Author's Note: Real Life has been a bear this last week, and then I was trying to finish the edits of Worthy of Her Trust. It is done (I hope) and is set to be published soon. Anyway, I'm back, I hope, and will be able to get more writing done this week.

This chapter takes us away from some of the frustration of the last few chapters and features just a few sweet moments between ODC. As always, let me know what you think.

Chapter 26
Tuesday, 24 December 1811

The Darcys were the last to arrive downstairs that morning. While the married couples exchanged knowing looks, the unmarried ladies expressed some concern as rising late was most unusual for both Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth assured her sisters they were well, her cheeks only slightly flushed as she spoke.

"Richard planned to leave Matlock at first light, so he should be arriving soon," Lord Matlock said after a few minutes. "While we wait for him, should we head into the woods to search for greenery to decorate the house?"

"That would be wonderful," Elizabeth cried. "I had hoped to continue this tradition here, Willliam, but was uncertain what your family normally did for the holiday. I am so pleased to have you suggest it, Uncle." She flashed an impish smile at him, finally remembering to use the appellation as he had requested for the first time.

He replied to her grin with a smirk. "I believe it has been overlooked in recent years, as we normally spend the holidays in Town. However, when my brother and sister were still alive and the children were younger, the two families often gathered together at one of our estates for Christmastide. Anne, your family was always invited, but your mother hated to travel and refused to come. When my parents were alive, they insisted she visit, but when they passed away, she could not be moved."

"I remember, Uncle," Anne replied. "I vaguely remember a few holidays spent at Matlock with my grandparents. Papa's parents died long before he married, so they were the only grandparents I had. Grandpapa was stern but always kind, and Grandmama was so lovely. As a child, I remember being surprised at how Mother and Grandmama could have been so different."

Lady Matlock looked at her niece in surprise. "I had never considered that. The Countess was all that was lovely and kind — and Catherine was not. James, what happened there?"

He merely shook his head. "I do not know. Though we were close in age, we were not together all that much. I was often busy with Father, learning about the estate and with tutors. Catherine and Anne were closer in age, and while I do think they spent time together, I am not certain they were very friendly. My father was very busy and did not spend much time with either of his daughters, though I believe Mother did. It always seemed to me that Catherine competed with Anne, wanting to be better than her, though I am not certain Anne felt the same way."

"Why did Mother never learn any of the typical accomplishments? She is fond of saying, "if I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient' in referencing things a gentlewoman ought to have learned," Anne paused momentarily. "She says the same of me. Mother insisted I was too ill, so I was never permitted to learn these things. My father tried to work around Mother to hire masters or tutors to teach me, but Mother always found out and gave them the sack. I received disjointed instruction while Mama insisted that I did not need any formal education."

Lord Matlock huffed a laugh. "I do remember when she and Anne began piano lessons as children. Anne took to it immediately, while Catherine decidedly did not. She was terrible and, I believe, tone-deaf. She was certainly not proficient and refused to continue after a month or so of lessons. My parents did not protest, so only Anne continued. I do not think this was the only event like that — learning most things came more easily to Anne than Catherine. It is possible she resented her sister for that. Catherine also looked far more like Father, while Anne looked like Mother. Anne was frequently praised for her beauty. I have never considered it, though it seems likely Cahteinre was jealous of Anne. As I recall, she wanted to marry George Darcy when I first brought him home."

Darcy frowned. "Did she? I did not think she particularly cared for Father?"

"When Catherine first met your father, she found him attractive, and of course, he was wealthy. But he fell for Anne nearly the moment he saw her. Father made the two wait, insisting they were too young to consider marriage. George was only twenty and had not finished Cambridge yet, while Anne was barely sixteen. They were still a bit young when they married, and I believe they experienced several losses before you came along. Catherine did, too. It irked her that she gave Geroge his son and heir while she only had a daughter. Of course, she refused to even consider another child after that and locked the door between their rooms," Lady Matlock explained.

"Did you know Mother before she married my father?" Anne asked.

"I lived near Matlock and visited regularly. Anne and I were friends, though Catherine did not want to have much to do with us. A few days after George came home with James, I was at Matlock for a visit. Both Anne and Catherine had been attracted to George, but he only saw Anne. Catherine was furious, even more so when George asked to court Anne."

