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FOUR MONTHS LATER, Lizzy was relieved to return to England and set foot on the docks in London, though not nearly as relieved as Will seemed to. He was still a little green, continuing to fight seasickness, which had gotten worse the closer they got to shore as the waves increased. She was experiencing a touch of that herself, but hers was because of her pregnancy. Otherwise, she’d never had trouble sailing.
Jane looked a little peaked as well, and Lizzy suspected it was because she was in a similar state. Her sister’s pregnancy was obvious, where Lizzy’s was not yet, but they were both well pleased their children would be born close to each other. She dared hope they would grow up as close as siblings.
“It is good to be back,” said Charles.
“Most assuredly,” said Fitzwilliam. He’d made no secret of how much he disliked America.
Lizzy had tried to be more openminded, but she had found it equally unappealing. There were some genuinely nice people in Boston society, but it was a completely different environment than she was used to, and she was far more comfortable in the wilds around Longbourn than she was in the cramped spaces of Boston, or in London, for that matter.
She and Fitzwilliam would stay at Darcy House for a few days before they went on to Longbourn to retrieve her mother and sisters. After that, they would depart for Pemberley.
The house Darcy had commissioned to be built on Pemberley land for her mother and sisters should be finished by now, and she was looking forward to sharing the surprise with her family, though she intended to exchange a few sharp words with her mother about how she had almost maneuvered Lizzy and Jane into one of them being forced to marry the undesirable younger Mr. Collins.
Darcy put a hand on her stomach as they started walking down the wharf, the smell of fish making her queasy. “We shall soon move past the smells.”
She nodded. “How is your stomach, Mr. Darcy?”
“Now it is filled with nerves that you are calling me Mr. Darcy. What have I done to displease you?”
Lizzy laughed. “I am simply teasing, Will. Are you well though?”
He nodded. “I am quite well, and as soon as we are settled at the townhouse, and assuming you are up for it, I am most intent on showing you just how robust I am.”
Lizzy smiled, looking forward to that. “I like the way you think, Will. I am certain I will be quite well by then too.” He held her hand in his as they walked along, soon meeting with their carriage.
Charles and Jane departed from them, intent on reaching the Bingley townhouse, and she’d see her sister soon enough, since Jane planned to travel with them to Longbourn and then on to Pemberley for a while. Jane was hoping Charles would buy property near Pemberley, and Lizzy hoped for the same. Though they were both married women, they would continue to be close and in each other’s lives on a frequent basis.
For now, she was content to have Fitzwilliam to herself. She hoped she could coax out the wild Will she remembered from the island, and she doubted she would have any difficulty doing so.
In private, they were still Lizzy and Will, and they had not lost the free-spiritedness they had found on the island, nor their deep love for each other. It only continued to grow, and she was confident it would always be that way.
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