by J Dawn King
Georgiana, likewise, was befuddled. Richard finally scrutinized her expression and his first thought was that she had the look of several injured soldiers in his regiment who had sought the opium dens to dull the pain of their injuries. Her eyes were glassed over and, other than uttering those three words, she had not participated in the conversation. Richard realized that she was overwhelmed. Georgiana had, just that day, gone from being in company with someone inherently wicked to a gaggle of frenzied females. It was a glimpse into how unprepared Georgiana was to enter society. Richard decided right then and there that keeping Georgiana isolated had done her no good. It would be a long while before she would have her debut.
When Mr. Bennet walked into the drawing room with both palms up to his chest facing away from him as if he were pushing against an immovable object, all screeching came to a sudden halt. Richard was going to have to remember that move to use with recalcitrant recruits. However, the quiet was not sustained.
“Mr. Bennet, where is Lizzy and the other gentleman? You have not left them alone in your study, have you? Mr. Collins would certainly not approve.”
“I imagine he would not, Mrs. Bennet.” After five and twenty years of wedded bliss — Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes at the thought — he well knew his wife’s desires to see to her future. Longbourn was entailed to the male descendants of the family line and Mrs. Bennet had given him only daughters. Not that he was displeased with such. For the most part, they were silly girls, but Mr. Bennet cherished each and every one of them. Well, some more than others.
He knew the argument for the letter being a compromise was weak and, compared to the actions of Miss Darcy, it most likely would not cause a ripple in the tide of the ton, but Mr. Bennet saw an opportunity to see to the future of his family without inviting Mr. Collins into it. Mr. Darcy was an honorable man.
***
While the level of noise rose in the drawing room, Darcy and Elizabeth faced each other in complete silence, neither wanting to be the first to give in. It quickly became a battle of wills. It was Darcy who caved in first.
“Do you like being called ‘Lizzy’?”
“Why do you ask?” It was not what she expected. For the first volley, it left her completely off guard, a position she was quick to regain. “It matters not to me.” She replied with seeming indifference.
“Elizabeth is a beautiful name; a queenly name; a name fitting for the Mistress of Pemberley.”
“Tell me about Pemberley, Mr. Darcy.”
And, he did. His features began to relax as he spoke of his family home. Until then, Elizabeth had not appreciated what a truly handsome man he was. His earlier demeanor had been stern and unapproachable. He had seemed unfriendly and unbending. This man was pleasant company.
Elizabeth knew that her father had made his decision and was allowing them time to come to terms with it. Could she be happy with Mr. Darcy as her husband? Would she be happy? Would the grounds that Mr. Darcy described be worth leaving Hertfordshire for? Would she be a good sister to Georgiana, who had proved to be impulsive? What had happened to cause such a shy girl to agree to an elopement with a much older man? Could Mr. Collins really be that bad a match? Elizabeth had to trust that her father knew what he was about. She had a lifetime of wishing he would take more of an interest in Longbourn — he was an imperfect man. Nonetheless, as a father, Elizabeth was completely confident in his love for her and her sisters.
“Pardon me, Miss Bennet, I did not mean to go on and on. I love my home and hope that, in time, you will grow to love it as well.” With the end of his discourse, he bowed as if he was offering her the platform to speak.
As Elizabeth spoke of her education, travels, and relationships with her family, Darcy could not help but notice the changing expressions on her face. Every emotion she felt showed. Frustration, sadness, delight, and joy were reflected in the finest eyes he had ever encountered. He thought of the reality of looking across the table at that face for the rest of his mornings and his heart felt peace at the thought. It was such a strong feeling that when Elizabeth took a breath, he interrupted the middle of her thought.
“I believe, Miss Bennet, we shall grow old and happy together.”
She had been speaking of her first experience of speaking Latin with one of her father’s peers when she was eight years old. Elizabeth could not even begin to imagine how his mind went from an antiquated language to a future so far unknown. She shook her head rapidly as if shaking off something unwanted that had landed there. Her brows drew together as she thought about his comment.
“Might I ask, Mr. Darcy, upon what do you base that comment?” She genuinely did not know how he came by that opinion.
“It is very simple, Miss Bennet.”
That was not a very good start. If Elizabeth had hackles, they would have risen. Simple had never been used to describe her thinking. She knew fundamentals of mathematics and most of the current sciences. She spoke French, Italian, and German and could read Latin and ancient Greek. Elizabeth could feel offense rising up her throat until it threatened to suffocate her. She almost could not breathe.
“Simple?” She finally choked out. Had she heard him correctly? Surely not! “You believe me to be simple?”
Darcy looked at her and was afraid of what he saw. Her eyes blazed, her lips were drawn together tightly, her eyebrows rose, and her hands were fisted on her hips. She was leaning slightly forward as if her next movement was to attack. Darcy had not seen that stance since Mrs. Reynolds caught him and Richard throwing newly picked strawberries at each other in their game of war. They were wonderful weapons as the bloodstains looked almost real.
