Love Never Fails

by Jennifer Joy

  "Very well. Leave the door open, and ask a footman to stand there until you return." Propriety seen to, he waited until Georgiana left before he spoke.

  His forehead furled and his eyebrows bunched together. "Miss Elizabeth, I do not want to seem insensitive to the news I confessed to you at Vauxhall Gardens, nor the events which followed—"

  "You could hardly have mentioned it at the ball, Mr. Darcy. Really, you need not concern yourself," she broke in, wanting to ease his discomfort.

  He lowered his head, shaking it. "No, I could not. I discuss many things with my sister, but that is not one of them."

  The look of pain on his face made Elizabeth want to make him laugh— anything to lighten his guilt. "Yes," she said with a chuckle, which forced his head back up to meet her eyes. "Georgiana, apparently, is aware of our awkward exchange in Lady Rutledge's library. I shall always remember that occasion when I am in need of a laugh."

  The corner of his mouth curled up, but it spread no further.

  Leaning forward in her seat, not wanting him to miss a word of what she had to tell him, Elizabeth said, "Mr. Darcy, I thank you for your honesty. It has helped me to understand your character. But I must allay your concern over your part in my father's death— if indeed you played any part at all. You owe nothing to my family. You owe nothing to me." She held her breath.

  He spoke slowly and deliberately. “You ease my conscience greatly, but I will not change my behavior toward you unless you wish it.”

  “I do not wish you to act out of guilt on my behalf.”

  “You believed me to be kind and thoughtful when the truth is that I have lived most of my life unconcerned with how my words and actions affected others. I deserved your criticism, yet even when others spoke ill of me, you refused to believe them.” He shoved his hand through his wavy hair. With a shrug, he said, “I had to live up to your expectations of me. I could not disappoint you.”

  Chapter 36

  Darcy held his breath. Surely she must know how his heart burned when he was near her, but something bothered her. He felt it.

  “I am honored that you value my opinion. I treasure yours. You have offered reassurances which put my heart at ease. Let me do the same for you, and let us be forever rid of the guilt and regret which has loomed over us.”

  She had his full attention. "My father traveled to Hunsford to speak to the heir apparent because he knew his health was failing. At the time, I did not realize the extent of it. Otherwise, I would have… Oh, there are so many regrets of which I must learn to let go. I would have embraced him harder before he left and harder still when he returned home. I would have told him how much he meant to me. I would have thanked him for imparting to me what knowledge he could. I would have asked him how he expected me to act on the sad event of his passing. I have been haunted over the past months, thinking that I have acted against his will— not for how my happiness has been affected, but rather how my mother and sisters have suffered because of it.”

  He reached out to her. He wished to impart some of his strength to help her shoulder the burdens she carried, but he pulled back before he touched her. Now was not the time. Patience, man. Clasping his hands together, he said, “Any loving father would put the interests of his daughter ahead of his own expectations.”

  Her fingers twitched and she clasped them together. “I know that now.” She pulled a folded up paper from her sleeve. One side of it was covered with writing, but it bore no marks of ever having been posted. “Father liked you.”

  His body felt limp with relief. Mr. Bennet approved of him.

  Elizabeth continued, “Mother sent me his journal and I found a letter in it. He wrote it to me. It is unfinished, but it is enough.” She unfolded the letter, smoothing over the creases delicately with her fingers. Her eyes looked like glass, reflecting the unshed tears floating in them.

  “Mr. Bennet spoke so highly of his daughter— his Lizzy, he called you repeatedly,” Darcy’s words stuck in his throat, and he forgot what he had meant to say. The look Elizabeth gave him as he uttered her name discomposed him completely.

  “He wrote about that. He wrote that he had never met a gentleman with a better listening ear. He was happy to have some time in the company of a sensible gentleman after his visit with Mr. Collins, whom he described as the most ridiculous of men.”

  Darcy nodded. He shared a similar opinion of the clergyman.

  Her face flushed. “He said that if any of his daughters were to marry Mr. Collins, he would never speak to her again.”

  “How sensible of him— and of you to have refused Mr. Collins’ offer,” he commented, hoping to lighten her embarrassment.

  With a sigh, she relaxed into her chair. “How I needed to know that! I have been living with the horrible burden of being responsible for the break-up of my family. We lost our home because I could not force myself to love such a man, and I refuse to marry for anything other than the deepest love.”

