Still Waters: A Pride and Prejudice variation by Elin Eriksen

Author:Elin Eriksen [Eriksen, Elin]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2021-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10 The Winner of the Losing Game

Elizabeth waited in Pemberley's blue parlour. The inevitable moment had come; she would finally see her husband after weeks of separation and she was not looking forward to it. The servants might wonder why the mistress of Pemberley did not greet her long lost husband in the foyer but the fear of the encounter made her wish for the moment to be private.

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Mr Darcy strode into the parlour and froze mid-stride. The bump on his wife's midsection was evident on her otherwise slight frame, particularly easy to notice as he regarded her profile. Elizabeth stood gazing into the garden with her arms hanging limply by her sides but for the hands, which kept clenching and unclenching.

“Welcome home,” she whispered, barely audibly. She did not turn towards him but kept her rigid stance by the window.

“How long have you been at home?”

The question sounded harsher than he had intended. Elizabeth visibly flinched and turned towards him, her eyes flickering towards Mrs Reynolds, who was waiting for instructions by the door.

“Since I last saw you in London, except for the days it took me to travel here.”

Feeling foolish, searching far and wide for her when she had been at home the whole time, Mr Darcy's anger got the better of him and his voice sounded harsher still.

“I thought you were going to visit Longbourn...”

Which was not a falsehood as it was the first guess he had made after she had fled Darcy House on that disastrous night.

“I was but I became indisposed and would not have been good company, so I came straight home instead.”

“Indisposed?”

Mr Darcy's eyes wandered involuntarily to her protruding midsection, sporting a deep frown between his eyebrows.

“Nothing unexpected under the circumstances, I did not want to burden you unnecessarily since you were so ... occupied with your business affairs in London.”

Her flickering eyes finally got Mr Darcy's attention and he noticed Mrs Reynolds by the door.

“We will talk more about this later, Mrs Darcy. Mrs Reynolds, will you order me a bath? I need to refresh myself.”

He turned to the housekeeper who followed him out of the door.

“It has already been seen to, Master Fitzwilliam, the mistress ordered it ready for your return and water is being brought up as we speak.”

Mrs Reynolds reverting to his childhood appellation did not escape Mr Darcy's notice. She was displeased with him and he was certain he would know why, shortly.

Mr Darcy took the stairs two at a time, when a thought hit him like a punch in the gut.

Elizabeth had been nervous but that seemed only to involve the protection of their privacy against the servants. She had not been angry nor upset. If he was to be frank with himself, she had seemed utterly indifferent, which in itself was the single most painful thought he had ever had the displeasure of experiencing. His chest constricted as he fought for breath. It was too late. He was the winner of a losing game.

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When Mr

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