Page 35 of Sketching Mr. Darcy
“Are you cold, Elizabeth?” he asked in a low voice, and she replied with a weak, “No.”
“Now, let me help you with your gloves,” he said, after which he donned his own and then offered her his arm and continued their walk as if nothing had happened.
The others in the party seemed oblivious to their interactions, except that the colonel teased Darcy several times about being more mindful of the shrubbery.
The walk lasted more than an hour, and they returned home, delighted, chilled, and eagerly awaiting dinner.
The colonel declined an invitation and hurried to his house while all three ladies went to their rooms to change.
Lucky ran past Elizabeth’s feet and did not stop until he reached his place by the fire in her chamber, falling asleep immediately.
***
When they shortly reunited in the dining room, it was past their usual hour for dinner. Miss Darcy’s cheeks were still red, and even Mrs Annesley expressed her delight with the walk. Elizabeth and Darcy faced each other at the dinner table, exchanging glances occasionally.
The first courses were served, and they all paid undivided attention to their plates. Then the beefsteak was brought in, and as they enjoyed it, Mrs Annesley said, “How is it possible that this dish improves day by day.”
“I agree, but I believe it must be that the walk increased our appetite,” Miss Darcy agreed with good humour.
“The reason for your greater enjoyment of the steak might also be that Elizabeth suggested the addition of some new ingredients,” Darcy intervened with a sip from his glass of wine.
“Or perhaps Georgiana is right—it is the result of our walking so long in the wintry weather. That also does wonders for the appetite,” Elizabeth replied with a slightly embarrassed laugh. “I also agree with Mrs Annesley: all the food is excellent in this house. ”
At the end of the meal, dessert was presented on an elegant tray. Miss Darcy looked at it and smiled. “Oh, it seems Mrs Carlton has decided to surprise us. I expected cheesecake, but she made apple pie. Quite delightful, I am sure.”
Elizabeth glanced meaningfully at Darcy, and he smiled and said nothing. He then asked for a large slice of pie and began to eat it when, only few moments later, he stopped and gazed at Elizabeth, surprise in his expression.
“This pie is exceedingly delicious,” Mrs Annesley said.
“Indeed it is,” said Georgiana. “And it is different from the pie Mrs Carlton made last week. I would not say that last week’s was less delicious, but this has a special taste that seems familiar, but I cannot recollect from where. I will have another slice, please.”
“The pie is truly different,” Darcy said with surprising seriousness. “It seems similar to the apple pie we used to eat at Pemberley a few years ago.”
“Oh, that is so true! What an extraordinary surprise! I was just saying yesterday that I miss that pie. This is such a wonderful coincidence! How did Mrs Carlton know?”
“Elizabeth asked Mrs Carlton to bake this pie. She gave her a special recipe, and I must ask you, Elizabeth, where you obtained it. How did you know?” His gaze rested on Elizabeth. His countenance was unreadable, and Elizabeth forced a nervous laugh.
“Oh, it is nothing of consequence. As you know, my Aunt Gardiner lived in Lambton in her youth. She had a great aunt who seemed to have been a cook with the magic touch. Aunt Gardiner said this aunt also worked for Lady Anne a few years. My aunt enjoys cooking whenever she has time, using the recipes from her late great aunt, and I often stayed with her and helped out. So when I heard you speaking of the pie, I thought I might give it a try. I am very happy you like it, but the merits for the execution are entirely Mrs Carlton’s. ”
“Auntie Teresa was Mrs Gardiner’s aunt?” asked Darcy.
“ We all remember her! Everybody at Pemberley used to call her Auntie Teresa, and she was indeed the best cook I have ever known. This is quite shocking.” He stared at Elizabeth, his countenance troubled and slightly pale. “Is such a coincidence possible?”
“Indeed it is, just as I made Lady Anne’s acquaintance ten years ago. Fate is so astonishing!”
“Elizabeth, thank you so much. That was so thoughtful of you,” Georgiana said with obvious emotion. “A wonderful surprise, indeed.”
“You are most welcome.” Elizabeth smiled at Miss Darcy and Mrs Annesley, but she felt her husband’s intense gaze. She turned to meet his eyes a few times, but she could read little in his preoccupied expression.
