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“Then I shall go. Wait here. I shall report back as soon as I know the particulars.”

Before Elizabeth could stop her friend, Lucy had set off in Mr. Darcy’s direction. Deciding to spare herself the pain of knowing more about Mr. Darcy’s companion, Elizabeth hurried off in the opposite direction. She needed time alone to think—to dwell on those matters that must surely increase her current sufferings.

She wandered about in the garden until she came across a place to sit. Elizabeth buried her face in her hands. Why did I come? Despite what Mr. Darcy did for Lydia, I believe the confluence of wretched occurrences when last we were together was too much for a relationship as tenuous as ours to endure.

There was no mistaking in her mind that whoever the young woman was, she was important to him. In all the time she had occasion to observe him in company, she had never seen him regard anyone with so much affection. Elizabeth’s heart sank. Is he lost to me?

Elizabeth covered her face with both hands. Here I go again, rushing to conclusions. Better I walk right up to Mr. Darcy and make my presence known. Pray that companion of his has found another means of diversion by now. Elizabeth’s spirits rallied. She stood straight and tall. I have travelled this far so that I might determine the present workings of Mr. Darcy’s heart. I shall not turn back now.

Lord Holland passed by Darcy on the steps leading to the balcony. He nodded. “Where is Miss Bennet?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Miss Bennet. I had expected the two of you to have been inseparable once you learned of her presence.”

“The last I saw of Miss Bennet, we were in Hertfordshire. That was weeks ago. Do you mean to say she is now in London?”

“Not only is she in London, but she is here.”

How can that be? Surely Elizabeth would not be here, and I have been completely unaware of it. I wonder if she knows of my presence. If so, why has she not sought me out? Unless⁠—

“Pardon me.” Darcy walked away from his friend with the speed of lightning. If she is here, then I must find her. He looked inside the house and out, and finally, he ventured into the garden.

Emerging from opposite sides of a towering rosebush, the two nearly collided into each other.

“Eliza—” He clasped his hands behind his back to keep himself from reaching out and touching her as was his wont in his dreams. “I had no indication you were in Town.”

Elizabeth was in the midst of rehearsing the speech she planned to make when she found him and thus failed to attend to those courtesies expected upon seeing him after so long a time. “Mr. Darcy! I am staying with my aunt and uncle in Cheapside. I came to the party as Lucy’s guest.”

“Ah, Miss Lancaster! I believe I saw her earlier.”

“She and I both saw you. I might add that you seemed quite enraptured with your companion.”

“You saw me, and you failed to make your presence known? Why did you not speak to me? I might have introduced you to my companion.”

“Do you suppose I am the sort of female who puts herself in the path of a gentleman in heated pursuit of another woman?”

“If you suppose that I was in heated pursuit of another woman, then surely you do not know me. In fact, I readily concede that there is much that we do not know about each other. What I do know is that you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, are the most bewildering woman I have ever met. That you would continue to doubt my constancy is beyond comprehension.”

“What am I to think? You and I did not part under the most favourable circumstances, sir.”

“About that—there is a matter that I need to discuss with you. I fully intended to return to Hertfordshire, once my business in Town was completed.”

“If you are about to tell me what you did for my sister Lydia, I already know.”

“I might have known Mrs. Wickham was not to be trusted to keep such matters to herself.”

“I am glad she told me; otherwise, I would not have been able to thank you on behalf of my family.”

“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. Much as I respect your family, I believe I thought only of you.”

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. She simply smiled.

Their intimate discourse drew the attention of every passerby, who must surely have pondered the identity of Mr. Darcy’s companion. He reached for Elizabeth’s hand, placed it over his arm, and led her to a secluded spot inside an ivy covered gazebo.

“Mr. Darcy, what will people say should they discover the two of us tucked away here?”

“Let them say what they will. Have I not pledged thee my troth?” He retrieved a golden locket from his breast pocket. “I am yours. I always have been yours. You need only trust that.