The end.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Lizzy peered about the assembly hall for her beloved Mr. Darcy. When will he come? She felt a hand in the small of her back and started.
“Fear not, it is only I, come to take you onto the dance floor,” Mr. Darcy said, leaning close to whisper in her ear.
“If you do not stop doing that, everyone will note your extremely particular attentions,” Lizzy warned, turning out of his touch to curtsy. “Now, you bow in a most correct way.”
Mr. Darcy obediently bowed and took her hand, placing it in the crook of his elbow. “The set is forming. Let us take our places.”
“What did Papa say?” she begged in a whisper, her stomach in knots.
“Your father very morosely agreed to our betrothal.”
Lizzy moaned softly. “Morosely? Oh, poor Papa.”
“He does not think eight and a half months sufficiently long enough to say goodbye to you,” he murmured as he arranged them into their places in the square-formation of an old-fashion cotillion.
“We will invite him often to Pemberley, if that is acceptable to you?” she asked while curtsying.
“Of course,” he said, straightening from a bow. “I told him as much.”
“Fitz-darling,” she whispered through tight lips, taking his hand for the next dance steps.
“You are my dearest heart,” he replied, clasping it lightly.
In spite of her compassion for her sad father, Lizzy had never felt happier. She had the hardest time maintaining a cool head for the remainder of the assembly. They parted at the end of the night in a cordial way, certain they had kept their secret.
The Bennet carriage door shut, the vehicle rumbled forward, and Lizzy’s mothered opened her mouth and crowed.
“Ooohhh, three daughters betrothed! What a silly puss you are, Lizzy, to keep this secret from me! But I am more than twenty, you know. I spied your glow of happiness from across the assembly hall!”
“Goodness, Mama, did you really?” Lizzy asked, overwhelmed with surprise.
“What?” Lydia cried. “Are you betrothed? To that fusty old Mr. Darcy? Well, you can have him. I am hoping for an officer.”
“So am I,” Kitty claimed. “But, congratulations, Lizzy.”
“Thank you, Kitty,” Lizzy said. She felt Jane’s gaze on her and looked her in the eyes. “Are you happy for me, dearest Jane?”
“More than I can say,” Jane said in a loving voice. “To think, we shall be married ladies in under a year.”
A married lady…I like the sound of that…
*
Darcy climbed the stairs and moved quietly down the corridor to his sister’s bedchamber. A light shone beneath her door so he knocked softly upon it.
“Come.”
Darcy opened the door and found Georgiana and Miss Mary in their nightclothes, shawls about them, sitting in the middle of Georgiana’s bed, a deck of cards between them.
“Good evening,” he murmured. “It is past midnight.”
“So it is,” Georgiana said, smiling broadly. “Have you come to say goodnight?”
He nodded and entered, closing the door behind him. “But that is not all.”
“No?”
Darcy shook his head and brought forward a chair to place beside the bed. He sat upon it. “This is cozy. How did your evening go? Did you have a nice dinner and supper with Mrs. Inwood, Miss Mary?”
“It has been a fabulous evening,” Miss Mary said, grinning. “Mrs. Inwood is so jolly. We enjoyed her company exceedingly, did we not, Georgiana? And the food was scrumptious.”
“Fulsome praise indeed,” Darcy said, pleased.
Georgiana narrowed her gaze at him. “You are full of news, Fitz, I can tell. What is making you so pleased with yourself?”
Darcy rubbed a finger across the bridge of his nose, his lips twitching. “Miss Elizabeth has done me the great honor of agreeing to marry me.”
Georgiana squealed, and Miss Mary drew back in surprise.
“When? Did you ask her tonight?” his sister demanded.
“I did. And, Miss Mary, I spoke to your father tonight, as well.”
“And he gave his consent?” she asked, setting down her card hand in a measured way.
“He did.”
“Was he exceedingly glum?” Miss Mary asked.
Darcy nodded.
“He will miss her the most out of all of us,” she said, taking a deep breath and sighing.
Darcy tipped his head and considered her. “You will be nearby to comfort him.”
“I will,” she said simply.
“I look forward to meeting your fiancé before long.”
“When the danger from typhus is past,” Miss Mary said, seemingly regaining some of her composure and good humor. “How do you mean to get Clover to Derbyshire?”
“Fitz is going to hire a drover,” his sister explained. “It was my idea.”
Darcy chuckled. “Are you pleased, Georgiana?”
She flung herself off the bed and into his arms. “So pleased. Delighted. Overjoyed!”
Embracing her in brotherly affection, Darcy felt relief course through him. “Thank you, dearest.”
