To Marry a Man for His Library by Elaine Burkett

Author:Elaine Burkett [Burkett, Elaine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mercenary Lizzy, Read
Goodreads: 202289709
Published: 2023-11-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Two days later, Elizabeth sent her coach and a maid to Longbourn to transport Kitty to Darcy House. Elizabeth was waiting for her in the front drawing room.

Kitty was awed by the size and delicate grandeur of the house. After giving Elizabeth a hug in greeting, she sat down to chat.

“Lizzie, I can’t believe how amazing your new home is. And your carriage. It was so comfortable. Are you very rich? You’re so lucky. Thank you for inviting me to stay with you. Lydia threw an absolute fit that she was not invited, too.”

Elizabeth laughed. This was just the sort of cheering up she needed. “You know, Kitty, I can only respond to one thing at a time.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I know I’m just prattling away. Honestly, Lizzie, I’m just nervous. I’ve never been anywhere so grand. Not even Netherfield was like this.”

Elizabeth seized on this new topic. “Speaking of Netherfield, how are Mr. Bingley and Jane doing?”

Kitty got an amused look in her eyes. “He has called at Longbourn almost every day since you left. Every day, Mama keeps expecting he will propose, but he hasn’t yet.” She leaned forward in mock secrecy. “Personally, I think he would propose faster if Mama would stop trying so hard.”

“You may be right, Kitty, but I’m afraid none of us will ever convince Mama.” Elizabeth reached for the bell and rang it. A maid appeared almost instantly, and Elizabeth asked for tea and refreshments to be brought. She then leaned towards Kitty. “I had them make your favorite apricot tarts this morning.”

Once tea was delivered and served by Kitty, they settled in for a long chat. Kitty shared all the news from home in her prattling chatty manner. Elizabeth soaked it all in. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed her sisters and all her family.

One of the tidbits Kitty shared was that the militia would be moving to Brighton for the summer. Mrs. Forster, who was about Kitty’s age, had invited Lydia to join her there, but Papa had refused his permission. From Kitty’s perspective, this had simply made Lydia intolerable to be around. For the last two days, when she wasn’t complaining about not being invited to Darcy house, she was whining about missing Brighton.

Elizabeth, however, found this to be good news. It was heartening that Papa had, for once, listened to Elizabeth’s pleas enough to refuse his consent for Lydia to go to Brighton. It gave her hope that her father would gradually try to reign in Lydia’s poor behavior.

After about an hour or so, Mr. Darcy joined them, but he was no longer the friendly, open Mr. Darcy she had married. He was back to his taciturn, silent self she had known in Hertfordshire.

Elizabeth tried to draw him into the conversation, but it was difficult since she and Kitty tended to speak of people and places that Mr. Darcy knew little about. After half an hour of near silence, he departed and left them to each other’s company.

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