Page 48

A fter many years, Darcy finally understood what he had been missing in life.

The one word uttered by Elizabeth, agreeing to be a part of his life and future, gave him the happiness he had missed since his mother’s death.

He held her close to his chest, unable to express his sense of contentment and peace.

That morning, he had ridden in the hope of finding her on one of the trails, and the moment he saw Elizabeth, he wanted to confront her about everything.

He had no idea about the outcome of the meeting, but now, his heart felt lighter after weeks of torment.

However, Elizabeth was still crying, and he could not digest her distress.

“Elizabeth, please do not cry. I can no longer bear it,” he cried.

She looked up at him with her tear-stained face; it was evident to him that she had been crying the whole night.

“Since yesterday, I assumed you had returned with a change of heart. I misjudged the anger in your eyes,” she said with distress.

“I was angry because you chose to hide your love.”

“Are you still angry with me?”

“No, but you could have spared us the misery of being apart. I have no words to express my happiness now that we are engaged. However, I need your permission to do something.”

Elizabeth looked at him with confusion.

“I left Hertfordshire fighting the urge to confront your so-called parents; now it is time.”

“But… but…”

“Elizabeth, I know you struggled with your disguise; I have often seen the discomfort and sadness in your eyes and wondered what it could be. You do not have to be Miss Smith anymore, and the people who caused you so much misery must pay for it.”

“What do you want to do?”

“The way they treated you and their plans to ruin you are offenses that cannot be pardoned, and that toad Mr. Collins, I will not spare him.”

As for Elizabeth, everything moved too fast, and she understood that if she married Darcy, she would have to leave the position of governess. She wanted to marry him, but she was certain she could not move on so easily.

“I do not know how much Mary revealed to you. There is so much I need to discuss with you.”

“Tell me.”

“Even though I did not want to stay with Mr. Gardiner, he is my uncle, and I am very close to my aunt. They must know about our engagement, and I still have many questions about my past.”

Darcy understood her struggle.

“Lady Martha already knows my true identity; I declared it to her the day I arrived in Ashton Park.”

Darcy looked at her with surprise at the new piece of information.

“I do not know what to say. You have suffered too long with all of this. We can head to her right away and discuss what needs to be done,” he said, not wanting to waste an instant.

Elizabeth was silent.

“Elizabeth, what is it? You agreed to marry me, and I promise you no longer have to worry or be afraid of anyone. I will stand by you in any hurdles that come our way. Why do you hesitate?”

“Because I still don’t know so much about my past. I do not doubt your love for me, and I cannot express how happy I am to be your wife, but I cannot be at peace unless I know what exactly happened to my mother. Without that, confronting my parents will not do any good.”

“We can head to town, and I have sources to find out the truth about your mother. I understand how you feel; I do not want to force you to forget everything in the past and live with me happily because you agreed to marry me. Shall we head to Lady Martha now? I am not willing to procrastinate anymore.”

“Can we keep our engagement to ourselves for a few more days?” Elizabeth asked.

“Good God. Why?” Darcy asked in shock.

“Because I want us to have some time to ourselves without the privy of society.”

“I don’t think I can stay in the same room with you once again, staring at you from a distance, unable to let the world know what you mean to me,” Darcy cried in agony.

“Can you give me, give us, a few more days? We need time for ourselves before we let the world know.” Elizabeth pleaded.

As much as Darcy wanted to head to Ashton Park with her and declare their engagement, he understood Elizabeth’s hesitance.

“Elizabeth, honestly, I do not want to. But I agree that we may need time to ourselves.”

Elizabeth was grateful that he understood her reasoning.

“Oh no! It is already late; I need to head back now,” Elizabeth said, realizing that someone may come looking for her. Darcy still had his arms wrapped around her protectively.

“How long do you want us to keep our engagement a secret? Even though I agreed, I am not happy to part from you.”

“I do not know, maybe a few days. I must leave now; someone may come looking for me,” she said. Finally, aware of her closeness to him, she blushed and tried to move away from Darcy, but he held her firmly.

“How do you expect us to speak in privacy?” he asked.

“I do not know. Maybe I can meet you in the mornings like today.”

