Page 123 of A Most Beloved Sister
“Without saying goodbye?”
He brushed an errant curl back from her face, placing it gently behind her ear. “No, I would have waited to see you. I knew you would be down soon.”
She leaned her cheek into his touch, then impulsively turned her head and kissed his palm. “I will miss you.”
“Not as much as I will miss you,” he said. “You will have a house full of people to take up your time and attention. I will be at Pemberley by myself.”
“But with so many tenants and such a large library at your disposal, I doubt you’ll have more than a few moments to spare to think of me,” she replied with a smile.
“Elizabeth, Ialwaysthink of you,” he said seriously, refusing to rise to the bait. “You are the single most important thing to me in this world. Everything I do now, I do it for you.”
“Darcy,” she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness as she grasped his hand. “I cannot bear the thought of you being away for so long.”
His gaze softened as he gently squeezed her hand, his own emotions reflecting in his dark eyes. “I would stay by your side if I could, but I will return before you know it.”
Elizabeth nodded, her lips trembling as she fought to maintain her composure. “I understand,” she murmured. “But it does not make this farewell any easier.”
Darcy pulled her closer and used his other hand to cup her cheek. “I promise you, my love, I shall return as soon as I am able. And then we will marry.”
“And then we will marry,” she whispered, just as his mouth came down and met hers for a gentle kiss that ended all too soon.
When their lips at last broke apart, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close as if to imprint her warmth and scent upon his memory. “I love you, Elizabeth,” he whispered against her hair, his voice filled with emotion. “I will come back to you as soon as your mourning has ended. Then we will never be separated again.”
Elizabeth buried her face against his chest, her heart aching with longing. “And I love you, Fitzwilliam,” she replied, her words muffled against his coat. “Always and forever.”
Reluctantly, Darcy released her from his embrace, his gaze lingering on her tearstained face. With a final kiss upon her brow, he turned to depart. His footsteps echoed against the cobblestones as he made his way towards his waiting carriage.
As Darcy disappeared from view, Elizabeth’s heart was heavy with sorrow. How long she would have remained gazing after him she did not know, but she was pulled from her musings after several minutes when Louisa called to her, having just come down to break her fast.
Allowing herself to be distracted by her friend, Elizabeth gave the front entry one last look.
It was going to be a long three months.
∞∞∞
The next few days passed incredibly slowly, and it made Elizabeth grateful for Kitty and Wickham’s return to Meryton. Their week-long wedding trip to London meant they had missed Jane’s funeral, but they had been repeatedly reassured by both Bingley and Mr. Bennet that their absence wasn’t resented, but even encouraged.
“Jane would have been horrified to know that she had interrupted a romantic excursion,” Bingley had told them with a sad smile.
“If you marry and leave before she is gone, and we do not inform you of her passing until your return, then you can enjoy yourself without being forced into mourning,” Mr. Bennet said. “Begin your marriage with memories of gaiety and laughter, not of sorrow and darkness forced on you by society.”
With both Jane’s husband and father encouraging them—as well as Elizabeth, who had known Jane best—Kitty and Wickham finally acquiesced. They returned in high spirits,which soon spread throughout Netherfield and infected its residents with lighter hearts and cheerful faces.
Wickham was required to return immediately to his duties, which gave Elizabeth ample time to spend with both Kitty and Georgiana, along with Louisa. The four ladies spent many hours listening to Kitty’s recounting of her wedding trip, along with Louisa’s own experiences in London.
Mrs. Annesley joined in on occasion. With so many other women available as chaperones, Darcy had given her permission to be at her leisure as much as she wished.
Kitty, her eyes sparkling with delight, regaled her audience with stories of their adventures in town. “Oh, you simply must hear about our time in Covent Garden!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. She leaned forward, her hands animated as she described the vibrant energy of the bustling streets where vendors hawked their wares and performers entertained the crowds with acrobatics and music.
She next described how she and Wickham had attended a lively comedy at one of the fashionable theaters, laughing uproariously at the witty dialogue and comical antics of the actors. “It was such a delightful evening,” she declared, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in all my life! I never knew Shakespeare could be so humorous!”
“Yes, I have often enjoyed readingA Midsummer Night’s Dreamwhen we’ve been cooped up too long at Longbourn during a harsh winter storm,” Elizabeth said. “There’s nothing like a mischievous Puck to give me more patience with Lydia and her shenanigans!”
“George was so good as to purchase me my own copy of some of his plays,” Kitty said. “I look forward to reading them once we go to Brighton. I imagine I’ll be on my own quite a bit once he’s begun training an entire camp full of soldiers.”
“Vat else did oo do in London?” Georgiana asked eagerly. “I’ve lived there for a foo years now, vut nyvhereever veen anyvere vut Darcy House.”
“We shall have to change that, then,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “I foresee a good number of excursions ahead of us!”
