Welcome back to Austen Promises!
As with my last several posts, this one has no relation to any other post. It’s just a random scene out of my head, and one I greatly enjoyed doing. I was inspired to write this by my friend, Rose Fairbanks, who is currently unpacking after another move. <3 This is a Regency, in case it’s not clear from the story.
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Elizabeth Darcy was in her dressing room at Pemberley, supervising the packing of her clothes. She and her husband and two small children were moving house for a few months. They were going to London, to their palatial townhouse on Grosvenor Square, for the season.
“Yes, I believe we should pack those, as well. They are my favorite shoes, and I am certain I will be able to wear them to some event or other.”
“Very good, Mrs. Darcy.” The maid curtseyed and added the darling purple slippers to a nearby trunk, already almost full to the brim with dancing slippers, half-boots, and pattens.
The door to the hallway opened behind Elizabeth, and she turned to look through the dressing room doorway, seeing her husband enter her bedroom. “I am in here,” she called.
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth’s husband and the master of Pemberley, heard his wife’s call and strode across the bedchamber to peek into the dressing room. “It looks like your closet exploded, my love,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek.
Ruefully, Elizabeth agreed. “You should see the nursery,” she said. “I left Nanny in charge of that room. She and the nursery maids tried to pack everything up while Bennet and Jane were asleep, but it seems their naps did not last long. I think they know some big change is coming and their excitement is getting the best of them.”
Darcy chuckled. “I suspect you are correct. When I peeked in just now, Nanny had Jane on one side of the room, and the maid had Bennet on the other. They were making a game of it, near as I could tell.”
“As long as the packing is getting done, I do not care how the task is carried out,” Elizabeth declared. “Nanny and the maids are the ones who have to deal with it, not I.”
“Spoken like a truly harried mother.” Darcy kissed Elizabeth’s cheek again and let her go. “Are you needed here any longer?”
Elizabeth looked around. “Well …,” she hesitated.
“Truly, my love, you have servants for a reason. Do you not trust Jenny to supervise in your absence?”
“Of course I trust her! She loves my gowns as much as I do!” Elizabeth caught sight of her maid’s shaking shoulders and rolled her eyes.
“Then allow her to complete the task without you hovering.”
Elizabeth sighed. Darcy had told her many times over the course of their seven-year marriage that she needed to stop trying to control every little detail. “Very well,” she conceded. Turning to her maid, she said, “I will leave you to it, Jenny. Please call me if you need anything.”
Jenny cleared her throat as she turned around. Keeping her face as stiff as she could, she curtseyed and replied, “Yes, Mrs. Darcy.”
Elizabeth stared at Jenny for just a moment, eyes narrowed. She strongly suspected the maid was amused by Elizabeth’s conversation with her husband. It would not be the first time her personal servant had sided with Darcy in some matter. However, Jenny was too good a maid and too sweet a person for Elizabeth to hold a grudge against, so in the end, she simply winked and said, “Enjoy yourself.” Then, with a grin, she took Darcy’s arm and allowed him to lead her down the stairs and out the door to walk in the gardens.
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What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment for me! <3
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So cute. It amazes me how you do this. I could write such a scene as part of something bigger, but would struggle to write something this good on the spur of the moment.
😀 I love writing these little scenes. They’re so much fun. <3 I'm glad you like them. 🙂