  Breath escaped Darcy. She could not possibly know how deeply her words affected him.

  “That is how it should be. I have always viewed marriage as a sacred bond not to be taken lightly.”

  Her lips parted, but she remained silent, contemplating him. They sat in silence, knowing that they had spoken too plainly, but wishing to speak plainer still.

  She had already said too much. What she really wanted was to give Mr. Darcy the letter and let him read it. But the letter spoke too frankly about how good a match he would be for her, so she dared not. She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, so happy and yet so lonely.

  She looked at the door, hoping Georgiana would step through before she asked what she so badly wanted to. Did he love her as ardently as she loved him?

  "Miss Elizabeth, you have given me the best gift today. I have been haunted by the consequences of my ungentlemanly behavior, and I have spent the past months trying to make atonement."

  Hope flickered in her breast like a tenacious spark in a dying fire. Looking at his face intently, she said, "You are free of any obligation you believed yourself to be under. Thank you for your kindness toward me and my family, but you owe us nothing. You never did." Her throat was so dry, it stuck together, and she had to whisper. Her eyes stung. So many times, she had held back her tears. So many times, she had suppressed her emotions to avoid causing a scene.

  She tried to smile. She could never tell him how her heart broke more at the thought of losing him forever than it had at her father's death.

  Breathing through the knot in her throat, she looked down so that he would not have to see. Crying was an ugly business, and she was no longer under the assumption that she could fool him.

  Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force back the intensity of what she felt. When she opened them again, a white handkerchief hovered by her face. Mr. Darcy was on his knee before her, offering her his handkerchief just as he had so many months ago. An eternity ago.

  With a sob, she reached for the soft linen. His hand did not leave it, but followed the handkerchief to her cheek where he gently caressed it.

  "Elizabeth," he pronounced her name in his velvety baritone.

  He went to move his hand, but she clutched at it, pressing it against her face.

  "I love you," he said in a voice meant only for her to hear.

  She wanted so badly to believe him, but she would not allow him to suffer an attachment extended out of pity. Dabbing her eyes and raising her head, she asked, "Why?"

  She looked into his eyes, wishing she could read his mind, desperate to understand his heart.

  He lowered his hand from her cheek to hold her hands in his. The warmth in his touch enveloped her with security like a soft blanket. "I began loving you before I even met you." He sighed and shook his head, running his other hand through his hair. "Mr. Bennet poured out his concerns in our carriage ride. He was distraught and feeling unwell. His desperation made him speak openly, and he shared details about his faults toward his family that I doubt he had d
ared think even to himself before. It did not take long for me to notice that one subject in particular lightened his heart and calmed him more than any other." His eyes were so inviting, Elizabeth felt like she could drown in them. "It was you. Whenever he spoke of you, a tenderness came over him and calmed him. So, I asked him questions about you to keep his mind off his discomfort and on a beloved subject. The woman he described so honestly was the lady I had always dreamed I would marry. Over the past months, I have watched you and have come to realize that you are so much more than your father described."

  If it were possible to melt, she would have. His words embraced her soul as wholly as his hands caressed hers.

  He did not budge or flinch a muscle when Georgiana walked back into the room. He only smiled and looked at Elizabeth in the eyes. He was so beautiful, her heart ached, and her hand started to sweat.

  "Will you marry me? Do you love me?" he asked. The uncertainty in his voice made her want to laugh and kiss him so firmly on the mouth, he would never doubt again.

  Biting her lips, she said, "I love you, William. I love you more than I ever believed possible."

  Georgiana froze in place, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

  "Will you marry me?" William asked, more confidently.

  Wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck, she said in his ear, "Yes."

  She was so happy, she might have floated up into the heavens had he not wrapped his arm around her and leaned his cheek against her forehead. He did not release her hands, which still grasped onto the handkerchief… that blessed, wonderful handkerchief which had begun everything.

  Chapter 37

  One Month later

  Elizabeth and Darcy arrived at Pemberley early in the morning. The sun had yet to dry the dew on the green grass, and the birds still picked at the earth for their breakfast.

  The grounds belonged in a fairytale. Every blade of grass grew in its proper place. Every tree in the forest belonged and added to the splendor of Pemberley. The rose garden they passed had perfectly trimmed bushes and luscious blossoms where butterflies and bees gathered.

