“I am Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy’s cousin and son of the Earl of Matlock.Heis a peer, and my mother, Lady Matlock, will no doubt take Miss Bennet under her wing to introduce her to theton.” He glared at her for a moment before continuing. “And she will not hesitate to do anything in her power to ruin in society anyone who speaks out against a member of her family. Since Miss Bennet isnowfamily, she will have the full support of the Fitzwilliams.”
Miss Bingley paled, finally realising her misjudgment. Bingley, recognising this, took her arm and half-dragged her toward theguest wing and her room. He could be heard whispering at her furiously as they walked away.
“I am sorry, Elizabeth,” Darcy said.
“Whatever for? She had never liked me, and the Colonel put her in her place rather nicely.” Elizabeth laughed lightly.
“She’s a jealous shrew,” Mrs. Gardiner observed. “At least it happened here, amongst friends. It would have been much worse had it happened in town.”
“You are correct, Mrs. Gardiner,” William admitted. “She has always been jealous of you, Elizabeth. You garnered my attention from the beginning of our acquaintance in a way she never has.”
“Even when you were proclaiming me ‘tolerable’?” Elizabeth asked, giggling at the face he made.
“Will I ever live that comment down?” he moaned.
“Where’s the fun in that, William,” she teased back.
He caught both of her hands in his. All but Colonel Fitzwilliam recognised the couple’s need for a moment of privacy and left, especially as they clearly had forgotten about the presence of others anyway.
“As if I needed further proof of my idiocy, this is yet another black mark against my character. It is amazing that you could ever have accepted me at all, given how I’ve treated you during our acquaintance. You must know that I find you so much more than tolerable and that you are very, very tempting. You are so lovely, Elizabeth,” he whispered.
“It is all forgiven, William. You are a good man, and I failed to realise it at the beginning of our acquaintance because I allowed that remark to colour everything I thought of you. I have been ashamed of my behaviour so often since that night in Hunsford and after reading your letter. You injured my vanity, and I made you out to be the worst sort of man. Your letter opened my eyes to my vanity and prejudices. I understand you better now, and what’s more, I love you. I respect and admire the man you are, which is nearly as important as loving you.” She reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “We have begun anew; let us not dwell on past mistakes. We have both made many.”
He leaned down until their foreheads touched. “I do love you so, Elizabeth,” he breathed. “You make me want to be a better man. I am entirely yours to command.”
“Then kiss me, William,” Elizabeth ordered.
He bent his head down, and their lips touched for the briefest of moments before the Colonel made his presence known with a cough. “Darcy, escort your fiancé to her rooms and meet me in your study. We need to speak,” he said commandingly.
Darcy directed a glare at his cousin but reluctantly did as directed. Richard must have something important to discuss, he thought.
Elizabeth chatted lightly as they made their way upstairs. He kissed her hands before leaving her at the bedroom door and then making his way back down to his study.
Chapter Five
“What is it, Richard?” Darcy demanded as he entered his study. Richard was already helping himself to his port, Darcy noticed.
“First, how in the world did you come to be engaged to Miss Bennet after the disaster you made of it in Kent? I was shocked to see her smiling at your table and then hearing you announce your engagement. More surprising was how pleased she looked about it.”
Darcy smiled. “I arrived ahead of the rest yesterday and came across Elizabeth in the gardens. We spoke and have both apologised for our misunderstandings. The letter I had written before leaving Kent had changed her view of me and made her think of me in a much more positive light over the last months.
“Seeing her again, here, at Pemberley where I had dreamed of seeing her so often, Richard, was a dream come true. By the end of the afternoon, I had invited her and her family to stay while in Derbyshire and then asked her for a courtship. She told me she did not need a courtship, so I proposed again, forgoing theinsults this time, and was accepted. We plan to marry in mid-October. Will you stand up with me?”
“What of her family?” Richard asked.
“What of them?” Darcy asked with a scowl. “Elizabeth has attained her majority, but her uncle has given his blessing as her temporary guardian. He and I both posted letters to her father, and she wrote to him and her elder sister. Bingley will return to Netherfield on Monday to court the eldest Miss Bennet again—I confessed to my actions in separating them and have been forgiven. Elizabeth does not want a large or grand wedding, so she has asked her father and sister to conceal the matter from her mother until the last moment.”
“You thought they were beneath you once?” Richard reminded.
“I was wrong,” Darcy admitted. “Her mother will be a trial, but I will learn to tolerate her for Elizabeth’s sake. Elizabeth is often frustrated by her as well, but we recognise that we all have relations that give us pause. I will obtain a common licence to keep the banns from being read and bringing Aunt Catherine upon us.
“Her aunt and uncle who are here are in trade, though he is well off and well respected. Your father invests with him, and I have discovered I was scheduled to meet with him about some investments when we returned to town. I was a fool for thinking too highly of myself and too little of others. Elizabeth has humbled me, and I find I am a better man for it.”
“Good for you, cousin,” Richard proclaimed. “I knew she would be the making of you once you got off your high horse enough to see it. I was surprised when you confessed that you had offeredfor her in Kent and more so when you told me of her refusal.” Richard stopped, taking a long sip of the drink in front of him.
“Now, to the reason I am here …” Richard began to explain how since Darcy had informed him of Wickham’s presence in the militia in Hertfordshire, he had been keeping tabs on him, quietly, of course. Darcy knew that Lydia was in Brighton along with Wickham and the militia and asked Richard about her.
“Wickham has been sniffing around her, but he is well-watched. His debts are mounting; he’ll bolt soon. As soon as he does, he will be caught before he can even depart Brighton and brought before a military trial for desertion,” Richard announced.
