Chapter 18 #2
"Oh, my love, how foolish you can be at times," Eleanor said, unable to suppress a laugh.
For a long while they remained together, embracing one another, exchanging tender caresses and kisses as they spoke of the many years they had spent apart.
Marcus told her of his military career and confessed that he had never allowed another woman into his heart, wishing to remain faithful to her memory and their little daughter.
Eleanor, in turn, told him how she too had closed her heart to love, and how Daniel had encouraged her to make full use of her talents in the businesses they had built together.
Eleanor had arrived at Marcus's house in the middle of the afternoon, and by now night had almost fallen.
"Marcus, my love, I must return home. My nieces will be anxious about me."
"Then I shall let you go only if you promise to marry me tomorrow."
Marcus drew Ella into his arms and kissed her with such tenderness and passion that it seemed impossible they should remain apart for another moment.
Reluctantly, Eleanor broke the kiss, though her lips scarcely left his.
"My love, I long to become your wife. But I beg you, let us wait only four more days."
Marcus drew back just enough to look into her eyes.
"We have already spent so many years apart. Tell me, what difference can four days possibly make? Pray, do not ask me to wait any longer. It is more than I can bear."
Eleanor lowered her eyes. She was afraid of revealing more than she wished. That was a matter still left unresolved, and she could not yet bring herself to speak of it to Marcus. Indeed, she was not prepared to face that truth.
"I want to wait until my niece Elizabeth returns from Kent. I want her to be present at our wedding. I need her to be there."
Eleanor raised her eyes and met Marcus's steady gaze.
For a few moments, an uncomfortable silence passed between them. Gently tightening his hold on the hand he still held in his own, he simply said, "Yes, you are right. I, too, want Miss Elizabeth to be there with us."
After spending nearly another hour together, reluctant to part and stealing countless more kisses, Eleanor finally returned home, leaving Marcus both immensely happy and quietly apprehensive.
He knew their future promised great happiness, but also trials and uncertainties that they would have to face together.
◆◆◆
Elizabeth was ready to go for a walk. She had finished her breakfast and wished to explore the park before the midday heat set in.
Fortunately, she had neither met Mr Darcy the previous day nor had he called at the parsonage.
Though, if she were honest with herself, she could not say that she always disliked his company.
Mr Darcy was, beyond question, a remarkably handsome man, and every time she saw him, he was impeccably dressed, which only heightened his natural elegance.
Moreover, when he chose to be, he could be a most engaging companion.
He was well read, intelligent, and capable of discussing almost any subject with reasoned and thoughtful arguments.
Yet, whenever his pride gained the upper hand, he became genuinely disagreeable.
For that reason, Elizabeth preferred to keep her distance.
She had no wish to spend her time wondering which version of Mr Darcy she was about to encounter.
She was grateful that, over the past few days, she had seen only the agreeable Mr Darcy, but she had no desire to tempt fate, particularly as her aunt's carriage would arrive in only three days to take her back to London.
"My dear Eliza, are you going for a walk? Poor Mr Darcy! What a disappointment it will be for him if he does not find you here!"
Charlotte grew more convinced each day that Mr Darcy's attentions towards Elizabeth were far from accidental.
Elizabeth laughed.
"Perhaps it is quite the opposite. You must remember that Mr Darcy and I have never been good friends. I shall see you later, my dear Charlotte."
She put on her bonnet and left the house, making her way towards the park surrounding the little lake.
Mr Darcy had risen early and taken particular care with his appearance.
The previous day, his aunt had occupied him from morning until evening, leaving him no opportunity to leave the house.
Nothing vexed him more than her habit of allowing work to accumulate for months and then expecting him to settle every matter within a few days.
He had very nearly written Elizabeth a note apologising for not calling upon her or accompanying her on her customary walk through the park. On reflection, however, he thought better of it. He had not yet fully resolved to offer for her, though he knew he was very close to doing so.
The past few days had been among the happiest he could remember.
With every conversation they shared, every smile she bestowed upon him, every playful remark she made at his expense, he found himself falling more deeply in love with her.
More than once, he had imagined taking her in his arms and confessing that, despite every obstacle, he loved her and was prepared to face every fear if only he might spend his life beside her.
The moment he caught sight of Elizabeth approaching, he could not resist walking forward to meet her.
"Miss Bennet, I am delighted to see you. May I have the pleasure of accompanying you on your walk?"
He found it impossible to look away. There was something in the brightness and expression of her eyes that never failed to captivate him.
Elizabeth was somewhat surprised. She would have preferred to be alone, but she could hardly refuse without appearing discourteous.
"Of course, Mr Darcy."
He offered her his arm, and together they continued their walk.
For the first ten minutes, Mr Darcy said very little, leaving almost the whole burden of the conversation to Elizabeth.
Before long, she grew weary of speaking without much encouragement, and for the next ten minutes they walked almost in silence.
She could not understand why he sought her company if he intended to treat her with such reserve and indifference.
It seemed that the proud Mr Darcy had returned, and she supposed she would have no choice but to endure him.
Mr Darcy, meanwhile, was perfectly content.
Simply being in Elizabeth's company seemed almost magical.
The gentle pressure of her hand upon his arm was enough to satisfy him.
During the first part of their walk, she had spoken with great animation about the little wood surrounding Rosings Park.
As he listened, he could not help imagining her delight upon seeing the extensive woods surrounding Pemberley.
When Elizabeth fell silent, he innocently concluded that she was as absorbed in the moment as he was and had simply run out of words.
Elizabeth was on the point of inventing an excuse to return to the parsonage, so that she might no longer be obliged to endure his silence, when he suddenly said, "Pemberley is surrounded by vast forests. I am sure you would admire them very much."
"You can talk!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Mr Darcy, for a moment there I thought you were in a positively foul mood since you were so silent for so long."
"I was merely enjoying your company in silence. Was I so grave?"
Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Mr Darcy…you are always grave."
"Not always!" objected Mr Darcy, somewhat emphatically. Then he composed himself, "My friends have told me that I can be most agreeable company."
"On the contrary," she laughed, "Mr Darcy, if you did not already possess an estate, I would suggest that 'undertaker' would be a profession appropriate to your perpetually gloomy countenance."
"Well, my dear Miss Elizabeth, because you are the intelligent young lady that I know you to be, I suppose I had expected you to have realised by now that often I am silent amongst company simply because I do not enjoy idle chatter nor the prattle of small minds.
I will admit as much. Call that arrogance if you wish.
Such talk bores me to no end. However, your company has been nothing like that.
You have been so intelligent and cheerful during our walk so far that I felt it would be a shame to interrupt you.
I was simply enjoying your company and your many keen observations. "
"Mr Darcy", said Elizabeth with a tiny gasp, "I believe you have actually rendered me a... a compliment, several, in fact."
Elizabeth seemed genuinely shocked.
Mr Darcy grinned briefly, realising that he had indeed done so. Cheered by this thought, he added, "Oh, I am so sorry, Miss Elizabeth," I promise that I will not make a habit of it."
"Yes, you would not want to confuse me by showing an entirely new and pleasant side of yourself. It is much easier to think of you as the permanently dour Mr Darcy.”
"Well, Miss Elizabeth, you remind me that I do have a reputation to maintain, so I will try to live up to your expectations of me and thus will strive to frown more often."
As he finished that sentence, he turned to Elizabeth and tried to force his face into a stern countenance.
“Is that better?”
She laughed.
It was difficult for him because her presence made him want to smile so broadly.
"That is more like it. That is the Mr Darcy that I know and love so well."