Dinner ended quite late, and Georgiana declared she would retire to her room as she was quite tired. Mrs Annesley wondered that she had resisted so long as she was exhausted, and so their lovely evening came to an end.
Elizabeth returned to her apartment on her husband’s arm. When they reached her rooms, Darcy opened the door for her and followed her inside. In the middle of the chamber, he stopped and took her hands in his, a warm smile on his face, his look bright with delight.
“I must thank you for everything that happened today, Elizabeth. In truth, I cannot remember when I last had such a wonderful time.”
“There is nothing to thank me for. I confess I had a lovely time, too.”
“Yes, but it is more than that. Besides having a pleasant time together, you proved once again that your presence is valuable to all of us. You spared time to talk with the servants, and then you took the trouble to surprise my sister—and me—preparing something for us that we remembered from our childhood. I cannot say how grateful I am.”
He was still holding her hands, and his thumbs gently caressed her fingers. She allowed herself to enjoy the special sensation, her cheeks crimson and a smile curving her lips.
“I only did what I felt was right, and please believe me that both tasks gave me pleasure, although in a different way.”
“You are very thoughtful and generous with the other’s feelings.”
“That is not true, I am afraid,” she said laughing, her voice slightly nervous. “But I think it is one of the greatest advantages of marriage: there is at least one gentleman—your husband—who has vowed to always speak favourably of you and compliment you.”
“I truly hope you will find other advantages to marriage,” he replied in earnest, his fingers caressing hers as they gazed at each other.
“I know I already have… And for this I have to thank you again. Do not think me oblivious to the difficulty of the last two weeks for you, Elizabeth. To have to enter so unexpectedly into a hasty marriage, to leave your parents and your sisters and all the places you love and move into a new home with people you do not know, far from your relatives—I can only imagine what you have been through. And yet, here you are, behaving graciously, bearing my relatives’ questions, and adjusting to the plans made by others after you spent so many years with the freedom to do what you liked.
I do not know whether any other woman would bear all these things in such a remarkable way.
I was right that I could not possibly find a better wife, and not for a moment do I regret that I insisted this marriage take place. ”
He was solemn, his dark gaze deepened, and she felt her cheeks and neck flush.
She attempted to laugh with little success as she answered: “It is no surprise that you are right, Mr Darcy; you always are. We all know that.” She then turned more serious.
“I shall not deny that I had a very difficult fortnight, and I do miss my family very much. I am anxious to see them, and I count the days until they arrive in town. I am not oblivious to your efforts in this marriage either, William. And I must say that, at this moment, I do not regret that I accepted your proposal, and I have great hopes that things will become even better.”
For some moments there was complete silence, disturbed only by the sound of the fire burning forcefully and the wind outside while they remained still in the middle of the chamber, their hands and eyes held in silent communion.
“I shall leave you to sleep now,” he eventually said without moving. He hesitated an instant, then his eyes narrowed, and the shade of a smile played on his lips.
“Elizabeth, would you mind if I kissed you?”
His words took her so completely by surprise that her heart nearly stopped, only to start racing wildly afterwards.
“I… No… I mean—I do not mind.” She managed to hold his gaze for only a moment longer, enough to see a warm smile light his face as he leant slowly towards her.
She averted her eyes then closed them and waited, breathless.
She could feel his warmth move closer, and his lips burned her skin long before they actually touched her.
Slowly, as gently as a caress barely felt, his lips touched her left cheek near the corner of her lips.
She stopped breathing, and her heart beat so strongly that she was certain he could hear it.
His lips were soft and delicate, lingering on her skin a little while before they tenderly moved to her other cheek.
It was a sensation she had not felt before, and she waited eagerly, wondering whether there was more.
But he withdrew a little, smiling at her, and kissed the back of her hands.
“Good night, Elizabeth. Have a restful sleep,” he said warmly then left the room and slowly closed the connecting doors after him.
Alone in the middle of her room, Elizabeth looked at the closed door then touched the places on her skin where his lips had rested.
Sometime later, lying in her bed with the blanket wrapped tightly around her, just before she fell soundly asleep, Elizabeth wondered whether she had wished her husband a good night.