Page 40 of Suddenly Married

After returning to Pemberley, Mr. Darcy had to handle many estate matters.

The winter could be very harsh in Derbyshire, so many of the necessary repairs must be completed during the summer.

He was always personally involved in everything, even working side by side with his tenants when required.

That was one of the reasons why he was so appreciated and respected by everyone.

Even though he was a young gentleman, he had always taken all responsibilities seriously.

Elizabeth had also begun to fulfill her duties as the mistress of a great estate like Pemberley.

She began to interact with the tenants' families more frequently.

Everyone who knew the new Mrs. Darcy had an excellent opinion of her.

She was diligent and generous like Mr. Darcy, but kind and friendly.

In contrast to her husband, who was so serious and formal, she had a natural openness to relate to others.

Elizabeth still did not know the local gentry because her mourning period was not over yet.

Still, she planned to organize a ball for the end of the summer and invite the most influential families in the surrounding area to meet them.

Elizabeth deeply admired Mr. Darcy's dedication.

He spent hours in his study reading about how to resolve conflicts and apply new technologies to improve production and his tenants' quality of life.

Her husband was so different from her father.

Mr. Bennet had rarely spent time working on matters related to Longbourn.

He had always left everything in his steward's hands.

The three weeks after returning to Pemberley were fantastic for Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth was even more affectionate than before.

The nights they spent together were passionate, and he spent all day thinking about her.

Whenever he had time, he would take her to secret or hidden places because he knew how much she enjoyed nature.

He even convinced his wife to let him teach her to ride so that he could better show her all the beauties of Pemberley.

Elizabeth had managed to find peace with her situation.

She had accepted that her two families would always be apart and that she could do nothing about it.

At least her husband had kept his promise and never said anything improper about her relatives.

For Mr. Darcy, it was as if they did not exist, and she preferred that, to hear his disapproving remarks.

◆◆◆

Elizabeth had been awaiting letters from her family for many days.

She had, in fact, been waiting for more than three weeks.

The past week had been particularly rainy, cutting off many roads and delaying the mail for several days.

As soon as the letters arrived, she went with Dante to her favourite place to read them.

"Dante, Mary has returned from her honeymoon and will visit Liverpool for a few days with her husband. How exciting all the places she will see. Besides, Jane and the babe are very well."

Kitty and Lydia, as always, wrote of their mother's health, as well as that of their uncle and aunt Phillips.

They also recounted all that had taken place in Meryton.

Mr. Collins had been residing at Longbourn for several months and was having difficulties with the tenants.

He insisted on doing everything as Lady Catherine had advised him, even though his proposals were entirely unproductive.

Elizabeth could not help but laugh; it seemed her cousin remained as obsessed with Lady Catherine as ever.

Finally, she read aunt Gardiner's letter and was delighted by the news it contained. "Dante, my aunt and uncle Gardiner will arrive in Lambton in two days. What a wonderful surprise. I want you to meet them; they are remarkable!"

The Gardiners had been invited to the wedding of Mrs. Gardiner's cousin's daughter.

They had not been certain they would attend, but Jane had offered to care for their two children, and Lawrence had agreed to oversee Mr. Gardiner's business if necessary.

They had not travelled alone for many years, and so they decided to seize the opportunity to visit family and enjoy a pleasant holiday together.

Fortunately for Elizabeth, Georgiana was spending a few days in Matlock, and Mr. Darcy was occupied with the construction of the new levee, so there was little activity in the house.

Three days later, a message arrived from the inn in Lambton informing her that her aunt and uncle were there.

Elizabeth immediately resolved to visit them.

The difficulty was that she did not wish to attract attention; if she travelled to Lambton in the Darcy carriage, it would be instantly recognised, and rumours would abound.

People would question why Mrs. Darcy was meeting friends at an inn instead of inviting them to Pemberley.

Some might even cast doubt upon her uncle's respectability, and she would never expose him to such insinuations.

She therefore determined to devise a plan that would allow her to act as she wished while avoiding gossip.

