A/N - this has been updated to correct grammar and spelling - a big thanks to my beta reader Ann (goclimbatree), who has begun reading through and helping me fix errors and ensure clarity. I took down several chapters and am slowly adding them back. Some chapters have been split, so this is not the same as the original chapter 15.

Let me know if you continue to see any issues. This story will be published on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited at some point once it is finished (August 30?).


Chapter 15

Upon arriving at their home, Darcy shared more of his encounter with Bingley outside White's. "He wants my help in extracting himself from his engagement. And he apologised again for my overhearing his plans to compromise me after the ball, but he did not apologise for his intention. Not only that, he asked me to help his sister in society; apparently, she is no longer accepted anywhere after my public cut of her."

"Did you speak to him?" Elizabeth asked.

"I did not cut him, but I told him I had nothing to say to him," Darcy replied. "I reminded him that our relationship has ended because he and his sister planned to compromise me at Netherfield and told him I would do nothing for his sister, that she has ruined any chances she had in town through her own actions here and in Hertfordshire, where she was unrelenting in her rudeness to the Bennets and others above her station. Then I walked away and left him standing there."

Elizabeth sighed and reached out to touch his face. "I am sorry, my love," she whispered. "I know he was a friend, and it is difficult for you to know he did not view you in the same way."

Darcy leaned into her touch. "He brought me to you, my love, so he has wrought some good in my life. I cannot completely regret our friendship – one-sided as it may have been."

She held him as she asked, "Will you cut him if he approaches you again?"

"I do not know," he sighed. "I will not visit him, nor will I receive him into this house. I will not hesitate to cut his sister. I cannot imagine her approaching me again, but after having the audacity to visit my aunt without an introduction, somehow it would not surprise me if she does."

As they cuddled together in the library, William asked, "What plans do we have between now and Thursday, dearest?"

"I have several morning appointments this week – visits with your aunt and a trip to the modiste – but no evening entertainments before Thursday," Elizabeth replied. "Did you have something in mind?"

"What would you say to a visit to the park and perhaps a picnic?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "That sounds lovely, William. Tomorrow will be busy, but perhaps after my visit to the modiste on Wednesday?"

"I will arrange it," he said as they made their way upstairs.

The next few days flew by, and on Thursday evening, Elizabeth descended the stairs wearing a lovely new gown of a light rose pink silk with a gauzy overlay, darker rose-coloured embroidery on the hem and neckline, and a matching sash around the waist. With diamond hairpins shining in her elaborately arranged hair and the set of rubies Darcy had given her from the family collection glistening along her neck, Elizabeth was stunning.

Darcy had just exited his study when he glanced up and was dumbstruck. Elizabeth was breathtaking — the grace with which she moved, the loveliness of her gown and visage—and he felt the strength of his admiration and love for this woman crash down upon him.

Several moments passed before he found his voice, as words seemed to have abandoned him. Finally, his voice husky and deep, he spoke, "Elizabeth, you quite literally take my breath away. You are absolutely lovely, and I am sure to be the envy of the ton tonight."

Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling mischievously, tilted her head and met Darcy's gaze with her typical arched eyebrow. "Well, Mr Darcy, it seems I am indeed 'handsome enough to tempt you', at least in this dress. I must say, I find it refreshing to leave you speechless for a change."

Darcy groaned. "Elizabeth," he began as he walked up several steps to meet her as she resumed her descent. "Peace, woman," he commanded. "I will stop your mouth," he finished as he leaned down to kiss her passionately, leaving them both breathless and unable to speak.

"I do love nothing in the world so well as you – is that not strange?" Elizabeth quoted softly when she could breathe again.

Darcy laughed softly before quoting back to her: "I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."

She sighed against him. "Must we go tonight?" she asked teasingly. "I am far from immune to your charms, Mr Darcy, and you leave me at a loss quite often. I am glad that tonight I am the one to make you speechless – even if only for a moment."

"I was tongue-tied from the first moment I saw you, my love, as evidenced by the truly awful first impression I made. I hope you know you are the loveliest woman of my acquaintance and gazing upon you has become a favourite occupation. I can scarcely get work done for watching you, but I confess my favourite vision of you is in my bed," he told her as he held her tightly in his arms. They stood in each other's embrace until a noise alerted them that it was time to go. Reluctantly, they parted, and he offered his arm to escort her down the last few stairs.

The theatre lobby buzzed with lively conversation as the Darcys entered, and Darcy exchanged pleasantries and introduced his wife to a few friends. They were soon joined by Lord and Lady Matlock, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Anne de Bourgh, the Gardiners, and Jane. The Matlocks had invited Viscount _, a friend of Lord Matlock's who was very well respected in Parliament; his wife, a close friend of the Countess; and their son, Lord Andrew Warwick, a charming and personable young man slightly older than Darcy, to round out their party, and introductions were made.

