The early morning sunrise was cresting over the summit of the Cage as the last carriages of guests pulled away from the front of Pemberley. Elizabeth stood at the window, the air was still and cold – her houseguests were all still tucked away in their chambers and she was sure that a flurry of maids were currently busy at work preparing food for breaking the fast later that day. She must take the time to thank those who had worked tirelessly long hours to ensure that the Lady Anne's Ball had been an unwarranted success.

Darcy had been up since dawn the day before, helping her prepare, supervising and giving his firm instructions to Seaton. Mr and Mrs Bennett had arrived the night before and it was obvious to none but Elizabeth that his attentiveness to preparation was merely to allow him to spend as little time as possible with her relations. She had situated them in the Oak suite, which was as far away from her own as it could be without seeming impolite. Her mother had been immediately enamoured with the new embroidered bedlinen and bold turquoise decoration, and Elizabeth could see that she was making mental notes with which to brag about to Mrs Philips on her return to Meryton.

The food, despite her concerns, had been well received and the Pineapple – complete with its own pewter stand – had been the talk of the night. Emily Warner, who lived on the neighbouring estate, had even asked if she would be able to borrow it for her own event the following month. Elizabeth had agreed, of course, and this had started what to all intents and purposes was a waiting list for the loan of the pineapple.
"I say, Lizzy, that wretched fruit has a more eventful social life than we do – why I think it will be dining with four and twenty families before the evening is over," Darcy had whispered to her conspiratorially. She had given him a gentle nudge in the side before returning to sit with her mother, who was complaining most heartily to all that despite living some distance away, she too would like to procure the fruit for a dinner she was hosting.
"Dearest Mama, it is your birthday soon, maybe we could buy you a Pineapple as a gift and send it down to Longbourne by carriage," Elizabeth said jokily.
Darcy, still standing within earshot, guffawed loudly, but managed to disguise this breach of manners with a well-timed cough.
"Oh, Mrs Darcy…my dearest Lizzy, I knew that you would put your riches to good use to guarantee the happiness of your mama. You are such a good girl… my daughter," she said to her audience. "Mistress of Pemberley and all you can see here today!" She waited for the collection of middle-aged women to look impressed. "Well, go on, Lizzy, stand up.."
Elizabeth rose to her feet and did a polite, if mortifying, curtsey for the assembled ladies before quickly making her excuses. She made a beeline for her husband, who grinned knowingly and passed her a glass of wine.
"Dearest, we need to procure a pineapple for my mother." She took a longer gulp of the wine than was proper in company. "Maybe we can sell some silver to finance it, you don't need all of those plates that have been in the family for centuries, do you?"
"No, no, not at all… Useless rubbish." He paused for moment, "does it have to be a pineapple?"
"Yes, it has to be a pineapple…but maybe we can accidentally forget?"

The Darcys stood for a moment, watching the result of their months of planning coming to fruition, Fitzwilliam reached for his wife's hand and gave it a tight little squeeze. She looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear. He moved his hand to her waist and pulled her in close before gently kissing one of her coiffured curls. Two younger girls, who Elizabeth recognised of friends of Georgiana's and newly out this season, tottered past and giggled at this public display of affection, they were resplendent in their brightly coloured and befeathered turbans, the rustle of satin and stiff new gowns following them.

The whole room was filled with people and music - the six hour candles, recommended by Mrs Reynolds, were flickering away happily around the room and everywhere there was gaiety and merriment. Darcy spotted his sister over by the pianoforte where she was happily engaged in conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Georgiana had always been a little shy, and whilst his own reserve presented itself as a haughty arrogance, hers was overwhelming and she had always sought to retreat rather than attempt to fight it. It was here that the presence of Elizabeth had benefited Georgiana the most, she was blossoming into a confident young woman who knew her own mind and her own heart. Poor Darcy, he was so bullied and teased now in a house with two ladies who thought nothing of mocking his majestic moods. They made him laugh at himself in their company, however, in public Fitzwilliam could return to his stately manner and they would have a great deal of work about them to crack his veneer. Luckily, the two most important women in his life were very good at it, and this was how Fitzwilliam Darcy found himself more than slightly drunk just before midnight and dancing a country reel with his mother in law.

