Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

T he ticking of the mantel clock and the shimmer of moonlight upon the smooth surface of the lake outside lulled Darcy into a nearly hypnotic state, yet he was no closer to sleep than when he had laid his head down upon his pillow hours ago. After tossing and turning for some time, he had abandoned his bed and wandered downstairs to his study in the hope that a snifter of brandy might assist him, but it was no use; his mind was too active with the events of the day—or, to be truly honest, it was entirely occupied by Elizabeth and their wondrous reunion.

The chances of discovering her upon his arrival at Pemberley, at a time when he himself had not expected to be there, were…astonishing. Infinitesimally small. It would have been less of a shock to be struck by lightning twice, yet somehow the incredibly improbable had come to pass. He had considered the matter since all but tripping over her earlier in the day, and his conclusions remained the same—the hand of Fate was indeed at work. This time, this marvellous second chance, he would win her hand. He had le arnt from his past mistakes and was ready to do better, be better. He would be the sort of man?—

Startled by a flash of movement across the lawn, Darcy set his empty glass aside and leant forwards in his armchair to determine the source. It was probably some sort of animal, nothing to concern himself about, but his curiosity was naturally piqued. He rose and went to the nearest window for a better look.

There! It moved again, just out of Darcy's line of sight. This time, he was certain that the intruder was human rather than beast; he knew of no breed of fox or deer that was either so large or bipedal. He pressed his face to the glass, but the person had slid into the shadows of the willows. Unable to discern anything further from his present position, Darcy sidled over to the glass doors, which afforded a more direct view of the grove. He rested his hand on the latch and prepared to confront whoever was prowling about his property in the middle of the night, for there could be no innocent purpose to their visit.

The wind picked up, divulging the interloper's position by whipping their long, silvery hair into a tangled frenzy. Despite the nearly full moon, he could not make out more than a billowing silhouette lurking within the disordered veil of spindly branches. He squinted his eyes to bring the figure into sharper focus, but from such a distance, all he could discern was the vague outline of a tall, slender lady dressed in a blue gown. What would a lady be doing out of doors at this hour?

"Brother?"

With a jolt, Darcy whirled round. There, framed in the doorway with her face eerily lit from below by the flame of a single flickering candle, was his sister. "Georgiana! What are you doing out of bed? "

She took half a step back, her free hand pressed to her heart. "Oh, do forgive me! I had not meant to startle you."

"I was not—" Darcy paused, inhaled a calming breath, and confessed, "I suppose you did give me something of a fright, but it is not entirely your fault. I spotted someone out on the lawn, and my attention was on following their movements."

"Someone is in the gardens?" Georgiana said with a gasp, hurrying forwards to join him at his post. She set her candle on the desk and peered out into the darkness, her eyes darting back and forth across the scene. After a full minute of this search, she said, "I do not see anyone."

Darcy positioned her to face the willow grove. "Just there—see? Along the shoreline. I believe it is a lady, though I cannot understand why she might visit in the middle of the night. Do you think one of our guests is also restless?"

Georgiana squinted at the area in question for several seconds before shaking her head. "I do not see anyone, lady or otherwise."

"What? She was there a minute ago, just before you came in." A glance of his own, however, proved that the mysterious figure was gone. "She must have hidden somewhere. In the trees, perhaps."

"They do not provide much cover. Are you absolutely certain you saw someone?"

"Quite certain."

Georgiana bit her lip. "Unless this mysterious lady has jumped into the lake, I think perhaps you might have been dreaming. You often doze in your chair, you know."

Darcy opened his mouth to argue but then thought better of it. Georgiana's explanation was far better than his own, and he would do well to accept it. After all, what would a lady be doing prowling through the willow grove past midnight? "I suppose you must be right. It was so vivid, I believed it to be real."

Georgiana patted his hand sympathetically. "I have had those sorts of dreams. It is always difficult to fall back asleep afterwards. They are so lifelike that it is almost as if they are truly…" There was an air of wistful melancholy about her as she trailed off, a distance in her gaze as if it were turned inwards.

Feeling as though the topic had become too maudlin to continue, Darcy hurried to say, "Yes, well, enough of that. Tell me why you are out of bed."

"I could not sleep. Too much sitting in the carriage, I suppose. Also…" Georgiana bit her lip and averted her gaze—a sure sign that she was hesitant to say more.

"Also?" Darcy prodded.

"Something Miss Bingley said earlier today has been on my mind."

"I wish you would not give credence to anything Miss Bingley says, dearest. She is often…" He struggled for a term that would not be overtly insulting, but his mind could not conjure one. "Well, she is not always correct. Did she say something to injure your feelings?"

