by Bella Breen
Elizabeth admired the library full of books and a chess set. This was a well-loved and used library. She had been in some houses where there were many books but the spines were all brand-new, never having been opened. They were just for show. But here the books were worn, and some were quite old. She trailed her hands over the spines, amazed at the knowledge in the room. She could spend many happy hours in the library reading.
There was a window with a bench seat that she knew she would love. Well, if they stayed at the townhouse for any length of time. That was another reason she needed to find her husband. She would like to know the plans as to when they would leave for Meryton. She wanted to see her family no matter how much Mr. Darcy did not like them.
That caused her face to fall and for sadness to overcome her again. How embarrassing to be married to a man that thought horribly of her family. She wanted to be angry at Mr. Darcy but she knew, even though it was embarrassing to admit, Mr. Darcy had been right. They had a distinct lack of propriety.
Elizabeth left the library and peeked into the closed room next door, which looked like Mr. Darcy’s study. A big wooden desk, a roaring fire in a fireplace, a nice window with bookshelves full of books. It looked like Mr. Darcy used this room quite often.
She had just walked over to one of the bookcases when she heard a throat clear behind her. She turned around to find Mr. Darcy gazing at her. Elizabeth was caught so off guard that she could not put her plan into practice of being cheerful and pleasant because she completely forgot it.
“This is my study. I usually keep the door closed.”
Elizabeth stepped back, hitting the back of one of the chairs in front of his desk. She lifted her head up and took a breath. “Good morning, Mr....Fitzwilliam.”
Elizabeth recovered from her stumble of almost calling her husband Mr. Darcy. She picked right back up though, determined to be happy, optimistic, and make conversation with him. “I hope you had a good night’s sl—-”
Elizabeth stopped speaking as she realized the common question was not so common or something she wanted to even bring up right then. She was so mortified at what she had almost asked. She could feel her face burning. He had avoided her on their wedding night and she had almost asked him if he had a good night’s sleep! Elizabeth lost her nerve to continue any conversation. She looked down at the floor while her face continued to burn, then looked over to the wall. “I must go. Please excuse me.”
She rushed out of the study, brushing by Mr. Darcy without looking at him. She had never been so mortified in her life. Except for a few days ago when she had her dress thrown up around her shoulders and her thin nearly see-through chemise exposed. “This must be the sennight for exposure and making a fool of myself.”
Of all the things she could have said, asking if he had a good night’s sleep had to have been the absolute worst. How could she have done that? Mr. Darcy must think he had married an absolute ninny. And she could not blame him one bit.
She did not know where to go in the townhouse to avoid everyone, so she went back to her bedchamber and lay on her bed. Eventually the heat of her face died down, though she was still mortified. “Never again will I try to make conversation with him off-the-cuff. I will have a complete composed list of things I will say and talk about. I should be able to carry on a conversation without embarrassing myself.”
Mr. Darcy closed the door to his study and rubbed his eyes. That had been the most awkward experience in his life. Other than coming upon Elizabeth with her chemise completely exposed and proposing marriage for the second time in less than an hour. All of which occurred this sennight. And all of which had to do with Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr. Darcy walked around his desk and sat in his chair. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. He knew what she had been trying to do—to make simple conversation. He had been about to give her a tour of his study and townhouse when... Darcy just shook his head.
He admired her for trying to pretend things were fine between them as that had been what he had planned to do as well. Except in her goal to be optimistic and cheerful she accidentally asked a completely normal yet embarrassing question under the circumstances.
He could not fault her though. No, he was sure that if she had not spoken first, he probably would have accidentally asked the same deuced question. Mr. Darcy shook his head. Now things were even more awkward. He wanted to talk to her about George Wickham’s past, and his thoughts on postponing the wedding night until they were more comfortable with each other.
Mr. Darcy sighed and looked at the bottle of brandy. Was it too early to start drinking? He knew some men that drank all day long. Of course they were also the ones that were not blunt anymore and were desperate to marry for money. Or they were in a loveless marriage. No, he was not going to go down that path. Though he understood now why some men started drinking in the morning. Could this week get any worse?
Chapter 16
Elizabeth had vowed to herself that she would stay in her bedchamber all day. She was still embarrassed at what she had said earlier to Mr. Darcy. “Oh, if I only had a brain in my head.”
There was only so much she could do in this bedchamber, and she was quite bored already after a few hours. It had to be dinnertime soon. She wanted to eat lunch and would not hide from him. Yet she was not sure she could even face looking at him again after her embarrassing mistake.
A scratch at the door preceded her new abigail’s entry into the room. “Mrs. Darcy, dinner is ready in the dining room.”
“Thank you, I shall be right down.” Elizabeth rolled off the bed and sat up. It was time to face her husband. She would just have to pretend that she had never accidentally said such an embarrassing thing. If only Jane were here. They could both laugh about it and she would be fine. Was it too early to call upon her sister? It would probably be quite scandalous for her to call upon her sister the day after she got married.
