A week later, Elizabeth sat, holding Cassandra in her lap across from Georgiana inside a jostling carriage as they entered London. They followed another coach packed with trunks and servants as Darcy rode alongside on horseback on the trip from Derbyshire.

London.

Elizabeth's stomach fluttered in anticipation of their arrival in the dizzyingly busy city. She'd found London both intimidating and exciting when she'd visited before. She'd enjoyed watching every kind of person-from the lowest to the highest ranked-pass by on the streets. It was a world she was not used to, but it had thrilled her when she was younger.

Today she was inside the elegant Darcy carriage, which meant she looked to the world to be a fancy lady in a carriage. She didn't feel fancy after two days of sitting in the coach. She felt dusty and stiff. She looked down at the sleeping baby. However, the one advantage was that Cassandra fell asleep immediately and therefore was quiet in the carriage.

Darcy trotted by, keeping his horse even with the coach. Elizabeth studied his handsome silhouette, complete with tall hat and long coat. She worried that it was too cold for him to ride comfortably, but today was another mild day. He seemed happy to have something to keep himself occupied. He argued it would be better to exercise his horse and keep the carriage lighter, but she suspected it also allowed him to not have to sit and make stilted conversation for hours at a time on a dull trip.

Was he was trying to stay busy to keep from thinking how his family-and London society-might react to his new wife? She knew she was being overly wary, but she feared herself not fancy enough for London society. She tried to sit up straighter. She didn't want to cause him to regret his marriage to her.

Is that what caused him to be so quiet the entire trip? Or was she imagining his distance? Perhaps-more likely-like her, he was simply fatigued and eager to arrive? His eyes moved from the road in front of them and then back to the two carriages as though viewing them every few moments kept them all moving.

Elizabeth swallowed and tried to disregard the dread she felt in her chest. Darcy was nervous transporting his sister, wife, infant baby and two carriages full of valuables across many country miles. His preoccupation didn't mean he no longer cared for her or regretted marrying her, no matter how serious his expression seemed. She tried to catch his gaze in hopes that he'd smile at her. But no, he didn't linger on the carriage's occupants or seek out her face.

She watched him for several more minutes.

He was her husband. That thought was still odd to her. She had a husband, and it was this handsome man. Finally, after several more minutes, he met her gaze. For a moment, he was cool Darcy. Then he stuck out his tongue and, for an instant, pulled a face that made her laugh so loud she woke up Georgiana. A moment later, he was back to the serious, expressionless Darcy. She almost wondered if she imagined it.

"What? What is it, Elizabeth?" Georgiana said, startled.

Elizabeth put one gloved hand over her mouth to stop her giggles, held Cassandra, and shook her head. "Nothing. Your brother just made me laugh."

Georgiana stared at him incomprehensibly. "William? My brother? Impossible."

Elizabeth simply smiled to herself and held Cassandra closer in her lap.

An hour later than expected, the carriages arrived at the Darcy townhome in Mayfair. It was late afternoon-nearly evening-and Darcy was exhausted. He was covered in dust and sore from sitting in the saddle for three days. He was pleased to see Darcy House looked well-lit and welcoming in the chilly London air.

Elizabeth had been quiet the last several days, and he wondered if she opposed bringing Georgiana to London and launching his sister into society. He dismounted, handed his horse to a groom and stood patiently while she and her maid exited their respective carriages. Elizabeth looked up, getting her first full site of the Darcy house. Her lips parted as she stretched her long neck to look up, but he couldn't tell if it was merely fatigue or awe or some combination of the two.

He longed for her to be impressed with the house and to want to be there with him. He wanted her to notice the fancy flocked wallpaper, the intricately carved staircase, and particularly the extra-large copper tub in the mistress's bedroom. He realized how much her opinion mattered to him.

Just then, a group of four children ran past their carriage, shouting and laughing, and Elizabeth startled for a moment. She saw the children and then wisely sidestepped them, and Darcy felt another stab of irritation that a group of ragamuffins might mar Elizabeth's first moments of exposure to Darcy House.

