With that appeal to God on High, Darcy made his way into his bedchamber, where he found Carstens already at the tail end of the unpacking.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Except for the grand pianoforte, which Mary says is in excellent condition, this house needs to be completely made over with both décor and furniture,” Fanny pronounced after she and Mrs Starkey, her housekeeper, had toured every room of the house from the attics to the kitchens. “I will request that Edward have his men remove everything and sell it for us. When we know what we will receive for the sold items, we will be able to plan what the budget will be for the refurbishing and redecorating.” She had stopped by the study after the tour.
On seeing Mrs Bennet enter, Matlock, Hilldale, and Darcy had left the room to allow husband and wife to speak.
Bennet’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. It was a very pleasant surprise given that in the past Fanny had refused to look at budgets, never mind sticking to one. “Do not forget our newfound wealth. If the proceeds from the sale of everything is not enough to cover the new items, that will not be an issue.”
Her calmness and interest in budgets were not the only changes Bennet had noticed in his wife. Her infamous nerves had been banished the day she knew she and any unmarried daughters would never be homeless. A benefit Bennet enjoyed greatly was that since that day, they had shared a bed, something they had never done in their over twenty years of marriage.
“I appreciate that, Thomas; but the more we have from the sale of what is here, the better,” Fanny insisted. “I will make for the drawing room where Elaine and some of our daughters and guests are.”
Thanks to some languid kisses from her husband, it took Fanny somewhat longer than she had planned before she exited the study. Once she was sure her heightened colour had receded, Fanny entered the drawing room where, other than Thomas, all the residents were located. She was not surprised to see Jane and Jamey with their heads close together. Fanny expected to see Lizzy and William sitting near one another and conversing convivially. What she could not account for was the fact that her middle daughter and Lord Hilldale were deep in conversation, one with the other. It seemed they were debating, and Fanny hoped Mary was not scolding him. Fanny sat next to Elaine.
Lady Elaine did not miss the direction of Fanny’s eyes or the questioning look as if she were trying to solve some great conundrum.
“They only just met,” Lady Elaine reported insotto voce. “They both seem to have some rather strong ideas on certain subjects and have been debating for some time. Andrew has never met a woman who, rather than fawn over him, challenges him when she does not agree with him.”
“I always used to think that all it took was beauty to attract a man’s attention. It seems I was wrong in my opinions. William is interested in Lizzy for her mind, and unless I err, your older son enjoys Mary’s intelligence.” Fanny shook her head; of late, so many things she had believed had been thrown on their heads. “Evidently, I did not have all the answers about how to catch a man as I used to believe I had.”
“Mamma, may we go to the music room?” Lydia requested. “Anna said she would be happy to begin teaching Kitty and me to play the pianoforte. Miss Jones and Mrs Annesley will be with us.”
Never insisting her girls had all the accomplishments expected of those gently born was one of Fanny’s great regrets. Thomas had taken the blame onto himself, saying that he should have continued his late mother’s lessons on the ways of one gently born. Fanny could not excuse herself so easily. But now her two youngest wanted to learn how to play an instrument. She would do what she was able to encourage them in this endeavour. Elaine had told her that Lady Catherine always kept the walls between the music and drawing rooms open. On Fanny’s orders, the wall had been rolled back into place, making two separate rooms again.
“Of course, you may,” Fanny responded.
The three youngest girls, with said companions in tow, made their way out of the drawing room on their way to the music room.
“Anna is a good influence on Kitty and Lydia,” Elizabeth opined.
“As they are on her. I have never seen my sister so open and happy as she has been since meeting you and your sisters,” Darcy responded. He decided to be bold. “The same is true of your influence on me.”
Elizabeth lost the internal fight to not blush; she did blush, deeply. The thought that she had somehow influenced him positively was thrilling. Mr Darcy was the man for whom she was fast developing tender feelings. She could not comprehend the difference in her feelings from the time when she had been hosted at the parsonage previously. He was very different, but then so was she. She wondered if she would have allowed herself to see what a good man he was if she had not been able to admit her own faults.
The more time she spent in his company, the more she came to admit that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would more than likely suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would answer all her wishes. It was a union that would be to the advantage of both. Her ease in society and general liveliness would soften his mind. His manners, which he had already made so much more welcoming than they used to be, would be even further improved. For Elizabeth’s advantage, and thanks to Mr Darcy’s judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she would also gain that which would broaden her horizons.
If only they had met one another in Hertfordshire as they both were now. The wedding in June could have been a double ceremony. That last thought shocked Elizabeth greatly. ‘Since when has my logical mind rapidly jumped from admiration to love, and from love to matrimony?’ Elizabeth asked herself silently. ‘Why did I think love?’ Before she could answer her own question, she noticed that Mr Darcy was watching her intently, waiting for her. She realised she had never responded to his statement about her effect on him. Elizabeth did not want him to think it displeased her.
“Please pardon me; I was caught up in my own thoughts. It is a great compliment to say that I have, in some small way, motivated you to change. I can say the same of the information you provided to me. I did not know myself until then,” Elizabeth returned. “It is a good thing that each of us has had a positive effect on the other.”
Darcy released a breath he had not been aware that he was holding. He had worried he had been too forward; but no, it seemed that Miss Elizabeth did not think he had overstepped. He decided to take a chance. “Do you intend to walk in the groves on the morrow?”
“It would be impossible for me to come to this estate and resist the siren call of nature. So yes, I fully intend to ramble,” Elizabeth confirmed.
“In that case, may I join you? In the past, I assumed my company was welcome. I do not want to err in the same way again,” Darcy explained. “If you prefer your solitude when you take some exercise, I will respect that and not magically appear while you walk.”
Elizabeth loved that he was making a request, and she could see that he had no expectation of what her reply would be. “Yes, Mr Darcy, I think I would enjoy it if you were to accompany me on my ramble. Should we meet in the drive a few minutes before the break of dawn?”
It was all Darcy could do not to jump up and cheer. He kept himself under good regulation and replied as calmly as he was able. “Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. I will be ready at the time and place you mentioned.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
For some reason Elizabeth could not fall asleep until almost midnight. She felt great excitement at the prospect of walking with Mr Darcy in a few short hours.
At the time of the proposal, which she would rather forget, Elizabeth had convinced herself that if Mr Darcy felt any love for her at all—she had doubted it—her rejection would have caused his slight, thin sort of inclination towards her to be entirely starved away. It was just one more thing about which she had been wrong. Mr Darcy’s feelings for her were a fine, stout, healthy love. Add to that, she could tell that he respected her as well.
The thoughts which kept her awake were the questions of what she felt for Mr Darcy. Respect was present; admiration, also. But the question she asked herself most was, was there more? After an internal debate, Elizabeth reached a conclusion and soon fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.
