Georgiana was open-mouthed, staring at her brother.
Elizabeth could almost see the struggle within him, but she was surprised when he said … “If it is your wish.”
Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner appeared equally surprised, though Mr. Gardiner merely clapped his hands and said, “How very nice,” several times.
Georgiana sat down at the piano and looking through some music selected a Handel aria and handed it to them. Elizabeth felt ridiculously nervous. She had never expected Mr. Darcy to accept. He had been adamant that she would never hear him sing.
Both of them missed their entrance and Georgiana continued to play until they were ready. At last they both opened their mouths and Elizabeth was immediately struck by the rich sound coming from her husband. He may not have sung for many years, but he was still possessed of a fine baritone voice. Glancing at him, Elizabeth felt her insides go soft and a surge of love. It was only one song and when it was over, Mr. Darcy accepted the applause of the Gardiners with a nod. Georgiana tried to persuade them to sing again, but Elizabeth said she thought there had been enough musical entertainment for one evening and asked one of the footmen to pour them all some drinks.
IT WAS VERY LATE INDEED when the Gardiners left, and although Elizabeth was very tired, she still hoped to speak to Mr. Darcy, but when she looked for him, she could not find him. Disappointed, she decided to retire, knocking on Georgiana’s room and wishing her goodnight before going to her own.
She summoned Maisie to help her prepare for bed, but once she was settled sleep eluded her. She was still shocked that Mr. Darcy had suddenly changed his mind and sang with her. It had been wonderful and yet she could not help wondering why he had suddenly changed his mind. She had never known him to do anything on the spur of the moment.
She picked up the book beside her bed, but soon tossed it aside. She could not read. She blew out the candle and pulled at her pillows before laying down, trying to get comfortable. She lay there thinking about Miss Dearborn. During the Gardiners visit, she had not spared her a thought, but now she could think of nothing else. She thumped her pillow and closed her eyes. She could see her, the, the beautiful blue eyes full of laughter. Moments later she sat up in bed again. It was no good. She could wait no longer. She had to talk to her husband.
Getting out of bed, she pulled on her robe and padded barefoot across the room in the darkness. She opened one of the shutters and a weak moonlight made it easier for her to see. Flicking her long plait over her shoulder, she edged her way to the door between their rooms, carefully unlocking the door. Mr. Darcy was sitting up in bed reading. “Mrs. Darcy. Is something wrong?”
Elizabeth’s heart was thumping hard. She was frightened she was about to be rejected. “I might ask you the same thing, Mr. Darcy. You have made no attempt to join me these past nights,” she said playfully.
Mr. Darcy’s brow was furrowed in puzzlement. “Mrs. Darcy, I can do many things, but I cannot walk through a locked door.”
“But you did not try,” said Elizabeth.
“And why would I when my wife believes I am betraying her with another woman?” asked Mr. Darcy.
Was that laughter in his voice?
Elizabeth scuffed her toe against the rug on the floor. “And why would I want a man who refuses to give me any explanation?”
Mr. Darcy put down his book and threw back the covers. “Elizabeth, will you join me?”
Elizabeth shook her head, though she sat down on the edge of the bed. “You hurt me,” she whispered.
Mr. Darcy did not immediately say anything. “I am not accustomed to explaining my actions,” he said gruffly.
Elizabeth pulled at the cover, twisting it in her fingers. “In the past perhaps, but I thought you and I had an understanding, that you would talk to me.”
She glanced up at her husband, who was staring directly in front of him. In the half-light she found it impossible to know what he was thinking.
“Mr. Darcy!”
He reached out a hand to her and she willingly caught it. He pulled it towards him and dropped a kiss on it.
“Elizabeth, I love you. I have always loved you…”
“Always?” she asked with a laugh.
He kissed her hand again. “Alright, not always, but it was much sooner than you were aware of. It pains me to think of the past and how I acted towards you.”
“It’s over,” said Elizabeth softly.
“Until Miss Dearborn arrived,” he said.
Elizabeth wanted to ask him if he had loved her, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask the question, not yet. “Will you tell me about her?”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “If you will sit beside me.”
Elizabeth got in the bed and he immediately pulled her into his arms. She nestled against him. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be held in his arms.
“Miss Dearborn told me how good you were to her. Why did you do it? It could not have been easy.”
Mr. Darcy sighed. “My father taught me many things and one was that you should do what is right. You know me well. I have been arrogant and rude and at times very selfish, but in helping Miss Dearborn, I was not just helping a friend, I was trying to pay off a debt.”
Elizabeth pulled away slightly, so she could look at Mr. Darcy more clearly. She did not understand. Mr. Darcy was a wealthy man. She could see no reason why he would be in debt. “What do you mean? Have you been in debt?”
“No.” Mr. Darcy smiled wryly. “It was my father’s debt, and it had nothing to do with money. Many years ago, he told me that Mr. Dearborn had saved him from drowning. He never gave me all the details, but I know Mr. Dearborn risked his life and my father would have died if it had not been for his actions. It had played a great deal on my father’s conscience and he had always felt he did not have the chance to pay his friend back.”
“So you helped Miss Dearborn?”
Mr. Darcy nodded. “When her family was shamed by the actions of her brother, I allowed her to live in a house on the Pemberley Estates and I continued to invite her to the main house with other friends.”
“There must have been people who then shunned you for your loyalty,” said Elizabeth slowly as she thought about everything he had just revealed.
“There were, but I was not concerned with that.”
