One more week till their marriage.
One time during the sermon he did let himself glance towards Elizabeth. She was smiling widely with happiness, and her eyes danced on meeting his. She took his hand.
When they all shuffled back out into the cloudy and breezy early summer day, Mr. Bennet said to Elizabeth, “Just another week. My dear, I shall miss you.”
“Remember, you are to visit frequently!” Elizabeth said. “The library. I must have your help in assessing if Darcy’s library deserves as great commendation as Bingley gives it.”
“It is a very large library,” Georgiana offered.
“A point I admit,” Mr. Bennet replied smiling at Darcy’s sister, who was only now overcoming her innate shyness around Elizabeth’s father. “And that is why it shall fall on me. Elizabeth shall be too busy to give the great collection of books the attention they deserve. Very long walks and becoming acquainted with the neighborhood and other matters for a good many months, and neither of us trusts Bingley’s judgement upon such a matter—do not worry, Lizzy. I shall visit, and oftener than you expect.”
As soon as there was a lull in the conversation Mrs. Bennet said to Elizabeth, “My lady, I instructed Cook to prepare a great many of those lemon scones which you are so fond of. They will be ready for you as soon as we have returned home.”
Elizabeth smiled and nodded, but an escape from Mrs. Bennet’s constant begging for a way to be of service to her would be one of the smaller benefits that marriage would bring Darcy’s fair one.
Though Elizabethdidlike those lemon scones—the recipe had already been packaged and sent ahead to Darcy’s own cook so he could greet Lady Elizabeth with one of her favorite foods—though there was no doubt that it would not taste “quite the same”.
At least a firm request from Elizabeth kept Mrs. Bennet from overly bothering Georgiana when she visited. That voluble and too nonsensical thing in Mrs. Bennet’s conversation which made it uncomfortable for Darcy to be subject to listening to her for any great length affected his sister in a far worse way.
They arrived, and Mrs. Bennet refused to let Mrs. Hill help Elizabeth out of her light coat as she was determined to do the service herself.
Mr. Bennet soon retreated to his library, but Elizabeth remained in the drawing room, chattering with Lydia.
“No, no,” Elizabeth said. “Brighton would likely be morefunthan visiting Pemberley with Papa this summer, but I must have you as a guest of honor at the ball I shall throw. As you always insist,youarranged the match.”
“Oh, but Harriet shall be so disappointed. La! It still tickles me that you are to marry Mr. Darcy when his first words to us were about how unhandsome you were.”
Georgiana looked at Darcy in that slightly shocked and reproaching way that she showed every time she heard the story repeated by Lydia.
“Here, Lady Elizabeth.” Mrs. Bennet handed her a lemon scone directly.
Elizabeth smiled politely, and said a word of thanks, always the gracious lady.
Then she caught Darcy’s eye, and he could tell that she was amused.
The day was stuffy, the air was hot, and soon enough everyone escaped outdoors to walk about.
Rochester, who liked both of them, walked with Lydia and Georgiana, while Darcy was able to take Elizabeth’s arm—under of course the supervision of her dear brother.
As soon as she was far enough away from the house to not be heard, Elizabeth exclaimed, “Lord, I do wish that Papa had not announced the additional dowry for Kitty and Lydia until we were safe escaped to the north.”
“My dear, you bear up very well under the constant siege from Mrs. Bennet.”
“She has added actual gratitude to her instinctive deference to rank. No matter how many times I insist to her thatIhad nothing to do with the money, she always thinks it is a gift from me. She thinks thatPapahaving economized in secret for many years is a matter impossible to imagine—though, in fairness to her, the only way he everwouldhave economized is in secret.”
Darcy laughed. “A mix of that which I approve strongly of with a little that I cannot like.”
“Just so, just so.” Elizabeth kissed Darcy’s hand. “I have even on occasion noticed flaws inyou, though I hope you have never done so inme.”
“None that I do not find charming at present.”
“It is difficult,” Elizabeth said. “I think I only manage to remain polite to Mrs. Bennet because I do not wish to lose any of the good opinion of those who watch me. But while at first, I had imagined that of course when we should visit Hertfordshire, it would be to stay at Longbourn, I have in time come to think that a visit to Bingley would be easier for all.”
“That would not please Mr. Bennet.”
“He has already declared that he shall visitusoftener than we expect. And I expect two visits a year, until he has read the whole library at least.”
“Thatwould be the work of many years.”
