Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love-kindle (85 page)

“I suppose that will at least aid the less fortunate of Dublin as well as keep her relations from being thrown into poverty. By the by, I have given my commander notice, and my resignation shall be final month after next.”

“Excellent.”

Richard’s expression became mischievous. “Not to change the subject, but my brother and the viscountess looked almost human today. I even saw Frances smile at Mrs. Darcy.”

Lord Matlock laughed in spite of himself. “Yes, well, your mother had a little talk with them, so I imagine they are on their best behaviour. And now that Rosings is to be yours and Audrey has decided that Alicia will inherit Ashcroft Park, perhaps Frances will not be so conceited. After all, she is not so far above you now.”

“Conceited?” Richard guffawed. “I would never have thought you would admit as much.”

“There are quite a number of things I would not admit before the ordeal with Miss Bennet. Like Colonel Neilson, for instance. Has Alicia told you that I have given my permission for a courtship?”

Richard smiled, trying not to look too pleased. “Yes. You will not be sorry.  He is a good man.”

“I learned a great deal in the past few weeks. I hope I am a better man for it.”

Suddenly the parlour door opened and Evelyn Fitzwilliam peeked inside, her face a mask of concern. “Edward, there is a time and a place for everything, but today should be for celebrating our family!”

“Yes, dear.”

As she closed the door, he looked sheepishly at his son. “Never argue with your wife when she is upset, Son. It will do you more harm than good.”

“I shall try to remember that, Father.”

With arms around each other’s shoulders, they headed back to the dining room.

~~~*~~~

Darcy House
A little later

The day was as sunny and beautiful as anyone could remember for the middle of July in London. It fact, the morning temperature had been so pleasantly mild that many of the residents of Grosvenor Square had decided it would be a good day for a walk about Hyde Park. Consequently, when the carriage transporting William and Elizabeth stopped in front of Darcy House, a goodly number of these same residents were returning to their homes.

Several of William’s neighbours were on the walk in front of Darcy House, and they all halted at the sight of the Darcy Crest, eager to see who was inside. With the window shades drawn, there was no way of knowing the identity of the inhabitants until they emerged. Even the least important members of the
ton
had heard of the wedding and were eager for a glimpse of the couple.

“Fitzwilliam, have you ever known such a crowd to stop in front of the house before?”  Elizabeth queried, after the footman had opened the door.

“No, but today I am happy for it, as I wish to make a statement.” With those words, he hurried out of the carriage and leaned back in to help her down. “Watch your step, darling.”

Just as soon as both her feet were on the ground, he swept Elizabeth into his arms. It took all her willpower not to cry out, as he had caught her unawares. He swirled her around in a circle before starting up the steps as though she were light as a feather. At the top, Mr. Barnes opened the door. He was smiling ear-to-ear.

Looking back over William’s shoulder, it was evident that the crowd was not going to disperse. Elizabeth became self-conscious, burying her head in his neck. “Fitzwilliam, we still have an audience.”

“Good,” he responded as they reached the portico. “It is as I hoped.” Then turning so that everyone below had a clear view, he captured her lips in a solid kiss. It was not a fleeting demonstration, but continued for some time as the hum of the chatter on the walk below grew even louder.

Once he was satisfied, he ended the kiss to smile lovingly and proclaim, “Welcome home, Mrs. Darcy!”

His declaration was easily discerned by those watching and, with that, he carried her over the threshold. The sound of the door closing behind them reminded Elizabeth to breathe again. 

~~~*~~~

Matlock House
After the Wedding

The garden at Matlock House was renowned for its beauty—from the layout of the flowers, trees and shrubs, to the artistry of the statuary and fountains that accented them. In fact, there were few more attractive landscapes in London located on such limited acreage. However, today the beauty of the gardens paled in caparison to the woman standing before Marshall Landingham. He had meant every word he said to Audrey that morning. She looked so lovely that she could have been mistaken for the bride. Enchanted by her loveliness, he almost did not hear what she was saying.

