"I've looked into travel arrangements, and I purchased you a ticket to London. When I spoke with Lady Catherine two days ago, she gave me the exact location of your family. I already mailed a letter informing them of your arrival. Your ship leaves next week," Darcy took a deep breath and then smiled sheepishly at me, "I trust this is all agreeable with you?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you, Darcy," I said, giving him my first real smile in two days.
He smiled back and that was that. I couldn't help the change that had come over Darcy since we had discovered that I was the lost Bennet daughter. He seemed different, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. He seemed more cautious around me, yet at the same time he seemed more concerned about me as well. And he had obviously been worried about something, but when I asked him he wouldn't tell me anything. And he would look at me with sad eyes quite often, I was beginning to worry.
The next three days passed quickly yet slowly. I could feel my nerves growing at the prospect of going to meet a family that I never even knew existed until a few days ago. Darcy was going to take me to Manhattan, where the ship would sail from. The plan was that we were going to stay in Manhattan for a night, and then Darcy would see me off.
Arrangements were made quickly and without warning. Georgie was to stay with the Collins. Darcy had me get ready and in the carriage in less than half an hour, and we were off.
The trip to Manhattan took three days. We stayed in taverns along the way, and in the first one, Darcy had to produce our marriage certificate to prove to the proprietors that we were married. The proprietor still glared at us, and stared at us as we walked up the stairs and to our room. Once we were in our room Darcy looked at me, and we both burst into laughter.
The second tavern we stayed at, the proprietor obviously didn't care about our marital status. He merely leered at me before I was swept upstairs by Darcy, who was shooting the man death glares.
In the taverns, Darcy only ordered one room. I took the bed and he took the floor, and neither of us said a word. We were both exhausted every night and fell asleep immediately.
For three entire days, we sat on the wagon while the horses plodded along. It was surprisingly exhausting. On the first day, neither of us said a word, but the second day I had had enough with the silence. I turned to Darcy and was just about to tell him so, when he suddenly spoke.
"What is your favorite color?" he asked, completely out of the blue.
"Pardon me?" I asked, totally taken aback.
"I just realized that we are married, and we know basically nothing about each other," he explained in very sure tones.
"You just now realized that?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, I suppose I did realize it earlier, I just had the sudden urge to do something about it," he flashed me a quick, hesitant smile.
And so, for the rest of that day and the next, we quizzed each other on every little thing. We discussed everything from favorite colors to favorite books, but we seemed to avoid any topics that were of importance, such as Darcy's past. I decided to just let it go for now, and not ruin the moment.
Near the end of the third day though, Darcy told me some useful information.
"I think I should better inform you of your family before just sending you into their arms," Darcy said after a long pause.
"Will they be... difficult? Or unwelcoming do you think?" I asked.
"Some will be very welcoming, I can assure you. Others, probably not as much," Darcy began, and I could tell that this was going to take a while. "You are sensible. I believe that Mr. Bennet, your father, will like that. He is a gentle, quiet man who has accepted that his lot in life is to put up with his wife and daughters. Mrs. Bennet's reaction to you, though, I cannot be certain of. She will either be exuberant to an extreme or shun you completely."
"Why would she do that?" I interrupted.
"Welcome or shun you?" Darcy asked for clarification.
"Shun me."
"Well, Mrs. Bennet is a slightly silly woman. Despite this, her reactions are quite hard to pinpoint. She would probably shun you because she will see you as just another daughter that she has to find a husband for, and she may think that you would be competition in the husband-hunt for your sisters."
"Yes, but I already have a husband," I said, giving him a pointed look.
"Yes, well... about that." Darcy looked uncomfortable, "I didn't exactly leave England with a good name, and I would rather you didn't mention that you were married to me specifically. You may say that you are married, but it would probably be better for you if you don't mention my name." He shot me a worried look.
I sat there, turning this over in my mind. "You aren't going to explain any further are you?" I asked. It was more a statement than a question, I knew the answer.
"No," was his short reply.
I settled back, and decided not to push the issue. "Tell me more about the Bennets," I insisted.
"Well, you have four sisters," Darcy tried to start.
"Four!" I exclaimed, interrupting again.
"Yes, four. Didn't you know that?"
"I knew that I had sisters, I just didn't realize it was that many. Go on."
"The oldest is Jane, she is a year or two older than you are, I lose count. She is a very kind-hearted girl, wouldn't hurt a fly. I believe that she will accept and befriend you instantly. She is perhaps a little too kind, for she never seems to see the bad in people and always thinks there is a reasonable explanation for everything. I believe you will like her though.
"Mary is next, and younger than you are. She is a very strange girl, she cares nothing for ribbons and bows, and she reads sermons! Sermons!" Darcy said with a laugh, "But she too is very kind and I believe you will like her as well."
