by P. O. Dixon
These were not inconsequential matters to ponder, and thus, Darcy had grown more pensive, even reclusive, of late, trying to sort through them. How he wanted to discuss these daunting questions with his father, but how could he without betraying his knowledge of a closely held secret that his father meant to keep to himself?
Darcy prayed the time would come when his father elected to take him into his confidence. Until such time as his father chose to do so, Darcy spent prodigious time familiarizing himself with each and every aspect of the estate.
All of these things mattered. But most of all, Darcy worried about what the loss of their dearly beloved father would mean for his young sister, Georgiana, whom he adored. Having spent most of his youth as an only child, Darcy had been given good principles to follow, but he had also been reared to think very highly of himself especially in relationship to others. As an only child, he was no doubt the apple of both his parents’ eyes - a golden child who could do no wrong. People far and wide revered him for he was the young master of Pemberley—its heir-apparent and the person whom so many of them would one day refer to as their master.
It was true that such accolades meant something to him. It was no small honor that he wore proudly every day for so long as he could remember, but he wanted more—something his parents had not given him during the first decade or so of his life, and that was a sibling. Save the son of his father’s steward, Darcy had no one of his own age with whom he might spend time. There were his cousins, of course – two male cousins: Lord Robert Fitzwilliam, the elder son and future Earl of Matlock, and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, the earl’s second son and Darcy’s closest friend, but Matlock was not so close in proximity that Darcy and his cousins saw each other on a regular basis. He had his two female cousins as well: Lady Charlotte Fitzwilliam, the earl’s only daughter, and Anne de Bourgh. Darcy was not particularly close to either of them.
His baby sister was born at a time when Darcy and his parents, he suspected, had given up hope. What a blessing she was, and her older brother practically doted on her as much as an older brother by more than ten years could be expected to dote on a younger sibling.
Am I ready for the task of rearing my young sister?
For the first time in his adult life, a part of him also wondered if he indeed ought to begin entertaining the idea of taking a bride. A sister for Georgiana would be perfect.
His thoughts wandered to the Bennet daughters of Longbourn. With all their wealth and privilege, the Darcys were the beneficiaries of every blessing known to man save one—a large extended family. Even the number of his Fitzwilliam relations was few.
The Bennets of Hertfordshire may not possess great wealth, they may be in great want of connections as well, but they have riches that are beyond measure in the ways that really count. Of that, Darcy was certain.
He looked forward to seeing not only how the Bennet sisters got along with his young sister, Georgiana, but also how well they got along with each other. Thoughts of the Bennet sisters soon gave way to thoughts of another pair of sisters who had arrived at Pemberley—the Bingley sisters: Mrs. Louisa Hurst and Miss Caroline Bingley. Their relationship with each other seemed genuine enough, for they always seemed to have secret affairs to discuss, and rarely did Darcy have opportunity to be in company with one that did not also include the company of the other. However, their relationship with his own sister gave him considerable pause. Not that they were unkind to Georgiana. On the contrary, they were overly solicitous toward her in a manner that reeked of insincerity. What a great irony that the younger of the two Bingley sisters went to such excessive lengths to garner Darcy’s approbation in one breath and practically assured herself of being the recipient of his disapprobation in another by proving herself to be full of pretentiousness where his sister was concerned.
Should I detect any evidence at all of such condescension on the part of either of the Bennet sisters, I will know in an instant what they are about.
Such thoughts immediately gave him pause, for again, he was not really looking for a wife, but if he were, he certainly considered this would be a factor in his decision. He sighed in relief at this resolve, for it would not do to let his guard down.
Besides, his sister spent a great deal of her time with her companion, and he imagined that would not change even after his father was gone. Darcy paused and whispered a silent prayer to the heavens above.
May my dear father live for years to come. May he live to see his grandchildren parading the halls of Pemberley. What a blessing that would be indeed.
