Page 75 of Count the Cost (The Secrets of Elizabeth Bennet #2)
D arcy could barely wait for the calling hour to arrive. He sat in his coach outside Longbourn’s gate, checking his watch frequently, despite Georgiana’s amusement. He had not seen Elizabeth for three days now, and was longing to see her.
The previous weeks had seemed long, but he had delighted in calling upon her at Oakfield, introducing her to his sister and watching Georgiana’s growing admiration for and comfort with his betrothed. And she now sat opposite him, smiling at his impatience.
Finally, his watch showed that they might drive to the house. These last two minutes would suffice.
As the door opened for them, he could hear the hour striking on the clock in the hallway and Georgiana giggled.
Then a cheerful uproar hit them, and he marvelled at it.
Life here was very different from the calm and dignity of Pemberley.
He wondered at how much he had missed, not knowing any differently during his childhood.
And Elizabeth was there, joy in her eyes, but her first move was towards his sister, who seemed a little overwhelmed, despite Elizabeth’s careful preparation of her the previous times they had seen her.
“Dearest Georgiana! How brave of you to attend the chaos of today. But I am hoping you might assist Jane, who is valiantly attempting to keep Mama from insisting on just a little more lace on my gown!”
Darcy saw Mr. and Mrs. Bingley standing behind Elizabeth, and rejoiced at Elizabeth’s thoughtfulness. Georgiana had stayed at Netherfield with him last night, and had been drawn in by Mrs. Bingley’s gentle kindness.
“Oh, thank you,” his sister took Elizabeth’s hand. “Are you sure you do not mind me seeing your gown without you? I know William desires to speak to you.”
“And I him, so do not worry, Georgiana. I will be up soon enough.”
And then, finally, he had Elizabeth’s undivided attention. “William. I have missed you.”
His heart swelled. One more day. One more. And then they need never be parted again. “Elizabeth,” he said reverently, lifting his hand to his lips. “It has seemed an eternity.”
She leaned against him with a contented sigh.
“I hope to remember tomorrow well, my love, but I confess I am impatient for the next hours to pass swiftly.” Her brow furrowed slightly.
“I do hope everyone will get home safely and that your sister will be content with your aunt and uncle for another month.”
“Lizzy!” Mrs. Bennet’s shriek echoed out to them, and Elizabeth sighed. “I am sorry, my love, I need to placate her with some of the ribbons I have brought with me for her own costume. I hope that will appease her. Perhaps you might go with Mr. Bingley and speak with Papa?”
“Of course, dearest.” He could deny her nothing. “But I hope we may steal a few quiet moments later to walk the gardens.”
She lifted herself on tiptoe, and brushed his cheek lightly with her lips. “I am not confident of it, but I will make every effort for us to be alone.”
Then she was gone, the featherlight touch of her on his cheek searing his heart. He stared after her.
“Mr. Darcy! I think you might join us in my library for a strong coffee, sir.” He knew he blushed at Mr. Bennet’s amused glance.
“I beg your pardon, sir. I did not observe you.”
“That was evident.” His future father-in-law clapped his shoulder to propel him to the library, where he found Bingley had already taken refuge. Miss Lydia and Miss Kitty’s voices from the sitting room rose in complaint, before the library door closed, muting the noise.
“Help yourself to the coffee. And you had better call me Bennet, since we are almost family.” The man sank back into his comfortable chair.
“And I am Darcy”, he responded, pouring himself a cup of coffee, the strong aroma already comforting.
He sank into the other chair, Bingley being in the more upright one, grinning at him.
“You can smile,” Darcy groused. “I remember your nerves, do you?”
“I do,” Bingley looked a little abashed. “But I am glad really that your cousin is standing up with you, and Miss Lucas with Elizabeth. Jane and I will like to stand beside each other and remember our day.”
Darcy nodded. “Elizabeth spoke to me about it. She thought you would both prefer that.”
“She is as thoughtful as her sister!” Bingley exclaimed. “I believe you will be a happy man.”
“I will, and my highest aim is to ensure Elizabeth’s happiness above all.” Darcy closed his eyes as he sipped his coffee, smiling as he thought of Elizabeth beside him forever.
An hour of desultory conversation later, Bennet sipped at his cup and grimaced at the cold liquid. “I suppose we had better brave the rest of the house and see what is happening. It has been suspiciously quiet for a while.”
Darcy smiled faintly; he had almost forgotten Georgiana in the peace of the library, knowing he trusted Elizabeth and her elder sister to ensure his sister’s well-being.
