Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (120 page)

“You were proud of yourself?”  She nodded.  “Do you still care for him?” 

Georgiana’s face reflected her determination to be brave, “We will always be connected.  He made that very clear; no matter how much I want to forget.  Samuel told me it would never be over, either, but that was before we saw George.  But they both said it was because of Hope.”  She looked at Elizabeth pleadingly.  “I do not love him, but I cannot hate him.  I cannot hate Hope’s father.  Not when I was at fault as well.” 

Elizabeth studied her seriously, and appreciated her honesty.  “Very well.  I can accept that.  I may not particularly like doing so, but I accept it.  However, the men of this family will not be so kind.  Samuel furious is extraordinary.  Thank you for not telling Fitzwilliam tonight.” 

“I would not ruin tonight for you, Elizabeth.”  Her sister raised her brows.  “Well . . . I knew that I could tell
you
.” 

“I am glad that you trust me.  And I will speak to Fitzwilliam when the right moment presents itself.” Elizabeth bit her lip and spoke softly as she thought, “I will have to speak to Samuel when he arrives.” 

Georgiana raised her hands to her face, “Oh!  I should
not
have told you!”

“No, if your cousin is unhappy it is better that he is able to share it with someone.  So, for now we will let it go.”  She patted her hand and then looked back at the mirror.  “Well, how do I look?” 

“Beautiful.”  Georgiana wiped the tears that dampened her cheek.  “What jewels will you wear?”

“I thought that the pearls in my hair were enough.  And I have these earrings.”  She opened a box.  “What do you think?”

“It is not nearly enough.”  They looked up and saw Darcy, perfectly attired in black, wearing a cream silk waistcoat shot through with silver threads.

“Oh my.”  Elizabeth smiled and stood.  “Oh, Will!  Look at you!  You are . . . Why if I was not already married to you, I would swoon to hope you would catch me!”

Georgiana giggled and Darcy’s face lit up with a grin as he laughed.  “Thank you, love.”  He pulled on his waistcoat.  “Parker was delighted with himself for this find.  He said that it would complement your gown.” 

“Does it?”  She tilted her head and holding out her arms, turned for him.

His voice reflected his deep admiration, “If I had all of the women in the world to dance with tonight, I would only have eyes for you.” 

“Ohhhhhh.”  Georgiana whispered.

“But you are not dressed yet.  I will not have the Mistress of Pemberley presented without her proper attire.”  He said sternly.

Elizabeth bit her lip and tilted her head to see behind his back.  “What is in your hand, Mr. Darcy?” 

His eyes twinkling, he opened his palm.  “What do you think?”

“Oh my.”  Elizabeth watched as he fastened the necklace around her throat.  She looked down at the pearls alternating with diamonds with something akin to awe.  “Was this your mother’s?” 

“No.”  He took her hand and kissed it.  “It is yours.  I had it made especially for tonight.”

“But . . . how?  We have been nowhere near a jeweller for months!”  Looking into the mirror, she touched it in wonder and then turned back to him.

“I told the watchmaker in Kympton that I would give him my custom if his work pleased me.  It did, and he made you this.”  Darcy touched the necklace and smiled.  “You are pleased?”

“I am without words . . .” She held his eyes and then glanced at Georgiana with a sigh before looking to his mouth. 

Darcy’s smile grew.  “Good.”  He leaned and caressing her jaw, kissed her, lingering just long enough to hear an embarrassed giggle from his sister.  When she turned her back to them, he took advantage and whispered against Elizabeth’s ear as he drew away, “Will we never be alone for more than a moment?”  Darcy smiled to see her frustrated agreement.  “A taste.”

She touched his cheek, “More, please.” 

Georgiana cleared her throat before she turned.  “Did you know that she would wear pearls in her hair and a gown embroidered with silver?  Or did Parker and Judy conspire together?”  She touched his waistcoat.  “I think it was you and yet you give credit to Parker.”

“I am not so vain, not anymore.”  He saw a shadow come over her face and took her hand.  “It is because I married a lovely woman who loves me.  Dressing well is a pleasure, but I take more pleasure in Elizabeth’s good opinion of me than anyone else’s in the world.” 

Elizabeth stood on her toes and holding his face, kissed his cheek and hugged him. “Thank you, Will.  I feel the same way about you.” 

