Surprised by Love
Page 3
“Well?”
It was only then that she realised he was waiting for her to respond.
She shook her head, laughing as the words she had imagined herself saying so many times simply refused to come.
“Miss Bennet,” Darcy said, sounding rather exasperated now. “In case I have failed to get my point across, I have just laid out my heart to you and declared my desire to marry you. In no way do I wish to pressure you to respond, but you must know how desperately I await your verdict.”
On hearing this, she could not help but laugh even harder. Ever formal, Darcy’s manner now was no exception despite the circumstances. And that only made her love him even more.
“Why do you even have to ask!” she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. It was mid-winter, but the night was mild and dry. Even the weather was perfect! “Of course I would like to marry you. I have never met another man who makes me feel this way.”
“Oh Elizabeth,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. “You do not even know the hours I have spent thinking of you. Even when I did not know my own mind, all I could think of was you.”
“Well, now you know. And just in case I have not made myself clear enough, you have made me the happiest woman in the world.”
Chapter Seven
On their walk back to the house, Elizabeth wondered idly what she might say to her parents. After all, she could not begin to plan her marriage yet: her father’s permission had to be sought first.
She frowned, though it was barely visible since her smile was so wide. Her father seemed fond of Darcy, though she knew that that was no indication. Being fond of a fellow and accepting him as a suitable husband for one’s daughter were two different matters entirely.
“What is it?” Darcy murmured.
She turned to him. It had grown dark while they were out—they were struggling to find their way along the path in the gloom. “What is what? You cannot have known I was frowning: it is too dark.”
He laughed and the sound reverberated through her and calmed her heart with its sincerity. “I can tell by the way you squeezed my hand. Something is troubling you.”
Her heart was light now. “It was, but how can I be troubled for very long with you by my side?”
No, she decided. Her father’s permission would not be a problem. After all, Darcy was wealthy and well-bred. That would settle it.
When they returned to the house, it became clear that her initial concern was entirely unwarranted. They did not get two steps in the door before the entire Bennet family crowded around them. Elizabeth looked around at her family members in the dim lamp light. She would have struggled to say which of them was grinning widest.
Her heart started to beat faster. “What is it?”
Her father laughed. “What is it? My goodness, Lizzy.” He turned to Darcy. “We have a little wager, my good man. Have you put a certain question to my daughter?”
“Papa!” Elizabeth cried, feeling her face redden. “That is no question to ask him.” She shook her head, wondering what would happen next. It had been a dramatic day by all accounts with Lady Catherine’s visit (if one could call it that) and Darcy’s proposal.
But Darcy did not seem at all surprised or shocked by her father’s question. He simply laughed. “Well, Mr. Bennet, it seems I was the only one unaware of the depth of my feelings—with the exception, perhaps, of your daughter.”
“Very good,” Mr. Bennet said, laughing. Behind him, Mrs. Bennet and the other girls laughed and cheered. Elizabeth did not know whether to be embarrassed or amused: she had rarely seen such a display. “May I take it from the smiles on both your faces that you have something to ask me?”
At this, Darcy faltered.
“Papa!” Elizabeth protested, feeling a surge of protectiveness for the man she had grown to adore.
“It is fine,” Darcy muttered, patting her arm. “I suppose I should be grateful there is such excitement and interest in our engagement!” He cleared his throat a couple of times. “Yes, Mr. Bennet. You are quite correct. I have come to ask for your daughter’s hand.”
Mrs. Bennet’s reaction on hearing this made her earlier conduct seem sombre by comparison. She clapped her hands and shouted and screamed so loudly that Elizabeth wondered if the Lucases could hear it all the way over at Lucas Lodge.
“Calm down, my dear,” Mr. Bennet said. “I have not given him my answer yet.”
At this, there was an immediate change in the mood. Several of the girls gasped and Mrs. Bennet groaned in a way that she was prone to just before fainting. Mary rushed forward and stood directly behind their mother.
Elizabeth’s stomach somersaulted. Had she assumed too much?
“Oh my dears, I was teasing!” Mr. Bennet cried, clapping his hands together. “Of course I will give my permission. The matter is settled! My Lizzy and Mr. Darcy here are to be wed.” His expansive smile wavered just a little. “You must know how precious she is to me, Darcy. And as overjoyed as I am about your engagement I feel a sense of loss now that I am to be parted from her.”
Darcy took the man’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Do not even think such a thing. You shall always be welcome at Pemberley. And I love your daughter more than anything else in the world. You have my word that she shall never want for anything.” He turned to Elizabeth and smiled. “I do not know if I have told you of it, but the park at Pemberley is splendid. Ten thousand hectares of forest and parkland. You will be able to walk a different way every day of the week and not pass the same way twice. I think you shall adore it.”
Elizabeth smiled, though it was not the thought of Pemberley that gave her such pleasure. It was Darcy’s enthusiasm for their union that filled her heart with joy.
Chapter Eight
The marriage plans began in earnest. In fact, Mrs. Bennet hurried away to speak to the vicar just as soon as the sun rose the morning after Darcy’s proposal. Elizabeth was not concerned by her mother’s haste: she was just as eager for the marriage to go ahead.
