Fate and Consequences

by Linda Wells

  Elizabeth waited a moment, to see if he would say more, but noticed that he had begun shifting from one foot to the other, and was now twisting the reins in a sign of anxiety. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but no words followed. She saw him swallow hard and looked into his eyes, and saw them almost begging her for help. Her brow furrowed. “Will you be long in the area, sir?” She asked cautiously.

  He swallowed hard again, internally cursing his awkward behaviour. “Just for the day.”

  Elizabeth’s disappointment was great, and it showed. “Oh.” Darcy read her face easily and was both happy and sad to know her reaction.

  Bingley jumped in. “I believe that I have made my decision to take the lease here, Miss Elizabeth, so Mr. Morris is correct, we shall be neighbours!” His wide smile and enthusiasm brought Elizabeth’s gaze back to him.

  “That is wonderful news, sir. My mother will be delighted to spread it about the neighbourhood! When should we expect you to come?”

  He looked at Mr. Morris. “I believe the lease begins at Michaelmas, am I correct, sir?”

  “Yes, you are.” He smiled.

  Bingley turned to Darcy. “And you will be joining us at some point, will you not Darcy?” He nudged his friend who was standing watching Elizabeth.

  “Yes … yes, Bingley, if your offer still stands, Georgiana and I will come whenever you and your sister are ready for guests.”

  “Excellent!” Bingley smiled. He looked back at Elizabeth. “I hope that there are events to anticipate in the area about that time, Miss Elizabeth.”

  Elizabeth was studying Darcy as much as he was staring at her, but looked to him. “Oh sir, I assure you, the families in the area will welcome yours into their homes. Your wife and sister and any other friends will find themselves the subjects of a great many invitations.”

  “Well done, Miss Elizabeth, but no, I am not married.” He grinned. He looked over to Darcy, “And my friend here is not either.” They both blushed.

  “I was not fishing for information, sir, but thank you for telling me because my mother would not rest until she knew.” She smiled at him, her embarrassment recovered. “I must warn you, however, both of you, that you should be prepared to be dazzled by the machinations of the country ladies and their mothers.” Darcy shook his head while Bingley and Mr. Morris laughed.

  “That is nothing new, I assure you, Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy murmured as his eyes went to his shoes, and Elizabeth’s head tilted, trying to catch his expression. He was very confusing.

  Mr. Morris stepped in. “Well sir, I imagine that you will be wishing to begin your journey back to London before the hour becomes any later, shall I show you the way back to the house?” Darcy’s eyes came up, distress evident, but without any other reason to delay their departure, he could say nothing.

  Bingley watched him, but not knowing the relationship, could do nothing to help. “Yes, Mr. Morris, I suppose we should be on our way. Miss Elizabeth, it has been a great pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to seeing you and your family in September.” He bowed and joined Mr. Morris in mounting his horse.

  Darcy remained where he was and finally found his voice. “I will be right behind you, Bingley.” His brows rose but he nodded and the men rode off, leaving Darcy and Elizabeth alone.

  “Miss Elizabeth.” He said softly, “I … I hope that you were not upset with me for … the handkerchiefs.” He drew hers from his breast pocket, and she blushed, seeing where he kept it. “I will return yours now, if you wish.” He held it out to her, and looked back down at the ground.

  “No sir, I think that I have been very fairly compensated for your thievery, and if you were to return my handkerchief, I would be forced to do the same with yours, and I am sorry, I am quite a selfish girl and I do not like returning gifts.” She smiled, her eyes danced with humour.

  Darcy looked up and seeing her smile relaxed. “I am happy to learn this, Miss Elizabeth, because I rather think you might have had to fight me for it.”

  She laughed. “A duel sir? Are they not illegal?”

  “The law has been known to overlook them between gentlemen.” He smiled, enough to crinkle his eyes.

  “Ah, but that is the problem, sir, in case you had not noticed, I am not a gentleman.” She pursed her lips and raised her brow.

