He nodded and then laughed slightly, as though he could not contain his relief. “It is the most hopeful indication to that end that we have found so far. And I am more than ready to believe it.”
She gave a little cry of happiness and flung her arms around him, heedless of the apoplexy it was sure to give Lady Catherine. “I am so happy for you!”
Her ladyship made a noise of disgust, and Elizabeth laughed quietly into Darcy’s shoulder before relinquishing her hold on him. He was less eager to relinquish his on her, she noticed, which pleased her very well.
“Come, madam, this news is worthy of celebration, surely?” Colonel Fitzwilliam said soothingly to his aunt.
“Perhaps, but I have been treated to a glut of Mrs Darcy’sexcess of feelingalready this morning. I have no desire to witness any more.” She hauled herself to her feet and turned to Darcy. “I am delighted for you, of course, but you must excuse me. My head is aching.” She narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth for a moment, before adding, “I daresay you will do well enough, Mrs Darcy. Only pray do less of it near me.”
It was as close to a joke as Elizabeth had ever heard the woman come, and she liked her better for it, despite how clearly it vexed her husband. The colonel rose to escort his aunt out of the room, giving Elizabeth a wink as he went. As soon as they were gone, Elizabeth returned to embracing Darcy. “This is the most wonderful news!”
She shrieked when he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. “Not quite the best news I have had all year, but as near as blazes.”
“What was the best news?”
He put her down and pierced her with a look that made her breathless. “You. Not for one minute did you doubt a happy outcome, did you?”
“I do not know about that. I had faith that your family’s legacy would prevail. I was not quite so sanguine about the walls. Thank goodness for that drawing.”
“What you mean to say is thank goodness for Mrs Reynolds.” Darcy loosened his hold and stepped back. “I heard your defence of her.”
“I know you asked me not to talk about her, but your aunt was nettling me, and I—”
“It is evident that she has given you many reasons to be thankful. And we may add my gratitude for this to your extensive list,” he added, pointing at the plan on the table. “But I cannot reconcile myself to her interference. I know you think otherwise, but itwasworse than Lady Catherine’s.”
“How so?”
“Because it came so much closer to working. Because she was so much more intimately involved in this house and therefore my business than my aunt has ever been.”
Because you cared more about her than your aunt!Elizabeth longed to say, but knew he was not ready to hear it. “Would you like to know why she did it?”
“Not really.”
Elizabeth inclined her head and set about repacking the crates from the library. She did not have to wait long before she heard Darcy exhale sharply and say, “But if you are going to punish me with your silence until I have heard it, you had better get it out of the way.”
She wanted to laugh at his petulance but thought it best not to waste the opportunity. “I gather her main objection was born of an older concern—what happened at Ramsgate.”
“What does she know of that?”
“No details, I understand, but whatyoudo not know, and what my aunt has told me, is the lengths to which Mrs Reynolds went to extinguish the gossip it caused amongst your servants. Or her sadness at seeing you so affected by it. Or the guilt she felt for not having reported to you her misgivings about Mrs Younge’s character. It was her wish not to allow a repeat of any of that which apparently motivated her to protect you from me.”
“How could she ever think you like Mrs Younge?”
“More easily than you would think when you hear the objections laid out. On my first visit to Pemberley, I committed the capital offence of appearing surprised when Mrs Reynolds spoke in your favour. It made her think I did not like you. My aunt Gardiner compounded the matter by letting slip that we were acquainted with Wickham—and because I had not told her what I learnt from you about his character, she referred to him as a friend.
“Then Miss Bingley’s maid had some rather unflattering opinions to share about me when she arrived, for which I do not entirely blame either her or her mistress. My behaviour to you in Hertfordshire was always bordering on the uncivil, and I never spoke to you without rather wishing to give you pain than not. I cannot justly say that their ill opinion was unfounded. Then there was my uninvited foray into the library, which Mrs Reynolds did not know was orchestrated by Miss Bingley.” Elizabeth stopped putting books away and stood up to face Darcy. “To be sure, she knew no actual good of me—only that I was trouble, and you were too smitten to see it.”
“That did not give her the right to interfere.”
“Is it truly any worse than your interference in Jane and Bingley’s affairs?”
“Much worse. Bingley is my friend. Mrs Reynolds had no claim to such familiarity.”
“It does not mean she was not motivated by affection. You would see, if you read her letters, that she was all too aware of her position. That she could not so much as hug you if you cut your knee, because she had not the right to play nursemaid, even.”
He frowned and mumbled, “She did actually.”
“Did what?”
