Chapter 18
“Dear Lizzy, I am sorry that I am taking you away from your family,” Georgiana whispered. “I was so selfish…”
They sat beside each other with the countess and Darcy on the opposite bench, facing them.
Elizabeth took Georgiana’s hands in hers.
“There is no one less selfish than you, my dear. Jane alone might equal your generosity. I shall not deny that I am a little sad, but that happens every time I leave Longbourn. Do not worry; my spirits will rise again soon,” she attempted to joke.
“Your sister and Bingley seem a perfect match,” Lady Hardwick said. “They will be happy together.”
“I hope so —they have every reason to be.”
“Now, Miss Bennet, I believe it is your turn to think of an advantageous marriage with a handsome gentleman,” the countess added. “Do you have anyone in mind?”
Elizabeth blushed and struggled to keep her eyes from Darcy. She observed him turn his head towards the window.
Georgiana hurried to take Elizabeth’s side. “Aunt Amelia, you should not ask such a thing.”
“I apologise if I offended you, Miss Lizzy. You must know I am quite at leisure in expressing my thoughts, so let me know if I make you uncomfortable. I surely do not mean to offend you.”
“It is quite all right; I am not so easily offended.” She laughed nervously. “But for now, I can only think of the time I will spend with Georgiana. She promised me I will have many things to do at Pemberley.”
“Yes, you will,” Georgiana answered.
“First thing, I must visit the library. My father demanded from me a detailed description, including a sketch if possible.”
The ladies laughed, and Darcy concealed a smile and continued to stare out the window.
“My brother is in charge of the library, but I am sure he will be happy to show it to you.”
“Indeed,” he replied briefly.
“I never doubted Mr. Darcy’s kindness,” Elizabeth said, and he stole a glance at her.
“Miss Bennet, I wish to assure you in all sincerity that you are welcome to consider Pemberley your home. You may do anything you please, whenever you like.”
“Thank you, sir. That is good to know —a little intimidating, but good to know.”
“Pemberley might look intimidating but only until you become accustomed to its beauties, Miss Bennet.”
Conversation continued for several hours. It was awkward at times with Darcy rarely speaking and Elizabeth feeling uneasy more than once, but the warm friendliness of the two ladies compensated for any discomfort.
“In few minutes, we will arrive at Nott Inn where we spend the night,” Darcy informed them, then he addressed Elizabeth.
“We usually stop there when we travel between London and Pemberley. Mr. Nott owns the place, and he is a diligent and reliable master. He is also careful about the honour of the guests he accepts. I have never had reason to complain about the accommodations.”
“Very well,” was all she had to say, meeting his eyes.
The countess added, “I confess I am rather tired. A good sleep is all I need, and an excellent dinner of course. I hope Nott’s wife cooks as well as usual.”
When the carriages stopped, Darcy was the first to exit. At the inn door were a man and woman of middle age who immediately bowed to welcome him.
“Mr. Darcy, we are so honoured to see you again, sir.” “I am pleased to see you too, Nott,” Darcy answered.
From inside, a loud chorus of voices suddenly drew their attention, and Darcy frowned. He looked at the owner reproachfully, who shrugged his shoulders, obviously embarrassed.
“Sir, I apologise for the noise; there is a party waiting for you.”
“Excuse me? What kind of joke is this?”
Elizabeth looked at the entire scene with curiosity. She was convinced it was a mistake and noticed Darcy’s puzzlement and irritation. He seemed close to losing his patience.
The inn’s door opened, and Elizabeth’s eyes widened in disbelief as she saw Colonel Fitzwilliam appear, followed by two other gentlemen of his age and two young ladies.
“Oh dear,” Georgiana whispered.
“This is a surprise indeed,” Lady Hardwick commented with amusement.
Outside, the colonel hurried to Darcy, who shook his hand reluctantly.
“Richard, what on earth are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you of course! I am travelling north on some regiment business, and these people are bound for Livingston’s estate in Birmingham. Since I knew your plans, I thought we should travel together.”
Elizabeth saw another gentleman —younger and more handsome than the colonel —bow to Darcy while holding a young woman’s arm.
“In fact, my cousin Lady Emmeline insisted, to be perfectly honest. You know she always had a preference for you.”
Darcy still looked displeased.
“Mowbray, please avoid jokes that might make the ladies uncomfortable. Lady Emmeline, I am pleased to see you.”
“As am I, Mr. Darcy. You are so rarely seen in London that one must chase you across the country to meet you,” Lady Emmeline said with a charming smile.
Still in the carriage, Elizabeth turned to her companions.
