{"id":2220,"date":"2018-01-29T07:59:13","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T12:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2018-11-15T09:39:21","modified_gmt":"2018-11-15T14:39:21","slug":"chapter-2-summer-shame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elizabethannwest.com\/author\/readingroom\/chapter-2-summer-shame\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 2 A Summer Shame"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Who takes a holiday in Scotland indeed LOL \ud83d\ude42 (I would LOVE to take a holiday there, for the record)<\/p>

XOXOXO Elizabeth Ann West<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chapter 2 - A Summer Shame, a Pride and Prejudice Variation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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An open barouche jostled and bounced its way down the winding path to Starvet House, carrying the party from London relieved at last to be on dry land. Lydia Bennet sat with her back to the driver, so it was Elizabeth who gasped first when she spied the ancient manor home situated on a vista of verdant rocky fields.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cAnd this\u2014this is only one of your homes?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cOne of our homes, Mrs. Darcy. One of our homes,\u201d Mr. Darcy replied with a twinkle in his eye.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lydia wore a sour face, but soon curiosity bested her restraint. With an audible groan, she crossed her arms and turned in her seat. The grand scale of the home dissipated her desire to quarrel over her well-intentioned captivity. She brightened and asked a dozen questions of Mr. Darcy, much in the style of her mother.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cHow many rooms are there? How many servants? Oooh, I bet the ballroom is simply divine!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mr. Darcy cleared his throat and adjusted his weight next to his wife. His lovely bride took over her sister\u2019s inquisition. \u201cLyddie, this is not a social visit. I\u2019m afraid you will be quite restricted in your activities.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cRestricted? But no one knows me out here! I thought that\u2019s why you dragged me along on your wretched wedding trip in the first place!\u201d After a pause, she muttered to herself \u201cWho goes to Scotland for holiday anyway? It is so unfashionable.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMiss Lydia, the local populace may not know you, but they and the servants most certainly know me. My family has owned this home for over a hundred years. It is best we keep to a low profile whilst we are in residence. After your condition is improved, we shall return to London, and I will be happy to show you the diversions you require.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lydia flashed Mr. Darcy a flirtatious smile which made Elizabeth narrow her eyes in jealousy. Would no one check her sister? \u201cDiversions conditional upon your behavior while we visit Starvet House,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

The barouche came to a halt in front of the main oxblood doors, heavy with medieval styling. As the wooden portals creaked open, a team of footmen in plaid livery exited to hand the party down from the equipage. Miss Lydia was handed down first, though she managed to make a face and stick her tongue out at her sister before she accepted assistance. Mr. Darcy moved to exit the barouche to hand down his wife, personally.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

For a moment, Elizabeth and William locked eyes, lost in their own world. Elizabeth spotted the years of loneliness melting away from the fine lines near his eyes, and as she offered him a genuine smile, the gentleman returned\u00a0one\u00a0with equal delight.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

“It is so hot! Must we stand outside in this dust?” Lydia whined.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

The spell of arriving home for the first time as husband and wife shattered.\u00a0The carriages with\u00a0their trunks began to pollute the air with more dust as they too came to a halt behind the barouche. Elizabeth clasped her husband\u2019s arm as he escorted her up the worn, cobbled steps to Starvet House, checking her intense annoyance with her sister lest the servants think her cross.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMr. Darcy, so happy to see your safe travels, sir. Oh, Mrs. Darcy, such a pleasure ma\u2019am that you would come to our little corner of Haddington for your wedding trip! Cook has a leg of mutton, your favorite, Mr. Darcy, and your rooms are ready for you to rest.\u201d Mrs. Buchanan fussed over the party on their entry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cThank you, Mrs. Buchanan. Miss Lydia shall be retiring to her rooms, but I would like to tour the gardens with Mrs. Darcy briefly. We would like refreshments delivered in twenty minutes\u2019 time.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Lydia began to protest, but a Master of Pemberley look from Mr. Darcy immediately limited the girl in her lament. A maid appeared to escort Lydia up the grand staircase, and Mr. Darcy led Elizabeth through the home to the back doors.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

The glass doors opened onto a relatively wild moor with artificially laid, weather-worn stone paths winding throughout.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhat a curious design! Which path shall we take?\u201d Elizabeth asked as it appeared five different paths ended right where they were standing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cThose dark grayish rocks will take you to the stables, the lighter gray to the barn. The grassy covered stones lead to the main road and\u00a0into\u00a0the village beyond, and the moss-covered stones end at the lake. But this one will see us to those bluffs yonder overlooking the sea.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

With a giggle, Elizabeth grabbed Darcy\u2019s hand and started skipping along the path to the bluffs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo, Elizabeth, I asked for refreshments, I had planned to show you the stables and barn, and return here for a repast.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Elizabeth continued to laugh and released her husband’s hand to skip ahead. With a quick motion, she untied the ribbon of her bonnet and clutched the offending article in her hand. With her other hand, she released a few pins to allow the tight tresses framing her face to flow freely behind her. The breeze whipped around her to present William with the most pleasing sight of his wife\u2014young, free, and brave.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

A few yards ahead, she turned and smiled. \u201cCome, Mr. Darcy. Where is your sense of adventure?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

William took a deep breath and prayed for patience, but ever the dutiful husband, he tarried on after his spirited wife. And if he happened to be smiling while chasing her, it was a demonstration of his newly emerging disposition to be a man lucky in matrimony.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Mrs. Buchanan spied the young couple dashing off through the window and clapped her hands in a small, rapid succession. She had heard it was a love match from Mrs. Kensington, the housekeeper of Darcy House in London, but to see it with her own eyes was a blessing indeed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cOf a\u2019 the airts the wind can blaw\u2026\u201d she whispered.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cMrs. Buchanan?\u201d A young maid startled the older woman from her ruminations, causing Mrs. Buchanan to turn around.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cAye, Anna, what is it?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cCook wonders\u00a0if Mr. and Mrs. Darcy be wanting wine or whiskey with their food?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\u201cOh, tell Cook not to bother now but to keep the mutton warm. I suspect they\u2019ll be a little longer.\u201d The older woman smiled at the confused young maid.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

Humming a little tune, Mrs. Buchanan absently jingled the keys of the manor as she headed upstairs to check on the young lady who had arrived with the Darcys. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

She had a feeling there would be a difficult interview with Mr. Darcy on the morrow, and it would be best to learn what she could to avoid showing shock in front of the master. The specific request of employing the services of the local midwife had raised her hopes it was just an early anticipation for a Darcy heir, but this appeared to be an unfortunate situation for\u00a0all.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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