“Then I wonder why she said it was,” Elizabeth responded, beginning to feel the weight of her own fatigue.
“Do you not know?” he asked, and though it may have been her mind being too tired to make sense of things, it seemed like his question contained a hint of accusation. Though she intended to ask about this, the next thing she knew, she was being gently shaken by Georgiana.
“Lizzy, wake up. We are home.”
Lifting her head, Elizabeth was mortified to discover she had been sleeping on Darcy’s shoulder. Georgiana was urging her to wake, and her aunt and uncle stood beside the gig, smiling up at her.Would they admonish her for her very unladylike behavior?
“You are just as bad as I am in a carriage at night,” Georgiana teased as her father helped the girls down.
“It is good to see you ladies were able to get some rest, as I have no doubt you will be up half the night,” Mr. Darcy said.
As part of both of their birthday surprise, Elizabeth was to spend the night at Pemberley. Both girls were nearly as excited for that as they had been for the picnic.
“We will certainly not stay up half the night, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth assured him. “I believe we fully intend to remain awake until we see the sunrise.”
“Oh, Lizzy, you must not try the patience of Pemberley’s staff,” Mrs. Gardiner admonished her niece with a fond smile.
“Or its family,” her Mr. Darcy added with mock seriousness.
Elizabeth bade her family good night before taking Georgiana’s arm. They walked inside, chatting excitedly about all their plans, both suddenly wide awake. The gentlemen followed. Mrs. Reynolds greeted them and informed them chocolate and fruit awaited them in Miss Darcy’s sitting room.
“Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds,” the girls responded together.
The Mr. Darcys said their good nights, the elder extracting a promise that they would not disturb Miss Baxter, who had stayed behind due to a severe headache.
“Of course, Father. We will check on her in the morning. I do hope she was able to rest and will be recovered by tomorrow. I asked Higgins to place some of her favourites together whenthey gathered up the leftover food,” Georgiana said, referring to the footman who had attended them.
“That was very kind of you,” he responded. After a kiss on the forehead for his daughter, Mr. Darcy turned to Lizzy. “I hope the festivities met your expectations?”
“They did,” she assured him. “And you are acquainted enough with my personality to know how unreasonably high I tend to set my hopes, so I trust you know how very special you made this day for me. I am truly grateful.”
She moved to hug him, and he welcomed her into an embrace. Georgiana soon joined them.
“You are the best father,” Georgiana said, her words muffled as she pressed into his side.
“What about me?” young Darcy pouted. “I put a great deal of effort into the planning as well.”
“Of course you are the best, Fitzwilliam,” Georgiana assured him, moving from their father’s arms to his.
As much as Elizabeth wanted to offer her own embrace to the younger Mr. Darcy, she instead teased, “It is true Georgiana has told me on more than one occasion that after Mr. Darcy and your cousin, Major Fitzwilliam, you are her favourite relative.”
“Stephen has pride of place in your heart over me, little one? I am truly wounded.”
After Georgiana finished assuring her brother of his primacy in her affections—she could not stand for him to think otherwise, even as part of a jest—the girls skipped arm in arm up the stairs.
Sometime later, Georgiana had made good on their promise and was snoring lightly next to Elizabeth, who found sleep more elusive. The setting certainly could not be blamed. Georgiana’s bed was wide, with a soft mattress. The maids had supplied them with several extra blankets and pillows with which the girls built a fort-like structure in the centre of the bed, where they talked and laughed for at least an hour before Georgiana succumbed. Lizzy lay there for a while, thinking she would be able to drift off eventually.
It was not to be. At home in the room she shared with Jane, Lizzy always kept a book and candle by their bed. Reading was the one way she knew she could put herself to sleep. After a brief internal debate, Elizabeth decided to seek out a book. She knew the family library was only three doors down. Although it boasted only a fraction of the books housed in the main library, it still had more than enough options for her needs. Indeed, she remembered Mr. Darcy placing a copy of Gulliver’s Travels on the table there earlier in the week. If she were lucky, it would be there still. Reading books she was familiar with was the best strategy for Lizzy when sleep was what she really wanted.
After retrieving her robe and securing the tie around her waist, she slowly turned the knob and stepped gingerly out into the hallway. Leaving the door slightly ajar behind her, she stepped lightly, her bare feet sliding over the soft carpet. She just had time to note a light coming from under the library door when she heard someone say her name. Without thought, she moved closer, but before she could turn the knob and see who was inside, she recognised HIS voice.
“It is harmless enough,” he said.
“I am glad you see it that way,” his father responded.
“She is a child. It is not as if she is trying to compromise me or gain my attention in inappropriate ways. It would not be in her nature. I am, unfortunately, far too familiar with both tactics.”
“I am relieved you feel that way. She is a kind and loyal friend to your sister, and I hope to invite her to spend more time with us but would not want you made uncomfortable.”
