Page 73 of The Crown’s Gift

They stood that way until Georgiana called that the path was growing dark.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Return to Netherfield

Elizabeth left Pemberley without an engagement and with no doubt that one would come.

The certainty was more intimate than announcement. It lived in Darcy's hand over hers at the temple, in the way he asked when the Gardiners expected to reach Hertfordshire, and in his promise to visit Bingley before Jane's wedding.

He did not write to Elizabeth during the first week.

She told herself that an unmarried gentleman could not begin a private correspondence. She told herself he was allowing her freedom. She told herself several correct things and remained annoyed with the post.

Georgiana wrote to Mary. Her letter contained four pages of music, two of Pemberley, and a postscript.

William has asked three times whether Sir Thomas prefers port or claret. I told him he is preparing for the wrong Bennet. Lady Bennet prefers champagne.

Mary read the postscript aloud by accident and turned crimson.

Lady Bennet looked at Elizabeth. "Why does Mr Darcy care what your father drinks?"

"Perhaps he intends to dine here."

"Mr Darcy has dined here often without studying the cellar."

Sir Thomas opened his newspaper. "My dear, allow your daughter the dignity of telling us when she has something to tell."

"She has something now. I can see it in her face."

Elizabeth escaped into the garden with Mary.

"I am sorry," Mary said. "I forgot the postscript."

"Georgiana did not."

Mary smiled. "No."

Jane's wedding occupied every room. Samples of ivory ribbon covered the morning-room table. Bingley came and went between Longbourn and Netherfield with decisions he believed urgent until Jane answered them in one sentence. Sir Thomas reviewed settlements. Lady Bennet discovered that a breakfast for sixty required invitations to ninety. Kitty sketched designs for place cards. Lydia wished to release doves at the church door and was refused by every member of the family in sequence.

"No one values originality," she complained.

"We value the survival of gowns beneath frightened birds," Miss Harwood said.

Elizabeth found herself imagining another wedding after Jane's. The thought no longer terrified her. It embarrassed her only when she pictured Darcy standing beside her father in the library asking permission and Sir Thomas delaying solely to test him.

Bingley brought news that Darcy would arrive at Longbourn on the following Tuesday.

"He means to stay with me," Bingley said. "Though Caroline may go to the Hursts. We have not settled it."

Jane looked at her betrothed. "You have settled it. You have not told Caroline."

"That is a very different stage of settlement."

"Tell her before dinner."

"Yes, my dear."

Lady Bennet watched them with approval. "Jane will manage him beautifully."