Surprised by Love

by Jane Wentworth

  But Miss Darcy, it seemed, would not have it. “No.” She squeezed Elizabeth’s hand with surprising force. “I could not live with myself if I was the reason for such a delay. Consider it. The sooner you are wed, the sooner we can all return to Pemberley. And I shall enjoy that very much, believe me.”

  “Very well then,” Elizabeth said, her heart surging with happiness at the thought of being wed to Darcy so very soon. “If you are sure, let us speak to your brother in the morning and make plans for our return to Hertfordshire.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Darcy was just as eager to return to Longbourn as his sister, so arrangements were made for them to leave immediately once they had breathlessly discussed it over the breakfast table. It was most unlike Darcy to act so spontaneously, but that had little effect on his mood. He was more jubilant than any of them had ever seen him.

  They tripped out of the house as soon as they had finished eating, with vague arrangements for the servants to follow with their things afterwards. This time, the chatter in the carriage did not stop at all, not even when they had pulled up outside an inn for luncheon.

  A feast was presented on Darcy’s insistence—for he would not have any expense spared now that their happy little group was on the road. Jane and Bingley had not been informed of the events that led to his sudden departure from London: Darcy and Elizabeth had both agreed that as few people should know the truth as possible. There was little need to worry, of course: the Bingleys were so good and kind that there was no question of them offending the girl.

  Still, Elizabeth was aware of the need to tread carefully around Miss Darcy. She kept a close eye on her new sister throughout the leisurely meal, and noticed she became subdued after Bingley made a passing reference to a wealthy young heiress of his sister’s acquaintance.

  “My dear,” Elizabeth whispered, addressing Miss Darcy who was seated beside her. “Perhaps we might stretch our legs by walking for a while before we return to the carriage—what do you say?”

  Miss Darcy nodded without looking up and Elizabeth was glad she had intervened. As soon as they had left the room, her suspicions were confirmed. Ever pleasant, Miss Darcy blushed and laughed before apologising profusely for bringing to a premature end Elizabeth’s own enjoyment of the meal.

  “Nonsense,” Elizabeth said, taking her arm. “There is enough food in there for eight people and only the five of us. Now.” She looked carefully at her future sister. It was not her wont to be indirect about things, but she guessed a certain amount of tact was needed here. She decided they would walk and she would only mention it if Miss Darcy did. After all, what was more natural than two sisters taking a walk after they had dined heartily?

  As it turned out, Miss Darcy said little on their walk. Elizabeth was not disheartened by this. Though she had not said a word, her spirits seemed very much restored by the time they returned to the others. Of course, that raised another problem. How could she control what her mother and younger sisters said when they arrived back in Hertfordshire? Her mother was particularly obsessed with the subject of young ladies marrying, so it would be only natural to her—if impertinent to others—to question Georgiana as to whether she had any suitors at present.

  Elizabeth was so deep in thought as to how to solve this dilemma that she did not notice the conversation die away. She looked up to find Darcy watching her with a curious expression on his face. She smiled—she could not help it when the mere sight of him filled her with such love and longing.

  He said nothing.

  It was only when they were leaving the room that he caught her arm.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?” she asked, genuinely startled. “Jane and Bingley chose the food, though I daresay they were carried away.”

  “I am not referring to the food,” he said with an amused look.

  She stopped and turned to him. By now, the others had gone on ahead and descended the stairs to the public dining room below. “What then?”

  “My sister. It warms my heart to know that I am not the only one watching over her. I know what you did earlier and you can have no idea how much I appreciate it. How have I been so fortunate to secure you as a wife?”

  She smiled, for it felt as if happiness was radiating through her from the tips of her toes to the hairs on her head. How was it that Darcy felt lucky to have her when she felt like the most fortunate young woman in the world to have found him?

  Chapter Twenty

  Elizabeth’s joy was only slightly encroached on by their arrival back at Longbourn and the ensuing chaos. It seemed their absence had only sent Mrs. Bennet into an even more frenzied state as she rushed here and there attending to tasks that were in no way necessary for the marriage.

  Elizabeth did not have the heart to stop her, for behind Mrs. Bennet’s great stress it was plain to see that she was enjoying herself immensely as she scolded florists and lamented to Hill that the butcher did not seem to grasp the importance of some of their guests.

  Longbourn was a madhouse. To Elizabeth’s great surprise, Miss Darcy did not seem lost in the chaos, but enlivened by it. In fact, Elizabeth began to stop worrying about the girl’s heartbreak and worry instead about how wonderfully well Georgiana and Lydia got along. Such a friendship would have seemed incomprehensible to her before her return—indeed, it still did. And yet there they were, giggling in the drawing room as if they had been friends for years.

  “Remind me again what is the name of the village near Pemberley, Georgiana my dear,” Lydia whispered when there was a rare lull in the conversation between the two.

  Elizabeth looked at Jane, who was sitting next to her on the sofa. She could not help but wince, for she suspected she knew where the conversation was going.

