Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love-kindle (81 page)

Now studying her aunt more closely, Georgiana realised that while her eyes were focused on the linen napkin in the frame, her mind was assuredly not, for her needle did not move with its normal alacrity.  Instead, she watched as she made a few stitches before abruptly stopping to remove everyone of them. This was something she had never seen. Her aunt’s stitches were always perfect! That was the exact moment when it dawned on Georgiana that she was not alone in her concern.

“Aunt?” Lady Ashcroft looked up to meet her niece’s gaze as she walked towards her. “May I please read it again?”

Audrey smiled in the motherly way that she had come to treasure. “Dear girl, I do not think it has changed since the last two times you read it.”

“I know,” Georgiana pleaded, “but I just want to read what Brother said again.”

Indulgently, Audrey pulled the missive that had been delivered only an hour before from her pocket and held it towards her niece. Georgiana rushed to take it, plopping down beside her on the sofa. She read silently, and once finished, smiled widely and handed the paper back to her aunt.

“Satisfied?”

“I shall only be satisfied when they arrive. Do you suppose they are close by? If they left as early as Brother said they might, would they not be here by now?”

“Perhaps, but they could have been slowed by the roads. You know it has rained more than once since they left to rescue Miss Elizabeth, and that means more ruts in the road. I am sure they will not press the horses under those circumstances, and it is possible that Fitzwilliam will stop often to rest them.”

“Oh, I do pray they get here soon! I am too excited to practice my music or give thought to what I read. I find myself scanning the same page over again and still not remembering what it was about. I shall go mad if they do not come until late today.”

Lady Ashcroft laughed. “I doubt you shall go mad, Georgiana, but—”

Just at that moment, Mrs. Barnes appeared in the doorway, and they both looked her way. “Madam, there are two visitors here to see you—Mr. Bennet and Miss Bennet.”

Audrey leaned in to whisper to Georgiana, “I expected this when I sent the note to Gracechurch Street.” Then she addressed Mrs. Barnes. “Thank you.  Show them in, please.”

She quickly replaced her slippers, and she and Georgiana stood, awaiting Elizabeth’s family. As they entered the room, Audrey noted that Mr. Bennet was not limping as badly as he had previously. Therefore, after the usual greetings and after they had all been seated, she mentioned it.

“It appears that your injury has improved, sir.”

Mr. Bennet nodded, offering an artificial smile. “Whenever I am able to lie down for a number of hours it improves significantly.” Then his demeanour became as sombre as the first time she had met him. “Jane and I appreciate that you notified us of Lizzy’s recovery. It seems that you, at least, have our interests at heart.”

The slight to William did not go unnoticed, and as Georgiana gasped, Audrey reached to take her hand.

Mortified, Jane grimaced, stammering, “I am sure that no slight was intended by Mr. Darcy. I can only imagine he was greatly occupied with getting my sister safely back to London.”

Mr. Bennet looked to Jane, his expression leaving no doubt that he did not agree with her view of Mr. Darcy. However, it was to him that Audrey made her point.

“Indeed, my nephew had only one thought on his mind and that was to return Miss Bennet as quickly as possible. Due to the injuries and having to leave men behind to escort the prisoners back to London, Fitzwilliam had only one servant to spare. Thus, he sent him directly here while expressing his desire that I inform you immediately, sir. He did the same for my brother’s family who did not receive separate notice, either.”

Sheepishly, Mr. Bennet nodded. “Forgive me if I have offended. I am deeply grateful for Mr. Darcy’s successful rescue of my child. In light of the gossip circulating about him and my daughter, I have not been in the best frame of mind since coming to London. Then, after I learned that my Lizzy had been taken—”

Lady Ashcroft intervened sympathetically. “No apology is necessary. Moreover, your injury cannot have made all that has happened any easier to bear.”

Georgiana relaxed with the new tone of the conversation, and when her eyes met Jane’s, they exchanged smiles.

“You are too kind,” Mr. Bennet pronounced. “Now, I have calculated that my daughter should be here within the hour.  Is that your judgment as well?”

