Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

E lizabeth looked down onto the face of the man who had humbled himself so deeply before her—not to mention having done so with his young sister as an audience. It took so much courage to debase himself like this, whereas she had hidden behind teasing and sarcasm, not daring to believe his love was real. He was braver than any man she had ever known.

“Oh, my dear,” she said, placing her hands upon his cheeks. “I have been listening to my fears, have I not?”

“It was quite reasonable for you to have them, considering all you have been through. I can but assure you that I will be here to fight any battles with you. I shall send my family to the devil, if I must.”

“But that is just it—I do not want you to have to give them up, just as I do not wish to surrender mine. I promise you, I shall make allowances for your family’s behaviour, set my own boundaries upon their influence, and refuse to be intimidated or ashamed by our differences. Can you do the same for mine?”

“I can,” he promised, looking at her steadily. “Selfishly, I relegated your family to the periphery of your life. I only thought of myself, and I am sorry for it.”

She smiled at him. “It may be some time before we introduce Mama to the earl, if we ever do. I do not mean that we should bring her to live at Pemberley. Besides, she would not like it. She loves her home, and her neighbours, and her place in life. It is why she has been so desperate to keep it.”

He regarded her seriously. “She will be angry with me, will she not? Now that her hopes for a possible match between you and Mr Collins will be permanently crushed?”

Laughter broke free. “My darling, I am so sorry. You have misunderstood. Mr Collins married my sister, Mary, just after Christmas. Mama will never be required to leave Longbourn, and I assure you, there was never any prospect of a match with me.”

“Oh. Ohh,” he said, shaking his head in some chagrin. He glanced up at his beaming sister. “Georgiana, I suppose you may begin breathing again, now that it appears I did not muck up my entire proposal as you feared I would, and have gained you the sister you have always wished for. Perhaps you would trade seats with me, however, so that I am not required to crouch here the rest of the distance to Longbourn.”

The younger girl quickly bounced—there was no other word for it—into the seat facing, so that he could sit beside his re-betrothed.

“Oh, yes,” she said, looking radiant. “You must call me Georgiana, and may I call you Elizabeth? I have always wanted a sister, and never dreamt my brother would choose so well. Are you certain your elder sister is set on Mr Bingley? Do you have other, unmarried ones? My cousin, Viscount Ridley, is unwed. He is not so kind nor so sociable as Mr Bingley—but then, he has no sisters, if that makes up for anything. It would be much better for everyone if we could stuff the Fitzwilliam family circle with Bennets, I think.”

Elizabeth smiled at the impetuous, engaging girl. “Jane’s feelings for Mr Bingley are too strong to be easily dissuaded, I believe. You may call me Elizabeth, of course, Georgiana. But…” She frowned suddenly, as she was abruptly reminded of all her worries and fears for Lydia. When she spoke, her voice was sober.

“First, we must find Lydia. I do not think you can overestimate what we will face when we reach Longbourn. My mother will be very upset, and not very quiet about it. Jane’s letter said that Lydia had teased Kitty with clues regarding the, er, romance, while refusing to name the man involved. Kitty confessed what little she did know after, but my parents are very displeased with her, and she in turn is distraught. My father will be impatient and, um, not pleased to welcome you both while we are so troubled. In short, Longbourn will be a scene of chaos and despair, and…and I wish you would not see it.”

Darcy took her hand in his much larger one. “I am certain that ahead of us are many scenes I would rather you did not witness. Would you accept my company now as an earnest payment on my intentions to stand beside you, always, in the future, no matter what prospects it brings us?”

Relief flooded her, cooling her embarrassment over what they would face at Longbourn. “I would,” she replied softly, setting her other hand atop his. “But Georgiana, we must not overlook you in our desire to not be parted. I cannot stress how…eccentric you will find my family. Perhaps you could let me off at Longbourn and take rooms at The George, in Meryton. It is a well-known inn to travellers in these parts, with very good accommodation. I could send a note over after I have prepared my family for the surprise.”

But Georgiana looked at her reprovingly. “Elizabeth, I eloped . The only thing the man I thought I loved left me with was several highly descriptive curse words and a hitherto unknown skill for picking pockets. Do you think I would sit in judgment? Do you think they will say anything that will shatter my ‘delicate feelings’?”

Darcy covered his face with his free hand and groaned. “Georgiana, perhaps these revelations could wait until after I secure my bride?”

She sighed loudly. “I did not mean to say all that aloud. Miss Ben—I mean, Elizabeth, for most of my life I have been perfectly behaved, and I-I said as little as possible in company and made very few social faux pas because of it. Regrettably, my brief adventure seems to have loosened my tongue to an unfortunate extent. I will get right to work on governing it again, I promise.”

Elizabeth looked over to the man who sat beside her now, holding her hand, shaking his head. She scooted closer to him to lay her head comfortably upon his shoulder, appreciating his strength and solidity and the comforting beat of his heart.

“Oh, I do not know, sweetheart. Somewhere between ‘remaining a diffident shadow in company’ and ‘eloping with known criminals’ there must be a happy medium. You have been very useful today, as your honourable brother must confess.”

He promptly wrapped his arm around her, snuggling her in more tightly to him in unabashed affection. “Elizabeth is probably right,” he admitted.

Elizabeth shut her eyes. There were several miles left until they faced the tumult at Longbourn, and for these very few precious minutes, she could afford to rest from worrying about Lydia, Mama, Papa, Jane, and Kitty. For these relatively few moments, she could sit within the sheltering arms of the man she loved, and who loved her, and find peace.