A Husband's Duty: Pemberley Tales

By Aurora Fairfax

With Lady Catherine as guest at Pemberley, Elizabeth Darcy is only too happy to flee the house for one of her lengthy walks over Pemberley’s grounds. Especially as Lady Catherine considers it her duty to educate Elizabeth about her duties as a wife. And what she might expect and demand from her husband.

Darcy decides to join her and show her that he takes his duties as a husband very seriously. It is a good thing that their favorite clearing in the woods is rather remote and secluded.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aurora Fairfox
• Release date: Apr 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386820642

Book preview

A Husband’s Duty

Elizabeth sighed when she stepped into the wood’s cool shade. After several days of drizzling rain and general unpleasantness, she’d  been delighted to see that the weather had cleared up. Today she had been able to head out for one of her regular walks. After the rain of the last few days, it was finally dry enough and surprisingly warm. It felt almost as if they would have a pleasant autumn and she was already curious how Pemberley would change with the season.

Wandering around the countryside had always been her way to mull over issues or to escape her family’s antics for a while. Now she also used it to connect with her tenants and to learn about their lives and worries. It gave her a new perspective into being Mistress of an estate as huge and complex as Pemberley. She was still learning so many new things. Mrs. Reynolds, Pemberley’s long-time house-keeper was a huge help, as was her darling Darcy. He always took time out of his schedule to explain things to her or answer her questions. He also often tried to join her on her walks.

The last week had been unusually challenging as Lady Catherine and her daughter Anne had arrived on Saturday for a lengthy visit. Ever since, Elizabeth had been unable to escape Lady Catherine’s criticism which was often presented as well-meaning advice. While some of the issues Lady Catherine raised were important and her advice helpful, it was beginning to grate and Elizabeth had to fight for patience. Darcy tried to run interference when he could but of course, he spent parts of the days away to take care of business and deal with the management of Pemberley and his other investments, while Elizabeth was left alone with the other ladies of the house.

She’d come to realize that Anne was actually a very sweet woman who would probably benefit from improved company and the chance to get away from Lady Catherine’s rather dominant personality. The encounter between Lady Catherine and her sister Catherine had been interesting to say the least. Kitty had been downright intimidated and cowed into behaving properly. Lady Catherine seemingly had decided to take Kitty under her wing when she wasn’t busy looking over Elizabeth’s shoulder and berating