Page 190 of The Governess of My Heart
“Won’t you stay for dinner?” Lord Ashton asked, and as much as Darcy wanted to stay with Elizabeth, he could not as he had several matters to attend to, and Elizabeth hugged Georgiana when they left.
“I will miss you,” Georgiana said with feeling.
“I cannot thank you enough for the support you have given me throughout this journey. Your brother is very proud of you,” Elizabeth said.
When she walked along with Darcy to send them off, Darcy kept looking behind.
“What is it, Fitzwilliam?”
“I am waiting for Lady Martha to dispatch a maid to follow us,” he said in a serious tone, making Elizabeth laugh.
“I am truly glad that you and your father are getting to know each other better,” he said.
“We are, and I hope things will be better in the future.”
“I feel comfortable to leave you here now that you are under your father’s protection,” he said, kissing her hand.
“I do not know whether what I say now would be sufficient for all that you have done for me in the past weeks. Thank you!” she said and touched his sleeve.
“You do not have to thank me for anything as you are well aware. I insist you rest because we have had a long trip, and I do not want you to exhaust yourself.”
Elizabeth watched as Darcy left and wondered how her life would have been had she not met him. That day, she spent a lot of time with the children and met the new governess Lady Martha had appointed. She was an older woman, but the children liked her, and Elizabeth was happy with her choice.
Elizabeth finally met Lady Anderson and her daughter during supper. Both greeted her formally, but she could sense the resentment in their eyes. She understood that their civility was due to Lord Anderson’s insistence. Despite his family’sdisapproval, his behavior towards her did not change while in their company.
That night, Elizabeth sat with Lady Martha and enjoyed a long conversation. Even though they had communicated frequently while she was in town, they were engrossed in hearing each other’s stories.
“Yes, she left with her parents, and I tried to convince Philip to reconcile with her. He was very adamant until the children asked for her; it also surprised me. Even though she had never spent time with them since their marriage, Edmund and Emily wanted to know why she had left. Philip tried his best to explain and make them understand, but he could sense that his decision impacted them. Finally, he wrote and asked her to return, and honestly, Elizabeth, she has tried her best to make up for the lost time. She seems to be a different person now, without her secret weighing down on her actions.”
“I am so glad, and I am certain the children will be happy with her.”
“Now, let us come to my brother; he seems happy after returning from town. Irrespective of all that has happened. I understand you both have resolved everything,” she said with happiness.
“I assure you, there is a long way to go, but I no longer hate him,” Elizabeth said.
“He is a good man; our parents never understood him and forced him to do many things for the sake of status and society. I never understood why he was so depressed in life after his marriage. I wish fate had been kinder towards him and your mother, but when I think about it, you traveling here out of all the places in the country is beyond belief.”
“It truly is, and it seems as though I came home,” she said.
“You deserve all the happiness coming your way, my dear. Had you not saved Lady Isabella that day, our family would have never recovered from another loss.”
“Please do not even think about something as horrific as that.I must ask you, how is Lady Anderson and her daughter? It must have been painful for them to stay here without him. I can clearly see they still cannot accept me; honestly, I do not expect them to.”
“I did have some conversation with Augusta, but her anger has not subsided nor is she willing to forgive her husband. They expected to leave when Mark returned, but they did not expect Mark to stay for your wedding.”
“It must be very unpleasant for them to see me every day.”
“That is not your concern, my dear. Please do not ruin the happy days before your marriage with things you have no control over. My brother would never let them cause you any distress and I assure you of that. You must be exhausted, and I suggest you sleep well. There are many matters to discuss about your wedding, and I have not been this excited in years.”
Elizabeth smiled, seeing the excitement on Lady Martha’s face.
“Go on, my dear, sleep well,” she said, and to her surprise Elizabeth hugged her.
“Good night, Aunt Martha,” she said and left the room, much to her aunt’s shock and delight.
***
Within a couple of days, the date for the wedding was finalized, and it was decided that Darcy and Elizabeth would marry a week before Christmas. All the preparations were in full swing, and the party from London was to arrive soon. Elizabeth was impatient to see Mary and Charlotte.
