A Promise of Forever: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Christine Combe

Author:Christine Combe [Combe, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The bouncing of her son in the middle of the bed roused Elizabeth from a dream that escaped the reach of her memory as soon as she opened her eyes. Only the fleeting sensation that it had been pleasant remained as evidence that she had dreamed at all.

“Mamma, Mamma! Where are we? Is we at Pemberley?”

For the briefest of moments, she was taken aback by the fact that for the first time, Ned had said the name of the estate without enunciating every syllable. Elizabeth smiled at him. “Are we at Pemberley, dearest. And the answer is yes, Neddy.”

Her son’s expression lit up with excitement. “Oh boy! I so excited to see Papa’s house.”

Elizabeth sat up on the bed; she noticed then that Mary was not in it. “It is also our house now, dearest. Now tell me, do you know where your cousin Mary is?”

“Mary is here,” her cousin replied herself, as she stepped into the bedroom through a door in the far corner of the wall opposite the bed. Elizabeth noted she had changed her gown.

“Our trunks are in there,” Mary continued, gesturing to the door she’d come through. “I surmise it is the dressing room.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Thank you, Mary. Come, Neddy, let us go and refresh ourselves, then we will go in search of your papa.”

“And then you show me Pemberley!”

She could not help but be amused by his enthusiasm. “Yes, then we will show you Pemberley.”

With Mary’s assistance, Elizabeth got Ned out of his traveling clothes, washed up, and into fresh garments. Her cousin then entertained Ned while Elizabeth completed her own ablutions and changed her dress. Elizabeth was about to ring for a maid when there came a soft, almost hesitant knock at the bedroom door. Expecting that a maid had been sent to see if they were awake, she was rather surprised to find her former charge on the other side.

“Miss Darcy!” she cried softly, then stepped back. “Please, do come in.”

Georgiana Darcy blushed, then stepped timidly into the bedroom that had once been her mother’s. “I—I hope I do not disturb you.”

“No, not at all,” Elizabeth replied. “I was just about to ring for a servant to learn where your brother might be at the moment.”

“I believe Fitzwilliam is with our steward going over some estate business or other, but as breakfast is to be served shortly, I’m sure he intends to be free for it. He told Mamma and I we might meet you again at breakfast, though I found myself a little too curious to wait. I beg pardon for my forwardness—you may remember I am normally not so bold.”

Elizabeth smiled. “I do remember, and I truly do not mind at all that you have come,” said she, then she turned gestured to Mary, who stood across the room with Ned hiding behind her skirts—though he peeked around his cousin with curious eyes.

“May I present my son, Edward; and my cousin, Miss Mary Bennet. Ned, Mary, our visitor is Miss Georgiana Darcy.

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