Page 168 of Near Pemberley

“Now, Mr. Darcy.”

Darcy looked from Elizabeth to Georgiana, then to Lydia.

“I appear to have lost every argument today. And it is Fitzwilliam.”

A smile touched Elizabeth’s lips. “You lost this one the moment you mentioned your ribs, Fitzwilliam.”

Lydia and Georgiana both immediately moved to help him.

He laughed, “Thank you, ladies. I am touched, but I can still sit myself.” He groaned, though that negated his bravado.

“Now, run along, both of you. Elizabeth and I have rather fallen behind in our conversation.”

Lydia folded her arms. “You only want us…”

“Liddy, don’t you finish that sentence. We simply have much to discuss.”

Georgiana took Lydia gently by the arm. “Come along.”

Lydia allowed herself to be led towards the door, though not without one last look over her shoulder. “Do not do anything improper.”

Darcy looked at Elizabeth. “You see what I endure.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I believe she learnt that from someone.”

Chapter XXXII

Elizabeth’s laughter lingered for another moment after the girls had disappeared.

Darcy found himself smiling simply because she was.

The house gradually resumed its ordinary sounds. Somewhere a servant crossed the hall; from farther away came the faint closing of a door. It was curious, Elizabeth thought, how readily the world returned to its accustomed business. Only a few minutes before, Lydia had declared that Darcy was to become her brother. Georgiana had embraced her with tears in her eyes. Nothing in the house had altered – and yet everything had.

She looked towards Darcy. He had not taken his eyes from her.

The expression upon his face made her smile fade into something quieter. There was still astonishment in it, as though some part of him expected the afternoon to dissolve into a dream from which he would presently awaken.

“What?” she asked gently.

“I was merely wondering how long it would take before I believed this.”

She inclined her head questioningly.

“That you have agreed to marry me.”

She lowered her eyes for a moment, unable to suppress the warmth rising to her cheeks. Even now, hearing him speak the words aloud made them seem almost improbable.

“I might ask the same of you.”

“You doubt me?”

“No.” She looked back at him and smiled. “I did flatter myself that you might have done all this… with Lydia… for me.”

Darcy shook his head slowly.

“I have spent months attempting to persuade myself that I had forfeited every hope of your good opinion.”

He looked down at his injured hand, turning it absently as he spoke. “When I realised you avoided Pemberley in Lambton, that is what I thought. But then you did not seem to hate me anymore… what is more, you said something that allowed me to hope.” A faint smile crossed his face. “When you did not come the next day, I told myself I had merely been indulging another foolish hope.”