“Tell your whole family to collect whatever you might wish sent on to Elizabeth. I am traveling with only one trunk for my own clothes, and I’ll have a whole other one set aside for your use.”
Bennet chuckled, and said then, “I know the ways of women. I’ll tell them that you set aside half a trunk, and you’ll only need to press a few items into your own trunk to make space.”
“Do not worry about that. I wish to see Elizabeth happy, and it will delight me to take anything I might.”
Chapter Twenty
A little after noon, about a week after Elizabeth had sent her letter to Darcy, she wandered into the stables, meaning to ask to be taken out to call on Lady Ravenswood, then Mrs. Harrington, and afterwards the wife of the vicar at Kympton.
Sheoughtto have sent a servant to tell the coachman, but Elizabeth had spent the past two hours sitting by the piano with Georgiana — how the girl could bear to sit still for so long as she did mystified Elizabeth. Certainly, Georgiana adored the piano, and it required motion to play, but it was not precisely exercise.
Even when Elizabeth was absorbed in a book, she tended to walk for half the time whilst reading — either on paths outside if the weather was pleasant, or up and down the hallway inside if it was not.
Sheneededto stretch her legs if she was to face the prospect of thirty more minutes seated in a carriage while she returned calls. After exiting the house on the entrance on the opposite side of the stables, and walking briskly round while admiring the stream and the pond with its coating of ice atop, Elizabeth came round to the stables, and opened the door.
Oh my.
Mr. Darcy stood by the stove, his hands deep in a wash basin that was kept filled with lukewarm water, so it was easier to clean off the grime of travel. He was only in his white shirtsleeves, and the fabric was soaked. He could not see her because he was rubbing his face with a wet towel.
Her mouth went dry. He was all muscles and chest hair, wet and skin.
It was impossible to look away from the hypnotic motion of his body.
As he finished wiping at his face, he put the towel to the side, “John, is there anything amiss with Poseidon?”
Elizabeth could not respond, and especially could not speak as John would have about the state of Darcy’s horse. He looked towards her. He started and his mouth dropped open. “Elizabeth.”
“Mr. Darcy!”
They stared at each other for a seemingly long time. Elizabeth was aware of how she'd ogled him, and that they were alone.
She swallowed. She wanted him. “We had no idea you were to return.”
“I came fast enough that I would outride the post, and I determined that it was not worth the expense of sending a messenger ahead.”
“Ah.” Elizabeth looked down and blushed. But the desire to just look at him forced her eyes up once more. His dark hair was wet and curling over his face, and she could see through the thin fabric of his shirt.
“And is Georgiana well?”
“Yes, very.”
“And yourself? Is that stomach trouble still bothering you? I am sure it is not, you look glowing, and — what is it?”
“I believe myself to be in good health.” She smiled at him, unable to do anything else. But she wished to speak with her husband at length on other topics before she told him her most important present news.
“You believe yourself in good health?” Darcy peered at her. “Are you still having trouble with food?”
“I am in excellent health,” Elizabeth replied, now confidently. “And you? You saw a great many people who I know well — how was Mr. Bingley, and—”
“Does not Jane give you far better knowledge of him thanI could possibly offer in her correspondence?” Darcy replied with a friendly smile.
Elizabeth laughed.
Darcy looked at her in an intent, devouring way. His deep eyes. She flushed. What could he mean by looking at her in that way?
“Which reminds me,” Darcy said. “You have a veritable mountain of letters. Not to mention the many drawings from your cousins, a fine shawl that is a belated Christmas present from Miss Bennet, several books from Mr. Bennet, and a variety of odds and ends. They are all in the carriage though — so you must await the pleasure of shifting through them till tomorrow — I told John not to hurry.”
“Youwere in a hurry.”