“I suppose you are right, sir. I would like to abduct Elizabeth for a short walk in the gardens, it seems a long time since I had the opportunity to talk to her peacefully.”
Bennet laughed. “I hope you are not intending too much in the way of peaceful conversation in the future, Darcy. Elizabeth is a lively conversationalist, full of ideas and excitement.”
“I love all of her, Bennet, especially her mind and wide-ranging curiosity.” Then he pulled himself together; Bingley and his wife did not know Elizabeth’s secret, and he must keep it safe. “Let us go and brave the house, as you suggested, sir.”
It was twenty minutes later that he was strolling with Elizabeth in the gardens, the pleasant spring weather sending a zephyr of a warm breeze across their faces.
They reached the end of the garden, and Elizabeth leaned against the low stone wall that separated it from an orchard, quite recently planted, he thought.
“I love this orchard,” Elizabeth said. “I think it was planted just after Papa inherited. I was about seven when I noticed how young the trees were, and that they were not as tall as Papa was. And I have memories of how swiftly they seem to have grown, and they were already bearing fruit at only a few years old. It is amazing to me. Look, the apple trees are already level with my bedchamber window, and the cherries are as tall as the chimneys! How fast they have grown.”
“And the blossom is full. It will be a good fruiting year.” Darcy said, swallowing the lump in his throat at the memory of his mother. He could tell her.
“When my mother felt the quickening of her first child, she collected an acorn from a venerable oak at Pemberley, and saved it. After I was born, on the first day she was permitted to leave the confinement chamber, she planted it in the middle of the great lawn that sweeps down from the house to the lake.” He smiled reminiscently.
“She told me, as soon as I was able to understand, that tall as the tree grew, so would her hopes for me.” He shivered. “I could hardly believe it lived on after her death.” Then he turned to Elizabeth.
“But it helps me remember her. It is already as tall as your cherry trees here, and the branches spread about twenty feet.” He smiled and took her hand tenderly.
“It is broad enough for us two to picnic comfortably in its shade, and our grandchildren will see a stately tree, rooted in true Derbyshire soil.”
A single tear stood in her eye, and he gently wiped it away.
“What a beautiful story, William. She must have loved you very much, and I am sure that she is looking down on you with the greatest of pride in her son and heir.” She took his hand.
“I am honoured that you have chosen me to stand beside you in her stead.”
He could not resist the intimacy of the moment, and slowly lowered his head towards her, searching her eyes for a sign of her welcome.
As they darkened, his lips touched hers in a silent salute.
“My mother would have loved you dearly, Elizabeth. My father too. Together, we can take Pemberley on into the future.”
He delighted in her closeness as they strolled slowly back to the noise and chaos within the house.
He shook his head slightly and smiled. Elizabeth was a marvel; content and composed wherever she was.
He looked forward to discovering more and more of her talent, her genius and her love over the coming weeks, months and years. And decades, he hoped.
As they entered, he was pleased to see that Elizabeth was delighted to welcome Miss Lucas into the house. As the two ladies greeted each other, he saw the lady handing Elizabeth a letter. “I think Lady Mildred believed you still to be at Oakfield, Eliza. This arrived on Tuesday.”
Elizabeth broke the seal and read the note swiftly.
“She sends her congratulations and best wishes.” She lifted the letter and planted a kiss on it.
“I can already see an improvement in her. Have you seen it, Charlotte, when she has called on us? I am glad we have a few weeks in the summer together, and I hope she will then be better prepared for the Little Season.”
Darcy nodded. “It was the best thing for her when Lady Palmer persuaded her father to wait the extra few months to come out.”
“I agree,” Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled, “and she and her sister were both pleased not to be in competition with each other.” She turned her gaze up to William. “And Lady Palmer has sent us a beautiful vase as a wedding gift. I will show you when we are back in town.”
He smiled down at her, loving her even more that she was as concerned with others on this day. Many brides would only be concerned with themselves.
He glanced at the sky. “I believe, dearest, that Georgiana and I should leave you to the rest of your preparations. My cousin Richard arrives this afternoon with his mother, and I would wish to be able to welcome them.”
“Of course you must go. I will go and tell Georgiana. I believe she is delighted with the extra ribbon for her own gown.”
“She is, indeed. She feels very special.”
“As she is.”
He watched as she hurried up the stairs.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow she will become my wife.
I can still hardly believe in my good fortune.
He remembered her emotion at the story of the oak that his mother had planted.
Soon, very soon, we will be together, she will be mine and I hers.
Like the steadfast strength of that tree, we will grow as a family together and will become as rooted and strong as the oak.