Lisa, if your daughter has better hand control than foot control, I believe there is a way to have hands only gas/brakes like people who are missing limbs or with paralysis can have. I'm sure it would be an expensive option, but just wanted to mention it to you in case you want to look into it.

I have the flu, so depending upon how quickly it resolves, our Thanksgiving plans may all be derailed. Getting treatment was awful. Unlike with my boys, who I was able to take to the pharmacy and get tested and treated within 5 minutes, I had to suffer a lot to get the needed treatment. Because it was a Sunday and the only pharmacy who tests and treats was closed, I had the two hour urgent care visit. Then I had a half an hour in the drive thru pharmacy line only to be told they were out of either flu med. Then we went to two different pharmacies and had to call urgent care to get the prescription transferred (because the original pharmacy wasn't answering their phone for the other pharmacy, even though they had told us to have the other pharmacy call them if they had the meds in stock), so about 4 hours total when all I wanted to do was be curled up in my bed. But I can say that the Xofluza really works, as I feel much better.

Lucky for you, being stuck in bed means I'm either sleeping or writing.

27. Dinner and a Show

Frank checked through my dresses one more time as if a new option might have appeared since the previous time and then suggested, "I suppose you should wear your ball gown."

I had come to the same conclusion myself, for my better dresses had all been dyed black and I had left them behind like my mourning, my family. I had not wanted to be tempted to wear them, to be in mourning over my marriage. A ball gown, what had been my wedding dress, was a better choice than a morning gown.

In the recent months I had not had any regular nuncheon. Instead, each day I broke my fast with leftover bread or porridge and then did not eat again until each evening. But I would have liked to fill the roiling maw of my stomach which twisted with my nerves. I did not have high hopes for this encounter with those who would look down on me, yet they were my only hope to be accepted into society.

Frank styled my hair better than I could have done and then Mr. Darcy appeared with a heavy bracelet and necklace. He explained, "Seeing you wear my mother's jewelry will reinforce your status as my wife." That seemed sensible enough, but I could not like the weight of it on me; for it felt like fetters, iron.

During the carriage ride, Mr. Darcy and I discussed what pleasant lie we should tell about us falling in love. He insisted that we should reveal that he proposed in Kent and hint at a secret arrangement. I was uncertain this was wise, but determined to defer to him as he knew his family best. Mr. Darcy seemed pleased when I told him "Very well," and took up my hand, which he held for the remaining minutes of our journey, but rather than finding a pleasant affection in the gesture, I felt it was his way of leashing me to him. Still, almost against my will, I recalled all the pleasant things his hands had done to me.

From the outside, the Earl's and Countess's home was on par with Mr. Darcy's home, but I noted with a critical eye that it was a little less fine inside, for the papers in the foyer were pulling apart at a couple of seams. The butler escorted us to the parlor and announced us to the six people waiting within. Georgiana beamed, sprang up and hurried toward us. Colonel Fitzwilliam arose, inclined his head and smiled in a friendly manner. The man who I took to be his elder brother gave me a lingering look of frank appraisal, shook his head and said "So this is the bit of muslin causing all the hullabaloo? Darcy, why did you not just--"

My husband interrupted, roaring "John, hold your tongue or I shall cut it off. That is my wife you are speaking of!"

The Baron smirked. "No need to get in a snit, it is only what we are all thinking."

The Countess, a still handsome woman with fashionable auburn hair and blue eyes, glared at her son and declared "Certainly not." She arose and made her way over to me, with a young and very lovely blonde woman who I took to be the Baron's wife, just behind her.

"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Darcy." The Countess declared.

The woman beside her said "Likewise," in a dull voice, and I observed there was no sparkle in her eyes, that her expression was placid or perhaps resigned. Then Mr. Darcy made the introductions and I learned the Countess was Lady Henrietta and the Baroness was Lady Lavinia.

Lady Henrietta then looked back over at her husband, who along with the Baron had not yet stood, beckoned them and declared "Herbert, John, come greet your new cousin properly."

With reluctance, they both engaged in the ordinary forms, the Earl appearing bored, the Baron still smirking but added to this was a lascivious look. He held my hand longer than needed to bow over it when I curseyed, drawing one finger along my palm. It was with effort that I kept from shuddering, and I found myself drawing closer to my husband and taking comfort in him.

