“Your perspicacity does you proud, Lizzy. It is indeed Mrs Charlotte, the former Miss Lucas,” Matlock responded.
“I thought I saw an attraction between them in March and April,” Elizabeth stated as she shook her head. “I told myself it was my imagination because she was married, and regardless of how ridiculous her late husband was, Charlotte would never break her marriage vows. I, also, could see that Colonel Fitzwilliam was far too honourable to offer anything other than a civil acquaintance with my friend.”
“Richard is no longer a colonel,” Lady Matlock shared. “He is now the master of Rosings Park. He resigned and sold his commission in June when Anne made him her heir and signed the estate over to him.”
“As I have learnt, I am not one adept at divining others’ feelings. I saw nothing between Richard and the then Mrs Collins,” Darcy owned. “But I do remember the lady being a very sensible and good sort.”
“Lizzy, you did, in fact, see what you just noted,” Lady Matlock added. “There was a mutual attraction that neither acted on for the reasons you enumerated. That attraction has grown into mutual love, according to Richard’s letter. We,” Lady Matlock took her husband’s closest hand, “could not be happier with our future daughters. We knew when Richardwrote that Jane and Lizzy are very close to Charlotte; it meant that she must be an estimable lady.”
“William, if Gardiner allows you to address Lizzy in private, you may use my study. In the meanwhile, we will ask Jane about Richard’s betrothed as during our brief meeting, we did not come to know her well,” Matlock stated.
Knowing that Elizabeth did not enjoy decisions being made for her, Darcy looked at her questioningly. She nodded her permission, so he approached Gardiner.
“Yes, Darcy. As it seems that Lizzy wants to hear what you desire to say, go to it.” He turned to Lady Matlock. “Lady Elaine, may we have a maid stationed outside of the study?” Gardiner saw her nod before she tugged on a bell pull to summon the housekeeper. “You may have ten minutes, and the door will not be closed all the way.”
“Thank you, Gardiner,” Darcy responded. He could not stop the grin forming on his face. He was so close to gaining that which he had almost lost thanks to his behaviour in Hertfordshire and that atrocious speech he used when proposing.
“The maid is ready,” Lady Matlock reported.
Elizabeth watched as William approached her. Since entering the drawing room, even when he spoke to another, his eyes had not left her. At least now, she recognised the look as one of love and admiration. It never was to find fault in her, but she now realised that before she saw how wrong her opinions had been, she had wanted to assign negative connotations to anything William did, no matter how nonsensical her conclusions were. Now, he was before her.
“Shall we?” Darcy asked as he offered Elizabeth his arm. He was thrilled when she took it without hesitation. Her emerald-green eyes were shining up at him with what he dared to hope was love. He had prayed thather tender feelings had tended towards love. Given their mutual promise to speak plainly to each other, he would know one way or the other soon enough.
Wordlessly, he led Elizabeth to the grand staircase and up to the first floor, and, lastly, to his uncle’s study. A maid who had been sitting on a chair just to the side of the door stood and bobbed a curtsy to them.
As they entered the study, Darcy turned and pushed the door until it was about three-quarters of the way closed. He turned to face the woman he loved more than life itself. “In the spirit of our agreement to speak plainly to one another, I must ask if the tender feelings for me you wrote of have developed to become love? Your reply will determine my course of action here today.”
“Yes, they have, William. Not only do I love you, but I also respect you,” Elizabeth revealed.
“As such, do you agree that a courtship is superfluous? It seems we are at the point one would be after a successful courtship.”
“A courtship would be a waste of time.”
With that declaration, Darcy dropped onto one knee. Next, his hands reached for hers. Once he held her hands, his thumbs caressed the back of each of her hands, seemingly of their own volition.
Elizabeth was extremely thankful William was holding her hands because otherwise she was not confident she would have been able to remain steady on her feet. The sensations caused by his thumbs on her hands reached throughout her body. All at once, she felt hot while at the same time feeling like she would shiver from the cold. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the splendours his ministrations were causing.
“Elizabeth…Elizabeth?” Darcy noticed she had not heard him. It was then he looked at his hands and realised what he was doing. It did not take him long to understand that his rubbing of her hands had caused her to get lost in her own world. He commanded his thumbs to stop. It was not long before she opened her eyes.
“Why did you stop?” Elizabeth complained.
“Because you were lost and could not hear me. I called your name, and you did not react. As happy as I am that you enjoyed my touch to that degree, there are some steps which come first.”
“You are the one who caressed my hands,” Elizabeth responded, a little petulantly.
“It was unconsciously done. I did not mean to distract you from my purpose in requesting this private interview. Are you ready to hear me now?”
“Yes, William, I am.” Elizabeth smiled.
“After your response to my disastrous words during my first proposal, ‘Being the last man, you could ever be prevailed upon to marry,’ I never believed we would arrive at the point we are today. Without the expectation of a shared future, I decided that I have been deficient in many ways and had displayed improper pride. As such, I was determined to address the reproofs you laid at my door. It hit me that even if I would not beyourbetter man, an improved man I needed to become.”
“I cannot but look back on the words I flung at you without abhorrence. I was a silly, petulant, rude girl. When I read your letter and saw how wrong I was about so much, I was mortified that I had been fooled and manipulated by that late seducer.” Elizabeth stopped speaking when William placed a finger over her lips.
“Are you not the one whotold me I need to remember the past only as it gives me pleasure? Elizabeth, we both erred and the fact that we now love and respect one another should tell you that we will not repeat our past errors. Can we agree that unless it is absolutely necessary, we will leave the past where it belongs?” Darcy watched as she nodded, her magnificent emerald-green eyes fixed on his face, for once looking down on him as he was before her on one knee. “In that case, Elizabeth, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. When I first said those words to you, although I loved you, I did not respect you as you deserved. Now I do, which means that my love for you is far deeper and stronger than it was then.
“I now know that without respect, love will eventually wither and die, leading to resentment. I could not respect you more, and I believe I am not wrong when I say that you respect me as well?”
Elizabeth nodded emphatically while not trusting herself to speak yet. William understood that one of her greatest fears would be to end up in a marriage like the one she used to see between her mother and father, where mutual respect had been sorely lacking.
