Page 41 of To Go Against Her Heart (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

Jane’s departure from town the next day was emotional, as she never expected to return to Longbourn as an engaged woman. Unexpectedly, Darcy and Georgiana had arrived that morning and were present as Mr. Bingley, Jane, and Mr. Gardiner departed for Hertfordshire.

Elizabeth hugged Jane and assured her she would return soon after the ball. Darcy said very little as he was battling too many emotions inside; he hardly had a chance to converse with Elizabeth and was grateful when Mrs. Gardiner pressed them to have tea after Jane’s carriage departed.

“You must miss your sister already, Miss Elizabeth, don’t you?” Georgiana asked as they sat down in the parlor.

“I do; we have never been apart. Even when we travel to town, we always go together,” Elizabeth said, and finally looked at Darcy. She observed his countenance, which was thoughtful, but once he saw her look at him, his expression softened.

“Allow me to congratulate you on your sister’s engagement, if I may add, Bingley is a wonderful man, and from my observation, he considers himself very lucky,” he said, and Elizabeth thanked him.

“I shall miss you terribly after you leave,” Georgiana said, and Elizabeth felt truly sad to part from the young girl and invited her to Hertfordshire.

“I am not certain about the particulars, but I assume Jane would wish to get married at the Longbourn chapel. I hope you can join your brother for the wedding,” she said, looking at Darcy with hope.

“I do not see any reason why she should not be able to attend it. She would definitely be a part of the wedding,” he said, not diverting his gaze fixed on her face, and somehow, in his words, Elizabeth found some hidden meaning.

Once tea concluded, Darcy and Georgiana left, and Elizabeth headed to her room, where her aunt soon joined her for conversation.

“I hope your father will grant his consent, Lizzy, and after many months, our family will have something to rejoice about. I have not seen Jane this happy, and I am sure it will last for a lifetime.”

“She will be, I am certain as Mr. Bingley is a wonderful man, and I am happy to have him as a brother. I still cannot comprehend how his family welcomed the news.”

“They must have anticipated it, I am certain. Are you still worried that his sisters may cause trouble?”

“I do not think so, but it will not be easy for Jane to live in the same house as Miss Bingley, I hope she stays in town if Mr. Bingley decides to settle in Netherfield,” she said.

“Miss Darcy seems to be very fond of you, and it is a shame that your acquaintance would be short-lived.”

“I enjoy her company as well, and there is a possibility that she may accompany her brother to Jane’s wedding,” she said.

“Well, I hope Lady Matlock is not disappointed by Jane’s absence during the ball.”

“I am certain she won’t, and Miss Darcy presses us to stay at her aunt’s place after the ball.”

“Do you wish to?”

“No! We can return home; I am grateful that you are accompanying me and do not want you to stay away from the children for my sake.”

Her aunt nodded and helped her pick a gown for the ball.

She could see that Elizabeth felt unsettled in Darcy’s company, and it was evident to her aunt that she reciprocated Darcy’s feelings in equal measure.

She wanted to help her niece overcome any lingering doubts about the past, but she wondered if it was right to intervene before anything was certain.

The next day, Elizabeth received an express from her father and Jane, both conveying the same joyful news—Mr. Bennet had given his consent for the marriage, and they expressed their wish to see her at Longbourn soon.

With a wedding to plan, Elizabeth was eager to return home, though she wondered how Darcy would feel about their impending separation. She knew he would not call on her in the following days, as they were expected to meet at the ball on Saturday.

As for Darcy, he was impatient to meet Elizabeth again, and as far as he knew, he had no intention of allowing her to depart town without making her fully aware of his feelings.

He hoped that when he did, she would accept him, or if she needed time to give her consent, he was willing to wait.

He had no desire to know about her past unless she chose to share it.

To him, every struggle he had witnessed in her eyes back in Hertfordshire had vanished; it was clear that she no longer doubted him—or her own feelings.

At last, the day of the ball arrived, and Georgiana could hardly contain her excitement.

Darcy saw in her the return of her former cheerful self and knew he owed much of that transformation to Elizabeth.

In their company, Elizabeth always placed the young girl first, never allowing her feelings for Darcy to take precedence, and he admired that quality in her.

He readied himself for the ball, elated at the prospect of spending time with Elizabeth for a few hours at length, and hoped to find the right moment to reveal his heart.

