He chuckled. “Forgive me. I shall stop teasing. Look.” He drew back the little curtain. “There is Darcy House.”
Elizabeth looked out in wonder. The wide streets of Mayfair were lined with elegant townhouses, each with lovely manicured gardens. Their carriage halted before one of the largest homes. Elizabeth caught her breath. She wondered, astonished that Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire should now be Mrs. Darcy of Darcy House and Pemberley. It seemed a transformation almost too marvelous to be believed.
The carriage drew to a halt, and while Elizabeth was still staring out the small window, the door was opened. Darcy hopped out, pulled out the little step, and handed her down. His eyes were smiling as he watched her descend.
Elizabeth stopped to look at the house, which rose before her, three stories tall, built of pale stone with tall windows and a handsome portico. Lamps flanked the entrance; the warm glow was welcoming in the winter dusk.
The great door opened, and a woman whom she guessed to be the housekeeper descended the steps and curtsied. “Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, welcome home.”
Elizabeth was smiling at the elderly woman when she heard Fitzwilliam draw in a sharp breath behind her.
Chapter 58: The Viscount Stafford
“Phillip, I thought you were in Greece. What are you doing here in my house?” Darcy was frowning.
The tall gentleman with blond hair stood in the doorway, grinning. “Good afternoon, Cousin. It’s a pleasure to see you too.”
Darcy’s lips twisted into a scowl. “What about the Grecian adventure, I heard so much about? Richard told me you were to remain there at least a year.”
Phillip raised a brow. “I think you are not happy to see me. Your cousin, the prodigal, has returned, alive and well. And in case you are wondering, I did not waste my father’s fortune. My investment paid handsomely and I am to be congratulated, Darcy, not reproved.”
Darcy looked at the tall man grudgingly. “Well, come in then. There is nothing for it. I see that I am obliged to invite you in.”
Phillip’s grin widened into a smile as his gaze slid to Elizabeth. “And what a wife she proves to be, if the missing cravat is anything to go by.”
Elizabeth flamed to her hairline. Darcy also flushed to the tips of his ears. His eyes hardened. “I will remind you, Cousin, to keep rude comments to yourself. You are in mixed company.”
Elizabeth raised her eyes to the staircase and saw that the servants still stood at attention, watching the spectacle. Darcy also remembered where he was, and his tone grew colder. “Why are we standing in the street? Phillip, you might as well come in so that I may introduce you properly to my wife.”
As they climbed the stairs, Phillip leaned near and murmured into Darcy’s ear. “Not quite what you had in mind, Cousin? I apologize if my arrival has delayed your marital delights.”
Darcy turned and frowned at the grinning man who now walked on his other side. He whispered back. “Another less confident man would have been silenced.”
Phillip straightened and grinned, tongue in cheek. “My apologies, cousin.”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth with a smile. “Mrs. Darcy, may I present Mrs. Nichols, who has kept this house in order since I was in short coats.”
Elizabeth curtsied warmly. “I am delighted to meet you, Mrs. Nichols. I shall depend upon your experience.”
The housekeeper nodded respectfully. “I am entirely at your service, ma’am.”
Behind her, Mr. Higgins, the butler, bowed. “Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy. The household stands ready to receive you.”
Elizabeth thanked the man, and then she turned to face Phillip when he spoke.
“Higgins, do you remember slipping cakes to the three of us behind my uncle’s back? Those were the days when everything was simple and life was full of hope.”
The butler flushed, yet he smiled. “I do, sir. And here you are, grown and flying off to the ends of the earth. But your brother has returned from the Continent, and that is a blessing.”
Darcy, with a look of impatience, led Elizabeth up the stairs while Phillip lingered below, still reminiscing with the butler.
They entered the house, and the elegance of the marble floor and two grand staircases that curved upward on either side struck her dumb. Half of Longbourn would easily fit in the grand hallway and rooms that opened before her on either side.
Darcy bent his head close to hers, grinning and murmured, “You are staring, my love.”
“Indeed, sir,” she whispered back. “I fear if I blink, I shall discover it all a dream.”
He chuckled. “Not a dream, Elizabeth. I couldn’t bear to wake up and find that I was still unmarried to you.”
