“Come, come, my dear. Those things are important, but if you love Mr. Darcy, it certainly should not deter you from marrying him.”
“Papa, please do not say ‘if I love him.’ I do love him—so very dearly. But he is a complex man, and there were times when I did not understand what my role would be. I thought that I might not be exactly what he needs because… Oh, I don’t know how to explain myself.”
“If you are trying to say that he is a difficult man to be around, maybe he does not deserve you.”
“Oh, no, Papa. He is such a good man, and he deserves a wife who will stand by his side through trials and tribulations.”
“Trials and tribulations? What does Mr. Darcy know of such things? He lives in a grand manor house on an estate of thousands of acres with servants at his beck and call. He has wealth, prestige, and rank. He wants for nothing.”
Lizzy looked away from her father, and tears filled her eyes. Mr. Darcy wanted for nothing—nothing except that he be wholly human, that he not live in fear of discovery, and that his every move not be dictated by the phases of the moon.
“My dear, something is bothering you. Please tell me what it is.”
“Papa, it is not that Mr. Darcy does not deserve me. It is that I may not be what Mr. Darcy needs to live his life to the fullest.”
“I do not understand you, child.”
“I know.”
The days passed quickly. With Anne’s return to Rosings Park, Georgiana had come to stay at Longbourn. After much discussion, the final accommodations were that Georgiana would sleep in Kitty’s room because both were close in age, Mary would share Lizzy’s room, and Mrs. Brotherton would have Mary’s bedroom.
“Lizzy, it is so funny,” Georgiana said, giggling. “I have such a big house with so few people in it, and you have a small house with so many people. Isn’t that odd?”
Lizzy chuckled to herself. She had never thought of Longbourn as being a “small house,” but to someone who lived in a grand country manor, the Bennet homestead probably did look small. Despite so many people living in tight quarters, Georgiana loved it. Having lost both of her parents by the time she was thirteen, and having only the one brother, who was ten years her senior, she was enjoying the energy and closeness of the Bennet family.
Georgiana was a perfect fit. Because Miss Darcy had access to an impressive library at Pemberley and had been educated at one of London’s finest seminaries, she had a broad base of knowledge that Mary eagerly tapped into. Better yet, a friendship had developed between Kitty and Georgiana, and Miss Darcy was a more suitable companion for her than Lydia ever was.
When the young ladies walked into Meryton to pick up the mail at the inn, seventeen days had passed since Mr. Darcy had left Pemberley. In addition to letters from Mrs. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet’s sister, there were letters for both Lizzy and Georgiana from Mr. Darcy that had been forwarded to Meryton by Mr. Jackson. Lizzy quickly tucked the letter into her reticule, but Georgiana broke the seal on hers, and when a smile appeared on her face, Lizzy knew that all was well, and she handed the letter to Lizzy.
My Dearest Georgiana,
We made excellent time and arrived a day earlier than expected. Rupert and Teddy are both well and send you their regards. However, there were some difficulties in arranging schedules, and so I must remain until those problems have been worked out. But I am confident that they will shortly be resolved, and I anticipate being back at Pemberley well in advance of my scheduled appointment. So there are no concerns on that account. Please give my best to Anne and Miss Elizabeth.
Yours, Will (writing from Carlisle)
“My brother thinks we are still at Pemberley,” Georgiana said. “He will be disappointed when he finds that we are not there, but what could one do when Aunt Catherine sent a carriage for Anne?”
“Well, he will learn from Mr. Jackson the reason for our departure, and all will be well. Shall we go to the circulating library and see if anything interesting has come in on the London coach?” Lizzy asked, hoping that Georgiana would not mention that she too had received a letter.
As soon as Lizzy reached Longbourn, she went to the sitting room so that she might read Mr. Darcy’s letter in private.
Dear Elizabeth,
All is well here. Things went much better than expected. I look forward to seeing you when I return to Pemberley.
Yours, F. Darcy
Lizzy could hardly believe it. Three sentences! That was what she had been waiting for all this time? Such brevity was a message in itself. He had asked her to reconsider her decision to marry him when it was obvious it was he who was doing the reconsidering. She went to her father’s study, and with fire in her eyes, she announced, “Papa, you were right. Mr. Darcy does not deserve me.” She turned on her heel and left.
Chapter 21
The same weather that had delayed Georgiana, Anne, and Lizzy’s departure from Ashton Hall had caused problems for Darcy as well. It had been necessary to take a detour around a washed-out bridge, and time was lost when they came upon an overturned wagon and a flock of sheep that had to be convinced to leave the road. By the time the village of Lambton came into view, all of Darcy’s energy was spent, and he was looking forward to visiting with his sister and cousin, but most especially with Elizabeth. Had she changed her mind while he had been in Scotland? He would soon find out.
Part of a wolf’s survival depended upon his ability to quickly assess his environment, and when the carriage pulled up in front of Pemberley, Darcy guessed that the house was empty. From the look on Jackson’s face, he knew that he was right.
“Good day, Jackson. I shall be with you in a moment,” Darcy said. “Metcalf, I will have no need of a carriage tomorrow, so please feel free to see to your personal affairs.” He stepped back, indicating that he could proceed to the coach house.
“Mercer, please see to the trunks, and I shall want a bath. But after that, I do not want to see you for the rest of the day, and you may hear the same thing from me tomorrow. Apparently, the ladies are not in residence, so I can go one day without shaving,” he said, rubbing his scruffy chin. And although he had said that with a smile on his face, Mercer knew that his master was sorely disappointed to come home from such a difficult journey to find everyone gone. “Oh, one more thing. Please see that some of that whisky we bought in Jedburgh makes its way into my study.
“And now to you, Mr. Jackson. Shall we go in? I sense that you have something to tell me that I would not want others to hear?”
After directing Mercer to place the Scotch and two glasses on the table in front of him, he dismissed his valet, poured whisky into each glass, and handed one to his butler. “Sit down, Jackson. I am too tired to be staring up at you, and from the look on your face, I do believe you could use a drink yourself. But before we talk about what transpired at Pemberley while I was gone, I want you to know that I have a bottle of these fine spirits for you as well. Now, let us get down to business. Where are the ladies?”
After Darcy’s butler explained that Lady Catherine had sent a carriage for Miss de Bourgh and that his sister and Miss Elizabeth thought that she should not travel alone, Mr. Darcy let out a sigh of relief.
“No need for a grim face, Jackson. That is actually good news because I had feared that Miss Elizabeth would reconsider my offer.”