Lydia immediately said, “I am so glad you are to marry him, Lizzy. He will be a wonderfully kind brother. He has promised me all the drawing and painting masters I desire.”
Mr. Collins had been beginning to turn his head in her direction, but he quickly turned away, instead devoting himself to the book which had been rejected by Mary. There was not a suitable wife to be found in this household. Very soon he excused himself, saying that he felt like an early night, and went up to bed in a disgruntled mood and with a bitterness of spirit which was most unbecoming in a clergy man.
CHAPTER 21
On the next morning, all five sisters walked into Meryton, again leaving Mr. Collins behind. While Jane was taken on the same tour she had received yesterday, Elizabeth looked with curiosity at the harp. It was a beautiful instrument, and she was interested in hearing it played even if her sisters had admitted to having little skill. She was wondering if they might be persuaded to perform when the teacher of the instrument approached and offered to give her a lesson. Eager to try it out, she took up the offer and spent the rest of the morning learning and practicing. In the following days, she returned and did the same, studying and practicing diligently. On the morning when Mr. Darcy next visited, he heard the harp being played with some skill.
“One of them is beginning to substantially improve,” he observed to Mrs. Pearson as he took off his coat.
“It is not one of them,” she replied. “That is Miss Elizabeth.”
His eyes widened in surprise. He went to watch and had the pleasure of seeing her absorbed in the instrument. It was not the most accomplished performance, but she played with great feeling and the promise of a talent which could be developed. She did not see him at first and blushed when she finally noticed him.
“I could not resist this lovely instrument,” she said, “but I fear I do not do it justice.”
“I found nothing lacking in the performance,” he replied.
In the weeks before their wedding and for many months afterwards, he listened with devotion and admiration as she continued to develop her skills and grow into an accomplished performer.
Mrs. Bennet was at first astonished to learn of her younger daughter’s lessons and their strange tastes in reading material. This was not anything which would get them husbands. However, when she found out about Mr. Darcy’s offer, and its connection with their studies, she was forced to partially revise her opinions. The substantial increase of their portions boded well as long as they did not talk too much upon learned subjects, an opinion which she shared with her good friend Mrs. Bingley.
The French master was soon invited to take tea at Longbourn, along with some of the officers, who were all interested to hear the story of his escape from his native country. Mr. Sheriden and Kitty sat apart from the others, discussing some of the points in Mr. Lloyd’s book and the abilities of Lord Wellington, for who they both had great admiration.
Mr. Bingley’s relatives stayed in the neighbourhood for two more weeks, and continued to be delighted with all its inhabitants, who adored them in return. On their final evening, everybody was sorry to be parting with them and pleased that they had been invited to return for the wedding. Sir William Lucas persuaded them to supply him with their recipe for punch, which livened up the Christmas festivities at Lucas Lodge.
It was an excellent Christmas season for the Bennets, who had so many recent sources of satisfaction and now the anticipation of two weddings. Indeed, with the frequent visits of Mr. Sheriden, Mrs. Bennet began to think that a third wedding would not be far off. Mr. Bennet had entertainment in the delightful form of another amusing communication from Mr. Collins.
Dear Sir,
The disagreement subsisting between my cousin Elizabeth and my noble patroness gives me much uneasiness about the misfortune of being connected to you. Since leaving Longbourn, I have been wishing that I had not healed the breach between us. My mind is now made up on the subject, for having been so fortunate as to persuade Lady Catherine that my relatives are named Barnett and live in Herefordshire, it shall now be my earnest endeavour to re-establish the variance between us which was initiated by my honoured and forward-thinking father.
I flatter myself that my withdrawal of all overtures of goodwill is completely justifiable as I cannot think it fair for your daughter to be the means of injuring me. I beg that the circumstance of our being related will be generously forgotten on your side, as it will be on mine, and that Mrs. Darcy will have the beneficence to pretend to find me a stranger should she ever visit Rosings. I remain, sir, your estranged cousin
William Collins
The disagreement to which he referred consisted of a letter which Lady Catherine had written to Elizabeth forbidding the marriage. She had not appeared in person, and Mr. Darcy, when shown the letter, had burned it, apologized for his relative’s rudeness, and suggested to his beloved fiancée that the best response was simply to get on with the business of marrying each other. The wedding had therefore been planned for an early date, and he had formed the intention of cancelling his usual Easter journey to Rosings, so for the moment Mr. Collins had nothing to fear.
