Little could be done to ease Elizabeth’s pain. She had undeniable evidence of Mr Darcy’s indifference. Leaving them to accompany Lady Olivia and her friend was the most explicit way of telling her that everything was over between them and there was no hope of a future reconciliation. Unlike a few days ago, she would not talk about the matter. She spent her days playing or walking with her cousins in the park and speaking to her uncle about his business and interests. She kept her doubts to herself and did not share her torment with her aunt or Jane. Determined to leave, she prepared for her journey home, paying no heed to her aunt’s repeated attempts to change her mind. Jane tried to speak to her, but for once, her dear sister could not breach the wall that Elizabeth had built around herself and her suffering. Jane was ready to accompany her to Longbourn but considered their departure a bad idea.
In despair and lacking inspiration, Mrs Gardiner sent a message to Lady Oakham, recounting the unfortunate turn of events—how Elizabeth had regarded Mr Darcy’s departure asirrefutable proof of his unwavering decision to see in her nothing more than an acquaintance met by chance at the theatre.
To her relief, Lady Oakham and Miss Darcy called the next afternoon, just a few days before the intended departure. Elizabeth welcomed them with a smile, one of the first in recent days. She had developed a deep affection for Lady Oakham and an immediate connection with Mr Darcy’s younger sister from their first meeting.
Unfortunately, their friendship had arrived too late. That thought filled her with sadness as she watched the pleasant and unmistakably friendly smile on the young lady’s face.
“I find it hard to believe you are eager to leave while London still offers such fine plays,” Miss Darcy remarked with unexpected diplomacy for someone so young.
“I have been away for more than two months, and I miss my family and home,” Elizabeth replied honestly.
She yearned to see her sisters, talk to her father, and ask her mother for the latest news from Meryton; she sought the steadiness that had once anchored her existence.
“I can understand your feelings,” Miss Darcy admitted. “While I enjoy my time in London, I eagerly await the end of June when I shall return to Pemberley. Moreover, I invite you to visit us when you travel to the Lakes.”
Elizabeth smiled, but she doubted they would stop at Pemberley. For her, the night at the theatre, where she had witnessed Mr Darcy’s apparent indifference, had genuinely ended her hopes of a reconciliation.
For a while, the conversation revolved around London and the theatre until Lady Oakham decided it was time to address the true purpose of their visit.
“Our presence here is not just to discuss Mr Shakespeare’s plays,” she declared, and suddenly, all eyes werefixed on Elizabeth, waiting for her to speak. But she simply shook her head in response.
“You say no even before knowing our intentions!” Mrs Gardiner gently scolded. “I have always admired your fearless spirit, which no one could ever suppress. You are a fighter, and I can say that in Kent, you let that part of you take control before examining the situation. Am I right?”
“You speak the truth,” Elizabeth conceded, though she disliked feeling coerced into a course of action against her inclinations. “Unfortunately, it seems I have lost that particular battle.”
“No!” the ladies exclaimed in unison. Miss Darcy surprised Elizabeth the most, displaying a fervour comparable to her older companions.
“Let us speak frankly,” Lady Oakham said. “Last week, with the colonel’s help, I told Georgiana what happened in Kent.”
Georgiana and Elizabeth flushed deeply—one out of happiness at being included in such a conversation, the other out of profound regret for how she had once expressed her anger and frustration. Elizabeth could only hope that the colonel had not been too precise in his account and that Miss Darcy did not perceive her as a vindictive and unyielding woman. Even if she had been so in the past, the events at the Parsonage had given her much to reflect upon and had led her to conclude that a change in her behaviour was necessary and long due.
The silence that followed was broken by Lady Oakham. “My dear Miss Elizabeth, Georgiana’s presence here proves there is still hope and that we are on your side.”
As Elizabeth shook her head with deep sorrow, Georgiana spoke with unexpected urgency, “No, I beg you to believe us—Lady Oakham knows what she is saying.” The charming blushupon her cheeks made it evident to all how much effort it took for that shy young woman to speak so openly.
“My brother is not a man who easily forsakes his principles or his feelings. If he has shown you affection, believe me, it will not vanish so easily. No matter what he wishes us to perceive, I know he suffers, and he is far from having forgotten you.”
Lady Oakham nodded, entirely in agreement with Georgiana’s words. “But he must discover that your feelings have changed. At this moment, he believes that matters stand exactly as they did when you parted in Kent—that you still bear the same aversion towards him that you so plainly displayed.”
“Please, do not give him up,” Miss Darcy pleaded, looking directly at Elizabeth with a candid smile that showed the beauty of her soul. She was ready to do anything for her brother.
“Why are you on my side, Miss Darcy?” Elizabeth asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
“I have complete faith in Lady Oakham,” the girl replied earnestly. “Yet, my support has deeper roots…and I want to be honest with you. Fitzwilliam has assured me that his marriage will not change the way we live now, which is as a happy and united family. I believe him. He told me he wants a wife who will love Pemberley and its inhabitants. He wants a compassionate and dedicated lady who will work alongside him and enjoy life in the countryside as much as London.”
“You do not truly know me,” Elizabeth murmured.
“Then allow me to become acquainted with you! What are your thoughts on the matter I have just described? Are you such a lady?”
“She is! You have aptly described her,” Mrs Gardiner interjected with affection and admiration before jesting, “She is also stubborn—”
“Like my brother!” exclaimed Miss Darcy, still smiling.
“She tends to speak before thinking and loves to fight for what she believes in. Yet, her imperfections render her a complex lady.”
“You flatter me, Aunt,” Elizabeth responded. “However, yes…I would relish having a husband who regards me as his equal. I may not possess the knowledge required to manage an estate like Pemberley, but I would enjoy learning.”
“So, you see?” Miss Darcy exclaimed, and her beautiful face showed her expectations. “I know you—you are the wife my brother needs. And we have not decided this—he has. You are the lady he has chosen to be his wife.”
