Mr. Darcy's Secret

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Authors: Jane Odiwe
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feeling that her sister Elizabeth might take the opportunity to tease her about Mr Butler and she did not think such raillery could be borne at present. Besides, Tom Butler, though kind and gentleman-like was rather too sure of himself for her liking. And that was part of the trouble. Georgiana did like him, but his charm and manners reminded her too well of someone else she had at one time preferred to any other and too much for her own good. Men were not to be trusted, she decided, as they trotted along away from Lambton village, and was thankful that it was unlikely that she should see much of him in the foreseeable future.

Chapter 6
    Once home, Elizabeth could not wait to tell Mr Darcy all about their new acquaintances and rushed along to the room where he spent a portion of his day working on estate matters with his steward. Lizzy was glad to find him alone and ran to his side, stealing a kiss before there was any chance of them being disturbed. She had soon told him all about their visit to the Butlers' house in Lambton and about how impressed she had been by young Thomas. "I'm sure you would like him, my love, and it would be something to help the family. I do not know how Mrs Butler fares financially and whether her husband left her well provided. I am sure she has a comfortable home, but that she is not wealthy is plain to see. The fact is that her son Thomas provides for her and he is only just starting off in his chosen profession. What do you think, would you be prepared to meet him? I'm sure we could think of something that needs doing on the estate."
    "By all means, my dear. If they are friends of Mrs Gardiner's I am sure they must be decent people. A widow's lot is very hard and it would seem her husband was a commendable gentleman. Let it be your scheme, my love. You decide what should be done; I'm sure we could do with another prospect and a temple or two up on the higher reaches of our grounds. Perhaps we should give your proposal a name. What do you think? Mrs Darcy's Dell has a good ring to it, don't you think?"
    "Fitzwilliam Darcy, I believe you are teasing me. Well, I shall take on the challenge and you shall see. Mr Butler and I will make something quite new for posterity that will combine elegant improvement with sense and economy."
    Mr Darcy turned back to his desk and picked up a pile of papers waiting to be dealt with.
    "I know what that shuffling of papers means," cried Elizabeth. "You have a lot to do and are trying to get rid of me. Very well, I shall go, but on one condition only," she said, standing next to him and giving him the benefit of a long look from her fine dark eyes.
    "I have conditions of my own, you know," Mr Darcy said, taking her with a swift movement into his arms and holding her so tightly she thought she might stop breathing altogether. "If you will kiss me, Mrs Darcy, I promise never to shuffle another piece of paper as long as I live."
    Elizabeth willingly submitted, allowing Mr Darcy to kiss her as many times as he wished. She did not consider herself to be artful, but she did wonder as she gazed up at him if now might be a good time to try and talk to him about his aunt and how he might write to her with an invitation to Pemberley. A further fifteen minutes of temperate persuasion, gentle reasoning, and considered rationale punctuated with the caresses of a loving wife did the trick.
    "You must show your aunt that you are undaunted by her behaviour and forgive her folly, for you are the greater person for not allowing such a resentment to take hold. Please invite her to Pemberley, Fitzwilliam. I do not want to cause a permanent rift between you and your family. After all, Lady Catherine is your dear mother's sister. I am sure Mrs Darcy would have expected you to do what is right. Ignore her pettiness: Georgiana is quite correct. You'll see, Lady Catherine's bark is worse than her bite; she will not be able to resist coming to see us, if only to observe what she perceives as

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