An Excerpt from Confined with Mr. Darcy

With everything happening in the world, I debated about what to post today. I’d love to be able to say we’re all plugging along as usual, but I don’t think any of us feel that way right now. I’m praying by the time this posts tomorrow, things will have improved. In light of the uncertainty all of us are feeling, I decided to provide a bit of an escape with an excerpt from Confined with Mr. Darcy. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

Elizabeth closed her laptop and stood. She was desperate to get out of this room! She’d been settled in front of that computer screen for three hours, and yearned for some sun, some natural Vitamin D to soak into her pale, English skin.

“I suppose I should change out of my joggers,” she said with a laugh. She’d chosen her frumpy lounge wear more often than her nicer clothes these days, though for some reason, she’d begun wearing jeans or smart trousers downstairs, particularly at dinner.

She flipped through her clothes and pulled out her favourite faded black pair of jeans, which fit her perfectly, while at the same time still being soft and comfortable. After she pulled on a white top and grey cardie, she laced up her black Converse and headed towards the family entrance.

“Miss Bennet,” called Mrs. Reynolds when she reached the downstairs corridor, “I was just coming to see if you wanted a cuppa while you worked.”

“No, but thank you. I think I need a walk in the gardens instead, but I wanted to check in on Tilney, wherever he is.” He’d been in the room with her an hour ago, but after a massive yawn and a lengthy stretch of his legs, he’d decided greener pastures awaited outside of their rooms.

“Oh, I passed the little monster sleeping in his sunbeam only a moment ago. He’s not up to mischief, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Did I hear you were going for a walk?” She about jumped out of her skin when Darcy’s low voice rippled through her.

“I’ve been writing for the past few hours. Fresh air and some exercise would do wonders for my outlook.”

He stepped out into the hallway from his study. “I could stand a break from the reports I was reviewing. Do you mind if I join you?”

“You’re welcome to, of course.” She would never tell him no. She would be rather presumptuous to forbid him on his own property, but he’d probably have bowed out gracefully if she’d indicated he wasn’t welcome.

“Have you explored down past the bend in the river?”

“No, I haven’t been that far yet. You have so many gardens that I’m continually finding new places I haven’t seen.”

“If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll quickly run up and grab a pair of trainers.”

As he bounded up the stairs, her eyes latched onto his bare feet. Since when did Darcy work, even in his own home, in bare feet?

She glanced at Mrs. Reynolds. What was that expression on her face? She had this strange lift to her lips while she looked back and forth between them. When she noticed Elizabeth watching her, she started and peered around her. “Now, what was I doing? It never fails. I forget what I’m doing at least ten times a day.” As she turned to return to the kitchen, she peered over her shoulder. “You two enjoy your walk. If you message me on your way back, I’ll have tea waiting on the terrace.”

“Thanks,” said Elizabeth quietly, her face rather warm. Why was she constantly turning red lately? She’d only noticed his feet. It wasn’t as though Mrs. Reynolds caught her staring at his well-formed bum or something more embarrassing. She groaned and lightly stomped her foot. Since when had she started considering his bum well-formed?

As soon as he returned, he grinned and held out his arm, his hand aimed at the door. “Shall we?”

When they stepped into the sunshine, she lifted her face towards the sky. “The weather has been bizarrely sunny since lockdown, hasn’t it? It’s nothing like an English spring at all.”

“No, but I’m not going to complain too much about it. We installed solar panels on the roof last summer. I’m perfectly happy to let the sun pay my energy bill for a while. Before I had those installed, Pemberley’s energy costs were ghastly.”

Elizabeth peered back over her shoulder at the enormous house before they turned to walk along the river. “I think the power bill for my flat is costly, so I can’t imagine.”

He’d shoved his hands in his pockets while he shrugged. “Between tours, weddings, the farm, and other private functions, Pemberley supports itself. I’m extremely fortunate in that regard. My father’s goal when he opened the house to the public was to keep the estate in the family for as long as possible, and I aim to continue what he started.”

“So,” asked Elizabeth somewhat louder than she’d intended, “where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise.” He wore a small smile, but still had this formal appearance about him.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “A surprise? I hadn’t expected you to say that.”

“Don’t you like surprises?” He watched the ground in front of him while he walked. “Ana loves them as long as they’re gifts.” He chuckled. “I surprised her by taking her to a charity ball once. She was furious with me.”

