Page 53

“Congratulations, Miss Smith. We will miss your presence in Ashton Park, especially the children,” she said with feeling.

Elizabeth was surprised by her words, as they were heartfelt.

One by one, Darcy’s acquaintances congratulated them.

Edmund and Emily were overjoyed as their nanny explained the news to them.

They were too innocent to understand that Elizabeth would not be their governess soon.

Georgiana and Lady Martha stood with the couple as they patiently interacted with everyone.

If at all anyone wanted to spread negativity about the match, they were unable to, as Lady Martha’s evident support for the couple ensured that the match was approved by the closest friend of Darcy’s mother.

The wishes from the tenants meant more to Darcy.

Most of them were acquainted with Elizabeth, and he could see that they were truly happy for the couple.

Lady Martha wondered where Lord Anderson was.

Miss Anderson and her mother were also missing from the crowd.

Mr. Anderson whispered to her what had happened during the announcement.

Lady Anderson and her daughter had never expected Darcy’s speech to contain the news about his engagement.

As he announced his engagement to Elizabeth, Miss Anderson held her mother’s hand, about to faint.

They could not believe the news, and as Darcy announced his forthcoming marriage, Miss Anderson fumed inside, not knowing how to react.

She could not contain her anger and disappointment.

“What nonsense is this? He has insulted me. Mother, I cannot believe this,” she cried. Fortunately, the applause started at the same moment, and no one heard her except her father.

“Beatrice, what is wrong with you? I will not have you behave this way,” Lord Anderson warned her.

“Do not dare to utter a word more to my daughter. That man has betrayed her. How could he make this announcement? I will not have it; I must stop this,” Lady Anderson cried.

When they heard Lady Martha’s speech supporting the engagement, they felt devastated. Miss Anderson could no longer bear it and ran out of the ballroom. Her parents followed her upstairs to her room, and she felt cheated.

Understanding what had happened, Lady Martha shook her head with displeasure.

She knew that her niece favored Darcy and understood that her sentiments were based on his wealth and looks; she had no affection for Darcy.

She knew her brother would handle the matter at that point and chose to stay by Elizabeth’s side.

Within minutes, the music started, and Darcy led Elizabeth onto the dance floor to begin the dance. The other couples did not join them, wanting to give the first few minutes to them. Darcy was happy to be with her finally.

“Amidst all this, I am truly sorry for not mentioning this before. You look beautiful as ever, and if I stammered during the announcement, it was because of you,” he said as they started the dance.

As for Elizabeth, the man she had met to be proud and non-expressive now surprised her through his words and actions.

“You look very handsome as well. Maybe I must direct the compliment towards your valet,” she said, mocking him.

Darcy smiled as she had a way to make him smile, irrespective of the situation and place.

“I am truly happy to wear your mother’s chain this evening. It was so thoughtful of you. Thank you!”

She quickly explained the history behind the other chain she wore, and Darcy was happy that she had something as a memory of her mother. In his heart, he wanted her to have everything apart from his love and protection.

They were oblivious to everyone around them, and as the music progressed, the other couples joined them on the dance floor.

“You will leave tomorrow; what will I do after that?” Darcy asked with irritation.

“Go about your routine as you usually do,” she replied.

“It has been many months since thoughts about you have occupied my entire day. Now that we are engaged, it will be even more difficult to part with you.”

“We shall be married soon, and I assure you it has not been easy for me. This evening has been truly wonderful; you have given me everything, Fitzwilliam. Honestly, you are my everything,” she said, and Darcy noticed her eyes moisten.

He longed to kiss her then and there but controlled his emotions.

“I love you!” he whispered as the first set ended.

He was surprised to find many acquaintances wanting to dance with Elizabeth and reluctantly left her side.

“It is indeed a pleasure to watch you both dance. Is Elizabeth happy? I could sense that she was stressed,” Lady Martha observed to him.

“She is; I am certain she was nervous about the announcement, but I must thank you for your support. Lady Martha, we need to leave for London soon. I want to meet Elizabeth’s uncle as soon as possible, and my sources are already working on knowing more about her family’s past.”

“I understand. I hope this visit helps her find what she is looking for. As much as it seems like a good choice to get married and leave, she has a point. Given how she left her home, it would make sense to have the engagement properly announced to her family and friends and then get married. She is very sensible for her age, and I am so proud of you both. I do not know if I had this maturity when I got engaged.”

Darcy nodded and looked around for Lord Anderson.

“Forgive me, where are Lord Anderson and his family?” he asked.

“Well, at present, they are upstairs, but I am certain my brother will join us soon,” Lady Martha said, and from the look on her face, he understood the circumstance. He respected Lord Anderson greatly but did not want to waste time contemplating why his family had left the gathering.

Elizabeth was still dancing with Lord Ashton, and he was happy to see her smile. According to Darcy, the evening was perfect.

Edmund and Emily enjoyed the celebration and all the attention they received from the guests. It was past their bedtime, and their nanny took them upstairs as they began to feel tired.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Miss Anderson cried uncontrollably.

“Mamma, break off this engagement. I cannot stand him marrying that servant; I just cannot. How could this be possible?”

“I do not know Beatrice, dear; maybe she compromised him.”

“Enough!” yelled Lord Anderson.

