Elizabeth looked surprised at his vehement response, then smiled when she saw the gleam in his eyes.

“Who will I converse with if my two eldest abandon me to run away to The Lakes?”

Elizabeth laughed aloud. “Oh, Father! We would never abandon you. Mr. Darcy said I could have the family to visit in the autumn, or perhaps over Christmas. What do you think of that? Jane and I could go to The Lakes, then on to Pemberley. In October, you could all join us there?” She grew excited at the prospect and he almost couldn’t resist her broad smile.

“I do not know, child. I must speak to your mother. We will have already been from home quite some time. I will need to wait until after the harvest.” Mr. Bennet was not insensible to the benefits to be reaped from spending a month or more at his wealthy son-in-law’s home. The money they would save on food alone would be impressive, not to mention the reduced staff.

“Please come, father, at least for a little while. I will be so far from home and everything will be so new.”

Her voice was small and Mr. Bennet felt deeply for his daughter. She would be facing so many new challenges, and all because he had asked her to, because he had failed to plan appropriately and allow his daughter to marry a man she cared for, or at least one with whom she was comfortable. Her distress was a sharp point in his otherwise happy manner and he readily agreed.

“Of course, my dear. We will come to you in your new home. Your papa will not abandon you.” He looked at her seriously for a moment and furrowed his brow. “I know you will rise to the occasion, no matter the situation. I have the utmost faith in you.”

Her smile was a little wobbly as she thanked him and reached to give him a hug before saying she needed to see the sea one more time before sundown and practically ran down to the beach in an effort to forget the tumult of her present life.

Chapter 13

Darcy read Elizabeth’s letter with an increasingly growing smile. She was sounding more like her old self. All would be well. Elizabeth had said nothing about a traveling companion. Perhaps she was warming to the idea of being alone together; or her father had spoken to her. Either way, he was closer than ever to bringing home his bride, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so happy.