Thinking that the lack of reply was an answer in itself, Mr. Bennet did not bother with a response to his letter either, but he took some satisfaction in making a list of all the items in the house which did not belong to the estate and sent it to his lawyer for safekeeping. Mrs. Bennet was briefly overcome by her former worries about being unceremoniously thrown out of the house, but then the weddings put it completely out of her mind. Her two wealthy sons-in-law could be counted on to take care of her.
Over Christmas, Elizabeth experienced some concerns that the foolishness of her mother and the vulgarity of her aunt might be disagreeable to Mr. Darcy now that his behaviour was so very polished; however, he continued to be a model of good-humour and bore all with easy composure. Mrs. Phillips, having felt a bond with him since the incident in her home, was more forthcoming than she had been in the past, and her mother, who had always considered him a friend, was now excessively familiar since they were soon to be connected; however, Elizabeth decreased her anxiety by steering him toward those members of her family whose company was pleasing to him, and found comfort in knowing their number to be much increased over what it might have been if the last few months had not brought so many changes.
Since he and Mr. Bingley spent the entire holiday at Netherfield, Mr. Darcy fetched his sister from London. He was gratified that she quickly became friends not only with Elizabeth, but with all her sisters as well. She happily played the pianoforte with Mary, painted with Lydia, and practiced French and Italian with all of them.
She stayed on until the date of the joint wedding. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst also deigned to make an appearance on the day and were so horrified to discover their relatives all ensconced at Netherfield that they hastily beat a retreat back to London very soon after the ceremony.
“That encounter should ensure they will keep to their word,” Mr. Bingley said to Darcy. He was perfectly happy to see them go and have his family represented by more agreeable people whose presence added to the pleasure of the day instead of detracting from it. It was a very happy occasion on which the good wishes of all their friends blended with the two couple’s expectations of wedded bliss.
As the celebrations drew to a close, Mr. Darcy said to Elizabeth that this had been the happiest day of his life so far, but he disagreed with her theory that it was all to be downhill from this point. “I hold the expectation that our happiness will grow daily, no matter what flaws we may discover,” he said, and she agreed.
CHAPTER 22
Mrs. Bennet was still delighting in the pride caused by the marriages of her two eldest daughters when she was called upon to plan another wedding. The regiment was to go to Brighton at the end of May, and Mr. Sheriden found it impossible to leave Kitty behind. A wife was within his means and the woman he wanted was within his grasp. She accepted his engagement. The necessity of afterwards associating wit
h the officer’s wives was an unfortunate drawback, but the inducement was great and she was determined to endure any discomfort with fortitude.
In the end, however, it was a much different sort of discomfort which she bore. Shortly before the wedding, Mr. Darcy discovered that the lieutenant’s greatest desire was a commission in the regulars. He made the purchase of a captaincy as a wedding gift, and instead of going to Brighton, Kitty went to Portugal, where she had the great honour of meeting her much-admired Lord Wellington, who afterwards remarked that he had never met a woman so well-versed in military history, nor so cognisant of battle tactics. “Were she not a lady, I would gladly offer her a position on my staff,” he said.
Lydia and Mary then went to Pemberley, where they made excellent use of the library. Lydia greatly admired the Derbyshire views and spent so many days painting them that Mr. Darcy had to send away for new paints and canvasses, but he did not begrudge his talented sister anything. He and Elizabeth accompanied her on excursions about the countryside, keeping each other company while the artist painted.
In the evenings, they often invited guests or dined out, and it was at one of these dinners that Mary met her future husband, a former Cambridge scholar who had inherited a modest property in the area. The independence had made him hopeful of finding a wife, but his earlier life had given him a taste for uniting himself with an educated lady. He had almost given up hope of meeting one and was instantly captivated when Mary responded to his conversation in such a promising way. They were married at the end of August and settled to a life of sharing scholarly pursuits and writing.
