had been unable to look into her eyes, and so he had failed to notice that she had avoided answering his question about his aunt. So the werewolf in Fitzwilliam Darcy could be got ’round, and that was a good thing to know. On the other hand, when she did want him to know something, that was easily done as well. Lizzy was beginning to think that she might have the best of both worlds.
When Lizzy awoke, she found her husband gone from their bed. This was becoming a habit, one she hoped to break once they got to Pemberley. Since Mr. Darcy said that he wanted to leave the first thing in the morning, she wondered why he had not awakened her, and when she looked at the mantel clock and saw that it was ten thirty, she nearly panicked. Because of the late hour, it was unlikely that they would be able to reach Pemberley by dark. But when she went to the window and opened the drapes, she understood why he had allowed her to sleep so late. Snow was falling, and no one was going anywhere. It looked as if Mr. Darcy would experience nightfall at Ashton Hall.
After performing her morning ablutions, Lizzy was about to ring for a maid when her husband walked in, and right behind him was a serving girl carrying a tray. After the girl left, he came to Lizzy and kissed her.
“I had hoped to serve you breakfast in bed,” Darcy said to his bride. “I assume you have looked outside.”
“Yes, I see that it is snowing.”
“We will have to remain here until it stops, and then Mercer will decide if we may leave tomorrow, which depends on whether the temperatures remain above freezing.”
Lizzy was unhappy with the idea of not getting to Pemberley in time for nightfall, but she did not want Mr. Darcy to know that. “Since we are delayed for at least one day, how shall we spend the day, dearest? A sleigh ride perhaps?”
“No, I do not think we should go outside at all. It is a soft slushy snow, and we will get soaked. Since Metcalf has not yet arrived with our luggage, we have nothing to change into.”
“That is true. Well, let us see what is here in the room. There is a volume of Walter Scott’s poems on the mantel. Would you like for me to read aloud to you?” Darcy shook his head. “Shall we invite your aunt, sister, and Mrs. Brotherton to play cards? All right, no cards. What if we go to the drawing room? Georgiana or I could play a tune on your aunt’s spinet.” Darcy continued to reject all her ideas.
“What about charades? Compose riddles? Sing carols?”
Darcy shook his head at every suggestion.
“If none of these appeal to you, what do you suggest we do?” Lizzy asked in an exasperated voice.
Darcy pointed to the bed.
“We cannot spend all day in bed!” Lizzy said, shocked. “What will your sister and aunt think if we remain closeted in our suite?”
Darcy picked his wife up, cradled her in his arms, and then carried her to the bed. After he lay down next to her, he whispered, “They will think we are newlyweds.”
Chapter 35
With a nearly full moon to light his way, Mercer checked on the conditions of the road that ran outside the gates of Ashton Hall. Because the temperatures had remained above freezing, the snow had turned to slush. As a former coach driver, he determined that there was a good chance that they could reach Pemberley with a few hours to spare if they were on the road by four o’clock in the morning. So at three o’clock, he knocked on his master’s door to let him know he thought that they should attempt it. Darcy agreed. If it was necessary for them to stop, there was a Council house between Ashton Hall and Pemberley where the others could spend the night, but it was Darcy’s preference to be home in time for nightfall.
When Darcy went back inside their room, he found Lizzy was already getting dressed, and she told him that she would go wake Georgiana and Mrs. Brotherton. She, too, wanted to be at Pemberley in time for Mr. Darcy to prepare for nightfall. With everyone moving apace, an hour later, they climbed into the carriage.
Because of their hasty departure, Lizzy would be unable to say good-bye to Mr. Darcy’s cantankerous aunt. In addition to being lively and unpredictable, it seemed as if Aunt Marguerite was the keeper of the family’s secrets, and she looked forward to returning to Ashton Hall in the spring. As Mercer drove down the tree-lined drive, Lizzy looked out the carriage window and saw a light in the turret window, and although she could not see Lady Ashton, she knew that she was wishing them Godspeed.
“How long do you think we will be on the road?” Lizzy asked her husband.
“The journey is usually between six and eight hours, but the conditions of the road will slow us down. There is also an incline that will require that we walk in order to lighten the load. So let us say ten hours and that will leave me plenty of time to prepare.”
Lizzy was not reassured. Who knew what the conditions of the road were farther north, and Darcy seeing her anxiety sought to put her mind at rest.
“It is not necessary for me to be at the manor house in order to transform. The Granyard property runs to the south of my estate, and the Rutland property runs south of that. Because Lord Granyard keeps a pack of hounds and is a good friend of the Duke of Rutland, he has asked that Rutland not allow traps or spring guns on his property. So there are no worries there. Additionally, as lords of the manor, we three are responsible for a twenty-mile stretch of road from the manor houses, so I can assure you that once we reach the Rutland property, you will see that the roads are in excellent repair.”
This information provided little comfort. Elizabeth had not given any thought to the awful devices that landowners and gamekeepers used to keep poachers and trespassers off their properties, and she said a silent prayer that they would reach Pemberley at Mr. Darcy’s estimated time.
Once they reached the incline, the four passengers got out and were greeted by the songs of several chickadees in the branches above them, and this gift brightened the mood of the travelers.
“The incline marks the southernmost boundary of the Granyard property,” Georgiana said, and she put her arm around Lizzy’s shoulders. “So now we have no worries. We will arrive at Pemberley with time to spare. Let us walk quickly so that we might get there all the sooner.”
After the passengers returned to the coach and as they made their way through the snow-covered Derbyshire countryside, Darcy said, “I hope you were not expecting a grand welcome. With Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Bradshaw still in Hertfordshire, Mrs. Reynolds is the only member of the senior house staff at Pemberley. I do not think I mentioned to you that it is a Darcy tradition to spend Yuletide in town, so most of the servants are put on half pay and they go home to their families. Even when we are in residence, we keep to the first floor, as the public rooms are very difficult to heat and are always cold.”
Lizzy could testify to the chilly public rooms. During her November stay, she was rarely without her shawl and frequently found herself standing in front of the fireplace.
“Since we are so close to nightfall, I would like to keep our arrival as subdued as possible,” Lizzy answered, and she squeezed Darcy’s hand.
“But we shall have a grand welcome once the servants return,” Georgiana piped in. “Everyone will want to meet the new mistress of Pemberley. Knowing how considerate you are, I am sure you will try to remember everyone’s name, but it will take time as there are so many of them.”
Since they were discussing the servants, Darcy decided it was a good time to tell Lizzy that Ellie could not serve as her lady’s maid. “I know you are disappointed,” he said, after seeing her expression, “but your attendant must be someone from the community.”
“I am very fond of Ellie,” Lizzy replied.
“It is important that you be able to speak openly when you are in your bedchamber. That would not be possible with Ellie. While I was in Herefordshire, I found two ladies, both in their late twenties, who I think would serve you well. They are French but speak passable English.”
“But Ellie will think she did something to displease me.”
“I know you like her very much, but Mrs. Reynolds made it clear to Ellie that her attendance on you was temporary and would last only as long as your visit. No promises of a permanent position were made, but knowing
