Chapter 17
Seventeen
In Which Darcy Receives Some Unsolicited Advice
Darcy watched Lizzie disappear into the dark tunnel of the service corridor and had to fight against the urge to follow her.
He knew she’d keep her wits about her, but it was Sally he didn’t trust. He hoped that whatever secrets she might be keeping,
she’d guide both Lizzie and Guy back to safety.
“She’ll be all right,” Jane said, coming to stand next to him. The servants had dispersed to call off the search for Guy,
leaving him with Jane and Charlotte. “She’s obstinate, but she’s not reckless.”
Darcy raised an eyebrow. Even Charlotte looked doubtful.
“All right, she’s not as reckless as she used to be,” Jane clarified. “I believe you’re a good influence on her.”
Darcy let out a small half laugh. “I dare you to tell her that.”
Jane didn’t laugh like he’d hoped she would. “I know my sister. Loving her often means standing in the background, fretting
as she goes about her mad plans. But Lizzie . . . she cares for you.”
“And I for her,” Darcy said awkwardly. He hoped Jane would leave it at that—it was bad enough that his own sister routinely hassled him into revealing his feelings, and now Jane was doing it, too?
Alas, Jane had a gleam in her eye awfully similar to the one Lizzie got when she was about to argue a case. “Good. Although
her moods may run toward extremes, she usually sees reason. She just sometimes needs to be . . .” She glanced at Charlotte.
“Nudged?” Charlotte supplied.
“Exactly.”
Darcy looked between them in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”
“What Jane means to say is . . . Lizzie knows her own mind, but she can get caught up in the moment. Sometimes she needs extra
time to think about her next steps, and when she does, she is open to advice.”
Now Darcy was really confused. “Is this about leaving London? Because we’ve discussed it already. She was upset when I agreed
with Mr. Bennet rather than siding with her, but she knows that it was only because I wanted to ensure her safety.”
The ladies exchanged looks. Then Jane said, “Well, that’s very good. But we were thinking more along the lines of your . . .
future.”
“Together,” Charlotte added.
“Marriage,” Jane clarified, as if it wasn’t obvious.
“My future marriage with Lizzie?” Darcy repeated. Even just saying the words caused a warmth to spread in his chest. Marriage.
To Lizzie. He could only be so lucky. Then the implication of their words sank in. “Wait—do you think that she needs to be convinced
to marry me?”
“No!” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Well,” Jane said, looking at Charlotte, “maybe a little?”
Darcy could feel that warmth in his chest rising to his face, only now it wasn’t so pleasant—in fact, it was deeply humiliating.
“Oh.”
“Don’t fret. We can help,” Jane said, placing her hands on her hips. She was looking at him as if he were a pile of correspondence
or a list of menu options. Something to be tackled, checked off her to-do list. Convince Lizzie to accept Darcy’s marriage proposal.
“Has she—” He cleared his throat. “Has she said something lately?”
Charlotte shook her head. “But we want you to know that you shouldn’t be afraid of proposing, because we will be there with
encouragement.”
“I’m prepared to convince her this is the best opportunity for her future,” Jane agreed.
Darcy blinked. Wait. “When I . . . but I’m not proposing!”
Jane’s expression went from anxious to affronted in an instant. “What? Why not?”
This was all wrong. Nothing he was saying was making proper sense because the last topic of conversation he’d ever expected
to have with Charlotte and Jane was how to propose. “Because she told me not to!”
“I beg your pardon?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “She didn’t tell you?”
“Apparently not,” Charlotte remarked.
Jane appeared shocked. “She really doesn’t want to marry you?”
“Well, I hope that’s not the case.” He coughed. Gods, this was mortifying! “I told her . . . I told her I cared for her and . . .
I’d follow her to the ends of the earth. There was a metaphor in there about sailing—”
“Sailing?” Jane asked, baffled.
“We were rather exhausted and somewhat traumatized at the time. But yes, I gave her a speech about how I wanted to be there
for her, forever. And she told me she wasn’t ready.”
A pause followed. Then Jane asked, “And when did she say she’d be ready?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t discuss timelines.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake! I’ll talk to her.”
“Please don’t,” he begged.
“I have to. I have to talk to her and explain that she cannot drag her feet on this for the rest of time—”
“I’ll wait,” Darcy said simply. With those two words, he felt more sure than he’d had about anything in his entire life. “For
as long as it takes, I’ll wait.”
“Jane,” Charlotte said.
Jane took a deep breath and seemed to collect herself. “I’m sorry, Darcy—forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said, although he was still rather perplexed and embarrassed.
“It’s just that . . . I thought the reason you hadn’t proposed was that you didn’t think she’d say yes. Or because she’d given you an indication that it wasn’t what she wanted. When I know that she loves you very much.”
