Coming upon the sisters in tears, Darcy's plan to provide comfort suddenly felt misapplied. The two women were in an embrace and Darcy felt loathe interrupting them. But when Elizabeth's eyes popped open and she spied her love, she beamed at him and beckoned him closer with her hands behind Jane's back.
“Fitzwilliam, is it true? Shall we leave for Scotland this very moment? I am well, I swear!”
“Oh no, Miss Bennet, I will not fall for those tricks again. You have been moved once at great peril to your health, not again!”
“Lizzie, you do not listen. There must be at least a week before you can travel that distance again. Doctor Matthew's orders.” Jane rubbed her midsection absently, warmed that her headstrong sister still needed the gentle guidance here and again.
“But, if we wait too long, you might not be able to travel!”
“I have it on good authority that not only one Bennet sister is stubborn in her travel arrangements in spite of her health.” Darcy matched his future wife's arched eyebrows with one of his own, bringing her to a fit of laughter at his comical face.
“Speaking of my husband, perhaps I shall nip downstairs to see how he fares.” Jane announced her awarding of privacy to the couple as smoothly as she could manage, and gave her sister another kiss on the cheek and warm hug before rising from the bed.
“Be careful of the stairs!” Elizabeth called earnestly behind her, making Jane turn around shocked that she, the well-behaved sister, should be warned such.
“And you be careful of Mr. Darcy! I'm leaving the door open.” Jane announced before leaving.
Darcy wasted no time in rushing to Elizabeth's side, peppering her bruised and battered face with kisses, as he held her head tenderly in his cupped hands. Elizabeth tried to return his passions, but her lips remained off kilter from the minor swelling refusing to abate just yet.
“Is it true? Truly true? Two weeks time and we shall be married?” Elizabeth rushed her words and she panted for air in the crush of Mr. Darcy's arms.
“Truly true. The second you are well, we make haste for the border my love.”
Darcy pulled back for a moment and looked down at his beloved's face, refusing to dwell on the ugliness of violence displayed across it. As she began to tear up at such strong emotions, Darcy took a page out of her book.
“And while we may honeymoon at Carver House, I cannot promise there to be a stick of furniture left in the home.”
The two laughed and Elizabeth teased her husband for worrying about such frivolous matters. The last reason in the world she was marrying this man was for his furniture!