“Thank you for taking so much trouble on my behalf, ma’am.” Elizabeth was in earnest; She had not expected the Matlocks to hold a ball, especially considering what the countess had related about not even knowing they were to be married.
“I shall introduce you to my friends, beginning when the first gown arrives. Then another group two days later. Once it is known that I have visited you with my acquaintances, others will follow. I would advise you to make particular effort to please any titled ladies and only use your finest silver and plates if you should be graced with the condescension of a duchess. If such a fortune should befall you, you must act with every deference and never voice any impertinent opinions not in accord with her grace.”
“Good heavens!” was all Elizabeth managed to reply. It would be some christening if she were to host a duchess. She was beginning to realise exactly what it meant to be the mistress of Pemberley. It was much more than loving her husband, and a position she felt ill prepared to fill.
The carriage drew to a halt in front of Darcy House, and Darcy and Miss Darcy greeted the ladies in the entrance hall. It was to be hoped that her husband had not been too concerned by the lateness of the hour.
“Thank you ever so much, Lady Matlock. I could not have managed such extensive shopping on my own. Will you allow me to show my gratitude and ask you to have dinner with us?”
“I would have been most obliged if I had not had a prior engagement. Georgiana, we must leave if we are to dress for the evening. I would rather not arrive at Princess Lieven’s soiree covered in road dust. Do not be concerned, Darcy, it will only be ladies present. Oh, I nearly forgot. Matlock expects you at seven.”
“I have another engagement,” Darcy said, trying to extract himself from the obligation.
“Then you must send them your regrets.”
The atmosphere was charged by the ripples of a battle of wills. Darcy pressed his lips into a thin line, then nodded.
“I am sorry our excursion has delayed your ladyship.” Elizabeth made her excuses whilst fighting the impulse to wring her hands.
“Think nothing of it, Mrs Darcy. It is my duty to educate you,” Lady Matlock assured her with a brisk nod.
Twelve dresses had been excessive, and Elizabeth regretted delaying the countess from her obligations to the Russian ambassador’s wife. She curtsied as the ladies left and turned her attention to her husband, who wore a becoming smile.
“Lady Matlock is holding a ball in our honour, two weeks hence,” he said.
“Yes, I know. I am delighted and feel most grateful for her generosity.”
“I can now admit that I was apprehensive regarding your reception in the family. They had great expectations for my marriage and wished for a lady of consequence and connections, if not a family connection. Relatives have frequently suggested, if not demanded, that I choose Anne de Bourgh to unite the two estates, though Judge Darcy would prefer that I had wedded his daughter Clarissa. I could not risk my family’s interference in our union and so decided that the easiest route would be to present them with afait accompliand hope that they would look beyond your provenance to discover what a remarkable woman you are. But what I feared most of all was that they might convinceyouto jiltme, a fear that was confirmed when Lady Catherine descended upon Longbourn and demanded you release me from our engagement. I shudder at what might have transpired had not Anne taken ill.”
The intensity in his eyes compelled Elizabeth to feel a modicum of sympathy for his plight. Had she not also fretted about her mother’s response and therefore considered concealing their engagement for as long as possible? But that pertained only to her mother, and she had Jane to confide in; was there no one in his family he could trust?
“Could you not even tell your sister?” she asked quietly.
“No. Georgiana was living with the Matlocks, and she has inherited the Darcys’ abhorrence of disguise of any sort. It is my greatest regret, but I could not ask her to lie to her closest relations on my behalf.”
“Did you manage to explain to your sister why you had not informed her?”
“Yes, and I am relieved that the Matlocks have accepted you without opposition, despite your inferior birth.”
Elizabeth gasped and tightened her fists. “I suppose that is the reason why you did not inform your family about our marriage before it was too late to protest,” she affirmed with as much coldness as she could muster towards the man with whom she was most violently in love. “I shall have you know that I am a gentleman’s daughter, and you are a gentleman. Thus far we are equal.”
“True, but you have no wealth or connections. It is fortunate that you have everything else a man could ever wish for, and I have heard that it is quite fashionable to be in love. It matters naught to me—we are married and most happily so. With our exquisite felicity in mind, may I suggest we dress for dinner? Or just undress.” Darcy wiggled his brows before he raked his eyes over her body.
“You are in an uncommonly good humour… Let us adjourn to the mistress’s chamber.” She was too weary to quarrel and too much in need of her husband’s comforting embrace to provoke his ire.
Chapter 8 Thick as Thieves
Lady Matlock’s first two rounds of callers went well. The first had been a trio of elderly ladies, who were easily pleased. The second, a group of young ladies, just wanted to satisfy their curiosity. Every day, Elizabeth inspected the flower arrangements and the polishing of the silver. Satisfied with both, she waited for further callers to arrive by pacing the library. It was unfortunate that Darcy was away at White’s or he would have offered some much-needed distraction.
The knock was subtle, but the sound carried to the library, and Elizabeth waited patiently for the calling card. When Mr Gilbert handed her a single card, she was initially relieved it was only one lady, but then she read the name: Princess Augusta. Could the queen have sent her daughter to seek information about Elizabeth’s grandmother? The two had once been thick as thieves—friends since childhood. Mayhap her grandmother had reconciled with her brother and had written to Queen Charlotte to aid her granddaughter’s introduction into society? She hastened to greet her guest in the entrance hall, with all the trepidation her lack of experience ensured. The only rule she remembered was not to speak before she was spoken to…
The princess was a tall and regal lady, a little past her prime, but the crinkles around her eyes bespoke someone with a sense for the ridiculous. After the introductions were made, she escorted the lady to the parlour and asked how she liked her tea. Princess Augusta wanted two sugars and a dash of milk, and Elizabeth made it with steady hands. The princess studied the cup.
“This is a pretty set, but did not Lady Anne have set of Meissenchinoiserie?”
“I do not know,” Elizabeth admitted. She had not looked in every nook and cranny, but the silver set she had found was pretty and looked formal.
“It is most likely locked away in a cupboard. It is a shame because I simply adore everything Chinese and was anticipating seeing the late Lady Anne’s most praised porcelain again.”
