Longbourn to London (20 page)

Mr. Bennet looked from his daughter to Darcy and was entertained by insinuating himself in front of Elizabeth’s precipitous approach to her betrothed, thus slowing her and reaching Darcy first with an extended hand.

“Aha! You have returned to us, Mr. Darcy. You have had ample time to escape the snares of the Bennet family, so I take it by your appearance that you really do love my girl.” Mr. Bennet turned to see Elizabeth’s reaction. She rolled her eyes and blushed; her father was delighted.

Darcy watched Elizabeth but answered her father. “Mr. Bennet, I have no intention of escaping your daughter. As I am thoroughly and happily ensnared, I believe the opposite might be closer to the truth. You have no idea the effort I have expended to convince her I am worthy.
She
may wish to escape
me
.” Darcy paused from smiling at Elizabeth and looked to Mr. Bennet. “Sir, since the weather has improved, may I have your permission to escort Miss Elizabeth to Longbourn?”

“Certainly, sir! Nothing of an improper nature can possibly transpire in the three minutes it takes for the arduous journey from this church to Longbourn house. I shall send our groom back for your horse.” He leaned to Darcy and whispered, “Have Lizzy show you the long way around. It takes five minutes.”

Elizabeth stepped aside as Georgiana approached and gave Darcy a brief embrace. “I have had a lovely visit at Longbourn, Brother. Kitty will join me at Netherfield now you are returned. I have learned something of what it is to behave like a sister with sisters! See? I have given Lizzy…Elizabeth a gown she admired!”

Darcy happily nodded at Elizabeth over his sister’s head.
Ah, this explains why the gown is familiar. Georgiana bought it for herself last Christmas. How well the colour suits Elizabeth.

He extended an arm to his bride-to-be, and they exited. After taking leave of the vicar, Elizabeth turned their steps away from the path taken by the rest of her family. The couple circled the perimeter of the village until they reached the path approaching Longbourn from its western fields.

When they passed behind a hedge, Darcy turned to Elizabeth, and she was on her toes kissing him before he could draw her into an embrace. He gave himself entirely to the feeling of her body pressing against his and was surprised when she struggled away.

“Oh, Mr. Darcy! Fitzwilliam…I should not run at you. What a week it has been. You must never leave again without taking me with you.”

She was so seriously scolding him that he had to laugh. “The next time I leave Hertfordshire, you will be my wife—you may depend upon it— but if you need to kiss me to reassure yourself of this truth, then please do.”

They continued walking and were soon at the south side of Longbourn in the boundary lane behind a hedgerow where they had often met.

Only one room of the house could spy them from this angle, and behind the curtains of his bedroom, Mr. Bennet watched. He was dumbfounded to see Darcy formally draw himself up before Elizabeth and open a small box.

“Dearest Elizabeth, I know you will think it an unnecessary foolishness,” Darcy said earnestly. “But I should have done this weeks ago. This ring should have come to you when I last proposed. I am embarrassed it has taken me three attempts to get a proposal properly stated, but I hope your answer will be the same as for the second attempt. I love you so very dearly, and I am quite certain you are the
only
woman in the world I could
ever
be prevailed on to marry.” He smiled plaintively at her.

At first, Elizabeth was shocked at Darcy’s posture and expression, but as he spoke, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and a crooked smile formed on her face. He opened the box, revealing the simple emerald ring. She experienced a momentary fear that the box would contain an ostentatious jewel she would be hard put to live up to, but when she saw the modest, brilliantly green stone, her hands went to it immediately.

“Fitzwilliam! My only complaint of your second proposal is for myself, as I did not respond in anything like an articulate or eloquent manner.” Recognising his playful reference to her refusal at Hunsford, she added, “Let me make myself abundantly clear, sir: I love you, and I am honoured to become your wife. My father has always said I must only marry a man I could love and respect, and I
never
disobey my father.”

