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“We must go back,” Elizabeth said softly, looking toward the house, though she did not pull her hand away from his. “But before we do, I must ask one small favour of you.”

“Of course, anything you wish, Elizabeth,” he answered, kissing her gloved hands.

“Pray, do not speak to my father today. Jane and Mary have waited for this day, and if Mamma hears a word of this, the rest of the afternoon shall be stolen away from my sisters.”

Darcy considered her words, then reluctantly agreed. “You are right, of course, my love,” he admitted. Yet, when she made to turn towards the path to the house, he gently pulled her back towards him. “But if I agree to this, I must ask for a few moments more of your company. You cannot truly wish to return, and there are so many people within that we will not be missed.”

Elizabeth had no real wish to return either, other than the effects of the cold air. Darcy must have perceived her shiver, for he drew her gently but securely into the circle of his arms and the warmth of his overcoat. She knew she ought to be shocked and appalled by his taking such a liberty, but she could not muster such emotions when the sensation of being so very close to him was so pleasant. Instead, she felt herself leaning into him and wrapping her arms about his middle to return the embrace.

“Elizabeth,” he murmured. “If you do not object, I am going to kiss you now.”

Elizabeth looked up at him in surprise, but made no objection. He waited just a moment, and when she uttered no words and made no move away from him, he lowered his head and kissed her. She had not known what she expected a kiss to be like, but this was nothing like the times she had seen her mother kiss her father or once when she had spotted one of Longbourn’s maids kissing a footman from Lucas Lodge. Darcy’s lips were warm and gentle against hers, yet Elizabeth could sense he was restraining himself, holding himself back lest he frighten her.

When he eventually pulled away, he looked at her with an expression she had never seen before, one almost of wonder. Elizabeth smiled shyly up at him, her arms still around him, as his were about her.

A sharp gasp from nearby broke the silence, and the couple sprang apart instantly. No more than ten paces away stood Miss Darcy, Kitty, and Maria Lucas, frozen in place at what they were witnessing. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Surprisingly, it was Miss Darcy who responded first, a warm smile spreading across her features as she approached her brother. All her usual shyness had vanished in light of what she knew to be the fulfilment of her brother’s dearest wish. “I am so very happy for you, Brother,” she whispered softly as she gently touched his arm, her voice carrying only to him and Elizabeth.

“Lizzy!” Kitty exclaimed. “You... and Mr. Darcy! You were—”

Kitty might have finished her sentence had Maria Lucas not had the sense to put her hand over her friend’s mouth to quiet her. “They were walking together, and that is all!” Maria hissed.

Darcy’s expression settled into its usual gravity as he looked upon his sister’s friends. “Miss Catherine, Miss Maria,” Darcy said, his tone measured and steady. “I must ask for your silence on what you have witnessed. My greatest concern today is that nothing should detract from the celebration due to your sisters. I mean to speak with Mr. Bennet on the morrow.”

Kitty twisted free of Maria’s grip, gasping for air. “Silent? How can I be silent? Mamma would—”

“Kitty, you must not speak a word today,” Elizabeth urged. “It would be unkind to draw attention away from Jane and Mary.”

This gave Kitty pause. “Very well,” she relented finally, “but only if when you are married and a very fine lady, you buy me the finest bonnets in London.”

“I am certain we can manage a few bonnets, Miss Catherine,” Darcy replied with an amused smile.

Maria released a breath she had been holding. She knew what could happen if a young lady was caught in such a compromising position. She had witnessed it happen to one of her cousins, whose name was now rarely mentioned except when used as a cautionary tale against wanton behaviour. She knew Darcy was an honourable man and would not leave Elizabeth as that man had left her cousin, but the worry remained.

Now made respectable by the presence of the young ladies, they returned to Longbourn by way of the main path. As Darcy had suspected, no one remarked upon their return. Only Mrs. Ellington had noticed, if the knowing smile she gave them upon their return was any indication.

For the remainder of the afternoon, Elizabeth and Darcy spoke little to one another in the sight of company. It was a short agony to be borne, they both supposed, to wait until the following day to acknowledge their betrothal.

Chapter 32

That night Elizabeth slept very little, feeling a mixture of anticipation and regret. The regret was not over her choice to betroth herself to Darcy—she had never been so certain of a choice in her life. It was for the delay in seeking her father’s approval. While she had thought she acted selflessly in allowing her sisters to have their day, she now realised Mary and Jane would not be present to share in her joy.

She rose before sunrise when the house was yet still. As she stepped into her slippers, the floorboard beneath her creaked. Kitty—who had fallen asleep in Elizabeth’s bed—mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep, and Elizabeth froze in place. Pulling the counterpane up to cover her shoulders from the cold air, Kitty’s eyelids fluttered, though she did not awaken. Elizabeth hesitated, watching her sister settle back into a deep sleep before moving. She dressed without summoning a maid, glad she had always preferred the gowns that tied at the neck and waist, rather than lacing up the back. Her hair she pinned into a simple knot, which she knew would not hold long through the morning. Her hair was becoming too long and heavy for her liking. She would have to request Sarah cut it to her shoulder blades again soon.

The task completed, Elizabeth glanced one last time at the sleeping Kitty, wondering if she would feel lonely once Elizabeth was also wed. With Lydia away at school, she would, in the span of a few months, have gone from one of five sisters in the house to the only one left. Yet, if Elizabeth felt any particular melancholy at the thought, she did not allow herself to dwell upon it. Perhaps they might even have Kitty come to stay with them on occasion, for Georgiana would like nothing more.

She slipped silently into the corridor and made her way down the stairs, drawing her shawl close about her shoulders. The house was still cold, as none of the fires had been made up. The house still showed signs of the previous day’s celebration. Chairs borrowed from neighbours were sorted and stacked so they might be returned to their owners. A piece of lace lay abandoned on the settee, its owner likely not even noticing its absence. Across the room, the hearth was dark, choked with piles of grey ash from the previous day’s fire. Shivering, she crossed the room to the long-case clock. The hands showed thirty-six minutes past seven. She knew the housemaids were about, but with so much more work than normal, they had not yet made it to the drawing-room hearth. She hesitated by the bell-pull before pulling it.

A few minutes passed in silence. Elizabeth took the lace from the settee and laid it on the sideboard. She thought back to what the ladies wore the day before and determined that it belonged either to Miss King or Miss Darcy; the light was too faint to make out the true colour of the fabric. Finally, the door creaked open, and an under-maid entered, her face flushed with work and her apron covered in soot.

“Oh, Miss Elizabeth! I am so terribly sorry, miss,” the girl breathed, dropping into a frantic, clumsy curtsy that nearly upset her kindling. “We thought the family would be abed for many more hours and have been about other things. The fire should have been lit already, I know, miss. Indeed, it should have been.”

“There is no need to apologise. The rest of the house is asleep, and there was no reason to expect me to wake early after so late an evening. Pray, see to your work and be at ease,” Elizabeth spoke softly, not wishing to distress the girl further.

The maid gave another curtsey and seemed to breathe a little more easily as she set down her tools and began to see to her task clearing away the ash to find the warm embers beneath. She blew softly on these, before adding bits of straw and waste paper to bring them to life. Once small flames appeared, she began to add the kindling and coals, followed by larger pieces of wood. When the fire was roaring, the maid lit one end of a small kindling stick and used it to light several lamps in the room.

“Do you require anything else, miss?” the maid asked once these tasks were done. “Tea, perhaps?”