by P. O. Dixon
Elizabeth’s curiosity could hardly be contained by the time of her arrival at Darcy’s grand town house. Not only did he send an impressive landau to bring her to his home, but he also sent a lady’s maid to accompany her, as well.
The open and inviting air of his home defied Elizabeth’s expectations. She had thought surely the proud man lived in a cold and forbidding house that fit his haughty and disagreeable nature. This makes two surprises in a single day. She only imagined what might be next.
The austere butler, as proud in appearance as his master, promptly escorted her to an elegant room. There, she espied Darcy standing before a pianoforte, listening as a lovely young lady played a beautiful sonata.
The butler formally announced, “Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” His resounding voice captured the Darcys’ attention. The young lady immediately stopped playing and hurried to Elizabeth, such was her enthusiasm. Darcy had spoken of little else the whole morning other than Elizabeth’s pending arrival. Georgiana had looked forward to the meeting with sheer delight, such was her eagerness to meet the woman who so had impressed her brother.
She stated excitedly, “Miss Elizabeth!” Darcy quickly abandoned his spot to join his sister in receiving their guest.
Darcy bowed. Then, he graced Elizabeth with the most beautiful smile, marking the first time she could recall seeing him thus. “Miss Elizabeth, please meet my sister, Miss Georgiana. Welcome to our home.”
Elizabeth curtseyed. “Thank you very much. It is nice to meet you, Miss Darcy. I have heard so much about you.”
Georgiana returned the curtsey. “And my brother has told me so much about you. It is a pleasure finally to meet you. Please, call me Georgiana.”
“Very well, but then you must call me Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth, will you join me in a duet? My brother says you play very well.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I would be happy to accompany you, but prepare yourself for disappointment. You see, I play rather poorly, and I never take time to practise.”
“Oh, but my brother never lies. He always tells the truth,” Georgiana said as she glanced up at her now embarrassed brother.
Darcy interjected, “I said ‘quite well.’”
“Well then, quite well is not quite very well,” Elizabeth teasingly responded. “Come, Georgiana, what would you like to play?”
Darcy remained with the young ladies for a quarter of an hour before excusing himself to work in his study. He wanted to allow them to become better acquainted in privacy. He promised to join them for dinner.
Elizabeth and Georgiana continued to play for a short time before venturing to the drawing room to have tea. Outside the music room, Georgiana reverted into a shy and timid young woman. Elizabeth sought to regain some of the exuberance she had witnessed earlier by regaling Georgiana with tales of her family and friends back in Hertfordshire. Elizabeth found Georgiana not at all like her brother. The young woman appeared exceedingly agreeable, even if a bit shy. A perfectly charming creature indeed. Elizabeth wondered at how easily persuaded she had been to think badly of Georgiana only a few months earlier. Soon, the two engaged in a bout of laughter and earnest conversation, much to Darcy’s surprise and delight, upon his return to escort them to dinner.
Mrs. Annesley joined the three of them. Once again, Elizabeth witnessed a reversion in Georgiana’s conduct to timidity and shyness. Elizabeth was not sure if the change was due to Mr. Darcy’s presence or Mrs. Annesley’s. She viewed it as a challenge to find out. She clearly sensed that Georgiana was profoundly in need of younger female companionship. Aside from the time Georgiana had spent away at boarding school several years earlier, she had spent her entire life without the company of females of her own age.
After dinner, Darcy remained in the drawing room with the ladies for a while before inviting Elizabeth into his study for a private interview. In deference to Elizabeth and for the sake of propriety, he left the door opened. He invited Elizabeth to take a seat at his desk; he did likewise.
“I do not mean to pressure you into a decision, but please tell me what you think? Is the position as Georgiana’s companion one you will consider?”
“I like her very much. I have decided that if the two of you want me, I would like to give it a try.”
“Excellent. When can you begin?”
“As soon as you would like, I think. However, what consideration will be given to Mrs. Annesley? Will she be agreeable to sharing her responsibilities?”