“For the past hour, I have been trying to talk some sense into you both. We are merely guests here, and your behavior is beyond acceptable. You do not have any relationship with Mr. Darcy; as far as I know, he has not conversed with you beyond a few words. You are upset because your mother has entertained your thoughts in this matter. Are you both not ashamed?”

“Why should we be ashamed? Mr. Darcy is marrying a servant, and your sister supports this match. Had she secured the match for Beatrice, none of this would have happened. And what about you? Do you even care about our daughter’s future? Don’t you want her to be well settled?”

“First of all, Miss Smith is not a servant, nor is my sister yours, to act as a puppet for your wishes. I want Beatrice to marry for love and to live well, not for money and status. I still keep forgetting that she has taken after you,” he cried.

Lady Anderson froze upon hearing his words.

“Listen to me, Augusta. The Darcys deserve an apology from you both. Some people witnessed your unfortunate display, and I will not let us ruin our relationship with Mr. Darcy. Come down with me now.”

“For what? To congratulate them? Can you not see your daughter’s state? She is devastated. Poor girl, she imagined to be the mistress of Pemberley. This is unfair. Won’t you not do anything?”

Lord Anderson was fed up and tried his best to convince his wife and daughter, but both were adamant.

“Mamma, I even made friends with his sister, although she always talks about books and music. I spent so much of my time with her. Why did he not propose to me? Why did he have to do this?”

“Do not cry, Beatrice, dear. Your father will not do anything, but I will. I will ensure he understands what sort of a woman he plans to marry, a nobody, a servant with no social standing,” she cried and stood.

Her husband stopped her from stomping out of the room.

“Listen to me. I will not allow you to ruin their night anymore. You are not to leave this room, and we will leave Pemberley at first light. I do not know why we traveled here this year; both of you see nothing but wealth. Unfortunately, Mr. Darcy sees character and intelligence, and I am humiliated by your display today. I warn you, if you try anything untoward, you will face my wrath,” he cried and left the room.

He wanted to head to the ballroom but was not in a state to be among the others.

He headed to his room and poured a glass of wine.

The way his family had behaved distressed him beyond measure. However, he was extremely surprised by Darcy’s sudden announcement.

He must really love her.

In truth, he felt very happy for Elizabeth, not just because she was marrying well; he could sense that she was marrying for love. He poured another glass of wine, understanding he had to show up downstairs soon. He did not want to embarrass his sister as well.

By the time he reached the ballroom, it was half past twelve. Most of the guests had left, but the tenants still danced, not wanting the night to end.

Lord Anderson searched for his sister and spotted Lady Martha with Georgiana. She inquired about her niece and sister.

“I apologize, they did cause a scene, but I assure you, not many noticed them.”

“Mark, I do not know what to say. Please do not mistake my intentions; I knew Beatrice and Augusta favored this match. I often hinted that Fitzwilliam was not inclined to marry for status, and I did not know they had hoped for his proposal. I was aware of his engagement a couple of days ago, and we decided to keep it between us until this evening, which is why I did not inform you. I did not even tell Philip; you can ask him.”

“I do not doubt you. I am truly happy for her. Mr. Darcy is a fine gentleman, and I am certain they will be happy.”

Just then, Darcy joined them. Lord Anderson congratulated him and mentioned that his wife and daughter had retired for the night, and Darcy did not question further.

“Where is Miss Smith?” Lord Anderson asked, wanting to congratulate her.

“She was conversing with one of the tenants.” They spotted her standing by the refreshments at the end of the room.

Lord Anderson and Darcy excused themselves and walked towards her. However, the housekeeper interrupted Darcy regarding one of the guests, and Lord Anderson walked towards Elizabeth, as Darcy was in a deep discussion with Mrs. Reynolds.

Elizabeth had a great evening, but she was tired from all the dancing. Darcy had requested that she retire if she was tired, but she did not want to. She wanted to stay with Georgiana and Darcy until the end of the night.

Lord Anderson’s sudden arrival surprised her. She turned around and looked at him in surprise as he addressed her.

“Miss Smith, allow me to offer you my heartiest wishes for your engagement with Mr. Darcy. I am truly delighted with the news; congratulations,” he said.

“I thank you, sir,” she replied, wondering where his family was.

“If I may ask, when is the wedding?”

“We have not decided on a date yet, and I hope you can stay until then.”

“I am not certain. We plan to return to Scotland next week as I have a business to attend to...” Lord Anderson could not complete his sentence.

His eyes fell on the chain she wore, and he could not believe his eyes. When he saw the emerald pendant, he froze, and Elizabeth could not make anything of his countenance.

“Sir, forgive me, you were saying?” she asked in confusion.

Lord Anderson looked at her with a ghastly expression.

“Who gave you that chain?” he asked, trembling.

Elizabeth instinctively touched her mother’s chain, and she saw that Lord Anderson recognized the pendant from the look on his face.

“It...it belongs to my mother.”

“What is her name?” he asked piercingly.

Elizabeth began to tremble and felt giddy.

“Why…Why do you ask?” she asked finally.

“Tell me, what is her name?” he asked, his tone nothing but threatening.

This man must know my mother. Good God!

She did not need further confirmation after hearing Lord Anderson’s words.

“Are you Sarah’s daughter?” he asked, his eyes blazing with anger.