Darcy smiled a little inside. Grandchildren, indeed, for one thing, was certain, and that was when he did decide to take a bride, he hoped to beget many children. Gone would be the silence that had filled the halls of his beloved home for most of his life. In its place, there would be laughter and joy—the sounds promised by sons and daughters alike. First things first, he considered.
The first thing I must do is resolve myself to the idea of marriage—of relinquishing my current manner of living, and that is the one thing I have no intention of doing anytime soon.
Chapter 5
Thoroughly Distracted
One look at the people gathered in the room, and Elizabeth was not so certain she wished for her sister to be married to such a man as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy if this was the company her dearest Jane might be expected to keep.
She only needed to give the people gathered there a cursory glance to know they all thought rather highly of themselves. Among those assembled, the Bennets were considered the strangers, for everyone else seemed to be acquaintances of long standing. Feeling quite up to the task of studying these people and assessing who among them was to be considered friend or foe, Elizabeth’s greatest concern centered on her sister.
On second thought, perhaps I ought not to worry in that regard, for Jane thinks everyone in the world is kind and good. It is not in her nature to think meanly of anyone. Jane’s angelic smile alone is enough to warm the entire room.
Elizabeth sighed. Indeed, my sister Jane is forever the optimist — a bright ray of light that shall serve her extremely well over the coming weeks. It is I who could use a bit of Jane’s enthusiasm.
Elizabeth hardly attended the formalities of the occasion as the introductions were being made. Instead, her thoughts tended to her earlier conversation with Jane that took place before the two came down to join the others.
From what Elizabeth could garner, her elder sister had not been the slightest bit offended by Fitzwilliam Darcy’s earlier affront. Indeed, Jane offered that he was merely shy. What gentleman would not be? Jane had posited. Certainly, it was not every day that a gentleman met the people who might very well be his own relations. When asked by Elizabeth if she liked the gentleman, Jane had replied in the affirmative that indeed she did. She decried that there was something in his manner of walk and even his manner of speaking that gave a favorable indication of his character.
Elizabeth would have been extremely pressed to deny that were one to judge by physical appearances then yes, Fitzwilliam Darcy was everything a gentleman ought to be. Still she could not help but worry that this particular gentleman had not fallen to his knees the moment he laid eyes on her beautiful older sister and begged her to be his bride—just as she had envisioned he would do from the moment her father spoke of his bargain entered into with his old friend Mr. Darcy during their university days. As their agreement that the older daughter of the one should be wed to the eldest son of the other had been reached in such broad terms as to leave the ultimate decision in the hands of the principals, Elizabeth, of course, knew nothing was certain.
On the other hand, how could the young man do anything other than fall madly in love with my dearest Jane upon first sight? Here again, Elizabeth smiled inside. Me and my fanciful notions of love at first sight. An uncomfortable feeling crept over her as she recalled the moment she first laid eyes on the future master of Pemberley, the way he looked at her, and the lingering touch of his hands on hers
.
“So, you are Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
The sound of her name recalled Elizabeth from her reverie. Looking up, she noticed a regal, elegantly attired woman who had once known her fair share of beauty, slowly approaching.
A bit embarrassed that she had not been attending to the events unfolding all around her, she dropped a deep curtsy. “I am. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.” She knew not what else to say, for surely this was a person of some consequence. How relieved she was when the colonel immediately came to her rescue.
“I see you have met my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” he said.
Elizabeth smiled warmly in appreciation of his gesture. She had surmised that she would enjoy the colonel’s company very much during her stay at Pemberley. His gallant intervention confirmed her earlier established conjecture. She said, “Indeed, I was telling her ladyship what a great honor it is to make her acquaintance.”
“Yes, well, you ought to be honored, young lady,” the other woman, lavishly donned in a regal purple gown and sparkling diamonds, declared. “You, your father, and your elder sister. It cannot be a usual occurrence for the three of you to be welcomed into society such as ours.”
