not had any interest in him as a husband; she had not even, at that time, had any interest in Darcy.
She went into the drawing room, looking forward to greeting him, but the men did not hear her enter and she heard Colonel Fitzwilliam saying, ‘Are you mad? You should never have married her. What were you thinking of, Darcy?’
Elizabeth was shocked. She had not known that Colonel Fitzwilliam objected to the match. He had liked her at Rosings but it seemed that, whilst he liked her well enough as a guest of his aunt’s parson, he did not like her as Darcy’s wife.
‘Let her go, Darcy,’ he continued. ‘You can’t do this to her. Send her home.’
‘No,’ said Darcy, turning away defiantly.
As he did so, he saw Elizabeth. He held out his hand to her and she went and stood next to him, taking his arm and presenting a unified front to his cousin.
‘Well?’ demanded Colonel Fitzwilliam.
‘Well?’ returned Darcy implacably.
‘Are you not going to tell her? You owe her that much. Give her a choice.’
Darcy seemed to fight a battle within himself, then he turned towards her and searched her eyes, as if he could find the answer to his problem written there. He cupped her face with his hand.
‘Well, Lizzy, what do you say?’ he asked, looking into her eyes. ‘My cousin would like you to return to Longbourn. I want you to stay with me. Which is it to be?’
Elizabeth knew that she had not been accepted by Darcy’s family, that there had been disapproving eyes turned on her at the salon, and that she would probably never be accepted by all the Darcys, but she was not unduly concerned. She was not the kind of person to be easily intimidated, and she was certainly not going to be driven out of Europe or out of her marriage by ill will. If Colonel Fitzwilliam thought that she would crumple under a bad-natured reception, then he had much to learn about her character.
She turned to Darcy. ‘Where you go, I go. If you stay, I will stay.’
Darcy slid his arm around her waist then turned to his cousin and said, ‘You see?’
‘I see only that she does not know what it is she should fear. If you will not take my advice, speak to your uncle,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam. ‘You have always respected him. Go and see him, and be guided by him.’
She felt a relenting in Darcy and he said, ‘I had already decided to do so. Elizabeth and I are going to visit him after we finish our sojourn in Paris. Now, if you will excuse us, we are going out riding.’
‘I am surprised you can find a horse to carry you,’ Colonel Fitzwilliam said darkly.
‘I brought my own from the Pemberley stables,’ Darcy said. ‘It travelled with us, tethered to the back of the coach.’
‘I should have guessed,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam. Then, saying, ‘Darcy. Mrs Darcy,’ he made them a curt bow and took his leave.
Elizabeth looked at Darcy enquiringly as he left the room.
‘What was all that about?’ she asked. ‘Does he disapprove of our marriage, or does he think that I am expecting your family to welcome me? Does he think I do not know that there are some among them who will never accept me, and does he really think me so poor spirited I will be afraid of a cutting remark or a cold shoulder?’
‘Elizabeth—’
‘Yes?’ she asked.
He looked as though he was about to say something more and suddenly she felt a sense of dread, as though there were something dark lurking beneath the surface of her life, something which threatened her world, her security, her happiness. But then he stroked her hair and everything was as it should be. He relaxed, and she relaxed as well.
‘No matter. The horses are ready. Let me see if I can convince you to enjoy Paris from horseback.’
They went out into the street, and there in front of the house was Darcy’s impressive black stallion and the sweetest mare Elizabeth had ever seen. Although she was no horsewoman, she had lived in the country all her life and she knew that the mare was exceptional.
‘She is called Snowfall,’ said Darcy.
The name suited her. She was white, with a long mane and tail, no more than fourteen hands high with slender legs and nicely sloping shoulders. Her neck was arched and she had an overall air of elegance.
Darcy made a sign to the groom, who