Chapter Twenty-One #2
Elizabeth’s eyes misted with tears at the generous gesture of goodwill. “Generations of heiresses with the safety and security to live the lives they desire. It is a beautiful idea; I cannot tell you how much the thought pleases me. I suppose you know my childhood estate was entailed.”
“I had forgotten,” Miss de Bourgh said, her pensive gaze giving way to mirth.
“Lord, how could I forget the day our odious parson learned your father had sired a son? It is fortunate he was unsuccessful in his pursuit of a bride in your family—one of you would have been shackled to him for nothing.”
Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath. “Miss de Bourgh, Mr. Collins is intrinsically linked to the death of my late mother, and it is a subject I dislike.”
Miss de Bourgh’s countenance was crestfallen.
“Oh, right. I had forgotten that, too. And the day Darcy arrived, I am sure I made mention of it—I only wished to be snarky to put him off me. I have thought only of myself. I apologize again, Miss Bennet. Truly, I wish to be your friend. I was even going to say that you ought to come visit Rosings from time to time, let your future children come to know the place—but now I fear you will not like the notion.”
It was impossible that such earnest generosity could not affect Elizabeth, and she smiled warmly. “You have been very kind this evening, Miss de Bourgh.”
“I wish to make amends, truly and completely. I have seen tonight for the first time in my life how merry a family gathering might be without my mother to spoil it all. Everyone in your circle is so jolly. In fact, I have rather envied your lively circle. Sir Sidney’s friends once seemed exciting, but they began to grate on me after a while—just as he did. ”
Elizabeth laughed. “Knowing now that you did not truly think him the man of your dreams has certainly raised you in my estimation.”
Miss de Bourgh looked at her with hopeful alacrity. “Has it improved your opinion of me enough that you would be pleased if I remained a few weeks longer in Sanditon, while my mother removed to the dower house?”
“Will your mother truly remove from the manor without you there to insist upon it?”
“Aunt Margaret thought of that—she is sending her eldest daughter Lady Roberta to supervise my mother’s removal. Roberta and her husband Lord Moncrief despise my mother.”
“Your aunt is very thorough,” Elizabeth said with bemusement. “I am glad you will be able to content yourself here in Sanditon a while longer—it seems you will be staying for the wedding?”
Miss de Bourgh’s eyes lit with glee. “I would like that very much. Oh, here comes Darcy now. I have not told him about my plan for Rosings. I felt he might decline, but he will surely go along with your decision, which is, I hope, to accept.”
Elizabeth nodded her reassurance. “Unless he has a compelling reason to decline, I would very much like to accept your offer, and the spirit in which it was given.” Her eyes drifted away from Miss de Bourgh as Mr. Darcy came toward them, hastening through the crowd of guests still conversing as they ambled toward the door with little intent of dispersing.
He was so terribly handsome, and she was now at liberty to openly admire his impressive person without any mortification.
It had been hours since they had stolen a kiss.
“My love, I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you,” Elizabeth said, standing from her seat with a parting nod and smile for Miss de Bourgh.
Mr. Darcy gave her a crooked, confused smile. “I came to say the same to you. I suppose we must speak at once, my love.”
Behind them, Miss de Bourgh snorted with laughter as she began to leave. “The terrace doors are open. Good evening.”
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy covertly held hands and made a decent show of meandering through the gradually thinning crowd, nodding and giving brief greetings as they meandered in an indirect route to the terrace doors, which were indeed open.
The terrace was warm and dimly lit, and it was blessedly empty.
They both burst out laughing as they moved out of sight and embraced. “I missed you,” Elizabeth said.
“After a mere quarter of an hour?”
“Yes, and it put me in mind of a very fine idea.”
“Oh, I should love to hear it,” he said in a throaty voice, his hand caressing her cheek.
“Mr. Darcy, you are incorrigible and now must be made to wait.”
“Minx!”
Elizabeth could wait no longer for another kiss. Determined to tease him, it was a brief and messy kiss, thrilling and promising of more to come. And then she laughed and said, “I must tell you of something else, first—an idea of your cousin’s.”
“Oh.” In the flickering light of the torches that had not yet extinguished, Mr. Darcy’s countenance turned serious. “What is it?”
“She wishes to leave Rosings to our daughters, collectively.”
He blinked, then slowly stroked her arms as he considered her words.
“I think it is a generous notion, yet I fear she may come to reconsider it, for it may be twenty years before….” A heady silence fell as they leaned toward one another, each no doubt considering that they would someday have children. Many, many children.
“I like it,” Elizabeth murmured. “That is, I am pleased by her offer. I accepted it. The way she spoke, I do not think her likely to waver from the plan; it seemed to bring her some peace. And growing up all my life believing Longbourn would be entailed….”
Mr. Darcy kissed her forehead when her voice grew thick with emotion. “I will do everything to protect and provide for you, and for our children. Pemberley will be grand again, someday, and we will make a merry family, all of us.”
Elizabeth laughed. “You have met the rest of my relations! Are they included in this scheme for familial felicity?”
“Certainly! Your brother will be at school with our sons, surely one of your fifty-seven sisters will do for Richard, the Bingleys will no doubt have ten children and I shall teach them all how to speak Latin very ill. Our daughters may divide their summers between Rosings with Aunt Anne and the seaside—surely Sanditon—with their Aunt Georgie.”
Elizabeth grinned at this vision of the future.
There was much for them to plan for the immediate days to come, such as when they would wed and where they would live, but for the moment she was delighted to see him so animated.
She kissed him again, the slow and tender kiss she had craved since parting with him that afternoon.
Mr. Darcy held her close to him, his fingers tangling in her hair until they parted. “There is something I must do, first.” And then he dropped to one knee. He pulled a ring from his pocket and placed it on her finger.
“I have feared my love for you was in vain, but knowing that I need not repress my feelings any longer has been a joy beyond any I have ever imagined. I love you, Elizabeth, and I have since your very first letter. Since our first meeting at the hotel, I have been enchanted by your kindness, your wit, your bright spirit. I wish to spend the rest of my days admiring you most ardently, if you would consent to be my wife.”
“Of course I shall,” Elizabeth said, throwing her arms around his neck when he stood. “But I am sorry I cannot tell everybody that you proposed when I was seated in your lap.”
He chuckled. “Pray, tell anybody but Mrs. Bevan.”
“I whispered it to her during the third course.”
“Minx,” he said again, spinning her in his arms. “And now will you tell me this idea of yours?”
“Only if you promise to agree to it,” Elizabeth teased.
“I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours.”
“Monday is the solstice, the longest day of the year. Sixteen hours of blissful sunshine we shall have, and I wish us to spend them all together.”
“Wonderful. I agree,” he said at once, laughing gently. “What shall we do?”
“A great deal, I should imagine,” Elizabeth drawled. “I thought we might begin the day with a walk along the beach. You will not mistake me for Miss de Bourgh this time, I trust.”
He laughed at her allusion to their encounter on the beach the day after his arrival. “But I may still try to take you in my arms.”
Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder. “How very tempting.”