Chapter 1 – Confined with Mr. Darcy

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I made the announcement on Friday, telling you about my new story, and now, it’s time to start previewing! I’ve seen the preliminary sketches from Andrea for the cover, and she assures me everything is going well. I can’t wait for you to see the final. Her sketch of Pemberley is awesome and I’m not even counting her adorable sketch of Elizabeth.

Anyway! Other than a few small bits to tie up, the ebook is formatted. I’m having one last read-through before it goes off to my first proofreader. In the meantime, I’m going to start posting chapters for you here. Unless something crazy comes up, release is June 1st!

So, things you should know about this one.

Title so far – Confined with Mr. Darcy (I mean who wouldn’t want that?!)
Word count – roughly 25, 000 (so novella length)
Chapter count – 10 chapters
Angst meter– This is as fluffy as I get. Hopefully, you like it 😉
Are there sex scenes – No, not on this one. With me donating a part of the proceeds to Jane Austen House Museum, I kept it to kisses and cuddles.

*50% of the first month’s royalties are being donated to
Jane Austen House Museum’s Covid-19 relief. 

So, without further ado, here’s the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

As soon as William Darcy’s foot hit the pavement, he paused. “What am I doing?” He shook his head and strode towards the front steps of the old Victorian home in London. Before his foot landed on the first step, he pivoted sharply on his heel and started back to his car, turning right back around before he stepped from the kerb. “Gah!” he growled, making a woman stare at him as though he had three heads and smoke coming from his ears. The woman pulled her little girl closer and quickly past almost bumping into a ground floor window box, its daffodils and hyacinth basking in the March sun. The child continued to skip happily, oblivious to his ranting and raving. “Obviously, I’m going mental,” he muttered.

He’d told her sister Jane he’d do this, so he had to, right? He had an obligation. He’d tied himself into it. Who was he kidding? He was really doing this due to his not-so-stalkerish obsession with her sister. He’d turn back twenty times on his trip to Pemberley if he didn’t ensure Elizabeth was at least okay. He’d only been in love with her for a year or so. A painful, dragging hot needles across your skin year.

Darcy jogged up the steps and stopped at the door intercom system, reading down the list of names: Newnham . . . Oliver . . . Deaton . . . However, before he reached the name he searched for, a woman exited the door and he scooted inside, running up the flight of stairs to the first floor. He rounded the bannister and the flat stood directly in front of him. Music filtered into the corridor from her flat, so he knocked loudly in order to be heard and held his breath. The music softened and he knocked a little harder, as if the noise needed emphasis.

“Darcy?” She must’ve checked through the peephole first, her voice muffled by the door until it opened. When she appeared in the doorway, her dark eyes wide, he shifted on his feet. Lord, she was beautiful, even in that ratty, oversized hoodie and leggings. “Has something happened with Charles and Jane?”

He swallowed hard. Standing in front of the woman who’d owned a starring role in his every fantasy for the past year as well as every nightmare for the last month was hard enough without summoning the courage to speak. “No, they’re fine. Bingley managed to sort out two seats on the next flight home to England. They’ll land in Manchester in a few hours.” With the Greek sun, a seaside view, a pool, a hot tub, and the woman of his dreams, Darcy wouldn’t have been too keen to travel in a cramped airplane for the five- or six-hour trip, but Bingley and Jane had obviously had their reasons for wanting to return to the U.K.

“Thank goodness,” said Elizabeth, all breathy and pressing her hand to her chest. He could think of a million ways he’d love to hear that voice, but this wasn’t one of them.

He cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ve offered Bingley and your sister the use of the old gamekeeper’s cottage at Pemberley to quarantine and to continue their honeymoon for the next few weeks. I’m leaving for Pemberley directly. Since you work from home already, I thought you might prefer to be in the country, and closer to Jane at the same time.”

The words had rushed out in one long, rambling mess. He couldn’t speak and behave normally around this woman! He shoved his hands further into his pockets, his shoulders hunching around his ears. Could he be any more awkward?

“You’re inviting me to Pemberley?” The words were slow and evenly spaced. If he couldn’t gather her disbelief at the way she spoke, her jaw hung slightly lax and her high eyebrows screamed volumes. “If this pandemic continues as some are predicting, I could be there indefinitely.”

“I understand that, but Pemberley is large enough that you can hide in your rooms for the duration if you want. When I spoke to Bingley, Jane said you couldn’t work at Longbourn because of your younger sisters. You’d have peace and quiet when you need it at Pemberley as well as the ability to walk outside whenever you want without running into half of the city.”

She glanced back over her shoulder before shaking her head. “What about my cat? I can’t just leave Tilney here by himself for all that time. I also can’t ask my neighbour to feed him for that long either.”

“So bring him with you. I’ll help you pack anything you want. He can wander the house, or if you’re more comfortable, you can have a suite of rooms to yourself so he’s easier to find.” They’d never had a cat in the house at Pemberley. Hopefully, he didn’t shed too badly else Mrs. Reynolds would have a right fit about cleaning up the hair.

