glancing at Elizabeth thoroughly.
“No, it was a very private celebration. We will throw a party later on, when we feel is the right moment.” Mr. Darcy retorted with a frown. He knew what the man was implying and he was not very pleased. “It was good to see you again, Sutherland, but our dinner waits for us. Have a pleasant night.” He bowed his head and they were about to head over to the private room when the man interrupted them again.
“May I join you? I hate eating alone.” He asked.
The man was clearly self-absorbed, unable to see his presence was not appreciated. Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy praying he would find a way to dismiss the man without being extremely rude.
“I am sorry to hear that, but as you must understand, we are still enjoying our honeymoon and we would prefer to be alone. I am sure you will find someone else to have dinner with.” Mr. Darcy explained and with a slight bow, he turned around and quickly guided her to the private room, closing the door behind them, before the man had any time to react to his words.
Elizabeth chuckled as she turned to look at Mr. Darcy, still standing by the door, as if to stop the obnoxious man from entering, in case he decided to insist.
“I am guessing he was not your best friend.” Said she, with a naughty smile.
Mr. Darcy let out a small laugh. “Not even close. Sutherland was always a parasite of the worst kind.” Once he was sure the man was not going to interrupt them anymore, he walked to where she was standing. “I had no intention of letting him ruin our night.”
“Thank you, that is very much appreciated.” She assured him.
He picked up both her hands and kissed them before he guided her to the table in the middle of the room.
A few minutes later, one of the waitresses walked in carrying a small tray with fresh bread, still hot and a small bowl with butter. “Good evening, Sir, ma’am. We have a stew with vegetables and grilled chicken for tonight’s dinner. What would you like?”
Mr. Darcy glanced at Elizabeth. “The stew would be nice.” She said, picking a loaf of bread and smearing the butter on it.
“Then stew it is. Would you please bring us a bottle of your best red wine?” Mr. Darcy ordered.
“Of course, Sir. Would you like anything else? My mother prepares a carrot cake that is quite delicious.” The girl offered.
“Yes, please, bring us some of it as well, thank you.”
The food was quite delicious and they spent the rest of the evening discussing Mr. Darcy’s plans for the next weeks.
Chapter Two
“After we’re settled in Pemberley, we could set some time to go visit your parents. I am sure you must miss them dearly, as well as your sisters.” He suggested.
Elizabeth nodded, but she was still hurt by her parents’ decision of not attending her marriage, especially, her father’s. She was aware he would do very little things against her mother’s will, but she had expected him to do it for that matter.
But that was now in the past, and she would have to accept it, like she had learned to accept her mother’s character with all her faults.
“Yes, of course. I especially miss my sister, Jane, but I am not sure she has returned from London. I have not received any message from her.” She replied.
“She probably has not yet received the letter you sent her. Mailing services up here are very slow.” Mr. Darcy explained, covering her hand with his.
“Yes, you are probably right, but I miss her terribly.”
“You can invite her to Pemberley as soon as we are established.”
“Thank you, that would be perfect, but I believe it would be better if I deal with one sister at a time.” Replied she, referring to his sister. “I need time to get to know Georgiana, before I add my own sister to the scene.”
“Yes, you are probably right.” He nodded.
The food arrived and they started to enjoy their meal. They were about to finish it when the inn’s owner came into the room.
“I’m very sorry to disturb you during your meal,” the man was clearly nervous and wriggled his hands continuously, “but this is a family business and thus I do not allow unmarried couples to stay together under my roof. One of my customers just told me that might be your situation and I am forced to ask you for proofs.” The man demanded, in a shaking voice.
Mr. Darcy’s face closed in a stern expression. “I understand your position, sir, but let me assure you, the lady with me is my wife. If you allow us to finish our meal, I shall show you our wedding certificate.” He announced in a very cold tone. “I am afraid you were a victim of a prank directed to me.”
The man sighed relieved. “Yes, sir, that would be perfect. Again, sorry for disturbing you. Let me know when you are done with dinner so that we can clear things.” The man accepted but still insisted.
“Of course.” Mr. Darcy nodded.
When the door closed behind him, Elizabeth turned to look at him. “I guess your friend was not very pleased when you refused to invite him to have dinner.” Said she, in an ironic tone.
“Yes, you could say that. It is the typical bad joke he would play.” Admitted he, clearly upset for having his word questioned that way.
“It is a good thing you carry our wedding certificate. I would hate being expelled from the inn at this hour.” Said she, with a scowl.
“I would never allow that to happen, my darling.” He sighed heavily. “This is a bit my fault. I should have announced our wedding in the newspapers, but I thought I could do that when we returned to Pemberley.”
“Please, do not let this ruin our night. You would be giving him undeserved power over us.” Asked she, with a pleading tone.
“You are right, of course, let us forget Sutherland and his bad jokes.”
She smiled and they returned to their meal, trying to put the unpleasant scene behind them. When they were done, Mr. Darcy went up to their room to pick the wedding certificate.
“I have ordered a hot bath for you, so Maggie should be arriving with it. Take your time. Meanwhile, I shall clear things with the innkeeper.” He suggested, as he grabbed the certificate from his bag.
“Thank you, that will be perfect.”
He closed the distance between them and cupped her face with his hands, resting his forehead on hers. “You are the only thing perfect in my life, Mrs. Darcy.” He teased her before he brushed her lips with his in a sweet, passionate kiss.
She chuckled and covered his hands with hers. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy, I feel the exact same way about you.”
He smiled and finally left the room. Only a couple of minutes later, Maggie entered the room with a couple of servants carrying all thin
gs necessary for her bath.
By the time Mr. Darcy returned to the room, she was already in bed, but still awake, reading a book at the soft light of a couple of candles.
“You will ruin your eyes, you know that, do you not?” he scolded her in a soft tone.
“I know… but the story is too good for me to wait for the morning. Especially, when I had nothing else to do.” Replied she, with a self-deprecating smile.
“You could have slept.”
“Yes, but it seems I have developed a problem with sleeping alone.” Admitted she, with a naughty smile.
Mr. Darcy started getting ready for bed, as they were talking. “Yes, I know exactly how you feel. I have been experiencing the same problem.” Explained he, from across the room, where he washed, before he approaches her.
The bed grunted underneath his weight as he crawled next to her. “Now I am here, so you will have something else to do.” Murmured he, as he leaned forward to steal a kiss from her lips.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck, with a naughty smile, and just moments later, they were lost in their own private paradise, where pleasure and bliss ruled.
The rest of the trip elapsed with no more particular occurrences. When they were almost reaching Pemberley, Mr. Darcy had the carriage stopping at the top of a small hill.
“I want you to have your first sight of Pemberley from this point.” Explained he, as he helped her out of the carriage. “You can have a perfect image of the house from here and I am looking forward to knowing what you think of it.”
He took her to the edge and presented her the scenery. It was amazing.
The house, much bigger than what she expected, laid on a huge field down the hill, surrounded by lovely gardens with flowers and bushes, and even a small labyrinth, designed with tall bushes at one of the sides. The house itself, had two stories, and huge French windows that opened up to small balconies and it looked very much like a small palace rather than a house. She was astounded. She had not been expecting a house like this one, in her mind she had built a similar house to the one they had left behind in Scarborough, so this was quite a surprise.
Elizabeth's Ordeal Page 1
