Chance Encounters

by Linda Wells

  “Once again, you are playing at optimism, sir.” She looked at him sternly.

  He grinned. “Are you saying that you are a bad influence on me?”

  She raised her brows. “Is this my fault?”

  “Of course it is. You made me happy, which gave me hope, which in turn brings me an optimistic outlook.” He pursed his lips, his eyes warm.

  “There must be a flaw in that logic, somewhere. I will not be the cause of disappointed hopes when things go wrong.”

  His brows rose. “You would prefer me to be silent and taciturn?”

  She stared into his eyes. “You are silent and taciturn, sir.”

  “Not like I was, and definitely not with you.” He held her face in his hands and regarded her seriously.

  “True.” She kissed him. “I like you exactly the way you are.”

  His serious expression remained, “But I am trying to be a better man for you.”

  “I know you are, William, you have changed since we first met, and I appreciate it.” They kissed, sharing their ardour. Eventually they forced themselves from their cosy nest, and readied to meet their family.

  As expected, Jane’s visit brought with it a rosy picture of Longbourn, which Elizabeth wisely chose to disregard, leaving the assessment of the situation to her own eyes. The family dinner would have been pleasant had it not been for the pervading tension felt between the two couples and Mr. Bennet. Other than a bow and brief greeting, the man remained silent. Elizabeth found herself actually welcoming her mother’s effusions. Her father quickly left for his library after the meal, and Elizabeth finally allowed herself to relax, her hand firmly clasped in William’s. Although the situation with her father was painful, she could not regret spending this short time drinking in the atmosphere of her family home. She expected the wedding celebration to be a far more pleasant experience. The addition of their friends and neighbours, as well as the expected duty to distract and relax her reticent husband, would keep her well-occupied.

  “EXCUSE ME, Miss Darcy?” Georgiana and Lady Matlock turned at the sound of the warm voice. She looked up into the face of the most handsome man she had ever seen, and instantly blushed.

  “Yes?” She said nervously.

  “I thought that was you! It has been some time, I am afraid, and I can tell by the look on your face that you do not recognize me. I am Alex Carrington.” Alex smiled down into her wide blue eyes, and felt a jump in his chest when she realized who he was and smiled widely at him.

  “Mr. Carrington! I am so sorry that I did not immediately know you! It has been some time. But, I thought that you were in Hertfordshire? Did you not travel there with William and Elizabeth last week?”

  “I was, but I finished my business early and returned to town.” He looked at Lady Matlock, who was regarding him with suspicion. “May I ask the name of your companion?” He tried a disarming smile, which did not work.

  “Oh, forgive me!” She turned to her aunt. “Mr. Carrington, this is my aunt, Lady Matlock. I am staying with her while William and Elizabeth take their honeymoon trip. Aunt, this is Mr. Alex Carrington, one of William’s friends from Cambridge, and a friend of Elizabeth’s and her sister Jane.”

  Alex bowed to the Lady, “It is a pleasure to meet you, madam.”

  Lady Matlock relaxed slightly. “Good afternoon, Mr. Carrington. It is always good to meet one of William’s friends. I am surprised that you are so well acquainted with his wife and her sister.”

  “We were introduced at the theatre. I believe that you were in attendance that night. We then discovered some mutual acquaintances. I invited both ladies to the ball that my parents held some weeks ago.” He turned back to Georgiana. “I am sorry that your brother did not ask you to attend, Miss Darcy.”

  “I am not yet out, sir.” She said shyly, blushing again.

  “Oh, forgive me; I was sure that you were. I remember Darcy talking about it last summer, and I thought that it was to happen this Season. Well, then you have much to look forward to!” Alex was embarrassed. She was younger than he thought, maybe too young? He tried to hide his disappointment, he found her absolutely lovely.

  “I am not looking forward to it at all, sir.” She confessed, but thought maybe it would not be too bad if men like he wished to dance with her.