  Carried away by her banter he became bold. “I had noticed, Miss Elizabeth, I assure you.” Elizabeth blushed. His heart began beating hard. More than anything in the world he wished to reach out and touch her burning cheek, first with his fingers, then with his lips. “Forgive me, I have embarrassed you.” He said softly. “I seem to lose all sense of propriety in your presence. I should take my leave. We have been too long alone. I should know better.” He began to turn away.

  Elizabeth’s voice stopped him. “Please do not leave on my account. I am happy to have the opportunity to speak to you.” She smiled reassuringly, and met his now shy gaze. The little smile returned to his lips. He watched the sparkle in her eyes.

  “I seem to remember in your letter that you said if we should ever meet, you would never speak to me. I am happy that you changed your mind.”

  She laughed. He was so painfully shy, but so terribly eager. She could feel him battling himself on how to speak to her. “Well, it is a woman’s prerogative, is it not? My opinions are not set in stone, sir.” He smiled. “May I ask Mr. Darcy, how is your sister? I hope that she will wish to begin corresponding with me, I rather have the impression that she would like a friend.”

  Darcy’s face darkened. “She is still recovering; I am very worried for her. I hope that she will write to you, and I do hope that when I come to visit Bingley, she will accompany me. With your letters, she may enjoy spending time with you.”

  “I will be happy to help her.” She tilted her head. “Can you tell me of her troubles?”

  He looked deeply into her eyes. “Perhaps when we come to visit, and we have time, I could tell you.” He thought to himself, But then, will you still wish to know me?

  “I do take long walks every day.” She smiled. “And would be glad of your company.” She blushed with her boldness.

  He smiled his greatest smile yet, and for a moment, she saw the flash of his teeth. “I would enjoy that, very much, Miss Elizabeth. We will be returning to our estate, Pemberley, in Derbyshire soon, but I will be looking forward to coming here again even more.”

  A shout from across the field gained their attention and they realized how long they had been talking. “I believe that my friend is growing impatient. I must go.” He gathered his courage and took Elizabeth’s gloved hand in his and bowed over it. “It was my hope that I would somehow catch sight of you today, this has been more than I could have dreamed. Thank you.” He brushed his lips over her hand and quickly turned to mount his horse. At that moment he did not trust himself to stop.

  Elizabeth still felt the warmth of his lips on her hand, and unconsciously held it to her rosy cheek. He did not miss the gesture, and again his heart began pounding. “I will look forward to this autumn as I never have before, sir. I hope to receive a letter from Pemberley soon.”

  He nodded. “I assure you, Miss Elizabeth. You will.” He turned the horse and looking back at her one more time, raised his hand and galloped off. Elizabeth stood staring at him until she could see no more.

  “OH LOUISA! What shall I do?” Caroline Bingley paced her sister’s drawing room in her husband’s townhouse in London and lamented her dashed plans. “Mr. Darcy’s name is ruined utterly by that horrid little sister! It is not fair! Why should he be blamed for her behaviour? He did nothing wrong! He is just as rich today as he was three weeks ago! Oh what am I to do?” She wrung her hands and wailed, but somehow still managed to observe her appearance in the mirror over the fireplace, and adjusted her turban to a more appropriate angle.

  Louisa Hurst sipped her tea and watched her sister. “You waited too long, Caroline; you should have secured him years ago. It is your own fault you know. How
many chances have you had?” She hid her lips with her cup and smirked.

  Caroline rounded on her. “Do not blame this on me! It is not my fault that Mr. Darcy is so obstinate!” She sat down and picked up her cup and took a gulp, then gasped as it scalded her throat. “It does not matter now.”

  “Why not? I would think he would be ripe for the picking now, Caroline. He can no longer be so choosy in his selection of wife. If you still want him, I think that he would be grateful for your continued interest and attention, why, look at Charles, he has stayed by his side, so why not you, as well?”

  “Charles.” She laughed disparagingly. “He will follow whoever leads him, you know that.” She sniffed with disgust. “Do you hear what is being said about him supporting Mr. Darcy? That any chances he had of doing well in society are being destroyed by his association? I have spoken to him about this, and yet he refuses to listen. He will drag us all down with him.”

  “Not us, Caroline, just you. I am married already.” She raised her brow.

