Excerpt from The Very Best of Friends

Chapter 2

Clearing the Air

The sound of her Christian name on his lips—and the boldness of his admission—stopped Elizabeth cold. Heat prickled at the back of her neck, creeping unbidden into her cheeks. Darcy had fallen silent as well; she dared not meet his eyes, afraid of what she might find there if she did. The hush between them felt fragile, stretched taut as a thread ready to snap. She twisted her fingers together in her lap, staring fixedly at the carpet as though it might provide escape. With every passing moment, the silence grew heavier—until she almost wished he would blurt something foolish, just to relieve the strain.

Unable to bear it any longer, Elizabeth ducked her head further to hide the betraying flush in her cheeks, and she spoke. Her words came out sharper than she intended: “Sir, there is no need to flatter me now. I already know what you think of me, and it is pointless to pretend otherwise. I would far rather you tell me the blunt truth.”

For several moments, he hesitated, and Elizabeth thought—hoped—that perhaps he had abandoned the idea of answering altogether. But then his voice came, quiet, steady, with a weight that made her pulse quicken.

“The truth, Elizabeth,” he said—her name again on his lips causing her to look up at him—“is that I would have asked you to marry me the moment you arrived at Netherfield two days ago if I had only myself to consider.”

Her breath caught. He looked at her directly now, though she could scarcely bring herself to meet his gaze. His words pressed on her, unrelenting, too bold, too earnest.

“You were—you are—utterly captivating,” he continued, and though his tone softened, it did nothing to lessen the force of his words. “I do not think I have ever seen you more beautiful than you were that morning, coming to enquire after your sister. While Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst laughed at the dirt on your hem and petticoats, all I could see was the light in your eyes, the colour in your cheeks. You were breathtaking.”

Elizabeth felt heat blaze anew across her face. Did he not hear himself? Did he not know how impossible it was for her to reply to such things?

He drew a breath, his voice tightening with something she dared not name. “It took every bit of strength I possessed not to betray my thoughts at that moment. It would have been so easy to forget duty, to forget everything—”

His words broke off, but Elizabeth hardly needed him to finish. She had heard enough. The meaning in those unfinished words left her stunned, the air between them suddenly too close, too charged. Unconsciously, she leant the smallest fraction nearer, her hands gripping tightly in her lap as though they might anchor her against the storm he had loosed.

Her composure faltered. “What has your sister to do with your not making me an offer, Mr. Darcy?” she asked, the warmth in her cheeks at odds with the scowl tugging at her lips. Then, squaring her shoulders, she pressed on more sharply, “Not that I would accept one at present, even if you deigned to offer it. Both Jane and I have long vowed never to marry without the deepest love.” She hesitated, her voice dropping, but a flicker of defiance coloured her words as she added, “And I am not even certain I like you at this moment.”

Darcy sat back and swallowed hard, his throat working; it looked to Elizabeth as though speaking pained him. When he spoke at last, his voice was low, as if the words pained him. “Forgive me for speaking so plainly. From my childhood, my parents impressed upon me a single truth: my duty was to marry in a way that would strengthen my family’s wealth and position. I am expected to choose a wife with fortune and connexions.”

He paused, his hand curling tightly on the arm of the chair, knuckles whitening as he seemed to consider whether to continue. Eventually, he spoke again.

“My aunt often reminds me that she and my mother once discussed a match between myself and her daughter, the heiress of Rosings Park. Although she insists that it was a settled thing between them, I cannot believe it was more than idle speculation. Neither of my parents spoke of it to me, and no contracts were ever signed. My mother may have favoured the idea of joining the estates, but I do not believe she would have forced my hand. Still, she impressed upon me the necessity of marrying well.”

He turned his head away and was silent for several moments before facing her again.When he continued , his voice was quieter, tinged with something that sounded like weariness.

“After her passing, my father took up the refrain. He reminded me, often and emphatically, that my duty was to Pemberley: to its land, its staff, its tenants—hundreds of lives bound to the estate’s prosperity. Above all, I was to secure its future by marrying advantageously, fathering a son or two, and keeping the accounts flush.” He paused, a ghost of old pain flickering across his face. “Nearly his last words to me were a reminder of that responsibility—and of my duty to protect Georgiana.”