Dinner reminded me a bit of dining with Lady Catherine, for there were many dishes and Lady Henrietta questioned me with vigor about my family and background, although with more kindness. Between bites of trying rich and well seasoned food, wishing for just some plain beef or chicken, I told her about us meeting in Hertfordshire, spending time in his presence while tending to my ill sister at Netherfield, and dancing with him at the Netherfield Ball.

"Darcy must have admired you greatly by then to single you out so, for he rarely dances," Lady Henrietta declared.

I then proceeded to tell her about my encounters with him in Kent, and how he kept meeting me during my walks.

"His interest was marked then." She turned toward Mr. Darcy and asked, "By the time you met her in Kent, then, had you determined she would be your wife?"

The way she asked gave me pause, as if I had no say in the matter. But it occurred to me then that perhaps in their society, if it be an advantageous match that there was naught the lady so asked could do but to consent. This clarified, then, Mr. Darcy's shock that I dared refuse him, and lack of comprehension more recently in the evil he did me in taking my choice away from me.

Mr. Darcy replied "I was sore tempted, but knew I ought to find a bride from a better family, from a more elevated station. Still, I could not resist her when we were in company again and soon I had paid Elizabeth such marked attentions that I considered myself half obliged already. Finally, I could resist my siren no further, sought her out and proposed." He took up my hand then and pressed a kiss to it, looking at me and inviting me to take up the story we had decided upon.

The Countess turned to me and asked "Why did you not marry last spring then?"

I knew what I was to say, and certainly she had already decided that I had accepted, but a stubborn part of me rebelled. "I refused him."

This finally got the Earl's attention. He sputtered, "Refused Darcy? Inconceivable, impossible! Surely you jest."

I could have taken it back then, Mr. Darcy's look begged me to do so, and I knew it was hurting him to be humiliated before the others in such a way. But I understood that I had a sort of power in refusing to lie for him.

"I do not. I refused because I did not want to marry him."

The Baron guffawed. "I can see now why you had to have her. The fruit that is hardest to pluck from the branch tastes sweeter, but I cannot understand why you had to put a ring upon--"

"John!" His mother silenced him. "I shall not have you speaking this way before Georgiana or your and Darcy's wives. Save your jokes for the separation."

Lady Henrietta then turned to me and asked gently, "Why, my dear, would you have done such a thing? Your family may have been gentry but your situation with the entailment upon your father's estate and having no brother was perilous. I cannot account for you choosing to refuse any eligible offer, much less one so advantageous to you."

"It may sound naive to you, Lady Henrietta, but my sister Jane and I had both vowed to only marry for the deepest love, I had long thought your nephew disliked me, and I had two strong objections to him. The one, I later learned I was incorrect about, but the other . . . you see he separated his friend Mr. Bingley from my sister when I believed, we all were under the general expectation that, Mr. Bingley was on the cusp of proposing to Jane. I could not forgive him for that."

"Oh I see," the Countess declared, "your obstinate pride got in the way, you who could ill afford such pride. Did it not occur to you that by accepting you might have also been able to forward a match between your sister and his friend?"

It had not and I felt a certain mortification that such a strategy had not occurred to me. If I had accepted Darcy then, perhaps my sister would even now be Mrs. Bingley. I pondered then whether it was too late to turn my marriage toward her advantage but determined that Lydia's actions had foreclosed that road. I had been fortunate indeed that Darcy's affections had not been dissuaded by either my rejection or her fallen state.

Lady Henrietta continued on, oblivious to the inner turmoil of my thoughts. "But somehow later you still gained that which you did not deserve and I imagine perhaps even now you bear some resentment to the man who refused to let you drown."

Her perceptiveness caught me off guard. I had, I realized, wanted to humiliate Mr. Darcy to his family. But instead, I realized I had just now shown myself in a bad light. Seen objectively, Darcy condescending to marry me gave me all the advantage while he bore all the cost. Truly I had not given him nearly the credit that he deserved and I resolved that I should think better of him than I had before.

I felt my cheeks pink. I tried to backtrack. "I might of course have made different choices before had I known what future events would follow."