“No! No! No!” He held up his hand as if to ward off attack. “It was not my intention to imply that at all. I did not say that you were simple, only that the basis for my reasoning was simple.”
The metamorphosis that happened before his eyes was equally as amazing. The loss of anger, the relaxation of her facial expression and her stance was a glimpse into future differences of opinion. They would do well together.
“Understand this, please, Miss Bennet. It was my own mind that found the simplicity of our circumstances. While you spoke of your life here at Longbourn, I realized the rich discussions we will have about things that I hold dear: education, literature, science. We will both grow in our understanding as we share what we know with each other. It is also evident to me that you take the training of your younger sisters seriously. This can only serve to benefit my sister. You also showed your father deep respect. You do not know me, Miss Bennet, but as a husband, I would not demand your respect. Rather, I choose to endeavor to earn respect from you.” He paused to let her absorb his words. She was giving him her full attention and he relished that from this woman.
“We have had a very rocky start, Miss Bennet, would you not agree?” He waited for her to nod her head. “I believe that we might use those rocks to build a foundation that is strong and permanent, something that we will look back on in fifty years and rejoice over. Can you not see my vision?”
What Darcy offered her was hope. It was time to let go of all her foolish dreams of deep love for the man she would marry and replace it with the hope of a deep love that would grow with marriage.
“Miss Bennet, the constraints of society that I spoke of earlier, limits the time that a courting and engaged couple spend with each other in deep conversation. Thus, how would you ever be able to come to have deep love for a gentleman if you could not get to know his innermost thoughts and dreams? It would not be possible, would it?”
His question was reasonable. She agreed.
“Then let us be resolved to be happy together. Let us learn to know each other and let us work to become loveable to each other. Is that a task you are willing to undertake?”
Elizabeth could not take her eyes away from his face. It appealed to her sense of fairness that he was offering to work just as hard as he expected her to work to make a success of the marriage. It also appealed to her s
ense of honor that he was not demanding respect but was willing to earn it from her.
“Yes, Mr. Darcy, it is.” Her voice was a whisper.
Her eyes opened wide as he knelt down on one knee and took her right hand in both of his strong hands.
“Then, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, will you accept my offer of marriage? Will you be my wife?”
She sucked in a deep breath and looked at him humbled before her. She was at a fork in the road and it was time to choose her path, never looking back. Did she really have a choice? Did the shaky excuse of the letter give her a reason to think there was no other way out? Did she want to take the chance she might be tied forever to the reputedly ridiculous Mr. Collins? Elizabeth had never been one to back down from a challenge and this was how she would view this offer. “I will.”
Darcy kissed the back of her hand and then tucked it into the crook of his arm as he led her into the drawing room.
As soon as Mr. Bennet saw the couple, he knew from their countenance that they had come to an arrangement. He cleared his throat and announced.
“Please share congratulations for Mr. Darcy and our Lizzy. They are to be united in marriage.”
“Marriage!” Mrs. Bennet screeched. It was a response only to be expected. “Lizzy is to be married? How can that be? She is to wed Mr. Collins.”
Mrs. Bennet was truly confused. She had planned exactly how events would progress once Mr. Collins arrived at Longbourn. It was just like Lizzy to disrupt her plans.
“When are you to wed, sir?” Mrs. Bennet was quickly coming around to having such a wealthy man as a son-in-law. The lace, the ribbons, the guests, and the festivities surrounding such an engagement would bring her months of attention from her neighbors. She would be able to gloat and brag to Mrs. Long, Mrs. Goulding, and Lady Lucas of the success of her daughter as each plan was made and carried out. Mr. Collins could find another woman for his wife.
Her aspirations came crashing to her feet as Darcy responded firmly.
“Tomorrow.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was a disappointed and disgruntled Fitzwilliam Darcy who woke the next morning. The bed at the inn had been lumpy and too short. Darcy’s valet, Parker, was still in London, though he would send for him as soon as arrangements could be made. He knew the innkeeper would provide someone to help him shave and brush out the clothes he had worn the day before. However, nothing or no one could compare to the care Parker gave him.
Darcy sighed at the events of yesterday which led to him being in this condition. He had not allowed Georgiana to stay at Longbourn, even though Mrs. Bennet’s offer of hospitality had been sincere. It had taken the one mile carriage ride back to Meryton before his sister lost the look of a startled doe. His impression of Elizabeth was of a woman who knew how to comport herself in any society. Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth’s sisters — Darcy shuddered at the recollection of their reactions to the announcement. Darcy hoped he lived a lifetime without it being repeated; at least in his or his sister’s presence.
