An Invisible Thread Page 9

  When she awoke the next morning, her husband was no longer beside her in bed. During her late night musings, she had decided she would travel to Cheapside today to visit her Aunt Gardiner. Her aunt had always provided wise counsel to her and Jane during their many visits to London. After bathing and dressing, she went downstairs to the empty breakfast parlor. Elizabeth asked a footman if he knew where Mr. Darcy was. “No, madam, I do not know where the master is. He ate his breakfast about an hour ago.”

  Elizabeth sat down and saw that today’s newspaper was still on the table where Darcy had left it. She asked for tea and toast and picked up the paper. She was scanning the front page for news of the war; Elizabeth was more interested than ever in what was happening on the Continent since she knew Colonel Fitzwilliam had returned to the fighting shortly after the wedding. As she turned the page she noticed the society column and as she began to read it, she realized that the first item was all about her.

  “A certain newlywed was seen at Madame Michele’s, London’s most sought after modiste. It seems that Mrs. EBD came to her marriage to wealthy Mr. FD of London and Derbyshire with nothing more than the tattered clothes on her back! London looks forward to hearing if she wears something more appropriate to Lord and Lady M’s Ball later this week.”

  Elizabeth was outraged. What nerve! Who would dare say her clothes were in tatters? Why would anyone print such trash in a newspaper? Elizabeth tried to determine who was behind this vicious story. She knew Aunt Patricia would never embarrass her new niece since that would be humiliating to the entire family. Madame Michele and her employees had to be discreet or she would lose all her loyal customers. There was only one other person who could have possibly contacted the newspaper and that was Lady Alice Thornton.

  Elizabeth stood and walked quickly to Darcy’s study, the newspaper clutched in her hand. When she knocked, her husband called out, “Enter!” She walked into Darcy’s study where her husband sat behind his desk looking over a stack of papers.

  Elizabeth could not control the anger in her voice. “Did you see this item in the newspaper? About me? How can anyone write this rubbish about someone? How can you just sit there? What are we going to do about it?”

  Darcy remained seated at his desk. He did not rise or escort her to a chair. Maybe he was angry about last night. It was the first night of their marriage that they had not had dinner together or had marital relations. Elizabeth stood just inside the door trembling and was still gripping the newspaper. Her husband had barely moved since she entered the room.

  “We do nothing. Elizabeth, you are now a prominent member of London society. These newspaper items are meaningless. You must learn to ignore them.” He turned his face away from her and picked up some papers on his desk.

  “So, that is your answer? I should ignore a blatant insult! I thank you for your advice, sir. I shall not trouble you again.” Elizabeth threw the newspaper on the floor as she walked out and closed the door as firmly as she could. She called for the carriage and was shortly on her way to Cheapside where she hoped some much needed solace awaited her there.

  Matlock House, London

  Lord and Lady Matlock were sitting alone and having their breakfast. Georgiana had finished eating much earlier and was in the music room with Mrs. Annesley and her piano teacher. Lady Matlock said to her extremely unhappy husband, “I spent the afternoon with Darcy’s new wife yesterday. I took her to the modiste since she was in desperate need of a trousseau. The visit was lengthy but I must admit we had a delightful time. Except, of course, while Lady Alice Thornton was there. She treated Lizzy most badly, I must say.”

  “Lizzy, is it? You and Darcy’s mysterious wife have become fast friends, I see.”

  “Yes, Hugh, I had a wonderful time chatting with her between fittings. She is quite delightful and witty. I think you will be quite charmed by her. I wish I had not invited Lady Alice to the ball. She is just brazen enough to say something inappropriate to Lizzy. It is our responsibility to see that those two are never left alone. Lizzy is just beginning to learn about the ton and I would hate for her to be upset by something someone says at our party. Besides, I think I saw Catherine’s carriage parked near Darcy House when Lizzy and I returned yesterday. I hate to think of the hornet’s nest she walked into if Catherine was there awaiting Lizzy’s arrival. Your sister can be very cruel at times.”

