Two Gentlemen of Honor

by Clara Willoughby

  Chapter 13

  The flowers in the garden at Longbourn were almost fully in bloom and the air was warm with the promise of spring. All throughout Meryton, there were people in better spirits, as if they were shaking free the last snows of winter and stepping into the sun for the first time. In the Bennet household, the whole of the family were in a lighter mood as well. Mrs. Bennet chatted on constantly about all of the assemblies and balls that would be held now that the weather was more pleasant. The youngest girls were happy to discuss all of the invitations they imagined they would soon received as well, though Mary insisted she must have time for lessons which were far more important than any silly ball. Given the fact she was short on talent and incapable of taking instruction, Elizabeth failed to see how her sister’s lessons were more important than anything, but this was not the time to quarrel.

  Yes, every member of the household at Longbourn was pleased to see the seasons change. That is, except, for Elizabeth and Jane, who hardly noticed the difference. Both of the oldest Bennet girls had gone the entire winter without so much as a note from their gentlemen friends. Elizabeth had answered the letter she received from Lord Spencer several days after Christmas, but he never replied. Neither did she receive any correspondence from Mr. Darcy. Only Rebecca Spencer sent a letter to Elizabeth, though it was little more than a note. It said,

  Dear Elizabeth!

  I hope your Christmas was merry indeed and that your New Year is a bright one. Reading is lovely and our cousins are lovely people. Adrian sends his regards. I hope to see you very soon!

  With love,

  Rebecca

  It arrived in February due to a delay caused by a frightening snow, though Elizabeth would not have understood the contents any better had the letter arrived in January as planned. Her note was kind, of course, but it caused Elizabeth to feel as if they were little more than acquaintances from the Spencer’s country home. And why had Adrian not written himself? Elizabeth had intended to contact the gentleman herself and inquire into his strange behavior, but she found it impossible to put the words to paper. Before she realized how much time had passed, it was spring, and life in Meryton had moved on.

  On this particular spring day, Elizabeth sat with her sisters in the drawing room, attempting to read while the youngest girls squabbled with each other over a missing shawl. It was quite clear that Mrs. Bennet was moments away from becoming enraged at the noise when Mrs. Hill appeared in the room.

  “Miss Elizabeth, I have a letter for you.”

  Elizabeth did all she could to maintain some measure of decorum, if only so she would not give her mother anything to interfere in. If she acted excited, Mrs. Bennet would know she was expected a post from at least one of the gentlemen and her mother would become impossible.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Hill,” Elizabeth said as she took the letter and tried to look at the address of origin. When she saw that it was neither Lord Spencer nor Mr. Darcy, but her friend Charlotte Collins, she could not help but feel a bit of disappointment. However, when she read that the letter was an invitation to come stay with her at Hunsford for a time and keep her company, her joy increased tenfold. Perhaps that was actually what she needed, a fortnight or more with her dearest friend at a lovely country parsonage…

  What could possibly go wrong at Hunsford?

  “Oh, Elizabeth! What a joy to have you at Hunsford! I have been so alone without you to call on. It feels as if…”

  Charlotte did not finish her thought because her new husband, Mr. William Collins, joined the women at the gate.

  “Cousin Elizabeth! How lovely to finally meet you. I believe I was supposed to come to Longbourn some time ago but your father wrote and delayed my trip at the final hour. Though it is quite unnecessary now, is it not?”

  Collins laughed in a strange voice, as if he had been raised by pigs, and for a moment, Elizabeth pitied her friend. But Charlotte always wished to be married, surrounded by children in lovely country house with a garden and a small pool full of fish. She knew that her friend would be willing to forgo the perfect groom, and love, for the rest, though Elizabeth was not sure she could do the same.

  “Elizabeth, dear, shall we go inside and I can show you to your room?” Charlotte asked, her rosy cheeks betraying the fact that she was in much need of some tea and a little gossip with her friend. Before Elizabeth could answer, however, Collins clapped his hands together in a nervous little tune.

