Chapter 28
Friday, 27 December 1811 – 24 February 1812

After the rest of their guests took their leave, Darcy did as promised and kept Elizabeth in their suite of rooms for much of the next fortnight. They emerged from their rooms only briefly during this time, delighting in the discoveries they were making of each other.

Not all of this time was spent in bed — much to Darcy's occasional displeasure. One of the forays into other parts of the house was a surreptitious attempt to obtain a chessboard from the library. A late-night conversation revealed that Elizabeth played the game, so after attiring themselves in dressing gowns, Darcy had taken Elizabeth by the hand to lead her through the darkened corridors, startling a footman upon their return. Elizabeth had giggled at the servant's expression at seeing the master and mistress so attired and running through the hallways like children.

As soon as they reached their chambers, Elizabeth grinned broadly at her husband. "I do believe we gave him quite the surprise, William. Do you think he will recover?"

Shaking his head, he returned her grin, setting down his treasure. "He will have to. But, well, it does keep things interesting, does it not?" At her continued giggles, Darcy grabbed his wife and kissed her until she stopped laughing. The chessboard sat on the table unused until the following day.

Mrs. Reynolds and Mr. Thorne had been far more amused than shocked when this story was revealed the following day. Since his mother's death, Mrs. Reynolds had taken on a small part of that role for the young master and was thrilled to see the solemn man finally experiencing something of the childhood he had missed.

Another night-time escapade had taken the couple into the study and a special locked cabinet his father had shared with him as a young man. Darcy took pleasure in revealing these treasures to his wife, and they discreetly relocated them from the study cabinet to another one in their private chambers. Throughout their lengthy marriage, they occasionally referred to these books, although the frequency diminished with age — not due to a waning desire but rather their growing familiarity with the content.

Despite some reluctance, they rose and dressed on the day after Epiphany, though they continued to break their fast in their shared sitting room. Unless they had guests or other commitments, they had determined to make it a habit to start their day together and discuss their plans for the day over breakfast. To this end, they had decided to search the house for a table and sideboard that could be moved into their sitting room. This particular morning, they also took the time to examine Elizabeth's chambers carefully for any needed changes. So far, the couple had preferred to share his chambers, but they were considering ways to make the most of the second chamber.

Throughout January and February, Elizabeth became acquainted with the responsibilities and duties of the mistress of such a grand estate. She was familiar with the running of Longbourn, but it was operated on a much smaller scale than Pemberley. While many principles remained the same, Elizabeth had to adjust her ideas to fit. Mrs. Reynolds greatly aided her in this, and that lady appreciated her new mistress's knowledge and her willingness to admit when she did not know something. The two women quickly developed a good working relationship.

Mr. Fraser was at first surprised at how active an interest the new mistress took in the estate business. While she always met with the housekeeper first, she would seek out her husband in the study once that meeting was concluded. The first time she entered without knocking, Darcy merely smiled, so Fraser did not comment upon her entrance. That lasted only a few moments until Elizabeth made a comment showing she was following the discussion.

Darcy, once again, marvelled at the extent and depth of his wife's knowledge while his steward was caught off guard. He had not realised Mrs. Darcy was paying attention, and he was surprised both that she interjected herself into their conversation and that she was correct. Observing the master's reaction, he was astonished to see a small, proud smile flicker across Darcy's face before he invited his wife to join the discussion.

"Dearest, did Longbourn use the crop rotation system we are discussing? We had moderate success with it on the home farm last year and have been encouraging the tenants to follow suit. As many of these people have been on the land for decades, it has been difficult to persuade some of them."

Elizabeth explained how they had a similar problem at Longbourn. However, with fewer tenants, they had quickly been able to see how it improved yields. Nearly all of our tenants have put at least pieces of what we have proposed into place this coming year."

The trio deliberated on this matter and various other affairs related to the estate for the next few hours. When Fraser was excused from the study, he departed with the assurance that his new mistress was knowledgeable in these matters and that the master had confidence in her understanding. Furthermore, it became evident that this union was one of equals, showcasing a well-matched partnership between the master and mistress.

Many others reached similar conclusions in the time they rusticated at Pemberley. To their mutual displeasure, after their appearance at church on the Sunday before Epiphany, they began to receive visitors. There were not many neighbours in Derbyshire, and quite a few were already in London for the Season, but a few were not, and those ladies felt it a duty to pay a call on the new mistress.

Most were well-meaning and only came to get a look at the lady who had captured Darcy's heart. Since he had been on the marriage mart, he had avoided the grasping women and their mothers. Even in his native Derbyshire, he had been standoffish since he was regarded as a catch before her inherited, and of course, after his father died, those attempts to capture him had only increased.

