Page 122 of His Pride and His Prejudice

“On the contrary, aunt, you are talking to my brother and about my soon-to-be brother, it is very much my place,” she said.

Lady Catherine could only gasp. “The outrage…the very outrage…”

“But perhaps we should leave you to think on Darcy’s words,” Georgiana continued, and she held out her arm. “Shall we, brother?”

Darcy had never been so impressed with his beloved sister, and his heart swelled at his good fortune.

“I must leave you now, aunt, in order to pay my addresses to Elliot,” he said, and he did just that.

“How dare you!”

The words followed them from the room and out to the front of Netherfield where Lady Catherine’s companion was partaking of an apricot and being consoled by the housekeeper.

“Georgiana, I suspect Fitzwilliam could be finagled into a ride were you so inclined,” Darcy said as he breathed in the summer air. He gestured to the carriage. “Or perhaps Mrs. Parry has more gossip to be shared over the latest summer fruits!”

“I have never in my life been treated thus!” Lady Catherine shouted from the breakfast room.

“Then perhaps it is long past time,” Darcy said, and they both laughed.

Georgiana placed a kiss on his cheek. “Good luck, brother.”

“Thank you, dear sister.”

“Now go,” she added. “And bring Elliot to where he is meant to be, with us, in our family.”

And Darcy did just that, heart racing, body thrumming, he strode towards the woodland ready to claim his fated mate. After all, it was indeed a truth universally acknowledged, that an alpha male in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of his omega mate, and Darcy had found his at last.

Sixty-One

Elliot had always said that his favourite time to walk was as dawn broke across Hertfordshire, but in truth he was just as taken with a late morning walk, especially as summer settled in and the air was filled with the scent of Linden trees and the buzz of dozens of insects.

After Lady Catherine’s visit and Mrs. Bennet’s subsequent questions of which there had been many, Elliot had been keen to escape from Longbourn and take to the grounds of the estate. He had hoped to convince Jack to accompany him on a walk, but the other man was anticipating Bingley’s daily visit and so Elliot had set off alone.

He had been walking for the better part of an hour and without realising, or perhaps he did realise but refused to admit as much, found himself in the high woodland overlooking Netherfield. The sun reflected across Netherfield’s impressive stonework making it glitter slightly in the distance, and Elliot took a moment to wonder about the omega who might have carved it all and what they might have thought to find a fellow omega was to become master of the house.

Pleased, Elliot suspected.

They were all pleased.

He smiled at that as he made his way through the woods, his mind filled with Lady Catherine’s words, what they meant, and what they might herald. When he turned into a clearing that led down into the Netherfield park proper, Elliot was not at all surprised to see someone walking towards him, the sun behind him outlining his muscular figure.

It was Darcy.

Of course.

Elliot wondered then if he had known all along that his mate was here. If in fact, the knowledge had drawn him here just as it always would from now on. His smile deepened as he met Darcy in the middle of the clearing where they halted just a few inches from one another.

“Darcy,” he breathed.

“Elliot,” Darcy smiled as he spoke, and it transformed him in such a way that Elliot baffled that he had ever thought anyone could be more handsome.

“I think I knew you were here,” Elliot said.

“And I you,” Darcy replied. “I had planned to come to Longbourn tonight. For dinner. But my aunt…”

“Yes, she was here.”

Darcy sighed. “I can only apologise for her intrusion.”

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