A Silent Yuletide Wish: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Juliana Abbott

Author:Juliana Abbott [Abbott, Juliana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Elizabeth

30thth November 1811

Matlock Manor, Derbyshire

The next morning, Elizabeth looked around the chamber she had been assigned and felt entirely ill at ease. She had been exhausted the previous afternoon and gone to sleep soon after dinner without taking in much of the place.

Now that she did, she felt insignificant. The bed, an enormous four-poster with rich curtains and a matching canopy, stood imposingly in the centre of the room, while at the far end, a grand fireplace, though richly adorned, did little to keep the cold air at bay.

The heat from the fire barely reached the other side of the chamber, and Elizabeth had quickly learned the night before that its decorative grandeur was no match for the bitter draughts that swept through the room. However, she discovered that a maid attended to her needs and awaited just outside her door, and when she ventured out to request a cup of tea, the woman had not only promptly brought fresh tea but also provided her with extra blankets.

She had to admit, Darcy had not been exaggerating when he warned her about the draughtiness of the house. She had assumed at the time that he was simply trying to make her feel better, but in truth, he had been quite correct.

Now, as she stood by the window, gazing down into the vast gardens below she spotted Mr Darcy walking alongside his uncle, the Earl of Matlock. How strange it was to find herself in his uncle’s home, brought here under his protection for both her and Maggie’s sake. There was no denying that Mr Darcy was a good man—honourable, protective, and kind. Her feelings for him had softened greatly since their first acquaintance, so much so that they now troubled her. Could it be, she wondered, that under different circumstances she could fall for the man. But no. She must not allow herself to think such things or become moon-eyed over him. Even if they were not in the midst of such peril, they were from vastly different worlds.

It was true, of course, that they were both technically of the same social class. Mr Darcy was a gentleman, as was her father. But that was where the similarities ended. Mr Darcy’s wealth and status far exceeded that of the Bennet family, and though her father was a gentleman, his estate was modest, and he was far from adept at managing it.

A knock on the door pulled Elizabeth from her reverie. She called for the visitor to enter, and a moment later, a footman appeared.

“Miss Bennet, Lady Matlock invites you to join her for breakfast. Miss Maggie is already in her company.”

Elizabeth blinked, surprised to find that it was already time for breakfast. At Longbourn, the family did not usually dine until almost ten, and it was barely nine. She nodded politely.

“I shall come at once,” she said, gathering herself.

Descending the wide, winding staircase—which made her feel as though she were in one of the royal palaces—Elizabeth stepped into the bright and airy breakfast room.

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