  “Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no. We have no time for such frivolous uses of time. We are expected at Rosings for tea in precisely one hour. We must leave at once, my dear!”

  Elizabeth could not go to Rosings dressed as she was. She was not even convinced she had a single thing in her trunk appropriate for such an occasion.

  “Charlotte, must we? I have only just arrived and…”

  Collins interrupted once again.

  “We must! I am sure Charlotte has something more befitting the company of a woman as important as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Hurry off now! At once!”

  Before Elizabeth could object, she was whisked into the house along with her trunk, changed into a dress belonging to Charlotte that was most uncomfortable, and was then put right back into a coach once more. The trip to the entrance of Rosings was so brief by horse, Elizabeth wondered why they came that way at all.

  “Could we not have walked here? I can still almost see Hunsford,” she said as she leaned out the window.

  “Lady Catherine de Bourgh prefers a tidy house. Should we have walked, think of all walking dust that would have accompanied us into her home. It would have been unacceptable cousin. I would expect that your father and mother would have taught you such an important part of communicating with your betters.”

  Charlotte attempted to apologize to Elizabeth with an expression of embarrassment, but Elizabeth did not take Collins’s insults to heart. She was not bound to the veneration of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the same way Collins was, thus she did not have the same fear of stepping foot on the estate.

  “I shall remember it in the future and always think of you, cousin, when my slippers become thick with walking dust.”

  The coach, one of such beauty that it could only have been sent by Lady Catherine herself, stopped in front of two waiting footmen. The men led the ladies into the entry, allowing Elizabeth to get her first look at Rosings. It was as grand as Collins had led her to believe, the picture of elegance and beauty. But she could not help but think…

  “Well, cousin? Did I not tell you?” Collins asked, his chest puffed out like a turkey.

  I prefer Westerhall, Elizabeth thought, though she would never say such a thing out loud.

  “It is a fine home, indeed,” she said instead in the hope that this would not be the only topic of conversation for the rest of the evening.

  “Rosings is a lovely estate, but there are some who say Westerhall is the more grand,” an unexpected voice added from behind. Elizabeth turned and was utterly bewildered when she saw Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing on the staircase.

  She knew her cheeks were turning rosy, not from the surprise of his arrival but her unexpected joy at seeing him. Elizabeth could not explain why she felt such happiness, especially when she had not heard from him in so long, but she felt the happiness just the same.

  “Mr. Darcy. I did not know you would be joining us for dinner,” she said with a bit of nervousness in her voice she wished she could hide. He nodded a salutation to all of the guests who had come to see Lady Catherine.

  “I only just arrived from London this morning. Miss Bennet, might I speak to you for a moment before we dine?”

  Elizabeth could not say what came over her, but all at once, she was deeply disappointed that he had not contacted her since the year before. It may not have been appropriate, but she could not hide her feelings on the matter.

  “I think not, Mr. Darcy. I am visiting my dear friend Charlotte and I would hate to leave her even for a minute when it has been so long since our last v
isit. I am sure you understand.”

  It was clear he did not understand, but neither would he betray his gentlemanlike demeanor.

  “Of course, Miss Bennet. As you wish.”

  After Mr. Darcy walked into the library with Collins to join Lady Catherine and her daughter, Anne, Charlotte stayed behind with Elizabeth.

  “What in the world are you doing, Elizabeth? How could you say such a thing to a man like Fitzwilliam Darcy? If your mother ever found out…”

  She did not have to finish because they both could imagine a collection of punishments that Mrs. Bennet would create should she hear Elizabeth was rude to a gentleman. Charlotte and Elizabeth were still discussing her error when what could only be the voice of Lady Catherine de Bourgh called out from the library.

  “Charlotte! Are you going to introduce me to your friend or will I have to go out there and do it myself?”