The colonel’s countenance colored a bit, but he refrained from saying anything, no doubt in deference to his aunt. Supposing the woman to be more eccentric than crass, Elizabeth pretended what she heard was not outrageous as well.
“Pemberley is magnificent. I recall my great pleasure as our carriage crossed the bridge and I observed the stream, its banks neither formal or falsely adorned, and then the park itself in all its natural splendor. Indeed, I can hardly wait to explore all its lovely paths to find out where they lead.”
Her ladyship arched her brow. “Oh! I suppose you mean to take full advantage of my brother’s stable of beautiful bays. They are among the finest in all of England.”
“I am afraid I do not ride, your ladyship. Indeed, I mean to explore all of Pemberley Woods’ trails by foot. I thoroughly enjoy long solitary rambles about the countryside.”
Lady Catherine scoffed at this assertion. “Perhaps such untamed behavior is perfectly acceptable in the wilds of Hertfordshire, but you would be prudent to curtail such escapades while you are here in Derbyshire. I say this out of the generosity of my own heart, and thus I expect you to conduct yourself accordingly.”
And this from a woman whose acquaintance I just made. I shudder to think what measure of counsel I might be subjected to should I remain in her ladyship’s company for a long duration.
Before Elizabeth could fashion an appropriate response, Colonel Fitzwilliam intervened. “I shall be happy to accompany Miss Elizabeth on her countryside rambles and protect her from the hidden dangers that, no doubt, concern you, Lady Catherine.”
Her ladyship said, “That is precisely what concerns me, Nephew.” And with that, she strode away from the colonel and Elizabeth, relying heavily upon her bejeweled walking stick.
Relieved to be spared the older woman’s company, she turned to the colonel. “What, pray tell, was that about?” Elizabeth exclaimed with energy.
“That, I am afraid, is the very nature of my aunt. However, if it helps, you should consider yourself blessed, for as egregious as her conduct was toward you, I fear it is nothing in comparison to how she will behave toward your elder sister.”
Elizabeth felt a surge of nervous energy course through her body. “Jane? Why on Earth would your aunt treat Jane poorly?” A likely answer dawned on Elizabeth no sooner than she asked the question. “Is it my family’s lack of fortune?”
The colonel shrugged. “I am afraid your family could be among the wealthiest families in all of England, and it would make no difference to Lady Catherine.”
“Then what would be the basis for her possible ill treatment of my sister Jane?”
The colonel pursed his lips. “Maybe I have said too much. I should not like to speak out of turn and thus, be the cause of any misunderstandings.”
“Sir, whatever you know or suspect affects my sister. You ought to know I am here at Pemberley not solely as her companion but as her fiercest protector. I beg you to tell me what you know — what I ought to know — so I can know how to act.”
Subtly ushering Elizabeth to a corner of the room that afforded the two of them a bit more privacy to speak at leisure, the colonel said, “Well, it is no secret to anyone in the room, save you and your family, that Lady Catherine has long harbored the belief that my cousin Darcy and her daughter, Anne …” Here, he paused and glanced in Lady Catherine’s direction.
Elizabeth allowed her eyes to follow suit, and she noticed a young woman sitting beside her ladyship—a young woman whom she surmised must be Lady Catherine’s daughter. She silently urged the colonel to continue his speech.
He did. “It is Lady Catherine’s favorite wish that her daughter, Anne, is to be married to Darcy.”
Her thoughts puzzled, Elizabeth asked, “Is the gentleman aware of this longing on his aunt’s part?”
The colonel took a sip of his beverage. At length, he said, “Indeed, he is. As I said, it is a matter that is widely known by everyone who knows him best.”
Elizabeth knew not what to think, what to say, or how to feel. Her mind in a tumult, she weighed the colonel’s words against what they must surely mean for her sister.