As they made their way to their boxes, Lord and Lady Matlock invited Lord and Lady Warwick and the Gardiners to join them in their box, which they happily accepted. The younger members of the party made their way into the adjacent Darcy box and selected their seats. Elizabeth and Darcy, hoping for a few moments of privacy amidst the gathering, took the seats behind their companions. Fitzwilliam, ever affable, took a seat at the end of the front row and seated Anne to his left. Jane sat beside Anne, her countenance serene, and Lord Andrew took the remaining seat at the end of the row. Jane appreciated Lord Andrew's pleasant presence next to her and enjoyed speaking with him as they awaited the start of the performance.

Across the theatre, many curious eyes watched as the Darcy and Matlock parties entered their respective boxes and settled into their seats. The arrival of the parties together was a public statement of Lord and Lady Matlock's approval despite Lady Catherine's objections to the union. Astute onlookers recognised that any match Darcy made would have met with her disapproval considering her own relentless pursuit to secure him for her own daughter. The presence of Anne de Bourgh in the Darcy box demonstrated her support of the marriage, putting paid to rumours of a cradle betrothal arranged by Lady Catherine and Lady Anne Darcy.

Nevertheless, the surprise wedding of such a sought-after bachelor ignited a certain fascination among the spectators as they trained their eyes and opera glasses on the lady accompanying Mr Darcy, anxious to see the woman he had finally married. She was not a conventional beauty by societal standards, although she exuded a captivating allure with an enchanting quality to her smile that drew the admiration of many gentlemen in the audience, and her dress was everything lovely and much admired by the women. Those ladies who could set aside their feelings of jealousy acknowledged that Mr Darcy appeared remarkably content and joyful as he sat with his wife, a departure from his usual stoic demeanour. Some gentlemen speculated that a blissful marital union must be responsible for the expression on his face – since most had rarely seen the smile that was much in evidence that night.

Soon enough, the lights began to dim, the players took their places, and their party quieted and turned their attention to the stage. Granted, for many in the ton, a performance was yet another place to gossip and be seen, but those in the Darcy and Matlock boxes were there to enjoy the play itself.

The first part of the play, Shakespeare's As You Like It, passed easily, and those in the Darcy box enjoyed it. Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged a few kisses just as the lights went down, but other than Richard, no one noticed the exchange. At the intermission, a few friends and acquaintances approached the two boxes. Mrs Darcy chatted with Anne, Lady Matlock, and Lady Warwick, a fact noticed by many in attendance, giving further credence to her worthiness. A few jealous ladies criticised her lack of beauty, but unbiased observers easily acknowledged her beauty and her glow of happiness, and her effect on her husband was clear for all to see.

When the play was over, the group exited and bundled into their waiting carriages for the journey to Matlock House for a late supper, where the genial atmosphere from the theatre continued. After the meal, Elizabeth noticed Lord Andrew's attention to Jane and observed Jane's many blushes when that gentleman spoke to her. She pulled her husband aside to ask him for information about the gentleman.

"William, what do you know of Lord Andrew? He seems to be paying considerable attention to Jane tonight," Elizabeth whispered.

Darcy startled, not having paid attention to the pair. "He is a good man, very steady, and I have never heard anything negative about him. He is, perhaps, a year or two older than I; Richard would know more about him as I think they were classmates at Cambridge."

Elizabeth nodded in reply. "Do you think he is interested in Jane?"

"We will see. He is aware of her connections, at least those in this room, although he may not know of her circumstances. Warwick's estate is well managed; considerations such as dowry may not matter to him, but I do not know him well enough to guess," Darcy replied.

Their tête-à-tête was interrupted when Lady Matlock came to request that they come early for a light meal with the family before the ball so they might all speak of any gossip resulting from their trip to the theatre. Darcy reluctantly agreed, recognising that, although phrased as a request, their attendance was unavoidable. He would have preferred to stay secluded with his wife, and Elizabeth laughed at the look of resignation on his face.

"Judging from that look on your face, I begin to think you are dreading tomorrow evening, dearest," Elizabeth teased.

"While I am proud and pleased to introduce society to my charming wife, I do dread such events, Elizabeth," he sighed. "You know I am not at my best in a crowd, and we will be the centre of attention at this event. I am not fond of being on display."

She patted his arm. "I will be beside you all night, William. Although I suppose I will have to dance with others, we will scandalise the party by dancing the first, the supper, and the last with each other."

He smiled at her comment. "Does my aunt know your plan to dance so frequently with me?"

"I have not said a word to her," she replied, her eyes flashing in amusement. "With those three dances taken and knowing I will likely dance with Richard and Lord Matlock, almost half the dances of the evening are already arranged. You should introduce me to a friend or two so I might dance with them and not have to accept requests from near strangers."

For just a moment, he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her into a slight embrace. "I would dance every dance with you, Elizabeth. No other man should touch you," he growled into her ear, causing goosebumps to appear on her neck. Just as quickly, he released her, hoping the embrace had gone unnoticed. Before long, Darcy saw Elizabeth hide a yawn and seized upon that as an excuse for them to depart. The married couples in attendance laughed at the new husband's anxiousness to depart with his lovely young wife, and the gentlemen laughingly strove to delay their departure for several moments.

When Darcy was finally able to take his wife home, they retreated to their rooms, and did not emerge until they departed for Matlock House for the meal before the ball.


Copyright 2023 Melissa Anne