A slow breath escaped him, heavy enough to suggest some great ill, though Elizabeth could not have said upon what.

Darcy fell silent, his gaze distant, before continuing, more quietly still. “Once, during my years at university, I dared to suggest the idea of marrying for love. He laughed at me.” A bitter smile ghosted over his lips. “He said love is what one feels for mistresses and courtesans. ‘A Darcy marries for duty.’ That was the lesson. Raise the family’s standing by marrying someone who would bring wealth or connexions—preferably both. My father had done so himself; my mother was the daughter of an earl and came with a considerable dowry. Since my father’s death, my uncle, Lord Matlock, has never failed to reinforce that idea. Each season, he and my aunt compile lists of eligible young ladies they deem suitable, and I allow myself to be introduced, out of courtesy if nothing else.”

He shook his head, as if trying to clear it. “But they are all the same. They speak of the weather, of novels they have barely read, of the latest fashions and idle gossip. Rarely anything of substance. Perhaps there are those who are different, but they are not the ones my aunt and uncle had sought to attach me to. Many are the daughters of some political crony of my uncle and were raised to be as empty headed as the rest.”

When he looked at her again, Elizabeth thought there was a rawness in his gaze. “That is why I have refused them all. I cannot endure the thought of a marriage so empty that I would be forced to seek elsewhere for companionship—for a meaningful relationship.” He drew a slow breath.

“I want more, Elizabeth. I wish to find a… a partner. Someone who will walk beside me, not behind me. Someone with whom I can debate and converse, who will challenge me, sharpen my mind.” His mouth curved faintly, and Elizabeth noticed how even that slight smile made him appear more handsome. She quickly pushed that thought away.

“I believe I could have found that with you. I have never enjoyed conversation more than when we spar together. You have made me reconsider my opinions, even bested me more than once in the few nights you have been here at Netherfield.” His voice dropped, earnest and certain. “You do not defer or flatter merely to please. You challenge me—and I like that about you, more than you can know.”

Elizabeth smiled, a playful glint in her eyes. “So, you like me because I am impertinent enough to argue with the great Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley,” she said, her laughter light but genuine.

As the words faded, her expression sobered. She hesitated, then added, her voice softer, tinged with something almost wounded, “But surely you would grow tired of that in time—if you could even set aside your objections to my lack of wealth and connexions.”

Darcy’s expression softened at once, as if he sensed her unease. “I would not,” he said earnestly. “I admire your kindness toward others—how many would walk three miles through the mud to tend a sick sister? How many would care for an injured servant with such patience and gentleness? You would make a magnificent mistress of an estate, even one as large as Pemberley. I have heard the tenants here speak well of you.”

Elizabeth stared at him, uncertain whether astonishment or disbelief held greater sway. His tone was not one of idle flattery but quiet conviction, and that sincerity unsettled her more than any polished compliment could have done.

He drew a slow, weighted breath, his shoulders dipping as though the air itself had grown heavy. “For the first time,” he said, his voice low, “I have thought of abandoning all I was taught about duty and family—to allow my heart to lead instead. Yet perhaps it is best that you would not accept me, even if I were to ask.”

The words struck her with a strange mixture of relief and regret, leaving her unsure whether to thank him for his restraint or resent him for presuming her refusal.

“You never did answer why your sister prevents you from doing so,” Elizabeth said, forcing her voice to remain steady even as emotion swelled within her. She lifted her chin in a show of composure, though her fingers tightened slightly in her skirts.

No one had ever spoken of her as he had, with such sincerity and admiration, and to hear it from him—the man she had thought insufferably proud and had hated for his rejection of her at the assembly—left her far more shaken than she cared to admit.

“If I were to marry as I wish, would it limit my sister’s ability to make a good match? She has had a… a troubling summer and has unfortunately learnt a lesson I would have rather she not had to learn just yet,” Darcy paused, as though debating whether to continue. After a moment, he seemed to set his hesitation aside and went on. With a quick glance around to ensure no one was about, he continued very quietly.

“A… a rake, a man who was once a friend of mine, attempted to importune her and convince her to elope to Gretna Green. I was able to prevent it, but her heart was injured in the process. He only wanted her for her thirty-thousand-pound dowry. As you can imagine, as a young, sensitive girl, she was terribly distressed at this realisation and still believes no one would ever want her for any other reason, that she has no reason to interest anyone, be it as some man’s wife or even as a friend for a lady her own age. You… you would be a good friend for her, I think. If anyone could cajole her out of her doldrums, it would be you. I have seen you with your sisters.”

