“Knowledge and acceptance are not the same thing,” Bennet told his daughter as he sat on the settee on Elizabeth’s other side. “Just think, had you not been riding Hector that day ten years past, not only would you and Anne not have become friends, but she and de Bourgh would not be alive.” Bennet gently lifted Lizzy’s chin so she was looking at him. “Every day since the day you rescued them has been a day they would not have had without your actions. Your Uncle Lewis has told me at every opportunity what light and joy you have brought into their lives.” Bennet kissed his daughter’s cheek. “Do not forget the promises you made to Anne after you read her letter to you.”
“Never did I promise not to be sad, but I will honour my word to Anne,” Elizabeth affirmed.
Both her mother and father hugged her. Elizabeth kissed each of her parents on a cheek and made sure her eyes and cheeks were dry. That done, she made her way out of the study and back towards the drawing room. On passing the entrance hall, Elizabeth noticed Mr. Darcy dismounting from his great big stallion.
She waited while Hill divested him of his outerwear. “Miss Bennet, I was not aware I warranted a welcoming committee,” Darcy jested.
“I was on my way back to the drawing room when I noticed the horse Penny ran away from this morning,” Elizabeth responded pertly. “It was out of sympathy for his drubbing and I was watching to make sure his ego had recovered.”
“TouchéMiss Bennet,” Darcy bowed over her hand. How he wanted to kiss her ungloved hand. He stopped himself. The feeling of touching her hand with his uncovered one would suffice for now.
Elizabeth thought—was almost hoping—Mr. Darcy was about to kiss her hand, like he had earlier that morning. She had felt she was losing herself in his slate blue eyes. When his hand took hers as he greeted her, she felt a frisson of pleasure radiate to all corners of her body from the point where his hand had taken hold of hers.
In possession of her hand once again, Elizabeth shook her head. With Anne so close to the end of her life, now was not the time to begin considering her romantic future.
Once she felt she had regulated herself, Elizabeth led Mr. Darcy to the study to greet her parents. With that done, they made for the drawing room.
As they walked, Darcy evaluated what he had seen so far, and what he was currently seeing. Everything confirmed his suspicion—the Bennets were much wealthier than they let be known. He supposed they had reasons to do so and it was not his place to question them on the subject. He had long accepted the most important thing in people was character and from what he could see the Bennets had extremely admirable ones.
On entering the drawing room, Darcy greeted his cousin and Miss Mary. Miss Bennet introduced him to the two youngest Bennets, Mrs. Annesley, who had come sit on herreturn with Elizabeth, and Miss Jones.
It did not take Darcy long before he challenged Miss Bennet to a game of chess. He needed to soothe his bruised senses after being so easily trounced in the race that morning. Darcy did not miss the way Richard was smirking at him as he sat across the board from Miss Bennet.
In all of his years playing the game, even against his late father who was one of the few he had played who could beat him, Darcy had never seen a player move his—or in this case her—pieces at the lightning speed she did. Within seconds of his removing his hand from his piece, she had moved. It took her less than twenty moves before Darcy tipped his king. Horsemanship was not her only accomplishment.
“Lizzy, next time do not go easy on myyoungcousin,” Richard ribbed Darcy.
“You applied a sound strategy, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth allowed.
“Just not good enough.” Darcy shook his head. His uncles and cousins had not been exaggerating Miss Bennet’s prowess at the game.
Soon the two were debating a history they had both read. In this, they were far more evenly matched.
Each moment he spent in Miss Bennet’s company only confirmed what Darcy had told his parents the last time he had spoken to them. Miss Elizabeth Bennet was the one he had not known he was looking for.
Now all he had to do was win her heart.
Chapter 29
“Janey!” Elizabeth exclaimed before her sister and brother-in-law’s coach’s door had been fully opened.
Andrew stepped out first. “My apologies for disappointing you, Lizzy, but Jane will be next to alight,” Andrew jested before he leaned in and handed out his wife.
Before any of her younger sisters could move, Elizabeth flew into Jane’s arms. “I have missed you too, Lizzy,” Jane told her next younger sister and then looked at the other three all waiting impatiently. “Just as I have missed all of you. The letters do not replace seeing you.”
“It is all well and good that you are here, Jane and Andrew, but where is my grandson?” Fanny trilled.
At that moment, Andrew turned around with said grandson in his arms. Tommy had just been woken from a deep sleep so he was not his exuberant self as he tried to wake himself and take in all of the faces of those waiting expectantly to see him.
Tommy, who was not quite one and one half years old had his mother’s colouring, insofar as he sported the same hair and eye colour. His face and ears were smaller versions of his proud father’s.
His eyes settled on the two people he knew far better than the rest. “Gwanmama, Gwanpapa!” he squealed as he began to squirm in his father’s arms demanding to be free.
“It seems our son is fully awake now,” Jane smiled.
Andrew set the toddler on the ground and Tommy raninto his Grandmamma’s arms with all of his might. From his perch in her arms, he hugged his Grandpapa and bestowed rather wet kisses on both grandparents.
He looked at the four ladies surrounding his mother. “Mama, dees my Awnties?” Tommy asked.
