Page 46 of The Governess of My Heart
She wondered, contemplating the prospect of meeting him again in the future.
Chapter 17
In her stay in Derbyshire so far, Elizabeth was delighted with the village of Lambton. The people were friendly and kind; whenever she visited the village, she was reminded of Mertyon. Although Lady Martha insisted on taking a carriage, she walked to the village occasionally. This morning, she walked to Lambton, relishing the fresh air. She stopped at the post office first, and in a few months, she had made acquaintance with many people in the village and had become a known face. She sent the letter to Charlotte and walked to the bookstore. Elizabeth loved the small but well-stocked store.
“Miss Smith, good morning,” Mr. Albert said, and he was the owner of the bookstore.
“Good morning, sir.”
“It is good to see you. I am certain that it has been many weeks since you stopped by. I assume the well-stocked library at Ashton Park keeps you occupied for your literary pursuits.”
Elizabeth laughed.
“It is a well-stocked library, indeed. But your shop has many books that entice me whenever I visit.”
“Is there anything, in particular, you would like to look at today?” he asked.
“I would like to buy some poetry. Do you have a new collection?”
“Of course we do. Please follow me,” Mr. Albert said, leading her towards the store's end.
He showed her some new collection that had arrived that week, and Elizabeth lost herself as she browsed through the books. After a few minutes, the shopkeeper called out to her.
“I will have to go inside for a few minutes as I am taking care of my son today while my wife is away. I shall return soon, but in case you have selected what you need, please ring the bell. The little boy is a handful,” he said and hurriedly disappeared through the backdoor.
Elizabeth took some time to make her selection, and she liked a particular book and placed it on the counter.
She waited a few minutes and decided not to ring the bell. Elizabeth was not in a hurry and did not want to disturb Mr. Albert. She left the book on the counter and occupied herself with other books in the store.
Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her and came face to face with none other than Darcy.
There was an evident shock on both their faces, and they immediately recognized each other from their meeting the previous day.
So, I meet her again.
Darcy thought as he tipped his hat, but to his annoyance, Elizabeth ignored him and looked away.
Darcy was angry, not understanding why she despised him. He looked around for Mr. Albert and found no one else in the store. To his irritation, Elizabeth ignored him and kept herself occupied with the book.
Who is she? How can she be so arrogant?
He wondered and tried his best not to look in her direction.
As for Elizabeth, she was unsettled by Darcy’s presence, and the mere sight of him made her recollect the horrific incident on the cliff. She wanted to leave the store but stood rooted to the spot, hoping that he would leave.
Without choice, she finally decided to leave, walked past him, and reached the counter.
Elizabeth looked for the book she had placed, and to her dismay, it was missing. Slowly, she looked in Darcy’s direction ashe stood a few feet away. To her horror, he held the book she had selected in his hands. Darcy sensed her gaze and looked up.
And to her surprise, Elizabeth’s words came out of her mouth without thought.
“That book is mine,” she declared bluntly.
“Which one, madam? I can see hundreds of books in this store,” Darcy replied sarcastically.
“The book you are holding in your hand is mine,” she said, stressing each word she said.
Darcy took a moment to glance at the book he held. He had previously seen it on the counter and assumed it was for sale. He knew Georgiana loved poetry and had decided to buy it for her. To Elizabeth’s annoyance, he slowly opened the book and flipped a few pages.
