Page 21 of Desired By Mr Darcy
“I am sure Lizzy will make Pemberley her home in her own way, Mama, but perhaps we might allow her the chance to settle in first, before these imaginary renovations begin.”
Mr Bingley laughed suddenly and loudly at Jane’s quick wit. Lizzy, too, could not hide her amusement at her sister’s bold remark.
“Indeed, Mrs Bennet,” Mr Bingley agreed once he had composed himself. “I suspect that Pemberley will soon reflect Mrs Darcy’s charm just as well as it reflects its master’s taste. And speaking of charm. I must confess, I am most eager to see Netherfield come alive again. It has been far too quiet of late.”
Jane blushed, lowering her gaze shyly, and Lizzy couldn’t resist a smile at the obvious affection between the pair.
“I daresay, Mr Bingley, that Jane will have no difficulty in making Netherfield a home once more,” she told them.
“Just as you will at Pemberley,” Jane said softly, her eyes meeting Lizzy’s with sisterly affection.
The conversation turned to lighter matters then, with Mr Bingley recounting an amusing tale from childhood, his enthusiasm infectious. Even Mrs Bennet seemed momentarily diverted, her laughter mingling with Jane’s and Mr Bingley’s. Fitzwilliam, meanwhile, remained more subdued, but Lizzy noted the way his gaze softened whenever it lingered on her. She could see in him a quiet contentment, a sense of belonging she had rarely observed before.
As the afternoon wore on and the tea things were cleared away, Lizzy found herself reflecting on the realisation that in this man, so seemingly reserved and difficult to know, she had found a partner whose heart matched her own in ways she had not expected.
She glanced at Fitzwilliam again, catching his eye this time. There was something unspoken between them, a connection that needed no words. And in that shared silence, Lizzy felt her confidence grow - not just in him, but in the life they were about to begin together.
Chapter Six
Darcy
“Idaresay Miss Elizabeth is even more charming than she was in Kent,” Fitzwilliam enthused.
The men had retired to the drawing room for brandy after the evening’s dinner, though Darcy noticed with relief that his cousin had taken only the smallest glass.
“She is a very fine young lady,” Bingley agreed. “I find her company most entertaining. She seems to have such effortless grace; I envy her skill in conversation. She never seems to trip over herself or use a word wrong.”
“Whatever does she see in Darcy, then?” Fitzwilliam teased, knocking back his brandy. “She has said more since her arrival in London than he has said all year!”
“Exaggeration is a poor quality in a soldier.” Darcy muttered.
Fitzwilliam laughed outright at that.
“And no sense of humour is an even worse quality for a husband! Mark my words, Darcy. Miss Elizabeth will have her work cut out for her keeping you in good spirits.”
“I doubt Elizabeth would seek to ‘keep me’ in any way,” Darcy countered with measured calm, though the corner ofhis mouth twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. “She values honesty and sincerity most highly. You have been consistent in the nonsense you have spoken, cousin, since finding out about my engagement.”
“Nonsense?” Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows shot up in mock offense. “Why, I provide a valuable service, keeping you from lapsing into insufferable seriousness.”
Bingley chuckled, raising his glass in a gesture of camaraderie.
“If anyone can lighten Darcy’s sombre moods, it is Miss Elizabeth. No one else dares to challenge him as she does. I daresay I have even seen him laugh in her presence!” Bingley smiled, though his brow creased as he continued on. “I must confess, I am still a little surprised at the depth of your affection towards one another. I had no suspicion of it at all. All those months!”
Darcy said nothing; he was pleased only that his feelings had remained as private to others as they had to Elizabeth (and, to some extent, himself), for he had not wished to be the subject of speculation or gossip during his time in Hertfordshire.
“You were no doubt consumed with your own affection to notice Darcy’s! I must tell you, Charles, I like Miss Bennet very much,” Fitzwilliam said, draining his glass. “She’s a shy thing, isn’t she”
Darcy once again cursed his own short-sightedness when it came to his previous assessment of Miss Bennet’s character. How was it his cousin had made such deductions after a few hours in the Bennets’ company, yet he had failed to see the true nature of Miss Bennet in all the weeks he had observed her?
“When we are alone,” Bingley began, his cheeks tinting pink, “she is another person entirely. She is so kind, and very amusing. I am privileged to see a side of her that is not often displayed to the world.”
“It is quite sickening,” Fitzwilliam said cheerily. “The pair of you are certainly hopelessly in love. If only I could find such a match. Alas, she would have to come with a sizeable dowry and a home of her own.”
Darcy glanced at his cousin with a raised brow, his tone dry.
“You claim to be a romantic, Fitzwilliam, yet your priorities seem remarkably practical.”
Fitzwilliam shrugged with a grin, his easy humour undimmed.