Elizabeth found it difficult to take in what he had told her. “But why would you not share this with me? You seemed to resent me even asking about it.”
Mr. Darcy looked uncomfortable at the question, though he continued to look at her. “It was wrong of me. I knew when Miss Dearborn arrived, there would be gossip and I wanted to protect you from it.”
Elizabeth felt some of the tension begin to easy from her body. “But you didn’t. I heard people saying she was back to claim you.”
“And that is exactly why I dislike gossip. It’s nonsense. Miss Dearborn was never interested in me.”
Elizabeth giggled. “Are you sure? She described you as a handsome devil.”
Mr. Darcy gave a snort of disgust. “It is the sort of ridiculous thing she would say.”
“I don’t think it is a ridiculous at all. It is true.”
Even in the half-light she could see he was embarrassed. “It is nonsense and you know it.”
She was tempted to go on teasing him, but there was one question that was still nagging at her. She could not let it go. She pulled out of his arms and bending up her knees, hugged her legs. She didn’t want him to touch her as she asked the question. “Did you love her?”
Mr. Darcy reached out to hold her chin, so she was looking into his eyes. “Elizabeth, I am hurt you would even ask that question.”
Elizabeth’s conscience pricked her. Miss Dearborn had assured her that he hadn’t, but she needed to hear it from him. “I needed to know. You did, after all, mention her in my bed.”
“It was in my sleep and I was unaware of what I was doing. I hurt you, but I did not mean to…”
He was saying the righ
t words, but she wasn’t sure it was enough. He seemed to have spent a great deal more time thinking about Miss Dearborn than herself. “You should have talked to me,” she muttered.
“You are right, but when confronted with what had happened I was embarrassed. There was nothing behind it other than the shock of her arrival. I hope you believe me.”
Elizabeth wanted to stay angry with him, but she could not. The deep brown eyes were filled with love for her and she ached for him. He had hurt her badly, but she knew it had not been deliberate. “Georgiana told me that she looks up to us both and wants a marriage like ours,” she told him.
Mr. Darcy appeared as moved as she had been. His voice was gruff with emotion as he spoke. “If my sister has the good fortune to meet a man she loves as much as I love my wife, then she will be lucky indeed.”
Elizabeth quickly rubbed her eyes. She did not want to cry. “I am sorry that I doubted you…”
“I was hurt when I felt the distance between us, but I realise I gave you just cause. Elizabeth, there has only been one woman I have ever loved, and that is a woman with a particularly fine pair of brown eyes. “
Elizabeth gently thumped him on the chest. “And there is only one man who I have loved, who infuriates me when he refuses to talk to me, but then surprises me when he suddenly changes his mind and sings with me.”
“It will not happen again, I promise you,” said Mr. Darcy as he pulled her back into his arms.
“You refuse to sing with me again?” asked Elizabeth a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
“Noooo.” Mr. Darcy looked exasperated. “I meant that I will not keep things from you again. It was a painful experience for both of us.”
“Are you certain?” she asked.
“Absolutely certain,” and as he bent to kiss her, all the anger, worry and resentment Elizabeth had felt melted away as she gave herself up to him.
EPILOGUE
Elizabeth Darcy found it easy to keep her promise to Georgiana. Her marriage returned to its former happy state and the house at Connaught Place was once more filled with laughter. Elizabeth relished the time they spent alone together and regularly teased her husband about his habit of not explaining his actions. He tolerated her teasing with equanimity accepting it was a small price to pay to have the woman he loved by his side and back in his bed
Miss Dearborn was gone from their lives almost as quickly as she had appeared, though Elizabeth did receive a letter a month later to inform her that she was now married. Elizabeth was happy for her but as Miss Dearborn did not include an address she was unable to reply. Perhaps it was her way of saying goodbye. In a strange way she missed Miss Dearborn’s vibrant presence. Few people had ever left such a mark on her life in such a short space of time.
They continued to attend balls and parties until Mr. Darcy grumbled that he wished the season was over and they were back at Pemberley. Elizabeth wished it too, but they had promised Georgiana an entire season and she blossomed in the livelier pace of London life. Very soon it became clear that Lord Grantham’s son and Georgiana preferred each other’s company above all others and before the season was over, Mr. Darcy gave them permission to become engaged. Elizabeth was delighted as she thought they would be very happy together and she liked the thought of the two families being joined by marriage and not just friendship.
Lord and Lady Grantham were equally delighted, and the two families spent a great deal of time together, though Elizabeth had to resist her ladyship’s efforts to get her to join in with all her worthy projects for the needy in London.
With Georgiana engaged, Elizabeth never invited Kitty to stay, but promised herself that when they returned to Pemberley, she would issue an invitation.
Nearing the end of the season Elizabeth suspected she had good news of her own, but it was only when they left London and returned to their beloved Pemberley in the spring that she told Mr. Darcy she was expecting their first longed-for child.
Mr. Darcy could hardly find the words to express his pleasure at the news and he pulled Elizabeth into his arms and held her very tightly as he declared, “Mrs. Darcy, I was so right to marry you.”
“And I you,” murmured Elizabeth contentedly. The dark shadow that had blighted a few weeks of their marriage and threatened to do lasting damage, had passed. As she stood looking out across the lawns of Pemberley, in her husband’s arms, she did not think she had ever been happier.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I hope you enjoyed reading An Old Friend. If you enjoyed this book, please go to amazon and leave a review. With thanks.
Jemima
Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Author’s Note
An Old Friend Page 9