Page 53 of Unwillingly Mrs. Darcy
“My uncle Matlock is not a bad man,” Darcy replied. “I imagine he now thinks I was forced into this match through Aunt Catherine’s scheming, and he will want to understand the true nature of our connection.”
“And what will you say to him in this regard?” she asked.
What indeed, Darcy wondered. “I will tell him what I have told you—that I have admired you for a very long time and that I hope our marriage will be a happy, healthy, and long one. However, it is not only my decision that will make it so. And do not fret—I will not tell him anything about our arrangement.” He paused and cleared his throat. “There is one other matter we must discuss. Mary. I spoke to Richard, and he told me that, during her entire stay, she wished only to be left to her own devices. She left the estate but once, with a maid, to visit the local park. Otherwise, she kept to herself, claiming to feel unwell. According to Richard, my aunt believed it to be an ailment of an emotional nature rather than a physical one.”
“I wish I knew what has happened to her,” Elizabeth said. “She appeared so cheerful before.”
“She did,” Darcy agreed. “This melancholy came on rather suddenly.”
“I spoke to Jane about the matter, and she said I was quite mistaken to think that Mary is not homesick. According to Jane, Mary has always been good at hiding her true feelings.”
“Perhaps she does miss your parents more than she lets on. I know that you all miss them, of course, but her longing for home might be stronger than we anticipated. I think it might be best to send her back.”
“Indeed,” Elizabeth said. “We must soon discuss what will happen in the future anyway. My father is improving, which means the physician and nurses will no longer need to remain at Longbourn. In fact, my mother wrote that the physician left several weeks ago and now visits only once a week.”
“That matches what I have heard,” Darcy replied. “And we must decide what is to happen.”
Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. “It would help to know whether it will be just Mary returning, or Kitty as well, or…” She trailed off, leaving the thought unspoken.
Darcy gave a small nod but said nothing, the weight of the decisions ahead resting heavily on them both.
“Let us discuss it in detail when you return from Matlock,” Elizabeth said as they strolled along the garden path. “I do think Kitty enjoys her time here. In any case, I believe we should send Mary back sooner rather than later. Jane and MrBingley have kindly offered to take her with them when they return.”
“Indeed,” Darcy replied. “I have spoken to your aunt, as well as to Bingley, and they are all in agreement. If Mary wishes, we shall send her back with them. Otherwise, I will arrange the journey for her, with a maid in attendance. Richard may be able to join them as well, as he must rejoin his regiment soon as well, though I am uncertain when exactly that will be. It will depend on what happens at the meeting.”
“Pray, what do you think will happen?” Elizabeth asked.
“I imagine that with the family united against her, my aunt will be forced to relent and consent to the marriage between Richard and Anne,” Darcy said. “But I had another thought.” He smiled, gesturing towards the bench where they had once amused themselves by naming the estate’s geese and swans. “If what Richard has told me is true, my uncle feels remorse for not supporting me during the ordeal. I thought perhaps I could use that to our advantage.”
“You mean the entail?”
“Yes, precisely. I will ask him to side with me in persuading my aunt to help undo the arrangement. As you know, it is more her decision than your cousin’s.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes with a small chuckle. “That is true. My cousin will undoubtedly do whatever his patroness commands. But do you think your aunt will be in the right frame of mind to entertain such a request? She will feel humiliated, will she not, if she does not get her way?”
“She has already not had her way,” Darcy said with a slight smile. “And my cousin is not a poor match. Richard may be a second son, but he has his own house on the estate for when he is in residence, and my uncle has ensured that he is not without means. Just because he is not the heir does not mean he will be penniless. My uncle has made certain of that. Besides, Richard and Anne have known one another since childhood, so there is no concern that he is after her fortune—as some might be, given her inheritance of Rosings Park.”
“But your aunt did not get her way with you.”
“By the grace of God, she did not,” Darcy said earnestly. Almost instinctively, his hand covered Elizabeth’s. He would not have done so had she not herself touched his hand earlier that evening. Still, was he too bold?
To his relief, Elizabeth did not remove her hand. Instead, her fingers shifted ever so slightly beneath his, as though to deepen the contact. Only then did Darcy slowly withdraw his hand.
“I shall miss you, Elizabeth,” he said, his voice quiet but steady. “I know there is much left unsaid between us, and many decisions still to be made, but I will not hesitate to tell you that I will miss you while I am away.”
“And I you,” she said, the words tumbling from her lips so quickly that Darcy suspected her heart had spoken them before her mind could intervene. Yet he was not displeased—on the contrary, her admission filled him with a quiet joy, and he could not help but smile.
“Very well,” he said after a moment, glancing towards the horizon where dark clouds had begun to gather. “I should take you back to the house now. It looks as though it may rain.”
“You are right,” she agreed, rising from the bench. He offered his arm, and she took it, her touch warm and light. Together, they made their way back to the house in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Chapter 31
Elizabeth
20th October 1812
Elizabeth stood at the window, gazing down the long, winding driveway of Pemberley. It had been three days since Darcy had departed for Matlock, and though he was expected to return in just a few days’ time, the house already felt emptier without him.
