Page 83 of His Pride and His Prejudice

Something loosened in Darcy as the carriage entered the Pemberley estate. Perhaps it was the tension that he had carried within him since leaving Kent. It certainly was not the sadness.

That remained.

Still, many good memories had been created on this estate. Some bad also it was true. But this was Darcy’s home and, he was immensely grateful to be back.

He resolved then that he would not leave Pemberley again for the rest of the year, an easy resolution to make, for what else outside of the estate awaited him?

The carriage was loaded down with treats and fripperies not just for Georgiana, but for the other members of the extended Darcy family who lived on the Pemberley estates or nearby. Fitzwilliam would have been one of the recipients had he not already been in Darcy’s company these past weeks. The other man was happy to get everything organised though once they arrived, and it was less than an hour later that they met again in the suite of rooms in the left wing that were put aside for close family use.

Georgiana was waiting there for them.

Darcy was not a man that easily showed affection. For his friends he might give a firm handshake. For his extended family a strong pat on the back. But for Georgiana, Darcy was all smiles, and he was all embraces. He pulled her into his arms the moment he entered the room, and that was not an easy feat as she was almost as tall as him now!

“You are well, sister?” he demanded.

She grinned. “I am.”

“It is good to see you,” he said.

“I have missed you too!” She replied before turning to her other guardian with a charming smile. “Fitzwilliam!”

“Georgie!”

It had been Lady Anne’s idea to provide Georgiana with two guardians. That way, if either man died or disappeared into a jungle somewhere she had said with a pointed look at Darcy, then Georgiana would have someone to guard over both her wellbeing and her substantial fortune. Lady Anne had picked well with Fitzwilliam who was as easy going as a fellow could be. As a second son he would not inherit his mother’s estate, and Darcy was hopeful that Fitzwilliam might consider taking over a sprawling Darcy estate in Ireland once he resigned his commission. If so, Darcy would settle the whole thing upon him.

“Are you staying for long?” Georgiana asked.

“As long as you will have me,” Fitzwilliam replied.

Though Georgiana was pleased by this, she did pull a face and say, “I am pleased to see you, Fitzwilliam, but I wish that it had been in London!”

Following the disastrous London trip last summer, Darcy no longer allowed Georgiana to travel about with a single companion. Instead, she had two, one male, one female, both omegas, mated for some time, and close friends of the Darcy family. They had been ready to bring her down for the summer but with the change in Darcy’s plans…

“There will be plenty of time for London trips,” he said quickly.

“In the summer?”

“Possibly,” he said but he meant next summer, certainly not the upcoming one! At this point in time, Darcy could think of nothing worse than a London season.

“And what of the Bingleys?” Georgiana asked.

“They are on their way to us,” Darcy confirmed. “Caroline is delighted at the prospect of seeing you.”

And she was, and in truth, separate to the fact she was his closest friend’s sister, that was the main reason why Darcy was able to tolerate Caroline Bingley. As a high-ranking alpha within society, she could well have snubbed Georgiana given that she was an omega, but instead she had simply shrugged. “It happens. We’ll just have to ensure she mates with an alpha.” And that was that.

Of course, had she her way, Caroline would ensure that alpha was her own brother, then binding their families and paving the way for a mating between her and Darcy. She was not his type though, she knew that, even if his heart was not already taken.

On that thought the image of Elliot quickly followed. Darcy had so many of them that had he been a fanciful man he would have said that he had stored them up, like a dragon hoarding treasure after treasure. The image that filled his mind now was the look of astonishment on Elliot’s face when Darcy had declared his feelings. He quickly banished it.

Not quickly enough.

His chest ached.

The sadness that had assailed him since the moment he had realised that Elliot would not be his mate seemed to fill his body from fingers to toes.

Darcy disliked it intensely.

How damn long would it continue?

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