  “Patricia, do you realize what you’re saying? You are asking me to forget about a long anticipated alliance between Darcy and Anne. Catherine and I have planned for years to merge two of the greatest estates in England. And Darcy throws us over for some ‘delightful’ country girl! If Catherine was at Darcy House yesterday, I hope she gave that woman a piece of her mind!” Lord Matlock’s voice was rising and his face was bright red. “And you expect me to accept her into my home and into my family as if nothing has happened. Patricia, I will not do it! That woman has ruined my plans!” Lord Matlock slammed his hand on the table.

  “Hugh, calm down. After your last heart incident the doctor said you must avoid shouting. And, yes, I do expect you to accept Lizzy into our family with open arms. She is Darcy's wife and you will have to accept that fact sooner or later.”

  “We will see about that!” Lord Matlock stood, threw his napkin on the table and left the room.

  As Lady Matlock was finishing her tea, Georgiana quietly slipped into the room. “Aunt Patricia, is everything all right? We could hear Uncle Hugh’s shouting all the way in the music room.”

  “Yes, Georgiana, everything is fine. Your uncle is having a hard time accepting Lizzy into the family. You have met her and you like her as I do. Your uncle will come to see that your brother did what was best for him and for you.”

  “Aunt Patricia, I do not like Lizzy, I love her. Will had been so sad these last few months and now he is so happy. Lizzy is so good for him. We are already as close as sisters. I cannot wait to leave for Pemberley and then we will all be together.”

  “Yes, dear, I think you will all be very happy.”

  “Aunt, may I ask you a question?”

  “Of course, dear. You know you may ask me anything.”

  “Well, I was wondering if I might attend the Ball on Friday? I know I am not out yet but I promise I will not dance with anyone I am not related to. I am so looking forward to seeing Lizzy and Will again. May I, Aunt, please?”

  “Yes, Georgiana, I think you should attend the Ball. Now, let us go upstairs to your room and pick out a special dress for the occasion.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Patricia, I am so excited!”

  Across town, the Darcy's carriage slowly made it’s way through London traffic. Inside the carriage, Elizabeth was trying to make sense of everything that had happened yesterday and this morning. She knew her Aunt Gardiner would help her sort through everything and help her see things more clearly. Finally, the carriage stopped in front of the Gardiner’s home on Gracechurch Street. Many people on the street stopped to look at such a fine carriage in this working class neighborhood but Elizabeth was too deep in thought to notice their gawking. The footman opened the carriage door and helped Elizabeth down the steps. She quickly walked up the front steps of the Gardiner home and before she could knock, the door was opened by their maid. “Welcome, Miss Elizabeth, em, I mean Mrs. Darcy. Please accept my congratulations on your marriage.”

  “Thank you, Sarah, is my aunt at home?”

  “Yes, miss, I mean madam, Mrs. Gardiner is in the sitting room.”

  “Thank you, Sarah, I will see myself in. I would like to surprise my aunt.”

  “Very well, Mrs. Darcy. Please ring if you need anything, anything at all.” Sarah was quite impressed by the Darcy carriage and Mrs. Darcy’s fine new clothes. Although Mrs. Darcy treated her as she always had, Sarah noticed there were a few differences in Mrs. Darcy’s demeanor since the last time she had visited the Gardiner home a few months earlier.

  Elizabeth quietly opened the sitting room door and found her aunt engrossed in some mending. Madelyn Gardiner looked up and a bright smile lit her face when she saw her niece. “Lizzy, how delightful to see you. Is Mr. Darcy here with you?”

  Elizabeth walked over to where her aunt was sitting and embraced her. “No, Aunt, Mr. Darcy is very much not with me today.”

  “Oh dear, I believe this may have something to do with that item that was in the society column of the newspaper today. I think this discussion may take some time. I will ring for tea.”

  After Sarah brought them tea and left the room, Aunt Gardiner turned to Elizabeth and said, “Well, my dear niece, I think you should start at the beginning and leave nothing out. That is the only way we will be able to move forward.”

