The Ashes of Pemberley: A Historical Novel Set in Regency England by Marella Santa Croce

Author:Marella Santa Croce [Santa Croce, Marella]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Marella Santa Croce
Published: 2022-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

41

A noisy tumble into the parlour signalled the arrival of two former school room girls, their governess temporarily in absentia – in fact sacked from their employment – now known as Mrs and Mistress Darcy, two sisters exuberantly united in a common pursuit. Every day of his life, the master of Pemberley loved his wife a little more – this was an entirely new feeling, one previously inconceivable but five years ago. Whilst enquiry was being made in the top of the house, he had been sitting musing this very fact, also its corollary, the apparent absence in literature of a man deeply in love: consciousness of the masculine heart seemed to be rather thin, the work of the Romantic Poets notwithstanding! This foreign dominion, he wanted to say destination, was more and more within Darcy’s comprehension, such that he waited with anticipation for the return of the two adventurers, who were even now bursting through the door:

‘Brother, brother, we have been in such intrepid recreation!’ said Georgiana.

‘Come, inform me, you are positively glowing.’

Georgiana, going forward at Elizabeth’s behest and sitting on a small footstool near her brother, began:

‘Well! we have returned downstairs to fetch you since neither of us dared to lift the lute from its case – it has such an air about it, Fitzwilliam.’

‘Yes, I remember a story woven around it, rather a sad tale, that moved our mother deeply.’

Darcy suddenly sat up rather abruptly:

‘Yes, I should like to regard this instrument, I do not think that I have been into that chamber for a long time, lead me ladies, pray do!’

The ladies, somewhat taken aback by the alacrity of the masculine volition, echoed a resounding ‘yes’ and the party trooped upstairs like so many frogs migrating to a more favourable pond.

As the ascent occurred, the vista opened a little for the master of Pemberley, so used to being a lone man and now with a veritable store of the best company in his world. As the three processed up the staircase of the east wing, they cut a fine and comic picture – such was their new-found camaraderie. Turning to Georgiana, her brother affirmed:

‘There was something strange about this chest, was there not dear sister? – it was said to have a false bottom.’

The manner in which Darcy articulated the last word of this piece of information, along with a raised left eyebrow, provided a moment when the group’s intimate connections felt safe enough to giggle. The schoolgirls broke ranks and charged ahead.

‘Well!’ said the left behind, ‘we appear to have dispensed with convention this morning!’

Reaching the chamber first, Georgiana carefully unlocked; Elizabeth demurred to her invitation to go first and Darcy finally arrived at the doorway, his head beneath the star among the acorns on its lintel. Elizabeth did go ahead a little to draw back the huge curtains and bring in the morning sunshine, thinking, as she did, of the exceptional summer that allowed them sunlit hours in many of Pemberley’s rooms.

Darcy’s recollections were

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