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Miss Howard nodded slowly.
“You have made a number of terrible errors,” Elizabeth continued. “But you are yet young. Your brother is much older and made many grievous errors of his own. If I can forgive him, I can forgive you. I do forgive you.” She glanced up at Darcy, who nodded so slightly she doubted anyone else noticed. “Mr. Darcy forgives you as well. But you must never tell such a lie again.”
Miss Howard’s expression was grateful, almost reverential. “Oh, Mrs. Darcy, I never shall. I promise you that.”
“Then may I say fair voyage, Miss Howard,” Elizabeth said sincerely. She caught Fitz’s eye and lifted her eyebrows, indicating her dismissal of his charges. He nodded and stepped to William, whispering something in his ear.
“Fair voyage,” William said, his voice strained. “I am not so gracious as my wife, I am afraid, but I shall follow her example and offer my forgiveness to you both. Howard,” he said, and it was as close to menacing as Elizabeth had ever seen her husband, “you understand, I am sure, how difficult this is.”
Mr. Howard bowed, Miss Howard curtsied, and they left in the company of the Fitzwilliams.
As the door closed, she exhaled. “What a relief to have that done,” she said. “What did your cousin have to say?”
William’s expression was grim, his voice pinched. “Wickham was court-martialed and found guilty, but he was given the choice of prison or the peninsula. His ship left at the beginning of the week.”
Elizabeth sniffed. “Good riddance,” she began to say but found herself suddenly clasped to William’s chest. “William?” she asked, her voice muffled.
“I could not have done it, Elizabeth,” he told her hoarsely. “I wanted to toss the pair of them from the house and wish them to the devil.” He held her tight. “Thank you, love, for being my conscience and my strength.”
Eventually, she pulled away far enough to meet his gaze. “It is not really for them we have offered our forgiveness, William,” she told him honestly. “I am not certain what Mr. Howard has done is forgivable. We forgave them for you and for me. Now that we have, I feel free of it. Do you not feel it too?”
William smiled wanly at her. “Perhaps when their ship has left the dock, I shall feel that it is all truly over and you are safe. Will you help me wait?”
“Come,” Elizabeth said, and took his hand. “Come sit with me until your cousins return with the news that the Howards are gone.”
“And what shall we do with the time?” he asked. He was making a valiant attempt to banish his resentment, and she admired him for it. He cleared his throat. “Will you require me to sew anything? I must warn you that I have a dreadful time threading a needle.”
“We might discuss how very pleased your aunt has been to have Jane as a daughter,” Elizabeth mused. “Or how well Fitz has taken to being a husband.”
Darcy felt himself beginning to relax. “I thought the man would lose every button on his coat at the wedding, his chest was puffed out so far.”
Elizabeth laughed a little. “It was very good of him to wait for the Howards to depart before taking Jane north. I know they are both anxious to see the estate.” She paused when Mr. Pratt announced his presence with a sniff.
“Mrs. Darcy, the viscount has left a note for you.” The butler walked over to hand it to her. “He asked that I see it to your hands personally.”
“Thank you, Mr. Pratt,” Elizabeth replied and took the note. She unfolded it and read it silently before asking, “Mr. Darcy, why is the earl giving me a house in Hertfordshire?”
Her husband’s mouth fell open in surprise, and then he chuckled. “Because he knew if he gave it to you, I would not protest. He is as wily as his wife and sons. Where is it located?”
“In Ware, not so very far from Longbourn.”
He took the note and read it. “I suppose it will serve as a place to stay when we are in the area, and for your mother should she ever require it. Eventually, it could be a property for our second son.”
“Second son?” Elizabeth asked, amused. “Should we not have one first?”
“There is no hurry,” William said, taking her hand. “I would be very pleased to have you to myself for a time.”
Elizabeth considered being alone with her husband. It sounded marvelous.
“What are you thinking, my dear?” William asked. “Are you unhappy with my uncle?”
She laughed. “Yes, I am terribly unhappy that your uncle has given me a home. The audacity!” She pulled William down to the chaise with her. “No, I was simply wondering where you shall take me next.”
William’s eyes narrowed. “We have been to the Opera House, madam, all the museums, the menagerie . . .”
“And yet you have not answered my question,” Elizabeth declared playfully. “Where shall we visit next?”
“I am sure I do not know,” Darcy said playfully. “We have already been to concerts and plays and dinners and even three balls.”
