When Farrington was shown into the study, where Darcy was working, he said “Darcy, my mother was reading the paper this morning and showed me an announcement of your engagement. I could not believe it. We were all becoming convinced you would never marry. Is there a chance I can meet the unbelievable young woman who convinced you to enter the marital state?”
“Good afternoon, Farrington. I have not seen you in over a year. I am surprised you would be interested enough to make a special trip.”
“I do not know why you would think I would not be interested. How often have we decried the lack of suitable women? You and I had some of the same requirements, and I need to see whom I missed. I gather from the statement she is from Hertfordshire and not a woman of the ton. That being the case, I imagine some of your relatives do not approve.”
“You are correct in both assumptions. I found the perfect woman in the most unlikely of places and my relatives are not happy. She is a woman of little wealth or status, but the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. The amazing thing is, it took me a long while to convince her to marry me. When I told her that I wanted to marry her, despite her lower station in life, she told me I was insane and that she would not let me propose, because her social status was so much lower than mine.”
“She refused you? I cannot imagine a woman who would refuse you. Clearly you did not want to take no for an answer and continued to pursue her. Now I absolutely must meet her.”
“You are fortunate, for she is here with her older sister Jane and is practicing with Georgiana and her other sister, Catherine. The latter has become Georgiana’s good friend, is staying with us, and will debut with Georgiana next year. But you must see for yourself, for you are about to see four of the handsomest young women you will ever meet. Come, if we hurry, perhaps we will have a chance to hear her sing.”
When they arrived at the music room door, Kitty and Elizabeth were singing a duet, while Georgiana played the piano. As they listened, Farrington whispered, “They are quite good, particularly the soprano. She has a more mature voice; therefore, I assume she is Miss Elizabeth.”
Darcy assured him was correct, and they stood outside the door until the singing stopped. Darcy then knocked on the door and led Farrington into the room. Though he had never met any of the Bennet women, it was obvious to him who Elizabeth was, by the way she and Darcy looked at each other, and thus who Jane and Kitty were. But what was completely unexpected was how beautiful all three Bennet women were – particularly the one he assumed was Jane. And Georgiana, who he had not seen in two years, had also blossomed into a most attractive young woman. He could imagine that she and Kitty would not have a lack of suitors when they debuted, because he knew Georgiana had a large dowry, and he assumed Darcy would provide a good one for his new sister.
“Elizabeth, Jane, Kitty, may I introduce you to Mr. Harold Farrington, the second son of the Earl of Wingate and another Cambridge classmate of mine? Farrington, this is my fiancée, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, her elder sister, Miss Jane Bennet, and her younger sister, Miss Catherine Bennet, and, of course, you remember my sister, Georgiana.”
After greeting all the young women, Farrington said, “Miss Elizabeth, I am particularly happy to meet you. Darcy and I have been commiserating for years about the lack of women whom we were willing to consider as a partner, and I had to meet the one who could meet his exacting requirements. Having seen you and heard you sing, I can begin to comprehend his choice.”
“Thank you, Mr. Farrington, but I am happy it was neither my beauty nor my singing that were important to him, for I believe neither are exceptional enough to have attracted him.” She looked at Darcy with a twinkle in her eyes. “In fact, it was some days before he heard me sing and at his first sight of me, I believe he considered me not handsome enough to tempt him. I am still somewhat mystified as to why he fell in love with me.”
“You are never going to let me forget that, are you?” said Darcy, with a grimace.
“Oh dear, no. Did you think I would?”
Farrington looked at Darcy and laughed. “Is that true, Darcy? Were you blinded by the light or something when you looked at her? How could you not recognize her beauty?”
“I did not get a good look at her when she was first pointed out to me. Believe me; it was not long before I thought her the most beautiful woman of my acquaintance. But enough of that. Did you come to visit or were you on your way to somewhere else?”
“I had no plans other than to drop by to see you and meet her. I certainly do not want to interrupt your practice, Miss Elizabeth. I am sure I will have a chance to talk with you sometime in the future.”