Mr. Darcy threw himself into the preparations with an enthusiasm that surprised his bride-to-be, who had assumed that he might excuse himself from the proceedings that were generally seen to be more of a lady’s domain than a gentleman’s. As time passed, however, Elizabeth began to suspect that something was amiss. It was simply a feeling she got when speaking to him; a sense that consternation was lingering somewhere behind his obvious joy.
“What is it, my dear Darcy?” she asked one morning a few days after the engagement. She and her sisters had set out for Meryton with Darcy and Bingley. As was their way, they had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had become separated from the others in their little party.
He looked at her. “What is what?”
She smiled at his confusion. “You know very well what I mean. Something is troubling you. I can tell. Perhaps I can help.”
He sighed and dropped his head. “You are perceptive. I am afraid I cannot explain it in a way that does not reflect poorly on me.”
The gravity of his tone alarmed her. “Pray tell me, Darcy. Nothing is wrong, is it?”
“My sister is in London. As you know.”
“Indeed,” she said, nodding. He spoke often of Georgiana and though Elizabeth had not met her, she was already fond of the girl from the kind things Darcy had said about her. “I cannot wait to meet her.” It dawned on her then and she felt a fool for not realising earlier. She had been so engrossed in planning for the wedding that she had not thought Darcy might wish for his only sibling to be there. She took his hand. “What are you waiting for? You must write to her at once and have her come here.”
“Ah,” he said, and she noticed he looked rather too perplexed for such a fine morning. “It is not that simple. You see, I promised a long time ago that I would not compromise her education and comfort for the sake of my own whims.”
“Whims?” she laughed, taking his arm. “Is that what our marriage is?”
“Dear Lord, no!” h
e cried, coming to a standstill and looking astonished—outraged, even.
“I was merely teasing, my dear Mr. Darcy. All the same, do you not think you are being rather harsh on yourself? I might understand it if you did not wish to drag her to Pemberley every time you had business to attend to there, but this is different. She will have to come anyway.”
“Yes, but…” he sighed. “It must be difficult to understand it. I realise our circumstances are unusual. She is not merely my sister, as you know, but my ward. Therein lies the problem. No, that is not a good way of putting it. She is not a problem at all—she is the purest, most wonderful young woman I have ever had the good fortune to meet—not that any of that can be attributed to me, of course.”
Elizabeth smiled. She had no doubt that a large part of his sister’s good character could indeed be seen as a result of her brother’s guidance. She said nothing, though she gripped his arm with a strength she had not even known she possessed. She had thought of a compromise that would please all of them and save Darcy the worry as to whether he was doing the right thing by his sister.
“You do not wish to bring her here, even though I cannot see the harm in it. Well then, why do we not travel to London? I would dearly love to meet your sister.”
“I cannot take you away from Longbourn at this time.”
“Why not? As it is, my mother has taken care of the preparations that were needed at this time. The banns shall be read, and it is not as if you propose to spend weeks in London.”
“Are you sure? I do not know much of these matters, but I have often heard that her marriage is the most important occasion in a young lady’s adult life.”
She laughed and looked up at him. “And perhaps it is so, but I place rather more importance on the man I am to marry than on the details of the ceremony itself. Please, allow me to accompany you to London. I know how much you adore your sister. She can help me select my wedding muslins. In truth, I would treasure the opportunity to get to know her before she arrives for the marriage. That will be a busy time for us all.”
“Well then,” he said, looking relieved. “It is settled. We shall visit London. Thank you, my dear.”
“Think nothing of it. As I said, the thought of meeting your dear sister so soon fills me with delight. I shall ask Jane if she will be so kind as to accompany us. There, you see? It is seeming more and more agreeable by the moment. Let us go now and ask them.”
Chapter Nine
Elizabeth had been to London many times, but this visit was rather different. For one thing, Mr. Darcy’s townhouse was located in Mayfair. It may have only been a matter of miles from her aunt and uncle’s home in Cheapside, but his house seemed like it belonged in a different city entirely to the Gardiners’ more modest home on Gracechurch Street.
Jane had, of course, readily agreed to join them and they made a rather happy foursome. The journey seemed to take no time at all, which surprised the young ladies, since they usually remarked on how tedious it became after the first couple of hours.
The conversation had faltered after a time and they had lapsed into the sort of companionable silence that Elizabeth adored—but seldom had the opportunity to enjoy. That was until the carriage pulled up outside Darcy’s house.
Elizabeth and Jane could not contain their delight on seeing the place. Darcy had spoken about it with typical understatement and she had not thought to question that for a moment. Now she saw that what he referred to as ‘the London house’ was far too elegant to be referred to so casually.
Though all the houses on the street were fine, Darcy’s stood out from its neighbours owing to some factor Elizabeth could not readily identify. Perhaps it was the planters of colourful blooms on the upstairs window sills; or the fact that all of the brassware had been polished to an even glossier sheen than on the neighbouring doors. There was some aspect of that house that made it look even more refined than the ones adjacent to it.
