Read The Road to Pemberley for Free Online Page B

did not raise her voice, Elizabeth’s face displayed her instant anger. “I held the belief, sir, that you had fallen in love with me because you admired my liveliness. Is that not what you told me only a fortnight ago?”
    â€œActually, I said that I admired you for the liveliness of your mind,” he modified.
    â€œAnd I insisted that you were always noble and just, and that in your heart you thoroughly despised the persons who so assiduously courted you, and you, sir, never corrected me.”

    Darcy stiffened. It was to be another argument. “Did I not praise your affectionate behavior to Miss Bennet while she lay ill at Netherfield?”
    â€œYes, I placed my good qualities under your protection, as I recall.” She turned her back on him. “I told you that you had my permission to exaggerate my good qualities as much as possible. I did not realize at the time that my caring for Jane was my only quality of merit worth recognizing.”
    A shiver ran down his spine. “And you were to find occasions for teasing and quarreling with me as often as you deemed necessary. Is this how our life is to be, Elizabeth? Sniping at each other over minor details?”

Part 3
    Where do we go from here? Darcy asked himself. Neither Darcy nor Elizabeth enjoyed what their relationship had become, and, as was his nature, Darcy blamed himself for making Elizabeth unhappy. He hated that they were at loggerheads. If her family possessed a larger fortune, possibly Elizabeth would understand his sense of duty. “If only Mr. Bennet had not neglected his duties,” Darcy muttered as he stared out the Netherfield library window. “Or if I had less than Pemberley.” With a sigh of exasperation, he exited the room to find his sister in Bingley’s music room.
    The household expected the arrival of Bingley’s sister later in the day—something that Darcy dreaded. He had fended off Caroline Bingley’s manipulations for the past few years, and knew she would verbally attack Elizabeth. His and Elizabeth’s courtship was under enough stress.

    â€œMesmerizing,” he said as his sister finished playing. He had stood in the doorway and listened. It was a brief moment of peace in the past few days’ chaos.
    Georgiana looked up at him, her eyes dancing. “I did not see you, Fitzwilliam.”
    He entered slowly. “You, my dear, were too involved in the music’s glory to know anyone else existed.”
    â€œIt is a bad habit of mine.” Georgiana stood to greet him.
    â€œI came to inquire whether you were to spend the afternoon with the Bennets. If so, I will happily drive you to Longbourn.” He caught Georgiana’s hand.
    She slid an arm about his waist. “You simply wish an excuse to see Miss Elizabeth,” she chided him good-naturedly.
    Darcy kissed her forehead. “I may have an ulterior motive.”
    â€œYou really love her. Miss Elizabeth, I mean,” Georgiana blurted out.
    Darcy paused, unsure about expressing personal feelings to his younger sister. “I hold the lady in the highest regard.”
    â€œOh, Fitzwilliam. Say what you mean. Maybe not to me, but to Miss Elizabeth.”
    â€œAre you offering me advice on love? Since when does an innocent know about love?” he returned a little too sharply.
    Georgiana blushed, but she did not turn away, something he deduced that she had learned from Elizabeth. Even though his sister had known Miss Elizabeth for only a few short months, Darcy could observe his intended’s influence on Georgiana; and, surprisingly, he considered it for the best. “Tr-True, I have never known love,” she stammered. “But I know what a woman wants to hear from the gentleman she holds in the highest regard .”
    â€œI will not discuss this topic further,” he reprimanded her. “Shall you call on the Bennets or not? With the arrival of Bingley’s
family, I suspect our