Georgiana drew back out of his arms and sat back on the bed, her legs pulled up to the side. Holding her ankle and leaning on the other hand, she gazed at him with huge eyes. “Did you know?”
“Know what?” Darcy asked, frowning.
“Miss Bingley is to be our cousin.”
Darcy nodded, and his brow cleared. “I did know. They danced together for most of the night. Douglas received some interesting looks from some of the ladies because of his bruised cheek and eye. With no regard for propriety, he danced with only Miss Bingley, and once with Mrs. Hurst.”
Georgiana giggled, and Miss Mary smiled.
“Shocking behavior for a colonel and a guardian,” Darcy said, his lips twitching. “Will you be visiting Georgiana in London soon?”
“I will,” Miss Mary replied.
“Excellent.” He stood. “Goodnight, girls.”
“Goodnight,” they chorused.
At the door, Darcy turned and looked at Miss Mary. “You and your doctor will be welcome at Pemberley any time.”
She ducked her head, but looked pleased. “Thank you.”
Darcy left them and retired to his bedchamber to contemplate his joyful future.
*
Lizzy gleefully and anxiously waited for her fiancé to return to Netherfield at the beginning of February, in good time for Mary’s wedding.
Before he reached his friend, his mud-spattered chaise rolled through the Longbourn gates.
Lizzy sped down the stairs, through the front hall, and out the exterior door.
The door to the carriage opened and Fitz-darling jumped down.
Extending her hands, Lizzy clasped his hands and eagerly leaned in for a kiss. His lips descended and moved over hers in a most thrilling and satisfying way. He pulled back and pressed his cheek against hers.
“My darling girl,” he whispered. “How I have missed you.”
“I have missed you desperately, Fitz-darling,” she confessed, sighing.
“I have arranged it so I can stay for three weeks,” he told her, beaming down at her. “Now, tell me, please, have you finished that plum jam I gave you?”
Lizzy chuckled. “I have. It seems everyone loved the jam, so it did not last past Christmas.”
“I thought so,” her darling said. He reached into the chaise and picked up a box off the floor. He showed it to her. “I have brought six pots of jam for you.”
“You are a darling,” Lizzy said, chuckling with her pleasure at his consideration.
“I have brought Cook the recipe, like I promised her,” he said. “How is her book coming along?”
“She is almost finished it,” Lizzy claimed. Darcy’s groom came forward and took the box away from his master. “Take it to the kitchen, if you please, Anthony.”
“Aye, miss.”
Lizzy and Darcy strolled a little way from the carriage. “Will you come inside, Fitz-darling?” she asked him.
“No, I think not. Bingley is expecting me.” He turned her into his arms and held her close. “I have been thinking of this moment for many a day. I wish we were the ones marrying in two weeks.”
Lizzy brazenly rested her head on his shoulder. “I feel the same way.” She sighed. “Still, we must use some of these three weeks getting Clover used to you.”
Darcy snorted softly. “He will never like me.”
“Oh, that is too much to hope for, I think,” Lizzy said, chuckling. “But he will travel better if he recognizes you.”
“I accept that,” Darcy said, smiling.
Lizzy felt trepidation. “You…you do not regret promising to let me keep Clover?”
Darcy drew her into a crushing embrace.
“Fitz-darling,” Lizzy gasped. “I cannot breathe.”
“Are you sure you need to?” he asked, easing his grasp nevertheless. “I love you, my dear heart. I love you more than any inconvenience Clover might cause.”
“As I love you, with all of my heart.” Lizzy melted and lifted her lips for another kiss.
“June is so far away,” he whispered, right before he claimed her lips for his own.
*
In spite of how the loving couple felt, May arrived, bringing Darcy back to Netherfield for his friend’s wedding.
And soon after, June arrived. The month dragged on until their wedding, but finally the day arrived and everything went smoothly.
The drover had arrived that morning and met with Lizzy’s approval.
The fortnight of travel dragged on to eighteen days.
But finally, the loving couple arrived at Pemberley with Clover, exhausted but gloriously happy.
Fortunately, it was not raining, and a light breeze cooled the warmth of the July sun.
*
“Is Clover going to stay on our lawn forever, dear heart?” Darcy asked his wife, standing beside her on their drive.
Their coachman had already driven their chaise around to the stables where it would be unloaded. The inside and outside servants stood by the front entrance to Pemberley, patiently waiting to greet their new mistress.
“Can you not convince him to take a few more steps? His new paddock, built specifically for him, is just over there,” he said, pointing beyond the stables. “After all these miles, will he not walk a little further?”
Elizabeth patted his arm. “I will speak to him, Fitz-darling.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you.”