Darcy laughed at her. He would not have called Elizabeth an altogether-obedient daughter. He pulled the ring from its box for Elizabeth to see the exquisite workmanship of the band of gold wrought leaves.

“Oh, Fitzwilliam. Was this your mother’s betrothal ring? It is so beautiful, so delicate. It is so— ”

“So like you.”

“It is so
perfect
, is what I was going to say.”

“It was a ring of my mother’s but not her betrothal ring. I selected this from her jewellery years ago when Georgiana and I sorted the pieces I might keep for a future wife. I did not know I would be adorning a wood nymph that I captured in the fields of Hertfordshire, but I thought it the prettiest piece in my mother’s entire collection.”

Elizabeth held out her right hand, but the ring was slightly too big for her ring finger, and she hastily moved it to her middle finger, which was an exact fit. “Does it matter to you that I shall wear it on a wrong finger? I love it.”

“You may wear it on whatever finger you like, just so you wear it!”

Their eyes met, Elizabeth lifted her face, closed her eyes and parted her lips. Darcy’s hands encircled her waist and he kissed her tenderly. Her arms came to rest upon his shoulders.

Mr. Bennet was still watching. He did not know what he would do if the contact of the lovers became more improper. He feared, given their separation and the looks on their faces in the church, that it would.

When the kiss ended, Elizabeth opened her eyes and held Darcy’s gaze as she took his hands from her waist and placed them at her bosom, stacking them over her heart and holding them there, against her left breast.

“You make my heart race, Fitzwilliam Darcy,” she whispered. Her eyes burned into his.
If he asks to meet me privately, I shall say yes. He must know I would say yes.

Darcy’s first thought was of how full and warm the flesh was over her heart, thumping like thunder under his hand. He allowed himself one brief moment of sensation before he carefully, and determinedly, pulled his hands from under hers, but continued holding one as he stepped a pace away.

Mr. Bennet breathed a sigh of relief after his initial shocked distress that it was his Lizzy who had instigated such an intimate moment. He found himself wishing more than ever that he had sired boys.

“Elizabeth…” Darcy continued to meet her gaze. “We must not tempt ourselves. I am well aware of the feelings I stirred before I left, and I should not have been so reckless. In our future life, we must have nothing with which to reproach ourselves.”

Elizabeth’s words stumbled upon each other. “But you must know…I…there is already such feeling…and you have waited so long.” Her eyes were earnest, and Darcy felt himself falling into their darkness and sinking forever. “Fitzwilliam, I will deny you nothing,” she murmured.

Darcy leaned his forehead to hers, mainly to prevent his own swooning. “Darling Elizabeth. Dearest.” After inhaling a deep breath, he tucked her bejewelled hand into the crook of his elbow and they proceeded into the open garden, walking slowly to the house.

This was all to Mr. Bennet’s great relief. He turned from his window.

Elizabeth looked down, trying to recover herself.
What have I done? Why did I not wait for him to try me? Have I always been so impulsive?
“I am sorry to have suggested any misbehaviour. It is from missing you. I have not been myself with you away.”

Darcy stopped, but she would not look at him. “Elizabeth, I love you all the more for what you have said. But I know myself. Any liberty will lead to too much. I must be honest and not pretend otherwise. You are all that is generous and tempting, believe me. I desire…so much. But I shall not importune your innocence. My wish is that when we…eh…well, I shall just say it…when we consummate our marriage, we shall have all the time in the world. There will be no regrets.”

She nodded. Her eyes fell upon her ring, and she marvelled at it until they reached the house. It made her feel safe—and made the coming wedding more immediate— to be wearing it. She paused when Darcy opened the glass door for her and handed her into the morning room. “Thank you for this, Fitzwilliam. It is beautiful, and I thank you for saving it for me. Me. Of all people.”

They found their way to the drawing room with Darcy vowing silently that he would avoid being alone with her for any extended period before the wedding. He was too easily aroused, and Elizabeth was no longer inclined to stop him.

