Page 203 of The Governess of My Heart
What if she tries it again?
He wondered and decided to have men guard her room, but to his surprise, he saw that Lady Martha had already taken care of it.
“I am sorry that it came to this, Mark. But we must be thankful that Fitzwilliam decided against getting her arrested, and I owe it to him to keep Elizabeth safe. Beatrice will not be a part of the engagement party, nor will she attend the wedding; I have promised Fitzwilliam the same,” Lady Martha declared, unwilling to trust anyone else in the matter.
***
The evening of the engagement party was magical, according to Elizabeth. Lady Martha had outdone herself with thearrangements. All the guests who traveled from town were present at Ashton Park, and Elizabeth could not contain her happiness when she saw Mary and Charlotte.
Kitty and Lydia accompanied the Gardiners, and Mary informed her that Jane had chosen to stay behind.
“She tried to force Kitty and Lydia to stay with her, but they wanted to attend your wedding. Lizzy, I must say, it has been a tough time for them, but unlike Jane, they understand that it is not too late to change, and the future solely lies in their hands.”
“Do they miss their parents very much? And what about you?” she asked Mary with guilt.
“They do, and honestly, I do too, but any moment I think about them, the only thing that comes to my mind is their unforgivable actions, overshadowing any good memory we had with them,” she said.
The engagement party took place as planned, with Lord Anderson declaring Elizabeth his daughter, and he addressed her as “Miss Elizabeth Anderson” before the gathering.
And at that moment, Elizabeth somehow missed her mother, the one she had never seen in her life. Darcy stood along with her as the guests crowded them with wishes.
Darcy was mesmerized by Elizabeth’s beauty that evening. She looked radiant in her beautiful gown, which had intricate embroidery.
“I must tell you how enchanting you look this evening,” he whispered to her during their dance, finally getting his chance.
“You look very handsome, as always, Mr. Darcy,” she said, even though it annoyed him when she addressed him that way, yet he could not help but enjoy her teasing.
“I am so thankful that you have found your father. Irrespective of whatever has happened in the past, I am glad to see that you have a good relationship with him now.”
“I do! And honestly, I will miss him once he leaves,” she said, watching Darcy frown.
“Fitzwilliam, you have to accept it; even though I will be happily married to you, and you will do everything to make me smile, I will still miss my father.”
“If that is the case, we can travel to Scotland and see him, I promise you,” he said, and Elizabeth smiled.
“I have asked him to walk me down the aisle.”
“I am aware, and he was elated to declare the same to us the other day. Even Mr. Gardiner was happy about it, and I cannot wait to see you as my bride,” he said.
Lady Martha was delighted to see the guests enjoying themselves, and she felt that Elizabeth had brought back the joy Ashton Park had been missing since Lady Sophia’s death.
“Darcy, I must remind you that it is my turn now to dance with Miss Anderson; I suggest you find a good corner in the room and stare at the chandelier as you usually do,” Richard said to Darcy, making Elizabeth laugh. He gave his cousin one of his glares and walked away reluctantly.
It was a happy evening for everyone, and even though her daughter was not allowed to come down, Lady Anderson ensured she did everything to help the evening run smoothly.
“I appreciate what you are trying to do for Elizabeth,” Lord Anderson said.
“I can never compensate for the ill-treatment she faced from me, and I will not hold you in contempt if you doubt my words, but I do want her to have the right place in your life. According to me, she is our eldest daughter and the one who has given Beatrice a chance to live a decent life despite her cruel act. And I am ever so grateful for her intervention; if not, I am certain Mr. Darcy would have never spared her. She might have been in prison now, and it pains me to think I pushed her to this state,” Lady Anderson said with remorse.
Though Lady Anderson had revealed the truth about her daughter’s birth, everyone aware of the secret decided to keep it to themselves. Darcy could not believe that Elizabeth was already aware of it but had not disclosed it to him.
The evening ended with Lord Anderson and Elizabeth dancing together, and everyone, including Lady Anderson, was happy to see them.
“How long has it been since you danced, Papa?” Elizabeth asked.
“I don’t remember, my dear. It might have been ages, and you can tell easily, can’t you?”
“I can tell by the expression on your face,” she said, smiling.
