I spit out my tea rereading this during the Mary and Aunt Madeline scene. BWAHAHAH Let me know if you do too!
XOXOXO Elizabeth Ann West
Chapter 5 - A Summer Shame, a Pride and Prejudice Variation
Playing a triumphant nine, Elizabeth Darcy laughed. “Fifteen for two!” She pegged her points, desperately trying to catch up to Lydia’s pegs on the cribbage board.
Lydia played a seven. “Twenty-two,” she said flatly.
“Thirty for a run of four!” Elizabeth wiggled in her seat after playing her eight, marching her pegs four more spaces.
“Go.”
Elizabeth frowned. “Are you even attending the game? You are winning you know.”
Lydia pushed back from the table and stood, her round belly weighing her thin frame down. She rubbed her midsection and paced. “I so wish to go out of doors, to shop, to do anything but sit inside and read or play cards with my sister!”
Elizabeth frowned and picked up the cribbage board and playing cards annoyed that her efforts to cheer her sister met with failure. “There is nothing I can do to undo your tragic decisions. Do not be mistaken in thinking I enjoy spending my wedding trip fulfilling the whims of a mad woman heavy with child.”
For two months now, Elizabeth had endured the rants and ravings of her youngest sister who still refused to accept even an ounce of responsibility for her condition. There was no remorse, no contrition, only constant whining, and complaints. Elizabeth Darcy had reached her limit.
Mr. Darcy stood outside the door, listening to the latest sisterly spat and chose an opportune moment to enter. Elizabeth rose to greet her husband, inquiring if his work was finished for the day.
“Yes, madam, though we’ve had a delivery and I wondered if you might assist me?”
Elizabeth glanced at Lydia who made a face and crossed her arms before asking the maid for more refreshments. Resisting the urge to remind Lydia she had eaten luncheon recently, Elizabeth pressed her lips together and accepted her husband’s arm.
She began to giggle as he escorted her upstairs, but her expectations came to a halt when he led them to her bedroom, not his. Laid out upon the bed was a riding habit of the latest fashion, a long coat in a military style with matching slit skirt.
“I know horseback riding is not your preferred mode of transportation, but I had hoped, that perhaps if you would try a few lessons, you might ride out with me on occasion?”
“Yes!”
“Now, I know lessons are daunting . . . wait, did you say yes?”
Elizabeth spun around with a broad smile for her husband. “Yes! Anything, everything to remove me from the company of that spoiled child!”
Darcy chuckled and accepted his wife’s embrace, looking over her head at the handsome riding habit he selected from a fashion print of his sister’s back in London. “Would now be too soon?”
Elizabeth shooed her husband out and called for Becky. It was not until she wore the full outfit, complete with a beaver hat matching the fine fur lining the jacket, that the weight of her decision rested on her shoulders.
The woman in the mirror stood fearless, regal, and commanding, but the Mrs. Darcy staring at the reflection trembled at the thought of mounting a massive beast and relying on its good sense for her safety. Elizabeth’s thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of another in the mirror, a tall, handsome man in the tightest of breeches that left little to the imagination. For him, she would be strong.
Chapter 5(cont'd) - A Summer Shame, a Pride and Prejudice Variation
As they reached the paddock on the far side of the stables, Darcy pressed an apple into her hand. “I couldn’t possibly eat, sir.”
“It’s for the horse.”
A beautiful chestnut brown pony stood in the paddock, tufts of lighter hair hung loosely along its hooves, matching its mane and tail. Elizabeth had never seen such a sturdy breed of horse, though compact in size. She held out the apple, and the horse clopped over to eat the treat from her hands, making her squirm in excitement. Once she calmed, she stroked the animal’s muzzle, finding kindness in the dark, black eyes.
“I do not see a saddle; surely I’m not to learn to ride bareback?” Elizabeth laughed as the horse snorted as if in response to her tease.
“No, Elizabeth. As I instructed my sister, I shall instruct you. First, you must learn to saddle a horse.”
“But William, will not the grooms saddle my horse?” Elizabeth did not mind learning new skills, but this was quite peculiar.
Darcy grabbed the sidesaddle from where it rested on the fence and motioned for Elizabeth to come over to the box. “Tomorrow, you’ll learn to put reins on a horse, but first I want you to sit upon your new friend while I lead you around the paddock.”