***

Mrs. Bennet was the first to notice Elizabeth’s ring when the family, including the Darcys and Mr. Bingley, sat down to Sunday dinner. Usually more impressed with size than quality, even she had to admit it was exquisite. “I believe it suits you quite well, Lizzy!” she exclaimed. “And no doubt there will be larger, later, when you are Mrs. Darcy.”

Elizabeth looked at her plate in absolute mortification and hid her hand in her lap.

Mrs. Bennet prattled on, “I daresay, after Lizzy has produced a boy or two, Mr. Darcy, she will barely be able to move for the jewels you will heap upon her. You ought not judge my girls on what I have done, Mr. Darcy, nor you, Mr. Bingley…”

Seeing that his wife was causing those at the table who were engaged to be married to burst into fierce blushing, Mr. Bennet cleared his throat rather loudly before warning, “Mrs. Bennet…”

Darcy was on Elizabeth’s left and also looked down. He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
To have been raised by such a mother—my poor dear girl—with never a compliment that does not veil a slight. Perhaps we
should
have eloped…

Elizabeth pressed his hand in return and moved it to his thigh before he released his grasp.

During the fish course, Mr. Bennet leaned forward and asked Darcy in a low voice whether he and Elizabeth wanted to meet about the marriage settlement with Mrs. Bennet after the meal was completed. Darcy was about to reply in the affirmative when a glance at Elizabeth’s countenance changed his mind.

“Perhaps we should leave the Sabbath unsullied by what is essentially a business matter? Shall I come tomorrow after breakfast instead?”

Mr. Bennet’s eyes twinkled. “That will suit me just as well. As you say, let this last Sunday as a family proceed in relative peace and quiet.” Elizabeth looked from her betrothed to her father and back with a silent expression of thanks.

“Mrs. Bennet, may I assume you will spend tomorrow shopping?” Mr. Bennet asked his wife.

As had become her wont, she stopped chattering as soon as her husband began to speak. “Oh, no, sir! I do believe, according to my lists, everything we need has been ordered. Jane and I are to visit Netherfield in the afternoon to discuss the breakfast one last time, and Lizzy, too, if she wishes, but otherwise, I shall be at home.”

“Excellent! Will you be available to join me after breakfast when Mr. Darcy arrives with the marriage settlement?”

Mrs. Bennet fairly beamed. She knew it was the settlement that had taken Darcy to town. She foresaw great pleasure getting rid of her most difficult daughter to a most surprising bridegroom, and at a most handsome rate of return. “Indeed, sir, for such an occasion, I shall wait upon you as early as you wish!”

Mr. Bennet turned to Mr. Darcy with a droll murmur, “You sir, would do well to hope for such a compliant wife as I have.”

***

As Elizabeth said her goodnight to Darcy, she asked whether he would join her for an early morning walk. The weather turned clear and cold, and to Elizabeth, the brisk morning air was like a tonic, strengthening her for the rest of the day.

Darcy declined. He could only imagine the rosy bloom of her cheeks and the rise and fall of her invigorated breathing. He was still warmed by the feeling of her breast and heartbeat under his hand that morning. “Prudence dictates I should give the settlement one last reading before presenting it. Perhaps if you join your mother and Jane at Netherfield, Bingley and I can hang about and make ourselves annoying, and insist we walk you back to Longbourn.”

Elizabeth had to laugh at this plan but was disappointed they would not be truly alone again soon.

***

The following morning, she walked before breakfast and was irked to see Darcy and Bingley riding through the newly shorn fields around Netherfield.
What is he about? Why the pretence of reviewing the settlement?
Her wonder turned to exasperation, and she ran from the boundary of Netherfield to the side door of Longbourn to regain her poise.

Darcy arrived as the Bennets stood from the breakfast table and seemed very much himself when he entered Mr. Bennet’s library. The presentation and signing of the marriage settlement between Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Thomas Bennet went forward as three of the four parties would have predicted, unfortunately.