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Chapter 10

10

H er uncle stood, holding his hand to his wife. “Come, Maddie. These young people have much to discuss that I have no desire to overhear. Still,” addressing Mr. Darcy, he said, “I fully expect the door to remain open while we are gone.”

“Agreed.”

Elizabeth’s heart pounded so loudly she feared the others could hear. Where she had been grateful for her uncle and aunt’s presence, she was even more pleased that they were gone. Yet, eager anticipation for what the gentleman next to her might say and how it would affect her future had her insides quivering.

“Mr. Darcy,” she began, only to have him interrupt her.

“Fitzwilliam, please. You have been Elizabeth in my mind since Hertfordshire. We have shared too much to continue being formal.” When she nodded, he said, “Pray, allow me to go first. You see, I have been waiting since the spring to see you again. Once it was determined that I would have difficulty walking, I pushed myself harder than the physician asked me to so that one day, I could stroll alongside you through a garden. I would hold onto you, and you would hold onto me so that neither of us would fall. I have dreamed of being at your side, Elizabeth.”

She did not know what to say.

“ My Elizabeth.” His head turned away from her. “I am…I am not yet the man I used to be.”

She rested her fingers on the back of his hand. “Fitzwilliam, I know you refer to your recovery, but please understand that you are exactly the man I wish for.”

The storm in his eyes when he looked up at her pierced her soul. “I do not know what to say,” he whispered. Covering her hand with his, he said, “My lady, when we were at the lake after your fall and at Rosings after mine, we both freely expressed ourselves. In so doing, there was little misunderstanding between us. Thus, I beg you to be honest and tell me, please. Did you…did you ever think of me?”

Her heart was full of him. Unbidden tears clouded her vision. She blinked them away, not wanting anything to come between them. When a tear trailed down her cheek, he used the pad of his thumb to brush it away.

“Do not weep, Elizabeth. I have overwhelmed you. I apologize. Please do not cry.”

“No! Do not apologize.” She smiled tremulously. “Not a day passed that I did not worry about you. Besides your health, there were times when I read an item in the circulating paper or when a particular subject came up for discussion that I longed to share with you. I wondered”—she bowed her head—“if you ever thought of me?”

From the door, a man loudly cleared his throat. “Miss Bennet. How wonderful to see you at Pemberley.”

Startled, she slid away from Mr. Darcy. Then, she peered behind her to discover who dared to interrupt this precious moment. Colonel Fitzwilliam!

Was that Mr. Darcy who growled in frustration? Or me?

“Richard, I did not expect you back from your ride so soon.”

“I see that.” There was a mischievous glint in the colonel’s eye, along with a devilish grin. “You two shall have to pursue your tender courtship later, Darcy. Georgie ran upstairs to ready herself for visitors when we spotted Bingley’s carriage entering the park. Even from a distance, we could hear his younger sister ordering the coachman to travel faster. You should expect their arrival within the next quarter hour.”

It felt like the bottom fell out of Elizabeth’s stomach. Miss Caroline Bingley at Pemberley? Ugh!

“You are getting dust on the floor, Richard. Perhaps you need to follow Georgiana’s example before Mrs. Reynolds sees the trail of dust you are leaving behind you.”

Darcy struggled to stand. Instead of offering help, the colonel remained in place until his cousin gained his balance. With a wink at Elizabeth, he left.

“Blast!” Darcy watched him walk away, then turned toward her. “Before the Bingleys and Hursts arrive, I wanted to ask you?—”

The housekeeper hurried into the room. “Mr. Darcy, sir. A carriage has been spotted entering the park.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds.”

Elizabeth was barely able to restrain her laughter. “It seems, Fitzwilliam, that whatever it is you would like to ask should be done directly, or I fear that my aunt and uncle will return, and your sister will be here along with the colonel even before the Bingleys arrive.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up, showing the dimple in his left cheek. “You are likely correct. My dearest Elizabeth, would you accept a courtship, a very short courtship from me?”

Without hesitation, she stepped closer to him. “Yes.”

“With the goal of marriage?” His smile grew when she moved even closer.

“Of course.” Leaning forward, she rested her hands on his chest.

“Might we seal our bargain?”

“How?” Elizabeth whispered.

“Like this.” Lowering his mouth to hers, she felt his breath on her lips just before….

“Darcy, I …ah…oh! It appears my timing is not as perfect as I always claim,” Colonel Fitzwilliam smirked.

Regretfully, Elizabeth dropped her hands and stepped back.

“I shall, well, nevermind.” Turning on his heel, Darcy’s cousin vacated the room as quickly as he entered.

“I shall make him pay,” Darcy reassured her, his sigh of frustration as great as hers when one maid after another began bringing in refreshments for the newcomers. The precious moment was lost.

Darcy owed his cousin. Richard rode out to meet the Bingleys. Stopping the driver, Richard told him there were sheep in the road ahead, then directed them to pull into an area overlooking the lake until the sheepherders had an opportunity to clear their path.

By the time the carriage arrived, Georgiana and the Gardiners returned to the drawing room and introductions were made.

Standing in front of the empty fireplace where he faced the door, Darcy welcomed Elizabeth’s presence next to him, her hand wrapped around his elbow in support. He set his canes behind him. In this way, he had the dignity of not leaning on his canes when the Bingleys and Hursts entered the room.

