The Trouble with Mr. Darcy Read Online Free PDF Page A

were well maintained and broad to accommodate heavier traffic. The rural roads they were obligated to take were not always as smooth with holes and residual muddy areas remaining from the winter rains adding to the places left damaged from the wars. Caution was necessary to avoid serious mishaps and twice they were diverted due to construction, the detour avenues inevitably worse, so the pace was slow. Then, of course, there were the higher elevations and steep hills to climb once in Switzerland that slowed the horses to a crawl and required frequent rests.
    Their armed guards rode alongside, searching the horizon and passing terrain for odd disturbances or ambush possibilities. Fate smiled upon them and nothing happened in that regard.
    Nothing horrid happened but some troubles were bound to occur. One horse lost a shoe, causing a period of anxiety as they were ascending a sharp rise at the time, but a hamlet nestled in the narrow valley beyond, providing shelter and a smith to replace the horseshoe. Upsets to scheduled nightly halts with hosts or at quality hotels were inevitable, and two times they were forced to lodge at dubious inns, all of them thankful to have packed their own bed linens and silver necessaire for dining.
    For two nights they rested at a luxurious hostelry in Geneva, the recuperation needed by all. Lizzy felt nothing beyond the typical weariness of hours in a carriage and unfamiliar housing. She experienced some nausea from time to time, but they all did with the constant swaying and pitching. Darcy worried, but not overly since it was clear that any discomfort she felt was readily erased with a brisk walk on firm ground and a full night of sleep.
    The older members suffered various aches and disturbances in their sleep, the younger members tended to suffer most from boredom, but Alexander took it all in stride. He fell asleep whenever the need struck him—soft bed, warm arms, or padded carriage bench made no difference—ate well of whatever was placed in front of him, rarely complained, stared at the passing landscape with rapt fascination, or played contentedly with his toys. It was truly remarkable, a fact the more experienced parents on the trip pointed out with increasing wonder.
    The countryside teemed with life as spring took a solid hold. Farmers were busy, the rich aroma of freshly tilled earth and manure a constant, as were the fragrances from new blooms. Birds chirped a musical background to the rolling thud of wheels, and the laughter of playing children often greeted them as they passed through villages. The weather held, except for one rainstorm requiring they waylay for an unexpected night in Dijon, but that served to lighten the air and please the flora and fauna.
    Yet despite the fun of adventure, after two weeks of exhausting travel, they were universally relieved to reach their destination. Their caravan of carriages entered the wide gates leading to the three-story, sprawling wooden farmhouse of Freiherr and Freifrau von Oeggl, to use their Austrian titles. Baron Oeggl stood on the topmost step leading to the open doors of the massive house constructed of thick oak beams and logs, his shape visible from afar and oddly dwarfing the house. He was indeed a “big bear of a man” and if not for the sunny smile creasing his lined face, it might have been frightening to have such an enormous stranger bounding down the steps. For a moment Lizzy thought he was going to bowl them over or enfold them in a welcoming embrace with arms the size of young trees crushing the air from their lungs, and felt a wave of relief when he halted before doing either. But her startlement lasted only a minute, even with the booming voice that sent tremors into her bones, as the greeting was amiable and sincere, if a bit difficult to understand due to thickly accented English. When Lady Matlock responded in German, the Baron’s smile grew bigger and the subsequent minutes gave Lizzy a chance to examine their