Page 85 of I Thee Wed (Pride And Prejudice Variation #2)

The luncheon was spread on a table dressed with fine china and glassware, placed beneath the shade of a broad oak.

Platters of meats, breads, and cheeses were laid out, along with bottles of light wine well-suited to the summer day.

Elizabeth smiled contentedly as her friends settled next to Georgiana and began to eat.

She served her plate and found a seat next to her aunt, who winked and smiled.

Lady Helen was quietly pleased with how matters were advancing.

Phillip and Darcy remained behind at the stables, examining the Black’s points. “Darcy, when do you expect Richard and Anne?”

“Tomorrow. Lady Catherine did not look favorably upon the scheme and caused a delay. In the end, Anne told her mother she meant to go. She was of age and would not be denied. Richard wrote that our cousin then ordered her things packed, and they set out.”

Phillip chuckled. “Good for Anne. She needs to get away from that old dragon. When did Richard write?”

“Two days ago, from London. They were going to rest the horses overnight at Matlock House.”

Phillip raised a brow. “Perhaps our interference will not be required.”

Darcy looked amused. “You must keep in mind that much like you, Richard is known for his engaging address and fashionable appearance, and I believe that is why our cousin regards him with caution.”

Phillip looked amused. “Well then, my brother has met his reckoning with Anne. A just penalty for a history of dalliance and retreat.”

Darcy watched him go, thinking he, too, might yet be called to account.

At luncheon, Elizabeth asked of no one specifically, “I wish to learn more of Windermere. How far is it from Pemberley? What shall we see there?”

Phillip answered her. “It is two days’ travel from here, but worth every mile. The lake itself is vast; you will not see the end of it from one shore. There are little villages along its banks, and the hills rise behind them in folds of green that seem endless.”

Abby, eyes alight, asked, “Might we hire a boat?”

Darcy nodded. “Indeed. The locals fish and ferry in small craft, and there are also boats for hire. Though I warn you, Miss Stanton, the winds have been known to turn quickly, and the waters can grow rough in an instant.”

“That circumstance serves only to increase my wish for the excursion,” Abby replied.

Elizabeth inquired, “And what of the walks? Are there good paths?”

“There are paths enough to please even you, Elizabeth. You may walk for hours along the water, or climb the lower hills for a view of the valleys. The rugged beauty of the Lakes may cause you to prize them above Pemberley.”

Georgiana ventured, “Is it true the hills seem to rise into the clouds? I have heard as much.”

“Yes, little cousin; when the mists rise, the hills and clouds make one feel as though the earth itself were touched with magic.”

As the afternoon sun slanted over the roses and her guests wandered the grounds in twos and threes, Elizabeth thought to herself how pleasant the day had been, full of laughter, good food, and happy expectation for the journey that lay ahead.

She walked with Darcy and his cousin. “Phillip, what say you to a game of billiards? I have been without a proper opponent for many months.”

Elizabeth cast him a shy smile. “I shall play with you, if you will only teach me how.”

Darcy turned, half-affronted. “Elizabeth…”

She colored. “Forgive me. Is it a game from which women are banned? I did not know.”

Phillip chuckled. “Not at all, unless one happens to be married to a man who is rigidly proper.”

Darcy flushed and cast a reproving look at his cousin. “I have never heard of a woman playing billiards.”

Phillip leaned back easily, grinning. “Then allow me to expand your education. Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth the First, and even Queen Charlotte have all played billiards. I believe, Darcy, that if you allow it, your wife will learn quickly, and I think you will be pleased.”

Darcy answered dryly. “Very well, Phillip, I stand corrected. Elizabeth, name the day and the hour, and I shall begin teaching you.”

Elizabeth looked pleased. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. I shall take you at your word, but not today. Today, I plan to take our guests into the kitchen. We are going to learn how to bake a cake, which we shall eat at tea time.”

She turned and studied his features. He looked displeased. “Georgiana asked if we might, and I agreed. You approve, sir?”

Darcy opened his mouth to answer. The idea was displeasing, but Phillip forestalled him.

“Of course, he approves. Anything you plan must be considered perfectly proper and part of my little cousin’s expanded education.

” He turned to Darcy. “Success in baking rests upon the natural reactions of the ingredients. Georgiana’s education would be incomplete without some acquaintance with chemistry. ”

Elizabeth glanced at Phillip, then raised a brow at her husband and moved away to join her friends. Phillip caught the look and grinned, leaning toward Darcy just enough to murmur under his breath, “I do not hesitate to tell you that she is the sort of woman I should like in my bedchamber.”

Darcy’s face darkened at once. “Get your own wife, Phillip, and stop thinking of mine.” He turned on his heel and strode away. “Well? Are you coming to play billiards with me or not?”

Darcy frowned as he walked ahead of Phillip.

Let him find his own wife. Phillip would have Abby; he himself had let her slip through his hands.

But what of Elizabeth? He loved her. He had loved her from the first moment he saw her.

Did that love count for nothing? Why should Abby be thought the more suitable, merely for her connections?