Elizabeth laughed. “I do not know, but I cannot contain my joy or my surprise, really, that Mr Darcy would still care for me after the way I treated him.”
“And he says he wants to call on you tomorrow?” her aunt asked.
“Yes. Well, he did not say tomorrow. He only asked if he could call on me at Gracechurch Street.” Elizabeth hoped it would be on the morrow. And the day after that, and the day after that. She never wished to be parted from Mr Darcy for a day more than was necessary until she could be called his.
“Well, I think it is all very exciting. Surprising, but exciting.” Her aunt patted her hand, and they rode in companionable silence until they reached the house. Mrs Gardiner gently shook her husband into wakefulness, and Elizabeth headed into the house to change into her nightdress. She had much to reflect on, for the evening had been all too eventful.
“My dear, there is one more thing —” Mrs Gardiner said when she joined her in the foyer. Her uncle passed them, saying goodnight as he made his way to his study. Her aunt pulled her along up the stairs and went into the bedroom with her. “Are you certain that Mr Darcy has chased Mr Wickham away? We cannot risk allowing him to attack you again. When I think of how narrowly you escaped being compromised, I should like to fall on my knees in thankfulness to Mr Darcy.”
“I am quite sure, aunt. You know Wickham to be a degenerate, but what I have told you tonight is far from his only sin. Suffice to say that I am not the only one to wish Mr Wickham punished for his misdeeds. I am confident that he will be.”
Her aunt’s face blanched. “What has he done?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “There is much that I am not at liberty to discuss. I shall only say that we are well rid of him. After Mr Darcy’s threats, he will not dare to act against me. He will be too busy trying to escape punishment for worse wrongs.”
“I cannot imagine what would be worse than dragging you out to the balcony and trying to force you to elope with him.”Her aunt searched Elizabeth’s face. “But I shall take your word for it.” She leaned in and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. “Get some rest, Lizzy, if you can. I know it has been an exciting night. But I daresay all your troubles are over, now that you have the affection of Mr Darcy.” She turned and went to the door, opening it and stepping halfway into the hall before she turned around. “I always did like him.”
Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. Her aunt had been more astute in deciphering the true nature of a person than she had. She had been unfair to Mr Darcy from the beginning, and all because he had deigned to be honest. She would never take that sort of honesty or kindness for granted again.
She made quick work of changing for the night and crawling into bed. Yet despite the comfort of her warm bed, Elizabeth lay awake and stared at the ceiling, too overcome with gratitude and hope for the future to fall asleep.
Chapter 30
Several Weeks Later
Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner sat in the parlour at Gracechurch Street, enjoying a leisurely morning before the hustle and bustle of calls began. Elizabeth smiled, thinking of how greatly her feelings had changed. Where the calling hours had once been at best a mixed blessing, half to be looked forward to in the hope of pleasant society, and half to be dreaded for the visits that sometimes mixed insipidity with dull formality, she now liked nothing better. The polite hour for visitors could not come soon enough, for she could expect a visit from Mr Darcy almost every day.
“Please, haven’t I practiced enough now?” Harriet whined from the pianoforte. She slammed on the keys, making a discordant ruckus echo throughout the room and down the hall.
Elizabeth stood and went over to her little niece. She placed her hands on Harriet’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “You will get it, you just need to be patient with yourself. You know, Mr Darcy and his sister might come calling today. Perhaps you ought to practise just a bit more, so you can show Mr Darcy how much you have improved.”
“But he was here only yesterday. No one can improve that much in a day,” Harriet pouted.
Elizabeth only chuckled. “You keep practising. And do not be too hard on yourself, Harriet. You are a bright young girl.”
“But I am not as good as Georgiana.”
“Miss Darcy,”Elizabeth corrected.
Harriet’s pout deepened. “She said I could call her Georgiana!”
“Very well,” Elizabeth replied and went back to the sitting area to rejoin her aunt.
“She will soon be your sister-in-law, if I am any judge,” her aunt whispered. “Then you will call her Georgiana, just as my dear daughter thinks she ought to.”
Elizabeth blushed. She had not dared to get her hopes up too high, for fear of having them dashed again. She did not think she could bear it if she had once truly allowed herself to hope.
A knock sounded at the door, and Elizabeth sat up straighter, hope filling her heart at the thought that Mr Darcy had come a little earlier than usual. Her face fell when it was only the maid, coming in with a silver tray filled with letters. “These just arrived for you, Mrs Gardiner. And there is one for Miss Bennet, from Meryton, I believe.” The maid bobbed a curtsy and held out the silver tray to Elizabeth. She took her letter eagerly, thanking the girl.
“It is from Jane!” she exclaimed. She tore open the seal in haste, then scanned the contents. Her head snapped up, and Elizabeth looked at her aunt in joyous excitement. “It has finally happened!”
Her aunt looked up from her needlework, taking her letters from the tray and setting them aside. “What has happened?” she asked.
Harriet got up from the piano stool and joined them in the sitting area. “I want to know, too!”
“Sit down and I shall read it to you,” Elizabeth said, taking Harriet up on her lap.
∞∞∞
