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“Because everything changes, you never cared for her like you do now. And that girl who acted as though she despised you and did not want anything from you now behaves the opposite way. Can’t you see, everything is an act?

She made you believe that she was innocent and trapped you, just like her mother. ”

“Enough! I will not have you say a word against Elizabeth or Sarah. You are pushing me beyond the limit, and I do not know when my patience will run out.”

“What will you do, Mark, if it runs out?”

“I have committed many mistakes in life before, and don’t be the sole reason for me to commit another which may impact our lives forever.”

“What do you mean?” she asked in horror.

“You very well know what I mean,” he said, leaving the room as his wife sank into the chair in despair.

***

Elizabeth was surprised when a servant requested her presence in Lady Anderson’s room one afternoon.

She wondered what the matter was and was well aware that her father was not in the house.

When she entered, she saw her countenance brimming with anger and resentment. Her eyes were cold and spiteful.

“I understand that you wish to see me,” Elizabeth said, trying to keep calm.

“Do not think I will fall for your act like my husband. I know women like you very well; you were nobody a month ago, and now you want to claim the position of Lord Anderson’s daughter. You want me and my daughter to vanish from his life, don’t you?”

“Please be sensible in your accusations; I never wanted any of this.”

“Then what happened in London that changed your mind? You are marrying the most eligible man in the entire country; you have his wealth and status at your disposal. Why can’t you leave my husband alone?

We should have been in Scotland by now, but I cannot make him leave this place, all because of you. ”

“You know very well that he will leave with you soon. You are his family; he will never forsake you because of me.”

“He already has; he cannot look at us like before; he prioritizes only you and is planning this stupid engagement party to satisfy your pride. You want to prove to the world that my daughter and I have no place in his life, and that is why you have agreed to this.”

“I am sorry you feel this way, but that is not my intention, and I need not speak on behalf of Lord Anderson. Having lived with him all these years, you must better understand his character.”

“Ask him to cancel this party, now. I do not care about your marriage with Mr. Darcy anymore; with the amount of people you have hurt, I doubt whether you can ever be happy in the future.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath and composed herself.

“I can see that you perceive me as a threat, but I am not. You may not trust him; of course, you have your reasons, but I do. He will never forsake you or your daughter, nor will his regard lessen because of me,” she said and turned to leave.

“Beatrice wants to end her life,” Lady Anderson cried with pain.

“What?”

“Yes, she always talks about it, my poor innocent girl. She cannot bear to see you with her father, and the very mention of your name pains her. If something happens to her, you are responsible, and do not doubt me; I will not spare your life if my daughter hurts herself because of you. Promise me, this party will not happen, nor will he make any official announcement about you.”

“I hope you can protect Miss Anderson from making a foolish decision, and I apologize as I cannot make any promise of this kind,” she said and headed to Lady Martha without wasting time.

Lady Anderson’s words worried her, and she wondered if the party should be canceled. Lady Martha listened keenly to what Elizabeth had to say.

“And do you think you are the only one she has threatened this way?” she asked Elizabeth.

“I do not understand.”

“Since you left for town, time and again, she has been saying the same to me. And she has threatened Mark with the same.”

“It is not easy to brush this aside. What if Miss Anderson does something to herself.”

“I am not brushing it aside. I care about Beatrice, too, but this is an empty threat. After your marriage, they will be in better spirits once they return to Scotland. I can understand their animosity towards you, but they must accept that you are Mark’s daughter, and his relationship with you can never be broken. ”

“Somehow, I am worried; maybe I must speak with my father and see if we can cancel this party.”

“Do not be ridiculous, Elizabeth. You are worrying for nothing. I will address this matter with Mark, but if he knows that Lady Anderson had this conversation with you, he might get furious.”

“Oh! Yes, please do not mention that I said anything. I am just worried as I do not want my happiness to be a cause for someone else’s misery,” Lady Martha smiled, admiring her niece more than ever.

The engagement party was fast approaching, and the large party of guests was expected to arrive a few days before the party.

Georgiana requested Elizabeth’s assistance in making some arrangements.

Elizabeth decided to spend some time in Pemberley helping her, and Lord Anderson and Lady Martha accompanied her one morning to visit the estate.

Though Darcy and Georgiana had frequently visited Ashton Park, this was Elizabeth’s first visit to Pemberley after their return from town.

