Page 71 of When Elizabeth Said Yes

Elizabeth and Georgiana sat together on one side of the coach, opposite Darcy. He had wished her a good morning, but that had been the extent of the contact between the two.

They were married now. Surely it shouldn't be the same as it had been the day before.

The weather was decent, and they made good time, pausing only to briefly stretch their legs and change horses, right up until they approached the inn where Darcy planned for them to stay that night.

The inn was busy – it seemed many people were travelling, perhaps thanks to the fine weather – and so when Darcy went to procure rooms, there were only two to be had.

He swallowed and glanced at Elizabeth. Georgiana had waited at a table, and she looked dead on her feet.

"Is there a problem?" Elizabeth asked.

Darcy cleared his throat. "I intended to secure three rooms so that you might have some space, considering the situation is new to us both," he said in a staccato fashion.

"Right," Elizabeth said.

"But they only have two rooms. I suppose you and Georgiana could share and—"

"Darcy," she said, putting her hand on his forearm – their first physical contact since they had been married and left that church. Although since it was in public and through clothes, it was hardly very intimate.

"We are wed," she said softly, feeling a touch embarrassed that she seemed to need to remind him. "It would be rather unusual for me to share a room with your sister, would it not?"

Did he want to be apart from her so much that he thought his sister would not notice that he was not sharing a chamber with his own wife?

Perhaps she had hurt him more than she realised with her honesty before they had married.

But they were married, and whilst thankfully the separate rooms at Netherfield had not been noticed, or at least she didn't think so, this situation certainly would be.

"Right. Yes, of course," Darcy said, and then he turned back to the innkeeper, who was very definitely listening to their conversation. "Both rooms, please. And can you send supper up? My sister needs to sleep."

"Of course, sir," the innkeeper said, and Darcy paid for the rooms before turning back to Elizabeth.

"You needn't look so scared," she said, trying to lighten the mood, because she didn't really understand what was going on between them. "I don't bite."

"Of course not," Darcy said, entirely seriously, and she sighed.

An interesting start to their married life indeed.

They returned to the table and told Georgiana that they had secured rooms.

"You should go up now," he said to his sister. "They'll send food up. You look exhausted."

Georgiana smiled at her brother and nodded. "I am. I confess I have not travelled so much in a day before. It has quite worn me out."

"We'll only be in a room down the corridor," he said. "We'll come up with you now."

Darcy was feeling rather wound up about the fact that there was only one bedchamber available for him and Elizabeth, not because he did not want to share it with her, but because he had no idea how he would keep his plan of keeping things platonic between them until she was more sure of her feelings.

But still, it was the only option, and as she said, it would look very odd for her to share a room with his sister when they were married.

And only just married, at that. The last thing Darcy wanted was gossip.

They followed the innkeeper upstairs, who showed them to their rooms, and after making sure Georgiana was settled, he and Elizabeth retired to their own room.

It felt decidedly odd to shut the door behind him with them both in it, but then, of course, it was perfectly acceptable.

He smiled at her. "You must be tired after all the travelling."

She shook her head. "Not really," she said. "Travelling doesn't particularly fatigue me."