As Elizabeth joined him at the box, he deposited the saddle into her arms, causing her to shrink slightly under the weight until she adjusted. He clicked his tongue, and the horse obediently approached. As Darcy instructed her where to place the saddle and how to fasten the straps, she was at last introduced to her friend.
“This is Zanzibar.” Elizabeth greeted the horse by name and remarked on the exotic sounding name to which Darcy responded. “All of Captain Tompkins’ horses are similarly named.”
“The Captain breeds horses?” Elizabeth was all astonishment and doing her best to draw out the moment when her husband would ask her to mount this Zanzibar creature.
“His access to ports around the world brings a rather interesting variety to his breeds, Zanzibar here is a cross between a Belgian draft and a local mare, producing a sturdy, short pony. Perfect for a certain wife of mine.” William smiled wide enough for her to see his dimples and Elizabeth knew the time had come.
With a deep breath, she accepted his assistance to mount which he promised to offer only this one time. Feeling more and more like he was teaching her to swim by tossing her into the middle of a pond, Elizabeth tried to still her nerves as she was now two-and-a-half times as high as she was accustomed.
“I am going to lead you around the paddock, and you can hold Zanzibar’s mane, it will not hurt him.”
Elizabeth clutched a handful of the horse’s mane, uttering her apologies.
“Concentrate on holding your balance. It’s important to find your natural seat and find a rhythm with your mount.”
Feeling ridiculous, Elizabeth tried to find what Mr. Darcy called her natural seat but wondered if she was failing miserably. At last, he urged her to close her eyes and let go of the horse’s mane.
“Are you mad? I shall fall!”
Darcy stopped the horse’s leisurely walk and reached to touch his wife’s gloved hands. “I shall not let you fall. Trust me.”
With a deep breath, Elizabeth released the mane and closed her eyes. She heard Mr. Darcy click his tongue and at first, she was desperately afraid of falling but squeezed the pommel with her right knee. She still found the entire exercise unsettling, and once she endured a few rounds, Mr. Darcy stopped the lesson to change saddles.
“Will you ride Zanzibar?”
Darcy laughed. “Heavens no, I’m too tall for him. Tell me, how did you like riding?”
Elizabeth wrinkled up her nose, an expression she knew her husband found enduring. “Unpleasant I’m afraid. Papa tried to teach me, but I never took well to the lessons.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” he whispered into her ear as he bent down for a quick kiss on her cheek. Her husband removed the sidesaddle and accepted a smaller, astride saddle from the groom before he disappeared back into the stable. Again, Elizabeth was instructed on how to buckle the saddle and about placement.
“I must say, you never explained why I must know how to saddle the horse on my own. I confess I am curious.”
Darcy sighed, surprised Elizabeth could not guess. “To ride a horse is freedom. It is a necessity, a luxury, and at times, the only means of escape. I will not have any women of my protection unable to harness and ride all means of transportation available to them.”
“Does this mean you will teach me to drive the curricle?” Elizabeth brightened at such a possibility as she dearly hoped to one day drive a gig of her own.
“Learn to ride a horse first, dear.”
Astride Zanzibar, Elizabeth Darcy sat like a queen. She moved easily in tune with Zanzibar, and before too long, her husband had even given her the reins to walk and trot around the paddock a few times on her own.
By the end of the lesson, her hindquarters were most sore, but she felt great pride in conquering her fear of horses. More important to her was the way her husband gazed at her, a mixture of pride and lust that she found intoxicating. If riding a horse could inspire such feelings in him, she would gladly endure a sore posterior every day of the week.
WHAT A DEAL!
A kiss at the Netherfield Ball . . .
Three Dates with Mr. Darcy is a bundle of: An exclusive story, Much to Conceal, a novella that imagines what if Elizabeth confessed to Jane in London that Mr. Darcy proposed in Kent?
A Winter Wrong, the first novella in the Seasons of Serendipity series that imagines what if Mr. Bennet died at the very beginning of Pride and Prejudice?
By Consequence of Marriage, the first novel in the Moralities of Marriage series that wonders what if Mr. Darcy never saved his sister Georgiana from Wickham’s clutches?
Elizabeth Ann West’s Pride and Prejudice variations have enthralled more than 100,000 readers in over 90 countries! A proud member of the Jane Austen Fan Fiction community since the mid-2000s, she hopes you will join her in being happily Darcy addicted!