His embarrassment was a well—a deep, bottomless well, but hearing from Jane that Lizzie returned his affections . . . well,
it was like finding the most magnificent treasure in those murky depths. “Oh, well . . . ahem. You have no idea how much I
would love to propose. But I won’t until she’s ready.”
“How very noble of you,” Jane said somewhat begrudgingly. “And exactly how long ago did she say she wasn’t ready?”
“All right, Jane,” Charlotte said, taking her arm. “Let it rest! You know Lizzie. Everything will be done in her own time.”
Jane looked unabashedly at Darcy. “It’s just . . . she’s my sister.”
“I, too, have a sister.”
“Then you understand that I’d do anything for her. I just want her to be happy.”
He nodded. He did understand. And Jane’s words brought to mind Georgiana, unhappily stuck at Pemberley for nearly a year.
He hadn’t visited her, first because he had been too busy at the firm, keeping up with the work his father expected of him.
Then because he’d been too afraid to stray from Lizzie because of the threat of Lady Catherine. Guilt gnawed at him. At least
Georgiana was safe, far away from this madness, but seeing how fiercely protective Jane was of Lizzie left Darcy feeling as
though he hadn’t done enough for her.
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance that we can keep this little conversation among the three of us?” Jane asked. “I feel a bit foolish, assuming the worst.”
“It’s understandable,” Darcy said. “If a gentleman were as close to Georgiana as I am to Lizzie, well . . . I would be expecting
a proposal as well.”
“She’s worked hard for her position,” Jane said. “I want her to be happy. Preferably, with you.”
It wasn’t as though Jane’s words didn’t make him glad, but . . . “Why me?”
“Because you see her for who she is,” Jane said simply. “Capable and smart. And you let her be her own person. She doesn’t
have to prove herself with you, and it’s when she’s trying to prove herself that she takes the most risks.”
Darcy couldn’t respond, for he was suddenly overcome with emotion. “I . . . thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, leaning against the wall. “That said, if Papa finds out about this . . .”
“If Papa finds out about what?”
The three of them turned to find Lydia at the end of the hall, ambling toward them with a smile like the cat who’d caught
the canary. “Have you found Guy? Why are you all standing around?”
“Not yet,” Jane said with a sigh. “Lizzie’s gone to fetch him.”
Lydia looked pointedly into the dark service corridor. “In there?”
“Yes.”
“Where does it lead?” Lydia tried to cross the threshold into the corridor, but Darcy put up an arm to block her.
“It’s not safe.”
“But if Lizzie is in there—”
“Lizzie and one of the maids went in. She’ll be back soon.”
“Why won’t you tell me where it goes?” She crossed her arms. “I’m not a child!”
“To the rest of the house,” Jane replied.
“You mean the east wing?”
Jane hesitated. “Yes, but—”
“Your husband said the east wing was off-limits!”
“It is,” Jane said severely.
“Is this how you and Lizzie ended up in the east wing the other day?” Lydia looked at Charlotte, then back at Darcy when no
one answered. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she stomped her foot. “Why is it that no one ever lets me do anything interesting?”
“It’s not very interesting. It’s dusty,” Charlotte said. “I had cobwebs in my hair.”
“Papa wouldn’t like it.”
Darcy didn’t trust her sly tone. And neither, it seemed, did Jane. “Lydia.”
“I heard you say not to tell Papa—”
“Yes, because he’d only worry.”
“Well, it is dangerous . . .”
Jane sighed. “What do you want?”
Lydia was smug, and Darcy thought that Lizzie wasn’t the only Bennet sister who knew how to bend a conversation to her will.
But Lydia was determined to use her skills for her own self-interest. “I want you to invite the officers billeted at Meryton to the ball so we’ll have someone to dance with beside your husband and Mr. Darcy. ” She spoke his name like an insult.
“I’m right here,” Darcy muttered.
“Fine,” Jane said. “But don’t blame me if they don’t come on such late notice.”
“Yes!” Lydia squealed, tackling Jane in a hug. “Thank you, Janie! You won’t regret it!”
“I doubt that,” Jane said, but she accepted Lydia’s affection nonetheless. “But you have to be on your absolute best behavior.
No carousing, no dancing without introductions, no hysterics—”
Lydia ignored her. “I have to tell Kitty! And Mary owes me a shilling—she bet me that I wouldn’t get you to relent!”
Before Lydia could run off, a scuffling sound emerged from the dark corridor. Darcy turned. “Lizzie?” he called out.
“We’re coming!” came her voice from a distance. There was a tiny bit of light far within the corridor, and it grew as she
approached. “I’ve got Guy!”
Darcy felt himself sag in relief. “And Sally?”