  Elizabeth gave her friend a gentle squeeze on the arm.

  “Let us face the monster together, dear Charlotte.”

  Chapter 14

  Elizabeth Bennet sat on her bed in her room at Hunsford as she tied up her boots for a day of riding with Charlotte. Elizabeth and her closest friend had spent many an hour arguing as children over which was more entertaining: riding or walking. Charlotte preferred a brisk ride through the country while Elizabeth was much more content to get where she was going under the strength of her own two feet. However, as Charlotte’s groom chose time in his garden to time in the stables, Elizabeth promised that they could spend one afternoon exploring the grounds that made her new home on horseback.

  Just as she was about to leave her room and join Charlotte in the kitchen, there was a knock on the door that came so suddenly, it startled her.

  “Yes?” she asked as she peeped around the side. Collins was there, his eyes averted as he held a letter out toward Elizabeth.

  “This just arrived for you cousin Elizabeth, from Rosings. Who might be writing you from Rosings, I wonder? There is no name.”

  If there was one thing she knew about her cousin, it was that he was a greater gossip than her mother and aunts combined. She had a very good idea who the letter was from, but if she told Collins, he would have much to say about her receiving letters from men when she was unmarried woman. She had to find a means of distracting him for at least a short time.

  “I can not be sure, cousin, but perhaps it is just Miss Anne de Bourgh, in search of a companion to have tea with this afternoon. Should there be anything frightening contained within these pages, however, I will come to you right away. For now, will you please let Charlotte know I will be with her shortly.”

  Collins left with an unwilling frown, but leave he did, which finally allowed Elizabeth to sit at the desk with her letter that was clearly from Mr. Darcy. She quickly broke the seal and read as fast as she was able.

  Dear Miss Bennet,

  As I was not able to do so last night in private, please allow me to apologize to you now for my absence. I did not intend to leave you without word for so long, but like Adrian, I met my sister Georgiana in London for the holidays. After the New Year, Spencer needed my assistance with a most important matter and said matter took us all much longer to put straight than we intended. This does not act as an excuse but is merely meant to explain my request and my hope for your forgiveness.

  Miss Bennet, I know when we saw each other at the Netherfield ball, we discussed my engagement to another. I would like you to know that as of this morning, I have made it clear to my aunt that I will not be marrying Anne. I should have made this gesture before but until I saw you last evening, I did not understand how deeply I cared for you, or how much I would suffer were I to lose you.

  I must return in London for a while longer, but I will soon come back to Meryton and all will be explained then. It is my most fervent hope that you will wait for me, but if you can not, I have been a better man for knowing you.

  With the greatest affection,

  F. Darcy

  Elizabeth felt her heart race with every word she read, so stunned was she by the open and honest way that Mr. Darcy expressed himself to her. When he seemed uncomfortable in her company at Rosings, she had taken it to mean that he no longer even cared for her friendship. But to know that he was worried over ending his engagement to Anne de Bourgh changed the way she saw him. Now she truly believed that the man who made her heart race felt the same way about her.

  The only thing left to wonder was, what was Lord Spencer involved in that needed so much of their intention? What could be so bad that it would require them all to be in London for so long a time?

  Chapter 15

  Months had passed by in a dream of visits to London, dinners with soldiers and society women, and lovely teas filled with gossip by the side of her aunt whom Elizabeth adored. Still, her mind was consumed with thoughts of Fitzwilliam Darcy, who was somewhere in London as well but had not been seen by anyone since he arrived. When she first came to London herself, she felt she must not tell anyone of her letter from Mr. Darcy, for she did not wish to tell a secret that was not her own. But as the days went by, she began to understand that all Darcy had explained in his letter was now her burden as well, and she became desperate to share her own part of the story. In spite of her fondness for sharing secrets rather than keeping them, Elizabeth knew that Mrs. Gardiner would keep the secret of her favorite niece in confidence. The same could not be said for most in her life, even her own mother.

