I do not own Pride and Prejudice. Thanks to ElizabethAnneSoph. This chapter has been split into three manageable parts. I've tried to keep them even and hopefully the breaks are in the right place. My parent also looked at this who is also a Jane Austen Addict. See if you can guess which family was in Haworth in 1821. This is set in August 1821.

I'm now into the second part of the story and got a lot more to come.

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Last time: The Wedding. Richard became a Sir and Mrs Bennet fainted. The Earl spoke in a accent that is really hard to understand even for Yorkshire Woman.

The Honeymoon. Part A

When the new Mr and Mrs Darcy awoke both found themselves entwined with each other. Darcy had his arm over Elizabeth and she had her hair in his face.

"Good morning Mr Darcy. Did you sleep well?" Elizabeth asked

"Yes I did. Who put the covers over me?" her husband asked a bit perplexed.

"I did. I didn't want you to be cold. What time do you want to be away?"

"As soon as you can be ready. I can't wait to get to the Cottage. I am sure that you will love it." He untangled himself from his wife and went to finish getting dressed. They had a lot of travelling to do over the next few days. The more they stayed on the road the sooner they would get to the cottage. Elizabeth twisted her plait into a bun and then slipped on the same dress she had on the day before. She packed her book and nightdress and was ready to go. Darcy got dressed quickly and soon they were on their way. Elizabeth preferred to eat on the road than in the inn.

They both stared out of the carriage not talking. Darcy sketched her staring out of the window with that expression that she sometimes had when she was far away thinking of other things. She always looked as if she was at peace. He drew her as she was reading. They didn't need to talk. A routine was formed for the next few days. Both just wanted to get to the cottage.

They arrived in Haworth three days after the wedding. Haworth was a busy mill town that was covered in grey smut. It was paying the price for progress. When they arrived they were advised not to drink the water when they took their repast at the Black Bull inn in the centre of the town. It sat at the top of the hill next to the church and apothecary. The servants had gone ahead with their belongings and were to go back to Pemberley for the month of the honeymoon. They decided to walk the four miles to the cottage from the Black Bull past the Church of St Michael and All Angels and the parsonage where there were 5 children playing in the garden. Elizabeth heard the eldest say

"Branwell leave Emily alone." The child couldn't be more than 6 years old. It made Elizabeth hope that they might have a family of their own someday. She held her husband's arm tighter than she had done before. He smiled down at her and they continued on to the cottage. The four miles were nothing for both Elizabeth and Darcy. They walked it in 2 hours.

The cottage was named Top Witherns and was situated on the moors with very little around them. There were fields as far as the eye could see. Heather and moss surrounded them. The cottage had three chimneys and was built of the same grey stone that all of Haworth seemed to be built from. The cottage was self-contained with an herb, vegetable and fruit patches and some chickens. Whatever they couldn't get from the garden they would buy in the town. Elizabeth knew she could be happy there. She imagined the endless rambles she could go on before returning to this peace of heaven. Just before they got to the door Darcy picked her up and took her over the threshold. It was unexpected by Elizabeth and yet nice. He kissed her and then put her down in a chair in the drawing room. Elizabeth could see that there was no fire to be had as the servants Darcy had hired weren't expected till later on in the week. They had 5 days of complete solitude to enjoy. Elizabeth instantly put on her apron and tied her hair back with another ribbon. Her bonnet and coat were disregarded as was Darcy's coat and top hat which were put on their trunks for now. They found their way to the kitchen where Elizabeth found the larder to be full of things that she would need to make some decent meals. The caretakers of the cottage had left the larder fully stocked as well as the wood hut outside for the fire. There were pots, pans furniture everything they would need for their honeymoon. Darcy tried to light the fire but wasn't much good so Elizabeth helped him.

"I'm a man and yet I can't make fire. A woman isn't supposed to make a fire and yet you can." Darcy complained. He sat down at the kitchen table.

"You haven't needed to till now whereas I have. I can make a decent fire if I needed to. I might need your muscles later if we run out of wood. Now the fire is lit what do you want to eat?"

"Surprise me. I can help you if you'd like. I used to help Mrs Brightside in the kitchen when I was younger."

"More like hinder if I know men in the kitchen. I know what about beans, peas and chicken. You can get the beans and peas out of their pods. As a child it was one of my favourite jobs. If you do that then I will bake the bread."

"Very well." Elizabeth gave him a bowl full of beans and peas. She'd cook them and after they had finished eating she would let them cool then they could have them on bread for lunch the next day while the chicken could be made into a summer roast dinner. She was being more practical. He would learn that she hated food waste. If he didn't finish his meal then he would experience her fury. She was determined to keep him and the household of which she was now mistress on a tight budget. No unnecessary expense was to be made. She roasted a chicken with thyme and rosemary with an onion in the cavity. She made the bread and then put that into the oven with the chicken after it had rested while she was preparing the chicken. Darcy loved seeing his wife up to her eyes in flour. She dusted herself off then made her way out of the kitchen.