Do these people mean to make a mockery of my sister—to pit her against the granddaughter of an earl, likely an heiress in her own right? Abhorred, she wanted nothing more than to storm across the room, take hold of her sister by the arm, and get her away from these atrocious people who thought so highly of themselves and so little of the feelings of others.
“You seem very upset, Miss Elizabeth.”
“Should I not be upset?”
“I beg your pardon, for I did not intend to distress you.”
“How could Mr. Darcy do it? How could he invite my family here under such pretense? Why would he be a party to such a scheme?”
“I fear you mistake my words. My uncle does not sanction a possible alliance between his son and Anne.”
“But, you said everyone knows about it.”
“I did, and it is indeed true that there is a general expectation that such an alliance might one day come to be, but allow me to assure you that neither my cousin nor my uncle ascribes to such a notion. My cousin is no more interested in marrying Anne than he is interested in marrying his horse. Otherwise, he would have done so long before now—” He cleared his throat. “—Married my cousin, I mean to say. An alliance between Darcy and Anne would result in the combination of two great estates and untold wealth.”
“Shall I count you among those who would wish for such a prospect?” Elizabeth asked, eyeing him squarely.
“As I have no stake in the game, I defer my preference to my cousin Darcy’s. I trust whomever he chooses as his future bride, on whatever timetable he deems appropriate, will be an excellent mistress of all this one day.”
Elizabeth had been so thoroughly distracted by all the colonel had to say about the peculiar engagement between the younger Mr. Darcy and his cousin Miss Anne de Bourgh that she had almost missed another unfolding event. Indeed, her sister Jane had garnered some attention. It pleased Elizabeth to espy Fitzwilliam Darcy and Jane, standing opposite each other across the room, engaged in what seemed like pleasing conversation. It also intrigued her to witness the way another member of their intimate party attended Jane so diligently as well.
She was about to ask the colonel to tell her the name of the other young man when it was time to go in to dinner. Lady Catherine captured the attention of everyone in the room with a stern advisement to her nephew. “Darcy, lest you forget, my Anne is in want of an escort to the dining parlor.” Lady Catherine seized her daughter’s arm and led her directly to Darcy.
By his reaction to his aunt’s edict, it would appear that the gentleman had fully intended to escort Jane. Obliged to accept his cousin’s proffered arm, he offered his other arm
to Jane. “Will you allow me to escort you as well, Miss Bennet?” Darcy graciously asked.
The other young gentleman said, “Darcy, if you will allow, I shall be honored to escort Miss Bennet in your stead.” He cleared his throat and continued, “I pray you will allow it, Miss Bennet.”
Before Jane could manage a fitting reply, Darcy said, “Indeed, Bingley, that is very kind of you. Miss Bennet is a most honored guest, however, whom I insist upon escorting to the dining parlor. Anne, you will not mind, I am sure.”
Observing all this, Elizabeth smiled. Mr. Bingley, she silently considered. I think I shall like that young man very much.
Wearing a black dress with a dark shawl about her shoulders, Anne said nothing, but rather she offered a half-hearted smile. Whether she was upset by the arrangement, Elizabeth could not say. There was, however, another member of their party who was clearly unhappy with the scheme. Donned in the most fashionable attire of all the ladies assembled in the room, the young lady’s countenance turned a shade of dismay as stark as her crimson gown. Having always considered herself an excellent studier of people’s character, Elizabeth knew in an instant that there was quite a story there—about which she was most eager to hear all the details.
Accepting the colonel’s extended arm, Elizabeth knew one thing for certain: by the time the evening was over, she would know all there was to know about this other young woman, including her name which Elizabeth had also missed during the initial excitement earlier.
Elizabeth smiled at her companion knowingly. He appeared to be an amiable gentleman who suffered no pretensions whatsoever as best Elizabeth could tell, and she looked forward to remaining close by his side for the rest of the evening save the time when the gentlemen would be parted from the ladies for port.
No doubt the colonel will be more than happy to familiarize me with every pertinent detail I ought to know.
Chapter 6