They were just street children running by. They didn't signify her experience of staying here in London in his home. And Elizabeth was smart, amiable and reasonable. She certainly wouldn't hold ill manners from a group of children on the street against a home.

Elizabeth and her maid carefully walked up the stairs. Then, once she reached the top, she turned and found Darcy's face below on the sidewalk. For the first time he was responsible for her experience here in the busy, loud city, and if she didn't like it, he feared it might be a reflection on him as a husband. He'd known she loved Pemberley and the country, but he didn't know how she'd react to this other part of him, London, and his family's side.

Mrs. Lewis, the housekeeper, opened the heavy wooden door and welcomed Elizabeth and her maid inside, stopping to coo over Cassandra as any good London housekeeper would when meeting the master's new babe. They disappeared inside with Georgiana close behind them. Darcy, still standing alone on the sidewalk, remembered himself and scaled the steps.

Inside, the townhouse was brightly lit with candles and cheerfully decorated with red bows on the great wooden staircase, probably leftover from Christmas. After days of riding, the light seemed bright to his tired eyes, but he was happy to nod hello to servants, familiar faces carrying up the many trunks from the carriages. He greeted each of them with a nod or a hello.

He caught up to Elizabeth and her maid standing outside the mistress's bed chamber. She looked tired, faint dark smudges were under her eyes and he hoped the trip hadn't been too difficult on her this quickly after Cassandra's birth. He wondered what she thought as she took in all the details of the London house.

Was she sorry she was here? She looked fatigued, but anyone would be after three days on the road with a young baby.

"Mr. Darcy," Mrs. Lewis curtsied to him when she saw him.

He nodded back. "Mrs. Lewis, delightful to see you again." He wanted to talk to Elizabeth privately, but of course, the house was full of people meeting Elizabeth and Cassandra for the first time.

"Is your room to your liking?" he asked Elizabeth.

She looked around as if she were seeing it for the first time.

"Yes, it's wonderful," she said softly.

He needed to let her rest, bathe, feed the baby. Some of her hair fell loose from its chignon. He loved her hair, how soft it was, how it smelled like fresh air and sunshine and fell in soft, loose waves when she brushed it. A lovely corkscrew tendril fell down near her ear. It was a long perfect corkscrew, glinting with reddish tones in the light.

Darcy turned to the maid, housekeeper and Georgiana who crowded around Elizabeth and the baby.

"Ladies, may I speak to my wife privately for a moment?"

Each nodded and left the room quickly while Cassandra fussed in her mother's arms. Elizabeth sank into the nearest chair and tried to stick her pinkie finger in the girl's mouth.

"Oh, yes, I know. We'll feed you soon," she told Cassandra.

"I just wanted a word with you as we're arriving here in London as husband and wife for the first time."

Elizabeth glanced up from the fussy baby and smiled.

"That is sweet, William. But I need to feed Cassandra or she will howl enough to wake up all of Mayfair, and maybe the Prime Minister himself." She set the baby down on the bed, removed her pelisse, and began unbuttoning her dress.

Darcy was momentarily startled. "You're going to feed her...now?"

So much for a tender moment with this wife.

Elizabeth looked at him and laughed. "Well, she hasn't really grasped patience yet. Here, help me unbutton my dress." She turned her back to him.

Darcy's sighed. He had been more than happy to help Elizabeth undress, but for another, more selfish purpose.

Cassandra's fussing turned to full-throated cries and Elizabeth turned her head to the girl.

"Oh, will you send my maid in here to help? She has quicker hands."

"Yes, of course."

Darcy opened the door where her maid stood patiently.
"Please see to Mrs. Darcy."

Elizabeth turned her body away for privacy, while the maid gently closed the door behind her. Darcy stood alone for a moment in front of the door before he walked wearily to his own bed chamber.