“… So I told Edward that we would likely marry in August, after Georgiana returns to Pemberley. Of course, I would want a very private affair, held in Derbyshire, so that the children could attend.”

What was that? Marry in August?

“Wait! What did you just say? Please repeat it!”

Smiling, Audrey restated what she had just said. When she was finished, Landingham laughed out loud and cradled her face in his hands. “Next month you will be mine, truly?”

Seeing the eagerness in his eyes, Audrey Ashcroft nodded. “Yes, I see no reason we cannot be married some time after the fifteenth of August, when Georgiana will return to Pemberley to be with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth. After all, I shall be totally without occupation then. With Elizabeth in the family, Georgiana will not need a companion. Perhaps, if Fitzwilliam does not mind, I shall occasionally take her under my wing and escort her to Brighton or Bath or even London. But, I know that I shall most likely see her at irregular intervals and that will take some getting used to on my part.”

He patted her hand sympathetically. “And on Georgiana’s, I am sure.”

She smiled bravely. “But that is how it should be, and I have no regrets. Life is about changes, and when they come, we simply must adjust. I am just so pleased that the children have found the perfect wife and a sister in Elizabeth. She will be good for the both of them!”

“I agree. Elizabeth is a godsend.” Landingham looked as though he was going to say more.

“Marshall, is there something else?”

“I… I have thought a lot about Georgiana since she learned that I am her father. I would dearly love to spend more time with her before some young buck comes to claim her hand. I hoped to propose something to my godson that would make that possible, though I know he is fiercely protective of my daughter and rightly so.”

“And what would you propose?”

“I wish to ask him if, after we marry, he would allow Georgiana to live with us for six months of the year. I would suggest every other month, if that would be agreeable to him. After all, my estate is next to Pemberley, and we both have homes in Town, so it is not as though she would be very far away. In so doing, I pray that she and I will have a chance to strengthen our bond and, as a result, that would give Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth a bit more privacy as they begin their married life. It would depend on both Fitzwilliam and Georgiana agreeing, though, as I would never want to impose my will on either of them.”

“I think that is a wonderful idea. Georgiana has expressed an eagerness to know you better. And I agree that it would give Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth time to establish their relationship.”

Landingham pulled her into his arms. “Do you know how wonderful it is to find someone so well-suited to me? And most especially, one who knows my faults but loves me still?”

“Yes, I do, for I have found the same in you.”

Losing the struggle to control his emotions, Marshall glanced towards the imposing windows of the house. He knew that it was possible that the earl was standing behind them, and knowing that Edward might not take kindly to seeing his sister thoroughly kissed in the garden, he swiftly began to lead Audrey down the path towards the more secluded section.

Reaching the vine-covered gazebo, he had barely pulled her inside when he captured her mouth hungrily. The kiss was thoroughly enjoyed by both, until a deep male voice sounded.

“I think it would be to your advantage to find another location, Landingham. This one is already taken!”

Startled, he jumped back, promptly scanning the surrounding landscape and only honing in on the interlopers after his hostess waved. The earl and countess, half-hidden by foliage, were sitting on a stone bench under a large willow tree not thirty feet away. Their expressions were such that it was obvious that both were greatly amused at his discomposure. Flustered, Marshall was searching his brain for a credible reply, when the countess spoke.

“Never mind, Marshall, Edward and I were just leaving. Carry on!”

The sounds of laughter wafted through the trees as the earl and countess made their way back to the house. Audrey, who appeared totally unperturbed at their detection, noted the perplexed expression still on Landingham’s face and smiled sympathetically.

“Do not be so shocked, Marshall. I think we are all of an age to appreciate that we should not postpone any happiness we may find. My brother spoke to me of our plans directly after the breakfast. It is he who convinced me that if you were the man I loved, I should not wait any longer to marry.”

Landingham’s posture relaxed as his face lit up. “He did? Remarkable! Then I owe him a debt of gratitude.” He pulled Audrey back into his embrace. “However, I shall thank him later… much later. Now where was I when we were so rudely interrupted?”