It was the same inside the house. The furnishings were muted and tasteful, but one look was all it took to know they were expensive and rare. From the rugs that lined the highly polished floors to the glimmering lamps that glowed in each room, it was obvious that Darcy was a man of great taste and refinement.
Jane and Elizabeth exchanged glances, and the latter experienced a strange, giddy feeling when she realised that within a matter of weeks this would be her home. One of her homes. It was the first experience she had actually had with Darcy’s wealth and she found it astonishing. It was one thing hearing her mother gossip about his income, but quite another to see evidence of it.
“What is it?” Darcy asked.
She looked up to find him watching her rather carefully. She shook her head and smiled. She was being foolish—she knew that. She supposed it happened quite often when a young woman married a wealthy man. How fortunate she was! Her father was by no means impoverished, but Darcy’s wealth eclipsed Mr. Bennet’s several times over. “It is nothing. Weariness from travelling, I suppose, but it is nothing to be concerned about. I shall go and change out of these dusty clothes.” She frowned. “Is Georgiana not home?”
“I am afraid I must have given you the wrong impression. She does not reside here. I am often away and it would be rather boring for her to be stuck here alone. She is not far away.”
“Ah,” Elizabeth said, disappointed. She was more excited about meeting her new sister than she had realised.
Darcy must have sensed her feelings. “We shall have tea and then we can go over there. I know Georgiana is eager to meet you.”
“As I am her.”
Elizabeth practically skipped up the stairs to the generously sized guest room she had all to herself. She could not recall a time when she had ever felt so light and carefree. It was not as if she had grown up with hardship, but now she felt particularly light. Nothing could touch her or dampen her good mood.
Chapter Ten
It was not far from Darcy’s house to Georgiana’s establishment, but they took the carriage in any case for it was not his wont to walk far in the city streets. Elizabeth had assumed it would be a vast mansion on grounds of its own, but she realised her folly when the carriage stopped outside a house that looked similar to Darcy’s own, though somewhat smaller.
“How many girls are in residence here?”
“It is just my sister at present,” Darcy said, knocking loudly at the door. “I have encouraged Mrs. Younge to take on other young ladies whose presence would be beneficial for my sister. It was established for Georgiana, you know.”
Of course it was. She felt foolish for imagining it as a large establishment with several schoolrooms and numerous girls. Darcy would never send his sister to such a place.
They entered the house and Elizabeth felt none of the wonder she had experienced on first entering Darcy’s home. This house was older, and judging from the thin layer of dust that resided on the surfaces, the lady who presided over it had little of the pride that Darcy’s London housekeeper paid to his townhouse. Indeed, the carpets were shabby and worn.
Elizabeth was distracted from further inspecting the surroundings by the appearance at the top of the stairs of a young lady in a pristine white gown.
The resemblance was so striking that Elizabeth knew who she was without having to be introduced.
“Fitzwilliam,” the young lady said, hurrying down the steps. There was nothing boisterous in her movements: it was plain to see that her haste was simply due to her sheer joy at discovering her brother’s presence.
“Georgiana, my dear. It is a pleasure to see you. We have not seen each other as much as usual of late.”
Elizabeth frowned as another woman emerged from a door off the landing and stood at the top of the stairs where Miss Darcy had stood moments before. Then she realised. Of course. It was the governess. She was younger than Elizabeth had expected—she must only have been twenty-six or thereabouts, but there was a worldliness about her that seemed to make her older than her years.
“Mr.
Darcy! I was not expecting you.” She paused and looked at Elizabeth. There was no small amount of significance in that look, which was not lost on Elizabeth. She wondered if the young governess had previously set her sights on Darcy. But what did it matter? A great many young women in Meryton alone had set their sights on Darcy when he accompanied Bingley to the assembly rooms the first time they met. It still amazed her that she was the one that had captured his heart.
Darcy ignored the woman, so focused was he on introducing his sister to his new wife. Elizabeth had wondered how the meeting might progress, since her first meeting with a member of his family had gone so badly. She was pleasantly surprised when Georgiana Darcy hurried down the remaining steps and threw her arms around Elizabeth.
“Oh my goodness! You have no idea how thrilled I am to finally make your acquaintance.”
Elizabeth laughed. For a slight young lady, Miss Darcy was surprisingly strong. She struggled to breathe in the girl’s tight embrace, though she would not have it any other way—she was flattered and delighted beyond measure at her new sister’s enthusiasm. “I am beyond delighted to meet you too, though I must say you flatter me. You can only have known about it for a day or two at most.”
Georgiana stiffened. Elizabeth’s first instinct was to see what was wrong, but when she broke away from the embrace, she saw the girl was struggling to restrain her laughter. “Oh my. Do you think the first I heard of you was when you became engaged? My brother has been writing to me about you ever since he first went to Netherfield.”
“Georgiana!” Darcy muttered. “That is enough.”
Elizabeth laughed, as thrilled to witness this exchange between the siblings as she was at the unguarded admission about the depth of Darcy’s feelings for her.