“I would like to meet your aunt and uncle, if it might be arranged for me to visit them while you are in town. Or before you arrive, if it would hurry your journey to London,” Darcy said.
She beamed at him. “Tomorrow morning, I will bring you a note for my uncle. You can tell him of our understanding even if it will not be official until you can speak to my father,” she said, then hesitated. “There is one reason I am glad you will not return to Netherfield with me. I will need to speak to my father about you before you arrive. I am afraid I was rather vocal in my initial dislike of you, following the assembly, and while my understanding of you changed even before I left for Kent, I didnot say as much to my father. He may be rather surprised by your request otherwise.”
Darcy nodded. “I understand. Your understanding of me changed, but without knowing if the dreams were real, you did not want to say anything. I have … well, I have not said anything to anyone about my dreams. I told Richard in January that I would offer for you when I saw you again, and while I was almost certain I would see you here, there was still a chance it was simply a dream.”
“We must go,” she said reluctantly.
He pulled her in for a quick kiss. “I love you, Elizabeth,” he said.
“As I love you, William.”
Chapter Nine
Darcy departed Rosings two days after his proposal, and Elizabeth remained a sennight. Soon, they were both in London and eager to see one another again.
“Lizzy,” Mrs. Gardiner said not long after her niece arrived at Gracechurch Street, “you will never guess who came for a visit a few days ago.”
Elizabeth grinned at her aunt. “If I had to guess, it was Mr. Darcy, since I gave him a letter to deliver to my uncle asking him to send for me sooner and to request if I might stay in London a few extra days.”
“Is there an understanding between you two?” her aunt asked.
“We are engaged,” she whispered, not wanting to say too much. “He has not yet spoken to Papa, but he will return to Meryton a few days after me to make the request. We hope to marry before the end of summer.”
“Well, I suppose that means I will have to ask another of your sisters to accompany us on our tour of the Lakes then,” Mrs. Gardiner replied.
Still grinning, Elizabeth could only nod in reply.
“I do not even have to ask if you are happy. It is obvious that you are delighted with your understanding. When we were at Longbourn in December, you said little about the man, but your mother did not seem to think much of him.”
“Mama had not forgotten how he slighted me at that first assembly and has hated him since. However, all will be forgotten when she learns of our understanding. She might even finally forgive me for rejecting Mr. Collins when she hears of it,” Elizabeth teased.
“Will you be happy with the gentleman?” Mrs. Gardiner asked.
“So very much,” Elizabeth replied.
She was glad to have relieved herself of the secret of her engagement with her aunt, as she had not yet told her sister. Since Jane was still unsettled by Mr. Bingley’s failure to visit, Elizabeth only told her how she and Darcy met frequently in Kent.
Darcy called the following morning, bringing Mr. Bingley with him. The half hour they spent at Gracechurch Street started off uncomfortably, but Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner ensured that conversation flowed smoothly after a few awkward moments. Elizabeth and Darcy had only a moment to speak privately before they departed.
“Forgive me, love. When I learned Bingley had still not visited, I brought him with me. He has not yet opened Netherfield, and I am tempted to offer to pay off the lease myself. He and your sister had little to say to each other today, but perhaps that will improve with further visits,” Darcy said after kissing Elizabeth’s hand.
“I thank you for attempting to make things right, William. We will be here until Monday, when we will take my uncle’s coach to meet my father’s,” Elizabeth replied.
“I love you, Elizabeth. I will call again tomorrow and have invited your family to dine at Darcy House on Saturday evening. I wish I could take you to a play, but your uncle thought it should wait.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, he told me. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow and to seeing your home on Saturday.”
“Our home,” he whispered, as he kissed her hand one more time before departing.
When Elizabeth returned to the parlour, Jane and Mrs. Gardiner were talking quietly. Elizabeth joined them as they spoke of Mr. Bingley. “I am glad to have this first meeting done before Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield. Now, I might see him again with perfect indifference.”
“Do you feel nothing for him, Jane?” Mrs. Gardiner asked. “He appeared to still admire you.”
Jane looked uncertain. “He may appear to admire me, but not enough to bring him to my door these last weeks. We know from his letter that he has been aware of my presence in town for above a month, and he only called when Mr. Darcy dragged him here. Do not tell methatgentleman did not have a particular reason for his visit.” Jane looked determinedly at her sister as she said this.
Elizabeth coloured brightly. “I will not deny that he called to see me, and that we are friendlier than we were in Hertfordshire. You know my opinion of him altered from my initial impression, and in Kent, he was better able to demonstrate his good traits.”
“And will he have a particular question to ask Papa when we return home?” Jane asked.