Darcy smiled into her eyes and drawing a deep breath, turned to his sister.  “I am excited to dance tonight with my dear wife, but I have not in any way lost sight of the significance of this date, as I told you in the note I wrote this morning.  I am not always the best at expressing myself to you, Georgiana, but . . . I am . . . our family is blessed because you came home today.  You were not lost forever as . . . I had feared for so long.”  He held her gaze and the siblings stood still for a moment, both at a loss for what to say until Darcy opened his arms and embraced her.  Georgiana held his waist and felt tears springing back into her eyes. 

“So you encountered Wickham today?”  Georgiana gasped and Elizabeth sighed. “Did you truly think that Elizabeth would not tell me something so important?  I just happened to hear it before she had to choose her moment.”  Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as he nodded to her.  Darcy returned his attention to his sister.  “Now, I know what you said to Elizabeth, but I will ask again, did he frighten you?  Threaten, demand?”

“No.  He asked after my health, and Hope’s.  Nobody would have thought anything was amiss, Brother.”

Darcy nodded and hugged her tighter.  “I understand that you questioned him about your aunt’s ring?”

“Yes.  I . . . I suspected the reason before, but I . . . You know that the reason he wrote to you was to send me back home?”  Seeing him nodding shortly, she closed her eyes.  “Samuel is so angry.”

“So am I.  I will never forgive him.”  He said quietly.  “Samuel was not present when I last spoke to Wickham so he does not know what passed between us.  He stayed away from Pemberley, he did not seek you out, and he did not demand anything more of you than your time. This was not planned.  And while I strongly object to him coming . . . close enough to touch you,” Darcy took a full breath, “I will not pursue him.  I suspect that he will be satisfied for a while, knowing that you and Hope are well.  However, you will never be alone in such a way again.  I do not care if it is I who must follow you into a shop filled with lace, you will not be left vulnerable as long as you remain under my roof.  Is that clear?  I mean to have many, many more anniversaries such as this one before I give you up to another man’s care.”   

“Yes, sir.”  She felt his arms tighten around her.  Georgiana hugged him back just as fiercely and swallowed back her tears.  “I thought that Samuel would ride after him and . . . and . . . beat him, or . . .”

“As Elizabeth correctly pointed out, he would never have left you.”  Darcy let go and looked down at her.  “I would have beat
him
if I had heard such a thing.” She stared at him. “You may look like a grown woman, and you might even have acquired the confidence to stand up admirably to your seducer and kidnapper, but you are still very young and have so much more to learn.”  He spoke seriously, “I am proud of what you did today.”

“You are?” 

“And so is Elizabeth.”  He held out his hand to his wife.  “Even if she did not express her pleasure so happily.” 

“I thought she might mount a horse and go after him herself.”  Georgiana smiled a little.

“That is because we love you, and do not care to see you hurt.”  Darcy smiled when Elizabeth made a noise and looked to her.

“You have taken this surprisingly well, Mr. Darcy.” 

“I have been anticipating this encounter for quite some time. As usual, Wickham saw an opportunity and grabbed it, but it pains me that it was a date of significance when he made his presence known.”   He touched his wife’s face.  “If he had done anything more . . .” His voice lowered and his teeth bared.

“But he did not.”  Elizabeth reminded him. 

“Has it ruined your night?”  Georgiana asked worriedly, looking between them.

Darcy drew a calming breath and closed his eyes, “No, I will not allow it.  However, I suspect that it has upset Samuel’s.  I will speak to him, Elizabeth, before he says anything to Richard.” 

“Mrs. Darcy?”  There was a knock at the door and Judy appeared.  “The guests have begun to enter the estate.” 

“Thank you, Judy, we will be right down.”  Immediately the atmosphere changed.  Elizabeth’s hands ran over her arms and hugging herself, she spoke very softly, “Will?”

Darcy pulled his shoulders back and bowed to his sister.  “Excuse me.”  He grasped Elizabeth’s hands and took in everything.  His small smile lifted his lips, and extended up to the crinkle in his warm, loving gaze.  “You are beautiful.”  He bowed over her hand, brushing his lips over the silk of her glove, and then slipping his arm around her waist, held her to him before bending her backwards for a breathtaking kiss.  Smiling down into her dazed eyes, he slowly brought her back to lean against his chest.  “I love you, Mrs. Darcy.” 

She drank in the confidence in his gaze and at last relaxing, the sparkle returned to hers.  “Tell me again.” 

“SIR?  THE FIREWORKS have been fired from the Lambton Road gate, and more were spotted from the Kympton entrance.  The guests are arriving.”  A groom announced excitedly from atop the pony he had been riding.

