Mary had passed by the little house many times, since it was directly on the only road that led to the main house at Haye Park. Over the years, with no one living in it, the dower house had become more rundown. The last time she had seen it, the paint was peeling, and it was partially covered in ivy. Even some of the windows had ivy blocking them.
Now, however, the ivy had been cleared away. The house had been painted, and new shutters had been put up. She was fairly certain the thatch had been replaced as well. The garden was also spruced up. Though it was difficult to tell what it would look like in the spring, at the very least the weeds and unwanted growth had been trimmed back, and a path to the house had been cleared.
“It’s lovely,” she said. “I had no idea your father was working on this house.”
“He is not,” said Alan. “I am. In fact, I did much of this with my own hands, though I needed some help with painting and some of the more structural problems.”
“Youdid this?” asked Mary.
Alan looked straight into Mary’s eyes. The warm tenderness that she had often seen there was blazing into something that made her feel hot all over. “I did,” he said. “I wanted to prepare a home for you with my own two hands. All it waits for now, is for you to be willing to accept me.”
All at once, Mary was certain of her course. She had been leaning towards accepting Alan’s offer before this, but she was uncertain if it was truly the correct thing to do. Now, after seeing the results of Alan’s industriousness and determination, she knew that their life together would be exactly what she had always wanted.
She hesitated to say anything, however, not knowing how to speak directly without forgoing her modesty. The heat in his gaze and the warmth of the knowledge that Alan was truly a grown man forced her to say something.
“I am willing,” she said.
His eyes widened briefly in his surprise, but a grin quickly replaced that expression. “Mary Bennet, are you saying that you will marry me, that we will spend our lives together in this little house until our family grows big enough that we must move into the main house? Are you saying that you will let me love you and give you all the attention you deserve and that you will love me in return?”
Mary smiled. It sounded perfect. “I love you, Alan. You make me happier than I ever dreamed I could be. I would love to makea life with you in whatever home you choose. I will bear and raise however many children God blesses us with, and I will choose to rely on your love and support to do so.”
Alan’s grin vanished in a flash, but Mary was unable to discern what his new expression was, for in an instant, he had bent towards her and their lips met.
The world around Mary disappeared, as did the thoughts in Mary’s head. She was caught up in the moment, the feeling of Alan’s lips on hers. Her hands gripped his arms simply to steady herself, but she was suddenly aware of how very strong his arms were.
She felt closer to him than ever before, but within moments, she felt as if he wasn’t close enough.
The kiss ended before Mary was ready for it. She gazed into Alan’s eyes. She thought she was very familiar with their color and shape, but there was an expression there that was like nothing she had ever seen or imagined before. It set her ablaze.
The new feelings, the new sensations, had reached a point where she was frightened instead of intrigued. Mary was a person who thought things through. She did not act on strong feelings or impulse, and she did not like feeling out of control.
She looked away.
Fortunately, Alan did not take her actions as rejection. She heard the smile in his voice as he said, “Since you don’t have a chaperone today, we shall have to wait for another day to tour the house. There are a couple of rooms that I have left unimproved, because I want you to decide how they will be decorated.”
He set the curricle in motion before Mary could say anything. After a minute or two, she was able to speak. “Which rooms still need to be done?”
“The main bedroom and the drawing room,” he said.
“Not the mistress’ suite?” she asked. She had expected that was the room he would leave for her if anything.
“The house was meant for a widow,” he said. “It does not have separate master and mistress bedrooms. In fact, there are only three bedrooms, not counting two small servant bedrooms, which is why I said we might have to move to the main house if our family grows too large. Still, I thought you would be happier living separate from my parents at first.”
Mary felt suddenly embarrassed…for two reasons. First, she felt foolish for not realizing that a small house would not have separate rooms for a married couple. Secondly, she was very embarrassed indeed by the thought that she would be sleeping in the same bed as Alan for many years to come…once they were married.
As she felt a deep blush spread over her cheeks and even down her neck, Mary felt Alan gently grasp her hand. “I realize that there will be many new things for you to get used to, Mary,” he said gently. “Please do tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable. Truly, my primary wish is for you to be happy.”
“I will,” promised Mary sincerely. “At the moment, I couldn’t be happier. Though I admit to a little embarrassment as well. Still, I am very much looking forward to the future.”
Alan let go of her hand, but he quickly moved it around her shoulders and squeezed in a little side hug. “As am I, Mary,” he said. “As am I.”
Chapter 20
Elizabeth’s third day at Netherfield began with a bit more hope than the previous two. Jane’s sore throat was gone. She was still a little congested in her nose, but she was no longer quite so dependent on a constant supply of handkerchiefs.
Both sisters had hopes that Jane would be able to join the group downstairs after dinner that evening.
Upon discovering such happy news, Elizabeth immediately thought of sharing it with Mr. Darcy. She even began preparing to go downstairs early in the hopes of meeting him as she had yesterday. She stopped herself, however, reminding herself that she was avoiding him for the time being.
