A Summer Shame Read Free Page B

doors.
    The glass doors opened onto a relatively wild moor with artificially laid, weather-worn stone paths winding throughout.
    “What a curious design! Which path shall we take?” Elizabeth asked as it appeared five different paths ended right where they were standing.
    “Those dark grayish rocks will take you to the stables, the lighter gray to the barn. The grassy covered stones lead to the main road and into the village beyond, and the moss covered stones end at the lake. But this one will see us to those bluffs yonder overlooking the sea.”
    With a giggle, Elizabeth grabbed Darcy’s hand and started skipping along the path to the bluffs.
    “No, Elizabeth, I asked for refreshments, I had planned to show you the stables and barn, and return here for a repast.”
    Elizabeth continued to laugh and released his hand to skip ahead. With a quick motion, she untied the ribbon of her bonnet and clutched the offending article in her hand. With her other hand, she released a few pins to allow the tight tresses framing her face to flow freely behind her. The breeze whipped around her to present William with the most pleasing sight of his wife—young, free, and brave.
    A few yards ahead, she turned and smiled. “Come, Mr. Darcy. Where is your sense of adventure?”
    William took a deep breath and prayed for patience, but ever the dutiful husband, he tarried on after his spirited wife. And if he happened to be smiling while chasing her, it was a demonstration of his newly emerging disposition to be a man lucky in matrimony.
    Mrs. Buchanan spied the young couple dashing off through the window and clapped her hands in a small, rapid succession. She had heard it was a love match from Mrs. Kensington, the housekeeper of Darcy House in London, but to see it with her own eyes was a blessing indeed.
    “Of a’ the airts the wind can blaw…” she whispered.
    “Mrs. Buchanan?” A young maid startled the older woman from her ruminations, causing Mrs. Buchanan to turn around.
    “Aye, Anna, what is it?”
    “Cook wonders if Mr. and Mrs. Darcy be wanting wine or whiskey with their food?”
    “Oh, tell Cook not to bother now but to keep the mutton warm. I suspect they’ll be a little longer.” The older woman smiled at the confused young maid.
    Humming a little tune, Mrs. Buchanan absently jingled the keys of the manor as she headed upstairs to check on the young lady who had arrived with the Darcys.
    She had a feeling there would be a difficult interview with Mr. Darcy on the morrow and it would be best to learn what she could to avoid showing shock in front of the master. The specific request of employing the services of the local midwife had raised her hopes it was just an early anticipation for a Darcy heir, but this appeared to be an unfortunate situation for all.
     
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    The ladies of Matlock House now evenly matched the men and Lady Matlock behaved thrilled at this turn of events. Her home felt warm, bustled with activity, and she avowed to do all in her power to keep it that way even if it meant she would need to marry off one of her sons.
    “Now, after the Seftons' tea, we need to rest and dress for the theatre. A dinner follows at Lord and Lady Harrington's home, and Mary, you will be paired most of the evening with their youngest son Alfred. He is a bookish sort of man, but he has a promising career as a barrister ahead of him. Jane, dear, I’d prefer you to seek the attentions of—” A loud door slam interrupted Lady Matlock as she flinched before calmly resuming her instructions. “Cater to the attentions of Viscount Torrington. He owns a large estate in North Umberland, his father passed not two years ago, so expect plenty of competition . . .”
    Further shouts and the sound of tinkling glass continued from outside of the parlor where the ladies were taking tea and refreshments. Lady Matlock pressed her lips together in disapproval as she heard her husband’s bombastic voice yelling in