“Yes, I saw them and let the house know.”  Barnes looked to the drive and saw Ferguson approaching.  “Are the torches lit?” 

“Yes, I rode along the entire way.  I think that it is clear enough, at least to keep the wagons on the straight path.  I was worried about the ridge there.”  He pointed up where a trio of torches burned.  “I hope that there are enough to keep them all night.”

“We have a full moon.”  Barnes looked up at the sky.  “Benson is up at the cabin in the walnut groves, he’ll keep an eye on the flames and relight them at the end.  We don’t need them for too long; this isn’t some London affair where the guests come late to be noticed.”  Barnes laughed as Ferguson rolled his eyes and jumped down from his mount.  “The people around here haven’t seen a to-do like this at Pemberley in a long, long time.  They won’t want to miss a minute of it.  I predict we’ll be running like chickens with their heads cut off for the next two hours and then it will be quiet until they all start staggering home.” 

“Staggering.”  Ferguson shook his head and handed the reins to a waiting groom. “I watched them unloading the casks yesterday.” 

“I snagged one for ourselves.”  Barnes winked. 

A carriage rolled up to the house and out stepped Samuel, followed by his father and mother.  He looked around and spotting the two stewards, turned away from the house and headed for them.

“Yes sir?”  Barnes stepped up.  “Did you notice anything amiss as you came up the drive?”

“No, no, it was well lit.  The drivers unfamiliar with the road should be fine, if their horses do not shy from the flames.”

“Aye.”  Ferguson nodded.  “But you can’t anticipate everything.” 

“No . . .”  Samuel sighed and glanced at the glowing windows of the brightly lit house.  “But I can anticipate one thing.”

“Sir?” 

“I thought that I caught sight of George Wickham in Lambton today.”  Ferguson’s face became as grim as Samuel’s while Barnes simply cursed. “I know that it is extremely unlikely that he would appear, but I would feel . . . I will be grateful to know that someone outside is aware besides me.”

“Does the master know?”  Barnes asked.

“No, and I will not ruin his night.  He and Mrs. Darcy deserve this evening.” 

“As Mr. Darcy has not been told, may I assume that Wickham did no harm to anyone from Pemberley?”  Ferguson asked quietly and held Samuel’s eyes.

“That is correct.”  Samuel saw his nod and immediately straightened.  “You know well enough how he has abused my cousin’s good will, and his reputation in the neighbourhood.  Would you want him anywhere near tonight?”

“No, sir!  Of course not!”  Barnes cleared his throat.  “Don’t you worry, Mr. Darcy, we will keep our eyes open for the man, but like you said, he would be a fool to come here.  You just go in and enjoy the evening, sir.  No doubt there will be a lot of pretty ladies to meet.” 

Samuel closed his eyes and managed to let down and smile a little.  “Yes, no doubt.  Thank you for bearing with me.”  Nodding, he looked up at the ridge as he saw the shadows of a line of carriages lit with lanterns passing the torches.  “I will leave you to your work.  I am sorry to add to it.” 

“No trouble at all, sir.”  Barnes nodded and when he had gone, looked at Ferguson.  “How do you know Wickham, again?”

“He appeared at Sommerwald.  Mr. Darcy threw him off and I made sure he was gone.”  Ferguson met his eye. “I followed orders.” 

Barnes sized him up and nodded.  “All right then.  I know a bluff when I see one.”  He pointed to a carriage coming in from the Kympton road.  “Let’s go to work.” 

JANE LOOKED OUT at Darcy and Elizabeth speaking to Samuel in the foyer.  With their backs turned, the tone of the conversation was difficult to understand, but it ended with Darcy shaking his cousin’s hand and fixing him with a serious look before clasping his shoulder with a small smile and letting go.  Elizabeth touched Samuel’s arm and kissed his cheek when he turned to her.  The bemused man seemed lost for words, but nodded and slowly walked away and joined the other men, occasionally sending glances to the couple and then upstairs before looking down at his hands.  Richard clapped him on the back and said something that spurred laughter in the other men.  Returning her attention to her sister, Jane said softly, “Lizzy is so nervous. See how she passes her palms over her skirt?”

“She is shy, just as her husband is.  I never would have known it of either of them if I had not seen them at home.”  Sophie watched them sympathetically and smiled at Jane.  “Elizabeth hides it so well when she must perform, especially around the elder ladies of the family.  It is rare that they see her with her guard down.  And the reason we see it now, I believe, is because her husband is beside her.  How can a woman be nervous when a man takes her hand in such a way?”