“Yes, and you are welcome to wait with us. My nephew has an extensive library, and I am confident you shall be able to find something of interest, if you care to read while you wait.”

Not able to hide his eagerness at the prospect of an excellent library, Mr. Bennet smiled sincerely for the first time. “If it would be no bother, I should like that very much.”

“No bother at all.” Lady Ashcroft said. “I shall call for refreshments to be brought to the library then, and we shall all retire there to wait.”

~~~*~~~

On the road to London

Just as William’s aunt had foreseen, the deep ruts in the roads made the trip back to London from Teddington longer than normal. In fact, the channels were so burdensome that one of the horses on their coach had thrown a shoe, which caused yet another delay, as they had to stop and exchange that animal for another. Thus, the other two coaches, those containing Lord Landingham, Lord Matlock, Colonel Neilson, Mr. Gladstone and all the men who had not stayed behind to help Constable Carver, were most likely a half-hour ahead of them.

This state of affairs had caused William to ponder Mr. Bennet who, no doubt, would be waiting at Darcy House. What would be his reaction upon learning that Elizabeth was not among the first to return? Would her father think that he had spirited her away for, if the truth be told, the notion had crossed his mind, but William had rejected the idea, as it would only serve to further discredit Elizabeth.  However, he had been selfish enough to order the driver to slow the coach even more on the last portion of their trip.

Though he had not been able to sit next to or touch the woman he loved for the entire trip, William sat across from her and had the joy of drinking in her beauty and enjoying her blushes whenever their eyes met. Though their coach was shared with Charles, who sat on the side next to Elizabeth and Richard, he barely heard a word of the gentlemen’s conversation. For shortly after the trip began, Elizabeth closed her eyes as though trying to rest, and William assumed his normal role of silent observer. On the few occasions when Charles or Richard prodded for his opinion, he only murmured something vague, which seemed to satisfy, and they were on to a different subject.

Nonetheless, he was well aware that Elizabeth was not actually asleep, for occasionally, he would catch her fingering the ring under her glove or peering at him though barely opened lids. This served to stir the fire that had smouldered inside him since the carriage ride to Percival Manor last evening. It took all of his self-control to remain seated, and briefly he pondered what his friends would think if he pulled Elizabeth into his lap and kissed her soundly. Would they condemn him as a rogue, or would they think him a man hopelessly in love?

The unmistakable sound of coach wheels mounting a wooden bridge penetrated his consciousness, and William glanced out the window in time to see the extraordinarily large waterwheel that served Stretton grist mill. It was an exhilarating sight as the water was scooped up on one side and then spilled over the other, causing the wheel to revolve in an endless pattern.

“It seems Stretton Mill
21
is busy today! I do not think I have ever seen so many wagons waiting to be loaded,” Richard observed.

“Stretton?” Bingley added. “That mill has been around for ages! My father talked of coming here to buy grain for the warehouse when I was but a lad. He claimed their corn meal was the finest.”

With the realisation of how close that establishment was to London, William’s heart sank further. His time with Elizabeth was quickly coming to an end, and the evidence brought him misery of the cruellest kind. Lost in his thoughts, he did not hear her soft inquiry.

“Are we near to London?”

Seeing that Darcy was not listening, Richard responded. “Yes. We should reach Darcy House in less than a half-hour.”

Elizabeth tried to smile, though her eyes did not concur with her lips. “Thank you.”

Encouraged by the fact that she was now apparently ready to talk, Charles brought up a subject that he thought Elizabeth might enjoy. “Jane and I have talked, and we are hopeful that you and Darcy will stand up with us at our wedding.”

Instantly the facade of cheerfulness fell and her brows knit. As Elizabeth looked away, her answer was barely audible. “Mr. Bingley, I fear that what has transpired in Teddington, as well as the gossip that already spread in regards to me, might well ruin your special day. I would not want my presence to be a source of embarrassment or a hindrance to my sister’s happiness or your own.”

