“Yes. I have my study for business and personal use, and of course my chamber if I want to be alone, and there are a number of drawing rooms for entertaining, though if I want to meet with a friend we usually meet at the club.”

“So you have rarely used this room at all?” she asked.

“Correct. I had hoped, though, that we might make it our shared retreat. We will often have guests staying with us, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Bingley are both frequent visitors, and of course Georgiana, and I thought it might be nice to have somewhere to relax without intrusion,” he said somewhat tentatively.

“It sounds like a charming idea. If the room isn’t needed for something else, it seems like a perfectly reasonable extravagance.”

He smiled and turned her to the left. “That door leads to my bedchamber. There is also a door in the main corridor that we passed on the way in. Your room is directly across the hall. I took the liberty of having a door to the sitting room installed so that we might both have easy access to it.”

He almost hadn’t told her that he had installed the door himself and let her think that it had always been there, but something in him needed her to know that he had put it there—that he expected to use it, and her to as well, enough to make it worth having done.

She flushed and smiled nervously, then looked around. “And where is the mistress’s chamber? Through there?” She pointed to a door.

“Yes. I hope you will like it. The décor is rather outmoded but of course you may change anything you like.” He led her into the room. “I had a few things rearranged last month in anticipation of your arrival. I hope it is to your liking.”

Elizabeth looked around silently, taking in the grandeur of the furnishings and the room itself. It was easily the size of Longbourn’s drawing room and featured ornate furniture and rich draperies. Overall, it was more suited to a woman of fashion than to a country girl, but she found much to be admired in the room. She smiled slightly when she thought how Caroline Bingley would have loved this room and how she would have had the whole thing covered in silk within a week.

“What do you think?” asked Darcy.

“Oh, forgive me, sir, I was daydreaming.” She smiled and walked to the window to see what sort of view she would have.

“There is another set of apartments if you do not like this one. They are not as large, but one does have a nice view of the garden.”

“Don’t be silly, these rooms are lovely.” She spun to face him. “I can imagine it in a nice, soft blue paper. It will be very peaceful.”