AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Miss Laurent laughed, too. “I simply cannot believe it! Let me look at you.” She stepped back to scrutinize William from head to toe. “Ah, you are a fine figure of a man! The very image of your dear papa.” She leaned toward Elizabeth, confiding, “In his youth he was prone to stoutness, but it seems he has outgrown that tendency.”
William rolled his eyes as Elizabeth put a hand over her mouth to disguise her smile. “I do not believe it!” she said.
The older woman waggled her finger at Elizabeth. “You must believe it. I have known Will since he was a babe in arms.”
“I may regret introducing the two of you.” William gave the older woman a tolerant smile.
Miss Laurent raised an eyebrow meaningfully at Elizabeth. “I do not believe we have been introduced.”
“Ah, forgive me. Miss Adele Laurent, this is my w-wife, Elizabeth Ben—” William caught himself and began again. “Elizabeth Darcy.”
“Your wife? Upon my word, I heard nothing of a wife in your last letter.” At these words, William stared at his feet and fidgeted. “It must have happened very quickly. How wonderful!” The woman could not help but draw Elizabeth into an embrace, kissing her on both cheeks. “Nothing could make me happier than to meet Will’s wife.” She turned to William. “You have given me a great gift.”
Elizabeth blushed. It would be difficult to accept such effusions under any circumstances, but it was particularly hard when she could not recall their courtship.
William’s face sobered. “This is not a holiday, I am afraid. We have found ourselves in France by mischance and now seek to return home.”
The older woman clapped her hands together. “Of course. We will help in any way we can.” Behind her, Bernard stood with his arms crossed over his chest, not appearing at all inclined to help.
“We need shelter for two or three nights, if possible,” William explained. “Elizabeth requires rest, and we must find a way to cross the Channel.”
“Why does Mrs. Darcy need to rest so badly, eh?” Miss Laurent nudged William in the ribs. ?
??Is she, perhaps, in an interesting condition?”
Elizabeth could not imagine many people treated William with such familiarity, nor had she known his face could turn that particular shade of red. William coughed. “Not at all. Elizabeth was recently ill with a lung fever.”
“Oh, my dear!” Elizabeth found herself embraced for the second time by a woman she had known for fewer than five minutes. “What do you require? Hot compresses? Leeches? An apothecary?”
“Just a place to rest, I thank you,” Elizabeth murmured.
Miss Laurent kept an arm around Elizabeth’s waist as if she needed to be propped up. “I pray you, remain as long as you need. We will do whatever we can to be of assistance.”
Bernard’s eyes darted to his aunt. “Aunt, it could be dangerous if we were found sheltering an Englishman,” he objected.
Miss Laurent gave her nephew a level look. “We will not turn away friends in need, and do not forget that Mr. Darcy’s generosity helped me buy this house and feed you and your sister. We owe him everything. What has Napoleon ever done for us? We owe him nothing.”
“If there is a danger—” William started.
“No.” Miss Laurent waved her hand dismissively. “There is no danger. The gendarmes do not even know who I am. There is no reason they should pay us a visit.”
“We will depart as soon as we are able,” William promised.
“But not too soon, I pray you. I must hear how everyone fares at Pemberley. And you must tell me the story of how you arrived in Paris.” She gestured William to a small but stylish drawing room. Elizabeth followed them, attempting to ignore the scowling Bernard trailing in their wake.
***
Adele poured Darcy another cup of tea, adding the amount of milk and sugar she knew he preferred. He and Elizabeth had explained their situation to his old governess. At the conclusion of the story, she had patted his cheek and exclaimed over him. “My poor dear!”
Darcy had smiled and endured. Despite his age, Adele still tended to view him as her young charge. But the tilt of Elizabeth’s eyebrows suggested she found Adele’s informality a bit shocking.
Less sympathetic, Bernard had excused himself after only a few minutes of conversation. Soon the conversation had turned to stories about the inhabitants of Pemberley. Although Elizabeth tried valiantly to participate, she could not conceal her fatigue. Adele took her upstairs and settled her in the guest bedchamber.
Upon Adele’s return, the old friends had an opportunity to conduct a private discussion. “Have you decided when Georgiana will be coming out?” Adele asked. Every question demonstrated how she had attended to the details in each letter Darcy and Georgiana had written to her.
Darcy hesitated before answering. London. Georgiana. His life as the master of Pemberley seemed so remote. What would happen if he and Elizabeth never returned from France? Would Georgiana even have a season? No, he must not think in such a way. Their situation was not so desperate. Yet. “Probably next year. She could have come out for this season, but she did not desire it.” In fact, she had begged him to delay it another year.
“She never did enjoy having her share of attention. But she will be beautiful.” The older woman wore a fond smile. “Perhaps Mrs. Darcy can help her overcome her shyness.”
