Page 16 of Elizabeth’s Choice

She nodded her head, “Every Thursday, and we would speak of anything and everything. There was truly no one like her.”

Darcy sat quietly in contemplation after discovering that his own mother went below-stairs to converse with the housekeeper. He was lost in thought about his mother when Mrs. Reynolds asked, “Will there be anything else?”

He sat up straight and faced Pemberley’s housekeeper of four and twenty years, “It has come to my attention that the dining budget for the servants are in need of modification. I will talk to Mr. Olson to increase it to meet the needs of the current number of those under your care. I did not know you were doing so much with so little, Mrs. Reynolds. I apologise for the oversight.”

Mrs. Reynolds’ jaw dropped in shock and she replied, "Thank you so much, Mr. Darcy! I did not think… Well, Miss Bennet noticed it, but I had no expectations…”

“I am grateful for Miss Elizabeth mentioning it to me and please know that you can come to me with anything,” he stated with a smile. “I know Pemberley has been without a mistress for a long time and you have been a godsend. Thank you.”

Mrs. Reynolds curtsied and left his office and Darcy covered his face with his hands, realising that Elizabeth was exactly what Pemberley needed but he could not marry her, even if he should have a slim chance of winning her heart.

He opened the drawer with many of his father’s journals and pulled out the latest one. He opened the page to his father’s final entry and read it again for the hundredth time.

I wrote to Ben to consider my Will to marry his second daughter. She is still young yet and it would not be for at least two or three years but I am all for it, since Will already seems to resign himself to be a lifetime bachelor after only a few years of searching for a wife, but I think she would be perfect for him - but he would not hear of it when I brought it up and was extremely upset with me to even mention a meeting. It is my greatest wish for his happiness and I truly believe marrying someone like her would bring it about, but we argued and he would have none of it. I pray my son can see beyond rank and circumstances to find the one who cares for him deeply without regard to his fortune. He is far too serious in life after losing his mother at so young of an age and needs a good wife who will be a capable mistress of their homes and to keep him humble like my Annie had done for me.

Darcy sighed as he grazed his fingers over his father’s last wish. He had wanted him to marry Caroline Bingley and they had argued because Darcy had wanted to choose for himself, only for his father to perish after a horse accident the very next day. Darcy was ridden with guilt that one of the last things he had said to his father was that he would rather die than to be forced into an unhappy marriage and then his father had died.

Resigned to push away his feelings for the woman who was greatly flawed yet most perfect for him, he returned to his letters, replying to Bingley of his acceptance to join him at Netherfield in late September, praying that Miss Bingley would become a good mistress so that he might find her improved in temperament and intelligence.

Chapter 11

.“The ball is in two weeks and I will never learn all the steps!” Elizabeth fretted as she stood in front of Georgiana in the ballroom with Mrs. Annesley at the pianoforte. “I love the music and it is most enjoyable but there are too many steps and I am so confused.”

Georgiana pouted, “You are getting most of the steps but it is my fault. I have not attended a ball before and do not know the gentlemen’s parts so I am adding to your confusion.”

Darcy just then stepped in to ask, “Confusion about what?”

“Where have you been, Fitzwilliam Darcy? You have been needed but were gone every day during this entire week!” Miss Darcy reprimanded her brother. “You said you would be home but then disappeared for hours for your businesses!”

Darcy chuckled, “I have been busy! There has been one thing after another that needed my attention and I had to go to Matlock today and you mentioned nothing during last night’s dinner. What has happened?”

Georgiana crossed her arms as she huffed, “We thought we were doing well but Lizzie is finding several of the dances confusing and we are at a loss. You must help us!”

“I am at your service, ladies. Which one shall we start with?” he asked. After Mrs. Annesley gave the song and prepared to play, he held his hand out and asked Elizabeth, “May I have the next dance?”

Elizabeth consented and they bowed to each other to begin. As they moved through the steps, she found it much easier to dance with a gentleman, since Mr. Darcy was a very good dancer and he helped her turn the right way and she copied his motions.

“You are doing very well, Miss Elizabeth, and one might think you a lifelong dancer. You cannot have been having too much difficulty,” Darcy commented between steps.

“Shh! I cannot talk and dance at the same time, Mr. Darcy! See?” she complained after forgetting the next movement.

Darcy chuckled and righted her, “I will help you and Richard will finally be here soon so fear not. We will practice diligently until then and you will be more than proficient at the Matlock Ball.”

Elizabeth finally smiled as the dance ended and sighed, “Thank you, sir. I have learned many more things during my time here than I had in a long time and it has been enthralling and yet terrifying to understand all that a lady is expected to know. If not for my father’s encouragement and Georgie’s patience, I would have given up learning all these tasks a long time ago.”

“Well, let us practice the next one,” Darcy cheerfully commanded. “I will also dance with you, Georgiana, since this will be your first experience at a ball and you must practice as well, even if you will only dance with family. I will dance the first with you.” He turned to face Elizabeth and asked, “May I have the supper set? You must reserve the first for Richard, of course.”

Elizabeth agreed but she asked excitedly, “Oh! There is a card, a dance card that I must keep, is that correct?”

Georgiana replied with a grin, “Yes, there is, and we are to help my aunt with them this week. The ball was delayed a week due to Richard’s schedule but the cards should arrive tomorrow and you and I can finish them long before the Matlock Ball.”

“I also brought your letters from the post for you, Miss Elizabeth. I do not understand why you do not have the letters sent directly here but you have another stack waiting for you in your room,” Darcy announced.

Elizabeth laughed, “Thank you. I feared that my father might see Pemberley’s address and ask about Colonel Fitzwilliam. He is aware of your cousin’s efforts to woo me and has been disappointed that I would not change my mind so I wanted to avoid the conversation entirely. Sometimes a small deception is needed to avoid a larger complication.”

“I can fully comprehend the desire to avoid complications and feel the same. Oh, and Georgie,” Darcy added, “Miss Grey will be joining us for dinner tomorrow evening. She will be our special guest so please order a good dinner. Miss Grey is very excited to see you again, Mrs. Annesley. She was fourteen or fifteen when you last saw her, I believe.”

While Mrs. Annesley excitedly spoke about the young lady, Elizabeth felt uneasy that the woman would be joining their dinner. Miss Grey was one of her new archery students, and from what Elizabeth was told, the Grey family had a vast fortune and the lady was a pretty woman who was the niece of Duke and Duchess Grey, with thirty thousand pounds as her dowry. She wondered if Mr. Darcy was interested in the heiress and supposed that there must be a slew of women likely throwing themselves at the rich bachelor. She shook her head in amusement and hoped the gallant colonel would return sooner than expected, so that she might have someone else with whom to enjoy the outdoors without feeling the constant knots in her stomach.