Page 111 of A Matter of Murder

“And we love her!” Georgiana declared.

“Is that so?” Mr. Darcy asked.

“Yes,” Darcy said, sitting up even straighter. “I love her.”

“God help me,” his father muttered. But they were saved from further declarations of any sort by a knock on the door. “Enter.”

Charleston stepped in and bowed slightly to the elder Mr. Darcy. “Excuse me, sir, but there is a regiment at the front gates, requesting entry. They’re led by a Colonel Graves, who said he has business with you.”

“Business?” his father sputtered. “I don’t know what he’s—”

“Graves!” Darcy explained. “He’s the man who has beenlooking for Lady Catherine—Charleston, allow him entry. Tell him we have her.”

Charleston looked to his father for confirmation, and his father nodded. “Very good, sir.”

Darcy’s father stood. “I suppose I shall go see what the man has to say. We’re not done discussing this, Fitzwilliam.”

He turned to march out the door, but Darcy got to his feet. “Actually, Father, there’s one more thing.”

He turned, annoyed. “What?”

“I love Miss Bennet, and as soon as she is prepared to say yes, I intend to ask her to marry me. And there is nothing you nor anyone else can do to persuade me otherwise.”

He heard Lizzie gasp beside him, but he kept his gaze trained on his father. In the end, the man merely shook his head and said, “We’ll continue to discuss this,” before leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Darcy slumped back down in his seat. “Well, that went well.”

“That wentsowell!” Georgiana cried, jumping up to hug them both.

“It did?” Lizzie asked. “I couldn’t tell.”

“I’m going to leave you for a moment,” Georgiana said, releasing them. “But if you need me for any reason, I’ll be just outside.” Then she winked at him.

“Oh dear, I think your sister believes that you intend to propose this very minute.”

Darcy reached out to grab Lizzie’s hand once more. “And would you say yes?”

She pursed her lips, and Darcy could see that she was mulling it over. Her hair was a mess, and her cheek was now starting to turn from a dark red to a deep plum shade. There was dirt on her nose and her gown was grass-stained and torn, in addition to the bloody slit in her dress where Agnes’s knife had grazed her.

She had never been so beautiful to him as she was in this moment.

“Not yet,” she said softly. “But I think I’ll be ready very soon.”

“I can live with very soon,” he said, leaning in to kiss her.

He felt her smile beneath his lips, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tight. “Good,” she whispered. “Because now that Lady Catherine is taken care of, we shall have all the time in the world.”

Twenty-Seven

In Which Lizzie Receives a Proper Proposal

Three Months Later

It was not a surprise, but Lizzie held her breath nonetheless while she waited for the final verdict.

“Guilty,” declared the judge, and the entire courtroom burst into cheers.

Below her stood Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the accused’s seat. Despite an entire courtroom celebrating her downfall, she held her head high. Her eyes roamed the courtroom, looking for something. Lizzie had a feeling she knew exactly what it was. Or rather, whom.