Elizabeth’s husband cleared his throat. “I suppose you can call me Darcy, Mrs. Collins—Jane.” He did not seem pleased, and Elizabeth wondered why her husband resisted growing close to her family.
He seemed so kind and genuine at Longbourn. Why can he not extend that manner to my dearest sister?She could forgive him for his interference with Jane’s happiness, especially now that her sister was free to find love, but she would not abide him treating her with cold disdain and formality.
Georgiana began peppering Jane with questions, and Elizabeth felt glad that her new sister could shed her shy nature and speak with confidence.
They retired together to the drawing room after supper, forgoing the separation of sexes, and Georgiana squealed when she noted the pianoforte. “Brother!” she cried. “A Broadwood grand? I am thrilled!” She walked quickly to the instrument and ran her hands over the gleaming keys. “What shall I play for you all?” She slid onto the bench and tested a few keys, playing a stanza from a Beethoven score.
“Happy birthday, Georgie,” Mr. Darcy said, grinning.
“Oh, what a perfect surprise! It is too much!” Georgiana returned his smile and played a quick scale. “But I cannot complain,” she said when she finished. “And since my birthday is passed, I am not required to wait to play this superior instrument!”
Elizabeth and Jane laughed along with Mr. Darcy and settled into their respective seats. Georgiana launched into a complicated Mozart piece, leaving the rest of the party to their diversions. Jane pulled a workbasket from beside the chair she sat in and began stitching lace onto a baby gown. Darcyand Elizabeth sat side by side on the settee, saying nothing. She leaned against him as she has so frequently done, and he stiffened before pulling away. Hurt, she shifted away from him, wondering what she had done to earn his ire this time.
He did not attempt to take her hand or comfort her, and she briefly wondered if he realized he had hurt her feelings. Suddenly, she felt exhausted, and she stood, excusing herself for the evening. She did not look at her husband before departing, instead kissing Jane on the cheek and bidding Georgiana a good night.
Once in her chamber and ready for bed, Elizabeth climbed beneath the coverlet and laid her head against the goose down pillow. Tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked them away, chastising herself for such a missish reaction to her husband’s mercurial moods.
She heard her door open, and she closed her eyes tightly, breathing evenly to feign sleep. She did not wish to speak to him until morning.I shall have more energy to manage him then, she told herself.I simply cannot reason with him now.
He caressed her cheek from where he stood by her bed before turning and leaving the room. She listened to his footsteps fade before rolling over and putting her arm under her neck.Will I ever understand him?she asked herself in the darkness. Sleep overtook her shortly thereafter, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
July 4, 1812
Pemberley
Jane
“Good morning, dearest.” Elizabeth seated herself next to Jane at the table, and she watched her younger sister select fruit, scones, and bacon for her breakfast. Elizabeth had never eaten so much in the morning. Jane idly wondered if she might be expecting and not yet ready to share the news. She had only been married for two months, but so too had Jane when she first suspected she was with child.
“Good morning, Elizabeth.” Jane greeted her sister warmly, turning to smile at her. “How do you do today? Recovered from your journey?”
“Yes, indeed. I plan to tour the house, followed by a long walk on the grounds. I am to meet with Mrs. Reynolds thisafternoon to begin taking over some of the mistress’s duties she has managed for some years.” Elizabeth seemed pleased with the prospect; she was built for the challenge of managing a large household. Jane would be happy with one the size of Longbourn.
“Might I join you on the tour? Your housekeeper offered to show me when I arrived, but I did not feel up to it.”
“Of course!” They finished their breakfast and found Mrs. Reynolds. They began in the public rooms, and Elizabeth gasped in delight with each door that opened.
“Where is the library?” she asked.
“The master has requested that he be the one to show you.” Mrs. Reynolds smiled, her eyes twinkling, and Elizabeth blushed, causing Jane to wonder if there was some hidden meaning to the seemingly innocuous reply. “But let us go to the gallery. The family portraits are there.”
The ladies followed Mrs. Reynolds to a long gallery on the floor above the public rooms. Portraits of Darcys spanning several hundred years lined the walls with the most recent being closest. Jane followed Elizabeth as she walked slowly down the row of paintings, commenting here and there on the subjects.
The tour took nearly two hours, and after they had completed it, Jane and Elizabeth retired to the blue drawing room. This larger, more spacious room was the salon usually used to receive guests, or so Mrs. Reynolds had said. Jane found it soothing. The window looked out over the lake and fountain in front of the house, and the entire thing had been decorated in shades of blue. Cream and gold accents brought a feeling of sophistication to complete the picture.
“I never imagined I would be mistress of all this!” Elizabeth exclaimed, collapsing into a chair. “How shall I manage?”
Jane chuckled warmly. “If anyone can manage, it is you, dear sister.” She patted Elizabeth’s hand from her seat next to her sister’s chair. “Have you any regrets?”
Elizabeth sobered and she sat up, taking Jane’s hand in hers. “Any regrets I had have faded gradually,” she confessed. “There is much to admire about my husband. His rougher edges have smoothed somewhat, and many of my misconceptions have been corrected. Though I am at a loss as to why he treatsyouwith such polite aloofness.”
Jane shrugged. “He has not offended me, Lizzy. If I surmised correctly, he did not know I would be here when you arrived. The knowledge likely surprised him, and he has not had time to adjust.” She frowned playfully at her sister. “You ought to have told him.”
Elizabeth bit her lip and looked away. “I feared he would not let you come,” she confessed. “I did not wish to risk it.”
“I would not wish to become a wedge between you and your husband. It sounds as if your opinions from last April have materially changed. I do not want to be the cause of any conflict.”