Elizabeth rubbed her face, took several deep breaths, and told herself that she would be optimistic and she would do whatever it took to make this marriage work. She then opened the door and walked gracefully down the stairs into the dining room. She stopped because taking up most of the room was the very long table that had been used for the wedding breakfast. It could seat a dozen people.
Place settings were already set for dinner, one on each end of the long table. With just Mr. Darcy and her, they would need to shout to converse with each other. Elizabeth stood and bit her bottom lip. Should she ask the footman to move her place closer to Mr. Darcy’s? Would that upset him? Should she do it anyway for the sake of their marriage? Maybe it was better to leave the places as they were for now. She could make changes after some more time had passed with her as Mrs. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy then came in and bowed to her, saying a perfunctory “Mrs. Darcy.” He then sat down at his end of the table. The dishes were brought right in.
Sadness came over Elizabeth again. He did not even call her by her first name. It was an awkward silence as they ate. Having five places between them was too far of a distance to have a conversation. But she did want to know when they were going to leave for Meryton.
“I would like to know your thoughts on when we shall be leaving for Meryton. I look forward to seeing my family again, especially my father, who was not able to attend the wedding.”
Mr. Darcy looked up at her and then back down before clearing his throat and raising his gaze to her. “I had not planned to go to Meryton. I am needed back at Pemberley. The crops will be planted soon. We are going to use new methods this year. I need to be there to oversee the planting. I was going to have your things sent by post to Pemberley.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth and then closed it. She bit her tongue to keep herself from angrily saying something. She looked down at the table, no longer wanting to eat. She no longer even wanted to try to be optimistic. Or pleasant. He had decided what they were going to do without even conferring with her. He thought he would order her about and make decisions for her,
as if she were a child.
Elizabeth knew she had quite the temper, and she tried to rein it in for the sake of this new marriage. It would be even harder than she had expected to make this marriage work.
“You do not think that you could delay your business at Pemberley for even just a sennight? I have not seen my parents for many weeks. They did not even attend our wedding. It is not that far to travel to Longbourn from London. It would be a much longer trip from Pemberley in Derbyshire. Surely we can take the time to go—”
“Pardon me, Miss Eliz—Mrs. Darcy.”
Elizabeth was somewhat gratified to see a red blush crawl up Mr. Darcy’s countenance. The fact that he almost called her Miss Elizabeth instead of Elizabeth or Mrs. Darcy unfortunately flamed her anger.
“I had not planned to get married this sennight. This is an inopportune time to be traveling.”
Elizabeth would not shy away from this topic. “You traveled to Rosings Park to see Lady Catherine de Bourgh. How is that any different from traveling to Longbourn to see my family?”
Mr. Darcy sat back in his seat. “Because of the timing. I would have left Rosings Park to travel back to Pemberley for the planting of the crops. My profits, your profits now, come primarily from crops. I have a steward but I need to direct the steward and resolve any problems that may occur during the crop planting.
“This is one of the most important times of the year. Not only does our financial solvency depend on everything going well during the crop planting, but those of the tenants on my land. If I am not there, if I do not resolve problems in a timely fashion, my tenants could have severe financial difficulties. I will not do that to them. We do not have the time to go to Meryton. We need to leave for Pemberley on the morrow.”
Elizabeth sat still. She knew nothing of Mr. Darcy’s business affairs. Why would she as she had just married the man? But to have it spelled out so tersely shocked and embarrassed her. She had never been answered like this by Papa.
She knew about planting crops as Longbourn had crops as well, but Papa did not need to be present. He had never inspected the fields, helped with crop planting, or even cared. At least she had never seen Papa care. Perhaps he had met with his steward and let him handle things. Why could not Mr. Darcy do the same?
Elizabeth looked down and knew she was still red in the face. She did not want to show her ignorance about crops or her father’s lack of care regarding Longbourn’s crops, yet she did not enjoy the set down she had just received from her husband. She also did not want to seem like a spoiled new wife. She did not know if he really needed to go to Pemberley immediately or if he was avoiding Longbourn because of her family.
The insult that he had flung at her during his first marriage proposal would not get out of her head. She bit her tongue even more. It would not do for her to bring that up now. What he said about his needing to be present for the crop planting could be reasonable, but she did not know if it was the truth. She did not trust her husband. And that was a horrible thing to realize the day after she had married him.
“When do you propose that I could go Longbourn to see my family? I have not seen them for months now. They would also like to meet you as their son-in-law.”
Mr. Darcy looked down and resumed eating. “After the crops are planted, there will be time for us to travel to see them.”
“And when will that be?” Elizabeth was embarrassed that she had to ask even the most simple of questions.
Mr. Darcy frowned. “I have been very forthcoming about this matter, Mrs. Darcy. There is no need for your insolence.”
Elizabeth eyes widened. Insolence? She had just asked a very sensible and logical question. She wanted to see her family, and since it could not happen until the planting was completed, one had to therefore ask when the planting was done. There was nothing insolent about it.