Darcy did not reply; he looked at her with adoration, not wanting to part.

“You have become a part of me since the day I met you near the falls. I cannot find words to express the happiness you have brought me by accepting my hand. Please trust me; I will keep you safe and happy forever,” he said affectionately.

She saw his eyes moisten and bravely touched his cheek.

“I love you!” she said with feeling, and Darcy pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head. They felt a sense of tranquility after so many months of torment.

“I cannot wait until tomorrow morning to see you. I will accompany Georgiana today and visit Ashton Park,” Darcy said, soaking himself in her warmth.

Elizabeth smiled, happy at the thought of seeing him again in a few hours.

“I must go,” she said softly.

Darcy reluctantly let go of her. He wanted to take her back on his horse but decided to accompany her to the end of the trail and walk along with his horse.

Elizabeth watched him move away from her and keep his distance as they walked toward the end of the trail.

She smiled and nodded at him.

“Are you certain you do not want me to accompany you to Ashton Park?” he asked, somehow concerned.

“Yes. I know my way back,” she said and left him.

“I will see you soon,” Darcy said, unable to let her out of his sight. He was aware that she was only ten minutes away from Ashton Park, but yet he did not want to let her walk alone.

He rode back to Pemberley with happiness, feeling elated.

Georgiana noticed his broad smile as he entered the breakfast parlor that morning.

“Good morning, brother. You seem in happy spirits,” she said, noticing his smile.

He had to fight hard not to reveal the news to Georgiana.

“I was so happy when you surprised me with your return; now I look forward to the ball,” she said with excitement.

“Georgiana, I suggest we invite the Ashtons and their guests to stay with us before the ball, as it would be convenient for them.”

Georgiana agreed. Meanwhile, Elizabeth reached Ashton Park and hurried to prepare for the day.

She could not concentrate on anything, as she was overwhelmed by her meeting with Darcy.

Elizabeth could not come to terms with reality, and the fact that Darcy loved her despite everything about her past brought her so much happiness that she could not believe how her life had changed so quickly.

I am engaged!

She could not believe she was engaged to him and was equally worried about how everyone would take the news: the Ashtons, her uncle, and society in general.

She was grateful to Darcy for understanding her plight and struggles and her desire to unravel the mystery of her birth.

Elizabeth realized the depth of his affection for her and could not forgive herself for the torment she had caused him.

She could not believe fate had brought them together through Mary.

I must write to Mary; she must be extremely worried.

However, she hurried downstairs, aware that she was late. Lady Martha noticed the change in her demeanor from the previous day and smiled, unaware of the developments.

“Good morning, my dear,” she greeted Elizabeth with warmth.

“Good morning, madam.”

“I assume your morning walk was refreshing.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Only a few more weeks; it gets very cold here during winter. You must get accustomed to entertaining yourself indoors, even though the children like to play in the snow.”

Elizabeth finally realized that her life was about to be altered again, but for the good.

She knew that she would miss the children, and it would be difficult for them to allow her to leave.

She sat with the children for their lessons, unable to concentrate on anything.

She constantly reminded herself that her meeting with Darcy that morning was not a delusion.

As expected, Georgiana joined her around mid-morning and sat with them as Elizabeth continued their lessons.

“Miss Smith, my brother, and I would like to invite all of you to stay at Pemberley before the ball.”

Elizabeth was surprised at the request.

“We think it would be convenient for the children and, of course, for all of you to stay with us before the ball on Saturday. Will you stay?” she asked, as Elizbeth had not visited Pemberley for a long time despite persistent requests by Georgiana.

Elizabeth did not know how to reply.

“Yes… yes, of course. It would be convenient for the children, I am certain.”

Georgiana was elated to have Elizabeth willing to stay at Pemberley, unaware she would be a part of Pemberley permanently.

Elizabeth knew Darcy had accompanied her, so she did not dare ask Georgiana about his whereabouts.

As much as she wanted to see Darcy again, she was unsure about her temperament around him.

As she contemplated, they heard a knock, and Darcy entered. Elizabeth immediately stood but was unable to meet his eye.

“Good morning, Miss Smith,” Darcy said, looking at her keenly.