Mr. Darcy's Bride

Chapter 11

Time passed quickly, as it often does when one is learning new things. Before Elizabeth even realized it, two months had passed since she had come to live at Pemberley.

Bingley and Jane were wed, and Elizabeth had cried in sorrow over missing her favorite sister's wedding. Jane wrote Elizabeth a long letter describing the ceremony, which was as simple as Elizabeth's and Darcy's had been, due to the constraints of mourning. She dedicated a full page to describing their mother's ecstatic behavior in regards to the wedding. Apparently Darcy had some competition as Mrs. Bennet's favorite son-in-law, although Jane did mention that her adoration of her daughters' husbands seemed to be in proportion with the amount of money that each had. At reading this, Elizabeth smiled and rolled her eyes. Their mother would never change.

To compensate for not attending the wedding, Darcy had invited the Bingleys to spend a week at Pemberley with them.

"Why is time going so slowly?" Elizabeth asked Harriet Stewart, her lady's maid, as her hair was being brushed. "I am so excited to see my sister, and it seems as if she will never arrive."

"It always seems to be that way, does it not?" replied Miss Stewart. "Good things take so long to happen, but bad things seem to arrive in an instant. Take heart, ma'am. They will be here soon."

"If only I could get the menu resolved," said Elizabeth with a sigh.

"Is there a particular problem with the menu?" asked Miss Stewart curiously.

"I thought not, but every time I try to speak with Mr. Porter about it, I am left feeling like the most foolish person in the world. Why, just yesterday I told him that I would like to serve goose, and he argued with me for a quarter of an hour that it must be venison that was served! He seems to be upset with whatever I set the menu to be."

Miss Stewart spoke gently, as she knew that her mistress was not yet used to running a house by herself. "He ought not speak to you like that. It is not proper, nor is it his place. The lady of the house determines what is served for dinners. Have you spoken with Mr. Combes about it?"

"I have, and I have reason to believe that he has spoken with Mr. Porter, but nothing has changed."

"I hesitate to suggest this, ma'am," said Miss Stewart, "but might it not be time to take this issue to Mr. Darcy?"

"I had hoped to deal with this without involving him, but perhaps you are right. I will consider speaking with him."

Elizabeth felt suddenly tired of the topic, missing the easy conversation of her sisters. Perhaps that was why she asked her next question.

"Tell me, Stewart, have you a sweetheart?"

Miss Stewart flushed a bright red. "I would not say that I do, ma'am."

Elizabeth smiled. "But your rosy cheeks tell a different tale," she said. "Surely there is more to this story. Please, Stewart, it would bring me such great joy to hear of your happiness."

"It is Thomas, my lady. The first footman."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. Thomas was tall and very handsome, with a head of wavy blond hair and a bright smile. She had not spoken with him to know his character, but if he was anywhere near as amiable as his countenance, Miss Stewart had chosen quite well indeed.

"Does he know of this admiration?" asked Elizabeth.

If possible, Miss Stewart flushed even more deeply. "He does not. Certainly, someone like him would have little interest in someone like me."

"Someone like you! You are a lady's maid at one of the grandest estates in the country. If anything, he should be honored to have someone as fine as you esteem him."