After a few moments, Mr. Darcy pulled back, though he kept one arm around her waist. With his other hand, he ran his thumb across her cheek. Then he idly played with the curls that hung just in front of her ear.
“You are my heart, Elizabeth,” he said. “Wherever you are is where my home will be.”
His words echoed the feeling she had experienced only moments before his arrival. “And you are my home as well,” shesaid. “I know it is not particularly inventive to merely parrot your words, but they so accurately reflect my sentiments that I might have thought you stole them directly from my mind.”
He smiled. “If only that were possible, I believe we might have come to an understanding a great deal sooner.”
Elizabeth made no response other than a smile. She knew differently. Despite being able to hear his thoughts, she had been completely oblivious to the state of his feelings.
Chapter 23
After some discussion, interspersed with a few more kisses and caresses, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy settled on Mr. Darcy asking Mr. Bennet’s permission shortly after Elizabeth and Jane went home. Until then, they would keep their understanding quiet.
Their plan did not work in the slightest.
Somehow, when they walked into the drawing room together, Jane, Mr. Bingley, and Miss Bingley all seemed to immediately comprehend that something momentous had taken place.
Jane greeted them with a knowing smile. Miss Bingley responded with a grimace just before sweeping out of the room. Mr. Bingley looked thoughtfully back and forth from Elizabeth to Jane.
After only a few moments, Mr. Bingley turned to Jane and said, “I don’t believe you have had the opportunity to visit any of the other rooms on the main floor. Shall I give you a short tour?”
Elizabeth was nearly certain that he simply wanted some time to talk to Jane alone, but she was also concerned that Jane might catch a chill from the rooms which were not heated.
“Perhaps, you should limit your tour to the library for now,” she said. “Since it is already warm, there would be no risk to Jane’s recovery.”
Mr. Bingley looked suddenly abashed that he had completely forgotten Jane’s recent illness. Elizabeth didn’t know whether to be exasperated with him or to be pleased that he was so happy with her presence that he had forgotten why she was there in the first place.
Jane smoothed it all over by saying, “I would love to see the library, if you don’t mind.” She stood and picked up her shawl from nearby. It had not been necessary while she was so close to the fire, but she would want it out in the chilly hallway.
“Of course,” said Mr. Bingley. He gently pulled the shawl from her hands and wrapped it around her shoulders.
As the two of them left the room, Mr. Darcy bent down and said softly in Elizabeth’s ear, “Perhaps Bingley and I will both be visiting your father this afternoon.”
“I do hope so,” said Elizabeth. “Jane deserves every ounce of happiness that life can give her.”
“As do you, my dear Elizabeth,” he said.
Less than two hours later, Mrs. Bennet was squealing in high delight that she would have three daughters married by the end of the year.
~~~~~
Elizabeth had hoped to have some time after dinner to speak with Mary, to learn more of the details of her engagement and her future plans, but before she could, she was approached by Kitty.
“Lizzy, can I ask you a few questions?”
Kitty seemed uncharacteristically serious, and Elizabeth truly wished to encourage such a thing, so she said, “Of course.”
The two sisters sat on the sofa while the rest of the family gathered around a table to play cards.
“I wanted to know why you are marrying Mr. Darcy when everyone knows he is such a proud, disagreeable sort of man. I thought perhaps it was because of his wealth, but you have so much already. Why would you throw your life away for more?”
Elizabeth sighed. She was likely to encounter this sort of question more than she would like. Even those who did not voice the question aloud would be thinking it.
“Mr. Darcy is not particularly sociable,” she said. “I can freely admit that. However, when he is speaking with just one person, especially one he is comfortable with, he is quite pleasant. He is surprisingly knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, which gives us much to talk about. Additionally, it is quite admirable how well he watches over and protects those he cares for.”
“Do you think he loves you?” asked Kitty. “In addition to being worried about your feelings for him, I also feared that he is only marrying you for your money.”
Elizabeth chuckled briefly. “Have no fear, Kitty. I am quite certain he loves me. In fact, I am more certain of that than of my own feelings.”
