A/N: Hello sorry to those of you who are waiting for an update on Altered Beginnings, it is coming I promise you but I keep changing my mind about the next part of the story so it's taken me a few re-writes already and I'm still not happy with it. Anyway this little scene popped into my head and wouldn't let me sleep until I'd written it, so enjoy and as always I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Sleeping arrangements

The marriage of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley to a Miss Elizabeth Bennet from Hertfordshire had caused quite a stir amongst fashionable society. It was not unheard of to marry for love even in the top circles of the Ton; however Mr Darcy was not known among his friends as a passionate man. Sensible men, like most had always thought him to be, married with their heads. That was just how it was done. Mr Darcy was not themost eligible bachelor; he had money of course but no title, though he was of noble blood on his mother's side of course. Yet everyone had expected him to make a much better match. Nobody who met the new Mrs Darcy could deny that she was lovely, she was pretty and charming, though maybe a little too intelligent for some people's tastes. The women of the Ton were particularly surprised upon meeting her; they had supposed her to be some meek country mouse with no idea of manners or fashion. Fashion was something she was never particularly interested in, but she did know how to dress well. She chose simple styles that suited her, in expensive but tasteful fabrics and thanks to her new modisté they fitted her perfectly. As for her manners, people who spend too much time in town always tend to exaggerate the country and forget that it is not quite the back of beyond, as they say. But really Elizabeth's saving grace when faced with the matrons of society was her determination not to be intimidated. Elizabeth was a strong believer in putting on a brave face even if you're shaking like a leaf inside. If she had shown a shred of fear those women would have eaten her alive. She was determined to prove she was worthy of her role as Mrs Darcy, mistress of Pemberley. Of course this role got much easier and much harder at the same time once the newlywed couple actually arrived at their grand estate. At once Elizabeth felt relief at being away from the scrutiny that followed her in London, and almost overwhelmed at the thought of managing such a large house.

The servants of Pemberley all took well to their new mistress, she made mistakes but the household was efficient enough to run smoothly even in the first few weeks of her settling in. She was kind and polite, which recommended her to those below stairs. And she brought such laughter to the house, one of the young housemaids was so startled the first time she head her normally serious and dignified master laugh that she almost dropped the tray she was carrying.

Despite the initial rocky start to their relationship, for she had been inclined to hate him for at least the first six months of their acquaintance. As well as all the members of society who proclaimed him to be a fool for marrying a girl of no money or connections, the Darcy's had had a very successful start to their marriage. That's not to say they never argued, theirs was a passionate love and a relationship like that cannot always be harmonious. Though they always managed to make up in the best way they knew how.

It was after one such argument that this little story takes place. The dressing gong for dinner had rung not five minutes ago and Sophie hurried towards her mistress' dressing room. She busied herself carefully laying out a beautiful gown of a rich plum coloured silk with delicate silver embroidery on. She then gathered the shoes and stockings to match, and still her mistress had not appeared. Thinking she may be lying down and hadn't heard the gong sound Sophie knocked gently on the door to Mrs Darcy's bedroom. When there was no answer to her knock Sophie gingerly opened the door and hovered on the threshold looking around the great room, ah there in the bed she could see her mistress asleep. Deciding it was probably best to go over and gently wake the sleeping figure she walked purposefully over to the bed, but when she was only a few yards away she noticed the other figure lying beside her mistress. One of his dark curls hung across his face, Sophie longed to reach out and brush it away. She had never noticed quite how handsome Mr Darcy was before, she had always been too scared of him to notice. Suddenly he stirred in his sleep. Terrified of being caught staring at the master of the house in his sleep Sophie fled from the room a little yelp escaping her mouth as she did. Running back into the relative safety of the dressing room Sophie almost started again as the door from the servants stairs opened and another maid entered carrying a large pitcher of water.

"Oh Mary you almost gave me a heart attack"

"Why did I do something wrong? Mrs Reynolds sent me up with the hot water for Mrs Darcy's wash, sorry it took so long there was a bit of a commotion between two of the kitchen maids"

"Oh no its not you, I've walked in to find the master and mistress asleep together!"

"Oh is that all, all the housemaids have been talking about that for weeks, not one day since they arrived home have they had to make up the bed in the master's room" Mary said with a giggle. The sound of voices coming from the next room put an end to the two young girls gossiping.

…

Mr Darcy stirred from his nap, he could feel his wife in bed beside him but he could tell from her breathing that she was still asleep. What was it then that had disturbed him? Blinking open his eyes he just had time to see a blur of black and white disappearing round the door into his wife's dressing room. Looking over at the small clock on the mantel piece he gently reached over and stroked down over his wife's face; from her temple along her cheek across her lips. When this did not wake his sleeping beauty he tried true love's kiss, which proved to be much more successful.

"Wake up my dear" he whispered, "It is time to dress for dinner, and besides which I think we've managed to thoroughly shock your maid by letting her catch us in such a state."

"What ohh hmm poor Sophie, she'll think me quite wanton and won't be able to look at me without blushing for days now! Why did you let me fall asleep?"

"How could I resist when you look like an angel whilst you sleep"

"Fitzwilliam don't get soppy with me!" Elizabeth teased finally managing to drag herself out of bed, she threw a pillow playfully at her husband as she spoke.

Wrapped in a thin robe Elizabeth entered her dressing room to find Sophie nervously playing with the button fastening on the plum dress, her face turned a bright shade of scarlet when she looked up at her mistress. Not wanting to embarrass the poor girl any further Elizabeth decided the best thing to do was to pretend nothing was wrong, indeed this did prove to be the best method of dealing with the situation. Over the many years that Sophie was employed as Mrs Darcy's maid the two women formed a sort of friendship, they discussed many things Elizabeth even asking her opinions or advice on some matters, but though there was often an occasion to one matter was never discussed between them. That was the matter of sleeping arrangements.