“Please do not worry about that. While Mrs. Annesley remains with us, I expect her to continue as before, as much for your benefit as for Georgiana’s. She has years of experience navigating the ton, and you will learn from her. We already have discussed her new responsibilities, and she has agreed that it is for the best.”
“When shall I begin?”
“You must name the date. If left to Georgiana or me, it would be today.”
“As I will be leaving my uncle and aunt’s home to live here, it will take a couple of days to pack my belongings and say goodbye.”
“I will arrange to have your belongings packed and delivered. You need only to say when.”
“Oh no, I cannot allow you to go to so much trouble on my behalf. Surely, you do not go to such lengths for all your employees.”
“I take my responsibilities very seriously. You will find that I am a very generous employer. Besides, as Georgiana’s companion, you should expect many indulgences. Georgiana will insist, and I never deny her anything that I have the power to bestow.”
~ ~ ~
As she rode along in the elegant landau for the third time in as many days, the happenings on the street barely warranted her notice. Deeply engrossed in her thoughts, Elizabeth pondered her odd turn of fortune.
The life she was now embarking upon represented a complete diversion from the life she had envisioned for herself. For as long as she could remember, Jane and she had shared a romantic dream to meet one day and fall in love with their own versions of Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Thus, her refusal to marry her odious cousin, Mr. Collins. Not that she had refused him solely on the grounds that she did not love him—the man was an idiot! Elizabeth knew if she had it to do all again, her choice would remain the same. An odd turn of fortune—indeed. That idiot now inhabited her beloved childhood home.
She felt most unfortunate in having to embark upon a life of servitude. Oddly enough, at the same time, she felt somewhat fortunate in having escaped a life of servitude in the home of strangers—beholden to people wholly foreign to her. She reckoned if she must make her own way in life, what better way than to spend all her time in the company of the delightful Miss Darcy. The two young women bonded immediately. Elizabeth’s fondness for Georgiana easily outweighed her discomfort with Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth recalled how he had behaved during the earliest days of their acquaintance. His unguarded comment to his friend Charles Bingley that she was not handsome enough to tempt him, might just as well be stamped upon his forehead. However, it was the way he always had stared at her at Netherfield Park, that bothered her most. Back then, she was Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn—the brightest jewel in the country. Those days are long past—never to return. Merely thinking of that time in her life brought tears to her eyes. Tears that refused to shed. Elizabeth rarely thought about those matters long enough for that. She quickly focused her attention upon the rich colours that surrounded her, the carriage’s velvet window shades and lush cushions—the elegance that now typified her life.
She smiled. It could be worse. I might be Mrs. Collins.
Georgiana enthusiastically escorted Elizabeth to her apartment. She cajoled Darcy into allowing Elizabeth to reside in the family wing, in a large apartment directly across the hall from her own, and just down the hall from his. His acquiescence thereby set Elizabeth apart from everyone else in his service, including Mrs. Annesley.
In keeping with his pledge to deny Georgiana nothing, Darcy agreed to
the scheme. He weakly protested to her on the spectre of impropriety, but not enough to persuade her to change her mind. How could he tell his young sister how he truly felt about Elizabeth? That he found her more desirable than any other woman of his acquaintance, and he wanted nothing more than to have her share his bed each night for the rest of his life. He could never admit that to anyone. Besides, it was not as if he ever planned to act upon his desire. He admired Elizabeth too much to do anything that would compromise her. He would never possess her physically, except in his dreams. What stirring dreams they were!
Aside from residing in the family wing, Elizabeth was delighted to learn that she had been assigned her own lady’s maid, Hannah. Having shared a single maid with all her sisters while growing up, Elizabeth could not have been more pleased.
It surprised Elizabeth to see all her belongings already put away, so quickly upon her arrival. As Georgiana opened the doors to Elizabeth’s wardrobe, both observed how few gowns she owned and how ill prepared she was for her new life. Even though in the latter period of mourning, her clothing was hardly befitting that of the companion to Miss Darcy during her coming out Season.
