“Look at this one.” She held up a glass bauble painted with tiny robins. “Isn’t it beautiful? Completely impractical, of course. Waffles would have it off the tree and in pieces in approximately thirty seconds. Maybe I should buy it for you. Athena would never do such a thing.”
“Athena has very strict standards of behaviour for herself and everyone around her.”
They wandered through the market, Elizabeth stopping to admire various displays while Darcy found himself more interested in watching her reactions. She had a love of ordinary pleasures that he found endearing—exclaiming over ornaments, stopping at a stall selling vintage books, discovering a new blend of tea.
When she bought a small wooden ornament shaped like a typewriter, claiming it was “perfect,” Darcy made a mental note to remember which stall it had come from. Not that he planned to return and buy out their entire stock of literary-themed decorations, but the possibility wasn’t off the table.
The wind off the river caught at her sleeves as she folded the little paper bag closed. He clocked the bare, pinked knuckles of her right hand and, without making anything of it, opened the slant of his coat pocket.
“Here,” he said.
She slid her hand in. He followed with his, tracing the chill of her knuckles with his thumb as the crowd noise dulled around them. They started walking again like that, one pocket between them.
“Right,” Elizabeth announced as they found a relatively quiet spot overlooking the Thames. “This is properly festive, isn’t it? I love London at Christmas. All the lights and the general atmosphere of controlled panic as everyone realizes they’ve left everything until the last minute.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
“Every year.”
Darcy found himself smiling at the image, a small part of him hoping she hadn’t yet bought his present, and that when she did it wouldn’t be something better than his for her. “I can’t quite picture you in a panic.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen me when I’m behind deadline. Or when I can’t find my keys. Or when Waffles has done something creative with my shoes and I need to go out.” Elizabeth leaned against the railing, looking out over the water. “Speaking of Christmas, what are your holiday plans?”
This was the opening he’d been hoping for, though now that the moment had arrived, Darcy found himself nervous about asking Elizabeth to spend Christmas Eve with him. Not just dinner with Bingley and Jane or an evening at the theatre, but Christmas. At Pemberley. With Georgiana and Maggie Reynolds and all the weight of family tradition that came with the territory.
“We always spend Christmas Eve at Pemberley,” he said. “It’s tradition. Georgiana insists on doing things right—carols, decorating the tree, all of it. Very sentimental.”
“That sounds lovely.” He caught something wistful in Elizabeth's tone. “I imagine Pemberley at Christmas is rather spectacular.”
“It is beautiful,” Darcy agreed. Then, before he could second-guess himself, he blurted out, “You should come. If you’d like to. Christmas Eve, I mean. You could stay the night, see the estate properly.”
Elizabeth turned to look at him, surprise flickering across her features. “Really? You’d want me there for Christmas?”
“I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather you be,” Darcy said, the honesty of it catching him off guard.
For a moment, Elizabeth’s expression was so warm that Darcy felt his breath catch. Then she bit her lip in that way she did when she was working through a problem.
“I’d love to, But I’ve promised Jane I’d come to theirs for Christmas dinner. My sisters will be there because our parents have been invited to dinner with friends that evening. She’s been planning it for weeks.”
Darcy felt a sharp stab of disappointment, followed by the realization that he was being ridiculous. Of course Elizabeth had existing plans. It was Christmas, and she had a family and commitments that had nothing to do with him.
“Of course,” he said. “I understand.”
Elizabeth's expression brightened. “Darcy, where areyouhaving Christmas dinner? Please don’t tell me you and Georgiana are planning to eat alone in some enormous dining room.”
“Georgiana has a dinner planned with friends.”
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. “You mean, you were going to . . .” She pulled out her phone and texted something. No more than two minutes later, she smiled. “That’s sorted, then. You’ll come with me to Christmas dinner if you like. Jane said you can bring your cousins too, if they’ve nowhere else they’d rather be.”
Darcy felt something warm and bright unfurl in his chest. “I’ll ask Mal and Richard, but yes, I think that would be nice.”
“Well, if that’s the case, we can drive together. I’d love to spend Christmas Eve with you. I’ve been curious about Pemberley ever since you first mentioned it. And it would be wonderful to spend a little time with Georgiana, get to know her better.”
“She’s been asking about you constantly,” Darcy admitted. “I think she’s as excited about spending more time with you as she is about Christmas itself.”
“Now I’m nervous.” Elizabeth laughed.
“Don't be ridiculous. You charmed her within five minutes, just as you did me.” Darcy's eyes met hers and he smiled.
