Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

SPRING, 1808

F or the next two years, Elizabeth corresponded frequently with Georgiana Darcy. She also exchanged letters with Fitzwilliam Darcy, usually included inside a letter to Georgiana or sent under the cover of her uncle’s letters. This limited the number of letters the two were able to exchange. Additionally, due to a variety of circumstances, Darcy did not see Elizabeth in person during this time.

Problems at Pemberley kept the Darcy siblings in Derbyshire the following two springs, and when they did journey to town for essential business, circumstances prevented the Gardiners from visiting their friends. During the first summer, a difficult confinement kept Mrs. Gardiner at home, and Elizabeth had to assist with the children and her aunt, which prevented any visits between the friends. The following summer, Darcy came to town for a fortnight, but the Gardiners had taken Elizabeth and their children on a short trip into the country for a brief respite.

During the autumn of 1807, Darcy was in town, but Elizabeth was away in Bath attending a girl’s school for a brief time to prepare for her introduction to society. Mr. Gardiner did have an opportunity to call on the young man during this time and reported to Elizabeth that he seemed well enough, though Elizabeth was concerned that he was working too hard. She conveyed this thought in her letter and received a teasing note in response, placating her, though she remained worried for him.

The early part of 1808 was spent preparing for Elizabeth to come out in society. Lady Matlock had agreed to sponsor her in society, even going so far as to obtain her a voucher for Almack’s and to agree to host a ball in her honour. She claimed Elizabeth as a distant relation, the daughter of a school friend, as a reason for her sponsorship.

Once again, Darcy’s journey to London for the season was delayed though he promised faithfully to attend the ball hosted by Lady Matlock in Elizabeth’s honour. He arrived in town on the day of the ball and rushed to prepare himself that evening. Though he was pleased to see his friend again, he was less excited about being forced to attend a ball so soon after his arrival. Since becoming Master of Pemberley, he was highly sought after by all the matchmaking mothers and their insipid daughters, perhaps more so because of his infrequent attendance at such events and his reluctance to dance with any of the women.

However, this night he could not enter late and remain on the edges of the ballroom as he preferred since he had requested a dance from Elizabeth. He had been granted her third; her first was claimed by her uncle and her second by his. He had also requested that Elizabeth reserve the supper set for him while promising not to hold her to it if she found another gentleman she wished to dance that set with.

Darcy imagined her laughter when she read that line in her letter, as she had written back with:

“Do not think you can escape your duty so easily, sir. Your aunt has told me how much you detest dancing in general; since you have requested this set from me, I will hold you to it. Perhaps your dislike of the activity has much to do with your dislike of making small talk with others. You might therefore practice on me during our two sets and perhaps find a way to enjoy dancing more.”

It was easy to imagine her laughing at his attempt to get out of dancing since her letter had caused him to laugh out loud, something he rarely did except when time he received a letter from her . He was looking forward to seeing her again in person, recalling the girl he knew from the last summer she had spent at Pemberley.

When Darcy arrived at Matlock House, the receiving line had already formed. He quickly spotted his aunt and uncle in the gathering crowd, but he was stunned when he saw the young woman standing beside his aunt. Surely this stunning beauty could not be his friend Elizabeth—the same girl who had ridden across the estate with him on horseback and played games with him and Georgiana in the nursery. In the two and a half years since he had last seen her, she had blossomed into a strikingly lovely woman, and there was no mistaking the way his body reacted to the sight of her.

Her hair was artistically coiffed on top of her head with little ringlets framing her face. Diamond and pearl hairpins added a touch of sparkle and contrast to the chocolate-brown richness of her hair without appearing ostentatious. Her green eyes seemed even brighter, accentuated by the emeralds that adorned her neck. Finally, Darcy allowed his gaze to take in the rest of her appearance. She wore a white dress, as all debutantes did for their presentation balls, trimmed with green ribbons to complement the jewels she wore.

The dress fit perfectly, accentuating her slender waist and flowing gracefully to the ground. Under the light, the delicate fabric shimmered softly, enhancing both her natural elegance and pleasing figure. The emerald ribbons added a touch of vibrant colour, drawing attention to her graceful movements. Darcy could not help but admire how the entire ensemble showcased her beauty and poise. The gown had a modest cut, yet it revealed more of her graceful neck than he had seen before.

It took several moments for his feet to obey his command to move forward. He hoped no one had noticed his dumbstruck expression as he gazed at her, utterly captivated. His heart raced, and he silently prayed for the strength to regain his composure before anyone could see the effect she had on him. Judging from the amused expression on his cousin Richard’s face, whom he had not noticed until that very moment, it had been. “Well, cousin, what do you think of the fair Miss Gardiner now?” Major Richard Fitzwilliam, second son of the Earl of Matlock, asked as he approached Darcy.

“She is lovelier than I could have imagined. I have not seen her since the summer my father passed away, and I will admit to being surprised at the change from the girl I knew to the woman who stands before me now. I am extraordinarily pleased that I have already claimed two dances with her, the third and the supper.”