Some of those matriarchs who had watched him over the years — particularly those without daughters — had wondered what he searched for and if he had found it in this apparent country miss. Rumours abounded in Derbyshire that it was a love match; the couple had been seen holding hands, even in church, and were almost inseparable whenever they were out.

Darcy consistently made himself available whenever these women visited and accompanied his wife to introduce her to their neighbours. While some may have speculated that Mr. Darcy monitored his wife to prevent her from causing him any embarrassment, it became clear that this was not the case. Mrs. Darcy was both witty and impertinent, though her impertinence was delivered so charmingly that it was impossible to take offence. During these visits, Darcy would recline and merely observe his wife, the corners of his lips subtly quirked up in evident delight. The rumours of Darcy's profound love for his wife were undeniably substantiated.

Long before they were ready, the end of February arrived. In their last week at the estate, the couple found themselves retiring earlier each night, trying to capture these last shreds of their time together.

On Monday, the twenty-fourth of February, they began their journey to London. In the intervening weeks, they had exchanged numerous letters with their family in London and were well aware of Lady Matlock's plans. They would have a day or two to settle in at Darcy House, but on Monday, they would begin the process of introducing Elizabeth to the ton.

Elizabeth had recently acquired several new gowns from the Lambton dressmaker. However, Lady Matlock insisted on procuring an entirely new wardrobe for Mrs. Darcy and requested Elizabeth to provide her measurements to the exclusive modiste she frequented. Elizabeth acquiesced, but she laid down her own conditions — her Aunt Gardiner must accompany Darcy's aunt to ensure that the ordered dresses aligned with Elizabeth's preferences. While Elizabeth had confidence that Lady Matlock would choose exquisite gowns, she was adamant about avoiding overly ornate or elaborate styles, expressing a preference for elegant simplicity. Aunt Gardiner, well-acquainted with Elizabeth's tastes and preferences, had her trust to select gowns that would enhance Elizabeth's beauty.

Since this order had been placed in January, many of the gowns were ready and only waiting for Elizabeth to arrive for a final fitting. Elizabeth dreaded this, and Darcy had been inclined to laugh at his wife's pouting over the edict from his aunt. However, he had his own complaints over the news his aunt shared.

Lady Matlock was hosting a ball in a fortnight to introduce the couple and to celebrate their marriage. Obviously, they were required to attend, and his aunt listed out a number of other events the couple would need to attend over the next months. She also expressly forbade them from departing London until mid-June, which meant Darcy would have to endure nearly four months of the social merry-go-round.

Elizabeth attempted to bolster her husband by writing their own edicts to their aunt — they would limit their engagements to no more than five per week, though one of those would be a quiet event with mostly family and friends. They would not attend multiple engagements on the same evening. Sundays were for the couple and they would do on those days what they wished, without any outside interruptions or demands.

With all of these thoughts in their mind, the first day of the journey to town was quiet, with both Darcys lost in their own thoughts. At the inn that night, they lay together in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, trying to control the desire they felt for the other. Finally, Elizabeth realised that neither she nor her husband were sleeping.

"William, what is troubling you?"

From her position on his chest, she felt as much as heard his sharp intake of breath and then his slow exhale. "So many things, Elizabeth. I am never fond of the Season, and knowing that my aunt will push our boundaries just as surely as we never said them is frustrating. I have enjoyed our months alone, and now I must share you with others; I have warned you repeatedly that I am a very selfish being where you are concerned. We are at an inn, and I cannot love you as I wish. Take your pick, darling; there are many things here to trouble me."

She lifted her chin to rest on his chest and smiled fondly at him. "Yes, you have warned me about your selfishness. Now, would loving me help alleviate some of your worries?"

"Yes and no," came the enigmatic reply. He could just make out the quirk of her eyebrow in the dark and laughed lightly before replying. "It would alleviate the immediate desire, but Liz, you surely have realised that I can never get enough of you by now."

She laughed in response. "I have noticed that, Will. Now, on the other matters you mentioned, we will firmly hold to what we told Aunt Charlotte about attending events, and when we have had enough, regardless of whether it is earlier than she said, we will depart. When we return to Pemberley with Georgiana, we will ask one of my sisters to accompany us so they can keep each other occupied while we do the same." Again, she grinned impishly at him, and again, as always, he used his lips to best effect to remove that grin from her face.

While his concerns were not entirely relieved by this exchange, a happier pair entered the carriage the next day. The silence from the day before was broken, and they discussed again how to ensure their wishes were followed. While it was moderately important for Elizabeth to be accepted by the ton, their relationship with each other was what mattered most.