Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this new chapter. ODC are newly married yet and presumably very much in love, so of course, they prefer to spend most of their time together while on their honeymoon. This site still isn't notifing me, so I assume it isn't for you either. You can follow me on Facebook as Melissa Anne Author or Books by Melissa Anne for updates as well.
Chapter 12
The Darcys arrival at their London home was, miraculously, unheralded. They slipped in from the mews, retired directly to their chambers, and remained there for a sennight before they were discovered.
They spent the next week in blissful solitude. During this time, they spoke and laughed about many things, including some of their first impressions of the other. They had only rarely spoken of the first day they met, and Elizabeth had never asked what happened to the gentleman who had attempted to assault her, though she was pleased that she had never reencountered him.
"I was impressed that, despite your youth, you stood up to him, me, and my father without fear," Darcy told her one afternoon as they sat together in their shared sitting room.
Elizabeth laughed. "I was so afraid I would have thought everyone could hear my knees knocking together when I stood in front of your father. Women are rarely believed and given much consideration when attacked as I was. Though I was not yet out, if what happened to me had become known, I could have been ruined. I could have been ruined in truth had you not come along when you did. I was angry, but I would not have been able to hold him off much longer." Her face fell as she remembered the terror she had felt on that day.
"I collapsed in my aunt's arms not long after you departed from the inn that afternoon," she confessed quietly.
Such a confession caused the new husband to draw his wife into his arms tenderly. "I think fate smiled down on me that day. While I wish you had never had to experience such an awful ordeal, it accomplished two significant things. It finally convinced my father that his godson was as awful as I claimed, but most fortuitously, it introduced me to you. Were it not for your friendship, I would have struggled far more following my father's death. Your letters to Georgiana, along with the lines written just to me, regularly lifted my spirits when I became melancholy."
She leaned back and smiled, caressing his cheek with her hand. "You have said that before, but I can scarcely credit it. Most of what I sent was meant to provoke, as I was certain you did not care for me. We seemed to always argue when we spoke at Pemberley that second summer."
"I delighted in our debates. I was so impressed with your knowledge, understanding, and compassion in helping my sister and Mrs. Reynolds with Pemberley's tenants. You know, they still speak of you with something like reverence, and I have received word from my steward that they are delighted that you are now their mistress."
"But I did so little," she protested.
"You were empathetic and kind. Pemberley had not had a mistress in several years at that point and they appreciated the effort you took to know them. Mrs. Reynolds did visit as she could, but she was unable to do much. I know that you did not know much about the role of a mistress of an estate at that time, but you were approachable and merry."
Elizabeth laughed again. "I still do not know much about the role of mistress. Despite being born a gentleman's daughter, I have lived most of my life in the house of a tradesman. I do not recall anyone at Longbourn visiting tenants or doing half of what Mrs. Reynolds does, and I know I am far from prepared to be the mistress of such a grand estate as Pemberley."
Darcy kissed her forehead. "You will be exceptional, my love. I have complete faith in your abilities to do what is required. What you do not know, you will learn quickly enough. You have proven time and again that you are a fast learner."
In response, she kissed him and relaxed into his embrace. They remained this way for several minutes before an idea struck Elizabeth, and she sat up slightly. "What made you finally decide to court me? We had not seen each other in years when I attended the ball at the Matlocks, and it was only a few days later that you asked to court me."
He smiled broadly. "Do you not know, my love?" At the shake of her head, he laughed lightly and pulled her back into him. "I had not seen you in a year or more and only knew of you from your letters to my sister. We had a cheerful battle of wits in those letters and I enjoyed the novelty, but in my mind, you were a young girl still. That night at my aunt's, well, my darling girl, I was … stunned. You were so incredibly lovely, and I was instantly attracted to you. When I realised that you were the Elizabeth Gardiner I had traded barbs with all that time, I was taken aback. Do you not remember how I struggled to form the words to ask you to dance?"
Elizabeth looked at him fondly. "I thought you were annoyed to be forced to dance with me that night. I think we have spoken of this before, but I had admired my 'rescuer' for years. When you fumbled to form the words to ask me to dance, I thought it was because you did not want to."
"No, Elizabeth, I fumbled when asking you to dance because I was shocked. I remembered the impertinent little fourteen-year-old you had been and did not expect you to be the beautiful woman who stood before me. You have only grown more beautiful," he claimed before capturing her lips and kissing her until they were both breathless.
They managed only a week of solitude before their peace was interrupted. Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, had hoped for a match between her daughter and her nephew for years. With both of his parents gone, she intended to do what she usually did to get her way—bully her object until they finally relented.
Though Darcy had informed his aunt of his courtship and subsequent engagement through letters, her daughter Anne had somehow prevented her mother from reading these and, therefore, kept the knowledge from her. What she was unable to prevent her mother from finding was the wedding announcement posted in the Times and the letter from her Uncle Matlock that announced the news.
Both of those had arrived more than a fortnight after the wedding had taken place. To say that Lady Catherine was displeased was an understatement, and though Anne did her best to mitigate her mother's anger by telling her that she was not upset by the so-called 'betrayal', it did not matter to her mother. She was upset that her own plans were wrecked.
