He took her hand and pressed his lips to it. His kiss lingered, and the warmth of it travelled through her, quickening her pulse.There could be no mistaking her feelings for him. Her thoughts flew back to his kiss in the library, and she longed for another.
When she raised her eyes to his, she caught the same warmth reflected there and flushed deeply. Her eyes fell away from his, and she unconsciously stiffened. He saw her response and stepped back.
“Until this afternoon, Elizabeth,” he said quietly. “Lewis expects to return by four o’clock.”
She pressed his hand and cringed. Her sudden shyness had caused him to draw back from her. At that moment, she wished for nothing so much as another kiss, his arms about her, holding her close.
But how was she to tell him? And how could she possibly explain away her earlier, instinctive reserve?
Chapter 40: Visit to Heathwood Park
“Mamma, I have brought Miss Mary Bennet for a visit. I wish to present her to you.”
Mr. Lewis crossed the drawing room to where his mother sat near the window. Offering his arm, he helped her rise carefully from her chair. Meanwhile, Mary had come forward, Elizabeth close behind her.
“Miss Bennet,” he said with quiet formality, “may I present my mother, Mrs. Emily Lewis?” He took Mary’s hand and turned toward his mother. “Mamma, this is Miss Mary Bennet of Hertfordshire. She is visiting Mr. and Mrs. Darcy at Pemberley for the summer months.”
Then, glancing at Elizabeth, he added, “And this is her elder sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.”
Both women curtsied. Elizabeth studied Mrs. Lewis with keen interest. The lady still retained much of her beauty; her wavy dark hair was only lightly touched with gray, and Isabella, she saw at once, was the very image of her mother. Yet Elizabeth noticed a stiffness in Mrs. Lewis’s movements and wondered about the cause of her limp.
“Please, sit down,” Mrs. Lewis said graciously. James guided Mary to a seat on the sofa nearest his mother’s chair, while Elizabeth and Isabella took a settee opposite.
“James, will you ring for tea, son?” Mrs. Lewis asked, then turned to Mary. “Miss Bennet, where in Hertfordshire do you reside? I have an old school friend who lives in Meryton.”
Mary’s brows lifted. Elizabeth leaned forward slightly, curious to hear.
“May I know your friend’s name, Mrs. Lewis? Perhaps I am acquainted with her,” Mary said politely.
“Mrs. Harriet Talbot.”
Mary’s eyes brightened. “Indeed, Mrs. Talbot is our near neighbor, ma’am. Her granddaughter married my father’s heir not two months ago.”
Mrs. Lewis smiled. “And how is my dear Harriet?”
“She is very well, Mrs. Lewis. We see her at church each Sunday and regularly call upon her with my mother.”
When the footman had been summoned and tea ordered, James resumed his seat beside Mary, assisting the conversation between the two women.
On the settee, Elizabeth leaned closer and spoke softly to Isabella. “How do you hold up, my friend?”
The young lady’s face glowed. She whispered confidentially, “I am extremely ecstatically happy.”
Isabella’s face was serene, and Elizabeth wondered at her composure.How can she be so calm,she thought,when the men we love may face danger because of this marriage?Observing Isabella’s calm demeanor, Elizabeth forced herself to relax. Because Mr. Lewis sat only a short distance away, and apparently engrossed in conversation with Mary and his mother, she still judged it wisest to avoid any mention of the impending nuptials, lest he overhear.
“Did you go away to school,” she asked with a smile, “or were you educated at home?”
Isabella’s eyes sparkled, and she asked confidentially, “Is a change of topic safer, my friend?”
Elizabeth replied in a whisper. “Yes, I fear being overheard. I confess I am not so sanguine as you are regarding the impending event. Need I be concerned?”
Isabella’s brow puckered. “I do not believe so, not if you and your sister are present when the announcement is made.”
“Then you may depend upon us,” Elizabeth said earnestly. “I desire nothing more than to promote peace and happiness, a celebration of wedded bliss, not a family feud.”
Isabella nodded. “If there are three of us women, I think all will be well.” Her eyes sparkled, and her tone lightened with amusement. “Now, as for my education, I had a governess.”
The two continued to speak quietly while James drew his mother and Mary into comfortable conversation.
