Page 117 of The Governess of My Heart
Mary handed him some letters and asked him to read them.
Darcy read one of the letters and finally understood Elizabeth’s heart. She refused him because she loved him equally and could not watch him suffer by marrying her. He could not read more and did not want to, so he returned them to Mary.
How could she think so ill of me? If I had cared about society, I would have married long ago.
“Please do not be angry with her,” Mary pleaded.
“But I am. Your sister chose to inflict misery not only on me but upon herself as well. From her words, I can understand the suffering is not mine alone.”
Mary could see he was angry with Elizabeth.
“Mr. Darcy, Lizzy has always lived for the happiness of the people she loves. In this case, her decision was based solely on your welfare and your sister’s as well.”
Darcy was silent.
“I wanted to reveal the truth to you but did not know how to. As for Lizzy, she has no idea that you are here.”
“You have been very careful in safeguarding your sister, and I must thank you. The only reason I am not choosing to return with you to Longbourn to deal with your parents is because I need to speak with your sister first before I act on my instinct.”
Mary could see that he did not want to spare her parents. Inwardly, she wanted them to pay for what they did.
“Are you leaving for Derbyshire as planned?”
“Yes. I cannot give you an exact picture of how things will turn out there, but once I speak with your sister, you will hear from her.”
Mary nodded. She felt strangely light as she returned home and hoped with all her heart that Darcy would be able to resolve everything between him and her sister.
***
At present, as Darcy related the details, Elizabeth listened in astonishment.
Mary hid his presence in Hertfordshire from me for so long. Oh! God! I cannot believe all this.
“You found out this because of the bookmark?” she asked in amazement at the developments.
“Yes, I did. I remember the ones you painted in Emily’s book and those you gave to Georgiana. I may not have expressed myself very articulately before, but every single action of yours is etched in my memory forever, and I cannot tell you how much you have impacted my life. I was furious after knowing the truth, and I still cannot forgive you for hiding your love. You do not know much I have suffered, and from your letter, I understand you felt the same.”
“Did you read all the letters?”
“No, just one. I did not want to read anymore. I wanted to come and see you in person. I did not have to wait till today to confirm your feelings. Even though you tried to hide it, the happiness and tears on your face when I entered the parlor yesterday confirmed everything to me.”
Elizabeth was speechless.
“Elizabeth, I do not care about your past. All I want is to live the rest of my life with you and give you the love you deserve. I have never cared about society, and trust me, our union will never cause any shame to me. There is nothing in your past that you need to be ashamed of. The only people who need to be ashamed are those who raised and betrayed you. Now tell me, do you trust my words?”
“Yes.. yes,” Elizabeth trembled.
“Will you marry me?” he asked, looking at her, his gaze piercing her soul.
Everything she had held as a reason to refuse him seemed trivial to her now. In her heart, she realized she could not live without him and understood that he felt the same. She did not doubt her future with him, but for Darcy, it seemed like an eternity before she replied.
“Yes, I will,” she said, falling into his arms again.
Chapter 36
After many years, Darcy finally understood what he had been missing in life. The one word uttered by Elizabeth, agreeing to be a part of his life and future, gave him the happiness he had missed since his mother’s death. He held her close to his chest, unable to express his sense of contentment and peace. That morning, he had ridden in the hope of finding her on one of the trails, and the moment he saw Elizabeth, he wanted to confront her about everything. He had no idea about the outcome of the meeting, but now, his heart felt lighter after weeks of torment. However, Elizabeth was still crying, and he could not digest her distress.
“Elizabeth, please do not cry. I can no longer bear it,” he cried.