Elizabeth spotted her father walking to join them from the other side of the banqueting hall and waved him over. The stress of living with two of the silliest girls in England, or three if you counted Mrs Bennet, was taking its toll on Mr Bennet and he was looking forward to spending the next few days having conversations that did not involve talk of soldiers, ribbons or sermons. As much as it pained him to not have her close, he could see how adored his Lizzy was here in Derbyshire and how effortlessly she had adapted to be the mistress of a great estate.
"Elizabeth, what is all this I hear of your mother being gifted an expensive tropical fruit from Mrs Darcy herself!" He gladly took a glass of wine from Darcy and with a sardonic smile sighed, "How will I ever afford the upkeep of such a precious delicacy?"
Elizabeth missed the playful banter and easy wit of her father, the company of her mother being a fair price to pay to be back in his presence even if just for a few nights.
"What about a painting of a pineapple? Or maybe an embroidered pineapple… I'm sure you could turn your hand to embroidering a pineapple for your mother, Lizzy."
"You know as well as I that any embroidery from me would not be a gift that one would want to receive," she laughed.
"I can testify to that," Darcy murmured.
"I am very sorry, Papa," she stated with a faux solemnity. "But I am afraid we have committed to the purchase. Besides, I think we all know quite well that Mama has probably already sent a letter by post to notify everyone in Meryton. Would you like to be the one who tells her that you have declined the gift?" she teased, arching her eyebrow.
Mr Bennet looked at Darcy, who looked at his wife, who looked at her Papa. He sighed and finished his wine.
"I'll be in the library," he said. "If you see your mother, please don't tell her where I am."
He kissed his daughter on the cheek and shook the hand of the host before retiring into the family's private rooms.

Darcy held Elizabeth's hand and squeezed it gently. She glanced up at him for a moment and beamed, before turning her attention to the dancing, which she watched with glee. Darcy thought his wife was the most beautiful in the room that evening. She was positively resplendent in a blue satin gown with a gold brocade trim, it was the most perfectly cut gown that she had even worn, excepting her wedding dress, and he must thank his Aunt for recommending such an adept and talented modiste. Her hair had been placed in curls with jewelled flower clips holding them in place and the look was reminiscent of a Grecian goddess, her long neck elegant and almost regal. He wished that he could take this image and preserve it forever, keep it locked next to his heart to remember this vision of beauty. Darcy had take the liberty of requesting his mother's diamond and sapphire necklace from their vault at the bank in Threadneedle Street, Elizabeth did not need precious stones, she never desired them, and she certainly did not expect them, but this was a special event and warranted something grand. He had thought the necklace old fashioned and had asked her if she would like it remodelled, but she had declared it perfect and begged him not to change a thing.

As she stood next to him wearing it, the gems sparkling and glowing in the candlelight, he could see the attention that it drew from the ladies as they walked passed or thanked their hosts for the evening, and he smiled to himself as Mrs Darcy received the recognition she deserved and accepted it graciously. There was something different about her tonight, almost as if she had blossomed overnight into her position of lady of the house. She was so assured, so confident… Elizabeth had received an education befitting that of a gentleman's daughter, she had not been schooled by a governess in the unspoken and complex rules of the aristocracy and he knew that her composure often belied an underlying anxiety of being unable to stand her ground amongst the ladies of high society. But tonight, she had been formidable – gracious, generous, funny, attentive and completely riveting - and he knew, probably knew better than she did herself, that she had no need to be worried about anything.

Elizabeth watched the dancing and clapped her gloved hands. Observing others gave her time to think, and she was currently thinking that she must have tried too much of the food over the last few weeks as her dress was much tighter than she remembered it being when she went for her final fitting in town with Lady Matlock. But never to mind, she could survive a few more hours of discomfort if it meant that Darcy would continue to keep looking at her like he did. She was looking forward to later, when they could crawl into bed together and stay there until the early afternoon. Darcy and Elizabeth usually kept separate chambers, but the cramped conditions at Pemberley this weekend meant that they were breaking with social protocol and sharing for three nights. It was glorious inconvenience for Elizabeth, who loved waking up with her husband and an even better one for Darcy, who secretly loved playing the ladies maid, helping her remove her attire with all the playfulness of a naughty schoolboy.