"And then there are Kitty and Lydia, two of the most outrageous and annoying girls you could ever come across. They are empty-headed and scheming. At least Lydia is, even though she is younger of the two. Lydia is in charge and Kitty follows her wherever. Kitty would be quite a nice girl if she weren't influenced by her sister," Darcy seemed to be quite venomously sure of Lydia's character. I looked at him, a bit startled, and he explained how he knew all of this.
"While I was living in England, I came to know Miss Lydia quite well. A little better than I would have cared to in fact, we were sort of thrown together," was his reply.
"And that's probably all you are going to tell me, correct?" I asked again.
"You are indeed correct," Darcy said with a smile.
"See? We are coming to know each other better," I said with a teasing grin.
Darcy surprised me yet again by grinning at me in return, and we both burst out laughing. The rest of the drive was spent with idle small-talk as we quizzed each other on the smallest parts of our personalities, still avoiding all of the heavy, looming topics.
When we at last pulled into Manhattan, we were both exhausted and collapsed in the first tavern Darcy could get a room at. I looked at poor Darcy, sprawled out on the floor. He had been working so much harder than I was. He had to handle the horses while I just sat there in the wagon and tried to keep my body upright. I crawled down to him, and gently shook him out of his half-slumber.
"Darcy. Darcy! Get up for a minute, you can take the bed," I said as I tugged at his arm.
He raised his head, and looked at me through bleary eyes,"What?"
"You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor," I repeated.
He staggered to his feet and walked the few steps to the bed before collapsing onto it. I was about to lay down on the floor, when he spoke.
"Lizzy, don't sleep on the floor. You can take the other side of the bed, I'm in no condition to try anything, anyway," his words were muffled in the pillow, but I understood them loud and clear.
I cautiously sat on the opposite side the bed, and then swung my legs up and lay down. I looked at him, he was already falling back asleep. Poor man, we had gotten started early that morning, before the sun was even up, and now it was past dark again. I rolled over, and promptly fell asleep myself.
The next morning, we looked around to see where we were exactly. We were still a little ways from the docks that we needed to be at, but my ship was not sailing until tomorrow afternoon, so we had plenty of time.
We drove around and eventually found a real hotel. When the clerk told us the price of a room per night, I gasped, but Darcy merely signed the registry as if it were nothing. When we were putting our things in the room, I turned to Darcy.
"This room is so expensive! Can you afford it?" I asked, incredulous.
"For today, the one thing you must remember is that there isn't much that I cannot afford," Darcy said with a smile.
I soon found out what he meant.
The day was spent window shopping, with occasional purchases. I quickly found that Darcy was ready to buy anything that I took even a faint interest in, so I was careful to refrain from admitting I liked anything in the shops. Darcy did manage to persuade me into trying on a beautiful, yet simple, gown that was meant for a ball. His excuse was that it was a going away present, and that now I would have something nice to wear if I had to go to a ball in England.
I thanked him profusely, but he just waved it off, saying he knew a thing or two of high society and the certain grief I would receive if I appeared underdressed. We ate lunch and dinner at the same restaurant. It was wonderful to not have to prepare the meal or do the dishes. The entire day was perfect, and after dinner we went back to the hotel room. I expected us to retire to our respective rooms for the night, for Darcy had gotten us two rooms. Instead though, Darcy pulled out the ball gown he had bought for me earlier and held it up for me.
"How would you like to go to a ball?" he asked, with a smirk.
"Honestly?" I gasped, already overwhelmed with everything he was doing for me.
"Yes," he replied, "There is a public ball tonight. I thought if I took you to one, you would be prepared for when you are with your family. The Bennets are very sociable, I must warn you."
"Are they sociable in a good way?" I asked, for I had served people who liked to impose their unwanted company on others. "Besides, I've been to balls before."
"I'm sure you have, but have you gone as a guest or a servant?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I huffed and snatched the dress from him and went to the other room to change, slamming the door behind me. I could hear him laughing in the other room. Before I started to change, I sank down on the bed. What was happening? Darcy was being kind to me, he had been becoming more kind and open in the past few weeks yes, but this was something new. Yet I also sensed that he did not have any ulterior motives to this kindness. And, I realized, that I was definitely feeling something towards him. He was kind, and gentle, and handsome.
Not once had he raised his hand or his voice to myself or Georgie, except that one time when I had first arrived, and even that had been tame, and an understandable reaction. He was still enshrouded in mystery, but slowly, bit by bit, he was revealing more and more of himself to me. I found I liked it.
I was suddenly determined to make my trip to England as quick as possible, I had no idea what I would find there, but I knew one thing: I would have Darcy waiting for me when I returned. I felt suddenly giddy, like a young girl again. It was a strange feeling, but I welcomed it. And now, I thought, I had a ball to go to.
Hey everyone! I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to post this chapter, I was away from my computer for about a week. I have written ahead a bit, so I'll try to get back on a better posting schedule but once again, no promises.