"Pshaw. Would have, could have, should have, too late for all that. You are family now and we must make the best of the situation we all find ourselves in. What we have heard in this room goes no further." She looked at each of us in turn, saving her longest stares for her husband and eldest son.

"Now, I understand that you only recently gained your majority."

I nodded.

"So this is what we shall say," she addressed both me and my husband. "You fell in love in Hertfordshire, arranged your travels to meet in Kent and became engaged there, but fearing opposition from both your families resolved not to marry before Elizabeth's majority. Darcy, because of the general expectation he would marry his cousin Anne, Elizabeth because the late Mr. Darcy and late Mr. Bennet abhorred each other."

"But Madam, they never met one another," I objected.

"No matter," Lady Henrietta dismissed my concern with a wave of her hand. "They are both dead, so no one can prove that they did not. Then after your father died, Darcy could not marry you until your mourning was complete. We shall make it a tragic tale that will make all the ladies swoon."

"What do you suggest to lessen the impact of her youngest sister's downfall?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"Lady Catherine has spread that news widely," the Countess acknowledged, "but we can say she was mistaken, that the child eloped as her love was leaving for France and became a war widow, perhaps even embellish that Lady Catherine feared Darcy preferred your Elizabeth over her own daughter, sought to foreclose your choice by making her unsuitable, passed along rumors to force you to give her up."

I felt I had to interject, "I should not like to cause ill will towards Lady Catherine, for she was kind enough to host me for dinner, tea and other gatherings."

"I would not worry about that. None of our set would think it untoward for her to do all she could to facilitate a promising match for her daughter."

"Brava, you have done it my dear," the Earl saluted his wife with a raised wine glass. "But for my cooperation in this scheme I shall need a generous loan, one that I shall not be repaying."

"Very well," my husband answered, a look of resignation upon his face.

"Herbert, no business at the table," the Countess scolded.

"Very well," said her husband, "I simply wanted the new Mrs. Darcy to know what her honesty cost her husband."

A few further details were discussed after that. Mr. Darcy would post the wedding announcement with all haste, Lady Henrietta would make calls spreading the tale of our love, and after a week I would join her in such calls.

During the separation after refreshing ourselves, I spent a pleasant few minutes with Georgiana discussing the music we knew before the Countess bid Georgiana go off to bed. She clearly did not wish to obey, but deferred to her aunt.

The Countess told me, after Georgiana left, "I know you did not wish to marry Darcy, but I think you shall get on well for I see you are willing to stand up to him. I have known him his whole life and he is generally a kind, if overly, serious man, but stubborn as a mule when he has decided upon something. While all men are the same when it comes to their need to rut," she gave a delicate shudder, "if you are lucky, you shall catch quickly, and once an heir and spare have made it through early childhood he shall leave you be in favor of a younger mistress and you shall be free to live quite separate lives but for obligatory social obligations."

Lady Henrietta must have seen some downturn in my face in reaction to what she meant to be reassuring, for she leaned toward me, touched my shoulder and said "Oh yes, your wedding night was just the night past." She asked "Has it been very bad?"

I said nothing. How could I tell her that I mostly enjoyed it?

She must have taken my silence for confirmation of the awfulness of the marital bed. "The first time is the worst. I know I would have returned home to my father after that if I could have." She gave a delicate shudder. ""Ice from the icehouse or warm baths and compresses can help with the pain. Of course, if he is at you constantly, as the Earl was, it takes longer to heal, that is true. But it is not so awful after that. Best to just get through it each time and pray for a son.

"Herbert left me alone after Richard was born, except for that time he was between mistresses. He imposed on me then for almost a month complete, but it was worth enduring for that is how I got my Beth. If only she had been of a stronger constitution."

I did not have to ask to know that her daughter Beth had died. The expression on Lady Henrietta's face, her turned in shoulders, and the threatened tears that she swallowed away told me so.

Lady Lavinia finally spoke in her quiet voice "I am quite certain I am with child again, but John will not leave me be until he can feel the quickening for himself. I pray this one shall be a male child. I cannot endure another disappointment, to be imposed upon over and over again."

"Surely your lovely daughter cannot be considered a disappointment," exclaimed the Countess.

