My lovely girl, are you enjoying being the mistress of your house as much as you thought you would? You mentioned how pleased Mama would be with you. I want you to know that you can do nothing that would separate me from you. I love you dearly. I always have. I always will.
With deepest affection, I am
Yours faithfully,
FD
Darcy feltas if he held his breath until Elizabeth looked back at him. Exhaling, he asked, “Well?” If there was anyone who expressed their opinions freely, it was her.
Her warm eyes eased the tension he held inside.
“The letter is beautiful. Sir, I believe you will accomplish your purpose. She will no longer worry about your happiness. She knows that, despite her foolish choice to marry, she is still loved, and she will feel able to depend on you if she needs help. Well done, Mr. Darcy.”
She folded the pages before handing them back to him.
His relief was palpable.
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached Longbourn. A pang of regret at parting from them, from her, pierced his innermost thoughts. Why did he always think he could be in her presence and remain unscathed? Unaffected? He was a fool! Believing he could be around her with impunity flew in the face of Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Smarter men than him knew the effects a pretty, spirited woman could have on a mere male. Darcy knew better than to think he was immune. Had he not protected himself for years? Was it because he was free of his responsibilities that he let down his guard? Was it because he had done the unthinkable, writing to his sister, knowing it would bring him and Wickham into the same room where he would need to pretend that he no longer cared that he lost Pemberley?
Whatever the reason, once Bingley departed forLondon with the Bennet ladies’ purse in one pocket and his letter to Georgiana in the other, the die would be cast. He set in motion a strategy Wickham would never suspect, that of being supportive instead of vengeful.
In the same manner, Bingley separating himself from his sisters was a dramatic and unexpected change. The eldest Bennet sisters, taking the first step toward financial independence, would alter their course. All these changes were remarkable, and there would be no going back for any of them.
15
Elizabeth woke early the next morning, excited to begin the next step of taking charge. Instead of walking out, she would spend at least an hour practicing her scales on the pianoforte before Mary commandeered the instrument.
Lightly touching the keys, her fingers recalled what her mind did not. By the time she repeated the movement several times, she had progressed to playing slightly more challenging tunes than she was used to displaying publicly. She rewarded her efforts with exercise to Oakham Mount.
Mr. Darcy was there.
Standing next to the tree where she usually sat, the rising sunbeams gave his skin a golden glow. His teeth flashed white in a welcoming smile. His eyes appeared to be on fire.
“Miss Elizabeth, good morning to you.”
“To you as well, sir.” She stopped in front of him. “My friend, did you follow my example and walk out this morning, or did your horse somehow escape you?”
Gesturing toward the fallen tree, she sat in her favorite spot. Joining her, he replied, “My horse enjoys the attention of Bingley’s grooms. When I went to the stables, he had a very young man already brushing his coat.”
“Petey.”
“Yes. The lad grinned at me then showed me the spot Lightning loves to have scratched. Although it might be hard to imagine, the muscles of that mighty animal seem to melt, and he relaxes until he sighs when someone scratches behind his left ear.”
Elizabeth struggled to keep her expression neutral. “Dear Petey.”
“I fear that a stranger who happened upon that spot could put a bridle on that recalcitrant mount and lead him away peacefully. There is no doubt in my mind that he will now follow the lad anywhere.”
“Then you had best let Petey know that this is a secret between you, him, and Lightning, of course.”
His eyes sparkled. “I certainly shall.”
Her smile faded as he straightened, clearing his throat.
“Miss Elizabeth, your father does not keep a horse for you?”
She picked an imaginary piece of lint from her skirt. “We have horses. Jane, Kitty, and Lydia all ride.”
“But you do not?”
