A Spring Sentiment: A Pride and Prejudice Novella Variation (Seasons of Serendipity Book 2) by Elizabeth Ann West

Author:Elizabeth Ann West [West, Elizabeth Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pemberley Possibilities
Published: 2014-09-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Throbbing pain in Elizabeth’s temples made her happy to retire for a rest on the fourth afternoon at Matlock. Her feet ascended the thirty carpeted steps up the main hall as she still couldn’t stop the details swirling in her mind for Easter dinner. Lady Matlock had helped her go through all of the escorts and privileges, but was Lady Sefton to be escorted in by Lord Marlborough or the Viscount of Eaton? She shook her head and remembered that Darcy’s aunt was not going to let her fail.

The last room on the left in the visitor wing was hers, a completely separate hall from where Mr. Darcy was roomed on the family side of the mansion. With great effort, she pushed the heavy, medieval styled door and found Becky laying out her evening attire. Becky immediately curtsied, then seeing Elizabeth’s color, she rushed forward to help her lady to her bed.

“A thousand thanks. Are there any powders left in my trunk?” Becky nodded and rushed to Elizabeth’s private toiletry case to find the last packet of powders given to her by the apothecary in London. Without her habitual morning walk, the headaches Elizabeth sustained as a child were returning in full force. She was adamant that in the morning she would find a way to walk in the elegant gardens even if it meant she needed to tie the bed sheets and scale the balcony to avoid Lady Matlock and her endless teachings of running an estate the size of Matlock.

“Here you are, Miss Elizabeth. I’ll send young Robin around to the town to purchase more. Mr. Darcy surely won’t want you to be without your remedy.”

“Please send a note to Mr. Darcy’s valet that I intend to take a walk in the morning and would be so very pleased if his master would join me.”

“Aye, ma’am.” Becky curtsied and smiled. Knowing Miss Elizabeth since childhood had helped her tremendously in her transition from house maid to lady’s maid. Though the rest of the above stairs staff at Matlock sniffed at her lack of credentials and formal training, she knew that Miss Elizabeth would never desire an unknown, snobby French maid, no how.

Elizabeth lay on the elegant cool sheets, wishing she could disrobe to her chemise, but if it was one thing she’d learned from her aunt before leaving, it was that house parties as large and elite as this one could quickly become dangerous grounds for maidens. She trusted Lady Matlock with her safety, but for the past two nights, she had not enjoyed the particular attentions of Lord Bergamote, a man of French ancestry staying with relations in Southern England, and she suspected that William had enjoyed those attentions even less so.

Rolling onto her side away from the door, she closed her eyes. Taking calming breaths, she willed the powders to begin working. After what felt like an eternity, she finally drifted off to sleep.

When Elizabeth woke hours later, the room was dark, and she cried out from fear of not knowing where she was.

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