“I am quite finished, and Jane and I were intending to join Will for tea. Would you care to stay?”
Farrington accepted her invitation and while they were having tea, Elizabeth said, “Mr. Farrington, are you not the gentleman who is rebuilding a castle on your land?”
“Yes I am. It is a passion of mine.”
“He is even more of a recluse, relative to the ton, than I am,” said Darcy. “And if you will recall, he is another of those I told you I was worried about.”
Farrington looked puzzled. “What do you mean, one of those you were worried about?”
“Will claimed he needed to be engaged before the Season started,” replied Elizabeth, “because he was worried if he did not secure my hand before the Season started, he might lose me to you, or Lord Weatherstone, or some other men he mentioned.”
“Your fiancé is a wise man, Miss Elizabeth. I can imagine your card would be full at every ball you attended. I assume it will be your first Season, because I cannot imagine I or Weatherstone or others would not have noticed you. In fact, you might want to consider breaking this engagement and giving the rest of us a chance.”
“Sir, I fear it would make no difference. As I have told others, I believe Will and I were destined to be together.”
“Would that I could hear a woman such as you say that to me someday. He did tell me, however, that you made him work to secure your hand. For that I bow to you, for most young women I know in the ton would insist he marry them if he even hinted he was partial to them.”
He then turned to Jane. “Miss Bennet, I do not believe I have ever seen you at a ball or party. Do you not participate in the events of the ton?”
Again, Darcy and Elizabeth were pleased with Jane’s demeanor, as she confidently looked Farrington in the eyes, and responded, “I have not. I may occasionally attend an event as a guest of Will and Lizzy, but I am a country girl and not particularly interested in the ton.”
“Ah ha, a woman after my own heart. Tell me, Miss Bennet, if I am so lucky as to be invited to the wedding and wedding ball for Darcy and your sister, will you grant me your first set.”
“Of course, you will be invited,” interjected Darcy, “but be warned that we are marrying at Pemberley in January and that she will be supporting Elizabeth and Richard will be supporting me. Thus, she must dance the first dance with Richard.”
“What? A rival already. Very well, I will ask for the supper set. Would you be willing to grant me that?”
Jane shook her head and smiled, “I am sorry, Mr. Farrington, but Col. Fitzwilliam has already secured that set also. In fact, I have also already promised others the first five sets. I had no idea being the sister of the future Mrs. Darcy would suddenly make me so popular.
Farrington sighed. “I should have known. May I have your sixth set?”
“You may, sir, and I thank you.”
“Do you have any other sisters, Miss Elizabeth, whom I should be asking for a set?”
“I do. I have my next youngest sister, Mary, who just turned nineteen and my youngest sister, Lydia, who is but sixteen.”
“Five daughters in one household. That must have been a trial for you father.”
“I suspect it was less of a trial than five boys would have been.”
“I am sure you a correct. So, Darcy, I am sure you must be w
illing to tell me something of this courtship of yours.”
Darcy gave him a brief description of his meeting her in Hertfordshire, their misunderstandings of one another, the fire at Pemberley, the fortuitous meeting in Lambton, and the ensuring courtship. When he was done, Farrington said. “Darcy, I envy you. You seem to have found that undefinable something for which we are all looking. You were indeed lucky to have met her in Lambton, for it is certain she would have had admirers, had she been sponsored by Lord and Lady Monttard, not the least of whom would have been Mark. Miss Elizabeth, I have never heard of any woman such as you who has been so educated and is such a talented musician. Would there were more.”
“Ah, but had you known my lack of status and wealth, would you truly have considered me?”
Without hesitation, he said, “I certainly would have, for I need neither; however, men like Weatherstone, who, should his brother suddenly drop dead, would be a Duke, must consider such things. Darcy, I did not ask. How did Lord and Lady Matlock and your aunt Lady Catherine take this? They are very class-conscious people.”