Lady Catherine liked being in charge at Rosings and wanted to remain in charge. As it stood, Anne would inherit upon her twenty-fifth birthday, which was now less than a year away. Had she gotten her way, Darcy would have married Anne and carried her to Pemberley, leaving her to remain in charge of Rosings.
Anne flatly refused to accompany her mother to London to confront her nephew. "There is little point, Mother. Even had I wanted to marry Darcy, he is already wed and has been for more than a fortnight. Not only that, but he is married to a woman he loves, and nothing you do or say will force him to relinquish her."
Lady Catherine eyed her daughter warily. "What do you know about it, Anne?"
"Darcy wrote to you months ago, Mother. Since you always have me read his letters to you because his handwriting is 'too difficult' for you to read yourself, I simply did not read out those portions of the letter."
The matriarch was taken aback at this realisation. While it should have been abundantly apparent that this journey to London was pointless, she was still determined to go to make her outrage known. Nothing her daughter could say would stop her, and she was determined to ensure her nephew knew exactly what she thought about his treachery.
She spent the carriage ride fuming about her recalcitrant nephews and obstinate daughters who were unwilling to comply with her plans. Their disobedience weighed heavily on her mind, overshadowing the scenery passing by outside the carriage window. The rhythmic clatter of the horses' hooves seemed to echo her frustration, amplifying her discontent with each passing mile.
The further she travelled, the more determined she became. She intended to confront Darcy and force him to do as she wished. However, she was uncertain how to make him comply with her plans, and it seemed that her brother would be no help in this matter. Regardless, she intended to let her entire family know of her displeasure.
Lady Catherine's carriage rushed toward London, passing through the town of Maidstone without stopping, completely unaware of the carriage colliding with another in her wake as it swerved to avoid the fast-moving carriage. Though had she been aware that her demand that her driver "make haste" had caused an accident, it probably would have done little to change her resolve.
It was midafternoon, and the couple was resting in the library. Both were informally attired since they had no intention of seeing anyone other than their servants. They were surprised when they heard a strident voice demanding to see her nephew, and Darcy rolled his eyes expressively when he recognised his aunt's voice.
"Lady Catherine," he said unnecessarily.
Elizabeth cocked her head at him. "You wrote to her of our engagement and intended marriage, did you not? The marriage announcement was only recently published, I know, but I thought your uncle was to write to her as well."
Darcy nodded before taking a deep breath and preparing himself for whatever was to follow. He had thought it odd she had not at least written before now, but since he did not want to invite problems, he had not worried about it.
Finally, the door was flung open as the harried butler attempted to do his duty in announcing the guest. Darcy merely shook his head at the man, indicating that he should go on about his business.
"What is the meaning of this, Darcy? How dare you defy me in marrying someone other than my Anne. She was formed for you and your mother, and I planned for your match in your cradles," she said, seething at the couple's informal attire and obvious familiarity with each other.
As he stood belatedly, Darcy shook his head in disbelief at her coming to object now. "Madam, you might have wished for it, and my mother might even have agreed that it was a pleasant thought, but no contracts were signed. It amounted to nothing more than an idle thought, and neither of my parents ever approved the match. Anne does not desire to wed me any more than I wished to marry her, and I am now wed. You are too late to do anything about the matter now, as I have been wed to Elizabeth for nearly a month. Now, if you will allow me, I will introduce you to my wife."
"I have no desire to meet your so-called wife. Why would I want to meet such a low-born trollop who would deliberately come in between you and your betrothed?"
Darcy cut her off at the insult. "Madam, you will speak respectfully of Mrs. Darcy, or you will be thrown from this house. Mrs. Darcy is my wife and will be the only Mrs. Darcy in my lifetime. You have been told time and again that I would not wed your daughter. Your daughter has no wish to be married to me and neither of us will bow to your demands in this. I think it best you leave now."
Lady Catherine took a step back, surprised at the vehemence from her nephew. Yes, both he and Anne had said often enough that they would not marry, but she had always brushed such objections aside.
"I will not leave," she insisted.
"You will not remain unless you consent to an introduction to my wife, apologise for your unfeeling words, and speak civilly to both of us," Darcy informed the angry lady, his own temper strained.
"You cannot force me to leave my sister's house," the lady demanded.
"I can and I will," Darcy retorted, stepping to the door and calling for the butler and several footmen. "Hobbes, escort my aunt to her carriage. She is not to be permitted entry again until I say otherwise."
"I will go to my brother. He will …" She stopped abruptly as another commanding voice interrupted her from the doorway.
"Do absolutely nothing to assist you in your unreasonable demands. I will permit you to stay at Matlock House exactly one night, and then I will send you back to Kent. Once you return, you will say nothing else to Darcy about his choice of wife since the only one who is disappointed by his marriage is you. Anne is clearly not, since she had told you and I both that she has no desire to wed. I have heard Darcy tell you on several occasions that he would not marry your daughter, and I know just as well as you do that our sister never made any agreement with you about the children marrying each other. Now desist with this foolishness. Come with me, Catherine, or I will allow Darcy's footmen to carry you out of this house."
With a huff, she did as ordered and left the house on her brother's arm. Lord Matlock turned briefly to speak to his nephew. "My wife desires that the two of you come for tea tomorrow. We expect to see you at 2 in the afternoon."
Darcy could only nod and wondered exactly how long his relations had known he was in London.