The Pemberley Chronicles Read Free

Darcy had in his hand a letter from Jane, which had awaited their arrival at Richmond Terrace. Elizabeth cried out and hugged him with an excess of enthusiasm that quite astonished and delighted her husband, who was singularly unaccustomed to such overt displays of affection. For Lizzie, no amount of appreciation was too much for the care and pleasure with which he had surrounded her.
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As she later wrote to her sister Jane:
There was not one more thing I could have wished for, except perhaps to share my pleasure with you, dearest Jane, which I am doing now.
    After they had eaten, Darcy went out for a walk around The Mall, urging his wife to take some more refreshment and rest awhile. Elizabeth was not at all averse to complying with his instructions. Comfortably tucked into a chaise lounge with a fire to warm the room, which was pleasantly invaded by an Autumn breeze, she opened up Jane's letter. It was, just as Elizabeth had expected, full of her happiness and her husband's kindness and love. Jane could barely get the words out to convey to her sister all the new experiences she was enjoying. Marriage, combined with the excitement of London, with its balls and parties and crowded shops, a rush of new places and people--she must have been left breathless by it all. It was almost with relief that Lizzie read that they were to spend a week away at Maidenhead, at the invitation of one of Bingley's friends.
    Oh Lizzie, I have to confess we are both looking forward to it mainly for the peace and quiet. We have spent so little time alone for we are forever surrounded by kind friends, who will insist on our dining or going out to balls with them. They are all full of compliments and mostly very charming, but I tire of all this and long to curl up on the sofa and dream as we used to . . .
    Elizabeth laughed out loud, since this was exactly what she was doing. She knew just what Jane meant as she read on:
Dearest Lizzie, do you recall our conversation on the night before our wedding?
    Elizabeth remembered it well. Despite the conviction that they had both made the right decision in accepting two of the most eligible, fine, handsome, young men they were ever likely to meet, there had been a moment of trepidation as the two sisters had embraced before parting that night. That they loved their chosen partners they knew only too well, for they had carried the secret in their hearts over many months. Nor were they in any doubt that they were deeply loved by two men, who had made them the envy of ladies for miles around.
    Still, there was anxiety perhaps from the lack of an example of a happy marriage at home, for though they rarely spoke of it, Jane and Elizabeth knew that their parents' lack of mutual respect and understanding and their obvious incompatibility had made for a very poor sort of marriage. Both sisters had been determined never to fall into such a trap, however well baited it may be. Elizabeth remembered her aunt's sage advice, when she had thought--nay feared--that Lizzie might be falling in love with Wickham. A cold shiver passed through her at the thought of her escape.
    Jane's happiness and her confidence in the love she had found with Charles Bingley spilled across the pages of her letter:
    My dear Sister, I want so much to set your heart at rest on my behalf. I have been so blessed that I have no doubts at all and indeed I wonder at my ever having had them. Mr Bingley has made me so happy. Lizzie, I am the happiest person in the world!
    Once more, Elizabeth laughed, this time softly and indulgently, as her mind slid gently on to the subject of her own marriage and the happiness she and Mr Darcy were finding each day they spent together. The letter fell to the floor, as she gazed out at the distant horizon across the river, letting her thoughts follow. It was in this pleasant reverie that Darcy found her when he returned from his walk.
    On reading Jane's letter, he understood her mood and was happy to match it for