“I have not heard from Aunt Catherine yet or my Uncle Darcy, but Lord Matlock said he would not condone the marriage – not that he has anything to say about whom I marry. I expect that tomorrow my aunt and uncle will let me know of their outrage. But, I care not. My neighbors love her, and that is enough for me.”
“If you have the backing of the Marquess and Monttard, I would say you have all you need. Do I not recall Lord Willingham was once your uncle by marriage?”
“He was, and we still consider our relationship to be such. He and I and Vollenbrook are quite close.”
They talked more about the acceptance of Elizabeth by the ton and concluded many would accept her and many would not. Farrington admitted that his mother, the Countess, knowing Darcy as well as she did, was quite interested in meeting the woman who had captured him. She had intended to invite Darcy and Elizabeth to tea, however, Farrington wondered what she would say when she was told of Elizabeth’s background and whether the invitation would ever occur.
After he left, Elizabeth said, “I like your friend, Will. Do you see him often?”
“Not often. Most of my meetings with Farrington since University have been at our club or at social events. I see Weatherstone much more often. He is an avid horse breeder and trainer. We have traded or purchased horses from one another several times over the past five years. And as I told you, he is also a singer of Mark’s quality. He often performs at events.”
“I will admit that if it were not for you, both Mr. Farrington and Lord Weatherstone would have been men that might have interested me. However, despite what you say, I doubt Lord Weatherstone would have even considered pursuing one such as I.”
“I am not sure of that. He is much less concerned about pleasing his mother and father than I was about performing my duty for my family. He would have been a true threat to me.”
She leaned forward and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Will, none of them would have been a threat to you, believe me.”
******
Tuesday morning Darcy went to his solicitors to start the process of rewriting his will, pending his marriage to Elizabeth. He then ate lunch with the Elizabeth, Jane, and the Gardiners, before returning to Darcy House. He was surprised to learn that Col. Fitzwilliam was to call on Jane that afternoon. When he asked Elizabeth about it, she said Jane had just told her that she and the Colonel had enjoyed each other’s company at the Tea Party and during his last dance with her, he had asked to call on her.
As Darcy’s carriage pulled into the drive, he recognized the large, ostentatious carriage of his Aunt Catherine. He hoped Kitty and Georgiana had not been harassed by his aunt. When he entered the parlor, not only was his aunt there, but his Uncle Matlock and his Uncle Darcy. Clearly, they had decided a united front was needed to impress on him the foolhardiness of his engagement to Elizabeth. Before he could even greet them, his aunt jumped up and said, “There you are. We have been waiting here for half an hour. Where have you been?”
“Good afternoon, Aunt Catherine. I was not aware my schedule and personal activities were subject to your approval. I was where I was, and I am now here. How may I help you?”
“I have come with Robert and your Uncle Darcy to force you to end this ridiculous engagement you have made. You are promised to my daughter, and you had no right to propose to anyone else, particularly one of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s status.”
“You told Lord Matlock he had no right to disapprove of your engagement because he was not a Darcy,” said Judge Darcy. “But I am, and I am the senior member of this family. I do have a right to tell you to end this farce and do your duty to your family. Your father would be ashamed of you.”
Darcy said nothing, controlling his anger, and then suddenly laughed. Shaking his head, he said, “You are pathetic – all of you. First, Aunt Catherine, I have verbal assurance from Dr. Stewart that my father told him he did not expect me to marry Anne. Perhaps when Anne was born, you said something to my mother to the effect that would it be good if Anne and I could marry, but nothing was ever said about it by my mother thereafter. Dr. Stewart will swear to that. I am sure you have no written documents to that effect, because if you had, you would have shown them to me by now. Second, Uncle Harold, you do not now and never have had any say in the way I conduct my life. You may have been my father’s brother, but it was well-known by many that you were jealous of the fact he received Pemberley and you received nothing but £60,000 in grandfather’s will. You know as well as I do that nowhere in the law of the land does it say I have any responsibility to you at all. I am the first son of the master of Pemberley and as such am the senior Darcy, regardless of age. You go do whatever you want to do to try to find some legal means to stop me, but you and I both know you cannot. Finally, I am disappointed to see you here with these two, Uncle Robert. I respect you and your service in the House of Lords and thought you more intelligent than to align yourself with these two.”