He had no trouble remembering.

~~~*~~~

Darcy House

The first thing that Elizabeth noticed when William set her on her feet in the foyer was that the house seemed bereft of servants, the only ones visible being Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, who eagerly stepped forward to greet her with unrestrained joy written on their faces.

“Welcome back, Mr. and
Mrs
. Darcy!” They parroted one another.

Elizabeth blushed with the use of her new title, nodding shyly while William acknowledged their greeting warmly. “It is good to be home again. Landingham’s home is perfectly adequate, but it does not compare to Darcy House or to my capable staff. By the way, Mrs. Barnes, were you able to accomplish all that I asked?”

While William was speaking, the housekeeper took note that Elizabeth looked about with a perplexed expression. “Per your wishes, most of the servants are on holiday. Only those attending you and Mrs. Darcy will be allowed above the first floor until you leave for Pemberley. Those remaining have been instructed to do their jobs swiftly and without notice as far as possible. To that end, beginning tomorrow, if you ring for us from your dressing room, we will assume that you wish for a bath to be prepared. If you ring from the sitting room, it will signify that you wish for meals to be brought up instead of coming down to dine. A subsequent ring from either room will signify that the room is ready to be cleared.”

Suddenly, she remembered something significant. “Oh, and lest I forget, the new copper bathtub was delivered two days ago and was installed in your dressing room.”

William could not hold back a huge grin at the news. “Excellent.”

“It certainly is…
large
,” Mr. Barnes offered, a restrained smile the only indication that he might be teasing. His wife stepped on his toe in retaliation.

Fortunately, neither of the young couple noticed. When making his plans, William had never doubted that the servants would be curious as to why there was only to be one bath drawn each day.

Elizabeth’s curiosity, however, was another matter entirely. After listening to his discussion with Mrs. Barnes, she had turned to regard him with her head tilted, one eyebrow raised in the inquisitive manner that he had come to adore.

“Let me clarify for you, my dear. Since I did not have time to whisk you away on a wedding trip, I wanted our stay here to be as private as possible. Therefore, I asked that only those servants necessary for our convenience be on duty. After tonight, I shall have no valet and you shall have no ladies maid unless we summon them. In fact, it is my hope that it shall seem that we are the only two people in London, if not the entire world.”

Elizabeth could not help but flush again with the implications and was reluctant to meet the eyes of Mr. or Mrs. Barnes, so she sought to examine her shoes. Seeing her discomfiture, William swept her off her feet.

“Fitzwilliam!” she exclaimed, giggling despite her best efforts, “How am I to act the dignified mistress of Darcy House. You have already carried me over the threshold!”

“I am well aware of that, Mrs. Darcy,” he retorted cheekily, “but I know of no rule that says I cannot carry you up the stairs as well.” With his wife in his arms, William turned to address the servants. “We shall dine downstairs tonight. Please notify me when dinner is ready.”

Without another word, William scaled the staircase effortlessly, and while the housekeeper and butler watched them ascend, in only seconds the Darcys disappeared at the top of the stairs.

“Well, Matilda,” Mr. Barnes offered, staring at an empty landing, “I suggest we go see what Cook is preparing for their first dinner as man and wife.”

Mrs. Barnes, who had lifted her apron to dry some happy tears, was now smoothing it back down. “Oh, Maxwell, were we ever that much in love?”

Putting his arm around his wife’s shoulders, the butler leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek. “We still are, Lovey!”

“Indeed we are!” she declared and patted his cheek in return. It had been a long time since he had used that endearment. Then she sighed. “I am so proud that our dear boy has found a good woman to love him. I spent many a night praying over his situation.  It is such a relief to know that the Lord has finally answered my prayers.”

“He answered a lot of people’s prayers, Matilda.” With that the butler took his wife’s hand. “Come. We do not have any time to dawdle. I imagine our dear boy will want to eat quickly and get an early start on tonight.”