  The carriage stopped and William handed her out. "There is something I want you to see before anything else. It is a surprise." He shuffled his weight, and he bunched his chin. He was nervous.

  She gave him her best smile. "I love surprises!"

  Together they went into the house, greeted by the household staff, who missed their master and were happy to welcome their new mistress. He answered a few questions regarding Georgiana, who would arrive the next week with the Matlocks. But William did not slow his pace as they walked on the polished black and white squares of the entrance hall and past the grand staircase with its shiny bronze stairwell.

  They passed several doors before he stopped. Moving behind her and covering her eyes with his hands, she held her breath as she heard him open the door and felt his body against her as they moved forward into the room. They took several steps inside.

  "I did not understand my motives at the time. All I knew was that I had to have them. Now I understand." He let his hands drop from her blinking eyes. "I did it for you."

  The familiar smell of book binding and worn leather filled her senses. It was one of the largest libraries she had been in— even larger than Lady Rutledge's. She looked around her, thinking that heaven could not be more beautiful.

  “Oh, William, it is breathtaking!” she exclaimed, spinning through the room.

  “Do you still feel guilty for refusing Mr. Collins?” he teased.

  She punched his arm.

  William pointed to the books in front of her. “Look in front of you.”

  She took a step forward to see better, then paused. She knew. The books were too familiar for her not to recognize.

  Slowly, reverently, she ran her fingers over their smooth covers. She pulled out a volume and read father’s thoughts written in the margins. “How did you get these?”

  “When Bingley left Hertfordshire, I made my way to Brighton, where Mr. Phillips told me the gentleman who had purchased your father’s library resided. I convinced him to sell it to me.”

  Spinning around to face him, her chest heaved to catch her breath. "You bought father's library when you hardly knew me? You dear, wonderful man!"

  She rushed back to William, nearly toppling him over when she jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. He scooped her up and she felt her feet dangle over the floor as he swayed her back and forth, sprinkling her face with kisses. She ran her fingers through the curl of hair at the bottom of his neck and let herself feel the happiest she had been since the day they had married.

  "Oh, William, will I always be this happy?" she asked, kissing the cleft on his chin.

  He set her down and she caught her breath.

  "I will see to it," he promised.

  Flattening both hands against his chest, he tipped her chin up so that their eyes met.

  "There was a time when I thought I would never be complete again. But you have healed me. Love surpasses grief, and now I cannot imagine how I lived before you. You are my family, William."

  Perhaps grief is the price paid for loving so deeply, but it was also the greatest gift she had ever been given, and its power was so far superior, she could now think with fond memories of her dear father. He had not been a perfect father by any means, but he had loved her unconditionally. Through all his faults, he had left her one legacy which stood out above all others. He had taught her that love was worth waiting for. Love never fails. As Elizabeth looked into her husband's eyes and felt his tender embrace, she knew that he had been right.

  THE END

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading Love Never Fails. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. Please click here to leave a review — I read all of them!

  If you would like to know when my next book is available, you can:

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  About the Author

  When Jennifer isn’t busy dreaming up new adventures for her favorite Austen characters, she is teaching English, reading, perfecting her doughnut recipe, or taking her kids to the park.

  Her wish is to continue to write sweet romances with happy endings for years to come.

  She currently lives in Ecuador with her husband and twins. All of them are fluent in Spanglish.

  Right now, Jennifer is imagining a new way to bring our beloved Darcy and Lizzy together so that they can enjoy another Happily-Ever-After.

  Other Books by Jennifer Joy

  Historical Romances

  Darcy’s Ultimatum: The Cousins Series, Book 1

  Anne’s Adversity: The Cousins Series, Book 2

  The Colonel’s Challenge: The Cousins Series, Book 3

  Earning Darcy’s Trust

  Accusing Elizabeth

  Win, Lose, or Darcy

  The Honorable Mr. Darcy: A Meryton Mystery, Book 1

  The Indomitable Miss Elizabeth: A Meryton Mystery, Book 2

  The Inseparable Mr. and Mrs. Darcy: A Meryton Mystery, Book 3

  Cozy Mysteries

  Cabs, Cakes, and Corpses: Murder on the Equator, Book 1

  Rum Raisin Revenge: Murder on the Equator, Book 2

  Cold Case Crumble: Murder on the Equator, Book 3

  Sweet Contemporary Romance

  Written in the Stars: Starlight Terrace Proposals #1

 

 

 
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