The evening passed in a whirlwind of introductions, reunions, laughter and food. Jane and Bingley arrived earlier that day and happily confirmed with their closest friends that they would be expecting a new addition to the family sometime in the autumn. Elizabeth was thrilled for her sister and excited about the prospect of becoming an aunt. Married life suited Jane and this happy event had made Bingley even more decided to relocate from Netherfield and further north. They had found a solid estate in Cheshire and planned to move there before the baby was born. The distance between the sisters would now be a lot more manageable with good roads between the two residences. The whole assembly became aware of the news once Mrs Bennet was informed, and no-one had seen a woman happier that evening – although Elizabeth was unsure if this was a result of the baby or the pineapple. Either way, her mother's nerves had absconded for one evening and this had made her company a whole lot more pleasurable for all concerned.

Elizabeth watched as the final carriage disappeared around the bend of the driveway. How beautiful her home looked in the early days of Spring, from the front of the house she could see down into the valley below and how the colours of the forest were turning with the seasons. It had been over a year since she had returned to Pemberley, not as a visiting guest, but as the wife of the master of the house. She had come to love these walls, floors and ceilings as much as she loved the home of her childhood, and the longer she stayed here the more she knew about it. She knew, for instance, that the Long Gallery was over 130ft in length, that the fireplace in the centre of it was constructed for visit by Henry VIII and one of his many wives, and she also knew that her husband was secretly measuring to see if he could fit a billiard table in there. It didn't need to be a secret though, she adored playing the game, despite the gentlemen of her acquaintance frowning upon it, but she was looking forward to the table being installed so she could thoroughly trounce him for the arrogance of his sex. The more Elizabeth knew about Pemberley, the more she loved it and it gave her much pleasure to think of the future days that would be spent here.

Elizabeth made her way to her chambers, slowly opening the door so as not to disturb Darcy who had retired to bed at just past four am. The clock in the room chimed to signify that it was now quarter to six, she removed Lady Anne's necklace and placed it in the chest on her dresser, it was too early, or late, to call for her ladies maid, so she lay on the bed to rest, just for a moment, but still clothed in her gown, she fell asleep.
The house was stirring and Darcy awoke to see his wife sprawled out on the bed, her hair had become loose in the night and was spread out over the pillow. Still fully clothed, her dress was crumpled. He did not know how she could sleep laced in her stays, but she had had a long day. Leaning over gently, he stroked her face, she stirred a little, turning over so that she was facing him. He adored these early morning moments that they sometimes shared.
"I love you in this colour blue," Darcy murmured.
Elizabeth awoke, but did not open her eyes. She was hoping that he would go back to sleep and let her rest.
"This blue… it's beautiful," he whispered. He must still be drunk, she thought.
"Beautiful Eliza Bennet in blue…" he said softly, gently tracing his finger behind her ear and over her décolletage before resting his hand on her waist and gently pulling her to him. He kissed her tenderly on the lips, and she responded to his gentle persistence.
"Darcy, the dress is cerulean." She teased. "If you are going to be painfully annoying, at least be accurate about it."
"I will be accurate about taking you out of this damn dress, for beautiful as it is I would much rather see you in your chemise."
Quickly, potently, he kissed his wife with vigour, his hands were all over her body as he attempted to unlace the dress, Elizabeth giggling as his still-tipsy fingers fumbled over the fastening.
"There is no need to make fun of me, Lizzy, I am a desperate man!" Defeated, he left the lacing and fell back on the bed exasperated.
"There will be plenty of time for that later, you incorrigible man!" She kissed him firmly so that he knew she meant it, confirming it once more by looking into those dark grey eyes that could captivate her from across a room.
"Also, please do not forget that you danced with my mother last night," she giggled, before getting out of bed and walking over the window. The drapes were still closed, but she opened them in a dramatic move that let mid-morning sunlight spill into the room.
"Oh, oh god, I danced a reel. With your mother. Did Georgiana laugh?"
"She was hysterical, particularly as you forgot the movement more than once," Elizabeth said. "But I suppose I will forgive you for being such a liability on the dancefloor."
She sat back down on the bed next to him, reaching out a hand to brush a curl from his face. He looked so young first thing in the morning, as if all of the troubles and responsibilities had been taken from him. She leaned over and kissed him overcome by a sudden burst of affection, and he responded enthusiastically. Elizabeth wished that she could stay in bed with him all morning, alas…
Darcy reluctantly pulled the bell for the servant girls to come and tend to his wife. She was right, there would be plenty of time later, when the majority of their guests had left, and they would be alone to reflect on the weekend's events and much more interesting things too.