Darcy looked surprised at this. "I do not think I ever realised you and Mother were friends before you married."

Lady Matlock smiled. "I knew the Matlock family for years. James and I were always around each other. I had been interested in him for years, and it was Anne who helped open his eyes to me. She wanted me as her sister."

Darcy smiled, not having heard these stories about his parents before. However, Lord Matlock decided to move the company toward the outdoors and reminded them of their intention. "Come, the sun is shining, and despite the light snow on the ground, it is an ideal time to collect greenery. If we do not hurry, Richard will be here before we even make our way out of doors. Let us dress warmly and recruit a few servants to join us."

Everyone agreed and went to bundle up in their warmest clothing. Several servants did join their party to drive the wagon that would carry the greenery back to the house, while others drove a sleigh to convey those of the party who did not want to walk. The Gardiner children accompanied them, and as this was the first time they had experienced such a party, they added much to the overall sense of merriment.

"Look at these berries, Beth! Do you think they are edible?" exclaimed little Amelia, holding up a cluster of red berries.

"I'm not sure, Amelia. Let us ask Mama or Lizzy; surely they will know," replied Beth, carefully examining the berries.

Meanwhile, Edward and Matthew were busy gathering whole holly branches. "Do you think these branches are too small, Eddie?" asked Matthew, holding up a slender branch.

"No, I am sure they will add a nice touch," replied Edward with a grin, using the shears carefully under the supervision of his cousin Mary. "Our cousins will use them to make the boughs." He handed the cut branch to his brother and allowed him to place it in Mary's basket. Mary smiled cheerily at her cousin, approving his kindness to his younger brother.

A little further away, Elizabeth was teasing her new husband. "William, do you think this is enough mistletoe for you?" holding up a large bunch full of berries.

"I believe so, my love. They will look splendid above the doorway to our chambers," he replied, his grin nearly covering his face.

"In our bedroom?" she asked pertly. "Perhaps we should place it in other places around the house to catch unsuspecting victims? Or do you plan to use it all for yourself, sir?"

Darcy smirked. "Do you plan on escaping me, my dear? As soon as all our guests leave, I fully intend to keep you in our bedchambers until Twelfth Night."

Though her cheeks were burning, Elizabeth still managed to tease him. "Are you tired of your company, sir?"

He caught her in his arms, causing her to drop her burden. "I am very tired of any company that is not you, my love. I confess, my darling Elizabeth, that I intend to be very, very selfish for the next months. In fact, I am considering keeping you here with me until next Christmas."

For several moments, she did not say a word as she held his eyes with hers. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke again, and it sounded almost breathless. "Well, Mr. Darcy, would it be wanton of me to admit I wish for the same? I enjoyed our days together in the cottage, but it was not enough time with you." She dropped her head to his chest. "I am so happy to be here with you, my love. It almost feels magical, especially with the dreams that brought us together."

Softly, Darcy replied. "It is magical, my dearest Elizabeth, because it is with you. We were destined for each other, and our dreams only saved us a little of the heartache we would have experienced otherwise. I think we were granted a picture of the future, and had I ignored my dream, I would have proposed to you in April as terribly as I did in my dream."

Leaning back, Elizabeth reached up to touch his cheek. "But it did not happen, William, and we are together now. Put it behind you." Shaking off the sense of melancholy that had overtaken them for a moment. "Come, we are celebrating Christmas. There is no room for such negative emotions today."

It took Darcy a moment longer to recover his cheer, but as soon as he saw Elizabeth laughing with her cousins Amelia and Beth, his humour was restored.

The entire group spent a delightful hour in the woods, laughing and teasing as they collected evergreen boughs, mistletoe and other plants for decorating the house. When they finally decided they had enough, they began to return to the house. Most chose to ride on the sleighs on the way back to the house, though Elizabeth and Darcy decided to walk back. Jane and Georgiana had offered to accompany the pair; however, Lady Matlock and Mrs. Gardiner wisely encouraged the girls to ride back, leaving the couple to themselves.

