Page 204 of The Governess of My Heart
Lord Anderson stared into her eyes, fondly remembering his dance with her mother when he first met her at a ball.
“I have invited Mr. Darcy to Scotland to visit our estate. I hope you can convince him, as I am certain he does not want you to be anywhere around Beatrice.”
“I will try my best.”
“Even if you deny it, it is your home, Elizabeth; your childhood should have been there, with me, growing up as my daughter. If you choose to visit me there someday, I will be delighted. But be assured my trips to Derbyshire will not be once a year anymore, but more frequent.”
“I would love to visit, and I promise we will try to make it.”
Lord Anderson turned around and glanced at Darcy, who stood with Mr. Bingley and Mary.
“You have found yourself a remarkable man as your husband, who has stood by you through thick and thin. I hope you know that he would do anything for your happiness.”
“I do,” she said, looking in his direction and locking eyes with Darcy.
Lord Anderson took Elizabeth to his room after the guests left that evening and handed her a box.
“What is it, Papa?”
“It is your engagement present.”
Elizabeth opened it eagerly, and inside the box, she found her mother’s chain she had thrown at him in anger.
“I gifted this to Sarah the day we married; I understand why she wanted you to have it.”
Elizabeth found a rolled sheet of paper in the box, looked at it, and gasped.
The sheet displayed a sketch of a young woman, and Elizabeth immediately knew who it was. Every detail on the features of the face was meticulously drawn, leaving her with no doubt about the identity.
“This is your mother, Sarah,” Lord Anderson said.
Elizabeth could not control her tears; she had often wondered how her mother looked, and now she did not have that regret.
She hugged her father tightly, and it was the first time she did so.
“You have given me the best gift ever.”
***
The night before the wedding, Charlotte sat with Elizabeth in her room. Mrs. Gardiner had decided that Elizabeth would be more comfortable with her friend regarding the subject of discussion.
Charlotte gave Elizabeth a vague outline of what to expect the next day.
“Charlotte, you are scaring me.”
“Am I to believe that anything in this world could scare you, Lizzy?” she teased.
Elizabeth was silent, struggling to hide her fear regarding the topic discussed.
“Good heavens! You are terrified, aren’t you? From what I know from Mrs. Gardiner, Mary had a better temperament thanyou during this discussion. You act as if you never even thought about it,” Charlotte said.
“Yes, I did not; as ridiculous as it sounds with everything that has happened lately in my life, I failed to think about the prospect of my wedding night,” she said with irritation.
“I can only tell you that you need to trust your husband, and everything will be well,” Charlotte reassured her friend.
After she left, Elizabeth sat in bed with a book, understanding that she would never sleep till morning.
***
