“Very well. I shall be from home tomorrow morning between the hours of eleven and one. Please do the deed then.” Her father grinned and pushed himself to his feet, adding, “Well, as we have settled everything that needs to be discussed today, I suppose we ought to join the rest of the party. Your mother will come to drag me there by the ear if I do not do Bingley the honour of greeting him at once. You would think a man would have to be gone a week or more before I am required to treat his absence as notable, but there we have it.”
Before they descended the stairs, her father patted her cheek. “You are a good girl, Lizzy, and I shall sorely miss you.”
Elizabeth offered him a loving smile and wrapped her hand around his arm for the remainder of their short walk.
The day passed as those at Longbourn usually do—it was a little too loud and chaotic for anyone not accustomed to it, though fortunately, the only disagreeable moment was when Kitty wanted to know why Elizabeth was going to town with Jane again andshewas not invited instead. Mr Bennet told her that he would not give his permission, even if Jane had asked, so there was no need to discuss it further. Mrs Bennet remarked that Elizabethneededto go because she was “not getting any younger or prettier” and had to find a husband. It was all Elizabeth could do not to laugh, and from what she saw, Bingley fared little better; Jane looked aghast and Darcy stoic.
It was probably with that in mind that, as they drove back to Netherfield that evening, Bingley asked when Jane thought they would be prepared to depart for London. Jane looked fromhim to Darcy and lastly to Elizabeth, then said, “Would this Saturday suit?”
The remaining days in Meryton were busy. Elizabeth told her mother and sisters of her engagement and that she and Darcy would like the wedding to be in Derbyshire.
“We could not possibly be married without Jane and Bingley there, and you know Jane will not be able to travel for months after we remove to Larch Lane,” Elizabeth had said to Mrs Bennet to ease her complaints. “You would not want me to delay marrying him until next summer, would you? Besides, it is a wonderful excuse to make Papa take you and Mary and Kitty to Derbyshire. You will all see Jane’s new home and meet your grandchild.”
Mrs Bennet reluctantly agreed after Elizabeth promised to write to her ‘constantly’ about the arrangements.
Upon arriving in town, Elizabeth found a note from Colonel Fitzwilliam requesting a private interview. If she accepted, he would call the next morning.
“I shall join you,” Darcy said. He had accompanied them to Bingley’s house and come in so that they could settle their plans for the following days. Presently, they were sitting together, Jane and Bingley having left them alone for a few minutes.
Elizabeth regarded him, her brow arched. “You will? I believe he wishes to speak to me, not you.”
“And I would like to be present.”
“Whereas I believe he and I would speak more freely if you were not.” She held up a hand to stop him when he opened hismouth to respond. “He has not been pleasant to me for many months, and I understand you wish to protect me. I adore you for it, but it is not necessary.”
He sighed, and she wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder.
“This first meeting with the colonel since Buxton will be awkward, and I would like to have it done as soon as possible. He and I shall resolve our differences and, I hope, find a way to be friends again. If you are here, I shall be distracted. I would want to give all my attention to you, and I shall be minding my manners lest you think poorly of me rather than speaking as openly as I would like to your cousin. Then the business will be only half complete, and he and I shall have to meetagainso that he can apologise.”
“You are teasing me,” Darcy said. Elizabeth laughed, and he added, “I have missed you doing it. I do worry about you seeing him.”
“I know you do. Will it help if I promise to recount everything we say to each other, even if it makes me seem like a shrew?”
Their eyes met, and he smiled. “I suppose.”
“Now, I beg of you, before Jane or Bingley interrupt us, kiss me!”
She did not have to ask him again.
Bingley insisted on greeting the colonel with Elizabeth. She supposed it was his way of reminding her visitor that she had family who would not allow her to be mistreated.
“I believe you wish to review your correspondence or read a book or something—anything—else?” Elizabeth said to him.
Her brother-in-law chuckled. “That is her way of telling me to go away. I shall be in my study.”
She smiled at him as he left the room, then turned her gazeto Colonel Fitzwilliam and stood still while waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat.
“Miss Bennet, I owe you an apology, and I offer it to you without reservation. My behaviour has been unconscionable, and I am ashamed of it.”
“Thank you,” she said when he paused. “Why did you feel it was necessary—or appropriate? Was there something in my behaviour that concerned you? Did I give you reason to suppose I would attempt to convince Miss Darcy that she must tell her brother to marry me, or that I would trick him into it? Perhaps you thought I would deliberately ensnare him?—”
“No, of course not,” he interjected. He sighed. “May we sit?”
She nodded, and they took seats opposite each other.
“I liked you very much when we met in Kent. I still do,” he said. “I…I do not know if I can tell you how distressing it has been to see Georgiana as distraught and self-destructive as she has been since Wickham. You must have witnessed some of it yourself in Buxton, perhaps at Pemberley.”
“I did. After that last morning, I understood better than I had before what your family have had to contend with. Yet, it does not explain how I became the villain in your mind.”
