Page 52

E lizabeth stood in front of the mirror, struggling to compose herself as Georgiana admired her beauty.

“You look beautiful. Fitzwilliam is so impatient to see you,” she said with admiration.

“Georgiana, I feel nervous. I do not know why.”

“Please do not be. It will be a memorable evening for all of us, and all the attendees will be happy to hear the news. I have something for you; Fitzwilliam asked me to give this to you.”

She held a box out to Elizabeth, and she opened it. Inside was a beautiful pearl necklace of tiny pearls and crystals strung together.

“It belonged to my mother, and Fitzwilliam says it was her favorite piece of jewelry. He wants you to wear it for the ball if you wish to.”

“It is so beautiful, Georgiana. Thank you!”

“Will you wear it?”

Elizabeth immediately showed Georgiana what she planned to wear. She had decided to wear the only ornament she had as a memory of her mother. She explained to Georgiana that the chain with the emerald pendant belonged to her mother and explained the story behind it.

“It is beautiful, and I have not seen such a beautiful pendant. You must wear this then, as you wanted to.”

Elizabeth had chosen to wear the chain because she wanted her mother’s blessings and presence for the evening.

Even though she had never seen her mother before, she loved the woman who had given birth to her, and no matter how bitter the truth was that she was born an illegitimate child, she could not be angry with her mother.

“What if I wear both?” she asked Georgiana.

Georgiana immediately helped her wear both chains and artfully adjusted the lengths to suit Elizabeth’s neckline.

“Perfect,” she cried out of excitement.

“Both chains look lovely together and on you. I am certain Fitzwilliam will be mesmerized by your beauty,” Georgiana said.

Elizabeth liked her appearance as well. She thanked Georgiana again for her assistance and sat down. Georgiana and Lady Martha requested her to join them after all the guests arrived, and Darcy was aware of this and was impatient to see her.

Meanwhile, the guests had started to arrive for the ball. Georgiana and Darcy welcomed them, and they invited close acquaintances and tenants to the estate.

Miss Anderson made a grand appearance along with her parents. Her dress was too grand for the evening and looked jarring with the heavy necklace she wore. Lady Anderson was certain that Darcy would propose to her soon.

Meanwhile, Lord Ashton and his wife were not in the best spirits. Lady Isabella walked around the room conversing with acquaintances to socialize; however, the children were excited to see the decorations and ran around the room.

“Grandma, where is Miss Smith? Is she not attending the ball?” Edmund asked with disappointment.

“Well, she will be here soon,” Lady Martha replied, impatient for the announcement.

Lord Anderson noticed that Darcy was not his usual self.

“You seem restless tonight, Fitzwilliam,” Lord Ashton observed.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, since you are the host, no one will force you to dance if you do not want to,” he said with a laugh. The Ashtons knew very well that he did not enjoy these gatherings.

“I assure you; I look forward to dancing tonight,” he declared.

Miss Anderson and her mother smiled at each other, anticipating his request for the first dance with Miss Anderson.

Most acquaintances had arrived, and Darcy nodded at Georgiana. She immediately excused herself and headed upstairs to Elizabeth’s room.

“Shall we leave now that almost all the guests have arrived? Edmund and Emily have been impatient to know where you are, and I must say my brother is giving them stiff competition.”

Elizabeth laughed and was grateful for Georgiana’s support since arriving at Pemberley. The young girl suddenly played a vital role in her relationship with Darcy.

Elizabeth headed downstairs to the ballroom with Georgiana, feeling confident.

The vast ballroom was filled with happy faces of tenants and acquaintances.

The decor was not flamboyant, and everything looked warm and inviting.

Georgiana led Elizabeth towards Lady Martha, who sat with the children.

Emily and Edmund immediately ran towards Elizabeth, and she was equally excited to see them.

“Miss Smith, I am so happy to be at the ball. Will you dance with me?” Edmund asked innocently.

“Of course I will.”

“My dear, be careful with your promises,” Lady Martha said with a wink and continued, “You look gorgeous, and I cannot wait for the evening to commence.”

Elizabeth smiled, and her eyes searched for Darcy.

Meanwhile, Darcy had witnessed every movement she had made since entering the room. He stood with the men, oblivious to the conversation.