Elizabeth opened and closed her mouth two or three times. After her scathing refusal of his invitation for a weekend in Paris during the Rosings Book Festival last month, he knew she didn’t think much of him, but he’d emailed her that evening to explain their misunderstandings. Perhaps his words had held more venom than he’d thought. Would she really prefer remaining in London? Boy, he felt like an arse right now.

“I apologise for bothering you,” he said quickly. “If you’d like to join us, you’re welcome at any time.” He ran a hand through his hair as he turned to make his escape.

“Wait!”

When he pivoted back around, she stood in the hallway. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. You surprised me is all. I’d prefer to be in the country and near Jane, but I need to pack. I also have food that could spoil from my last delivery. Since I can’t write at Longbourn, I’d planned to hunker down for as long as possible.”

“We can bag up your groceries and bring them with us, or you can give them to a neighbour.” Her teeth scraped her bottom lip, making him fist his hands at his sides. If she had any idea of how that tiny habit turned him on, she’d keep her teeth clenched together all of the time.

“I don’t know how we’re going to fit everything in your car.”

“I’m driving the Range Rover. Pack whatever you need.”

~ * ~

Elizabeth sat as rigid as a Maypole in the passenger seat of Darcy’s Range Rover while she watched the motorway in front of them. She’d agreed to spend however long this pandemic would take at Pemberley—at Pemberley with him. No, she hadn’t really wanted to be cooped up in her flat for a month or more while they “flattened the curve,” but did she really want to spend that time with Darcy?

Jane had insisted all along that he wasn’t as bad as Elizabeth thought, but the man knew how to press every button she possessed—no, strike that—punch the bloody hell of every button she possessed. She glanced at him, studying his profile for a moment, until he started to turn and she whipped her gaze back in front of them.

“Are you cold?”

“Huh?” She jerked her head to face him. “Oh, no. I’m fine. Thank you.”

“I appreciate you helping me pack some clothes for Bingley and Jane.” When he learnt she had a key to the couple’s flat, they’d grabbed a few warmer clothes for the two of them. The shorts and bikinis Charles and Jane had packed for Santorini wouldn’t work very well for spring weather in Derbyshire.

“It was a good idea,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll be chuffed to bits that you considered it.”

“We can stop by the cottage on the way up to the house and drop off the bags. I brought him a work laptop from the office as well.” His eyes turned back to the road.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“He wouldn’t be Bingley if he wasn’t.”

She chuckled, but it came out as the tensest sound she’d ever heard. “He’s a very cheerful bloke.”

“He’s been that way for as long as I’ve known him.”

“He said the two of you met at Cambridge.” She rubbed her sweaty palms down her leggings.

Darcy checked his wing mirror. “We had a lot of our classes together.” Rather than watch his face, her gaze had migrated to his broad shoulders and further to where his biceps pulled his sleeve taut.

“Don’t you have a little sister?” she asked. She was going to hell. She was checking out his body and asking about his little sister. How depraved could she get?

“I do. Georgiana’s sixteen. You’ll meet her when we get there.”

Elizabeth trained her traitorous eyes on his face. “She’s not in school?”

“Her college is allowing her to take her classes online because of her asthma. Mrs. Reynolds is bringing her home as we speak.”

“I’m sorry, but who is Mrs. Reynolds?”

He smiled and took a quick peek at her. “She’s the Pemberley housekeeper, but she’s more like a mum to us most of the time. And don’t be sorry. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

She dropped her head back against the seat and stared at the road ahead. She’d agreed to this so she could get out of London and have the ability to eventually see Jane. If only things weren’t so uncomfortable between her and Darcy! After all, she hadn’t seen him since the Rosings Book Festival. Ugh! She’d said such nasty things to him too. She wrapped her arms around herself. How was she ever going to apologise?

“Are you sure you’re not cold?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I promise.”

He adjusted the temperature anyway before he returned his attention to the road. That was when silence fell once more—awkward, painful silence. How long could making a vaccine possibly take?

~ * ~

After they pulled up to the house and he turned off the engine, Darcy stepped out and she followed suit, picking up Tilney’s carrier from the floorboard in front of her. She’d pushed her seat back as far as it would go to make enough room for him. He’d never ridden in a car before, so she’d wanted to be able to comfort him if he needed it.

The first thing he grabbed out of the back was Tilney’s box of supplies. “Let’s go inside. Mr. Reynolds and I can return for the bags while you get him settled.”

“Sounds good.” Sheesh! Couldn’t she think of a better response? She was a writer, wasn’t she?

“There you are!” When she looked at the house, a woman stood on the steps. “I texted Mr. Reynolds, so he should be here soon to help with the bags.”

