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Georgiana came to stand beside him and offered a polite curtsy to the visitors.
“Miss Elizabeth,” Darcy murmured. “May I introduce my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner.”
Georgiana beamed at all of them. “I am so very pleased to meet you all. Fitzwilliam has spoken of you, Miss Elizabeth. Please, come inside. The sun is too warm for standing on the gravel. I shall have Mrs Reynolds prepare rooms for you immediately.”
“You are very kind, Miss Darcy,” Mrs Gardiner said, offering a warm smile that instantly set Georgiana at ease.
Georgiana escorted the guests to the entrance. Darcy lingered near the carriages, his mind racing with a thousand conflicting thoughts.
Martin approached to oversee the luggage. “Shall I direct the trunks to the guest wing, sir?”
“Yes, Martin.” Darcy watched Bates struggle to unstrap a large portmanteau from the rear of the carriage. The footman tugged at the buckle, his elbow connecting with the wooden frame of the vehicle, resulting in a loud, hollow thud.
Darcy winced, but his attention quickly returned to the graceful figure ascending the stone stairs.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet was staying at Pemberley.
The woman who despised him, the woman who had utterly dismantled his pride, was now a guest under his roof. And Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the very architect of this unexpected miracle, was roaming his halls, proclaiming herself the future matriarch of the estate.
It was a situation ripe for absolute disaster.
Darcy turned and followed his guests into the house, a desperate hope blooming amidst his pounding headache. He had been granted a second chance, delivered by the most unlikely of messengers. He would not squander it. He would prove his true character to her, he would protect her from his aunt’s overbearing demands, and he would win her heart, or he would ruin himself in the attempt.
Chapter Three: Surprising Reacquaintances
Elizabeth followed Mrs Reynolds through the wide, sunlit passages of the upper wing, her stomach twisting into a series of tight knots. The sheer scale of Pemberley was overwhelming. High ceilings and intricate plasterwork rose above them, while plush woven carpets muffled their footsteps.
“Your relatives are situated in the chambers just two doors down, Miss Elizabeth.” Mrs Reynolds came to a halt before a door and opened it. “This is the blue suite. It receives the finest morning light.”
Elizabeth walked inside, forcing her features into an expression of serene appreciation. The chamber was magnificent, draped in azure silks and boasting a spectacular view of the rolling Derbyshire hills.
“It is beautiful, Mrs Reynolds,” Elizabeth offered, maintaining her polite composure despite the fluttering in her chest.
“I have appointed Maggie to attend you for the duration of your stay,” the housekeeper continued, gesturing to a young, rosy-cheeked maid hovering nervously near the washstand. “A separate maid is to assist Mrs Gardiner. If you need anything further, Maggie knows where to find me.”
With a final curtsy, Mrs Reynolds departed, leaving Elizabeth alone with the young servant.
Maggie sprang into action, opening Elizabeth’s trunk and pulling out garments.
“I’ll have these pressed for you right away, miss!” she chirped, bouncing with uncontained energy. “It’s ever so exciting having guests again, even if the situation is a bit... well, you know.”
Elizabeth’s curiosity overrode her anxiety. “The situation?”
“Oh, the shouting, miss!” Maggie folded a shawl, her eyes wide with dramatic intensity. “When her ladyship arrived last week, the whole house heard it. I shouldn’t gossip, but I was polishing the banister outside the library. She told the master he has to marry Miss de Bourgh! She yelled that it was his poor mother’s dying wish, she did!”
Elizabeth sank onto the cushion of the window seat. The reality of Lady Catherine’s machinations was far more brutal than she had ever imagined.
Maggie shook her head, holding up a pair of white stockings. “But the master wasn’t having any of it. He yelled right back, miss! Told her his mother never said no such thing to him. Said he wouldn’t be hectored in his own home. He was brilliant! Her ladyship went purple, she went.”
The knot in Elizabeth’s stomach loosened just a fraction. He had fought back; he had denied the engagement. The knowledge sparked a dangerous flame of hope in her heart.
She observed the maid arrange the dressing table. The revelation regarding Mr Darcy’s refusal to yield to his aunt’s demands shifted the entire landscape of her understanding. He was not a willing participant in the scheme to unite the two great estates, as Mr Collins had implied. He was a captive to his aunt’s ambition, much as Elizabeth herself was currently a captive to Lady Catherine’s forceful hospitality.
“You must have a great deal of work keeping this house in such order, Maggie,” Elizabeth stated, redirecting the conversation before she betrayed her own deep investment in the master’s marital status.
“Oh, we do, miss, but Mrs Reynolds keeps us all in line. Though with Bates downstairs, we never know when the next disaster might strike. He dropped a whole platter of roasted chicken yesterday. The dogs ate well.” Maggie giggled, tying the ribbons of Elizabeth’s spare bonnet. “I’ll fetch some hot water for you to wash the sweat and the dust away.”
An hour later, Elizabeth descended the staircase. She had changed into a fresh gown of green sarcenet, attempting to arm herself with elegance. She did not know where Mr Darcy might be, nor did she wish to encounter Lady Catherine without the protective presence of her aunt and uncle.