As he was finishing his speech to them, Parker entered the parlor and announced, “Lord Willingham is here to see you, Mr. Darcy.”
As Lord Willingham entered the room, he looked at everyone and said, “My goodness, I did not know there was a family meeting. Why was I not invited, nephew?”
“I did not know about it until I arrived home, Uncle Prescott. We were discussing my engagement to Elizabeth, and they seem to have major objections to it.”
“I beg your pardon, Lord Willingham, but you are not a part of this family. What right have you to intervene?” asked Judge Darcy.
“Come now, Judge Darcy. Will you not agree that my daughter Amelia is Darcy’s cousin?”
“Of course, she is. Her mother was my sister.”
“Then I believe, because I am the father of his cousin, I am his uncle and always will be, even if his aunt is dead and I have remarried. However, even were I only his friend, I would offer him my help. Now let me ask, why in the world would anyone object to his engagement to such an exceptional young woman? Lord and Lady Monttard, Lord and Lady Denby, and Lady Willingham and I have met her and find her to be all that could be desired in a wife for Darcy. I believe some of us almost regretted our sons had not met her first.”
“This is a different situation, my Lord,” said Lady Catherine. “Lady Anne and I planned that he would marry my daughter, Anne, and I have always expected that he will. He is going against the wishes of his own mother in this matter.”
“Come now, Lady Catherine, I know for a fact that George Darcy did not want Darcy to marry your daughter. He told me more than once that he thought your daughter could not bear an heir and asked me to ensure no one tried to coerce him to do so.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “In fact, I have a note signed by George Darcy to that effect, should you care to see it. Furthermore, George also told me he wanted Darcy to marry whoever Darcy thought was best suited for him. He has made the decision
that Miss Elizabeth is best suited for him, and I will defy anyone to try to make him do otherwise.”
Lady Catherine was livid and lost control. “You are lying, and that note is a forgery. It has always been planned that Fitzwilliam and Anne marry.”
The four men looked at her in shock. Very deliberately, Lord Willingham said, “Lady Catherine, you have just called a Marquess a liar and a forger. Would you care to know what I can do to you for that? Matlock, Judge Darcy, I would suggest you leave, taking Lady Catherine with you, and Judge, I believe you should inform her of what I could do to her. I am feeling somewhat generous right now, but if I hear one more disparaging remark from her, she will find the rest of her life very unpleasant.”
His declaration seemed to not register on Lady Catherine, who turned to Darcy and said, “You will marry Anne, or I will….” Before she could finish, Lord Matlock had grabbed her by the arm and put his hand over her mouth. “You will say no more, Catherine, or I cannot protect you. Come, we must leave.”
Without taking their leave from Darcy and Lord Willingham, Judge Darcy and Lord Matlock forcibly removed her from the room. Lady Catherine tried to take Lord Matlock’s hand from her mouth, but he held firm until they were out of the room. Darcy and Lord Willingham could hear her yelling at Lord Matlock as soon as he took her hand away from her mouth. “I believe Lady Catherine is not well, Darcy. I hope Anne is strong enough to become mistress of Rosings Park.”
“I believe she is. I have not seen her in over a year, but she was doing better the last time I saw her. Uncle Robert forced Aunt Catherine to change Anne’s doctor, and she is doing better under the new doctor’s care. He does not bleed her at all and insists she be more active. I believe she now has hopes that she may live many more years.”
“I wish I could have been here sooner, Darcy. I had an appointment this morning and just returned home. Georgiana and Miss Catherine are at our house. Georgiana heard them come in, and she took Miss Catherine out the back door and through the break in the hedges to our property. As soon as I walked in the door, my wife told me I should hurry over here. I stopped a moment to get the note your father gave me, and then came right over. I believe you might have been in for some ranting and raving had I not come.”
The Lady of the Mount and Patience Rewarded: Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth Page 35