Chapter 5(cont'd) - A Summer Shame, a Pride and Prejudice Variation
* * *
Gingerly, Edward Gardiner inhaled deeply and released the edge of the credenza he was holding in the hall. He legs wobbled, but he remained upright. His wife and a few longtime servants of the family began to clap and cheer.
“That’s it, darling, you’re doing wonderfully!”
He grimaced a smile to his adoring wife, and took a step, pausing to breathe shallowly for a moment. His ribs still ached some, and his leg atrophied from his accident four months ago.
“Mr. Gardiner, you’ve won the day, sir. Only a few more!” The butler Kline encouraged his employer, standing behind him in case the man should fall.
With great concentration, and keeping any cries of pain buried deep in his gut, Mr. Gardiner took the five more steps he needed to reach his wife. As she grasped his arms in her own and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, she related to him how proud she was of his recovery.
“I told you I would walk again before the babe was born. I meant it.” Tears glistened in his own eyes, both from the exertion and this milestone of him leaving his sick room. He could not return to work quite yet, but spending part of the day in the parlor was on the schedule for him to keep the doctor at bay.
Madeline Gardiner patted her rounded belly, feeling the babe move under her hand. “Mmmm, I do believe this one might not be too far longer . . .”
As the Gardiners settled in the parlor, the arrival of Miss Mary Bennet was announced, and Madeline held her husband’s arm to keep him from trying to rise. “You’ve done enough, dear. Do not overtax yourself.”
“That is what I frequently say to you!” He playfully swatted at the back of his wife’s dress as his niece entered the room with the jubilant couple.
“Edward!” Madeline turned around, pretending to be shocked.
“Good morning, Aunt, Uncle. I am so happy to see you up and about!” Mary beamed at the sight of her uncle on the sofa as she took a seat in the armchair. Greetings exchanged, Mary removed her gloves as a servant brought a tray of refreshments. The young woman was excited to see her uncle’s progress but felt disappointed not to secure a private visit with her aunt. Mary nibbled a biscuit and filled her family in on the latest developments regarding Jane.
“She honestly struck him? I must say, I am impressed.” Mr. Gardiner smiled as he gazed out the window to the bustling street beyond. He errantly tapped his injured leg with his thumb, thinking how long until he might return to his offices. He trusted Darcy’s man to help his clerk, but there was something emasculating about relying on another’s work for his livelihood. If this was the life of a gentleman, he was quite content to remain in trade. His wife’s piercing gaze made him realize he had not attended the conversation. “Pardon me, you were saying?”
“I thought for sure you’d be most anxious to attend to your office by now.” Madeline Gardiner gave her husband a sly wink to make sure he knew she was not sending him away, but that the ladies needed a few moments alone.
“Yes, yes, I must review those latest figures.” Edward Gardiner nodded to his niece and motioned for the footman’s assistance. He resolved privately that by the end of the week he would be in possession of a fine walking stick. The potential re-injury of falling by attempting to walk on his own again was well worth the embarrassment of needing a strong arm for support.
His wife wasted no time, once the ladies were alone, to gently pat the sofa next to her. Obediently, Mary rose to join her aunt as she turned her upper body to face her niece. “Now, talk to me about the Colonel.”
Mary gasped. “How did you,” she gulped, “how did you know?”
Pursing her lips, her aunt wore an amused expression. Madeline Gardiner smiled to think all young people were so similar, so wrapped up in their own lives that they failed to consider those older and wiser had faced similar trials of the heart, too. “My dear, your eyes light up when he walks into the room. I do believe you dropped your silverware three times when we last dined at Matlock House.”
Mary hung her head, ashamed her wanton behavior was visible to all. Her aunt crooked a finger and lifted her chin. “There is no reason to be ashamed. You are blossoming into a vivacious young woman, and he is a handsome match.”
“But I am excitable around him, and I am too poor! I shall not fall like Lydia!”
Confused, Madeline used a few moments of silence that a sip of tea afforded to work through Mary’s outburst. How had she moved from rejection to fear of compromise? Was there information she did not hold? “Have you . . .” she cleared her throat to make her tone as non-judgmental as she could manage, “Have you permitted him liberties?”
