Elizabeth counted her blessings. Her communications to Longbourn were on their way, including the crucial request for the locket.
“Thank you, Cassie. And thank you for arranging my hair so skillfully.” She examined her reflection in the mirror, pleased with the maid’s handiwork. The simple style suited her features while taming her unruly curls into something resembling propriety.
“It’s an honor, miss. Never thought I’d be lady’s maid to… well…” Cassie blushed. “Mrs. Reynolds says we’re not to gossip about your situation.”
“Very proper of Mrs. Reynolds,” Elizabeth agreed, hiding her amusement. “Though I imagine the entire household must be buzzing.”
Cassie’s heightened color confirmed this assessment. “We’re all just happy to see Miss Georgiana with a smile. Been too quiet around here since… well, for some time.”
Elizabeth recalled Georgiana’s mention of some recent distress, though the details remained vague. She imagined the isolation of a young lady in such a vast estate would be unbearable, especially to one like herself who had grown up with four sisters.
The breakfast room proved to be a charming apartment facing east to catch the morning sun. Unlike the formal dining room Elizabethhad glimpsed during yesterday’s tour, this space felt more intimate, more lived-in. Georgiana sat at a round table laden with covered dishes, a book open beside her plate.
“Elizabeth!” She closed the book immediately. “I hope you slept well? I instructed the servants not to disturb you, as you seemed so exhausted yesterday.”
“I slept remarkably well, thank you.” Elizabeth took the indicated seat, warmed by the girl’s thoughtfulness. “The chamber is most comfortable.”
“Fitzwilliam insisted on the Rose Chamber specifically,” Georgiana confided, pouring tea for Elizabeth. “He said it had the best morning light for reading or writing letters. He believes you would be quite comfortable with the arrangement.”
“I am, and thank him for his kindness,” Elizabeth said as Darcy entered. He wore a dark riding coat, his hair still slightly disordered from his early morning exercise. He stopped short upon seeing Elizabeth.
“Miss Bennet,” he said, giving a formal bow. “I trust you found your accommodations satisfactory?”
The stiff courtesy felt jarring after yesterday’s unexpected gentleness, reinforcing Elizabeth’s sense that she would never fully understand this contradictory man.
“More than satisfactory,” she replied with a curtsy. “I wished to thank you particularly for providing Cassie as lady’s maid,” Elizabeth said, feeling oddly compelled to bridge the awkward silence. “She has been most attentive.”
“It was no trouble,” Darcy replied without turning. “Mrs. Reynolds selected her specifically. She has a certain… enthusiasm that seemed well-suited to someone unaccustomed to such service.”
He joined them at the table, focused on his plate as if the arrangement of eggs and ham required careful study. Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Georgiana, who gave a small shrug of incomprehension at her brother’s mood.
“The Bingleys remain abed?” Elizabeth inquired, more to fill the silence than from genuine interest.
“Miss Bingley keeps town hours even in the country,” Georgiana explained. “We likely won’t see them before noon.”
“A blessed reprieve,” Darcy muttered, then looked almost startled to have spoken the thought aloud.
Elizabeth couldn’t suppress a laugh. “On that point at least, Mr. Darcy, we find ourselves in perfect agreement.”
Elizabeth studied him surreptitiously, noting the rigid set of his shoulders and his overly methodical approach to buttering his toast. The man was wound tighter than her mother’s best corset strings. Perhaps his discomfort was more mundane than she had imagined—a thought that suddenly struck her as absurdly funny. Could the proud master of Pemberley be suffering from something as common as digestive distress? The image of such a dignified gentleman brought low by constipation sent an inappropriate giggle bubbling up in her throat.
She caught Georgiana’s questioning glance and bit her lip, which only made the urge to laugh stronger. Georgiana’s eyes widened in comprehension, and suddenly she, too, was fighting back giggles behind her napkin.
Darcy looked up, his brow furrowed. “You seem in particularly cheerful spirits this morning, Miss Bennet.”
“I am merely making the best of an awkward situation, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth replied, composing herself with an effort. “And appreciating your hospitality, however… reluctantly offered it might be.”
Darcy’s brows rose slightly, the closest he would come to acknowledging her pointed remark. “I assure you, Miss Bennet, my hospitality is never reluctant when the recipient is deserving of it.” He cleared his throat, spearing a piece of egg with mathematical precision. “What do you ladies plan to do with your morning? The weather seems favorable for outdoor pursuits.”
“Indeed, the grounds of Pemberley must be quite picturesque,”Elizabeth said. “You were out riding early this morning, I understand? I hope you found the exercise refreshing.”
“Adequately so,” Darcy replied, his attention fixed on cutting his ham into exact squares.
“Perhaps you could point out a few significant landmarks,” she persisted. “At Longbourn, I often rise early for walks to view the morning beauty.”
“Pemberley’s grounds are extensive,” he said stiffly. “Georgiana can direct you to the paths most suitable for a lady’s constitutional.”
Elizabeth felt her patience waning. “Mr. Darcy, I cannot help but wonder if you remain displeased by my words yesterday in the drawing room. If so, I wish to express my sincere regret for speaking so impulsively in your home.”