“Who are they? Do you know them?”
“Of course,” Lady Hardwick answered. “They are Lady Emmeline Pemberton and her sister, Lady Livingston, with her husband. Both are my second husband’s nieces. And that handsome young man is Lord Mowbray, their cousin. Such a nice young man —smart, pleasant, and amiable. And the last one—”
“I know Colonel Fitzwilliam. We met in Kent last spring.”
Outside, the conversation continued, equally animated.
“We arrived earlier today, and we occupied almost the entire inn. We already ordered dinner —it should be ready soon,” Lord Livingstone said.
“So, Darcy, how is Bingley? I heard he married an exceptional beauty. That rascal —how is it possible that he was so fortunate?” inquired Lord Mowbray.
“Bingley is very well,” Darcy replied. “And yes, his wife is an exceptional beauty. Now let me —”
“But where are dear Georgiana and Lady Hardwick?” the colonel asked, approaching the carriage.
He opened the door widely, greeting the ladies with a broad smile before surprise made him take a step backwards.
“Miss Bennet? Is it possible? What a wonderful surprise! This I did not expect.”
“Colonel, I am so happy to see you.” Elizabeth smiled, genuinely glad to see the colonel again.
He was a gentleman she always admired, and his company was a pure pleasure.
“I invited Lizzy to stay at Pemberley with me,” Georgiana explained as the colonel kissed her hand and helped them all from the carriage.
“Really?”
“Yes, she is my best friend,” she continued.
“I am very pleased to hear that, my dear. Anyone would be honoured by Miss Bennet’s friendship.”
“You are too kind, sir.” Elizabeth blushed.
“Not at all; I am only honest.”
He gently took Lady Hardwick’s arm and helped her stretch her legs while her nieces and nephews embraced her warmly.
“So nice to see you all here! What a joy indeed —I really missed you,” the countess said.
“Now, let me introduce to you one of the most charming and accomplished young ladies I have ever met. This is Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Her sister Jane is the beautiful woman who married Mr. Bingley this morning.”
Elizabeth’s cheeks coloured slightly at such praise, and she curtseyed to the guests, who responded with warm politeness.
“Having the pleasure of meeting Miss Bennet last spring in Kent and being in her company for more than a fortnight, I can testify to Lady Hardwick’s description,” the colonel added.
Lord Mowbray bowed to her, and a large smile lit his face and his green eyes.
“Miss Bennet —I am delighted to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise, sir. And please do not believe everything you just heard; most of the praise is undeserved, I assure you.”
“I would never dare distrust my aunt’s words. She has always been right as long as I can remember. But the colonel must indeed be trusted only in moderation,” the earl replied teasingly.
“It is rather late; we should settle into our rooms and then prepare for dinner,” Darcy interjected.
“You are right of course,” the colonel said and offered one arm to Elizabeth and the other to Georgiana. Lord Mowbray hurried to help his aunt, and Lady Emmeline took Darcy’s arm without an invitation.
Elizabeth turned her head, and her eyes met Darcy’s then held for a moment. His countenance was still dark, and he was the only one silent and thoughtful amid an uproar of cheerful voices and laughter.
Lady Emmeline asked him something, and he leant his head down to her. Elizabeth averted her eyes, a sudden grip tightening her chest.
It appeared the road to Pemberley would be completely different than she expected.
The Darcy party was helped with their accommodations by Mr. Nott, the owner of the inn, and his wife.
“Sir, Colonel Fitzwilliam asked me to prepare a larger table for dinner; he said you would join their party. Is that convenient for you? Should I change your previous dining arrangements?” the innkeeper inquired uneasily.
“Oh, of course, a large dinner will be lovely,” the countess interjected.
“Yes, we are fine with that,” Darcy agreed.
“Very well, sir. Now please allow me to show you the accommodations.” The countess was the first to occupy her room on the second floor —a large one with several windows —clean and comfortable.
Darcy glanced inside briefly to be certain all was as expected then closed the door and turned to his sister and Elizabeth. Mr. Nott began to rub his hands and shift his weight from one leg to the other, exchanging worried glances with his wife.
“Mr. Darcy, we are currently facing another difficult problem, and I cannot apologise enough for it. I have prepared the three rooms that are your favourites, but I can see you will need four. The inn is full, and I only have one room left, but I am afraid it would not be suitable for the other young lady in your party,” the innkeeper said with apparent distress.
Darcy frowned.
“What do you mean?” he inquired, then he realised it was his fault that he did not think of writing ahead to engage an extra room for Elizabeth.