“Do you know how much I delight in you teasing me? I would hate it from anyone else,” he said softly.
How was she expected to respond to such a statement? Sheaverted her eyes and took a surreptitious calming breath, hoping her cheeks would not turn bright red.
“Perhaps I only wished to hear you say it again,” he said a moment later.
She lifted her eyes to his, and speaking as gently as he had, said, “Then I shall gladly repeat myself. I am very, very glad—overjoyed—that I went to Lambton and that I visited Pemberley just when its proprietor happened to be arriving.”
“We ought to let the ladies continue their day, Darcy.” The sound of Mr Bingley’s voice was so unexpected that Elizabeth started.
The gentlemen were soon on their way, and Jane and Elizabeth went to find their sisters.
On Sunday, the gentlemen attended church and returned home with the Bennets, allowing Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to speak for a longer period without threat of being overheard or interrupted. They went for a walk with Jane and Mr Bingley. Once they were out of sight of the house, a natural separation arose between the couples.
“Your sister is happy to see Bingley again. I am glad my wrongheaded interference, and that of other parties, will not have any lasting damage. I doubt I could forgive myself if it were otherwise,” Mr Darcy said.
“It is in the past, Jane is happy, and I insist we forget it ever happened. Does Mr Bingley know?” She laughed. “Perhaps I ought to have asked my question and obtained your response before saying we should forget it.”
“The pleasure of hearing you laugh is enough to excuse any confusion you caused.” He paused and grew more serious. “I told Bingley everything before we parted ways in August. I knew he was considering returning to Netherfield after seeinghis family in Scarborough. It was important to me that he understood what your sister’s sentiments had been and that I recognised I had been horribly mistaken and presumptuous—to say nothing of lying to him when I did not tell him Miss Bennet was in London last winter.
“He was…very angry. Rightly so. I apologised, but to be honest, I was not sure our friendship would survive. When he called on me in town, shortly before we came to Meryton, I was relieved. He has said he forgives me because he believes I am contrite. Naturally, he has made me promise not to behave in such an ungentlemanly manner again. Unfortunately, his sisters are not at all remorseful. They see nothing wrong in how they acted.”
“I am very glad that your friendship has not ended. I believe it is important to both of you.”
He nodded. “It is, and that is why he has chosen to overlook my misdeeds.”
Elizabeth briefly tightened her hold on his arm; it was the only mark of affection she could offer him in their present circumstances. “I am sorry to hear his sisters maintain their opposition to Jane. I hope it does not distress him too much. He seems cheerful, but I do not know him well enough to tell whether he is simply hiding his less pleasant feelings.”
“Presently, his only care is winning Miss Bennet’s forgiveness for the manner in which he left and then earning her regard.”
Again, Elizabeth laughed. “If he thinks either are necessary, he does not know Jane as well as I thought he did! She will see nothing to forgive, certain he had very good reasons for how he acted even if he never offers any, and she loves him as much as she ever did.” Adding a serious note to her voice, shecontinued, “Enough about them. If you agree, I would like to have done with disagreeable topics and take this opportunity to thank you properly for what you did for Lydia. It must have been horrible for you, and I know she does not deserve it, but on her behalf and that of my entire family, thank you.”
He shook his head, his gaze on the vista. “It had to be done. I wish I could have devised another end for your sister, but she refused to leave him. If only I had exposed Wickham’s true nature?—”
“It is not your role to protect the world and its many silly young ladies from scoundrels like him.” Seeing a dark cloud pass over his countenance, Elizabeth realised he might be thinking of Miss Darcy. She had not meant to remind him that his sister had also fallen under Mr Wickham’s spell; indeed, she had forgotten it for the moment, so consumed was she with her own sister’s situation—and the thrilling sensation of being with Mr Darcy again. “I see no reason to speak of him further. He is married and settled far from us. There is little he can do to disrupt our peace now.”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “How long do you think it will be before Miss Bennet and Bingley are engaged?”
“Hmm. I would be willing to wager he will wait one more week, then propose at the first opportunity. What say you?”
“Oh no, Miss Elizabeth, I shall not take that bet. I believe he will propose by Wednesday. Would you agree that they deserve to have their happiness to themselves for a short while—not have it overshadowed by any other similar event? If his sisters and I had left him to make his own decisions, they probably would have been betrothed nine or ten months ago.”
There was no mistaking the meaning behind his question, and warmth flooded Elizabeth’s body, both in anticipation of soon receiving a very welcomed second offer of marriage fromhim and of his thoughtfulness for her most deserving sister and his dearest friend.
“I do agree, sir. Provided, that is, Mr Bingley does not delay!”
They laughed and continued their walk until it was time to return to the house.
CHAPTER SIX
Two days later, Elizabeth again found herself walking with Mr Darcy. She had contrived to have him to herself, but she did not think anyone noticed. They were at an afternoon party at Haye-Park, the estate owned by Mr Bennet’s childhood friend Mr Goulding. Since the day was warm and dry, many of the guests were spending time out of doors, Elizabeth and Mr Darcy amongst them. She took Mr Darcy into the gardens, which he had never seen. As soon as they were away from others, she laughed.
“Goodness, you areverypopular! I have noticed how much everyone has wished to speak to you since your return, thus inconsiderately disrupting my intentions to monopolise your attention, but it was almost comical!”
He covered his face as though hiding in embarrassment. From the moment he and Mr Bingley had entered the house, two or three people had attempted to speak to him at once, usually on different subjects. “I have done nothing to deserve it, and I would thank you to stop laughing at me!”
She did her best to suppress her amusement. “You are free to tease me as much as you like should I ever find myself in a similar position. As for not deserving it, I disagree. I have never thought so highly of my neighbours as I have since seeing how much they value your company. They have excellent taste.”
“Do you see why I prefer to stand at the side of the room being taciturn and disagreeable? I could hardly make sense of what everyone was saying.”