Miss Bingley’s eyes swept the area before settling on him. “Mr. Darcy, it is good to once again be at Pemberley. Why, I do believe your estate improves each time we are here.” She stopped cold when she noticed who stood next to him. “Eliza Bennet? What are you doing here?”

With a tip of her head, Elizabeth replied, “Like you, I am a guest of the Darcy family.”

“Well, I never!” Miss Bingley glanced toward her sister for support. Mrs. Hurst and her husband wisely ignored her.

Bingley fairly bounced into the drawing room. “Miss Elizabeth, what a delight to see you. How is your family? Are they traveling with you?” He finally surveyed the room. His disappointment at not seeing Miss Jane Bennet was visible.

Darcy welcomed them and then introduced the Bingleys to the Gardiners. Mrs. Gardiner slightly dipped her knee to them. “My husband and I have already been introduced to the ladies when my eldest niece and I called on them at Mr. Hurst’s residence in London. They returned the call not two months ago. It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst.”

Darcy wanted to laugh. Her words were a direct blow, an arrow to the heart of the matter. Bingley would now know that Jane Bennet had been in London and that his sisters hid that information from him.

As it was, tension stiffened Bingley’s spine. A reddish hue filled his countenance from the top of his cravat to his hairline. Spinning on his heel, he hovered over his sister. “You did not tell me that Miss Bennet was in London!”

Miss Bingley waved away his outburst. “Charles, now is not the time to discuss this.”

“Why, Caroline, I believe you are in error. You see, there is not one person in this room who does not have a vested interest in your reply.”

She spluttered. “Charles, you are embarrassing me.”

“If that is the case, then perhaps it is because your conduct is in question, not my manners.”

“Charles!” she hissed. “Not now!”

“When?” Bingley studied his sister’s face before turning away from her to approach Darcy. “I apologize sincerely for our early arrival, my friend. I see that you are already fully occupied. Since we spent the night at Bakewell and have not traveled any distance today, I believe the wisest course would be for us to depart. If you would call for my coachman to remain with my carriage, we shall leave for Netherfield Park immediately. If there is a chance for Miss Jane Bennet and me, I will know within two days.”

Turning his attention to Mr. Gardiner, Bingley said, “Pray, know that I would never approach Miss Bennet if it would cause her distress. Do you think I have reason to hope?”

Mr. Gardiner replied, “I will only say that if I were in your Hessians, I would be on the road to Hertfordshire as soon as my horses were ready to travel.”

Bingley nodded. “Then we are off.”

Tipping his head, Darcy asked the footman to stop the driver from unhitching Bingley’s vehicle.

Miss Bingley tried to stop him. “But, Mr. Darcy, I am quite tired. I need to rest, and Pemberley is the perfect respite.” Her expression sly, she simpered. “Surely, you can see that returning to Hertfordshire would not be in Charles’ best interest. You are aware of the danger.”

Darcy refused to play her game. He was grateful he had explained his interference with Bingley and Miss Bennet to Elizabeth when they were in Kent. At least, he thought that he had. Had he?

“Miss Bingley, it does not serve you well to not listen to your brother since he is the authority figure in your home.”

She batted her lashes, then cloaked herself with what she assumed was a demure expression. “Oh, Mr. Darcy. You are a tease. My brother, as you well know, will listen to your opinion over mine. He will always do what you ask. On his own, he rules nothing or no one. As it is, his purpose when we departed Bakewell this morning was to journey no farther than your estate. Why he is vacillating now, I do not know. Perhaps, if you were to remind him of his responsibility toward me then we can enjoy ourselves during our stay here.”

Elizabeth gasped and tightened her fingers on his arm.

Deciding that he had enough, Darcy said, “Miss Bingley, I learned a valuable lesson during the winter that will forever keep me from interfering in my friend’s business again. Perhaps you should learn the same?”

“Mr. Darcy,” she purred. “Do you not yet realize that I will become whatever you desire me to be, sir? If you want me to listen more to Charles, then consider it done.” She coyly stepped closer, the feathers of her bonnet almost brushing his nose.

With the stone fireplace behind him and Elizabeth at his side, he could not step back. He loathed feeling boxed in.

“Miss Bingley, what you choose to do has nothing to do with me. I have selected the woman who will become the next mistress of Pemberley. The position is no longer available.”

Caroline Bingley’s nose wrinkled like she smelled something unsavory. “You would attach yourself to Eliza Bennet?”

“Gladly.”

“Well, I never!” Spinning on her heels, she said, “I can see that we are not welcome here. Charles, let us leave.”

Saluting Darcy, he grinned. “Well done, my friend. May the two of you be as happy as I hope one day to be.”

Within a minute, they were gone, leaving the drawing room in stunned silence.

His heart pounded. What had he done by announcing to the others his intention to marry Elizabeth before he could ask her permission? He feared looking at her.

When she spoke, he braced himself.

“In the wise words of Miss Bingley, I can only say, ‘Well, I never!’”

Oh, but Elizabeth Bennet was impudent. She delighted him in every way.

“Do you mind, Elizabeth?”

Running one hand up his arm to rest below his shoulder, her smile was radiant. “Do I mind going from accepting a courtship to agreeing to marriage in less than five minutes? Whyever, would you think I would be unsettled at the prospect? Do you not know me at all?”

His sister giggled, slapping her palm over her mouth. Even Mrs. Gardiner chuckled.

“You are correct, my dear lady. What on earth was I thinking?”

For the first time in as long as he could remember, despite his injuries and everything that happened to them since he first met Elizabeth, he was happy.

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