  “Well, you will have the help of your new sister when you do, and from what I have observed of Elizabeth, she will guide you with ease. She is a very confident woman.”

  “She certainly is.” Lady Matlock decided that she liked this young man. He was not pushing himself on Georgiana, but he was clearly interested. “What is your estate, sir?”

  Alex was ready for the questions. “Kingston Park, in Buckingham.”

  She nodded and went right to the point. “And who is to inherit?”

  “I am; your ladyship. I am an only child.” He hated being valued for his possessions, but knew the social processes well in the first circles.

  She nodded again, “And what brings you into a lady’s millinery shop this morning, sir?”

  Confused by the change in topic, he recovered quickly and smiled, “I wished to buy a gift for my mother.”

  Lady Matlock liked that answer very much. “Well sir, I believe that any lady of quality would enjoy the selection on display in that corner.” She directed his attention to some elegant hairpieces.

  “Thank you, I will be sure to examine them.” He turned to Georgiana. “Of course, I would appreciate a lady’s opinion. Could you tell me which one you prefer, Miss Darcy?”

  Georgiana blushed and chose a simple piece with long blue feathers. “This is lovely, Miss Darcy, I shall not look any further. Thank you for your assistance.” He smiled at her, and looked to Lady Matlock, who nodded.

  “It was my pleasure, sir.” She whispered, entranced by his warm smile and twinkling eyes.

  “Come Georgiana, we must be on our way. Mr. Carrington, it was a pleasure to meet you.” She looked at him appraisingly. “Your mother’s name is . . . ?”

  “Mrs. Philip Carrington, we live in Grosvenor Square.” He felt a rising appreciation for what was happening.

  She looked him square in the eye. “Please tell her to send her card around to Matlock House. I receive visitors on Tuesday morning.”

  He smiled. “Yes, your ladyship. She will be honoured to pay a call.”

  They bid their farewells, and he watched Georgiana as she looked back at him through the glass. His heart was still pounding, and he was utterly bewitched by her eyes. Darcy’s sister had grown up, and he found himself wanting to know everything about her. He wondered if he had just encountered his future wife. Then he laughed to himself, Well why not? I am already Darcy’s brother!

  “ELIZABETH?” Darcy tried again. She just was not talking to him. They had left Netherfield an hour before. She did not talk to him all night, and he learned that indeed, they did need two beds because he spent the last night decidedly alone. He allowed the pressure of the wedding celebration to take over his good sense and magnify his own intense emotions, resulting in an impulsive, disappointing reaction. He deserved her ire and kicked himself yet again. He wished so much that he had insisted on talking about it last night, before it became the silent impasse they now faced. He did not know what to do.

  She stared out of the window. She was sick of men. She was sick of being a possession of men. Her father thought of her as his companion and sought to deny her a future to keep him company, and then last night during the wedding reception, when John Lucas called her Lizzy and talked about all of the adventures they had as children and the dances they attended when they were older, William became a jealous fool.

  Elizabeth could not forgive his behaviour as easily as she did when he reacted to Richard’s advances; this was just not the same situation, at least in her mind. Granted, part of it was her fault. She saw that he was becoming very quiet, and did not end the conversation sooner, but that did not signify when he pulled John into a corner and threatened him to sta
y away from HIS wife. She was mortified. Fortunately it was the end of the evening and John took the rebuke with grace. They soon left for Netherfield and nobody really noticed anything was wrong, except her father who was watching them closely all night. He appeared as if he wanted to say something to her, but did not.

  She watched the scenery go by, and her anger faded, knowing that she needed to let this go. William was so hurt when she closed the door on his face. She heard him pacing in the next room all night, and she simply lay there, missing him. She was disappointed with herself and her own petulant reaction, as well as her failure to read his growing distress and respond to it. She tried to see his reflection in the glass. He was staring at her, as he always did. He was twisting his gloves in his hands. And his eyes were so sad. What did Papa want to say? He would probably tell her to let it go. A man’s heart is very fragile, and William is deeply in love with her, and any threat, real or perceived would make him act like a possessive fool. She sighed and agreed with her fantasy father, she should never have rejected him last night. They should have talked about it. She turned around and looked at him.