  She sniped back. “Yes, and to a drunken lay about. Whatever do you have to feel proud?”

  Louisa shrugged, she knew that her husband was less than desirable, but that happened after they married. “I have this house; someday we will have his parent’s estate. I am a married woman where you, dear sister, are rapidly approaching spinsterhood.” Caroline gasped at the appellation. “Now, the Season still has some time left in it. I suggest that you either apply yourself to Mr. Darcy when he is weakened, or set your cap for some other gentleman before the ton determines that you are on the shelf.”

  “But I have received so few invitations since Miss Darcy ruined everything! How am I to meet anyone new if I cannot attend the balls and dinners?”

  “You have relied too long on using Mr. Darcy’s name as your entree into society, Caroline. You seem to have made your own bed.” She tilted her head. “Now what was that about Charles dragging down the Bingley name by his continued association with Mr. Darcy? If that is what you feel, why do you still wish to pursue him at all?”

  “I want Pemberley. I want his name. I want everything that he represents. I want to be rich and the toast of society.” Her eyes lit up with her thoughts. “And Mr. Darcy himself, he is quite the handsome man.” She giggled. Then catching sight of her sister’s nodding head she narrowed her eyes. “Given time I am sure society will be more concerned with his wealth than his sister’s behaviour and will gladly welcome him back. We might have to spend some time at Pemberley, but that will give me ample opportunity to redecorate.” She smiled in anticipation of changing everything.

  “What of Miss Darcy?”

  Caroline’s smile disappeared. “She is a problem.”

  “She is too young to marry off; at least her brother would think so.” Louisa speculated.

  “Marry off? Who will ever have her?” Caroline sneered.

  “Where there is a dowry, there is a man who will take her.” Louisa smiled, “Of course, that philosophy has not been successful for you …”

  Caroline’s eyes shot daggers at her sister. “Are you finished?”

  Louisa shrugged. “Well, perhaps sending her away would be the solution. Out of sight, out of the ton’s minds.”

  “Mr. Darcy would never stand for that.” Caroline lamented. “If it were me, I would have had her bundled off to some distant estate in Scotland by now. He has a home there, after all.” Her eyes lit up. “Louisa, that is it!”

  “What?” She said, sitting up.

  “Charles was going to look over an estate to lease in Hertfordshire. He already told me that Mr. Darcy would be coming to stay and help him get started there. If we can convince him that it would be a kindness to his sister to send her away to Scotland for a few years …”

  “Then she would be gone, and you could press the advantage of convincing him that marrying would further secure her when she returned to society.” She smiled. “And of course, who better to marry than you?”

  “Yes! What do you think?”

  “It has possibilities, but you know, Charles said that Mr. Darcy may bring her with him when he visits, what will you do then?”

  Caroline considered the problem. “Perhaps she will have to find herself in another compromising position and have to marry right away.” She grinned. “That would take care of everything. She would be gone, his reputation would be restored because of it, and …”

  “He would no longer need to marry you. You would be back where you were three weeks ago. You need to think of something else, Caroline.”

  She sighed. “What?”

  “You are clever. I have no doubt you will devise a plan to win your man.” Caroline narrowed her eyes and nodded.

  BY THE TIME that Darcy rejoined Bingley and Mr. Morris, his breathing had returned to normal and the flush had left his face, but his eyes were bright, reflecting an emotion that he did not understand but knew without a doubt he wished to experience again. He felt confused and exhilarated. Bingley looked at him closely. He had observed as Darcy spent perhaps ten minutes speaking with Miss Elizabeth, if that, but in that time, his friend had become a different man. Mr. Morris was curious, but as he knew Miss Elizabeth to be a friendly, outgoing girl, with never a word of poor behaviour spoken of her, he thought nothing of the brief conversation alone with Mr. Darcy in full view of anyone, and promptly forgot about it.