For Darcy, Elizabeth was a vision in her elegant gown and sparkling eyes. He noticed she wore the chain he had given her and was elated to see his mother’s jewel on her neck.

The moment she saw the children, she kneeled to converse with them, and Darcy realized that his mother always did the same when she was around children. He longed to break away from his party and join the women.

A few more minutes of patience , he thought to himself.

At that moment, he noticed Elizabeth searching for him. She seemed to be scanning the crowd to locate him, and Darcy smiled to himself.

He was pleased they could finally leave all formality behind and meet as an engaged couple.

“He is standing to your left,” Georgiana whispered to Elizabeth, and she found it very difficult to look in his direction. She slowly looked at him, and they locked their eyes. Darcy smiled at her, slightly nodding, and Elizabeth immediately looked away.

Lady Martha saw their exchange and smiled. Then she asked Elizabeth to sit beside her.

“Elizabeth, Fitzwilliam plans to make the announcement soon, and when he does, I will lead you to him. Is that all right?” she asked.

Elizabeth agreed, understanding how people around her cared for each aspect of her comfort and well-being.

Miss Anderson finally noticed her appearance and felt jealous.

“Mamma, look at her dress. I wonder where she got the funds to purchase that?” she said to her mother with displeasure.

“I have a good idea; your aunt must have bought it for her. I do not know why an employee is given such importance in Ashton Park. I think it is because of the children; she has somehow charmed them, and the entire family holds her in high regard. I cannot stand that girl, an orphan, a nobody who always accompanies us everywhere. I cannot stand her,” she sneered.

Just then, Darcy walked towards the center of the ballroom, and slowly, the conversations died, and there was silence.

Elizabeth held her breath, and finally, the moment arrived.

Darcy knew precisely where she stood and kept his gaze on her, communicating everything he felt, and started his speech.

“I thank you all for being here this evening to be a part of the harvest ball and our family’s tradition of celebrating the hard work put in throughout the harvest season.

This celebration is very close to my heart every year as my mother always enjoyed meeting all the tenants during these festivities.

Somehow, this year, I miss the presence of my parents more than before.

I take this opportunity this evening to make an important announcement. ”

He paused, and Elizabeth held her breath. The crowd murmured, unable to wait patiently.

“I have been fortunate to have all of you grace this evening, as most of you have known me since childhood. With great happiness and pride, I announce my engagement with Miss Elizabeth Smith.”

His statement stunned the crowd, and Lady Martha led Elizabeth forward to join Darcy. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, unable to believe the moment.

“Miss Smith and I are engaged and are to be married soon. She has made me the happiest man on earth by accepting my proposal, and we seek all your good wishes for our union.”

The silent crowd slowly started whispering, and Elizabeth feared the worst, but what she heard next caught her off guard.

“We are delighted for you, Mr. Darcy,” yelled someone from the crowd. Elizabeth recognized it as one of the tenants; she had met the family often.

People expressed their wishes one by one, and unanimously, the crowd started clapping in joy.

Elizabeth and Darcy were elated by their response, and Georgiana joined them in congratulating the couple. Lady Martha stepped forward and addressed the gathering.

“I thank all of you for your wishes, and as a close friend of the Darcys, I am truly happy for this engagement. Miss Smith is a part of the Ashton family, and her wedding with Mr. Darcy would be considered a family affair, and we look forward to the wedding preparations.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Lady Martha hugged Elizabeth and kissed her cheek. Darcy and Elizabeth had just a few seconds to themselves before acquaintances started moving towards them to offer their wishes.

“I love you, Elizabeth. We no longer have to hide our relationship,” Darcy whispered.

“I have no words to say; I am overwhelmed.”

Just then, Lord Ashton and Lady Isabella joined them.

“Fitzwilliam, this is indeed a surprise, and I am certain my mother was aware of your engagement, but I am truly delighted. Congratulations to both of you. Miss Smith, as my mother mentioned, we consider this a wedding of the Ashton family, and we will be in charge of the wedding as the bride’s side. ”

Elizabeth was touched by his words and thanked him wholeheartedly. She was surprised when Lady Isabella wished her well without animosity.