She had not enjoyed a solitary walk since several days before the wedding, and she had arguably gone through the most tumultuous time of her life in the last month. Surely she was entitled to a little air and privacy? Deciding it would be better to have some time to herself to regain her equilibrium before snapping at her husband, she dismissed her maid and told her to tell Mr. Darcy that she would meet him in the dining room for supper after her hair had dried.

She stepped out onto the balcony off her bedchamber and looked at the sun glowing orange as it set and breathed in the clean air gratefully. She made herself comfortable in a lounge chair and leaned back with her eyes closed.

She fell asleep quickly and finally awoke when she heard muffled voices in a nearby room. She sat up and looked around, suddenly wishing Fitzwilliam was with her. What a changeable creature I am!

“Good, you are awake,” said Fitzwilliam as he stepped onto the dark balcony.

She looked around groggily. He was arranging dishes of food on a table to her right. A few candles were lit, but most of the light was provided by the moon.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Supper. I took the liberty of having it sent to my room.” He nodded in the direction of a door on the other side of the balcony. “After I saw you were asleep, I thought this would be better.”

She looked down and saw a small, soft blanket was draped around her. “Thank you,” she said, pointing to the cover.

“You’re welcome.”

He continued to fill the plates in silence before eventually handing her one and sitting down across from her with the other plate. She nibbled slowly, still waking up.

“It’s very peaceful here, isn’t it?” she said after some time.

“Yes, very. That is one of the reasons I thought it would be a perfect location for a wedding trip, besides you having wished it, of course.”

“Have you been here many times before?”

“Only twice. Once while at Cambridge and then with my father six years ago. He was a close friend of Mr. Lansdowne, Sr.”

“It was very kind of him to share it with you.”

“He is a kind man. I hope to introduce you before we return to town. The family has an estate in Staffordshire, not fifty miles from Pemberley.”

“And what is fifty miles of good road?” she asked with a smile.

“When there is money enough to make traveling easy, it is as nothing,” he rejoined.