  “Yes, I agree.” Elizabeth poured her heart out to her aunt. She told her how wonderful their wedding night and every night since then had been. Elizabeth told her aunt how happy she and Darcy were and then she came to yesterday morning and her unexpected meeting with Lady Matlock. Elizabeth described yesterday’s visit to the modiste in detail, particularly everything Lady Alice said and implied. She told her Aunt Gardiner how upset she was by the time she returned to Darcy House from the modiste only to find Lady Catherine de Bourgh screaming at her husband. Elizabeth told her Aunt Gardiner everything Lady Catherine had said about her and her family. She also reported how Darcy did not come to her side until Lady Catherine was leaving although he did demand an apology. Elizabeth conveyed her dismay over Darcy’s cavalier attitude, telling her to forget what she had just heard, as if Lady Catherine's words did not have any impact on Elizabeth. She told her aunt how Darcy quickly excused himself after Lady Catherine left their home and left her in a frazzled state to attend to some business in his study. The last thing Elizabeth told her aunt was regarding Darcy’s callous attitude towa
rd her and the newspaper article that morning. When she was done speaking she felt physically and emotionally exhausted.

  “My dear, that is quite a story and all this took place in the past twenty-four hours. My goodness, where to start? Well, first I must say I am happy that you are finding satisfaction in the marital bed. That can be a problem with many young brides.”

  “ Aunt, there do not seem to be any problems in that area. Although I was so upset with Darcy that I pretended to be asleep last night when he came to my bed. I knew I would not feel comfortable being intimate when I was still so angry at him. I was so tired from all the crying and I really did not want to start a heated discussion about everything that had happened yesterday. And this morning he ate breakfast without me. He barely looked up from his paperwork when I entered his study to talk about the article in the newspaper. He did not even offer me a seat. I may as well have been one of the servants bringing him his coffee.”

  “Lizzy, I am sure Mr. Darcy has a lot on his mind. You said yourself that during the first week of your marriage you spent every moment together. That means your husband was neglecting all his other responsibilities while spending all his time with you.”

  “Do not defend him, Aunt. He has turned back into the cruel, heartless man he was when we first met last year. I do not know what has come over him. Do you think Lady Catherine’s words had their intended effect on him? Could he be regretting our marriage already? Lady Catherine said it was easy to end a marriage even after it was consummated. Could that be true? Aunt, I do not know what to think right now.”

  “Lizzy, Mr. Darcy loves you very much. We all saw the way he behaved toward you in Hertfordshire. He is not going to divorce you no matter what his vicious aunt said. Of that, I am quite sure.”

  “But what if he married me just so he could not be forced into marrying his cousin Anne. Maybe he said all those nice things to me in Hertfordshire so I would say yes. He only wanted to marry me so he would not lose guardianship of Georgiana. I am so confused and unsure of how to proceed from here.”

  “Lizzy, you love your husband and he loves you. You did have a rather short betrothal but all was well in your marriage until yesterday. When Lady Matlock arrived at Darcy House yesterday morning, your honeymoon ended. I believe the reality of marrying a member of London’s highest society is now sinking in. You are now mistress of Darcy House and Pemberley. You are in charge of more servants than you ever imagined. When you arrive at Pemberley you will have similar responsibilities as well as needing to see to the welfare of more than thirty tenant families. Is it possible that you are feeling unsure of yourself and these self-doubts are coloring your interpretation of the events we have discussed?”

  Elizabeth thought about her aunt’s words and finally said, “Yes, Aunt, I suppose you could be right. From the beginning of our betrothal I have shared my tendency for self-doubts with Mr. Darcy. He always reassured me that I was more than capable to fulfill whatever role was required of me. He even told me that he thought I could run Pemberley without his help. He also told me that there were lots of staff to help me learn along the way.”

  “There, you see. Perhaps you are upset due to your worries about your future as Mrs. Darcy.”

  “I hope that is all there is to these feelings. Thank you, my wonderful Aunt. You always know how to help me see things more clearly.”

  “You know your Uncle and I love you very much and will do anything we can to ensure your happiness. I hope you will be able to come and see us before you leave for Derbyshire.”

