Unforgiving Temper (68 page)

Darcy glanced at Denham who had retreated to
the far end of the room and was conveniently busy arranging a stack
of books.

“Give me that dish! I refuse to be fed like
an infant!”

Elizabeth leaned in, keeping the bowl well
outside of his reach as she whispered. “I did not have half so much
trouble getting your medicine down you! Shall you be
changed
like an infant when it drops in your lap?” She straightened up and
brought the bowl forward, challenge lighting her eyes. “What is it
to be, Mr. Darcy?”

Darcy glared stubbornly at Elizabeth,
deliberating her equally obstinate response, then dropped his hand
and opened his mouth with an impatient huff. For several minutes
the two were silent as Elizabeth carefully lifted spoonfuls of
broth to his lips without meeting his eyes. At length, she paused
to dab his mouth with the napkin and he tenderly claimed her hand
with his own.

“I
am
grateful, you know,” he said in
a husky voice that sent a welcome tingle racing through her. “For
everything. And, I have a confession to make.”

“A confession, Mr. Darcy?”

“Yes. When you came to Netherfield to care
for your sister, I envied her.”

“Jane?” Elizabeth's brow wrinkled in
confusion. “You envied Jane?”

“I tried not to, believe me; but you were so
thoughtful and caring that I could not help imagining what it would
be like to be the recipient of such devoted attention.” His eyes
twinkled with a mischievous smile. “I must say my imagination was
not half so enjoyable as the real thing!”

Another blush blooming in her cheeks,
Elizabeth gently withdrew her hand. “It is Dr. Lawrence you
should be thanking, and the surgeon he brought with him. If they
had not come as quickly as they did, well…I cannot bear to think
what would have happened. Even after all their effort, it was not
absolutely certain until this morning that you
would
recover. These past three days are ones I would never want to live
again!”

“Elizabeth, I am very sorry to have caused
you so much trouble. And I am sorry I did not keep my promise to
visit Longbourn. You must have thought the worst of me when I did
not come.”

“On that count, you may rest easy. I received
Jane's note summoning me to Netherfield long before there was any
time to wonder where you were. It is I who should apologize for
bringing this on you in the first place. This is the second time in
less than six months that your life has been jeopardized because of
me! I cannot forgive myself for endangering you so. What would have
happened to Miss Darcy had you not recovered? What must she
think of me?”

“I can tell you without any reservation that
she adores you,” Darcy assured her as he took her hand again and
gently kissed it. “As do I. And when I awoke this afternoon, I
decided that I would not wait another day to prove it. Life is too
short and there is not a single moment to waste.”

Flustered by the frank and open turn their
conversation had taken, Elizabeth's gaze dropped and her heart
began to race furiously. Composing herself, she looked back at
Darcy who was gesturing to Denham.

“I am ready now. Bring my coat and the box,
and help me up.”

“What?!” Elizabeth cried out. “Stop – this
minute! You have no business getting out of bed. You must wait
until you are stronger.”

“I have waited far too long already.” Darcy
waved impatiently at Denham who was hesitating to carry out the
order. “Hurry up, man, give me your arm!”

“It is too soon! Please, do not do this!” she
begged.

“I must. I have a very particular question to
pose and honor prohibits me from asking it while lying on my
back.”

Darcy grunted in pain as he pulled himself to
the edge of the bed and took the small velvet box from Denham then
slipped his good arm into the morning coat the valet held out for
him.

Knowing Darcy was determined to do as he
pleased in spite of her objections, Elizabeth quickly moved away,
turning around to give him privacy as he got up. Nervously she
waited, trying to calm her restless hands that embodied the great
conflict waging within her. Part of her wanted to push him back
into bed where he belonged while the rest of her trembled in
anticipation of the question she knew was coming. A question that
would forever change her life.

She could hear a good amount of murmurs and
posturing going on before she heard Denham move away and then
Darcy's voice sounded close behind her.

“Elizabeth?”

