Page 48 of When Elizabeth Said Yes

He smiled in spite of the attention upon him, and the vicar gave him a pointed look, and he hurried to an empty pew.

There were whispers barely concealed, and even though the vicar had begun his sermon, people regularly turned to look, especially once Bingley and Caroline and the Hursts had joined him.

He heard the words Netherfield and returned and Bennet. But he focused on the vicar and on the back of Elizabeth’s head, several pews forward, and pretended he could not hear them.

She had not turned again. He hoped she was not angry at his being late. He would have to explain it to her.

He wanted to point her out to Georgiana, but he would not interrupt the sermon. After church, he would introduce them, and then he would invite the Bennets to dinner the following night.

He hoped Miss Bingley and the Hursts could behave themselves, for they had not hidden their dislike of the majority of the Bennets.

Well, Darcy thought with embarrassment, he wasn’t sure he had either.

But that was before.

Now he was willing to accept that they were the price to be paid for having Elizabeth as his wife.

And it was a price he would pay twice over if he had to.

Finally, the vicar reached the end of his sermon and announced the marriages.

There was the second reading of the banns for a Miss Smith and Mr Grant, and the final reading for another couple, and then the words he’d been waiting to hear.

"I publish the Banns of marriage between Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley and Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Meryton. If any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in Holy matrimony, ye are to declare it. This is the first time of asking."

The gossip began like the buzzing of bees and grew until the vicar was forced to ask for silence.

Georgiana took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

All eyes were upon them and on Elizabeth, but she sat upright, not turning her head, not acknowledging them. Even though her younger sisters were giggling and gossiping amongst themselves and turning to talk with whomever they could reach from their pew.

Darcy did not like being the centre of attention, and he did not think Elizabeth did either.

But it was necessary this time, and he told himself next week people wouldn’t be shocked to hear it, would they?

There was no silence for the rest of the service, even when people were meant to be bowing their heads in prayer.

And then when they were told to leave, everyone began to file out.

And as Elizabeth passed his pew, he caught her eye, and she blushed.

His heart raced.

Yes, it was worth being the centre of attention if, by the following month, he would call Elizabeth Bennet his wife.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was so hard not to turn around and look at him after he’d come in.

She’d done so right at the beginning, because everyone turned when someone walked in late, and so she was not conspicuous. But after that she kept her eyes forwards, and especially once their names had been entwined together by the vicar, for then she knew that everyone would be waiting for her reaction.

When it was time to leave, Elizabeth joined arms with her sister Jane, and they exited amongst a flurry of gossip. She couldn’t help looking at his pew then, though, and as their eyes met, she felt her heart race.

Goodness. She had not expected this effect he had on her. She had found him infuriating before, and yet now… Well, she wasn’t infuriated.

Beside him was Bingley, and she felt Jane’s arm tighten in hers, although she did not look directly at the man.

Elizabeth only hoped that Darcy would make good on his word and rescind his advice to his friend. And that his friend would listen.