Caroline was taken aback.“Really!”
Elizabeth laughed lightly. “Oh, Miss Bingley,” Elizabeth’s voicewas all sugary and sweet,“you thought I meant the Bennet family. The necklace is not a Bennet heirloom; Fitzwilliam gave it to me for I am a Darcy now.”
“Actually, it is a gift from my mother for my wife,” Darcy added quickly. “The diamonds and emeralds are almost as superb as is Elizabeth. Do you not agree, Miss Bingley?”
Caroline could barely disguise her disgust.With nothing more than a nod of her head and a curtsy, she made her exit.
“Fitzwilliam Darcy,” Elizabeth teased,“you are almost asevilas is my father.You enjoyed Miss Bingley’s humiliation.”
“And you did not, Mrs. Darcy?”
“I am afraid I am my father’s daughter—I truly enjoyed seeing Caroline in misery.You married a shallow woman, Mr. Darcy.You still have time to ask for an annulment if I offend you.” Elizabeth leaned in closer for a quick kiss.
“Do you expect me to consider an annulment when you tease me with your nearness?” Darcy was lost to her alone.
“Then you must suffer forever, Sir. It is my intention of always teasing you with my closeness.” Elizabeth brushed his lips with hers.
“May we leave soon, Elizabeth?” Darcy’s voice was shaky with anticipation.
“I do believe we should say our farewells, Fitzwilliam.” Her voice betrayed her feelings for him. “We have a long drive to London. Come, Love, let us circulate about the room before we leave.” Taking his hand, Elizabeth led Darcy from one cluster to another to bid her neighbors and friends adieu.
At last, they came to Jane and Mr. Bingley. The sisters hugged for a long time, and both fought back tears.“I will miss my nightly talks with you, Jane,” Elizabeth whispered.
“We may write often, Lizzy—long letters of our lives.”
“Our husbands may find our postage expenses extreme,” Elizabeth tried to laugh and to lighten the moment.
“Bingley,” Darcy interjected, “I would like to have a small party at Pemberley at New Year’s. Would you and Mrs. Bingley be our guests?”
“Oh, yes,” Elizabeth added quickly.“The Festive Season will be coming to an end, but Pemberley will still be fully decorated. Please, Jane, I want you to see Pemberley.”
“It would be nice to be away from the full house we should have at Netherfield,” Bingley added cautiously while looking directly at his sisters and Mr. Hurst.
“Your coming to Pemberley will be a good excuse for everyone’s departure,” Darcy agreed.
“Then we will see each other at New Year’s,” Elizabeth chimed in. “Thank you, Fitzwilliam. Thank you, Mr. Bingley. You made Jane and I happy brides today.” They exchanged pleasantries, and the couples parted to begin their new lives.
Elizabeth made her final goodbye to her family as the trunks were loaded onto Darcy’s coach; Darcy moved away to find his sister.“Dearest One,” he took her in his arms,“I will miss you.”
Georgiana smiled at him. “You should not be thinking about your sister, Fitzwilliam. Think about Elizabeth; love her, and be happy.” Her hug expressed her hopes for his future. Elizabeth came over to join them; Georgiana turned her attention to her new sister. “Elizabeth, your being part of our family makes both my brother and I richer in what matters.”
Elizabeth hugged the girl she accepted from their first meeting. “We will soon join you at Pemberley.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam offered his “best wishes,” and then Darcy and Elizabeth boarded his coach to leave for London. Elizabeth watched out the coach’s window until none of Longbourn or Meryton could be seen. Darcy took her hand and kissed the palm, no words needed between them.
CHAPTER 20
“We neither of us perform to strangers.”
They spent twenty minutes in complete silence; Elizabeth already missed the security of her family; Darcy searched for a way to allay her fears. Eventually, she did the characteristic shift of her shoulders, the one that told Darcy she was ready to meet the challenge of being his wife and the mistress of Pemberley. She turned to him and met his eyes. “Fitzwilliam, how large is Pemberley?”
The question stunned him, not expecting her to evaluate his land. He moved beside her on the coach’s bench.“Do you want an estimate or do you require the surveyor’s specifics?”
She waved her hand to let him know she had not worded the question well, and he should ignore the wording. “What I would like is to learn to ride a horse well. Could I have my own horse? I want to ride out with you; I do not want to be without you; may I have my own horse, Fitzwilliam?”
More vulnerable than he ever saw her, Darcy knew the horse symbolized her fear of being Pemberley’s mistress, but he did not say so. “It would give me pleasure to choose a horse for you. We have many already in the stables at Pemberley, but we may choose another if you find nothing you like.We will buy you appropriate riding clothes while in London. Do you know anything about how to ride?”
“I have ridden Papa’s horse, but not well, not like I want to ride. I want to be free to see all of Pemberley.”
