She gifted him with a brilliant smile, then rested her head against his arm as they continued their slow pace.
* * *
On the tenth of February, they went to town, a maid accompanying them for Elizabeth’s comfort. The trip itself was uneventful, apart from Darcy’s excitement to be taking her to meet Georgiana and whichever members of his family were presently in London. It was a step closer to the day she was his wife. Sitting across from her in the carriage, he foresaw the years ahead when they would take many trips together, be they to and from their homes in town and Derbyshire, to see friends and family, or to take holidays. When it was just the two of them, he could claim the place beside her, hold her hand in his, and they could speak freely. In time, there would be children, their laughter filling the carriage. In his daydreams, it always sounded exactly like Elizabeth’s.
He delivered Elizabeth to the Gardiners’ house in Gracechurch Street. Although it was in a part of town he was not used to frequenting, the street upon which they lived was oddly charming. The houses were of modest size, compared to Berkeley Square and the other parts of Mayfair with which he was more familiar, but they were attractive and well-kept, and the atmosphere was inviting. Even more delightful was Mrs Gardiner, to whom Darcy took an immediate liking. He was predisposed in her favour, and her warmth, evident sense, and excellent manners gave him leave to think he would soon learn to value her company as much as he expected to enjoy Mr Gardiner’s.
After sitting with the family for a short while, including a brief meeting with the couple’s four children, Darcy said, “I ought to make my way home. My sister will be awaiting my arrival. I would like to bring her to meet Miss Elizabeth and you tomorrow, if you do not object, Mrs Gardiner. I understand you have other calls upon your time, Mr Gardiner, and may not be able to be here.”
Mrs Gardiner smiled at her husband, niece, and lastly him. “I am afraid you are correct about my husband. He is very busy, but he insisted on arranging his meetings and such to be here to see you both today and offer his congratulations. Lizzy and I would be delighted to meet Miss Darcy, would we not?”
“Of course we would, Aunt. It is one of the chief reasons I came to town.”
The love in her eyes as she looked at him almost made him forget himself. He longed to pull her close to him and kiss her until they were both breathless. In forty-three days, they would be man and wife, and he could.
Fortunately, Mrs Gardiner spoke, distracting him. “If you prefer, Mr Darcy, we could go to see your sister. You need not bring her all the way here.”
He appreciated her tact, but it was his intention to show that he was not ashamed to admit her and Mr Gardiner as members of his family, regardless of the disparity of their positions in the world. “That is not necessary, Mrs Gardiner. I believe Georgiana would enjoy seeing your neighbourhood and charming home, even meeting your children, if it is possible. I shall ask her to tell them about how they might amuse themselves if they convince their parents to bring them to Pemberley in the summer.”
“Mr Darcy and I have agreed that we want you to visit as soon as you are able. I know you talked about taking a holiday next summer, and I have proof in your recent letters that you would like to see Lambton again, Aunt. You and Uncle could even leave the children in our care for a while and go off exploring on your own,” Elizabeth said.
“If you go on like that, Lizzy, I shall be tempted to order my bags packed at once!” Mr Gardiner said with a deep laugh.
Even a brief flash of what it would be like when the four of them, Miss Bennet, and Georgiana were gathered in the large drawing room at Pemberley, their bellies filled with an excellent dinner, and the doors opened to the warm summer evening was almost more than Darcy could bear. There would be so muchlifeat Pemberley. To be sure, he very much liked having his family visit, and his cousins were always good company, but it would bedifferentand so much better when he was a married man.
CHAPTERFIFTY-TWO
As much as she did not want to, Elizabeth managed to tear her eyes away from Mr Darcy when he returned to Gracechurch Street the following morning. She loved him for wanting her and his sister to meet as soon as possible, and loved him more for insisting he would bring Miss Darcy to see her rather than accept Mrs Gardiner’s suggestion they could meet at his town house.
Elizabeth was perfectly willing to accept that she simply loved him. Ever since his unexpected arrival at Longbourn at the end of January, she had come to know him better. Their engagement made it easier, and she knew yet more barriers between them would fall once they were husband and wife. Their misunderstandings were at an end, they had the future to talk about, and the more she knew of him, the more her opinion that he was a generous, honourable man was confirmed. Her heart fluttered to see him, warmth suffusing her body when their eyes met and his lips curled into a slight smile of absolute delight she knew was only for her.
But tear her eyes away she did, lest Miss Darcy think her rude and unwelcoming. So engrossed had Elizabeth been in Mr Darcy that she had failed to notice another gentleman had accompanied the brother and sister. He bore a slight resemblance to the Darcys, and was about Mr Darcy’s age, perhaps a year or two his senior. Mr Darcy introduced him as Colonel Fitzwilliam, the second son of his uncle, Lord Romsley.
To Mrs Gardiner, Mr Darcy said, “I hope you do not mind. My cousin wished to meet Miss Elizabeth before he leaves town tomorrow.”
“Not at all. Any family, or indeed friend, of yours will always be welcome.”
“Thank you, Mrs Gardiner,” the colonel said. “I did not learn until this morning that my cousins were calling on you. It has been a surprising morning for both them and me. They did not know I was in London, and I did not know Darcy was engaged. We suppose his letter informing me awaits me in Dorset.”
Her aunt invited everyone to sit and busied herself preparing the tea, giving the young people a chance to say a few words without her interference. Miss Darcy was silent, only glancing at Elizabeth two or three times before looking at her hands, which remained folded in her lap until she could use them to clutch the cup Mrs Gardiner offered her. Mr Darcy had warned Elizabeth that his sister was ‘quiet’, but Elizabeth would have said she was exceedingly shy. Once they spent more time together, she hoped the young woman would become more at ease in her company.
“I could not give up the opportunity to be introduced to my soon-to-be new cousin. I am afraid it was a matter of us meeting today, or not until the summer,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said.
“I am very glad you chose today,” she said.
“You will soon meet Bramwell and the Reeds, along with some other relations who are in London currently,” Mr Darcy said.
Elizabeth recalled that Miss Reed was the viscount’s intended.
“My parents will regret not being in town while you are. Perhaps in the summer, we can all meet at Romsley Hall or Pemberley and celebrate your wedding and my brother’s. What do you say to that, Georgiana?” Colonel Fitzwilliam said.
“I-I should like it.” Miss Darcy’s round eyes suggested she was startled to be thus addressed.
“As would I.” Elizabeth offered her a smile. Wishing not to cause her further distress, she turned to the colonel and asked him where his military duties had taken him. Mr Darcy joined in, talking a little about the travel he had done during the brief peace a decade earlier. Hoping that hearing her brother and cousin speak so freely had given Miss Darcy more courage, Elizabeth turned to her a short while later.
“I am afraid we are neglecting you, though I promise it was unintentional. Have you visited many places?”
“Not very many. I have been to Kent and Worcestershire, of course, but…” Miss Darcy looked at her guardians, almost as though wanting reassurance that she had not said anything amiss.
