Pride and Prejudice and Secrets | Just when Elizabeth thought the danger was over…

Chapter 1

Elizabeth looked in the mirror without seeing her reflection. She still could not believe her good fortune.

Her wish, for her sister Jane to be married to Mr. Bingley, had come true on the very same day Fitzwilliam proclaimed to still love and care for her when he asked for her hand a second time.

“And to think that it is all due to him that I am alive right now.”

Mr. Darcy had undertaken a very quick and dangerous trip to bring back a physician from London, who had correctly diagnosed her with arsenic poisoning. The doctor’s treatments restored her health. Without Mr. Darcy’s help Elizabeth was not sure she would be standing there.

“But that is all in the past, and I shall no longer concern myself with that.”

“What was that, my dear?” Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy walking towards her. She smiled at him, still amazed at how very lucky she was indeed.

“I was just talking to myself. Your wife has a habit of doing that. But it is too late to do anything about that now!”

Elizabeth turned around and reached her arms out, though he was still unused to her spontaneous hugs to relax completely.

“I would not change a thing. I love my wife just the way she is.” Mr. Darcy looked in his wife’s eyes and then lowered his head and kissed her. He was still in awe of his good fortune.

Elizabeth blushed, glancing down after the kiss. When her gaze returned to her husband’s eyes the look was heated. “I suppose we shall both have to call a truce and declare that both of us are the luckiest. For I shall not give it up that I am the luckiest one and I imagine you will not give up that you are.”

Mr. Darcy shook his head. “Of that I will not.”

Elizabeth ran her hands down Mr. Darcy’s chest, both of them still fully clothed in their formal attire. Now that the wedding breakfast was over, it was time for them to begin their few days’ journey north to the beautiful Darcy estate of Pemberley. Georgiana and her companion Mrs. Annesley would be accompanying them in their own separate carriage.

Despite feeling guilty that Mr. Darcy had not seen his sister Georgiana for several months, Elizabeth was glad Georgiana was in her own carriage. She wanted Mr. Darcy to herself for a while.

“You do not mind that we are leaving so quickly for Pemberley? I could delay our trip if you would like to stay here with your family for longer,” he offered.

Elizabeth laughed and patted his chest. “Stay? Have you met my mother? No, I think it is much better for us to leave as quickly as possible.” Elizabeth was of course thinking not only of her mother, but of the Bingley sisters as well. Especially Miss Bingley. There was a new feeling she picked up from Miss Bingley since her engagement, and it was not a good one. She would much rather be far away from those two sisters.

She knew Mr. Bingley was a good friend of Mr. Darcy’s, but hopefully when Jane and Mr. Bingley visited them at Pemberley, they would do so without Miss Bingley and the Hursts. Elizabeth never did figure out what Mr. Hurst did other than lie around and get drunk every day. She could not imagine having a husband like that.

“Very good. I will check on Georgiana and have our bags taken down to the coaches.”

“That will give me time to say my goodbyes, though I suppose you should be with me when I do that so we are together as a couple.”

“Yes, I imagine we should.” Mr. Darcy sighed. “This marriage business is exhausting.”

Elizabeth smiled. She agreed with him, but it was not every day a girl got married. And for her, she planned that it would be done just once in her life.

She was quite tired though. She had not slept a wink the night before. Elizabeth had finally given up and peeked in Jane’s room, to find her awake and sitting up as well. Both sisters talked of how excited they were yet nervous about their plans for the future.

Elizabeth would miss Jane and her papa the most. She hoped that with only two sisters left at home, Mr. Bennet would get out of his library and take a hand in raising the girls. It was not too late for Kitty; with Lydia gone her behavior could still be corrected. She did not have high hopes for Mary though. She was older and quite set in her patronizing ways. Perhaps Mrs. Bennet and Mary would both need a place to live after Papa died.

“Elizabeth? What has you so sad?”

“Oh, I am sorry, Fitzwilliam.” Saying his first name still sent tingles through her body. “I was thinking of who I would miss and was sad when I thought about being away from Jane and Papa.”

Mr. Darcy squeezed her hands. “I have it on good authority that Mr. Bingley is in the market for an estate near Pemberley. You shall in the future not be too far from Mrs. Bingley.”

Elizabeth squeezed his hands.

Mr. Darcy leaned in and kissed Elizabeth again, longer than before. They had better make haste and proceed to Pemberley, or if he was not mistaken, they would be spending their wedding night here at Netherfield. He neither wanted to spend it on the road, nor did he want to remain at Netherfield. Mr. Bingley’s sisters would be too interested in how Mrs. Darcy was feeling the next day.

* * *

“Georgiana, how goes your packing? We are ready to say our goodbyes.”

Georgiana opened her door to reveal her cases sitting very neatly by the door.

“Ah, I see that you are ready.” Georgiana was never ready for anything on time, so this surprised Mr. Darcy.

“Have I surprised you, brother? I am so very excited to go back to Pemberley with you and Elizabeth. I hope that I can ride in your carriage at least some of the way. Elizabeth has been so busy I barely have had a chance to speak with her.”

Mr. Darcy could not deny his sister anything and hadn’t spent much time with Georgiana either. “Yes, you can. Let Elizabeth and I have the first part of the trip until we change horses. Then you may join us.”

Georgiana smiled and clasped her hands together. She wanted to give her brother a hug, like she had seen Elizabeth do many times, but he was not fond of it. Elizabeth told her she was working on changing that. She would have to be patient.

* * *

“Well, my dear child, I daresay you should have a splendid time at Mr. Darcy’s estate. What did you say it was called? Pimbly?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes. Of all the places for her mother to mispronounce, she had to do it in front of people that had actually been there. Even worse, Miss Bingley heard her mother’s mispronunciation and corrected her.

“Excuse me, madam, but it is called Pemberley. Surely you have heard of it? It is the grandest estate in Derbyshire.”

That was another reason she would be so glad to leave. Elizabeth had thought that after her engagement announcement Miss Bingley would be scarce; however, just the opposite had occurred. Miss Bingley doubled her efforts at being around Mr. Darcy, talking to him and doing whatever she could to make it known that she was still there. She had been treating Elizabeth as if she were a ghost: completely invisible. It was enough to make Elizabeth want to run screaming while pulling out her hair.

A clatter arose outside the room. Elizabeth turned to see servants carrying luggage to the front door. Oh, thank goodness. She hoped that meant they were ready to leave immediately.

Elizabeth looked at Jane. “I shall miss you, Jane. You must write me.” Elizabeth leaned in even closer and whispered, “And if you need to escape, you and Mr. Bingley are welcome at any time.”

Jane smiled that angelic smile of hers and hugged Elizabeth. Mr. Bingley kissed his sister-in-law’s hand, Mrs. Hurst smiled, and Mr. Hurst may or may not have mumbled something.

When Elizabeth hugged her papa is when tears started to fall. “Papa, feel free to come and visit any time, please.”

“And you know the same in reverse. Come back to Longbourn for a visit. Make sure you write.”

Elizabeth hugged him once more and then let go.