She watched him with an amused smile that brought a chagrined tilt to his lips. He softened his tone. “I’m sorry. How can I help you?”
She retreated to the desk to close her laptop and pack it up in her backpack.
“Bingley? You’re in Brazil?”
At Charles’ name, she whirled back around, her gaze questioning. Darcy held up a finger, forestalling her questions.
“Did you get my email?”
She waited impatiently as he focused on his conversation. He paced in front of the stacks of books as he talked, and Lizzy couldn’t help admiring his svelte physique as he walked. He was too involved in his discussion with Bingley to notice her perusal, giving her the opportunity to look to her heart’s fill.
She didn’t think she could ever tire of watching Darcy. He was strong, confident, poised. Armed with the knowledge that he loved her and she loved him, she felt free to look all she wanted.
Abruptly, he came to a stop in front of her, meeting her gaze with a raised brow and an impish grin that told her she’d been caught. Not that she really cared. He spoke into the phone without looking away from her. “No, don’t go to Hertfordshire. Jane’s at Pemberley. I have her and Lizzy working on the ballroom here.” He listened briefly. “Okay. I’ll see you in a couple days, then.”
He closed his phone with a snap and resisted the temptation to lean in for another kiss. He couldn’t afford to make himself any later for work than he already was, not that Bingley was complaining. His friend appreciated everything Darcy had done for his company. He wouldn’t begrudge him a few stolen minutes with Lizzy, especially when he would soon be reunited with Jane himself.
“Bingley’s on his way back. He got my email just a few minutes ago. He should be here within the week.”
“Jane won’t know what to do with herself when he shows up.”
“Do you think you should warn her ahead of time?” asked Darcy.
“No. I think it’s better to just let her and Charles work it out. If we give her too much time to think about it, she’ll take off for Hertfordshire before he can get here.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. She’s too shy. She’d be afraid he would be coming back because he felt bad for her, not because he loved her.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Yes, but that is Jane. She is always thinking of the other person’s comfort and not her own. I hope they can work this out. I would dearly love to see Jane happy again.”
“It would be a good thing for the both of them, I think.”
“What would be a good thing?” said Jane as she popped her head in the library door. “I’ve been looking all over for you, Lizzy. I sent Darcy to find you ages ago.”
Darcy and Lizzy shared a secret look before Lizzy stepped forward. “Well, he found me. I was just coming to look for you. I take it Mary got here safe?” The two sisters went out the door, arm in arm.
Lizzy glanced back at him as they crossed the threshold and cast him a wink and a grin. “See you later, Darcy.”
“See you soon,” he said quietly, his voice loud in the suddenly empty room. When Lizzy left the room, all the life seemed to go out of it with her. He fingered the phone still in his hand, and then dialed a number, holding it up to his ear as he strode purposefully back through the house.
He wanted to have good news to give Lizzy on the Wickham front when he got home. He only hoped he could do enough to ease her mind. If he had to, he’d call Wickham himself.
Lizzy deserved to be safe from the likes of Wickham, and he would do everything in his power to make it so.
Chapter 12
Darcy had little to tell Lizzy by the time he made it home that night, and only a little progress to report the following evening. But by the third day, the day that Bingley was to return, he had finally made some progress.
He pulled into the drive humming along to the radio, his good mood making him effervescent. He was lighter than he had been in years, partially because Lizzy was waiting for him at the door when he came in, and partially because Wickham was no longer hanging over their heads.
“I’ve got good news for you,” he told her as he set down his briefcase and hung his coat up in the hall closet.
She came to stand beside him. “Really?” She helped him unwind the scarf around his neck when it got tangled in the coat he was trying to hang up. The gesture was wifely and tender, and Darcy couldn’t help but reward her for her kindness with a quick brush of their lips.
What would it be like to come home to Lizzy every evening? The thought of Lizzy as his wife sent contentment radiating out from his core. He knew she wasn’t ready for that level of a commitment yet; they had barely admitted their feelings for each other. She needed time to be courted and wooed before he asked her to take that next step of becoming his wife. Yet, he couldn’t help but wish he had that security, the reassurance that she wasn’t going to change her mind and walk away from him at any moment.
This Lizzy, the one who claimed to love him, seemed almost too good to be true. For the past three days, he had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to go south. He was afraid to trust that she had really meant the words. So few people in his life really had.
Lizzy pulled away from his kiss, but he refused to let her escape from the circle of his arms. She giggled. “Someone could see!”
“Then let them see,” he growled playfully, lowering his head to steal another kiss.
She wriggled out of his arms and took a couple steps back, so she was out of reach. He eyed her, contemplating his strategy, but she wagged her head at him. “Oh, no you don’t! We can’t take this public until Jane and Charles get things sorted out. I can’t ask Jane to see us so happy when she’s miserable.”
He eyed her one last time before holding his hands up in surrender. “That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I talked to Charles on the drive back from work, and he should be here within the hour, hopefully before dinner.”
They started down the hall to the den, where the rest of the household was gathered.
“What was the other thing?”