Mr. Bennet had offered his carriage for the return trip to the inn. Darcy had been surprised when the gentleman had climbed inside with them. When he explained his mission to call upon the rector for the purpose of informing him that Elizabeth had his permission to marry, Darcy had asked if he could go along. In spite of the lateness of the hour, or rather, possibly because of the lateness of the hour, the results were not as Darcy desired. Even though they were in Elizabeth’s home parish, they would not be able to obtain a special license for three days after application. That would put their marriage the day after Mr. Collins would arrive. Gretna Green was sounding better as each slow minute passed.
It surprised Darcy that he was not in dread of this marriage. He was firmly resolved that it was the only way to divert attention from Georgiana. He was also firmly resolved to have the best future possible with a relative stranger. That the stranger had the most beautiful eyes of any woman he had ever beheld was an unexpected blessing. He could not help but smile at the memory of their sparkle.
The thin walls of his bed chamber had allowed him to register Richard rising and departing from Meryton well before dawn. The colonel would chase down Mrs. Younge and return her to the inn. The task should not be arduous as there had been only a few coins in Elizabeth’s reticule and Mrs. Younge had not received her wages from Ramsgate. She could not have gone far and they knew the direction the coach was headed. Richard would provide escort for Mrs. Younge, who was welcome to accompany him, willing or not, and the baggage that should still be with the coach. It had been determined that the presence of Georgiana’s companion, in addition to Wickham’s, would be required to carry off the ruse that the reason for them leaving Ramsgate so abruptly was the impending wedding of Georgiana’s brother.
As he lay in bed, he thought of all that still needed to be done. He would write to Mrs. Fairchild, the housekeeper at the Ramsgate house, to inform her that Georgiana, along with her companion and childhood friend, had safely arrived in Hertfordshire for his wedding. Darcy had discussed with Elizabeth the evening before the need for them to return to Ramsgate, with Georgiana, for their wedding trip to completely silence any gossip and rumors that might have grown from Georgiana’s association with Wickham. Darcy was coming to appreciate the sensibleness of his betrothed.
***
Ten miles north of Meryton, Richard found Mrs. Younge inside the next coaching inn. His first clue that she might be located there was an apparently abandoned pile of luggage on the wooden walkway to the side of the front door. He had traveled enough with his young cousin to recognize her trunks amongst the others. Georgiana was never one to bring a few dresses when she had access to her complete wardrobe. The colonel figured he had best hurry to take care of the business at hand before the woman thought to sell the garments to earn her return fare to London.
The surprise on Mrs. Younge’s face was priceless. Richard said not one word to her as he settled her account and arranged for a carriage to transport her to Meryton. He would ride on the side of the carriage with the door so she could make no move to escape. The colonel cared not for her reputation, so did not hire a maid to accompany Mrs. Younge for the distance. What the woman did after the wedding was no business of his as long as she stayed completely away from the Darcy family.
As the miles slowly passed, the colonel considered all that had happened to his cousins since they received Miss Elizabeth’s letter. For the past five years, Richard had been deeply concerned for Darcy. Even though Darcy presented a harsh, emotionally unaffected demeanor to society, Richard knew the depth of Darcy’s pain at the loss of his father which added to his discomfort with society in general. Pemberley was a lovely property, one of the finest in England. However, with almost two hundred staffing the house and grounds, many tenant farms, and investments in the far reaches of the earth, it was a burden that had been dropped on Darcy’s young shoulders far too early. Without his father’s guiding hand, Darcy had struggled. There was no mentor, no knowledgeable friends or relatives who had reached out to assist him with his responsibilities. Only hands that reached out to grab onto young Darcy for what they could get out of him.
Over the ensuing years, his cousin went from pleasant to pressured; serious to severe. Richard easily recalled the adventurous spirit Darcy had before receiving his inheritance. While at Cambridge, Darcy engaged in activities with the other boys with gusto, often demonstrating his competitive side to Richard’s advantage. Being two years ahead of his cousin, the colonel was able to watch Darcy excel in his studies and in the extracurricular activities he pursued, such as fencing and chess. He was able to help widen Darcy’s small circle of friends by drawing his shy cousin into siding on his team for rowing competitions and horse races. Seeing a smile on Darcy’s face had, at that time, been unworthy of note. Now, it was a sight rarely seen.
Observing his cousin with Miss Elizabeth had been a revelation. It was as if Darcy had attached himself to a small flicker of hope; a light that
might bring relief to his lonely existence. For Richard knew that above all things, Darcy felt alone.
Richard also had hope for Darcy. He saw his cousin’s stunned look when he realized that E.R. Bennet was a young woman. Then, he saw that look turn to appreciation and then to curiosity. Richard chuckled to himself at how transparent his cousin had become.
Darcy was a good man who deserved to be happy and Richard was determined to do all in his power to make that happen.
Darcy was in a private dining room waiting for Georgiana to appear when Richard and Mrs. Younge arrived back at the inn. Three things happened at once. Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth arrived to speak with Darcy; Georgiana, escorted by a maid, walked into the room; and the parish curate asked to be shown in. It took only a look from both Darcy and the colonel for all of them to quit talking at once.
