Page 44 of The Widower of Pemberley

“Well of course we shall play together a great deal.”

“Mama never played. Want play.”

“Ah,” Elizabeth said. “I begin to understand. Let us drop this notion of ‘Mama’ for a little while. Would you like it if I went to your house at Pemberley to live with you?”

“Uh.” This groan had an approving note to it, though Emily continued to cry but with less fervour.

“I shall,” Elizabeth said. “You may keep me for however long you wish. And we shall play as much as you want, or at least for several hours a day.”

“Promise?”

“I swear.”

“Papa says if you swear, you mean it. Don’t swear if you don’t mean it.”

“I mean it. We shall stay together.”

Emily embraced her again, and with a laugh, Elizabeth said, “You are quite heavy for me to carry for five minutes together. Might I put you down?”

“No.”

Elizabeth laughed, shook her head at Darcy when he went to try and take the child away, and resettled her in her arms. “Only one or two minutes more, then I shall need to set you down.”

Mr. Collins at last regained his senses and said, “But-but—have you had this notion for long? When did you—”

“Mr. Collins, I was utterly astonished to be asked an hour ago,” Elizabeth said. “But you could not expect me to give any other answer to Mr. Darcy.”

“Have you asked your aunt for permission to marry Miss Elizabeth?” Mr. Collins wiped a hand over his forehead. “She was most upset with your first marriage. I fear that this will not please her either.”

“Mr. Collins, as much as I respect my aunt, I have never in my life begged her permission.”

“B-b-but…she is Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”

Georgiana pressed her lips tightly together; it was clear to Darcy she was repressing a snort. Elizabeth had been good for her.

“And I am Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. I have decided. And I have acted.”

“Oh my, oh my.” Mr. Collins wrung his hands.

Mrs. Bennet embraced Elizabeth. “My dear, dear, dear clever daughter! How did you manage it? And when everyone knows that Mr. Darcy disliked you.”

“I did not.”

“He really did not,” Elizabeth said, laughing a little and embracing her mother.

Bingley offered his congratulations, but Darcy noticed that when Miss Bennet came up to Elizabeth, sheonly hugged her sister but did not say anything encouraging.

When the time for Darcy to return to Netherfield came, Elizabeth went with him into the vestibule, and Georgiana and Bingley took Emily on ahead so that he could have a little privacy with her.

Mrs. Bennet had proved accommodating to Darcy in anything that he desired. Whatever the preferences of Mr. Bennet might have been with regard to the two of them having a brief interlude without anyone watching, he had not stated them to Darcy.

Elizabeth smiled up at him, but her eyes had a confused and almost frightened look about them.

He suddenly wished to hold her tight and wrap her in an embrace that would make her safe forever. Instead he brushed his hand over her cheek. “I shall leave for London early in the morning so that I can return as soon as possible with the licence. The whole of the business that I must conduct will take at least three days, and I fear it might require a fourth. But my sister and Emily will visit you every day.”

“I shall be delighted to see them.” She wrapped her arms around her chest but dropped them again immediately and let them hang at her sides.

Her eyes gleamed in the dim light. Her lips were soft and trembling.