She flushed scarlet again at his implication. “Why is that?” she asked, again leaning close as though they were exchanging confidences.

“I cannot imagine you remaining unhappy for long,” he said softly. “You would tease her, prod her, until she confessed all and her spirits inevitably were lifted. You would know just what to say to reassure her that I am not disappointed in her and that she is worth more than her dowry.”

He paused, drawing a slow breath. “I am still angry about what happened, but mostly with myself. It never occurred to me to warn her that our former friend—my father’s godson—was a rake who might one day seek to harm her. I should have prepared her better for the world.” His voice grew tight with frustration. “But how does one speak of such things to an innocent, much younger sister? Do you know how difficult it was for me to speak to her when she began her courses?”

This time, a deep flush rose in his cheeks, and across from him, Elizabeth’s blush rekindled with equal intensity.

She choked back a laugh. “I cannot imagine. It was painful enough to have that conversation with my mother; it would be impossible with a brother.”

“I had not even given thought to her mortification on the subject, only my own,” Darcy admitted, grinning now to have elicited humour from this lady. “It was terrifying.”

Elizabeth could not hold back her laughter this time, and after a moment, he joined in. “You would be good for me as well, Elizabeth. I have never felt this at ease with anyone else.”

“Well then, sir, you must decide whether your duty or your heart shall have the highest place,” Elizabeth said, settling back into her chair with a composed air that hid the tumult she felt in her chest. “Should you choose to court me, I believe I could be persuaded to allow it, but, as I have already stated, I will not marry without love and respect for my husband.”

She paused, then lifted her eyes to meet his, her gaze steady. “However, before you speak, you must resolve whether duty will continue to guide your choice. If you decide against your heart, I shall carry away the memory of a pleasant and enlightening conversation with a friend. And should your friend and my sister come to an agreement, perhaps we will still encounter one another, and remain just that—friends.”

Her voice softened slightly. “If you decide otherwise; well, then, I cannot say what the result will be. Perhaps, as we grow better acquainted, we will find we do not suit after all, and we will part as friends nonetheless.”

Elizabeth hesitated once more, then leant forward, her tone more earnest now. “I will only ask you this: what do you want? You know well what your family expects of you. But consider those whose opinions truly matter: what would they say? Would your sister wish for you to marry for duty and live in misery? Or would she wish for you to seek a woman who touches your heart?”

She tilted her head, studying him. “Are there others, someone you respect and trust to be looking out for your interest instead of theirs, whose counsel might guide you more truly?”

Darcy sighed heavily and remained silent for several long minutes. “I know what I want. But perhaps I should speak to Georgiana about what she desires. I would bring her here – she would adore you, and I think you would adore her in return — but she is a little afraid of Miss Bingley and would prefer not to share a residence with her under the best of circumstances. Right now, she is even less inclined to do so.”

“Perhaps I can ask my aunt and uncle, and they will permit me to return to London with them in January,” Elizabeth suggested. “If you are in town for the Season, you could introduce me to your sister if she is in London as well. You know I have four sisters, and I am quite used to cajoling them out of their doldrums.”

“How would I know?” Darcy asked after a moment.

With a furrowed brow, Elizabeth replied: “How would you know what?”

“If you were in London?” he said.

She considered this for a moment. “I am not certain. I suppose I could have my uncle write to you if you would not object.”

“I do not know him,” Darcy said, his brow furrowing as thought considering the matter. He said nothing more for a beat, then asked a few practical questions about London and her connexions there.

“He is a tradesman named Edward Gardiner,” Elizabeth replied, her tone uncertain even as she straightened and squared her shoulders. She adored her aunt and uncle, and if Mr. Darcy could not bring himself to meet them, any notion of a courtship would end before it began.

“He owns several warehouses in Cheapside, and he and my aunt have been among the greatest influences in my life. My uncle attended Cambridge and later married the daughter of a gentleman from a small town called Lambton, located somewhere in the north. They are both well-educated and have shaped not only my views but also those of my elder sister.”