  “I am sorry, Elizabeth.” He immediately spoke, still twisting his gloves. “I do not know what came over me.”

  She rescued the mangled leather and took his hands in hers, and could see the relief crossing his face. “I am sorry, too, William. I should never have let him go on about our past.”

  “It is just the thought of you with anyone else just makes me . . .” He searched for a word that would describe the way his heart twisted hearing her laugh about dancing with the man, “absolutely insane.”

  “And I would feel the same way hearing about you doing anything with another woman.” She smiled at him, stroking his face. “What upset me is the highhanded way that you dealt with your jealousy. I felt nothing more than your possession. I was not sure if it was your pride that was hurt, knowing that I ever danced with another man, or if you were afraid that I still liked him.”

  “Probably a little of both.” He admitted.

  She tried to reassure him. “I liked him because he was a nice man, and a playmate from childhood, nothing more. I never saw anything else in our friendship. I cannot speak for him, but I can say that he never tried to court me.”

  “But he was away at school, probably now that he is home, he would have tried.” He began to imagine the worst.

  “Well, we will never know that will we? I seem to recall marrying someone not too long ago.” She smiled into his brightening face.

  “That is correct! You did!” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “You married me!”

  “Yes, so maybe you would do well to remember that the next time that you feel irrationally jealous, and behave accordingly. Perhaps you should talk to me about it first before you. . .”

  “Act like an overbearing fool? I am sorry. Please forgive me?”

  “I do, darling, if you will forgive me for letting it go on as long as I did, and for acting like a spoiled child last night by not talking to you about it. I never wish to spend another night without you by my side, especially for such a silly reason.”

  Caressing her cheek, he nodded, “Agreed, dear. I do love you so much, Lizzy.”

  “I love you my sweet William.” She snuggled gratefully into his embrace, and soon the carriage lulled them to recapture the sleep they had missed.

  Chapter 23

  “When should we arrive?” Elizabeth asked, nestling against Darcy’s chest and preventing him from reading his book.

  He looked at her, and smiled wryly while he closed it. “Late this afternoon, perhaps around four o’clock.” He stroked her back. “You know Lizzy, you remind me of a cat I once knew.”

  She smiled, “Because I purr?”

  “Well you do make lovely noises at certain moments, but I meant that every time I try to read, you are in my lap.”

  “Do you object, sir? I could move.”

  “I will bear with it, my love.” He started tickling her belly until she squealed and batted his hand away. He laughed, and speaking seriously, caressed her hair, “You have not said anything about your father since we left Longbourn.”

  She sat up and leaned her head against the back of the carriage seat. “I do not know what to say. He looked terribly lonesome, and when he talked, he seemed to be trying too hard.”

  “I think that we all felt that to some extent. It was hard to think of civil conversation after the accusations he threw at me. It took a great deal for me to publicly forgive him of that, and I remain highly offended for his behaviour towards me, but more so for his behaviour towards you. For someone who claims to love you so much, he certainly failed to prove it.” He entwined his fingers with hers.

  She sighed, looking down at their hands. “Yes, I know. I think that he wanted to apologize for it, but the problem is that this was not a single incident. He must have felt this way for years, and now he must realize his error in behaviour.”

  “Perhaps it will be easier to communicate through letters for a while, without the pressure of actually being in each other’s company.” He raised their hands to his lips and tenderly kissed hers. “I know how much you love him, Elizabeth. Until he spoke to you about our courtship, I heard nothing but admiration and regard in your description of him. I hate for that to end. Even when I felt completely neglected by my own father, I loved him, and I would not have given up that relationship for anything. Maybe that is why I tried so hard to please him.” He shook his head. “My relationship with your father is short and painful, but you have a lifetime with him. If he shows signs of accepting our marriage and attempting to be a part of our lives, we should allow him in. I admit, I will take a great deal of convincing, and I doubt that I will ever be close to him, but I know that you will regret it if you do not try.”