“Wickham gave up all copies of the incriminating photos, electronic or otherwise, and signed paperwork subjecting him to prosecution should he attempt to malign your sister’s name, your family, your business, or my name through the sale of those photos ever again. So even if he didn’t really hand over all the copies like he said he did, we’re protected.” There had also been a nice little sum to encourage Wickham to cooperate, but she didn’t need to know about that. What she needed to know was that her sister and her family were safe, and he could give her that reassurance willingly.
“That is such a relief!” She turned back to hug him.
The embrace was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Darcy savored the feel of her arms around his waist and rested his cheek briefly against the top of her head, squeezing his eyes shut so he could concentrate on the feel of her against his body. “I thought we weren’t doing this,” he teased lightly.
She pulled back far enough to swat his shoulder with a playful grin. “Jerk.”
“Tease,” he responded.
“Don’t you know it.” She reluctantly stepped out of his arms and proceeded down the hall, relieved to have that worry lifted from her shoulders. Lydia had returned home soon after Lizzy had received her email, if not suitably chastised, at least now aptly wary. Her partying days probably weren’t over, but at least Lizzy thought she would be more discreet and careful of the associates she chose. Now all that remained was to see Jane happy again.
They were greeted warmly by the rest of the household, who, although oblivious to the newfound understanding between Darcy and Lizzy, were not oblivious to the tender glances that passed between the two.
Forty-five minutes later, they were all watching television in the den, with the exception of Mrs. Reynolds, who was seeing to some last minute details for dinner. The doorbell echoed through the house, rousing Dar
cy from his comfortable chair.
His long legs hit the floor with a thud. Lizzy looked up from her spot on the couch. “Do you want company?”
He shook his head. “No. I can get the door.”
By the time he made it back to the entry, Mrs. Reynolds had beat him to it. She was in the process of hanging up Charles’ coat and hat when Darcy greeted them.
“You didn’t tell me Charles was coming,” she chided him.
Darcy met Bingley’s eyes. “That’s because it was a surprise. Are you planning on staying the night?”
Bingley shifted and rubbed his chilled fingers against his pant leg. He looked nervous. “I’m not sure yet. It depends…It depends on how things go.”
Darcy just nodded sagely, understanding all too well his friend’s apprehension. “Everyone is in the den if you want to go on back.”
Bingley thanked him and started off down the hall. When he was out of earshot, Darcy turned back to Mrs. Reynolds. “I trust it won’t be too difficult to set another place for dinner?”
“Of course not! As if I would ever turn away a hungry soul from my table!”
Darcy chuckled lightly at her affront. “Good. I would plan on him staying the night, too. I think everything’s going to work out satisfactorily.”
“And what exactly does that mean, young man? Have you been keeping secrets from me again?” She put her hands on her hips and scowled up at him.
Darcy just grinned and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You’re the best, Mrs. Reynolds.”
Her eyes softened, but she pretended indignation. “Don’t think that will get you off the hook with me, Fitzwilliam Darcy!”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He started off down the hall, following Bingley’s footsteps.
Mrs. Reynolds’ voice echoed after him. “Ten minutes until dinner, Darcy. Tell the others!”
He waved back at her to let her know he had heard and continued onward. He had a feeling Bingley was going to need some moral support when he faced Jane again for the first time.
Granted, the woman wasn’t particularly threatening. But if the state of Charles’ nerves told him anything, it was that he was going to need a friend backing him up to make it through this.
Charles hated confrontation too much for his own good and, unfortunately, Jane was the same way. If he and Lizzy left them to their own devices, they’d probably have a perfectly polite conversation, during which nothing was resolved. They just needed a push in the right direction, and Darcy planned to give Charles that, whether he wanted it or not.
He made it to the door of the den just as Charles was exiting, looking bewildered and overwhelmed. He stopped his friend with a firm hand on his arm before he could escape.
“What happened?” Darcy demanded.
Bingley shook his head. His eyes looked dazed as they met Darcy’s intent gaze. “I don’t know. Nothing I guess. I went in there and Jane barely even glanced at me. She didn’t act at all excited to see me. I asked how she was and all she said was she was fine. And then Georgiana started asking me about my trip… and that was it. I don’t think she loves me, Darcy.”
Darcy steered his friend back toward the door. “Trust me, Charlie. I have it on good authority that she does. You just need to talk to her alone, without anyone else to interrupt. Tell her how you feel. I know it’s scary, chap, but buck up. You can do this. Just think of how happy you’ll be when she says those three magic words.”
Bingley took a deep, steadying breath. “Okay. You’re right. I can do this.” He squared his shoulders and stepped back through the door, Darcy following after him to block off his means of retreat.
The women all looked up in surprise at Charles’ quick return. Lizzy and Darcy shared a knowing smile that went unnoticed by the room at large.
“That was fast,” said Georgiana. “Did you get the drink you wanted, Charles?”
He gulped. “No. Can I talk to Jane, please? Alone?”
Jane’s head jerked up from studying her hands to meet Lizzy’s gaze with wide, pleading eyes. Lizzy just winked at her sister and got to her feet, pulling Georgiana up beside her. Payback sure was sweet, even if she knew she really had Jane’s best interests at heart.
