Page 61 of Unwillingly Mrs. Darcy
“I am certain,” she continued softly, “that Mr Wickham’s influence must have played a part in that.”
Darcy’s gaze darkened, and he turned away slightly, staring out of the window as if to escape the raw emotion in hervoice. His hand clenched at his side, his fingers twitching with the tension of unspoken words.
“I understand,” he said quietly, his voice rough, “and I bear no ill will towards you for your doubts. I am not blind to the fact that I gave you cause to question me. But you must know, Elizabeth, I did what I thought was best—always. It was never my intention to hurt you or anyone you love.”
Elizabeth felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She had, in truth, never fully believed the harsh words Mary had spoken, but hearing Darcy speak of them now, she realised just how deeply they had affected him.
“I never meant to hurt you either, Darcy,” she whispered. “I was only trying to protect Mary. But now… now I see how much pain we both carry because of Mr Wickham.”
“I should have known, Elizabeth,” he said, his tone more vulnerable than she had ever heard it. “I should have known that Wickham would not stop at trying to ruin my family. I knew him too well. But I never imagined he would stoop so low as to target you, to target your sister. He attempted something similar with Georgiana but I realised just in time. I dismissed her companion, Mrs Younge, who was in league with him and chased him out of Derbyshire entirely. Or so I thought.”
Elizabeth’s heart ached at the raw pain in his voice. She reached out, her hand resting gently over his on the armrest. His fingers twitched beneath hers, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped, leaving only the two of them in that intimate silence.
“Darcy,” she murmured, her voice soft but steady, “you stopped him before he could harm Georgiana. You saved her.” He shook his head, the flicker of guilt still clouding his eyes.
“But I should have seen it earlier. I should have known Wickham was capable of anything. I should have tried harder to make his character known to more people. I should have warned you and them more intensely, but he’d been away so long I did not think it would matter. And now, he has done this to Mary.”
Elizabeth’s heart ached, her chest tightening with the weight of his words. “Darcy, you cannot carry all of this on your own. You have done everything you could to protect those you love. You stopped Mr Wickham before he could ruin Georgiana’s life. And now, we will stop him together, for Mary.”
Darcy turned towards her, his eyes searching hers, as if looking for something—perhaps assurance, perhaps forgiveness. And in that moment, Elizabeth realised that they were not so different after all. They both carried the weight of guilt, the burden of past mistakes, and yet they had somehow managed to find a way back to one another.
“Elizabeth,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “I don’t know how I would have come this far without you. Your strength, your courage, it has been the light guiding me through this darkness. I—” Before he could finish, Elizabeth leaned in, her heart pounding in her chest. She placed a hand gently on his cheek, turning his face towards hers.
The carriage seemed to stop moving altogether, the world outside fading away until only the two of them remained, suspended in time.
“You have been my strength too, Darcy,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. “I do not know what I would have done without you by my side.” Their eyes locked, and in that moment, the years of uncertainty, of doubt, and of everything that had come between them seemed to dissolve, leaving only the raw, undeniable truth of their feelings.
The guilt, the pain, the fear—all of it faded into the background as they stood on the precipice of something more profound. With a soft sigh, Darcy leaned forward, his hand finding hers once more, his grip gentle but sure. And then, slowly, almost hesitantly, he kissed her—his lips brushing hers with a tenderness that left Elizabeth breathless, her heart racing in her chest. For a moment, there was nothing but the soft, steady rhythm of their breathing and the feeling of his body pressed against hers.
“Elizabeth,” he whispered, his voice husky, “we will get through this. Together.”
She nodded, her gaze softening as she gazed into his eyes.
“Together, Darcy.”
The carriage resumed its journey towards the inn, but in that brief, precious moment, the world outside no longer seemed so daunting.
Chapter 34
Darcy
1st November 1812
Darcy House, London
The journey to London had been long and exhausting, yet neither Elizabeth nor Darcy could allow themselves a moment’s rest. Mary was still missing, and every second that passed brought the threat of a fate too terrible to contemplate.
As the carriage rolled to a halt before Darcy House, Darcy stepped out first, then turned to offer his hand to Elizabeth. She placed hers in his without hesitation, and for a moment, he forgot the urgency of their mission. The warmth of her touch, the way her fingers fit perfectly against his—it delighted him beyond words.
For two days, since the tender moment in the carriage, they had spoken of the future—a future where Mary was safe, where Wickham was stopped, and where they might finally claim their own happiness. Knowing Elizabeth returned his love had filled him with a quiet, undeniable joy. If not for Wickham’s crimes, he would have been the happiest man alive.
But that future could only exist if they solved the mystery before them.
Darcy led Elizabeth up the steps and into the grand entrance hall of Darcy House, where they were immediatelygreeted by the housekeeper, Mrs Sutton, and the butler, Mr Redford.
“Sir,” Mr Redford said with a bow, “a letter arrived for you just this morning—from Colonel Fitzwilliam. He instructed that you receive it at once.”
Darcy took the letter and broke the seal swiftly, his brow furrowing deeper as he read. Elizabeth watched his expression change, the tension in his stance growing.
