Journey to Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Florence Gold

Author:Florence Gold [Gold, Florence]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Pemberley received them on a glorious summer day, lit by a dazzling sun. As they stopped the carriage on the hill facing the mansion to admire the view, they saw the house bathed in the sun’s rays while the gardens in front made the estate look more like a royal palace than a home.

Back in the carriage, breathless, Elizabeth had to lean her head against the cushions to temper her excitement that was both joyful and sad at the same time. She chased away the thought that she could have been the mistress of that house if she had only contained her anger three months ago and accepted her true feelings for the master of Pemberley.

He was the man for her and instead of being happy at the end of three days of travelling she wanted to cry, sure that she had lost him forever.

“It is not true,” her uncle whispered as though he could read her thoughts and feelings. “Just have patience and enjoy this marvellous end to a beautiful journey.”

She nodded, wishing to be as confident as he was. Still, besides her own torment, she was also concerned about meeting his sister. She knew very little about her and in truth, her mission was delicate if Miss Darcy wanted and intended to elope with Wickham.

As the carriage approached the front door, Elizabeth’s heart beat wildly in a frenzy she had rarely felt. To her surprise, as they climbed down, the massive doors opened, and a young lady ran down the steps to welcome them.

She barely curtseyed before exclaiming with genuine delight, “Miss Elizabeth, what a pleasure to have you here!”

Then she turned to Mr Gardiner and Elizabeth made the introduction.

Elizabeth saw an elderly lady and a man waiting for them as they climbed the steps.

“This is Mrs Reynolds, our housekeeper, who will lead you to your room, and Stevenson, our butler, who will attend to Mr Gardiner,” Georgiana spoke with joyfulness. “And in an hour or so, we have prepared a late breakfast for you as I am sure you did not have time to properly eat this morning.”

Elizabeth followed Mrs Reynolds, relieved. During the journey, her main concern was finding and meeting the lady in charge of the household who could make crucial decisions in her master’s absence. She was ready to deploy any means to win the lady over, but that proved unnecessary. From the first moment, a bond was created between them as though Elizabeth was an old friend of the family. Most likely, Georgiana had ordered the servants to treat her with the utmost respect. But why? Elizabeth asked herself, somewhat surprised.

“You have the most beautiful guest rooms at Pemberley, madam. The Peacock Apartment,” Mrs Reynolds said proudly as she opened the doors for Elizabeth.

It is heaven, Elizabeth thought, so impressed that her heart made a leap in her chest. “It was Miss Darcy’s orders!” the elderly lady continued with a strange smile on her face that Elizabeth could not interpret. Did Mr

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