Page 89 of To Go Against Her Heart
“I acted only to protect her reputation, and at that time, I was myself unaware of her former engagement. I learnt of it solely through her sister, and you must understand that Elizabeth never sought to conceal the matter from me.”
“Fitzwilliam, please be assured that I do not believe a single word in that letter, nor do I require any explanation from you or from Elizabeth regarding what you have endured in your relationship. All I wish to convey is that we cannot allow whoever is responsible to go unpunished—and I cannot bear to think how deeply she would be wounded should any of this reachher ears,” Lady Matlock said with concern, and Darcy weighed upon the same.
“Are you certain it is not Mr. Harrington? I suspect this letter was written out of jealousy,” Lord Matlock said, deep in thought, and continued, “It is my desire, Fitzwilliam, to take this matter into my own hands,” he requested, resolved to take the necessary measures against a man whose character he was so blind to.
“No! You do not understand. Had it been him, he would have mentioned the engagement in the letter, as it is the greatest leverage he has against her—known only to himself, Elizabeth, her sister, and aunt. He would have certainly used this information, but what is written here is pure slander. This is not Mr. Harrington’s doing. In my last encounter with the man, I saw his fear of losing wealth and status, and I am certain he would never dare to cross paths with us again. These letters have been written by someone unaware of the proper details of Elizabeth’s past, except that Mr. Harrington once courted her; the slander is purely the product of imagination”.
“I am certain it is someone from the ball who knew about them,” Richard said.
“I am almost certain as to who it is, although I do not know how she became privy to Elizabeth’s past or her meeting with Mr. Harrington at the ball.”
“She?” Richard asked in surprise.
“Miss Bingley!” he said with disgust to even utter her name.
“I did not know how she accomplished this, but I do not doubt that it is her. Her only intention is to stop our marriage, and I am not willing to allow her to walk free this time. The very fact that she had the nerve to write something like this about Elizabeth will not go without consequences,” he cried, clenching his fists.
“What do you plan to do, Darcy?” Richard asked.
“We travel to Hertfordshire just as planned; I am looking forward to my engagement party.”
***
A day later, as the carriage approached Netherfield, Georgiana was beside herself with excitement.
“When do we see her, Fitzwilliam?”
“If you wish, we can leave after breaking our fast,” he said, deep in thought. Every passing moment without seeing Elizabeth was a torment to him, and as much as he longed to be honest with her, he resolved to keep her in the dark until he had uncovered the whole truth. All that she had feared—her past clinging to them and threatening their happiness—weighed upon him, and he knew she would be utterly devastated to learn of the letters.
As the carriages arrived in Netherfield, Lady Matlock looked at her husband and nodded reassuringly. Except Georgiana, the rest of them had traveled with their hearts filled with uncertainty.But Lady Matlock was resolved that whoever was responsible for the letters and dared to endanger her nephew’s happiness should pay the price. Darcy trusted his aunt, and however difficult it might be, he resolved to conceal everything from Elizabeth.
Mr. Bingley welcomed the guests with incredible joy, and Darcy had to compose himself from reacting upon seeing Miss Bingley. The instant he met her eyes; he could not mistake the confusion and worry in her countenance.
“It is wonderful to see you at last, Miss Darcy. The subsequent distance between us indeed pained me in the past months, and I am glad to see you as our guest today,” Miss Bingley said as she greeted everyone, particularly directing her attention towards Georgiana.
And, Georgiana merely nodded.
“We are most delighted and honored to have you remain as our guests until the wedding,” Mr. Bingley said to Lord Matlock.
They were directed to the breakfast parlor, where the party settled to break their fast. Lady Matlock quietly observed Miss Bingley, and there was unmistakable tension on her face, and it almost seemed that she was surprised to see them at Netherfield. Georgiana expressed her wish to see Elizabeth, and as promised, Darcy took her sister to Longbourn later.
The Bennet family welcomed them warmly, and Elizabeth embraced Georgiana the moment she saw her. Darcy stood beside them with a stiffness that betrayed his longing for something similar.
“I hope you are well, Mr. Darcy,” she said to him sarcastically, and he could not help but smile, understanding how much she loved taunting him.
Sensing the family was busy, Darcy and Georgiana took leave after spending close to an hour.
“Lizzy! I wish I could stay with you, and Mary mentioned that I could share her room. Fitzwilliam, would you please allow me to?” Georgiana asked, not willing to leave.
“We would be delighted to have you stay in Longbourn, but I do not think it would be respectful to Mr. Bingley, as you are guests there. However, you can plan to stay with us before the wedding and witness the chaos of our family,” she replied with a smile, convincing Georgiana.
Darcy handed his sister into the carriage, then turned and looked at Elizabeth; somehow, she sensed that he was not his usual self.
“What is it, Fitzwilliam, you look troubled?” she asked with a look of worry.
“It is not easy being separated from you, and I cannot wait to see you walk down the aisle. It is a vision that helps me sleep at night,” he said, making her blush.
He held her hand and kissed it gently.
