Chances Come, Ney Mitch [snow like ashes series TXT] 📗

but I believe that I can help with fastenings.”

We began to get dressed again, and after Mr. Darcy put his jacket on and straightened his cravat, he did up the buttons on my gown.

“Oh, dear lord,” I gasped, “my hair!”

“Do you know how to do it yourself at all, or no?”

“I can put it up somewhat, but it will not be that tidy.”

“An attempt is better than none. I shall help.”

We were able to get my hair up, but it did not look proficient by any means.

“Forgive me,” I said, “but I am a woman of vigor. Therefore, I am about to rush up the steps and display my effusions of joy.”

I rushed out of the room and ran up the steps, just as Mr. Gibson passed me.

“Miss Elizabeth?” he asked. “Is anything amiss?”

“Oh, Mr. Gibson, it is the greatest sort of mischief that I have just made. Mr. Darcy will tell you.”

I continued up the steps and heard Mr. Darcy exit his study.

“Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Gibson asked. “What is it?”

“Oh, it’s very simple, Gibson,” Mr. Darcy replied casually. “I am just getting married, that’s all.”

Mr. Gibson barely showed any outward surprise at this.

“Ah,” was all that he said.

First, I knocked on Jane’s door, then I rushed to Kitty’s and Georgiana’s room and knocked on each of their doors as well.

“Come out, you solitary lot,” I beckoned. “Come out and see that it is a new world.”

The three of them exited their rooms. The last was Kitty, who I noticed had ink on her hand.

“Lizzy,” Kitty asked, “what the devil are you on about?”

“Oh, just a small announcement. I am getting married.”

All three of them blinked, then their jaws dropped.

“What?” Kitty repeated.

“I hope that you shall enjoy me as a brother-in-law,” Mr. Darcy announced, coming down the hallway. “Because I have asked your sister to marry me, and she has been so kind to accept. Georgiana, I will bring you five sisters, and Miss Bennet and Miss Kitty, can you ever learn to love me as a brother?”

Kitty screamed in delight and Jane breathed deeply, with her countenance being all aglow.

“Oh, this is too wonderful,” Jane professed. “This is the happiest I have ever been.”

“And me as well,” Georgiana said. “Thank the lord for that, for I thought it would never happen!”

Georgiana, Kitty and Jane rushed to me and hugged me.

“Mr. Darcy,” I said with a laugh, “I think this means that they like the news.”

“Who knows?” he joked, coming up to us.

“And you just made a joke?” Kitty responded, raising an eyebrow. “My sister is perfect for you, I can see.”

“Yes, Miss Kitty, she is.”

“Mr. Darcy,” Jane said, walking up to him and smiling gently, “you are the perfect sort of man for my sister. Our father could not have given her to anyone else less worthy. He is not here now, but I believe it. I believe it within the depths of my soul.”

“And since your father and mother are not here,” Darcy responded, “you are the only one that I can ask. Miss Bennet, I have asked your sister to be my wife, and she has accepted. Therefore, do I have your permission and blessing as well?”

“You seek my permission?” Jane blushed, looking between us both. “No one has ever asked something like this of me before. I like the sensation of it. Yes, you have my permission and my blessing. You both shall be very happy. And I shall write to mother about it myself.”

“Let us all go downstairs and have tea and cakes to celebrate,” Mr. Darcy announced, “and I shall have the servants enjoy a cup of punch.”

Our sisters acquiesced, we went downstairs, and Georgiana ordered the tea be brought out.

The three of them hurled many queries at us about the moment that Darcy proposed, and wished to know when we both began to feel affection for each other. It was delightful to narrate the journey that we had taken to find each other.

As we all sat down and prepared to pour a cup, only then did Kitty recall the ink on her hand. Her apprehension of it drew our notice, and I could not stand the mystery any longer.

“Kitty,” I began, “are you about to tell us that you got that stain on your hand from writing another letter?”

Kitty blushed bright pink. “Well, yes.”

“Kitty, I have never seen you write so many letters in your life, and I cannot deny that I doubt these are letters now.”

Kitty looked at us all, and then looked down at her lap.

“I do not matter at this time,” Kitty responded.

“Why not?”

“Because this is the day devoted to you both being engaged. I do not want it to be diminished because of my actions. I know that you will regard my actions as a shame and degradation, because everyone is compelled to.”

“Kitty?” Jane asked. “What are you talking about? Good heavens, what you say sounds like it is dangerous.”

“Oh, it is not dangerous if you never tell anyone that I do it,” Kitty said, “or if you never wish to know that I do it.”

“Kitty,” I said, “I am engaged to a man whose reputation is connected to our own. Tell us the truth and let us decide how we feel about it.”

“You will laugh at me.”

“Let us hear it,” Mr. Darcy supported. “I have a right to know, Miss Kitty. After all, you are under my care now.”

Kitty looked around at us all, and then she began her confession.

“I am writing a novel.”

The revelation was unique unto each hearer and we all felt something different.

I was amazed.

Jane was taken aback.

Georgiana was curious.

And Darcy just…sat there.

But the one reaction that we all had was surprise.

“Truly, Kitty?” I asked.

“Yes, I am writing a novel. It would not be my first attempt. I have actually written a book before, when at Longbourn. I had been writing it in secret, but I never told you about it because it was terrible. Yet, with this new novel, I think that