Page 32 of The Sole Love

Everybody laughed while Darcy looked with pride at his sister. In so many ways, she resembled Elizabeth, except that Georgiana had not had the good fortune to be surrounded by numerous family members and lively conversation. She was still shy, but he hoped… He knew exactly what he hoped for, and finally, he dared to put his feelings into words. With Elizabeth there, Georgiana could blossom into an accomplished woman. Yet Elizabeth…was still to be won.

They walked to the music room and admired the pianoforte. There were sheets of music everywhere, but such apparent disorder was, in fact, proof of Miss Darcy’s diligence.

“But, brother,” Miss Darcy said quite suddenly, “you have to show Miss Elizabeth our library. I am sure she could choose some books to read while in town.”

The adults in the room were all stunned by the little fairy who solved their problem in the blink of an eye, as all of them wanted the same thing.

“Yes, please, Mr Darcy,” Mrs Gardiner said with a tender smile. “She has devoured the contents of our library and always complains about it.”

The colonel made an inviting gesture to his cousin, as though showing the library were a matter of life and death.

Darcy turned to Mrs Gardiner. “Are you sure it is not an inconvenience to leave you with my sister and Colonel Fitzwilliam?”

“No!” Mrs Gardiner’s voice was joined by two others as all three struggled to hide their smiles.

Elizabeth reddened, and Darcy had never seen her so bewildered. However, he could not tell whether it was pleasure she felt or discomfort at the theatre unfolding around them.

As she did not protest, he offered his arm and left without looking back. Smiling, he led her towards the library. Darcy had expected his family to support him in that intention, though it seemed Mrs Gardiner was equally eager for her niece to visit the Darcys’ library.

Elizabeth could hardly breathe; the moment they shared was so intense. It seemed unreal, like a splendid dream, although Mr Darcy was beside her, covering her hand with his in a more intimate manner than was proper.

“I will not run,” she finally said, and only then did he realise how tightly he was pressing her hand.

“Sorry…” he whispered, but her sweet laughter brought joy to both.

They climbed the stairs to the library with lighter hearts. In their own way, they tacitly decided what was to come; this was about them and their feelings. However, Elizabeth stopped in wonder when Mr Darcy opened the library door. For several moments, she almost forgot why she was there in her eagerness to examine all the riches his library contained. As she perused the volumes, he gave her details about various old tomes, admiring her reverent touch of each book. But they had little time for such delights, as he needed her to return to him from the realm of books.

“Miss Elizabeth, I shall happily deliver every volume in my library to Mrs Gardiner’s house, where you will have all the time in the world to read and admire them.”

“All of them?” Elizabeth turned to face him. She wore a pale blue-and-white gown with a revealing neckline that made his heart swell with love and desire.

“All,” he decided, his eyes drowning in hers.

“That will involve frequent travel to my uncle’s house,” she said teasingly as she blushed, her audacity suddenly overcome by diffidence. She wondered whether they were still talking about books or whether their conversation had acquired another meaning.

“Well, Miss Elizabeth, I shall undertake the journey as often as necessary…” He was ready to do anything to see her and discover her feelings.

She breathed with a delicious sound that betrayed her own excitement, no longer concealing her true state of mind. A lady should not behave in such a way, but for once, she allowed her feelings to rule.

“Will you accept my…visits?”

“Yes!” She had answered before he finished the question. “I shall, for I adore…books.” She smiled, watching delight spread across his face.

Slowly, looking at her with an intense gaze, he took her hand and kissed it much longer than propriety allowed.

“No,” she said reluctantly, but she was not referring to his lips or his eyes.

“No?” Concern began to replace delight.

“There is just one problem: I need something.”

He kissed her hand again, incapable of letting it go.

“Anything…you can have anything in this house.” He wanted to add, first and foremost, himself. But his meaning was clear.

Elizabeth, however, was in another state of mind. Their blissful moment had passed, and she was worried.

“What is it, my—?” He stopped before uttering those words that consumed him. She was his love—his once and forever love.