Darcy nodded. “I told her.”
“And still she means to marry him?”
“Oh, no.” He smiled broadly—because he could not refrain from doing so a moment longer. “She means to marry me.”
Darcy’s disposition might have prevented him from wild celebration, but Fitzwilliam’s most certainly did not. His congratulations, likely fuelled by the quantity of wine he had drunk that evening, were instantaneous and intemperate.
“Thank the Sovereign’s holy orbs for that!” He leapt from his chair and slapped Darcy on the shoulder, hard. Then, apparently of the opinion that this was not celebration enough, grabbed both his upper arms and gave him a quick, sharp shake, crowing in his face. Then he let go and marched to the sideboard to pour himself and Georgiana a drink, rambling further, vaguely inappropriate felicitations as he went.
More sedately, Georgiana rose from her seat and came to Darcy, holding her hands out for his. “You brute!” she said laughingly. “We have been in agony waiting for news! You have been so wretched this year, I knew not how we might comfort you if things did not go your way.” Her fond gaze and happy tone belied her stern words, and she surprised him completely by leaning forwards to kiss him on the cheek. “I could not be happier for you, Brother. Nor could I have wished for a better or a kinder sister.”
Fitzwilliam arrived with two more glasses and gave one to Georgiana. “A toast! To Darcy and Elizabeth! Together at last!”
Darcy raised his glass with them, though he was too affected to say a great deal. He had never wanted anything as fiercely as he had wanted to make Elizabeth his wife, but he had not realised how dearly his relations wished it for him, also. Their heartfelt rejoicing was deeply touching and made Elizabeth’s affection every moment more valuable.
“I hope your evening was not completely ruined by my sudden departure,” he said to his sister.
“Not at all,” she assured him. “Lord Rutherford was excessively concerned for you.”
“Nevertheless, it was ill done. I shall send him a note tomorrow. I would not want him to be put off by your brother’s ill manners.”
Georgiana ducked her head coyly. “Thank you—although I am sure nobody thought you were ill-mannered.”
“Lady Tuppence did,” Fitzwilliam remarked. “But do not concern yourself—I believe she thought it made you more interesting.”
Darcy would not ordinarily have concerned himself in the slightest with the opinion of someone so wholly unconnected to him, but he thought he could see something in his cousin’s expression that suggested Lady Tuppence might not remain unconnected to him for very long. “Since I should not like her to tire of my company, I shall endeavour to continue being ill-tempered for as long as she knows me.”
“I do not think Elizabeth will allow that,” Georgiana replied with a knowing smile.
Fitzwilliam toasted again to that, and Darcy was subjected to a bout of teasing on the subject of Elizabeth’s power over him, to which he had no objection whatsoever. He also did not regret that they parted company shortly afterwards; he was prodigiously grateful to them both for their encouragement, but there was too much to be thought and felt about all that had happened to be in company much longer.
“I am truly delighted for you, old boy,” Fitzwilliam said as he donned his coat to leave. “I look forward to meeting her again. When are we calling on her?”
“Ishall be calling on her in the morning but?—”
“Excellent! I shall be back here at eleven.”
“I shall not be taking anyone with me.”
“Of course you will. You need me.”
“I assure you I do not.”
“And I assure you that you do. How else will you get her on her own? I shall come and suggest a walk, then discourage everyone but her sister from coming. And while I am filling Miss Catherine’s head with praise for Mulhall, you and Elizabeth can find yourselves a bit of shrubbery to get lost behind.”
Darcy was on the cusp of condemning Fitzwilliam’s crude insinuation, when a memory of Elizabeth’s sweet embrace earlier that evening persuaded him against it. He nodded. “You may come.”
“Thought so!” Fitzwilliam said with a wink.
He winked again the next day, over his shoulder, from where he walked ahead with Elizabeth’s sister.
“It is delightful to see your cousin again,” Elizabeth said. She had her arm looped through Darcy’s, and every now and again, she rested her head on his shoulder to emphasise whatever sentiment she was expressing.
Darcy was in seventh heaven.
“Georgiana is impatient to see you, also, but I am a very selfish creature, and I was not prepared to share you today.”
Elizabeth looked up at him, her bottom lip caught guiltily between her teeth. “I am all anticipation of making myself the best sister she could hope for, but it is just as well she did not come today, for I am sure this path is not wide enough to admit three.”
