The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Author:Mary Lydon Simonsen
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2010-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

During breakfast, Lizzy was buttering her bread in the great hall at the inn when she looked up to see Mrs. Jenkinson. What on earth was she doing at an inn in Derbyshire? Lizzy immediately went to her, but when she gently touched her arm to get her attention, Anne de Bourgh’s companion nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Mrs. Jenkinson, I am sorry to have startled you. Are you a guest at the inn?”

“Oh, Miss Bennet, you are the very person I was looking for. Miss de Bourgh is in the carriage, but she did not want to come in until she knew you were here. She would like to visit, but it really would be best if you met somewhere where it was not quite so crowded.”

“Of course. We shall visit in our rooms.”

Ordinarily, Lizzy would have been surprised to encounter Anne de Bourgh at an inn in Derbyshire so far from Kent, but in consideration of what had happened the day before at Pemberley, she was not surprised at all.

While Anne and Lizzy waited for the servant to bring the tea, they did little more than exchange pleasantries, but as soon as the door closed, Anne took Lizzy’s hand and said, “Elizabeth, are you angry with me?”

Lizzy shook her head no, and while holding Anne’s hand, she wondered how someone so frail could be so determined as to execute such a complicated plan and at such a distance.

“Of course, I am not angry. However, I was greatly surprised to meet Mr. Darcy at Pemberley and embarrassed as well. When he came upon me, I was spinning around in circles. He must have thought I had lost my mind, but even so, he was brave enough to talk with someone who had lost her wits.”

“And this first meeting? Did it go well?”

“Very well, I think. He was quite gracious, and he invited my aunt and uncle and me to dine at Pemberley this evening.”

Anne clasped her hands together and smiled. “As I had hoped.” Then in a more serious tone, she continued, “I have never done anything like this before.”

“General Wellington could make good use of your natural talents for maneuvering in his campaigns.”

“You must understand that everything I did was on behalf of Will and Georgiana, or I would not have been so brave. I just wanted Will to find a woman who would love him, not for his position or his wealth, but for who he is. When he told me that you had refused his offer of marriage, I was stunned, thinking all the advantage was on your side. How wrong I was! You have touched his heart as no one else has, and I wanted you two to be together again so that he might touch yours.”

Anne rose, explaining she had to leave. “Georgiana has gone ahead to Pemberley. When Will finds out that we have separated, he may be very upset with his sister, or he might order his horse to be saddled and come straight here.

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