“Not at all, Elizabeth! My brother is exactly right,” Georgiana said.
“Well, we hope to have the privilege of hearing you perform one day soon,” Aunt Sophia said.
Brandon announced that luncheon was served, so they all moved to the dining room. Darcy smiled as he watched Elizabeth use the change in location to seize the advantage of asking questions herself. She put questions to each of them—his uncle, his aunt, and Stafford, too. She asked about their childhoods and their lives now. He could see his aunt was pleased with Elizabeth’s confidence and poise. By the time his relations had taken their leave, Elizabeth had become well-acquainted with them and they with her.
An hour later, the three of them decided to go for a stroll in Hyde Park. This proved to be a difficult thing to accomplish, however, because Fitzwilliam was stopped several times by various acquaintances.
“I apologize, Elizabeth, Georgiana. It is likely we will not be able to go five minutes without someone else approaching,” Fitzwilliam said.
“They are clearly curious about the young woman you are escorting, Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth said, looking up at him with a smile.
“Yes, it certainly appears that way,” Georgiana added.
When they returned home, Georgiana retired to her room, wishing to rest. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in the library. They sat together on the couch discussing books they had each read. At times, when their discussion turned to a specific topic, he would walk to a shelf and choose a book on the subject. They would then consider its contents together as their conversation continued. They spoke about all sorts of things and learned one another’s opinions. It was thrilling to be able to spend so much uninterrupted time with him!
Eventually, the time came for Elizabeth to prepare for the evening. They left the library, but just as they were about to separate, Fitzwilliam took her hands and looked into her eyes.
“How long before you are ready to go down?” he asked, his thumbs caressing the backs of her hands.
“An hour? Maybe less,” she replied.
He nodded. “I shall wait in the library for you and escort you down.”
He kissed her hands, making her heart flutter. Elizabeth smiled at him, then began walking in the direction of her bedchamber. She wondered if he was watching her, so she paused to glance behind her. He was indeed still there! She felt her heart flutter again, then gave him a little wave. He grinned and waved back. Elizabeth smiled, then continued on to her room.
When she entered her bedchamber, Emily was there waiting for her with a bath drawn, as Elizabeth had requested. The maid assisted her out of her morning dress, then Elizabeth sank back into the steaming water.
It had been a lovely day! She had thoroughly enjoyed spending it with Fitzwilliam and Georgiana. Elizabeth believed she could see herself living here and being mistress of this fine home because there was warmth and love here. Still, it would be quite an adjustment. Acknowledging that made her think of what his uncle said to her. Lord Matlock said that Mrs. Darcy would need to take care when she ventured out. Elizabeth was sure that meant she would always need servants nearby. She had to admit she did not find that prospect very appealing, but she understood the necessity of it. She would never want to put Fitzwilliam in the position of being extorted because of her own thoughtless actions. No doubt there would be other areas where she would need to adjust. But Elizabeth was willing to accustom herself to these changes for the joy of being his wife and the happiness they would find together.
Darcy could not remove the smile from his face even if he wanted to. As he stood there, allowing Jones to tie his cravat, he thought of Elizabeth pausing to look back and see if he was watching her. His smile grew wider. He knew he looked ridiculous. Jones, no doubt, was laughing inwardly. Darcy had enjoyed Elizabeth’s visit immensely. He had also derived great satisfaction from simply having her in his home. Shebelongedhere. Having her here made him want to take steps to ensure she would always be here. He was ready for that. But he knew she needed more time, so he would be patient and give it to her.
After his valet had made him presentable, Darcy stood at the window, gazing outside for a time, letting his mind wander. He checked the time and saw that it was later than he thought, so he quickly left his bedchamber and began walking towards the library. As he neared it, he saw Elizabeth walking towards him from the guest wing. Darcy came to a stop in front of her, never taking his eyes from her. They gazed at one another with expressions of pleasure.
“You look beautiful, Elizabeth,” Darcy said, raising her hand to his lips.
She smiled at him. “Thank you.”
Her gown was a deep blush color, made of a lightweight, shimmery fabric. The sleeves were capped at the shoulder. Around her neck was a ribbon choker in the same shade as her dress. The pendant was filigree with clear and blush-colored crystals. Matching filigree-crystal earrings dangled from her ears, and she wore blush-colored crystals in her hair.
“May I escort you to the drawing room, Miss Elizabeth?”
“Yes, you may, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said with a smirk.
She took his arm, and together they descended the stairs. When they reached the second floor, Darcy paused and looked down at her.
“It has been delightful having you here today.”
“It has been so for me as well. I enjoyed spending so much time with you. Thank you for inviting me, Fitzwilliam. You have a lovely home.”
“Thank you. There is still much of it you have not yet seen. I hope you will come spend the day with us again soon.”
“I would love to."
He led her to the drawing room. Once they sat together on the couch, Darcy turned to her. “Elizabeth, there are a couple of things I wanted to address with you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. First, I do not want you to think that a life with me will mean people constantly staring at us or intruding on our privacy. At the ball, we drew quite a bit of notice because I have never shown such preference for a young lady before. I hoped we would soon be courting, so I did not hide my interest in you. I wanted it known, and I wanted you to feel it. It was also my intention that the matchmaking mamas and their daughters accept the reality of the situation. I also wanted any gentlemen who planned to present themselves at your uncle’s door to think twice before doing so, or better yet, to back off.”