"Good morning, Mrs. Darcy." Mr. Darcy, weary from overwork and from being unable to spend sufficient time with his wife, wished to give her some welcome news before they rose to breakfast. "My love, I want to tell you that I must travel to Scotland at the end of next week, and I want us to go together.

I have a small estate there that I wish you to see.

I promise I shall work only a few days, and afterwards we shall devote ourselves to travelling.

I plan to take you to the Lake District on our way back. I know you have long wished to see it."

Elizabeth, still waking, was pleased with the news. "Thank you, Fitzwilliam; it is a wonderful idea. You deserve a holiday, and it will be good to spend time together now that my mourning period is nearly at an end."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I cannot deny that I miss my father very much, but I am resigned. Now I wish to think of the future, and… they say the Lake District is very beautiful."

"It is! I am glad to know you are becoming resigned. I shall never forget my parents; I have merely grown accustomed to living without them." Mr. Darcy felt great sorrow at seeing his wife unhappy. He sensed something troubled her, though she did all she could to conceal it.

He kissed her and was reluctant to leave, but he knew he had many tasks to complete that day. After breakfast, he went to his work, promising to return in time for dinner.

Elizabeth went to her room to change, wishing to dress suitably. She decided to walk to Lambton so that no one would notice her. She had studied the route carefully; it was only a little over four miles. She planned to stay with the Gardiners for luncheon and return before dinner.

"My dear Dante, are you ready for a walk? Let us go to meet my aunt and uncle," Elizabeth said.

Dante accompanied his favourite human, and they reached the inn before noon. The journey felt much shorter in the company of her faithful friend. Elizabeth loved her dog, for he was the only creature at Pemberley who loved her without condition.

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were waiting for their niece. They, along with the rest of the family, had been concerned for her and wished to see how she fared.

"Lizzy, it is so good to see you," said her aunt and uncle, embracing her warmly.

"It is a wonderful surprise that you could travel to Derbyshire," Elizabeth replied, delighted.

They conversed for nearly two hours in the parlour of the Gardiners' room. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were fatigued from their days of travel.

"How wonderful that you have been able to see so many beautiful places during your journey," Elizabeth said.

"It has been an excellent opportunity, Lizzy. It has reminded me of my younger years, when I travelled to sell my goods," Mr. Gardiner replied.

"And what do you plan for this summer, Lizzy?" Mrs. Gardiner asked.

"We shall travel to Scotland with my husband, and then I shall assume all my duties as mistress of Pemberley."

Elizabeth spoke of her many responsibilities as the mistress of such a large and important estate. Yet, despite her efforts to sound cheerful, they detected a faint sadness in her voice.

After luncheon, Elizabeth bade her relatives farewell, embracing and kissing them before setting off to reach Pemberley before dinner.

That evening, she was subdued and melancholy.

It pained her not to be able to invite her relations to what was supposed to be her own home, and she had begun to reconsider many things.

The following day would be the wedding of her aunt's niece, so she would not visit them, but she arranged to see the Gardiners again two days later.

That night, Elizabeth was weary, and when her husband came to her room, she did not welcome his presence with her usual warmth. She wished only to be alone and to weep.

"My love, you are very quiet," Mr. Darcy said, as he embraced her and kissed her cheeks.

She knew what he desired but could not be with him that night. She had walked almost ten miles and wished only to sleep. "I am sorry, Fitzwilliam, but I am exhausted and want to sleep."

"It is all right, my dear. I am tired as well. Good night, Elizabeth," said Mr. Darcy, perceiving that something was amiss.

Not wishing to disturb the harmony they had lately achieved, he chose to hold her and sleep beside her, hoping she would be in better spirits in the morning.

But Elizabeth would never be quite the same again.

Something within her had shifted as she walked back to Pemberley.

The grief for her father had eased, and her mother and sisters were secure, protected by two honourable men.

She had begun to wonder whether a life in which part of her true self had no place was a life worth living.