Page 60 of Roses from Pemberley
At length he pulled back and studied her. He removed his coat and placed it over her shoulders.
“Are you well now, darling?”
“I am - much better.”
He took up the reins and the horses began to move forward.
“But why were you crying earlier?” he asked a few minutes later. “And do not prevaricate for I saw the tears in your eyes.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I was crying because…because I thought I'd lost you.”
He stopped the horses again, then turned to face her. He kissed her on each eyelid, embraced her once more and smiled. “That was perfectly silly of you, my love.”
It was still early when they arrived at the parsonage and, after being kissed by Darcy several more times, Elizabeth went inside and took herself back to bed. She smiled as she began to close her eyes, hardly able to believe what had happened in the past few hours. She had left before dawn to make her apologies and now returned, assured of his love. She fell asleep, wonderingif she would think it a dream when she awakened again later that day.
“Lizzy, wake up! Wake up, Lizzy!”
She opened her eyes to the sight of her mother hovering over her. She noticed that the sun was now higher in the sky.
“What time is it, Mamma?”
“It is nearly eleven, Lizzy. And you must get dressed as Mr. Darcy is downstairs, wishing to see you.”
“Mr. Darcy…” she said with a besotted smile, recalling their interlude from just earlier that morning.
“Yes, Lizzy. What is wrong with you? Will you not get up and begin to dress?”
“I am sorry, Mother. I did not fall asleep till…late.”
But Mrs. Bennet had already thrown open her closet doors and began to peruse her dresses.
“I believe the white muslin with green ribbon will do. Do you not think, Lizzy? You look quite fetching in that. And perhaps - though theyareso well-matched - you can still persuade Mr. Darcy not to enter into an engagement with Lady Diana. Perhaps he has become interested inyou, Lizzy. You were, after all, sitting in the garden with him when I first arrived. I do not think it is too late at all, or even completely hopeless. You must fight for him, my dear. Do not give up.”
Elizabeth giggled and said, “I shall most certainly not give up, Mamma.”
Once she had begun the process of dressing, Mrs. Bennet addressed her. “I shall go down now, Lizzy, and try to stop Mr. Darcy from leaving. Jane has already gone into the garden with Bingley and Charlotte and Mr Collins are going about their day. But you must hurry, Lizzy. The early bird catches the worm, as you know. And you are unpardonably late.”
CHAPTER 26 His History
“Mr. Darcy, good morning.”
He stood up and smiled warmly when he saw her. And Elizabeth began to wonder if her mother would suspect something. They sipped tea and ate what was left of the breakfast offerings, as Mrs. Bennet looked on with a certain amount of anticipation.
Suddenly she stood up and said, “I hope you do not mind entertaining Mr. Darcy, Lizzy. For I have some things that I must take care of.” With that, she quitted the room.
Elizabeth turned back to Darcy, embarrassed by her mother’s sudden departure and flimsy excuses. But he smiled politely back at her, not seeming to mind. She had never been alone indoors with him before, except in the vast Netherfield library, and felt shy all of a sudden.
“You have not changed your mind, have you?” he asked quietly.
She knew what he meant and responded, “No, I have not. Have you?”
He laughed. “Not in the least. In fact, I have been thinking about you all night and all day...I mean, what was left of the night...or early morning.”
She blushed at the thought of Darcy - in his bed - thinking of her.
He too must have realised the implication of his words, for he hastened to add, “What I mean to say is…ah…that I was thinking about our courtship and how I wished to begin…”
She smiled brightly. “I feel the same way.”