The Darcys afterwards went to London, taking Lydia with them. Having rid herself of four daughters in three seasons, Mrs. Bennet expressed hopes of her youngest daughter meeting somebody in time for an autumn wedding. She dreamed of being able to boast of settling all five daughters within a year, but Lydia continued to think herself too young for marriage. She chose not to go into society that season and instead spent most of her time studying with all the masters Mr. Darcy had promised.
Charlotte set up her school at this time, and achieved great success. Following Mr. Darcy’s example, she offered a great variety of lessons and employed scholars as teachers. She found no shortage of young ladies keen on getting more than a ladylike education, and eventually had to expand to fulfill the need. Her school had an excellent reputation, and she became a well-known advocate for the education of ladies. Her endeavours were very satisfying and kept her busy, but she still found time to eventually form an attachment and was married in her fortieth year.
Lydia’s was married about three years after her sisters, and her choice of husband was most directly attributable to Mr. Darcy’s little school, being a French émigré whom she met at a party and sought to put at ease by some conversation in his own language. Without ever having acquired complete fluency, she had achieved a reasonable competence, and her small errors only served to charm the gentleman, who appreciated her endearing efforts on his behalf. They discovered a shared interest in painting, and both talents flourished in their marriage. He rejoiced when one of Lydia’s works was selected for exhibition by the Academy. She was happier when they both had paintings accepted on the following year. This gratifying honour was repeated many times.
She was not the only sister in the public eye. In addition to helping her husband with all of his books, assistance which he considered invaluable, Mary wrote several of her own, which were very well received. Her husband had a high opinion of his wife’s abilities and refused to take any credit for her successful books.
“All her own work, and excellent work too,” he said whenever somebody implied that his was the mind behind her creations.
Kitty also wrote two books after the war was over and she and her husband settled back in England. The first of these, which analyzed the tactics of the war, received high acclaim. Her publisher insisted upon using a masculine pseudonym. “Nobody will purchase such a book if they know it to be written by a lady,” he said apologetically, and she saw his point. He published another of her works under her own name, a history of her experiences as an officer’s wife in Portugal and Spain. That volume’s blend of interesting observations and amusing anecdotes made it a great success, and it was not long before everybody learned the real name of the author of A Study of the Peninsular War. The subsequent demand necessitated a second printing, and this time the book was issued in her name, which only increased sales.
Mr. Darcy bought many more of Lydia’s paintings, as well as numerous copies of Kitty’s and Mary’s books for his own library and to give all his friends. He and Elizabeth were always very proud of her accomplished sisters and their achievements. When she considered how much difference Mr. Darcy had made in their lives, she could not rue the day when he had decided to dance and make a fool of himself. It had all turned out very well, and he had proven himself to be a true friend in a time of need.
She was herself admired in many circles for having an excellent mind and charming wit, and those people who had the privilege of hearing her play the harp said they had never heard a more accomplished performer.
These words eventually came to Miss Bingley’s ears and she snorted with disgust. Unfortunately, she did not allow any of her experiences to change her for the better. Her recollection of that autumn was that Elizabeth had forced a friendship upon her for the purpose of insinuating herself in Mr. Darcy’s life and stealing him away. She told this version of events to all her friends; however, it was widely discredited.
Lady Catherine was most displeased by the marriage and ignored the couple for a long time until curiosity got the best of her. Not content with imagining all of Elizabeth’s faults, she came to see them for herself and was gratified to discover that the lady was even worse than she had imagined. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy bore her visit with great tolerance, but he made it clear to his aunt that he would not countenance hearing a single word against his wife. Her criticisms were nothing to Elizabeth, who had so many reasons to be happy that a few days spent with a viperous lady did not dent her good spirits. It was hard not to laugh when she heard their parson compared unfavourable to Lady Catherine’s; however, she faithfully kept Mr. Collins’s secret.
Her marriage was a meeting of minds. A value for propriety was blended with playfulness in both their natures. Good sense guided their lives, and good humour enlivened them. Jane and Mr. Bingley were a similar pair, whose happiness ran along the same lines. Their purchase of an estate near Pemberley made it possible for the couples to be frequently together, along with Mary and her husband. Kitty and Lydia both lived in London, but they were frequent visitors and always warmly welcomed along with their husbands. Mrs. Bennet always attributed these five highly successful marriages to luck, but her younger daughters knew their good fortune had much more to do with Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy Dances: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 15