  The cook at Netherfield, alerted to a potential lease holder, quickly pulled together a simple but satisfying meal for the men upon their return to the house. It was after this that Darcy and Bingley took their leave of Mr. Morris, with assurances that come Michaelmas, the estate would again be occupied. The return ride began in thoughtful silence for both men, with Bingley watching Darcy covertly, and wondering what exactly was passing through his mind as a myriad of expressions passed over his face. He surmised that it most definitely had to do with Miss Elizabeth, and he was dying to know if his theory that they had met before was true. He could not help but be amused with his friend who had never, in all the years he had known him, been reduced to such an obvious state of bewitchment. He was just working out the wording for his question when Darcy broke the silence.

  “Bingley, do you think … I am … that a young lady …” He sighed.

  Seeing his struggle he stopped grinning, and spoke reassuringly. “What is it, Darcy?”

  Darcy turned his head to meet Bingley’s open expression. “Would it be wrong for me to … pay attentions to a lady? Would it be a degradation to her?” He took a breath and returned his gaze to the road ahead.

  Charles watched him with interest. Darcy looked back over to him. “What are you thinking?”

  “I can only assume that the young lady in question is Miss Elizabeth?” He saw Darcy’s flush. “Do you realize that three weeks ago, your question would have been if she would be a degradation to you?”

  Darcy furrowed his brow and shot him a look. “Do you think me so shallow?”

  “Shallow? No. But proud, or rather, raised to fulfil your duty, and that means marrying from your own circle. Miss Elizabeth is decidedly below you, even with your present distress by association with Georgiana.”

  “So you believe that in the past I might have felt that I was lowering myself to accept her, and that she should have been grateful for my offer.” He said, thinking carefully over the revelation.

  “I believe it to be possible. I can not say for sure what would have occurred. I have never seen you in such a state before.”

  He looked at him sharply. “What state is that, Bingley?”

  He could not help but laugh. “You are besotted, Darcy!” He laughed louder seeing his friend’s astonishment. “Now, I have been watching you carefully. Tell me, did you meet Miss Elizabeth before? And may I go further; did you perhaps purchase her some finery of late?” He attempted to suppress his grin, but Darcy’s completely embarrassed red face was simply too much for him, and he clapped his hands with glee. “Excellent Darcy!! Finally a woman has found a way
into your heart. I had practically abandoned hope!! Tell me all, I insist!”

  Still deeply mortified, Darcy sighed, then relaxing a little, a small smile appeared. “I hope very sincerely that you are the only one who can read me so well, Bingley. I do not wish to walk around as a besotted fool.”

  “I have no fear of that happening Darcy, as that is a position where I regularly find myself. I am sure that you will be able to hide this from the world. I was just fortunate to actually see the transformation take place before my eyes.” He smiled, happy that his friend’s heart could be touched, especially at a time when he undoubtedly needed the distraction. “I might point out that the lady in question was not indifferent to you.”

  Darcy quickly looked over to him, staring into his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.” He said seriously, knowing not to toy with such an important question.

  He let out a breath, then met his gaze and looked away. “All right, yes, I did meet Miss Elizabeth the day that Richard and I returned Georgiana home. I observed her with, what I assume was three of her sisters in the street outside of the inn. She … I can hardly explain what I saw and felt. Later, when we were about to board the coach, Georgiana was in tears, and was in great need of a dry handkerchief. As Richard and I had no luggage, we had no replacement for hers, and Miss Elizabeth, seeing her distress, offered hers to Georgiana. On impulse I asked her name and direction so that it could be returned to her. She demurred, and I insisted. That is when she gave me her name.” He glanced quickly over to him. “I have felt … I do not know, something so very … very … warm, comforting, and more … much more ever since.” He looked away from Bingley.

  Bingley nodded. He knew that speaking of feelings was not something that men did, and this man in particular never opened up. Darcy was struck if he was even attempting to say these things, and it told Bingley how much he was valued as his friend. He would not tease him about it again. “So those handkerchiefs were for Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy nodded. “Have you given them to her?” He nodded again. “And did she feel you were overstepping the lines of propriety?” He shook his head. Bingley smiled. “So what is your next move? You will not see her again for over three months. That will certainly give time for the consequences of Georgiana’s behaviour to settle into whatever state it will remain until her presentation. And it will give you time to decide if you will be harming Miss Elizabeth by your interest.”