Darcy and Elizabeth struggled to maintain composure amongst the others, as the wedding was just around the corner. At the same time, Darcy longed to be alone with her but understood very well why Lady Martha had made an effort to accompany Elizabeth.

Once they had tea, the men left to the study, and Georgiana took Elizabeth upstairs. She showed her the guest rooms and the other arrangements she had made.

“I am so excited to see Mary again; I hope she can stay longer than planned,” Georgiana exclaimed.

“I am not certain, as Mr. Bingley plans to take her on their honeymoon.”

“I wonder where Fitzwilliam plans to take you,” she said

“We do not have any plans to go on a honeymoon, Georgiana.”

“You may not, but my brother definitely has, and I can sense it,” she said.

Georgiana showed the dresses she had bought for the wedding and the engagement party.

“These are so elegant; the yellow one will suit you beautifully,” Elizabeth said, admiring her choices.

“I cannot wait for you to live in Pemberley. Imagine, we can spend the whole day together,” Georgiana said innocently, and Elizabeth smiled, wondering what her brother’s opinion would be about the same.

Finally, Georgiana took Elizabeth to the storage room on the upper floor where she showed her some new curtains and sheets that had arrived for the guests.

“I am not certain which one I must use. Mrs. Reynolds usually leaves it to my choice, but we have not hosted so many guests in a very long time. I am worried that I may do something wrong. Here, all these are new; I need your assistance with this. There was another set with lace; maybe the servants placed it in one of the guest rooms. I thought it would be nice for the room your cousins would occupy. I hope they did not misplace it somewhere. Give me a few minutes. I will find those and return soon,” she said, leaving Elizabeth alone.

Elizabeth kept herself busy, selected some curtains based on her choice, and heard the door open.

“I have selected these, Georgiana. Honestly, I understand why you felt it difficult to make a choice; all of these are so beautiful,” she said, assuming it was Georgiana.

“Is that so?” someone whispered into her ear, making Elizabeth jump. She turned around and faced Darcy.

“Fitzwilliam? You scared me,” she cried, trying to calm herself.

“I promise you, that was not my intention,” he said.

Elizabeth suddenly felt very nervous in his presence and could see something in his eyes that she had not witnessed before.

Darcy slowly stepped towards her, and Elizabeth instinctively moved away from him; as her steps retreated, she felt the wall against her back.

Where is Georgiana?

Darcy did not stop until he reached her and blocked her from moving away. He said nothing, but the passion in his eyes made Elizabeth tremble.

“Fitzwilliam, I must leave.”

“Why?” he asked, bending towards her lips.

“I…I…”

He gently touched her cheeks, and her hands held on to his coat for support as she closed her eyes, aware of what would happen.

“Look at me,” he said.

Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes, and Darcy did not waste a moment as he kissed her on her cheek ever so gently. Elizabeth felt intoxicated by his scent. He traced his finger along her jaw and lifted her chin.

“I assure you; this is all I intended to do. Do not be scared,” he said, noticing her discomfort.

“This all you say, sir. I must remind you that if Lady Martha sees us, she may ask us to get married tomorrow,” she said.

“I dare say your warning is more of an encouragement for me to kiss you again if the punishment will result in our marriage,” he said, teasing her.

I have been alone in his company many times, and he has never kissed me.

“What are you thinking, my dear?”

“You have never…I mean…”

“I never attempted to kiss you before? Is that right?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“If you think I did not want to, then you are a simpleton. I wanted to; every moment I spent alone with you was a battle of self-control. But I could not act on my wishes as I considered you my sole responsibility then.”

“And what changed now?”

“Well, you have your father to protect you, and I can freely enjoy my pursuits until we are married.”

“I must remind you that my father is a very angry man. If he knows what you did right now, you may have to face his wrath,” she said, playfully pushing him away.

He caught her and pulled her into his arms.

“I cannot wait for you to become a part of this house permanently, and you cannot imagine how lost I feel without you,” he said. Just then, they heard footsteps outside and quickly moved away from each other.

Georgiana entered and looked surprised at her brother’s presence.

“Fitzwilliam, what are you doing here?” she asked innocently.

“He was helping me decide on whether we should go with the peach or lavender tablecloths,” Elizabeth said.

Georgiana looked at him, puzzled, and Darcy immediately left them.

“He is behaving very strange these days,” Georgiana declared, a little worried.

“I assure you I feel the same way,” Elizabeth replied, suppressing her smile.