She turned to see Darcy kneeling before her,
his face pale with the effort it cost him. She thought to beg him
once more to return to bed. He had nothing to prove. She knew he
did indeed love her and she could wait a day or two; but as he
reached for her hand, the thrill of his touch raced through her,
stopping the words before they could form.

The velvet box lay in Darcy's other hand that
was fettered by his bandages, its lid now open to reveal the
contents. In the flickering light from the fire, a delicate gold
band glowed softly against the brilliance of five evenly-matched
garnets. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

The intensity of Darcy's gaze drew her eyes
to his and her heart melted at the hopeful, yet cautious expression
playing on his face. He was so open, so vulnerable. His deep,
penetrating look revealed traces of the boy who had been thrust
into the role of master and guardian much too early in life.
Elizabeth sighed softly. Here was the one man in all the world that
was her perfect match and he was about to offer her a second chance
at happiness! Was this really happening? She reached out, touching
his cheek to assure herself she was not dreaming, just as a
startled cry sounded from the doorway.

Denham had moved hastily to the door and
quietly opened it, trying to give his master the privacy that was
required; but as he did so, he had inadvertently surprised Caroline
Bingley who was now standing in the doorway with an embarrassed
smile. She opened her mouth to speak, and then her eyes grew wide
with horror as she took in the scene of Darcy kneeling before
Elizabeth, ring in hand. For one brief moment Caroline stared
slack-jawed, and then her eyes rolled back in her head as she began
to fall. Denham jumped to catch her, but was too late. Darcy,
Elizabeth, and Denham all flinched at the loud thud that
reverberated down the corridor as she hit the floor.

“It seems the young lady is overcome with
joy, sir,” Denham announced calmly as he stepped into the hallway
and reached back to close the door. “I shall summon her maid right
away.”

The door closed with a quiet click.

Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing
outright as she turned back to Darcy, instantly alarmed when she
saw his hand covering his face and his shoulders shaking.

“What is it?!” she cried in a panic, then
sighed in relief as Darcy dropped his hand and she saw that he was
only struggling to contain his own laughter

“Of all the people to discover us,” he
grinned at her, “what horrid luck!”

“Yes, poor Miss Bingley. She is a great
admirer of yours – and a very determined woman. I do hope she is
all right.”

“Denham will make sure she is taken care of.
At the moment, there is only one woman whose admiration I desire.”
Darcy's grin faded to a soft smile as he gazed into her eyes with
an intensity that took her breath away. “One who is beautiful, and
headstrong, and stubborn, and lively, and engaging, and warm, and
passionate. One with the courage to refuse me because I am less
than the man I should be, and then inspire me to become that man. I
had thought never to find such a woman to whom I could give my
heart completely – until now. You are that woman, my dearest,
loveliest Elizabeth. You mean more to me than life itself and I
cannot bear the thought of being in this world without you by my
side. Will you marry me?”

Elizabeth could not help a tiny gasp of
delight. Joyous tears flowed freely as she witnessed the passionate
expression of love shining in his eyes – wondrous, inviting windows
into his very soul. Eagerly, willingly, she was held captivate by
his gaze, feeling more blissfully complete than she ever imagined
possible.

An ember snapped loudly in the hearth,
breaking the enchanted spell and reminding her that she had made no
reply. Looking down, she quickly gathered her scattered thoughts
and then glanced shyly back to Darcy. Returning his encouraging
smile, she drew a shaky breath and began.

“At our first encounter and for some time
afterward, I was foolishly blinded by prejudice and a very
imprudent rush to judgment. It is unforgiveable that I misjudged
you so; for in truth, you are a discerning, honorable man who
cannot be seen for what he truly is because of the impossibly high
expectations society has placed upon him.” Elizabeth reached out
and lovingly caressed his cheek. “But I have seen who you are,
Fitzwilliam Darcy, and I love you for it. I have seen your patient
dealings with the Mr. Collinses and Miss Bingleys of this
world; I have seen your genuine concern for your friends; I have
seen the great liberality you show to the people who rely upon you
for employment and their very lives; and best of all, I have seen
your tender care for Georgiana. By that example alone, I am certain
any woman who accepted your hand in marriage could want for nothing
more.”