“I don’t think I’d like that either.”

“Really?” The tone of his voice rose a little higher. Was it so hard to believe that she would agree with his sister?

“Well, no. I’d want to know where I was going so I could plan what to wear. What if I needed to buy a new dress, or shoes? I doubt Ana has that problem since I’ve seen her closet, but from the publishing shindigs I’ve attended, I’ve always felt like I needed to be dressed impeccably, as if I required armour. Too many Caroline Bingleys attend, women who are willing to put you down to make themselves feel more important than they really are.”

His serious expression cracked. “We have suits of armour in storage if you want to borrow one sometime.”

She halted in her tracks and stared. Had he just made a joke? Her jaw was probably resting on the tops of her Converse, but really? Who knew he had it in him?

“What?”

“You made a funny.”

He laughed all sexy and low. “Did you think I was incapable?”

“I’ve never heard you make one.”

He scratched the back of his head. “I took the mick out of Bingley in my wedding toast.”

Elizabeth nodded and started walking again. “You did, but those tend to be scripted, so I didn’t consider it an actual feat of humour.”

“You didn’t consider it real teasing because it was scripted?”

“I suppose that sounds ridiculous.” She brushed back some loose strands of hair that the wind had blown into her eyes. “You’ve never smiled or laughed very often when I’m around, so I’ll have to reassess my opinion of you.”

He gave a bark of a laugh. “I’m not sure whether that’s promising or not.”

They fell silent for a time while they continued down the dirt and gravel path. After the bend in the river, he veered off down an avenue of trees where at the end, a sculpture stood on a plinth. As they drew closer, the detail became more clearly visible. A woman stood in a dramatic pose that made her appear as though she were running while her head was turned to look behind. A sheer cloth appeared to be held to her body by the wind, though you could make out her nude form underneath. Her hair flew behind her in long locks.

“She’s beautiful,” breathed Elizabeth.

“My mother adored the artist. You can find a smaller version of this one in the library. It was my mother’s favourite, so my father commissioned the artist to create a larger version for the garden. He also bought her a different sculpture that’s in the main gallery.”

“But if she loved it so much, why did she have it placed so far from the house?”

“My parents rarely spent time in the formal gardens. Those have always been more for tourists and historical preservation than for the family. The gardeners attempt to keep those as close to historical record as possible. My parents walked out here for family picnics or for a leisurely stroll to enjoy the weather.” He pointed to a bench nestled between the trees. “They loved sitting there. Sometimes, when I walk out here, I can still see them there, hand-in-hand.”

He cleared his throat and shoved his hands back into his trouser pockets. “Since you’ve been wandering mostly around the house, I thought you might like a new place to explore. We have a folly a little farther down the river, and another Grecian temple on the hill. You can see the dome from the house if you know where to look. If you follow the avenues and walk in the direction of the rise, you’ll find it.”

Elizabeth stepped around the statue before she gave Darcy a side-long look over her shoulder. She’d never seen this side of him before. “Aren’t you full of surprises, Mr. Darcy—a sculpture, a folly, and a Grecian temple?”

“You should see my orangery,” he said with a curve to his lips.

“That sounds so dirty. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that you have the largest carrots in three counties.”

“Parsnips,” he replied with a perfectly straight face.

At that, she burst into peals of laughter so hard a tear or two leaked from her eyes. “Perhaps I should ask Mrs. Reynolds to verify whether that’s true?”

“That’s one explanation I’d rather not give.”

“You don’t want her to know that your mind wanders into the gutter?” An occasional hiccup now made her body flinch. That always happened when she laughed too hard.

“I’m sure she has some idea, but the woman has known me since I was in nappies. I’d rather not offer up definitive proof.”

He tipped his head towards the hill. “Do you want to climb up to the temple or return to the house for tea?”

She was touched he’d brought her here and shared a place that held such special memories. Her heart ached from how he’d said that he could still see his parents sitting on that bench. “I think I’m ready for tea, but thank you for showing this to me.”

He pulled his mobile from his pocket. “I haven’t walked out here in a while, but I’m glad I did. Maybe we can walk again sometime?”

Elizabeth pressed her hand to her chest when it began to flutter at his baby blues latching on to hers. “I think I would like that.”