  “Lambton,” Miss Darcy replied. “I expect you shall enjoy it there. It is a little bigger than Meryton.”

  “Good grief,” Elizabeth muttered. “This is something I did not expect.”

  “Nor I,” Jane agreed. “But you cannot deny they are good for each other.”

  Elizabeth turned to the two girls again. Only a few months apart in age, they could not have been more different in manner. And yet she could hear the wisdom in Jane’s words. Perhaps she was wrong; perhaps Georgiana Darcy might calm Lydia and cause her to act more sensibly.

  She returned her attention to her book. Her happiness felt complete now. She was exhausted from travelling and had been amazed to find that her mother had, in fact, taken care of most of the essential tasks needed before the wedding as well as the thousands of superfluous ones she had assigned herself. After all, Elizabeth did not care if the pews were decorated with ribbons or flowers. All she cared was that she was marrying Darcy.

  “And is there a militia regiment stationed there?” Lydia asked. “Do you know, Kitty and I have had the most wonderful fun with the -shire regiment.”

  Elizabeth gasped for breath too quickly and found herself coughing. She gripped Jane’s hand. “My goodness,” she murmured. “Did you hear that? We ought to think very carefully before allowing Lydia to visit. What shall happen if she corrupts Miss Darcy?”

  Jane laughed and shook her head. “Lizzy! You cannot be in your right mind! Do you really think Darcy would allow it? If Lydia thinks she can go wild under his supervision then she is a fool!”

  Elizabeth nodded. It was true, of course: she could not imagine her soon-to-be husband tolerating any of her sister’s impertinence. After all, had he not swiftly put an end to her antics at that ball? Even so, none of the others were aware of what had happened with Wickham and Miss Darcy. What would happen if another character like that emerged to bewitch one of the girls? They could not watch them all closely at all times.

  She sighed and turned again to watch the young ladies. It would be different, she concluded after a time. Georgiana had her now, as well as Darcy. Together they would make sure that the girl was protected and loved at all times. They would outsmart any threat like Wickham.

  She si
ghed happily as Mary closed her book and pulled her chair over to join Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana. Yes, Jane was right. It was not a case of Lydia being bad for Miss Darcy; rather of Miss Darcy being a wonderful addition to their family.

  Then the door open and the men came in. And after that, there was only one person Elizabeth could think about.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  For something Elizabeth had spent so very long thinking about, her actual wedding ceremony passed in a blur of happy tears and beautiful song. All too soon, the vicar was declaring them man and wife, and Darcy was kissing her to the sound of applause from all of their dearest friends and neighbours.

  They walked back down the aisle, hand-in-hand after the others had hurried out. They emerged into the weak winter sun to find everyone crowded around the door waiting for them. Goodness only knew how they had come upon so many flowers in the middle of winter, but they had. Elizabeth had only to catch the look in her mother’s eyes to see that Mrs. Bennet was responsible. Her heart filled with love. They had had their differences over the years, but now that she was so close to leaving her father’s home for her husband’s, she could appreciate her family properly. Mrs. Bennet must have sent a servant to every one of her friends who had a greenhouse in order to fill those dainty little baskets full of blooms.

  Elizabeth and Darcy paused on the steps of the chapel as their friends and family cheered and cried with delighted and tossed fragrant petals over their heads.

  She had never known such delight. She clutched Darcy’s hand—he had not let hers go since they became man and wife not long before. She was still struggling to convince herself that this was all real and not some vivid dream. It was all just so perfect! They had had their challenges in the past weeks and she had come close to despair with worry and guilt. Now that all seemed like a world away.

  She opened her eyes and glanced at the ground, gasping in awe at the beautiful sight of yellow, pink and red rose petals piled softly around her shoes.

  “I do not want to forget this moment; not as long as I live,” she said, squeezing her eyes tightly closed and trying to commit every aspect of it to her memory. The soft perfume of the flowers. The sound of laughter. The sting of tears of joy in her eyes. Darcy’s strong hand in hers. The organ music that had seen them out of the church—often so sombre, she had only heard joy and delight in it on that occasion.

  “Do you worry you will forget it?”

  “No,” she whispered, looking up at him. “It is simply that I want to recall as much as I can and treasure it for as long as I live. This is the happiest day of my life and I worry that I am not enjoying it as fully as possible.”

  He squeezed her hand. “It is a happy day, but there shall be many more that are just as happy. Do not worry about recalling everything. Let us enjoy today, safe and happy in the knowledge that there shall be many more that are just as delightful.”

  She squeezed his hand back, relaxing a little as she considered his words and saw the truth in them. Oh, what a blessing he was! She had imagined what it might be like to love a man, but she had never imagined the solace and comfort one would find in a husband. “I love you,” she whispered.

  He bent to kiss her and she felt his strong hands lift her up into his arms. The crowd of well-wishers, who had grown silent as they turned to chat amongst themselves, cheered and clapped as Darcy strode down the path to the gate with his new wife in his arms.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Elizabeth woke the next morning feeling happier than she had ever felt in her life. There was such satisfaction in knowing that she wanted for nothing. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. A wide smile broke out on her face when she looked over and saw Darcy’s sleeping face on the pillow beside hers. Would she ever grow used to waking up and seeing him beside her?