Nearly an hour after the rest arrived at Pemberley, the newly married Darcys returned to the house, walking hand-in-hand. When they arrived home damp and cold, Mrs. Reynolds quickly directed the pair to their bedchambers, calling for baths and hot beverages. Darcy's valet was rather scandalised when the master told him not to trouble himself with filling a second tub and directed the servants to fill only the oversized tub in the mistress's bathing chambers.

"William, what are you doing?" Elizabeth cried when he dismissed her maid.

"I am joining you, my darling," he replied as he climbed into the tub behind her. "Despite my unwillingness to approach you at first, I still sent a letter to Pemberley in November asking to have the mistress's chambers refreshed. I also ordered a larger tub to be installed here, as one recurring fantasy involved you and me bathing together. I was a little ashamed by my lack of control where you were concerned and felt foolish once the letter was sent, though I could not get it back. I was battling with myself, worried far more than I ought about how marrying you would affect my sister's chance of making a good match, and concerned at how my aunt and uncle would receive you." He dropped his head to her shoulder. "I apologise, Elizabeth. I have told you how I struggled and how my dreams made me reconsider those ridiculous objections. Truly, the thought of being in love with you frightened me. I was afraid that I would lose control of myself, and the letter I sent order to Pemberley only seemed to demonstrate that very fact."

He was silent for a moment more as he rubbed her shoulders and dropped light kisses on her neck. "I was a fool, Elizabeth, a fact that has been made most clear to me over the last several weeks. My sister adores you and has already blossomed with your attention and that of your sisters. My aunt and uncle were surprisingly easy to convince of your worthiness. I never expected Aunt Catherine's approbation, so I did not even consider her objections. It did not take long to realise that all my objections resulted from my fears."

"What frightened you, William?" Her voice was soft as she leaned back into him.

"You, my darling. The way you made me feel. I wanted a love match, yet I was terrified of love at the same time. My father was a shadow of himself after my mother died. I feared being like him. I feared my heart being broken. I still fear losing you, but I have come to realise that the sense of loss I would feel without you is far worse than anything else I might experience."

Elizabeth could not let such a confession pass without a kiss. She turned to kiss him deeply, and they did not leave the bath until the water was once again cool.

It was with still-flushed cheeks that the pair finally arrived downstairs. Their sisters were once again worried for their health, believing they had spent too much time outside, while Fitzwilliam felt it necessary to tease his cousin relentlessly about their delay. The married couples merely exchanged knowing looks and rolled their eyes at their counterpart.

"Glad you could join us, Darcy," Lady Matlock said, hoping to distract her nephew from his bride for a few minutes. "We needed your height to finish hanging these kissing boughs. Elizabeth, you can assist your sisters in finishing the boughs for the bannisters. The servants will place them, but we have been putting them together. Since you are the mistress here, you may want to guide them on how you would like things placed. Richard, stop teasing your cousin and be of some use. Help the girls over there."

"Yes, madam," he said with a courtly bow, though the look in his eye made it clear that he was not finished with his cousin. A trifle reluctant, Darcy and Elizabeth did as directed, with Elizabeth going to speak to Mrs. Reynolds and others about where they placed the decorations in the hallway and central staircase. Darcy lent his height to his sisters, helping them to place the greenery around the sitting room and assisting the servants in affixing kissing boughs above several doorways. While they worked, the group joked and laughed, sometimes darting into another room to reply to a comment made by another.

They were a merry group when several more servants brought a tea service, setting it up in the family's private sitting room. Quite a few sandwiches and cakes were included, which were quickly consumed. The unused greenery was cleared away before the group separated to dress for their Christmas Eve dinner.

As Elizabeth had recently assumed the role of mistress, she worked closely with Lady Matlock and Mrs. Reynolds to organise the evening's meal. The menu comprised various courses featuring favourites from all the families residing there, making the meal delightful. It was more than the food; the company was pleasant, and the joyful spirits from the day lingered through the gathering.

When the meal was over, the gentlemen bypassed the separation of the sexes. The group spent the rest of the evening playing games, and the children were allowed to participate until it was time to attend the Christmas Eve services at midnight.