"As good as one," Lady Lavinia murmured. Then in the quietest tone possible, where I had to strain to catch her words, she added "I think he delights in hurting me." Perhaps in sudden alarm that she had said too much in front of the man's mother, she gave a little squeak and hurried away.

Lady Henrietta did not attempt to stop her, getting up only to pull the door closed again. "I tried my best to shape my sons to be better husbands than their father, but Herbert had his own ideas and John spent much time with him. Now Richard at least, I can take pride in him.

"John decided to pick a wife opposite me. He wanted a pretty face with an empty garret. Lavinia is not simple, but she is too fearful to ever oppose him in anything and I fear whatever spirit she might have had has been utterly crushed by him, the poor dear.

"But you, Mrs. Darcy, you will carry on. You have, if anything, too much fortitude whereas she has none. Darcy at least fancies himself in love with you. Make it true, encourage it, try to fall in love likewise if you can. A man will be kinder in bed with a woman he feels some affection for. No matter how distasteful it may be now, it can be worse and I understand where there be real affection between a couple, it could even be pleasant to give your husband pleasure."

"You have given me much to think upon," I told her, and she had.

Not long after that, the men rejoined us, and perhaps five minutes later Mr. Darcy stated "I am rather tired" and suggested, "I think it is time that we be going. What say you, Elizabeth?"

The Earl and Baron exchanged amused looks and nudges which left no doubt about what activities they expected that my husband had in mind for me and I reddened. Naturally from our earlier conversation, I expected my husband to wish to take his pleasure from me again, but I did not want everyone present to know what we would be doing. I had not expected my husband to ask me whether we should leave, and found pleasure in his courtesy. As I had no wish to stay longer, I agreed.

I resolved to myself that I might as well make the best of my situation as a married woman. Being fortunate enough to have liked most of what we had done together while other women did not (or perhaps had no opportunity to do so if they perchance had husbands who simply stuck it in), I was not adverse to the idea of welcoming him to my bed, especially if I could persuade Mr. Darcy to do more of what I had enjoyed before.

Once we were alone in the carriage, I could not help but apologize, "I should not have told them about refusing you. I am sorry. I hope the Earl did not exact too much money from you."

"Darling, do not trouble yourself," Mr. Darcy told me. "It did not matter what you said, he would have demanded recompense for his cooperation regardless of the scheme. I would have paid ten times what he had John wanted to present you blameless to society, to keep Georgiana with us."

I told him, and I meant it, "You are too good to me."

"Truly? That is not true; I have gone about everything wrong," he admitted.

"Perhaps," I conceded, "but perhaps I can forgive you."

With a little glad cry, Mr. Darcy embraced me and we began kissing each other. As for me, I was acting on instinct rather than having any skill. It felt so good and he reacted with such enthusiasm that it was fortunate the carriage ride was short, or I think he would not have restrained himself from having me then and there.

When the carriage stopped, Mr. Darcy pulled himself off of me, I untangled my hand from the hair at the nape of his neck and he removed his hand from the top of my gown, with one final squeeze to my nipple. The coachman knocked before opening the carriage door and I was obliged to respond "Just a moment," then hissing out to my husband. "We need to find my tucker." We both spent perhaps half a minute searching by feel for my tucker before I located it stuffed between my breasts.

However, when escorted out, I doubt the coachman had any true doubt as to what we had been up to, for we were both still panting, his lips were red from our kissing, and there was a prominent bulge in his trousers.

We both calmed a little as Mr. Darcy walked me through the house and up to my chamber door, but in the interim the bulge in his trousers had not abated in the slightest. He begged at my door, "Please say you will be ready for me soon!"

"As soon as Frank has me ready, I shall knock upon your door, but . . ." I turned my head away in embarrassment or perhaps shyness, knowing I needed to get the words out lest I give into temptation just then, "we must talk first before I will welcome you to my bed."

"Very well," he allowed, "as long as you shall welcome me in the end." He then bent down to kiss me on the cheek and watched me go inside before he must have departed for his own door.

A/N: I honestly did not expect ODC to make so much progress here (but it kept developing each time I read through this draft and revised). What are your predictions or hopes for what will happen next?