Then Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she thought of a possible reason as to why he might want to avoid that area of the country. George Wickham. She had not forgotten what George Wickham had told her about what Mr. Darcy had done to him. Mr. Darcy had also not explained matters like he said he would. If they traveled to Meryton, Mr. Darcy would be able to set things right with George Wickham.
“It was a reasonable and logical question, Mr. Darcy. My father has never shown the attention to detail with Longbourn’s crops that you have just mentioned. Therefore, I do not know how long the planting of Pemberley’s crops will take. I am wondering if you are by chance avoiding that area of Hertfordshire because of someone you do not want to meet?”
Mr. Darcy paled and clenched his jaw.
Elizabeth bit her tongue. She knew immediately that had been the wrong thing to say. She should have never said it. “I apologize. I should—”
Mr. Darcy’s countenance was a sight to behold. “If there is one rule I have, it is for that man’s name to never be mentioned in my presence again.”
Elizabeth sat back in her seat, shocked at the vehemence with which Mr. Darcy had spoken. Now she was more curious than ever as to what Mr. Darcy’s side of the story was regarding George Wickham.
Mr. Darcy continued. “I said I owed you an explanation for that man and I will give you one. Just not now and not in the dining room.” Mr. Darcy looked aside at the footman and then back down at his meal. He took several deep breaths.
Elizabeth curled her hands into her napkin. He was even more angry than he had been when she rejected his first marriage proposal. There was definitely more to this George Wickham story than she knew. She also knew that he was trying to get control of his emotions.
She was determined though, not to be browbeaten. “Since you have to be at Pemberley for the planting of the crops, I could go to Longbourn with my abigail to see my family, gather my things, and then travel to Pemberley.”
Mr. Darcy raised his head with a level stare at Elizabeth. “Pardon me madam, but my wife will not travel without her husband a few days after our marriage. We will both be going to Pemberley and we will both be going to Longbourn when the planting is over.”
Mr. Darcy stood up and threw his napkin on the table. “I find I have no appetite. Excuse me, Mrs. Darcy.” He stormed out of the dining room and left Elizabeth alone.
Chapter 17
Elizabeth once again was in her bedchamber, lying on her bed with tears running down her face. She was so angry. She thought her suggestion of going to Longbourn by herself while he traveled to Pemberley for the crop planting was an ingenious idea that solved both problems. She would get to see her family and he would get to be there for the important crop planting.
She could not imagine what Mr. Darcy had to do with the crop planting. She was sure he was not planting the crops himself or even helping the tenants. Why did he have to be there? She would never know the answer now. She imagined Mr. Darcy would not say one word about farming nor crop planting to her for the rest of her life.
Elizabeth rolled over on her side. She huffed as she stared at the wall. She felt like a prisoner. She only had the possessions that she had packed for her several weeks’ visit to Hunsford. The rest of her belongings were at Longbourn. It was not much and it could certainly be sent by post, but the point was that she wanted to go home again. Could he not see that?
Elizabeth huffed. She had been spot on when she considered him arrogant and proud. “My wife will not travel without her husband a few days after our marriage.”
He only thought of himself. Selfish man! He wanted to go to Pemberley, his home, to his sister but not let his wife see her family who was not even at the wedding. Of course his sister was not at the wedding either, but he had more relatives show up than she did. It was not fair.
Elizabeth rolled over and huffed. She knew she was acting in bad form. She knew that in marriage you had to work at it. She had heard other married couples argue before. Her parents argued quite often. But for this to start so soon after they got married? Elizabeth sighed.
She did not even want to be optimistic for the future. She ju
st wanted to be mad. What would he do if she got the carriage to take her and her maid to Longbourn? She could imagine how furious he would be. And it would be even more embarrassing if he had to track her down at Longbourn and drag her to Pemberley. No, she did not want that to happen. It was bad enough that they had been forced to marry so quickly. She would not compound that with public humiliation on top of it. She had had enough of that already.
Elizabeth rolled back over and huffed. There was just no way around it. She would have to go to Pemberley on the morrow. She did not want to hear a single word about planting or crops or farming or Pemberley or Derbyshire or anything! It was not her fault they were compromised. It was a complete mistake. He had to know that. There was no way for her to have known that he would wander around the grounds of Rosings Park after she rejected him. And why would she try to trap him in marriage after she turned down his proposal?
Elizabeth stilled. Perhaps that was the problem. Was he still angry at her for the forced marriage? Oh. Oh dear. Their marriage was doomed from the beginning, was it not? She was mad about Jane and George Wickham and he was mad about her rejecting his proposal and they were both mad about being forced to marry. Elizabeth sighed.
She went back to her original plan. If she wanted to have a happy marriage at some point, she did need to be optimistic and work at it. There was no other hope for it. She could understand him still being angry at the things she had said while rejecting him. Which of course had been completely borne out by his behavior since. But she would not mention that.