“Sure, we can, Charles. Come on, Mary.” She gestured to her other sister, and they all beat a strategic retreat out the den door.
Darcy thought they would head for the kitchen to give Jane and Charles some privacy, but the instant the door was shut behind them, Lizzy and Mary had their ears pressed against the door.
“What are you doing?” Darcy hissed, tugging on Lizzy’s arm.
“Shh!” She silenced him with a raised hand. “We’re listening, Darcy. What did you think we would do?”
“I thought you’d give them some privacy, like normal people,” he grumbled.
Lizzy grinned up at him. “This is a normal response in our family. We all listen at doors when there’s something momentous going on. Right, Mary?”
Her sister nodded, obviously distracted by the proceedings going on from the other side of the door. “Sure. We did the same thing a few weeks ago when William Collins asked Lizzy out.”
“There you go,” said Lizzy. “See. Perfectly normal.”
“Define normal,” muttered Darcy under his breath. Still, he stopped trying to pull her away from the door and propped himself up against the wall opposite the door instead. Georgiana looked torn between pressing her own ear against the door and siding with her brother on the impropriety of their actions. She settled on flitting between them both, not really listening at the door but holding whispered conversations about what was going on.
Darcy just shook his head at the women’s antics and leaned his head back against the wall. He already had a good idea of what was going on behind the door, and he didn’t need to listen in to have his suspicions confirmed. The very fact that Charlie hadn’t come bolting out already boded well for his friend and Lizzy’s sister.
Mrs. Reynolds found them thusly when she came to summon them to dinner, since Darcy had neglected to tell them of its impending arrival. She scowled at Darcy. “What is this? My fine dinner is getting cold because you all are playing games?”
“We’re not playing games,” Georgiana hastened to reassure her. “Charles is declaring his love for Jane and we’re giving them the chance to work things out.”
“Charles is what?” Mrs. Reynolds said, shocked.
“Declaring his love,” answered Darcy ruefully, wondering how he had gotten himself into the middle of this. Really, he was just trying to help his friend out and instead things were quickly spiraling out of control. When had Pemberley started to resemble the Bennet household? “That’s why it was such a surprise. We didn’t want to tip Jane off until he got here and had a chance to talk with her alone.”
Mrs. Reynolds’ smile spread across her face. “How romantic! Here, girls, make room for me.” Soon she, too, had her ear against the door, much to Darcy’s chagrin. Was he the only member of his household with a little respect for people’s privacy?
He was suddenly very grateful that he and Lizzy had the chance to work out their differences without an audience. He would have been horrified and embarrassed if her entire family had been listening in on the other side of the door when he told her he loved her.
Mary pulled her head away from the door. “They’ve gone quiet,” she complained. “I can’t hear a thing through this heavy door.”
“Maybe they’re kissing,” suggested Georgiana eagerly.
“No, I can still hear the low murmur of voices,” Lizzy said, reluctantly stepping away from the door herself. “They’re just too quiet to make out what is being said.”
Darcy looked at her pointedly. “Serves you right for eavesdropping. They’re probably on to you, and that’s why they started talking so low.”
“It was going so well, too,” Mary commented. “It sounded like he was working up to a declaration of sorts. Do you think he was going to tell her he loves her?”
> Darcy and Lizzy shared a smile. She leaned against the wall next to him, seemingly content to wait out her sister without further eavesdropping.
“I hope so,” said Lizzy.
“I hope so, too,” said Mary. “I’ve never seen Jane as happy as she was while she was working with Charles at Netherfield Park.”
That statement was a bittersweet one for Darcy. It reinforced that he had done the right thing by bringing Bingley to Pemberley, but it also reminded him that he had been part of the reason Charles and Jane had been separated in the first place.
Lizzy must have read his thoughts, because she reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. The way Lizzy had positioned herself between Darcy and the rest of the group, no one else had seen what transpired, but he was warmed by the soothing gesture nonetheless. That quick squeeze had been meant for him only- a secret that they shared, among others.
“I do hope they hurry up,” Mrs. Reynolds commented. “Dinner will be cold by the time we make it to the dining room.” She checked her watch. “I’ll give them two more minutes, but then I’ll have to head back to the kitchen and put everything back in to keep warm.”
“I don’t think it will take much longer,” reassured Lizzy. “They’ve already been in there for quite a while.”
Sure enough, only a few moments later, the door to the den opened and Jane and Charles stepped through, both smiling widely.
Jane went straight to Lizzy, holding her hand out for her sister to see, while Bingley watched with a self-satisfied smirk. “Oh, Lizzy, we’re engaged! He called on Pappa and asked for my hand as soon as he got back in the country.”
Lizzy’s gaze was arrested by the fat solitaire princess cut diamond winking from her sister’s finger on a gold filigree band. “Jane, it’s gorgeous!” She let go of her sister’s hand and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you!”
Jane showed off her ring to the rest of the group, while Lizzy congratulated Charles and welcomed him to the family.
Pride and Precipice Page 18