“Has anyone heard from Papa?” Elizabeth asked her aunt and sister at one point in the conversation. “I have written to him several times, both before and since my wedding, but have not received a reply to any of my letters. William has also written to him at least once and has not received a response. We still do not know why he urged us to marry in London and not return home.” Her voice was indicative of her frustration. “He has always been an indifferent correspondent, but I wish he would explain his reasoning.”
“No, but Mama wrote to congratulate herself on your marriage and … um, asked if you were noticeably increasing yet. I think she believes you and Mr Darcy began a relationship when we stayed at Netherfield, and you will have a babe in the next few months. She complains Papa has told her not to speak of the supposed babe to anyone and is livid that the officers have been banished from Longbourn even though more stories have circulated about unpaid debts and girls who have been ruined. The militia is now banned from nearly every respectable home in town,” Jane explained. “She says the shops are refusing her credit, which she supposes is due to the militia’s excessive debts, and has been forced to restrain her spending since the next quarter day is far away, and Papa does not have much ready coin remaining. She says he is staying in his office even more than usual, and some strange men have been lingering about Longbourn, so the girls have been essentially restricted to the house and are no longer allowed to walk to Meryton.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “She wrote me a similar letter. I have explained the story of our courtship and, of course, denied I amwith child. However, I doubt anything I say will convince Mama otherwise, as she does not understand how such an ‘unladylike hoyden’ as I could ‘capture’ such a rich man. I do not know what I am supposed to do about her credit in town, though, and it will not hurt her to spend in ready coin rather than charging everything she wants to the estate.”
The conversation paused for a few minutes as they considered these things before turning to the ball Lady Matlock would host the following Friday. “Lizzy, do you have a gown for the ball?” Jane asked.
“William accompanied me to the modiste a few days ago and helped me select a beautiful gown of emerald green silk with an ivory gauze overskirt. The cut is a little daring, but the modiste was certain it would be perfect for my colouring and figure,” Elizabeth nearly gushed. “I return on Wednesday for a final fitting if either of you would like to accompany me.”
Jane and Mrs Gardiner wished to accompany Elizabeth, and they made plans for shopping and tea at Darcy House. The conversation drifted for a pleasant hour, and William rejoined them for a short visit and refreshments. As she and Jane took their leave, Mrs Gardiner invited William and Elizabeth to dinner one day the following week.
“We would be pleased to join you,” William said. “Elizabeth, what do you think about joining them for dinner on Monday?”
“That sounds perfect, dearest,” she replied. “Aunt, would that be convenient?”
Mrs Gardiner nodded, and Elizabeth continued. “If you are available, we will host you for dinner on Thursday and perhaps the theatre. William, do you know if there is a performance thatnight? Would there be a problem with us attending the theatre before our official ‘entrance’ to society at the ball on Friday?”
“We will speak with Aunt Helen tomorrow night, my love, to be certain it will not interfere with any of her plans,” William replied. “We may still have dinner, even if we do not go to the theatre. Unfortunately, our social calendar will be much fuller after the ball, although Elizabeth has kindly ensured we will not have events every night.”
Elizabeth grinned at him. “Yes, I have attempted to spare my husband by limiting our appearances to only two or three per week. We will attend the theatre on other nights and visit the museum during the day, but we will limit our social engagements to suit my reticent husband.” She winked at him as she pronounced him such, and he smiled softly.
“You did not want to rush from one event to the next either, my dear,” he reminded her. “As I recall, you were also perfectly content with limiting our engagements. I know you look forward to returning to Pemberley nearly as much as I do.”
“Except for the ‘returning’ bit—I cannot ‘return’ somewhere I have never visited,” she grinned at him as she replied impertinently before her smile softened. “I do look forward to visiting our home, my dear, and am anxious to take my first look at Pemberley as I have heard such lovely things about it.”
He returned her smile and held her gaze lovingly. Mrs Gardiner cleared her throat to remind them of their presence.
