Elizabeth started suddenly. “Mr. Darcy! I must get home at once. The time has quite escaped me. My family will be beside themselves. I shall miss dinner entirely, and my mother willnever forgive such tardiness. I have never lingered abroad so late in the day, and certainly not alone.”
Darcy rose at once, contrition sharpening his manner. “The fault is mine. I beg your pardon. I have detained you most selfishly. Pray allow me to escort you to Longbourn. I would not see you walk unattended, least of all at this hour. Forgive me.”
“Not at all, sir. I enjoyed our time together.”
He reached for his horse’s reins, and offered his arm; she accepted, and together they descended the slope in measured step, Beau following close. As they walked in companionable silence, Darcy thought.
Three more days. Three more days until Twelfth Night. And then, if all goes as I most fervently wish, Imight at last lay everything before her: my name, my home, my heart.
He glanced at her—cheeks flushed with cold and laughter, curls burnished like spun bronze in the fading light—and felt that longing swell within him. Yes. Three more days. And then, perhaps, forever.
Chapter Twenty-One
January 3, 1812
Longbourn
Elizabeth
On the tenth day of Christmas,
By candlelight’s glow,
Ten lustrous pearls
In a velvet pouch show.
Elizabethpulledthesilver-tippeddrawstrings that fastened the pouch. The rich blue velvet yielded with reluctance before parting, its contents dropping in a delicate tumble into her waiting palm. Another gift, another catch of her breath.There, nestled in her palm, was a pendant unlike any she had ever beheld.
Nine small pearls: perfectly matched, luminous, and creamy, encircled a tenth, larger pearl at the center. The heart of the pendant was wreathed in a halo of sparkling diamonds, set in finely wrought silver. Even the chain itself was a marvel: twisted links of silver, strong yet intricate, fashioned into a rope design. Such workmanship bespoke refinement; this was no trifle purchased in haste or without thought.
“I am spoiled forever for any other,” she murmured, turning the necklace slowly between her fingers.
The giver of her treasures had not only been generous, but most deliberate. Every gift revealed thought, affection, and an understanding of her true nature. Pearls were no idle choice. They were said to be prized as emblems of purity, modesty and wisdom—gems formed in secrecy under the waves, shaped by time and patient endurance.
Am I fancying more than he intends?Something within her resisted such doubt. Whoever he was, this gentleman had studied what might please her. Learned, refined, and thoughtful.Someone suited to me…
Her reverie was interrupted by a gentle knock and the door easing open on its hinges.
Jane rushed in first, her cheeks rosy from the exertion, quickly followed by Mary, who carried a book in one hand and a small box tucked beneath her arm.
“You are up early,” Jane observed, her gaze falling on the pendant. “Oh, Lizzy, what a beautiful necklace!”
Mary stepped nearer, her intent upon it. “That is no mere bauble. It looks an heirloom. See the settings, the stones. He must be certain of his success in his suit to bestow so costly a gift. Indeed, it is as fine as the locket.”
Elizabeth smiled. “You sound almost as though you preach a sermon.”
“I might be,” Mary replied, but her lips twitched in amusement despite her attempt at gravity.
It was then that Elizabeth noticed a glimmer at her sister’s throat. “Mary…is that new?”
A flush rose to Mary’s cheeks. “Oh. Yes. Mr. Sanderson gave it to me.”
Jane’s eyes shone with delight. “Mary! How wonderful!”
Mary looked down, her fingers brushing the plain gold chain. “He has spoken no promise as yet, but…I believe he means to approach Papa soon.”
Elizabeth grinned. “So, he courted you these last weeks, and Mama never suspected! Only think of her countenance when she learns the season has yielded yet another daughter engaged!”