Richard grinned at his cousin. “About that, Darcy, Mother informed me that you had claimed the supper set but had given Miss Gardiner the opportunity to decline. I hate to tell you, but she chose me for her partner for that dance instead. You will have to find another young lady to ask for that set.”

“Not a chance in hell, Richard. The supper set is mine, and I meant to claim it. I have it from Elizabeth’s own pen that she intends to hold me to my promise to dance that set with her, and I will not allow her to recant on her promise,” Darcy said in a rare show of possessiveness. The idea that Elizabeth would prefer his cousin to him angered him in a way that he had never before experienced, and he intended to spend whatever time he could in Elizabeth’s presence that night.

Richard laughed. “Are you smitten so quickly, cousin? ”

For a moment, Darcy halted in his steps toward the receiving line. He was uncertain what he felt; he had always viewed Elizabeth as a friend but seeing her now and hearing Richard attempt to take her from him had him feeling out of sorts. “I do not know what I am,” he admitted softly after a moment of reflection. “There is no question that we are friends, but just now, I felt a possessiveness toward her that I have never felt for another person. I did not like the idea of you taking her attention away from me.”

That admission just made his cousin’s grin widen. “You are smitten. How will you woo the fair lady?”

Again, the question made Darcy falter. “I have no idea, Richard.” He contemplated the matter for a moment and quietly continued, “Do you know that my father spoke of me marrying Elizabeth shortly before he died? Actually, that was the second time he mentioned it; the first was shortly after we met her, when she stood up to him about Wickham. He was so insistent that she would make a good match for me that he left her a bequest to serve as her dowry to aid her when she entered society. He knew she would have a difficult time with her relations being in trade but thought that having a respectable dowry would make things a little easier for her.”

Richard nodded. “Father told me when I returned home a month ago and met her again. Apparently, he thought I acted too familiarly with her, and he informed me that she was intended for you.”

“Truly?” Darcy asked, astonished that the earl was supporting the match. “I had believed he was against the idea, but I admit that we have not spoken of it since shortly after Father died. She is an intriguing young lady; perhaps she found a way to win him over.”

This made Richard laugh. “Father adores her. I think he has begun to believe Mother’s claim that they truly are related. He often refers to her as his ‘ward’ in company and is nearly as proud of her as Gardiner is. You know he has claimed her second dance and tried to insist that he should be allowed to lead her out for the first instead of her own uncle. He might disown you should you fumble the courtship.”

Darcy let out a laugh, causing several eyes to turn in his direction. His eyes immediately sought Elizabeth’s, and he instantly knew when she saw him in return. The smile she gave him was brilliant, and their eyes locked. Time stretched on as Darcy’s surroundings faded away, leaving only Elizabeth.

A hand grasping his shoulder halted his involuntary movement forward. “You mustn’t appear too eager for the lady, Darcy, or she will know the power she has over you.”

He promptly shook it off. “Richard, you are a fool. I have not spoken to Elizabeth in two and a half years, and I intend to do so now, whether or not you approve. I may know nothing of ‘wooing’ a lady, as you call it, but if there is anything I do know, it is how to speak to Elizabeth.”

Leaving his cousin behind, he perfunctorily greeted first his aunt and uncle, before moving to stand in front of Elizabeth, clasping her hands in his. He found his claim that he knew how to speak to Elizabeth to be false, and it took him a moment to form the words. “You are beautiful tonight, Elizabeth,” he whispered huskily. He cleared his throat in an attempt to dislodge whatever was there. “I am happy to see you again; you have become a striking young woman, and I am inordinately pleased to have already arranged two dances with you tonight. My cousin over there tried to claim he had stolen your supper set from me, but I will not allow such a thing, as I already know I will enjoy dancing with you tonight.”

“What if I am a terrible dancer, Mr. Darcy?” she asked with an impish look at him.

“Then we will dance terribly together, but I will not care, because I will still be able to speak to you throughout.” He lowered his voice and whispered for her alone: “And what is this Mr. Darcy business? I thought I was William? ”

“We are in London, and I am now out. Your aunt told me I should not address you so informally in public.”

He frowned slightly. “Perhaps we should not, but might I retain your permission to address you as Miss Elizabeth instead of Miss Gardiner? I would not care to treat you as a stranger now; we know each other too well for that.”

Her laughter soothed him. “You are right. When no one can hear us, I will still address you as William unless you prefer I do not.”

“No, Elizabeth, I admit that I enjoy hearing my name on your lips. Now, I have just arrived in town this afternoon with barely enough time to arrive here, and I know that I cannot claim all of your attention tonight, however much I might desire it. I brought a mount with me from Pemberley that will be suitable for you to ride, and since you told me you have practised a little, I hope to have you out riding with me in the mornings when we can. You are staying with my aunt at Matlock House?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Since she is sponsoring me, she thought it would be best. She has also taken me to her modiste and purchased far more dresses than I can imagine ever needing or wearing, but she insisted it was absolutely necessary. When will we ride?”

“The day after tomorrow,” Darcy said, before giving way to the next arrival who stood behind him, annoyed that Darcy was taking up so much of the guest of honour’s time.