Soon there was a rich roast chicken and bread smell that took over the cottage. While the chicken was roasting and the bread baking Elizabeth lit the fire in the dining room and one in their bedroom. She didn't need a fire and didn't want one. Even though she was from Hertfordshire she was as hardy as her aunt but was conscious about her husband's bones. She moved the trunks into their room and started unpacking.

Darcy was seeing a new side to his wife. He'd never seen her like this. He knew she was independent but not as independent as this. She refused his help. He just sat in the kitchen slowly de-podding the peas and beans. He heard her humming to herself as she went about her work upstairs. When she came down into the kitchen she stopped and took the bowl off him and started cooking the peas and beans. She'd been boiling the water to cook the beans in.

"I've put our trunks in the front bedroom. If you want a bath tonight let me know and after I've finished supper I will boil more water. If the water is as bad as they say then we'd better have a constant supply of boiled water on the fire."

"That is perfectly acceptable to me. Why do we need to have to boil the water before we drink it?"

"I'm not a scientist but what I do know is that at home we don't drink water unless it has been boiled then strained through a piece of muslin. You'll be able to do that."

"You're not going to use one of your gowns to do that are you?"

"Of course not. I'm not that wasteful. I have a separate piece of muslin to do that. Now why don't we go and explore a bit more. From what I can see there are four bedrooms. One for the servants, one for you and me and the other one for Hanneli if you don't want her with us."

"We'll see how she feels. It is a very long walk to get here."

"She'll be tired poor love. Well when she gets here she can have a good meal. Would you like me to read to you while we wait?"

"Yes only if I can sketch you."

"Why do you sketch me so much?"

"You're my muse. Even covered in flour you're my muse." Propriety had gone out of the window and he got up from the chair to kiss his wife on the lips. He sat down and she went to get her book. The simplicity of that gesture made her feel content. She checked the chicken and bread. Some of the juices had permeated into the bread. One of her favourite things to have was warm bread and butter. She got out the bread and put it onto the table, stirred the beans and peas the sat down to read.

Half an hour later the meal was ready. Elizabeth found some bowls and spoons then served up chicken with beans, peas and bread with butter. Darcy lapped it up.

"This is lovely." He said. It was simple and yet good.

"Thank you. I know it is not what you are used to but it will do until we go to Pemberley."

"I didn't realise you were such a good cook."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me. I hope to show all of them to you. I am rather hot. After supper I am going to get into my nightdress."

"Very well. Will you let me read to you tonight?"

"Of course you can." He smiled at her. When he'd finished she washed up and put the bread, beans, peas and chicken into the larder. She cleaned the pot ready to boil more water for the next day and finally washed the kitchen down.

Both went upstairs into their room. Elizabeth had put a screen up so she could dress and prepare herself in private. Darcy was shocked to find a clean nightshirt on a freshly made bed. His shaving equipment on a dressing table with his hairbrush. There was fresh water in a jug and a bowl with a flannel ready for him to wash his face before bed and in the morning. Even though there was a fire in the room he suddenly felt cold. He took his cravat off and got down to his shirt and breeches again. He was intrigued by what his wife was doing behind the screen.

Elizabeth had undressed herself and given herself a cooling wash down. She'd decided to wash her hair the next night. She brushed her hair and plaited it again as was her habit of a lifetime. She'd chosen the thinnest nightdress she had. The air was muggy and hot but she knew her husband would find it cold due to his more refined and delicate bones. She finished with sponging down her neck. She didn't see her husband slip in behind her.

"Are you not cold?" He whispered. She quickly put her dressing gown on then turned to face him.

"No I am hot. It is too hot."

"Why did you cover up? You shouldn't be ashamed of your body."

"No one other than my mother and sisters has seen my body."

"You're beautiful Rosie. Please let me see you." He gently took off her dressing gown and looked at her thin nightdress. He undid the top of her nightdress to expose her décolletage. She knew he had practise with Hannah and she let him lead her. She stared into his eyes. She knew that she wasn't beautiful. Jane was. She felt like a little girl again when he called her Rosie.

"You are beautiful Rosie. You have beautiful hair, you have beautiful curves. I want to kiss them. You have a beautiful body. I didn't want to push you but let me show you how beautiful you are."

"Only if I can see all of you. You are handsome. How did I ever deserve you?"

"I don't know. How did I deserve you?"

"That is one of the greatest mysteries of our time." She helped him undress and then they finally gave in and gave each other a gift. Elizabeth's was greater than Darcy's. Elizabeth gave him her and her purity. Darcy gave her him and his love. It was that night that both realised how much they loved each other.

Next up the Honeymoon Part b and it is Elizabeth's 21st Birthday.