  “I suppose only time will tell. I believe that I am as offended on your behalf as you are on mine, but I truly do appreciate your willingness to try.” She gave him a small smile, and he returned it while gently caressing her face. “I will write to him when we arrive, and see if he responds.”

  “That will be a good start.” They sat silently embraced for a while, then he looked down at her pensive face. “What did Jane ask you about in the garden? She was crimson when you came back into the house.”

  Elizabeth smiled up at him; the devil was in her eyes. “She was asking for advice.”

  He raised his brow. “About what, may I ask?”

  She laughed. “Her wedding night!”

  Darcy grinned broadly. “And what did you tell her?”

  “I am certainly not going to tell you!”

  He stared down at her with his brows raised. “Why not? You probably talked about me. Do I not have a right to know?”

  “No sir, you do not. Besides, you will just tell Charles about it, and do not claim otherwise!” She accused, poking a finger in his chest.

  “Maybe.” He tilted his head and looked at her, and whispered warmly in her ear. “What did you say?”

  “I said it was wonderful and she had nothing to worry about.” She whispered back.

  He smiled happily. “Thank you.” She giggled. “Was she convinced?”

  “Her face was red, was it not?”

  They stopped to eat and rest the horses, and they both settled down to read for several hours, Elizabeth curled next to him, he with his arm around her. Finally, the carriage made a turn into a smooth drive. A man in uniform was standing outside of a small house, and waved at the coach while moving to open the heavy iron gate. “Welcome to Pemberley, Elizabeth.” He turned to her and smiled.

  She sat up, her eyes wide, taking in the surroundings. “Where is the house, William? All I see are trees.”

  “I am afraid that is all you will see for some time, my love; we have quite a way to go. We will have a good view of the house after we climb the hill, and I asked the driver to pause there.” He moved to wrap his arm around her and eagerly pointed out the sights, and watched for her reaction. W
hen the carriage did stop and she saw the magnificent house below, her gasp made his chest swell. “Do you like it, darling? Are you happy this will be our home?”

  Elizabeth stared out of the carriage window. She was wholly unprepared for the majesty of what lay before her. “Oh William, I have tried to imagine it from your descriptions, but I never came close to creating such a vision in my mind! It is so very lovely!” She turned to him, her eyes bright. “I cannot believe that you chose me to come live in such a glorious place.” She returned to the window, a sudden overwhelming sense of peace coming over her.

  He gently placed his fingers under her chin and turned her head back to him. “This place has needed you for a very long time, Elizabeth. Now it will be a home again.” He kissed her deeply. They stared into each other’s eyes, both feeling something changing between them. He rapped the ceiling and the carriage moved on, winding down the drive, until it finally came to a rest in the courtyard where the assembled staff waited.

  “Oh dear, how will I ever remember their names?” She whispered, looking at them. “Is this the entire staff?” Her eyes swept over them and then she looked at William. All of these people were dependent on her husband’s good will. He glanced at the eager curious faces in the crowd.

  “No, not quite, but it is a good many of them.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I will introduce you to our housekeeper, if you know her, you will be fine.”

  The coach door opened, and Darcy descended. He turned and handed her out, smiling warmly at her, and tucked her trembling hand in his arm. They walked up to an older woman who was looking at Darcy with teary eyes while simultaneously assessing Elizabeth.

  Darcy stopped and smiled at the crowd. “Please join me in welcoming the new Mistress of Pemberley, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the steps to the cheers of the servants.

  Elizabeth hid her face in his shoulder, blushing brightly. “William!” He laughed with joy.