  “I will try very hard, Aunt. I will try.”

  In the days leading up to the Ball, Elizabeth and Darcy were rarely alone in each other’s company. Elizabeth was busy with fittings for more of her new clothes and Darcy was usually in his study working at his desk. When they met for dinner, the conversation was limited and meaningless. Elizabeth retired alone directly after they had finished their meal.

  Chapter 12

  Friday came at last. Elizabeth had to admit that she was enjoying all the pampering Martha and some of the other maids were bestowing on her. At Longbourn, all five Bennet sisters shared one maid. She took a nap in the afternoon for she knew it would be a late night. When she awoke, Martha told her that her bath was ready and from that moment on, several people were quite busy in preparing their mistress for her debut in London society.

  She was finally ready. Elizabeth knew her new ball gown was exquisite and was quite becoming on her figure. She had chosen a pale blue silk with a similarly colored lace overlay. Her silk scarf was a darker shade of the dress. She was admiring herself dressed so elegantly for the first time in her life when she heard a knock on the adjoining door from Darcy’s chambers. “Come in,” she said, not knowing what to expect her cold hearted husband to say.

  Darcy entered Elizabeth’s room carrying several square, flat boxes. When he saw her standing there, he appeared to be speechless. Finally, he gathered his thoughts together and said, “Elizabeth, you look so beautiful I can hardly find the words to convey my feelings.”

  “Thank you, William.”

  “However, I think there may be something your ensemble is lacking for tonight.”

  “Lacking? Whatever do you mean?” Elizabeth said defensively. She was ready to protect herself against any criticisms her husband might utter as a way to further hurt her feelings.

  Darcy walked over to her dressing table and set down the boxes he had brought with him. “Please open the top box and let me know what you think.”

  Elizabeth looked at her husband wearily but turned to her dressing table and opened the top box. Inside was a matched set of exquisite jewels; a large sapphire necklace, a pair of matching earrings, bracelet and hair combs. “William, they are unbelievably perfect. How did you know my dress for tonight was blue?”

  “I have my ways of knowing certain things,” he said in a teasing manner. “Are you ready to try them on?” Elizabeth simply nodded her head and sat down at her dressing table. Darcy reached for the sapphires and stood behind Elizabeth to place and secure the necklace around her neck. When they both looked up at their reflections in the mirror, Elizabeth thought she could see love in Darcy’s eyes but she could not forget the events of the past week. He bent down and kissed the exposed skin of her shoulder.

  “These jewels look more beautiful because you, my love, are wearing them. How do you like the necklace?”

  Elizabeth smiled at her husband and she touched the necklace as she looked up at him. “I do love it and I am truly happy to have something that once belonged to your mother.” She quirked her left eyebrow and said, “Can I try the earrings on now?” They both laughed.

  “Of course, all those boxes are yours and there are many more. I only brought the ones I thought you would consider wearing with your blue dress tonight. I knew you would look beautiful in what ever you were wearing but I thought you would like to add a little extra for this special evening.”

  “A little extra? Well, yes, I suppose that is how I must look at these stunning additions to my jewelry collection. I am going to have to find a much larger jewelry box! Now, please leave me for a few minutes so Martha can help me place the hair combs correctly. I will join you downstairs.” Darcy bent down and kissed her on the forehead and then left the room. Elizabeth rang for Martha and while she waited for her maid to appear, Elizabeth reflected on what had occurred in the past few minutes. She felt as if they were back to the first days of their marriage. Darcy was kind and generous and very loving toward her. Could she trust the sincerity of his words and actions? Elizabeth still was not certain. She would have to see how he behaved toward her at the Ball.

  Martha finished restyling her hair to show the beautiful sapphire combs to their best advantage and Elizabeth slowly descended the stairs. Her husband was waiting for her near the front door and he looked up at her the same way he had during their wedding and she felt very happy. “My dear, you will undoubtedly be the most beautiful woman at the Ball tonight. I hope I will not have to call out any of the gentlemen guests for staring at my wife in an unseemly fashion.”