“Lambton, you say,” Darcy said, astonishing Elizabeth since she had not expected him to comment on that particular detail. “That is but five miles from Pemberley.”

“Then perhaps you know her family,” Elizabeth said, her surprise evident in her expression. “Her father was, oh, I think his name was Mr. Wright, but I cannot remember the name of his estate.”

“I recall the family, but they moved away quite a few years ago,” Darcy said. “I do not recall why, but it was more than a decade ago.”

“Then you might renew your acquaintance with my aunt,” Elizabeth replied, her confidence growing with the suggestion. “It would give you a reason to call on my uncle and perhaps learn when or if I am to come to town.”

“You would let me court you then?” Darcy asked.

“Have you decided to ask?” she returned, raising her brow at him once again in question.

“I am willing to try,” Darcy admitted. “While I am uncertain of the result, I would like to see what this between us might be. I have rarely enjoyed a conversation with a woman more than I have this last half hour, and, well, I think I would like to have a lifetime of conversations like this. If Georgiana can learn to have some of your poise and confidence, then perhaps my marrying with my heart will affect her prospects less than I fear.”

He paused again. “But truly, your words about Georgiana struck me deeply. I would not want to condemn Georgiana to the type of marriage I am proposing for myself. If I cannot wish it for her, why would I want that for me?”

“It is time to listen to your heart then?” Elizabeth asked, tilting her head as she examined him closely.

“I think it is,” he replied softly.

She smiled broadly at him, and after a moment’s thought, laughter bubbled from her lips.

“I never would have imagined having this sort of conversation with you, of all people,” she said, her tone light but obviously serious. “You are not at all the man I once believed you to be. You will have to show me this side of yourself more often—if, that is, you truly wish to make me fall in love with you.”

At her own words, her cheeks warmed, the unintended boldness catching her off guard. She had not meant to tease him quite so far, and the very idea of this man—this extraordinary man—in love with her remained utterly astonishing.

He grinned in response. “Might I confess something?” he asked, leaning even closer to her.

At her nod, he continued. “Before you, I had never imagined having this sort of conversation with anyone. I have never spoken this openly to anyone before – not Bingley, nor even Richard. I share guardianship of Georgiana with my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, and before this moment, would have considered him my greatest friend.”

“Before this moment?” she asked, her brow quirked in question as she looked at him with the barest hint of a smile.

He smiled slightly in return. “After such a conversation as this, can we be anything other than the best of friends, my dear Elizabeth?”

She scowled at him, though the warmth in his voice unsettled her. “It is unfair, sir.”

He blinked, clearly puzzled by her sudden change of topic. “What is?”

“You have already begun to address me informally, yet I do not know what else to call you other than Mr. Darcy,” she said, her tone airy but her eyes alight with mischief. “I have heard your formal name, but what name would you have me use, sir? Fitzwilliam seems rather a mouthful. And might I presume I have your permission to address you less formally—at least in private?”

His answering smile was open and unguarded, an expression Elizabeth had not expected to see from him.

“My name is Fitzwilliam, after my mother’s family,” he said. “Most call me Darcy, but my mother always called me William. For years, Georgiana called me simply Brother, almost to the exclusion of any other name, though she has lately begun to use William as well.”

He paused, and something softened in his manner. “I would be honoured if you would call me by that name.”

Elizabeth’s lips curved, her earlier teasing replaced by genuine pleasure. “I would be delighted, William.” The sound of his given name felt strange yet natural on her tongue. After a brief, sparkling pause, she added lightly, “Now, we are in a library; tell me—what think you of books?”

And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!

(expected release date: January 15th)

An enchanting meeting at dawn! I love the mist, the flowers, and the colors of the sky! 🌅 

And Elizabeth looks stunning – her outfit, her hair, her bashful pose… Mr. Darcy is so charmed! 😍

I love the private moment alone the excerpt and cover portray…I’m hoping for more in other chapters… 💞

How lovely to see Darcy and Elizabeth getting along with each other and expressing their feelings so openly. 🙌🏼

What do you think, friends? 🤔

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Today Melissa brings with her two ebook copies of The Very Best of Friends for me to give away to 2️⃣ lucky winners!

To enter this giveaway leave a comment, question, or some love for Melissa!

• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Melissa!

• This giveaway ends November 18th!