“I assure you, Miss Elizabeth, that nothing so unimportant will affect our happiness or our wish to share our wedding with you and Darcy. One cannot stop people from talking; one can only choose to associate with friends and family who do not rejoice in hearing the worst that can be said against us. I intend to have Darcy stand with me, and I can assure you that Jane means to have you.”

William slid forward clasping both of her hands and causing her to look at him. “Listen to Charles, Elizabeth. Our true friends and family will not care and neither should we.”

For a brief moment Elizabeth seemed hopeful and smiled wanly. “I would love to stand with Jane. It has always been our dream to stand up with each other when we married.” Then her face crumpled as though she would cry. “It is just—how can you bear to stand with me, Fitzwilliam? My mother disparages you, and my father has not decided in your favour. And he may be less inclined to do so after what has transpired. In addition, your family will be disgraced if you marry me.” She sighed raggedly. “Not to mention that most of London probably thinks me a wanton!”

Richard could not stay silent. “I must put your mind at ease at least as it pertains to our family. They are on your side already. Even my parents, the Earl and Countess Matlock, have pledged their support, and if they stand with you, no member of the
ton
will dare defy them. Please do not put much stock in what those harridans of the
ton
think. Mother says that their likes and dislikes change day-to-day as new scandals replace the old. I imagine that when word gets out that Lord Landingham is Georgiana’s father it shall overshadow everything else. I know that I was shocked to hear it.”

“As was I,” Bingley added. “The
ton
would rather have a good scandal to talk about than a couple in love who wish to marry.”

“Besides,” Richard teased, “my mother can control the gossip with a crook of her little finger.”

Elizabeth could not but smile a bit at Richard’s antics, so William took that opportunity to cup her face, meeting her gaze without flinching.

“I can assure you, Elizabeth Bennet, that not only do I intend to stand up with Bingley, your sister and you, I intend to stand with you on our wedding day, which shall take place as quickly as I can arrange it. In fact, we shall marry before your sister and Bingley.”

Charles and Richard exchanged looks of incredulity, stunned at William’s plan.  Nonetheless, they uttered not a word.

Elizabeth, however, had no such reticence.  She sputtered, “Surely you cannot rush into another marriage! Your—Gisela has just died. Is not a period of mourning required?”

William instantly scowled. “You cannot be serious.”

By the way the muscles of his jaw flexed, Richard understood that his cousin was on the brink of losing control. Thus, he interjected, “Do not get overwrought, Cousin. Miss Elizabeth is only stating what is customary in such cases.”

Bingley tried to soothe him as well. “Yes, Darcy. She fears another scandal if there is no mourning period.”

William turned to slowly study his cousin and then Bingley, wondering if they had gone completely mad since leaving Teddington. When next he spoke, his voice was strained but eerily calm.

“What do you suggest I mourn? Being set free from a woman I despised? While I never wished for her death, I cannot bring myself to mourn her passing. For the last two years, our ridiculous pretence of a union has provided fodder for the gossips, yet I did not yield to society’s dictates. What could possibly make you think I care one whit what the
ton
will think now?”

Addressing Elizabeth again, his expression and tone softened. “I am seven and twenty, Elizabeth, and I had never been in love—until you. You are everything that I have ever desired in a woman, and I love you more than life itself. In two weeks, three at the most, everything should be settled so that we may marry. Will you consent to be my wife? Will you marry me then?”

Flabbergasted that the reticent, private man they knew would make such a tender declaration in their presence, Richard and Charles sat spellbound, unable to look away.

Elizabeth was already nodding before he finished. Unable to hold her tears, she proclaimed, “I love you too. Whenever you say, we shall marry.”

William broke into a wide smile, his face beaming with her affirmation. He almost forgot himself completely, leaning in as though to kiss her but stopped when Elizabeth blushed and tilted her head towards their companions.

Disappointed, nonetheless, he recovered and posed a question. “Do you suppose Aunt Audrey and Aunt Evelyn will be able to plan a wedding and a breakfast in a few weeks, Richard?”

“A public wedding? So it is your intention to meet the
ton
head on!” Richard declared, grinning widely.

Bingley laughed out loud. “That should cause quite a stir.”

“I am not ashamed.” William brought both of Elizabeth’s hands to his lips, kissing first one then the other. “I want all of England to know that I love this woman!”