Mr. Darcy's Bride

Chapter 33

By the evening meal, all of the guests had left Pemberley and only its residents remained. Elizabeth considered her day to have been a success: she had managed both to not be sick and to not speak to her husband any more than was required. She did not know what the next step was; regardless of what he had done, she was still married to him, and she was still carrying his child. Elizabeth reminded herself that he had not done anything that she had not told him to; however, that did not soothe her heart.

"I will take my meal in my room tonight," Elizabeth said.

"You will not," her husband replied.

"How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do?" she responded angrily. "As if you have a reason to be upset with me!"

"You are angry with me, and I do not know why. You are not to go to your room until you have told me what you are so upset about."

"Did you think that I would not know?" she said. "Do you believe me to be that foolish? Darcy, how could you do that in our home?"

Darcy was reaching the limit of his patience. "What is it that you think I have done?" he said in a loud voice.

The two of them suddenly became aware that they were standing in the hallway, where any of the servants could hear them.

"I am going to my room," Elizabeth said. "If you want to stop me, you will have to restrain me."

Darcy let her pass, unwilling to cause more of a scene than they already had. He was so frustrated with her that he wanted to shake her, but he knew that would make things much worse than they already were. He told a maid to bring his supper to his study and Mrs. Darcy's to her rooms, and retreated to the safety of a room where he could be alone.

***

Darcy felt calmer after he had eaten. He hoped that Elizabeth felt better as well, because whatever was happening was not going to last another night. He went to her rooms to speak with her.

He knocked on the door to her sitting room and Miss Stewart answered.

"You are dismissed for the evening, Stewart," Darcy said.

Miss Stewart looked uncertain, and turned to look in the room.

"You may go, Stewart," said Elizabeth. "My husband and I need to speak alone."

Miss Stewart swept out of the room, looking nervous. It gave Darcy some insight into what Elizabeth's state of mind had been since they last spoke, and it was not a good sign.

He walked in to find Elizabeth already in her nightclothes, sitting on the settee covered with a blanket. He suddenly remembered how recently she had been sick; barely a day had passed.

"Come sit," she said, indicated the other end of the settee. Darcy obliged her.

"I suppose, more than anything, I feel foolish," Elizabeth said. She no longer sounded angry, but she did sound extremely tired. "I know that I told you to do it, but I thought that things had changed between us. I was hoping that I, and I alone, would be enough for you."

Darcy took her hand and kissed it. "Elizabeth, please tell me what crime I have committed," he said. "I do not have any clue whatsoever."

She looked at him for a long moment. "I saw the Duchess leaving your room this morning," she finally said.

Realization finally washed over Darcy. Elizabeth believed that he had taken a mistress.

"Elizabeth, you are mistaken," he said.

The fire came back into her eyes. "Darcy, I saw her."

"Yes, you saw her leaving my room after I told her to. She came in and tried to come to my bed, but I would not allow it. I made her leave. That is what you saw. I swear that I did not have a liaison with the Duchess of Worthingham."