Georgiana said, “Fitzwilliam scheduled an appointment with my modiste Madame Lanchester to prepare new gowns for you to wear for my coming out this Season. In the meantime, you can select from among my wardrobe. We are about the same size, and your maid may make any adjustments.”
“Both your brother and you are far too generous. I am quite certain that I can get by with what I already have until I can afford to buy my own things.”
“Oh, but you cannot. You must understand how important perceptions are amongst the ton. I expect you to accompany me everywhere. You undoubtedly must personify your part. I insist.”
“But Georgiana, I do not wish to burden your brother or you.”
“Elizabeth, you could never be a burden to either of us. Fitzwilliam scarcely cares what I spend at the modiste. Come to see for yourself,” she urged as she pulled Elizabeth across the hall into her apartment and opened the doors to her closets to reveal her wardrobe. Elizabeth beheld the most expansive selection of beautiful gowns she had ever seen in her entire life. Georgiana explained that most of them were new. When Elizabeth declined Georgiana’s invitation to choose from among the collection, Georgiana pulled her forward and began selecting ones that suited Elizabeth’s mourning state. It pleased Elizabeth to see that they had similar preferences, understated and tasteful. Once satisfied with their selections, the two young women and Elizabeth’s maid commenced adjusting the gowns so that Elizabeth could wear one to dinner.
Darcy had remained long enough to greet Elizabeth upon her arrival, before he made himself scarce for the rest of the day. It seemed he had failed to consider the ramifications of having the woman he loved, but could never have, living in his home and sleeping just down the hall from him, night after night. Just the night before, the erotic dreams he first experienced at Netherfield during Elizabeth’s short visit to nurse her sister Jane to health, revisited him with a passion. His pristine sheets bore unmistakable evidence of his restlessness, and she had not even yet moved in.
Darcy had risen early that morning and gone out for fencing practice. He had needed to work off his abundance of pent-up energy before Elizabeth’s arrival. Once Georgiana and Elizabeth had parted his company to get Elizabeth settled into her apartment, Darcy had given in to his aching need and had gone to see Antoinette, a beautiful French courtesan, who had only arrived at Madam Adele’s establishment a week of so after his return from Hertfordshire. Having amazingly beautiful eyes, she bore a striking resemblance to Elizabeth.
~ ~ ~
Though unquestionably of age, Antoinette had been an innocent when introduced to Darcy. Darcy had to possess her. He had worshipped her body, as he imagined he would have done with the woman of his dreams. Once he had taken her, no other courtesan would do. He had made arrangements with the proprietor to have her serve him exclusively, with no concern for the costs.
Darcy initially had visited the establishment when his own father, the late Mr. George Darcy, had taken him there at the young age of eighteen, along with his cousin Richard. In his youth and inexperience, Darcy had been reluctant to engage in such activities. Richard had encouraged the endeavour. As an older cousin, Richard had wielded a certain amount of influence over Darcy back then. Over the years, Richard and Darcy had continued to frequent the establishment; the former relying heavily on the latter’s generosity to finance his indulgence. Before meeting Antoinette, Darcy generally had preferred at least three other courtesans; it had not bothered him at all that they were also favourites of Richard. Much to Richard’s chagrin, no one else, not even him, had been allowed to patronise Antoinette.
Darcy had spent the whole day with Antoinette in an unrelenting effort to quench his desire for the one woman he could never have. Upon returning home, he heard the pleasing sounds of laughter spilling from the music room. Georgiana and Elizabeth took turns enjoying the pianoforte. With each possessing such widely varying talent, the two young women delighted in entertaining one another with playful renditions of their favourite works. Darcy quickly escaped upstairs to his apartment to call for a bath and refresh himself before joining his sister and her companions for dinner.
