Two pieces of good news. 1. Darcy and Elizabeth are finally getting the moment of understanding you have all been waiting for in this chapter. I hope it is as sweet as I think it is. 2. Storms of Love is now up for preorder. You can go on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, and Smashword to get it. Google Play and Nook will be coming soon. The official release is on August 1st, so it won't be too long before you can read all of the story in its edited glory lol. Even if you do not buy the book and decide to wait to see the ending here, I would greatly appreciate it if any of you can leave reviews on any of the above sites. Thank you and I adore you all.
-Taryn
Elizabeth curtsied to the imposing woman. Lady Catherine barely nodded her head in reply. Here eyes never strayed from Elizabeth's face even as she curtly told her nephew to leave them. To her surprise, Darcy nodded his head and left with nary an argument.
"So you are the young chit that entrapped my nephew into a marriage."
"I do not believe that is how I would phrase the happening of our marriage, your ladyship." Elizabeth could not believe the impertinence of the woman before her to so boldly accuse her of entrapping Darcy.
"I've seen girls like you before. Country things out to get a rich husband. There must be some cunning in you to have succeeded. My nephew is not one to be easily tricked."
Elizabeth's chin rose up in defiance. "I do not mean any disrespect, but you do both me and your nephew a great disservice to believe that either one of us needed trickery to marry. I would believe that you know Dar- Fitzwilliam well enough to give him the credit he deserves. He is of strong enough will that he would not marry if he was not wholeheartedly in it. There is nothing in his character that would suggest that he would or could be bamboozled in such a way. Nothing short of mutual admiration could bring him to the marriage alter."
It was with a start that Elizabeth realized that everything she said was true. Darcy was not the sort of man that would marry someone he did not at least have admiration for. He had mentioned finding her eyes worthy of praise, but Elizabeth knew that he would need something more than a pair of fine eyes to wed. There were many a woman in society with eyes nicer than hers and on the whole more beautiful with greater dowries. To escape scandal would also not be enough for him. He must feel something for her.
"It is good to see you at least have a back bone. Perhaps there even is a brain in there. Do call me Aunt Catherine, as Fitzwilliam and Georgiana do." Lady de Bourgh looked at Elizabeth with reluctant acceptance. "I suppose you will do. There is not much I can do at this point, anyway. Fitzwilliam has made his decision and he was always such a headstrong boy. Tis a shame, though. I had great plans for him and my daughter. Our estates combined would have been great. I suppose my other nephew, Richard, will have to do."
Before Elizabeth could stop her mouth, it ran ahead of her. "Do you not think your nephew and daughter would be better suited to marry for love?"
Lady Catherine ran her shrewd eyes over Elizabeth. "You and my nephew have been now married longer than your previous acquaintance, am I to assume then that in a matter of days you two fell in love then married? Do not insult me with an answer, child. I know there is more to this marriage than either of you are letting on and love is not there. You have gained enough of my respect to make me not question the reasons for the marriage, but do not push me too far."
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, your ladyship."
"It looks as though my niece is in want of your attention. She has been anxiously staring this way for the past five minutes. Go check on what she needs before she bursts."
Elizabeth curtseyed before rushing over to her young friend.
"I saw you speaking to Aunt Catherine. I know she can be unkind to those she believes below her." Georgiana looked every inch the anxious girl Lady Catherine described her as.
"It is nothing to worry over. Lady Catherine and I have come to an agreement."
"An agreement? That is as close to praise that anyone comes to with her."
"I am relieved then. I would not wish to be on the bad side of anyone in your family."
"You are on the bad side of one person, though she is not of our family."
Georgiana subtly pointed her fan in a direction and Elizabeth turned to see who she could be talking about. If looks could kill, Elizabeth would easily be buried more than the standard six feet. Caroline Bingley did not look happy at all, despite being in the midst of such gaiety.
"You managed to snatch my brother right from under her."
Elizabeth frowned still looking towards Miss Bingley. "I did no such thing. I would not snatch anything from anyone and your brother is not a possession, therefore he belonged to no one."
Georgiana laughed in return. "Tell that to Miss Bingley. I believe she considered Fitzwilliam and the whole of Pemberley as hers from the moment Mr. Bingley introduced them. Her eyes have firmly been set on his fortune and the Darcy name."
"I do almost feel guilty about ruining her prospects on him."
"Don't you dare feel guilty. She is a horrible woman. Any time she would be around me, she was full of fake simpering and complimenting me with anything I did. There is not a genuine bone in her body and I much prefer you as a sister."
"I am glad you feel so."
Darcy meandered up to the duo as they giggled together.
"I hope I am not interrupting anything too important," he said with a soft smile.
"Oh dear brother, of course not. We were simply discussing how wonderful it is to be each other's sisters."
"I am glad to hear that. It is my deepest desire to see the two most important women in my life get along so well."
A very becoming pink colored Elizabeth's cheeks at the mention that she was one of the two most important women in his life. She had not considered that he held her in such high esteem after the circumstances of their marriage.
"I must admit that I am here to break you two apart. It is my desire to dance with my wife." He turned to Elizabeth, who was still blushing. "May I have the honor of the next set?"
"Of course."
He held out his hand and lead her out to the dance floor where the next set was starting.
They danced in silence fore the first few minutes until Elizabeth gave in and broke the silence.
"We are finally having our dance."
"Excuse me?" Darcy asked in confusion.
"At the Meryton Assembly you did not wish to dance with me, and I was not in attendance for the Nertherfield Ball, so this is the first time we are getting to dance."
"It has been to long then. I have been remise in my duties."
"Is it a duty of a husband to dance? Surely, if he is adverse to dancing then he should not be forced to dance."
"Surely, if he is adverse to dancing with his wife, then he should not be married."
Elizabeth fell silent out of the shame that he was forced to marry her when he would not want to even dance with her.
Realizing his mistake in words, Darcy quickly tried to rectify it. "Even a marriage not originally born out of love holds enough admiration between the couple to grow in happiness."
"How can one tell when there is admiration between a couple?"
Darcy thought for a moment. "I believe by the way a man looks at his wife and the way they come together in their dance."
At that moment, the dance required them to stand close together, and Darcy stood much closer to Elizabeth than any other couple dared. It was a declaration of intimacy that Elizabeth had not expected.
When the reel had the separate again, Elizabeth was able to catch her breath from holding it while they had been close.
"You say it is in the look and dance, but what of when a husband is away from his wife and she can never see his look?"
"Then the husband is a fool and should endeavor to be closer to his wife."
Again silence fell between them. What else could they say? Both knew the conversation was about more than a hypothetical husband and wife. Elizabeth yearned to ask him if this meant that he admired her, but she was too afraid of what the answer would be. Either option held a terrifying future.
So instead, they continued their dance, both in silent contemplation.