“Nonsense. Fitzwilliam loves you, and in two days, you will be his wife with all the rights a wife has. I understand that he wants Pemberley to be mine and pass it in its entirety to my eldest child, but the rest… is yours. There is no business in this marriage in his mind.”
Long after retiring to her room, those words resonated in her head. Fitzwilliam was in love, and he wished to marry her as he had done in Kent. He viewed their marriage as if nothing had ever changed for him. His discourse on her duties, recompense, employment, or business had been meant solely for her, for everything he did was driven by his love and concern for her future.
When her preparations for the night were complete, she hesitated before the door to his apartment. But at last, she entered, not making a sound. His valet made as if to rise upon seeing her, but with a gentle gesture, she bade him to remain seated.
For a while, she stood gazing at Fitzwilliam as he slept. Silently, she promised him that no matter the reasons that had driven her to accept his proposal earlier, she would care for his sister and his estate. When the time came for her to leave, she would take nothing but the agreed-upon fee—the amount ofwhich she did not even know, for at that moment, she had been too preoccupied with his other provisions to pay attention.
Chapter 18
Awakened by unfamiliar noises in the house, Elizabeth remained still for a few moments, her eyes closed, unsure of where she was. Then, as she opened them to the unknown room, which she had seen only by candlelight the night before, it took her a while to take it all in—the elegance, the refinement, and the warmth of the late Mrs Darcy’s bedroom, now hers.
Soon, all her memories came rushing back, centring on the man in the room adjoining hers, who was awaiting her without any doubt.
The truth was she did not know what to do next.
Uncertain how to summon her maid, she realised she knew nothing about how such a vast household was run. Fear gripped her, but such a state was uncharacteristic. When she heard a soft knock at the door between their bedrooms, she shook off her worries and fears about her new role and flung the door wide open, meeting Darcy’s gaze directly.
For a brief moment, she forgot that he lay in a bed from which he would not rise again, and she welcomed his look like a woman accustomed to admiration.
She smiled. “Good morning, Mr Darcy,” she said cheerfully, and in an instant, she was by his side. The physician was there, and observing the empty dishes on a nearby table, she saw that he had already eaten.
“Good morning, Miss Bennet,” he replied, and the simple exchange of words felt like a playful game between them.
Elizabeth immediately turned to the physician, who, with the help of the valet, was gathering the few instruments he had laid out on a small table. “Our patient is stable today. I have left a list of necessary actions. I shall return in the afternoon.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, escorting him to the door. When she turned back to Darcy, she was once again struck by his gaze—so intent, sweeping from her toes to her hair with such boldness that she instinctively clutched her robe to her chest.
“I must dress,” she whispered.
He responded with a slight shake of his head, silently indicating the armchair. The tension between them grew so palpable that she began to speak, simply to dispel it.
“I know nothing—not even how to summon Anna, my maid.”
He chuckled softly. “The bell-pull system to summon our servants rings in a room where someone is always present, day and night.” He pointed to the cord on the wall, conveniently placed near the bed. “When you pull it, Anna will come, and you may give her whatever orders you wish or ask her to fetch anyone you need. Anna is your valet now,” he added teasingly.
“At home, my motheristhe bell-pull system—she shouts so loudly that everyone can hear, and most of the time, the sound of the bell cannot be discerned above the noise—” Elizabeth abruptly stopped, realising her mother had been oneof the reasons for that dreadful proposal; she wished to add nothing further to her future husband’s awful image of Mrs Bennet.
He spoke gently, breaking the silence that reigned for a few moments between them, searching for her gaze to make her see his words were from his heart. “My dear, we agreed that the past no longer exists. And I find joy in whatever you share about your family.”
“For now, it is more important that I learn everything aboutyourfamily,” she replied, her tone sterner than she intended—not due to him but to her mind feeling overwhelmed by all she needed to accomplish that morning when, truthfully, she wished only to remain there, in his room, with him, even in her somewhat shabby robe, so ill-suited to the elegance surrounding her.
“This morning, my aunt, Mrs Gardiner, the wife of my mother’s brother, will visit.”
“Very well,” he replied, and Elizabeth was confident he truly meant it. He was pleased that she was already organising her life within their household.
“Will you ask her to come again tomorrow…perhaps accompanied by your uncle as well?” he asked.
“Yes, if you wish them both to come.”
“Elizabeth, the decision is yours. I want you to be free to make whatever choices you like.”
“It is difficult. I feel lost in this immense house,” she murmured. “And in the fate you forced me to embrace,” she added, and her face reflected her apprehensions. Yet, a smile flourished at her last words, as that destiny, they both knew, was all she had ever secretly wanted.
“Nothing is difficult for Elizabeth Bennet, as I know her,” he replied with such confidence in his voice that she blushed with pleasure.
“And what if you are mistaken?”
“You have always accused me of arrogance. The confidence of an arrogant man in his decisions is boundless and unshakable,” he said, and once more, their eyes locked, an intensity enveloping them both.
