that Georgiana rest from her journey while he took Elizabeth back to Longbourn. She was fairly certain that part of his motive was to have more time alone with her.
Elizabeth exchanged good-byes with Georgiana, and Darcy kissed his sister on the cheek assuring her he would return soon. After helping Elizabeth into the carriage, he sat beside her and took her hand. “It seems you have already won my sister’s complete approval. You do not know how happy that makes me. I had to marvel at the way you drew her out and made her feel comfortable. I knew you would be a good influence.”
“She is very easy to like. I can see that the two of you are similar in many ways. You both share that same reticence in talking to strangers. I must say though I have noticed you have taken my advice—impertinent as it was—and have been practicing the art of conversation with people you do not know very well.”
She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.
“Yes, I took that suggestion and some of your others to heart. Thank you for noticing.”
“Georgiana seemed a little uneasy when I was teasing you. Does no one else torment you the way I do?” she asked.
“That is the one fear I have in bringing the two of you together. She is very quick to learn, and I believe it will not be long until she follows your lead and begins to tease me as well.”
The rest of the way back, they talked about his plans to leave on the next day for London to obtain the special license. He expected to return in a day or two, and the wedding would be held as soon as possible after that. As it would be a small, private affair, it would not be too difficult to arrange quickly. Darcy reiterated his plan to call on the Gardiners to apprise them of Mr. Bennet’s condition and invite them to return with him for the wedding.
Darcy told her he had already obtained Bingley’s permission for them to move into Netherfield after the wedding, as Longbourn would be very crowded. It would also give them a little more privacy, as Netherfield was quite a large house, and they could have an entire wing to themselves.
Elizabeth found it nearly impossible to think about the fact that she would be married in just a few days time and would be moving out of the home she had grown up in—the only home she had ever known. It was even stranger to think of herself as ‘Mrs. Darcy’ and all that title entailed. She resolved to take things one step at a time and not to let her mind jump ahead too far.
As they drove along, Darcy continued talking about plans for after the wedding. Listening to him, Elizabeth began to grow uncomfortable. Clearly, Darcy was a man who was accustomed to making decisions for everyone around him. He had great responsibilities but also great freedom to arrange his life and the lives of those around him in any way he chose.
As he continued telling her his plans, Elizabeth became more and more uneasy. She began to wonder why he did not think to ask about her wishes. Then she remembered that when they were in Kent, Colonel Fitzwilliam had once said he was entirely at Darcy’s disposal. At the time she had replied that she wondered Darcy did not marry so as to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. How ironic! Now here she was—at his disposal—and he was arranging things as he thought they should be. As she continued to ponder the implications, she must have ceased listening to him, as she was brought back to the present when she heard him asking, “Elizabeth, are you well?”
“I am sorry. My mind was occupied with thinking about my father,” she told him unable to face telling him the truth about her concerns.
“No, I am the one who is sorry. You have much more serious matters on your mind at the moment. We can discuss our plans for after the wedding later.”
There will be the rest of my life to talk to this man, she thought. And what would they speak of over the dinner table? During the long winter evenings? She knew he loved to read,
Elizabeth exchanged good-byes with Georgiana, and Darcy kissed his sister on the cheek assuring her he would return soon. After helping Elizabeth into the carriage, he sat beside her and took her hand. “It seems you have already won my sister’s complete approval. You do not know how happy that makes me. I had to marvel at the way you drew her out and made her feel comfortable. I knew you would be a good influence.”
“She is very easy to like. I can see that the two of you are similar in many ways. You both share that same reticence in talking to strangers. I must say though I have noticed you have taken my advice—impertinent as it was—and have been practicing the art of conversation with people you do not know very well.”
She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.
“Yes, I took that suggestion and some of your others to heart. Thank you for noticing.”
“Georgiana seemed a little uneasy when I was teasing you. Does no one else torment you the way I do?” she asked.
“That is the one fear I have in bringing the two of you together. She is very quick to learn, and I believe it will not be long until she follows your lead and begins to tease me as well.”
The rest of the way back, they talked about his plans to leave on the next day for London to obtain the special license. He expected to return in a day or two, and the wedding would be held as soon as possible after that. As it would be a small, private affair, it would not be too difficult to arrange quickly. Darcy reiterated his plan to call on the Gardiners to apprise them of Mr. Bennet’s condition and invite them to return with him for the wedding.
Darcy told her he had already obtained Bingley’s permission for them to move into Netherfield after the wedding, as Longbourn would be very crowded. It would also give them a little more privacy, as Netherfield was quite a large house, and they could have an entire wing to themselves.
Elizabeth found it nearly impossible to think about the fact that she would be married in just a few days time and would be moving out of the home she had grown up in—the only home she had ever known. It was even stranger to think of herself as ‘Mrs. Darcy’ and all that title entailed. She resolved to take things one step at a time and not to let her mind jump ahead too far.
As they drove along, Darcy continued talking about plans for after the wedding. Listening to him, Elizabeth began to grow uncomfortable. Clearly, Darcy was a man who was accustomed to making decisions for everyone around him. He had great responsibilities but also great freedom to arrange his life and the lives of those around him in any way he chose.
As he continued telling her his plans, Elizabeth became more and more uneasy. She began to wonder why he did not think to ask about her wishes. Then she remembered that when they were in Kent, Colonel Fitzwilliam had once said he was entirely at Darcy’s disposal. At the time she had replied that she wondered Darcy did not marry so as to secure a lasting convenience of that kind. How ironic! Now here she was—at his disposal—and he was arranging things as he thought they should be. As she continued to ponder the implications, she must have ceased listening to him, as she was brought back to the present when she heard him asking, “Elizabeth, are you well?”
“I am sorry. My mind was occupied with thinking about my father,” she told him unable to face telling him the truth about her concerns.
“No, I am the one who is sorry. You have much more serious matters on your mind at the moment. We can discuss our plans for after the wedding later.”
There will be the rest of my life to talk to this man, she thought. And what would they speak of over the dinner table? During the long winter evenings? She knew he loved to read,
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