“Yes, Mrs. Darcy,” Bingley said. “And it is my cherished hope she will make a match with my cousin Augustus, a wealthy sheep rancher, and remain there with him and his family.”
“Then I wish her well, and hope she does make a match.”
Darcy set down his cup. “Elizabeth, shall we depart within the half hour?”
“We are ready to leave now, sir. We have all finished eating and are merely waiting for you.”
“Very well, then. We will be off.” He turned to Bingley. “When may we expect you at Pemberley?”
“I have business with my solicitor in London,” Bingley replied, though his eyes were on Jane, “but I hope to be on the road in a fortnight.”
Darcy turned to Mr. Hurst. “Do you and Mrs. Hurst travel north with Charles, or shall I expect you sooner?”
“We shall accompany Charles,” Hurst said. “I have some business in town first, but afterward, we are free for the summer. I hope the trout are biting when I arrive.”
Darcy grinned. “I have never fished Pemberley’s waters without bringing home a fine catch.”
“That is what I like to hear,” Hurst said contentedly.
Darcy turned to his cousin. “Are you ready, Richard?”
“I am. My trunk is loaded, and my stomach is full.”
After their farewells, the Darcys’ party took leave of Netherfield. At Elizabeth’s request, they did not stop at Longbourn.
“Thank you for offering, Mr. Darcy,” she said quietly. “But I have no wish to be in my cousin’s presence again, and my relationship with my mother has ever been strained. I bade farewell to my father at the wedding breakfast. Perhaps we might invite him to Pemberley this summer, or if Jane and Mr. Bingley wed, I shall see him then.”
Darcy had nodded his assent, then mounted his horse, and the small caravan departed.
When they reached London, the party was met only by Mr. Higgins and Mrs. Nichols, as Darcy had arranged during his prior stay. He wished to keep his return to town a secret from both his neighbors and his uncle, the Earl of Matlock. He needed time to strengthen his bond with Elizabeth before it could be condemned by his relations.
Darcy escorted his wife to the mistress’s chambers and stood in the doorway as she entered.
“Elizabeth, I had both the master and mistress’s suites refurbished after my father passed away. But it has been five years now, and you may wish to repaper or change the furnishings. You can see to that when we return for the season in late November.”
Elizabeth surveyed the room. It was elegantly appointed, every surface polished and orderly. She turned to him, her expressive eyes betraying her unease.
“Mr. Darcy,” she said softly, “at the risk of lowering myself in your eyes even further, I do not see anything that needs renovation or refurbishment. Perhaps it is because I come from a modest background, sir. Will it lower me in the eyes of the servants and cause them to gossip to others, thereby making you a byword, if I do not order extensive changes?”
He paused, struck by her insight.
“I had not considered it, my dear, but you are certainly correct. Servants gossip to the servants of other houses, and theonditsoon finds its way to the mistress through her lady’s maid. There is no such thing as privacy. In light of that, you might order anew coverlet or drapes, or perhaps you might feign ennui with such pursuits and leave everything as it stands.”
Elizabeth laughed softly.
“Then let us craft our ownondit. Let it be said that your bride is a bluestocking who cares nothing for houses, furnishings, gowns, or jewels.”
His grin was wry.
“My dear, that would not be rumor but fact.”
She tilted her head, studying his face.
“Does it embarrass you, sir? Will it lower your standing in society to be married to a bluestocking?”
Darcy hesitated, then replied with quiet gravity.
“Elizabeth, some men are threatened by women of intellect. I, however, hold such women in esteem, Elizabeth Montagu among them. I believe we are all God’s children, each with something to offer our society. Whether you are derided for neglecting to spend my fortune on refurbishments or for your learning is for you to decide, and I will abide by it. I realize now that we shall be the subject of gossip, whatever we do. So long as it is not over the compromise, I shall be contented.”