He immediately noticed how Elizabeth looked. She never had appeared more attractive to him. She wore a well-chosen lavender gown with black trim, and Hannah had arranged her hair, especially. Darcy also noticed the incredible spark in her fine eyes that had captured his heart while in Hertfordshire, returned once more. He fought the urge to stare at her, as had been his wont in Hertfordshire, finding it was all but impossible. Darcy struggled not to show any notable regard for Elizabeth. He focused his attentions upon Georgiana; otherwise, he said little to anyone. His most telling comment to Elizabeth was to remark on how lovely she looked. He then immediately paid the same compliment to Georgiana.
After dinner, he remained with the ladies long enough to enjoy the duet that Georgiana and Elizabeth had practised during the day. He then quickly excused himself, citing his intention to go to his club. Of course, he had no intention of going to White’s. Instead, he went back to visit the enticing Antoinette.
~ ~ ~
Elizabeth stood outside the closed door of Darcy’s study. Her light taps gone unanswered, so she applied slightly more force. Darcy was relaxing in a comfortable chair, in front of the fireplace, daydreaming of her. It had taken a few moments before he realised there was someone at his door. When he finally opened the door, it startled him to find the object of his dreams standing before him. She never had sought him out before, despite having resided in his home for over a week.
“Miss Elizabeth, I am sorry I took as long to respond. You knocked so quietly, I barely heard you.”
“Sir, I do not wish to disturb you, but there is a matter I wish to discuss with you. I can return later.”
“No, please, come in. You are welcome to seek me out at any time,” he said, as he stepped aside to allow her to enter the room. Leaving the door open for the sake of propriety, he admired her from behind as he followed her towards his desk and offered her a seat. He settled into the chair behind the desk.
“What would you like to discuss, Miss Elizabeth? I trust you are happy here.”
“Yes, I am very happy. Georgiana is such a delight.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“Pardon me sir, but are you certain this arrangement suits you? I know we are not exactly friends, but other than dinner, we rarely see you. I hope I am not the cause of your frequent absences from your home.”
“No, not at all,” he lied, “I simply want to give you two a chance to bond without hindrance from me.”
“And we have sir. As you know, tomorrow is my day off. I plan to visit my relatives in Cheapside. Georgiana has asked if she might go with me,” she stated tentatively.
“Miss Elizabeth, of course you are welcome to visit your relatives at any time
, and not just on your days off, as long as you take the Darcy carriage and are properly escorted by your maid. Georgiana, however, is not allowed to accompany you to Cheapside.”
Her temper rising, but attempting to remain cordial, Elizabeth responded, “I thank you for the offer of your carriage. If you insist, I will do as you ask, but please tell me why Georgiana may not accompany me, especially under the conditions you recommend for me?”
“I do insist that you are properly escorted always, regardless if it is a walk in the park, a trip to shop, or a visit to Cheapside. However, I decide where Georgiana goes and what she does. I am not in the habit of explaining my decisions to anyone.”
“So, it is proper for Georgiana to associate with me, but not with my relatives?”
“Miss Elizabeth, you are a gentleman’s daughter. In that sense, you and Georgiana are equals. In addition, I admire and respect you, and I see what a positive influence you are for Georgiana. However, my sister has never socialised with tradesmen. Unless I decide otherwise, she never will.”
Elizabeth defiantly asked, “And what about the Bingleys; their father earned his fortune in trade, did he not?”
“Again, I am not in the habit of explaining my decisions, especially as regards the care of Georgiana. Is there anything else that you wish to discuss?” Darcy asked tersely, clearly signalling his intention to close that particular line of conversation.
Angered by his condescension and what she supposed as his attempt to dismiss her, she replied, “No, Sir!” Elizabeth wanted to escape his presence immediately. Darcy had other ideas.
“I have a matter to discuss. Georgiana and you have yet to visit the modiste. Is there a particular reason for this delay?”
“Surely, you must know I have no intention of abusing your generosity. Georgiana has given me over ten new gowns already, and while you may have a problem saying no to her, I have no such affliction.”
