The Bennet Affair: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Riana Everly

Author:Riana Everly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lizzy and Darcy, Elizabeth and Darcy, Spies, Secret codes, Adventure, Austenesque
Publisher: Riana Everly
Published: 2020-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Invitations

Darcy had been three days in London, tending to affairs both personal and related to his estate. His staff at his town house all expressed their pleasure at his regained health and strength, and his housekeeper insisted upon him demonstrating to her the comfortable and full use of his arm.

A visit to Doctor Yarrow and his own personal physician confirmed that no further worries need be taken on that account, although the former still urged caution as to his head. “How have the headaches been?” he asked, an avuncular look upon his mild face. Darcy admitted to the megrim, to which the doctor clucked and replied that such was not unexpected, and that a complete recovery could take months. “All I can recommend is rest,” he added, “which must be anathema to an active young man as yourself. Keep the more troublesome problems to a minimum,” he added, “and do not think too hard. You will mend in good time.”

Darcy thanked the man for his advice and compensated him for his time, thinking all the while that Stanton had clearly not informed Yarrow as to the task of discovering what he could of the code machine. If Yarrow had known of the hours and hours of intense concentration spent in the examination and drawing of the particulars of the machine, he would surely have sent Darcy to bed for a month with nothing to do but sleep.

He paid some social calls to friends who had been inquiring as to his health and whereabouts, and another to his uncle and aunt, Lord and Lady Matlock. Ever since the night of his ill-fated proposal, he had rethought each word he had uttered and stewed over his poor choices. Surely Elizabeth would never consider him now! They must work together still, for the code machine and its secrets still brought them together, but from the moment she had rejected him, her eyes had grown cold and the familiarity they had found had vanished in a moment.

Still, if he dared speak again, and if by some blessing of fate she accepted him, he must have his relatives’ approval of the match in order to smooth her way in society, and protect Georgiana. No hint of a scandal could touch his sister, and the Matlocks were key to both concerns. Luckily, his visit to his aunt and uncle coincided with a visit by Richard, their son, which gave Darcy added strength. The meeting itself went as well as Darcy had expected.

The earl, a crusty old man who bore more family resemblance both in feature and character to Aunt Catherine than to his own late mother, listened to a recital of Elizabeth’s many attributes with a disapproving scowl, asked after her family and fortune, and upon hearing Darcy’s reply, stormed around the room shouting about how he had responsibilities to his family and to Pemberley. “I absolutely refuse ever to acknowledge the girl should you dishonour the Fitzwilliam family with such a poor choice, William!” His voice rang throughout the house.

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