Mary shook her head, then whispered, “I desire his attentions, and that is a sin and a wrong I must carry. As the woman, it is my burden not to tempt his baser instincts, and I fear I am failing.”
“Mary. Mary! I should hope by now you would stop using Fordyce’s Sermons as the measure of manners for a young lady! Heavens!” Exasperated, Mrs. Gardiner blew out a breath and smoothed a curl behind her ear.
Restoring her calm, she grasped Mary’s hands and held them tightly. “You are a beautiful, kind, vibrant young woman and any suitor would be blessed to have you as his wife. The feelings you fear are the stirrings of love. Certainly, your behavior must reflect proper decorum for you both, but there is nothing wrong with feeling attracted to the Colonel.”
Mary closed her eyes and considered if all her feelings for Richard were lustful. She imagined him hurt and a deep melancholy washed over her. She remembered his teases and verbal taunts when they were in mixed company, and her heart felt light. Opening her eyes, she gave her aunt a curious look. “How do I show him affection? How do I demonstrate the depth of my feelings?”
Mrs. Gardiner released her niece’s hands to take another sip of tea. To explain this part was tricky. Finally, she arrived at an explanation. “Your interest and genuine support of his interests will carry the point. A woman’s good opinion is one craving all men suffer, but do not recognize so until they have it.”
She could see Mary absorbed her words and began thinking of ways to implement her advice. Leaving the young girl a little privacy to her life, she changed the subject. “Have you heard from Lizzie?”
“Lydia is a complete pill!” Mary gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Forgive me, but her behavior vexes Lizzie to no end, and she holds no remorse so that I fear she is trying everyone’s patience. Oh, but Mr. Darcy has taught Lizzie how to ride. Astride!”
Madeline Gardiner coughed as she stifled a laugh at Mary’s choice to omit the word horse. “I’m sure the horseback riding is giving them plenty of reason to quit the house with Lydia inside.”
Calmer, Mary realized she was suddenly quite hungry as she had arrived at her aunt’s home with her stomach in knots. She hungrily devoured a biscuit before explaining. “Yes, they’ve ridden to their neighbor, Mr. Graham Hamilton, and she wishes me to find father’s book on sheep.” Mary wrinkled her nose in an expression reminiscent of her older sister. “Something about Mr. Darcy believes her ignorant on the subject of sheep and knowing Lizzie, she won’t tolerate any lack of knowledge on her part.”
“I believe your uncle may help you locate the tome in your father’s collection in his study.” Mary requested with a gesture if she might be excused and her aunt nodded.
As soon as Mary quit the room, Madeline Gardiner winced in pain as the little one growing within moved too high in her middle. Pressing firmly with both hands, it took a moment, but eventually, the babe acquiesced to his mother’s demands. “Stubborn already, Lord help me.” She knew it would not be too much longer now and left to find Cook to add more to the evening’s meal in case Mary wished to stay.
You’ve been reading A Summer Shame
A Summer Shame Book 3 of the Seasons of Serendipity
a Pride and Prejudice novella variation series
Release Date: November 23, 2014
33,000 words, ~162 pages in print.
The third novella in the Seasons of Serendipity sees the Bennet sisters divided by countries, not counties. Still struggling to find family stability after the death of Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth joined with her new husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy, converts her honeymoon in Scotland into a mission of hiding Lydia’s scandal. Jane Bennet, under the wing of Lady Matlock, learns that taking on the mantle of family champion comes with tight corset strings attached. Saving face in soirees with the Ton, Jane must fend off the talons of society’s climber and discovers she has a much deeper decision to make about her own future.
A Summer Shame is the third book in a series planned to chronicle 4 years of the Darcy-Bennet-Fitzwilliam families. Death, marriage, changing fortunes, and politics test Jane Austen’s wonderful characters in an alternate universe where the girls have not the protection of their father.
“I could not put this novel down! This book has a refreshing storyline that is interesting, amusing, surprising, and vivid.” – Amazon.com 5-star review on A Summer Shame
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A Jane-of-all-trades, mistress to none! Elizabeth Ann West is the author of 8 novels and 11 novellas, 18 of which are story variations of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.
Another delightful chapter and so wonderful that Darcy has taught Elizabeth to ride and help her overcome her fear of horses. Georgiana will be so surprised when she returns to Pemberly to be able to ride with Elizabeth and Darcy