Mrs. Bingley’s Sister (The Austen Novels)

Chapter 14

Darcy watched Elizabeth depart from the room, nodding at her as she looked back at him, and he smiled to himself, having had such a nice interaction with her after all this time. He thought to himself that this may finally be the time for his second chance, after all.

"Miss Bennet looks very good," Fitzwilliam observed coolly, stirring Darcy from his daydream, "And you cannot seem to pay her any less attention than you did all those years ago in Kent."

Darcy gave his cousin a look.

"What did I say?" Fitzwilliam feigned innocence.

Darcy didn't answer him, slightly annoyed. Fitzwilliam chuckled and shrugged.

“Very well, then, I will say no more of it—"

Just then, his sister Georgiana walked in.

"Say no more of what?” she asked, “And I missed the Bingleys, haven't I? I heard Mrs. Reynolds leading a party to the guest wing, but they were too far off for me to greet them."

Darcy frowned at Fitzwilliam while Georgiana's back was turned to him, and he cleared his throat and said, "Our cousin was just saying how Mrs. Fitzwilliam is very much looking forward to the Twelfth Night ball we are planning. And yes, that was the Bingley party, they have just arrived."

Darcy was impressed with himself for cleverly evading the nature of the conversation on which Georgiana had walked in. She lit up and rambled on about the masquerade ball they would be hosting on Twelfth Night, and Darcy admired how well his sister had grown in the last few years. She was no longer a young girl but now a mother. She had married and had a first child very quickly, his little two-year-old nephew Dudley, and her second babe, a girl they called Georgie, came along earlier this year.

As Georgiana continued on, Darcy let his mind wander back to the woman who has just left the room. His heart yearned for her, and he longed to tell her his feelings. In fact, he nearly did tell her his feelings the last time he saw her, three and a half years ago...

July 1816

Pemberley Estate

Derbyshire

Darcy,

I shall offer my sincerest congratulations to you on your sister's good marriage. I regret we were not able to attend, due to Mrs. Bingley's condition, as you know. However, before the new babe arrives, I should like to invite you to come down for shooting.

You haven't been to Netherfield in nary a time, and now you have no more responsibilities such as your sister to prevent it. Please, I insist. Come and see us again. The next babe will be here likely in mid September or around about that time.

Please come and visit, I beg of you.

CB

Darcy read and reread the letter, contemplating the idea very heavily. It was true, Georgiana was now married and thus, no longer his responsibility. Darcy was effectively very much alone at Pemberley now, and he could not deny how tempting the very opportunity to even so much as see Elizabeth again, let alone reside in the same house with her for a time, sounded.

He wondered if her appearance had at all changed, it having been three years since he had last seen her. He thought about her every day, diverted though as he was by estate business and the management of Georgiana's coming out, of course.

After a day of mulling it over, he picked up a pen and wrote back.

Bingley,

I shall finish up estate matters here and come down before the end of the fortnight.

FD

He took a deep breath and called a footman to deliver the post. He didn't have much estate business to complete at Pemberley, and what he did have to do, he knew he would complete quickly.

He was ready to sojourn back to Hertfordshire; he needed to see Elizabeth again.