Page 60 of The Governess of My Heart
“The Ashtons always stay in the family wing, and so will you,” she said.
“But… did you confirm this arrangement with… I mean your brother…” She could not complete the sentence.
“My brother feels the same way. I hope you will sleep well; sometimes, I never sleep in our townhouse. It takes a few days for me to get accustomed to a different place.”
“I shall, thank you!” she said and retired.
Darcy joined Lord Ashton for a glass of wine before retiring for the night.
“You seem to be distracted today. I am certain you did not like your ride getting interrupted by rain,” Lord Ashton said.
“I assure you that is not the case.”
“Then what is bothering you? You seem to be out of sorts.”
“It is nothing.”
“All right then, my man. I will see you tomorrow,” Lord Ashton said and left.
Darcy did not want to head upstairs and kept to his study. He felt an odd comfort in the thought of Elizabeth staying in Pemberley that night. It gave him happiness and peace that she was under his protection.
Her distress concerned him, and he wondered about her position in life. He was certain that her welfare was not at risk at Ashton Park, but he knew how the world was. He could not bear the thought of some rake taking advantage of her.
Darcy paced his study relentlessly and could not understand why he felt desperate. He wanted to give her a better life and protect her from danger. He did not want to see anything but a smile on her face, the smile that gave him so much happiness.
She is not my responsibility and is in no way related to me. Why do I feel this way about her? Why am I unable to stand that she is unhappy? If I feel this way about Georgiana, then it makes sense. Because she is my sister, and I love her.
But Miss Smith is not my sister, and I do not love…
He stopped his thoughts abruptly and finally understood that in just a few weeks, he felt something for her, and it was not merely the concern one could feel for a sister’s friend, butsomething more.
Chapter 21
Elizabeth stayed awake until midnight, unable to sleep. It felt strange to spend a night in Pemberley and away from Ashton Park, and it felt like she was staying away from home. She could hear the downpour outside and hoped the children would sleep undisturbed. She suddenly felt unsure about everything she had believed in so far. The incident in the library reminded her that she was living a lie and felt guilty.
She knew she had not hidden her identity and situation with Lady Martha. But now, she questioned her decision to keep others in the dark.
I thought everything was going well. I almost forgot everything that happened in London until today. What would he even think of me?
Somehow, she felt uneasy around Darcy and felt he was suspicious of her. The way he constantly looked at her affirmed her fear.
***
Elizabeth slept after midnight and woke up early. She knew she could not leave the property and walk on the nearby trails, so she headed to the gardens for fresh air.
The rain had stopped, and the morning air was crisp. Elizabeth did not see anyone down except the servants, and she knew the Ashtons were not early risers.
She left the house and reached the path that led to the gardens. She walked along the path that ran around the length of the house, admired the property’s beauty, and stopped in the rose garden. The flowers looked beautiful after the rain, and the scent was magnificent. After walking for some time, she sat on the stone bench facing the lake.
She took a deep breath and promised to forget what happened the previous day.
Suddenly, she saw Darcy walk into the garden and prepared herself for the encounter.
I cannot avoid him forever!
She could see that he had returned from his ride, and as he approached Elizabeth, she could sense his hesitation in venturing close to her and stopping at a distance.
“Good morning, Miss Smith,” he said.
