“What?” Lady Catherine cried. “Was it not common knowledge?”
“Never mind,” Elizabeth said. “It is only family here, but I implore you not to spread the word beyond our circle before I have felt the quickening. Which reminds me, do tell the servants not to allow any correspondence to leave my sister’s room.”
“You may depend upon it. Not as much as a carrier pigeon will come within a mile of Miss Bennet for as long as she is in my care.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth replied, stifling a yawn.
Darcy bade their family good night and strode towards his chamber with due haste.
“Am I heavy?” Elizabeth fretted. He had held her for what felt like an eternity, and she feared his arms must be growing weary of their burden.
Darcy let out a derisive huff before he placed her gently on the bed. He removed his coat and began pressing his fingers from her toes to her head whilst repeatedly barking, “Does this hurt?” After an equal amount of “no” responses, he sighed in relief.
“It is all my fault,” Darcy avowed.
“From everything that has happened tonight, how can you deduce any of it isyourfault?”
“It was I who invited Mary to our home. I did not even confer with you. I was impressed by her pious nature and thought she might have a good influence on Georgiana. Instead, she has been a detriment to my sister’s happiness and has ruined your introduction into society.”
“She is my sister!” Elizabeth cried incredulously. “If anyone should have been suspicious, it is I, who have known her all my life. The truth is that I was completely ignorant of Mary’s perfidy. If not for the small detail divulged to the newspaper, that I spent the last of my money on ices at Gunter’s—a fact only I, you, and Mary knew—I would never have deduced the truth. I sought her out, expecting her to offer a perfectly natural explanation. It was a random act to accuse her. I did not genuinely believe she was the culprit.”
“Let us not quarrel about who is the most to blame.”
“No. Mary is the malefactor. Do you believe Lady Catherine is the one who should be burdened with the responsibility of her punishment?”
“Would you rather send her to Newgate or Bedlam? I assure you it can be arranged.”
“Absolutely not! I have attached enough scandals to your name. I only wonder whether my father should be allowed to correct her.”
“Firstly, you have done nothing wrong, Elizabeth. Secondly, and you are not going to relish hearing what I have to say next… Mr Bennet has had nineteen years to discover her deficiencies, and I add, with fear of offending you, he has not taken the trouble so far…”
“You are correct, and I am not offended by the truth. I am, however, relieved that Jane and Mr Bingley moved to Hurst House to allow me to accommodate all our guests. My sister would have been overwrought by tonight’s spectacle.”
“Yet we must tell her when she arrives on the morrow.”
“Certainly, but not before Mary has left. She frightens me.”
“Which is natural and just. She scares the dickens out of me.”
“Mr Darcy!” Elizabeth chided.
“Pardon my frankness, but seeing you falling towards that fender took decades off my life. I fully expect to wake up tomorrow with a full head of grey hair.”
Elizabeth snickered. “I shall still find you the handsomest man of my acquaintance, even if you awaken grey and wrinkled like a prune.”
“I stopped listening after you declared me the handsomest man of your acquaintance.”
“Of course you did. Your vanity—” Elizabeth stopped before she said something hurtful.
“Please, dear Elizabeth, do not stop teasing me, and I promise to retain my ridicule-worthy character traits for your amusement. I am not so vain that my pride cannot withstand a jest.”
“You must know that I do not mean any of it. You are the man I love most ardently, and you are sheer perfection.”
“Desist or you will swell my head with improper pride.”
“Which head?”
“Minx!” he retaliated. “Are you certain you are well?”