  She had imagined what it meant to be man and wife. She had thought about it often, but the reality was worlds away from anything she could have expected. She closed her eyes and smiled at the delicious memory of the evening before. She had always been comfortable around him, but a strange sort of nervousness had overtaken her when he led her upstairs to the guest suite Bingley had generously offered them at Netherfield. Of course, Darcy had felt no such nervousness; he had only exhibited his usual sense of control and confidence.

  Elizabeth sighed happily at the memory of his strong hands on her skin. She had learned as much about him the night before as she had in all the previous months of their acquaintance. She could not ever have imagined the tenderness and love he had shown her.

  “Are you awake, my dear?”

  She started. It was still early yet—the light was only just beginning to stream through the window. “Yes,” she whispered. “I am awake.”

  “Ah, good. I must say, I am ravenous. Shall we go down to breakfast and return for a rest before we travel?”

  It was only then that it hit her. This was real. It had not been a dream—their wedding day may have been and gone, but this was her life now. She would wake with him every morning. He was hers and she was his. The sense of joy she felt on realising that made her almost giddy.

  * * *

  Of course, there was another side to it all, one that she had not given much thought to in the lead up to their marriage. Oh, she had thought often of Pemberley, for how could she not when everyone who had been there told her how wonderful it was? But she had not considered what she would need to give up in order to make Pemberley her home.

  As they finished breakfast, she became all too aware of what that meant.

  “What is it, my dear?” Darcy asked, replacing his teacup on his saucer.

  It was just the two of them at the table, since the others were wont to rise later.

  She smiled. “I cannot hide anything from you, can I?” She shook her head, not quite sure how to put it. After all, would it seem like an insult to him? She did not see why, but she did not want to risk it after all the kindness he had shown her.

  “Well? You can tell me anything; you must know that.”

  “I do,” she whispered. “I do. It is foolish, really. It has just dawned on me that to go to Pemberley with you will be to leave my family behind here.”

  The furrows in his brow disappeared. “Ah, is that it?”

  “You sound relieved,” she cried, unable to stop herself from laughing. “It is hardly a good thing.”

  “I am relieved. For a moment I thought you regretted our marriage.” He laughed and held a hand up to stifle her protest. “Please, it was a joke. Rather ill-conceived, but I only sought to lighten your mood. Oh, Elizabeth.” He took her hand and held it. “It is not so very far away. We shall travel often to London and stop in Hertfordshire each time we go back and forth. And from here to London is not so far at all!”

  She smiled. “Then you and I have different ideas of far.”

  “Not really. I understand your feelings on the matter, my dear. But it is different now. Where before you had to ask your father for his carriage, you now have your own carriage at your disposal. Not that it will be needed. We can return as often as you would like. And of course your family will be welcome at Pemberley whenever you wish to have them there.”

  She smiled. “Yes, that does rather make things better.”

  “I thought so. And there is something else that I think will remove any hesitation,” he said with a smile.

  But he would not be drawn further on that point, no matter how much she insisted. All he did was smile and tap a finger to his closed lips, as if it was a secret he could not yet share.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Despite knowing that she could return to visit at any time, Elizabeth was still sad when the time came to go to Longbourn House to bid farewell to her family. Of course she was. It was worst with her father—his eyes were red-rimmed and he could not hide his sorrow at her departure. He had asked her to join him in his library, not wanting the others to see how upset he was.

  “I will visit often,” she insiste
d, crying herself.

  Mr. Bennet nodded, eyes closed though there was little point in trying to hide his emotions when his cheeks were wet with tears. “I am thrilled for you, Lizzy, but my heart breaks at the thought of you leaving me. Who will provide a balance against the madness of your mother and sisters.”

  She laughed. “Papa, it is not so bad. Besides, Jane remains at Netherfield. She is calmer and more rational than the others.”

  “Oh, Lizzy,” he said, shaking his head. “Please do not allow my reaction to dampen your joy. We shall see each other often.”

  When she could bear it no longer, she left the house to see Darcy, who was waiting at the carriage. She frowned when she saw Bingley had joined him.

  “There was no need for you to come. We had planned to return to Netherfield to say our goodbyes.”

  Bingley shook his head and glanced at Darcy. Elizabeth followed his gaze and became automatically suspicious, especially when she recalled her husband’s earlier statement. “Why are you smiling like that?”

  Fitzwilliam Darcy burst out laughing, which was a sight in itself. “I can hold it back no longer! You must forgive my secrecy, for it was not yet settled. Jane and Bingley will be joining us at Pemberley for a time.”

  She turned to Bingley, scarcely able to believe it. “Is it true? But you have only just returned to Netherfield!”

  “Netherfield shall be here when we return—if we choose to return. Derbyshire is where I grew up. It is the closest thing I have to home and since Jane was so heartbroken at the thought of being separated from you, I thought it best to…”