  To say Mrs. Gardiner had been surprised was to lessen the enormity of her astonishment. She was less shocked to discover that Darcy had expressed his intention to marry Elizabeth that to hear that he was standing against his aunt. Lady Catherine de Bourgh was many things, yet not a soul who met her would accuse her of being merciful. Mrs. Gardiner was anxious to hear more of the unavoidable confrontation that Darcy must have engaged in with his sour aunt, and in truth, Elizabeth was interested as well. But as it stood, she still waited to hear what Darcy intended to do next. The longer she remained the dark, the more anxious she became about their future together. She was also more than a bit afraid for Lord Spencer and prayed for his health and safety every evening, as Mr. Darcy implied that Adrian might be in his own spot of trouble.

  Spring was just beginning its slow march into summer when Elizabeth and Jane returned to Longbourn from London. The garden was bright and beautiful, the air was warm and comforting, and Elizabeth only realized how much she missed Meryton when she came home. As soon as she stepped out of the coach behind Jane, however, her mother ran toward her like she was mad.

  “Elizabeth! Your letters have not contained one word about Mr. Darcy or Lord Spencer, even when I very clearly requested news. What has transpired? Is it true they were both in London? Did you see them? An acquaintance of your aunt Phillips suggested Lord Spencer might have returned to India! Is this true? It seems a ship from India arrived in London not long ago. Is he returning? Was he on the ship?”

  Even Jane appeared exhausted by the loud and unrelenting series of questions that Mrs. Bennet offered in place of a proper greeting. Elizabeth did not know where to begin answering her mother, as every query led to another and she did not know the answer to any of them. It was the reason she did not write of Mr. Darcy or Lord Spencer… she had nothing to offer and did not wish to give her mother reasons to write her any more frequently than she had been.

  Elizabeth was only just about to make an effort to put her mother off until they could at the very least step inside the house, but all was interrupted by the sound of a coach coming up the drive. When it came to a stop behind the coach that squired Elizabeth and Jane from London, the whole family peeped inside and were surprised to see it empty.

  “Sir,” Mr. Bennet said to the driver, “I think, perhaps, you have left someone behind. No one here requires a coach, as you can see.” He gestured to the other driver, who had just removed the trunks and was prepared to return to the stables. However, the driver of the empty coach jumped from his sittin
g place and opened the door.

  “I have arrived for Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Miss Jane Bennet at the request of Lord Adrian Spencer. He has requested your presence at Westerhall most urgently.”

  Elizabeth and Jane looked at one another in surprise.

  “Lord Spencer is back?” Jane asked the coachmen.

  “Why did he ask for us?” Elizabeth added. But the man simply held the door open and waited.

  “They have only just returned from London! Can this not wait?” Mr. Bennet followed, which ended in a sharp slap on the arm from his wife.

  “They will go happily, correct?”

  It was clear that they had no other option, since to stay at Longbourn meant both sisters would incur the ire of their mother. Without another word, they entered the coach and remained silent for the trip to Westerhall. Elizabeth may not have spoken, but she considered every circumstance possible for when the coach stopped in front of Lord Spencer’s grand home. Was he injured? Ill? Had there been an accident? Adrian could not wish to marry Elizabeth, surely. She had not heard from him once in all their time apart, though she still received the occasional letter from Rebecca. Darcy had been quite mysterious in his own letter, and as such, there was no way she could guess what might be waiting for Jane and herself at Westerhall.

  When at last the coach finally came to a stop, Elizabeth was surprised at how apprehensive she was to step out of the door when it was opened for her. She had spent the whole of the ride building her nervousness up to such a great height, there was not much to do now but prove her fears were for naught, or that they were warranted. The only way to end the terror was to step forward and face her fears with a bold attitude. So, she did just that. And when she was firm on the ground, the sun causing her vision to obscure for a moment, she found herself no less confused when her eyes cleared.