"No, it was not me she intended to injure but rather Miss Bennet."

I should have known. "Was it worse than what I walked in on?"

"You heard only the least of Miss Bingley's accusations! She believes Miss Bennet came here solely for the purpose of entrapping you."

Perhaps Miss Bingley caught her own reflection in the mirror. Darcy shook away this ungentlemanly conjecture and assured his sister, "Yes, well, consider the source. I can attest that Miss Bennet was supremely surprised to stumble across me. Indeed, I believe she was more shocked than I, though my appearance might have made the difference there." He grimaced at the recollection of his beloved Elizabeth seeing him in such a state. Good Lord, he could not have made a worse impression if he had insulted her again.

A confused wrinkle appeared between Georgiana's eyes. "What was the matter with your appearance?"

Darcy coughed awkwardly into his fist. "It is not important. You may trust me, however, when I tell you that Miss Bennet is no fortune hunter."

Georgiana looked down to where her fingers fiddled with the tie of her dressing gown. "What if she was merely putting on an act? How do you know that Miss Bennet is what she seems?"

Because if she was mercenary, we would be married by now.

As an inkling of what was truly bothering Georgiana occurred to Darcy, he disengaged her hand from where it fidgeted with her clothing and took it into his own. "What did you think of Miss Bennet?"

"I liked her very much. She was kind and genteel, and she was able to face down Miss Bingley without so much as a flinch! But I have been wrong about people before."

And there it was—the real source of Georgiana's distress. "Dearest, you must not believe every person false simply because one man wronged you. Yes, there are those who would prey upon you for your fortune, and you must be cautious of such false friends, but most are exactly what they seem. Take Bingley, for example, or Richard. Or our cousin Anne. I have known Miss Bennet for nearly a year now, and I can say with all reasonable certainty that she is the most genuine, trustworthy lady of my acquaintance—save for you, of course. You have nothing to fear from her."

Georgiana glanced up, a small smile forming on her features. "I have never heard you speak about a lady so. Am I soon to wish you joy?"

I dearly hope so. Darcy cleared his throat and said aloud, "I cannot imagine what you mean."

"Come now! Even aside from your defence of Miss Bennet, it was plain to me earlier when I saw the two of you together what your feelings are. It was plain to everyone! Miss Bingley turned a shade that was not complementary to her dress."

"Yes, well, with our prior acquaintance…"

Georgiana sighed, having exhausted her patience with him. "Very well, keep your secrets. We both know how it will be. Do you intend to call upon her?"

With a sardonic twitch of his lips, Darcy replied, "I had considered the notion, yes."

"When do you mean to go?"

After a conscious pause, he mumbled, "Tomorrow."

The gleeful, knowing glitter in Georgiana's eyes forced Darcy to duck his head. It took no great perception to recognise the eagerness he felt at seeing Elizabeth again, but he was unused to his younger sister discerning his motives so plainly. There had been a time not so long ago that he might have insisted that the woods around Pemberley were inhabited by any number of magical creatures, and she would have entirely believed him. Indeed, he had indulged her on many a unicorn hunt, searched nearby caves for dragon eggs, and even once plunged the depths of the lake in pursuit of water sprites at her direction. Now, he could not even hide that which he most wished to keep to himself.

Blessedly, Georgiana was not so apt to mercilessly tease him as Fitzwilliam was. Her newfound pertness did not extend that far. "Might I accompany you?"

"To visit Miss Bennet? "

A sigh and a chuckle were her immediate and unvarnished response. "Yes."

Although Darcy would have preferred to go alone, he could not deny Georgiana the opportunity to spend time with the lady she anticipated would become her sister. He wished he could warn her to guard her expectations, but his own rising hope prevented him lest he curse his chances. He therefore affirmed that she might go, and they arranged to meet in the entrance hall at an appropriate time.

Once that was settled between them, Georgiana ventured, "I hope you will take care around Miss Bingley."

"Miss Bingley?"

Looking directly into his eyes, her expression serious, she proclaimed a dire warning. "As I have already said, your interest in Miss Bennet is abundantly clear, and I have seen the effect it has had on Miss Bingley. You would be worried too if you had witnessed the poisonous look she was giving Miss Bennet earlier today. She is angry, and I fear what she might do if you are not on your guard."

Pressing a soft kiss to his sister's forehead, Darcy said, "I believe you overestimate her power, but I shall be careful. I promise."

"That is all I ask." She paused. "Oh, and I have been thinking. With so many friends about, it would be lovely to have a picnic."