“We will see you both tomorrow night for dinner with the Matlocks,” she said. “We are looking forward to it and the ball next week. We would love to attend the theatre, but I agree you must speak with Lady Matlock first to ensure she does notobject since the purpose of the ball is to introduce you to the ton, Elizabeth.”
Chapter Fourteen
The dinner at Darcy House was a delightful affair despite the different social statuses of the guests, and the conversation was lively and intelligent as their families became better acquainted. After dinner, during the separation of the sexes, the gentlemen discussed their business interests in sufficient detail that Lord Matlock and Darcy were considering investing with Gardiner.
Gardiner shared that he lived near Cheapside to make spending time with his family easier, and he was considering purchasing an estate in the next few years. Darcy offered to assist in selecting an estate and running it once purchased. He made his offer hesitantly, not wishing to offend but genuinely wishing to be of service, and Gardiner accepted it in the spirit intended and thanked him for it. They rejoined the ladies and found Elizabeth and Georgiana entertaining the rest with a duet.
It was late when the families separated, and Darcy and Elizabeth retired. They spent the remainder of the weekend secluded in their chambers, although they did attend Sunday services.Recognising their relative isolation would end on Monday, they relished these last few days of their honeymoon.
Monday morning found Elizabeth and William once again at Matlock House, where they were invited to join the family for breakfast. Over breakfast, plans for the day and the ball were discussed.
“Darcy, come with me to my club this morning,” Lord Matlock insisted. “I have been receiving congratulations on your behalf for the last two weeks; it is time you hear them. There were a number of bets on who you would finally marry and when you would take a bride, and there has been much gnashing of teeth over the losses. I believe several other bets will be lost and won after the ball on Friday night.” Matlock laughed at this, remembering some of the comments he heard regarding Darcy’s marriage to an unknown country miss.
Darcy scowled. “I can only imagine,” he stated dryly. “I dare say at least one fool made or lost a fortune on some such foolish wager.”
“Likely,” Colonel Fitzwilliam teased. “I made several hundred pounds off your marriage on a bet I placed years ago.”
“You bet on who or when I would marry?” Darcy asked, incredulous.
“Well,” the colonel hedged. “It was a stupid bet I made when we were at university. I wagered three hundred pounds that you would marry before thirty years of age, and my winnings increased for every year you were younger than thirty when you married. Since you are twenty-seven, I received nine hundred pounds.”
Darcy looked angry, but Elizabeth rolled her eyes and touched his arm. “It was foolish, yes, but it does not affect you in any real way.”
He scowled at the colonel as he spoke to his wife. “I hate being the subject of wagers, especially by someone in my own family.”
Elizabeth squeezed his arm, and he calmed, although he was still obviously frustrated with his cousin, and she imagined there would be further conversation on the topic. Darcy hated being gossiped about and was aggravated by his cousin’s wager even as he realised that far worse bets had likely been placed about him, and it was foolish to remain angry over a bet made years ago.
Darcy was aware that some ridiculous rumours circulated about him, fueled by his rather rigid moral stance and his refusal to partake in the immoral habits of many members of theton. In university, he held himself aloof and did not participate in the drinking and debauchery of many of his peers, particularly avoiding association with Wickham, who was sponsored by his father. Likewise, Darcy ensconced himself at Pemberley shortly after he graduated from Cambridge when his father fell ill and died, and he suddenly found himself responsible for the Darcy properties and investments. Only when his aunt insisted did he participate in the season; he assiduously avoided bestowing any notice on the many sisters and daughters paraded before him and rarely lasted longer than a month or two in the social whirlwind that he so despised before he retreated to Pemberley.
Darcy led Elizabeth into a private room to receive a moment of comfort from his wife before he accompanied Lord Matlock to his club. His aunt glared at him, but since Elizabeth’s appearance was just as it had been, she had no real reason to complain.