They were to accompany the Matlocks to the ball, and Richard immediately teased Darcy regarding Mr. Bingley once they reached his house.

“Mr. Bingley seems to be a man of surprises, does he not? I had assumed you would be the first to surprise me with something of the sort,” he teased his cousin.

“I suggest you refrain from embarrassing me tonight amidst company,” Darcy warned.

“You mean in the presence of Miss Elizabeth?” Richard asked, warranting a glare from Darcy.

Lady Matlock looked forward to seeing Elizabeth again and hoped her nephew would not leave matters to chance.

The Ashfords were well respected in society and were known for hosting the finest balls in town.

Darcy’s aunt and uncle were long-time friends of the family.

As the party reached the ball, they were received with warmth by the hosts, and Lady Matlock waited eagerly for Elizabeth.

She smiled, unable to tell which of the Darcy siblings was more impatient for her arrival.

And as always, Elizabeth arrived punctually with her aunt, and Georgiana was immediately beside her. She greeted everyone and apologized to Lady Matlock for Jane’s absence.

“Why, Miss Elizabeth, she has the best excuse for her absence, does she not? Let me congratulate you on the happy news, and I am well acquainted with Mr. Bingley; he is a wonderful gentleman,” Lady Matlock said to put Elizabeth at ease.

She introduced Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth to the hosts, who seemed very interested in knowing more about the new acquaintance of the Matlocks.

Since her arrival, Darcy had not spoken to her except for the initial greeting; in truth, he was enchanted by her appearance.

He thought her lovelier than he had ever beheld her, and her eyes shone with a gentle delight at the approaching evening.

“You look very beautiful this evening,” he finally said, and she smiled at him with a blush.

Richard winked at Georgiana, hearing Darcy’s comment, as they had hardly heard him compliment any woman.

The ballroom had started to fill up with guests, and the Ashfords were most attentive hosts. Just before the ladies sat down for refreshments, Darcy asked Elizabeth for the first dance, and she readily agreed. He left her reluctantly to join the men, and Richard followed him.

“I assumed you would request all her dances,” he said teasingly.

“I have secured the first and fifth,” Darcy replied bluntly.

“Well then, you have allowed me a chance to dance with her, and do not doubt it, I will put in a good word for you,” he said, and Darcy glared.

Meanwhile, Lady Matlock continued introducing Elizabeth and her aunt to all her acquaintances, and Elizabeth was aware of the glances that were fixed upon her, puzzled by the importance Lady Matlock bestowed upon them.

“I thank you for attending the ball today, Miss Elizabeth. I do realize that you are impatient to reunite with your sister,” Georgiana said.

“I am, but I am honored with your aunt’s invitation and did not want to miss the ball and your company as well. I hope you will attend my sister’s wedding, which should be in Hertfordshire.”

“My brother has promised that he would take me, and we would return to Pemberley after that,” Georgiana said, and she noticed Elizabeth’s face darken.

I am certain she loves him as well!

Within a few minutes, the dances started, and the men sought their partners, and Darcy wasted no time in leading Elizabeth on to the dance floor. As he held her hand firmly as they took their place, and the crowd watched in awe as his sudden appearance with a new woman sparked curiosity.

As the music began, both Elizabeth and Darcy recalled the last time they had danced—at the Netherfield ball.

“Are you finding the evening to your liking?” he asked her.

“I am indeed, and it is very kind of your aunt to invite us to be a part of her party.”

“The pleasure is ours, I assure you. I hope we do not end up fighting at the end of the evening like last time,” he said and smiled at her teasingly.

Elizabeth began to enjoy his sarcastic wit, aware that he rarely displayed it outside his family.

“I understand that you wish to taunt me for the way I acted that day. I assure you; I have long been ashamed of what I said to you that evening and the next day on the mount,” she said in a serious tone which alarmed Darcy.

“I did not intend to make you uneasy; I apologize if I have,” he said with regret, cursing himself for opening such a topic.

Elizabeth said nothing, enjoying the confusion on his face, and slowly smiled.

“You assume that you are the only one who can taunt me, don’t you? Two can play this game, Mr. Darcy,” she said with a small laugh and watched him relax.

I wish you could taunt me for the rest of my life, Darcy thought.

“Are you happy to return to Longbourn? I am certain you have missed your family and home.”

“Do I look happy?” she asked, and Darcy ran his eyes through every feature of her face.