“Shall I take that as a yes?” Darcy murmured
playfully.

“Yes!” cried Elizabeth, wiping at her tears.
“Yes, I will marry you if you are certain you want such a foolish,
headstrong girl for a wife!”

Rising slowly from his knee, Darcy took the
ring and tried it on her finger, slipping it easily into place – it
was a perfect fit. He kissed her hand, then pulled her to him,
gently kissing her forehead. Filled with inexpressible happiness,
he held her close, breathing deeply the scent of lavender in her
hair. Her instant response brought a tender smile to his face and
he wrapped his one arm around her tightly, kissing her again, this
time finding her deliciously soft and inviting lips. He had meant
only to kiss her lightly, but Elizabeth's arms wound around his
neck in a passionate embrace that promised much more and he was
lost. It was some minutes before reason caught hold enough for him
to remember that he was a gentleman. A fire had ignited within them
both, but this was not the time nor the place. He lifted his face
and caressed her hair with his cheek, taking a deep, cleansing
breath.

Darcy stood very still, holding her close.
Exhaustion began to pull at him and his jaw clenched in stubborn
determination. They had at last crossed that great gulf which had
separated them for so long and he did not want it to end; however,
the toll of the last few days and the burning in his shoulder
finally forced him to concede. Reluctantly, he released her and
took up her hand instead, unwilling to completely sever his
connection to her.

“
If I am certain?
Elizabeth, you must
know that I am more certain than I have ever been about anything in
my entire life. You are my heart and soul! Words cannot describe
the joy you have given me. When you left Burnham House those many
weeks ago, I was afraid I would never hear those happy words.
Without you, there was nothing here but a great emptiness,” he
said, bringing her hand up to lay on his heart, “and now it is
filled to overflowing! I shall spend the rest of my days
endeavoring to make you as happy and contented as you have made
me.”

“I do not think it is possible to make me any
happier than I am right now,” Elizabeth looked up at him, her
contented smile turning at once to a worrisome frown. His smile was
broad, but it did not conceal the dangerous pallor in his face.
“With the exception of you returning to your bed, sir,” she amended
quickly. “You look very ill and I will not lose you now that we
have come this far!”

“Very well, I shall oblige you – on one
condition.”

Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously. “And what is
that?”

“That you promise to marry me within the
week.”

“A week?! You cannot be serious!”

She busied herself guiding Darcy back to the
bedside. “Please be so good as to get back into bed.
Dr. Lawrence will be very upset with me for having ever
allowed you up in the first place. It was too much. We can talk
about our plans tomorrow when you have rested.”

“I am quite serious, Elizabeth. I shall speak
to your father, and short of his refusal – you do not anticipate
his refusal, do you? – everything can be arranged in a few days.
Special license, wedding clothes, travel arrangements. I took the
liberty of making some tentative arrangements before I left London
and – ”

Elizabeth had taken Darcy's jacket from him
and turned discreetly as he climbed onto the bed, but now she spun
around in surprise. “Before you left London?”

Darcy fumbled with the blankets, avoiding her
gently accusing gaze. “Yes, well…I thought…that is, they were only
tentative. It is just that I wanted to…I mean, if I were able to
convince you to accept me…” He finally dropped the covers around
him and looked straight at her. “Elizabeth, I have loved you almost
from the first moment I saw you and have thought of nothing else
but making you my wife. If I was fortunate enough to secure your
good opinion and have you accept my proposal this time, I wanted to
have it done as soon as possible – providing you were agreeable to
it, of course.”

“My mother would never agree to such a thing.
She takes great store in appearances, as you know, and she will not
be denied her opportunity to show us off to all the neighborhood. A
few days will not satisfy her.”

Darcy captured her hand and drew her down to
sit beside him. “Before I concern myself with your mother's
opinion, I should like to know yours, for it is
your
opinion
that will guide my planning. Would you be happy marrying at once,
or would you prefer a longer engagement?”