After making the necessary introductions, Darcy—with a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth—escorted his wife to their private apartments. As they walked arm in arm through Pemberley’s splendid halls, visions of Elizabeth as she reclined upon the enormous bed in the master’s chambers pervaded his thoughts. It took some effort on Darcy’s part to keep his eagerness in check and, thus, his dignity intact before the servants. So overjoyed was he to finally have Elizabeth with him at Pemberley, where he had long pictured her at his side, even before he had declared himself to her, that Darcy found it nearly impossible to restrain himself from sweeping her up in his arms and taking the stairs two at a time. Instead, he contented himself with bestowing several passionate and private looks upon his wife, which communicated to her his mood on the occasion.
They reached the mistress’s chamber first, and as Elizabeth moved about the elegant apartment, Darcy’s heart overflowed with happiness. He studied her with great satisfaction and pleasure as her eyes took in all that was now hers. It was by no small feat he had managed to force himself to remain in one spot rather than following her throughout the rooms like a calf-eyed young pup. The awed expression upon his wife’s face, in Darcy’s opinion, rendered her utterly enchanting. When Elizabeth finally turned to give him a breathtaking smile, he stepped forward to place his hand upon the small of her back as he offered comments on certain objects and furnishings, and encouraged her to make any changes she might wish. After restraining himself for a full five minutes, Darcy finally gave in to the impulse to gather Elizabeth in his arms and kiss her. What began as an innocent embrace soon flared into an expressive display of passion as Darcy’s hands began to roam over his wife’s body.
Far too soon—and much to his irritation—there came a knock upon the sitting room door, and Darcy tore his lips from those of his wife with a sound of frustration. He rested his forehead against hers and attempted to subdue his desire. After a few moments, he kissed her once more before stepping away. “Enter.”
Blushing, Georgiana appeared from behind the closed door, cleared her throat, and said, “Forgive my intrusion, Fitzwilliam, but I thought you and Elizabeth would like to know that supper will be served in an hour.”
“Thank you, Georgiana. Will you and Lydia not rest yourselves until then in your rooms? Our journey today was rather taxing. I would not wish for either of you to tire yourselves unduly.”
Georgiana giggled. “I believe we shall both rest quietly until we must go down to dinner. You need not concern yourself with entertaining us, Brother. We have become quite capable of amusing ourselves in your absence.”
Darcy gave her a stern look and she left quickly, her mirth barely in check. Scowling, Darcy took Elizabeth in his arms and said, “I do believe my sister has been just as much influenced by Lydia as Lydia has been by her these past months. I am yet uncertain whether I approve of her newfound impertinence.”
A smile graced Elizabeth’s lips as she slid her hands to his shoulders and beyond to bury her fingers within his thick curls. “I am very surprised to hear that, for I have long been under the impression that you approve of impertinent young women and hold them in nothing but the highest esteem. I believe I have even heard you, on occasion, pronounce one such lady to be uniformly charming.”
“You, my dearest, are the only woman whose impertinence and teasing I have ever found charming,” he growled as he captured her lips with his. “I cannot but approve of the way you tease me, for if you did not, I fear I would be far too serious and ill-humored far too much of the time.”
She returned his kiss with some feeling. “Mmm… I cannot argue with that. I can recall just such a time, though not with as much clarity as I once might have, and although I found you equally as handsome then as I do now, I would not wish to have you so serious and grave again. You see, sir, you are utterly irresistible when you smile.”
Darcy did smile then, and tugged Elizabeth toward the door that led from her rooms to the master’s chambers. “Then I would have it no other way. Come, Elizabeth. You must be terribly tired after your journey. Perhaps you should rest yourself.” His tone was teasing.
Elizabeth laughed at his blatant attempt to seduce her so soon after their arrival, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I assure you, Fitzwilliam, I am not the least bit tired; however, I might be persuaded to partake of some exercise if you would consent to join me.”
A wide smile overspread Darcy’s features as he led her into his apartment and kicked the door closed with his foot.
Elizabeth’s first week at Pemberley, while enjoyable, passed far too quickly for her liking. After the rigors of traveling for so many days—which included all the amenities being confined to what coaches and country inns could possibly afford—she rejoiced at being able to retire each night to the comfort of her own bed, or rather, the incomparable luxury of her husband’s. Her sleep being sound, Elizabeth rose early each morning to partake of a quick breakfast before she would steal away from the house with Darcy. As Derbyshire was so far north, its inhabitants were still experiencing the chill of winter, but the two lovers cared not. They wandered the grounds for hours, oftentimes losing themselves in the pleasure being at Pemberley afforded them. Elizabeth was so happy to be out-of-doors with just Darcy to accompany her.
Darcy was elated to finally have Elizabeth with him at his ancestral home, which meant almost as much to him as the woman he loved. Not even a blizzard, he suspected, could deter him from showing his wife as much of the grounds and surrounding woods as could be seen on foot without her becoming unduly fatigued.
The following week demanded that Darcy return to his duties as Pemberley’s master, which entailed lengthy talks with his steward, daily rides to survey the estate, and meeting with tenants to resolve any concerns or disputes. Added to this list were many frequent and detailed exchanges with his solicitors, both in London and abroad. Elizabeth filled the hours of her husband’s absence by familiarizing herself with the layout of the house, learning the names of the staff, and acquainting herself with the inner workings of the household. She soon found she had much to learn, and just as the running of Longbourn could hardly approach the complexity of Darcy House in London, so Darcy House and its operation paled in comparison to that of Pemberley.
Mrs. Reynolds had been in service with the family since Darcy had been a lad of four years, and while Elizabeth could easily tell that the elderly woman was a very warm, amiable lady, Pemberley’s mistress soon found herself adding patience to the housekeeper’s endless list of attributes, as well. Mrs. Reynolds was of great assistance to Elizabeth as she applied herself to her new responsibilities. Indeed, the kindly housekeeper spent a great deal of time assisting her in any way she could and, at Elizabeth’s prodding, even went so far as to regale her new mistress with boyhood tales of Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. As a result, Elizabeth took great delight in teasing her husband over his youthful antics. This form of torment always led a petulant Darcy to grumble about having a few choice words of chastisement for the elderly woman.
The months passed, and soon spring turned to summer. With the warmer season came the added responsibility of overseeing the fields after the spring planting, which would take up much of Darcy’s time. It was not uncommon for the master of Pemberley to depart shortly after breakfast, not to return until an hour or so before supper was served. Though Elizabeth would have preferred to spend her days in the company of her husband, it was not within her power to do so. As difficult as this adjustment was for Pemberley’s new mistress, she soon found much contentment and satisfaction in the society of her two younger sisters who, under her steady guidance and womanly assurance, were fast becoming promising young ladies. Pemberley’s master could not be more pleased.