“Mrs. Reynolds,” said Darcy, “this is Elizabeth Bennet. She’s Jane Bingley’s sister and will be staying with us for a while.”

Mrs. Reynolds gave a motherly smile and nodded. “We didn’t have a chance to meet at the wedding, but I remember you. It’s lovely to meet you now.” She clapped her hands together. “Let’s get you inside.”

As they followed her through the door, the woman spoke over her shoulder. “Miss Bennet, I’ve put you in the Rose Suite. If you need anything or have forgotten something, please let me know. We keep extra toothbrushes and such for emergencies. No sense in you ordering something online when we already have it here.”

She led them through a maze of rooms and hallways until they climbed the stairs. “This side of the house is the family wing. The public rooms of the house close today, so aside from the gardeners, you shouldn’t find anyone on the grounds.”

“Feel free to wander as much as you want,” said Darcy, who walked behind her.

When Mrs. Reynolds opened the next door and Elizabeth stepped inside, she almost fainted dead away. This? She was going to spend the next few weeks in this? She peered through the door. The sitting room alone was bigger than her entire flat.

“I hope this will be acceptable?”

It was all she could do to keep from bursting out, “Are you joking?” Instead, she nodded. “It’s great, thank you.”

Darcy sat down the box. “I’m going to fetch the rest of our bags.”

“Okay.”

“Now, your bedroom is through those doors,” said Mrs. Reynolds, pointing. “Once you’ve settled in, return the way we came, go down the stairs, and take the hallway to the right. You’ll find me in the kitchen downstairs. I’ll have some tea ready for you, and we can discuss what you prefer to eat.”

“Oh, I can shift for myself.”

“Nonsense,” said Mrs. Reynolds, waving her off. “It’s part of my job.” Tilney let out a plaintive meow, making Mrs. Reynolds chuckle. “Someone doesn’t like being cooped up in that bag. Get him sorted and I’ll see you in a bit.”

After the door closed behind her, she set Tilney’s carrier on the floor. “Well, Toto, we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.” When she opened it, he burst from the top and scurried in a crouched position into the bedroom and under the bed. “Oh, dear. I do hope you won’t stay under there too long.”

Once she’d set up all his necessities, she put a little dry food near the bed hoping to draw him out. “I’m going downstairs,” she said. “I’ll be back before long.”

She nearly fell on her bum when she opened the door to Darcy standing front and centre with her suitcase. “Where do you want this?”

“I’ll take care of it when I return,” she said, reaching out for the handle. “Mrs. Reynolds asked me to come down once I situated Tilney.”

He glanced back and forth. “Where is he? I don’t want to accidentally run a wheel over his paw.”

“He’s hiding under the bed.” She peered over her shoulder into the bedroom. “He does the same thing whenever we return from the vet’s office. I’m sure he’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“Fitzwilliam!”

A girl came running down the hallway, her strawberry blonde curls trailing behind her. Darcy made an “umph” sound when she collided with him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him. “You must have been early. Mr. Reynolds didn’t expect you for at least another hour.” When she pulled back, she noticed Elizabeth.

“Georgiana—”

“Ana,” she said, rolling her eyes. “My name is Ana.”

He sighed. “Georgiana, this is Elizabeth Bennet. She’s Bingley’s new sister-in-law.”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together so she didn’t laugh at the siblings. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

“So, you’re staying with us?” Ana’s tone was odd.

“I hope that’s okay,” said Elizabeth.

“Oh! Yes, of course. I’m sorry. It’s just that my brother rarely has guests other than Bingley.”

He shifted her largest suitcase inside the door. “If you need me to move it, I don’t mind.”

Elizabeth stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her. “Thank you, but I’m sure I can manage. I should really get down to the kitchen. I don’t want to keep Mrs. Reynolds waiting.”

Ana gave a slight gasp. “Do you mind if I walk with you? I’ve been dying for an iced latte all day and she was going to make me one.”

“A latte at five in the evening?” Darcy’s voice was not at all pleased.

“A decaf,” she said over her shoulder.

“I’d love the company,” said Elizabeth. “Otherwise, I might become seriously lost.”

Darcy joined them until he stopped at a door. “If you need anything, Elizabeth, I’ll be in my study—anything at all.” He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “I don’t mind.”

Once he disappeared inside, Ana seemed to snort before she waved her onward. “This way.”

When they entered the warm, re-furbished kitchen, Mrs. Reynolds had a tea tray on the island with a cup that boasted Ana’s name in scrolling letters down the side. Ana scooped it up and plonked into a counter-height barstool. Elizabeth sat beside her as Mrs. Reynolds poured her a cup and set a small jug of milk on the counter. “It’s oat milk from your groceries. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s perfect, but I promise you don’t have to cook for me. I can do just fine on my own.” Ana’s deep laugh made her draw her eyebrows down.

“Miss Bennet—”

“Elizabeth, I’d prefer you to call me Elizabeth.”

Tell me what you think!!