Fate and Consequences

by Linda Wells

  He started to walk away and stopped. “Oh, and the master said that if the day is fine tomorrow he will send the carriage for you at eleven for your riding lesson.”

  “Thank you, I will come to the kitchen with my reply.”

  She opened the door and returned to the sitting room. Without thinking, she began to open William’s note as she walked and was startled by her mother’s voice. “What is that, Lizzy? A note from Netherfield?” She stood and quickly crossed the room, her hand out and ready to snatch it away from her.

  “Mama, this is from Miss Darcy, and she invites me to come to Netherfield tomorrow for a riding lesson. She will send the coach for me at eleven.”

  Mrs. Bennet stopped. “Riding?” She huffed. “Well, I suppose it is something you must learn, although you have never shown any talent for it.” She returned to her chair and started her sewing. “You should take a change of clothes with you. You will be covered in mud after all of this rain.” Elizabeth relaxed and let her held breath go. She did not feel that she had lied since Georgiana would likely join them.

  “Yes Mama that is an excellent idea. The messenger is waiting so I will just write a note back now.”

  Mrs. Bennet nodded. “You must look your best tomorrow and do very well. Mr. Darcy must think that riding is important or he would not have his sister teaching you. You must continue to hold his interest. He has not offered for you yet, and you must not miss this opportunity. Behave properly and do not drive him away!”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes and looked at Jane who hid her smile behind her hand. “Yes, Mama.” She took a seat at the writing desk safely across the room from her mother and finally opened the note. Her breath caught.

  My love,

  I look out of the window at this interminable rain and miss you. I hear the fire crackling, and think how much warmer it would feel if you were sitting before it, safe within my arms. I wait for the day that my home is yours, and your place is with me, until tomorrow, my darling.

  William

  Elizabeth’s hand went to her mouth and she tried to hold back the tears that sprang to her eyes. She looked up to see Jane watching her, and she smiled, then drew out a piece of paper and wrote her reply. She glanced around the room, and seeing everyone else was occupied, she pulled a ribbon from her hair and enclosed it carefully in the paper so the gift would remain safely inside, and sealed it. Standing, she left and went to the kitchen where she saw Danny sitting up very straight, a silly smile on his face as he stared dreamily at Susie, who was sitting opposite him folding linens and talking. She laughed and began to think; maybe she could persuade her father to let Susie come with her to Pemberley as her abigail. She cleared her throat and Susie looked up. “Yes, Miss?”

  Elizabeth looked to Danny. “I have my reply ready, Danny.”

  He startled and his face fell, then he stood and regained his composure. “Ah, yes Miss. I will take that back to Netherfield right away.”

  She looked between the two. “There is no rush, take your time.” She turned and left the room, and Danny sank back down in his chair, doe-eyed once again.

  Upon returning to the drawing room she heard the discussion that had begun. “I think that he tried to shoot Mr. Darcy. He is heartbroken.”

  “Oh that is just silly, Kitty! Who would be heartbroken over Lizzy?” Lydia grabbed a ribbon Kitty was holding and started to attach it to her bonnet. “I think that he is just a terrible hunter.” She giggled. “Did you ever see Sir William shooting targets? I spied on him one time. He is awful!”

  “Lydia, Kitty that is enough. I will not have you saying lies about Mr. Lucas. And Kitty, I want you to wear your blue gown Wednesday night. I want you to look your best for him.”

  Kitty’s eyes widened and she looked around the room. “Me? Why me? Why do I have to look good for him? Why not Lizzy? He likes her!”

  “Lizzy is being courted by Mr. Darcy!” Mrs. Bennet scolded.

  “But Mama, have you heard the news? The militia is coming to quarter here this winter; we will have scores of officers to meet!” She leaned back in her chair dreamily imagining all of the young men in their dashing uniforms and sighed. Then she sat up. “I will not settle for some boring man who wants my sister. I want an officer!”

  Lydia chimed in. “Ohhh, yes! I hope there is a ball soon, I want to dance and dance with all of them!”

  The girls fell into excited giggling and Mrs. Bennet smiled at them indulgently. “I loved an officer once, but then the chance to be mistress of this estate came about.” Elizabeth listened. She rarely heard her parents speak of their reasons for marrying; she always wondered how it came to be.

  Seeing the opportunity she asked, “Did you and Papa court for a long time?”

  Mrs. Bennet focused on Elizabeth and realized she had slipped. Mr. Bennet had sworn her to secrecy on anything to do with their wedding or his sister. “No, and the rest is not your concern Miss Lizzy. You should be thinking about how to secure Mr. Darcy.” She nodded at Jane. “And you are doing very nicely with Mr. Bingley. I am sure he will come speak to your father any day now.” Her eyes swept the room. “Where is Mary?”

  “I am right here, Mama.” Mrs. Bennet twisted and saw her middle daughter sitting on the same sofa. “Oh well, what are you doing to find a husband?” Mary’s mouth opened and closed and Mrs. Bennet stared at her then shook her head, and began talking about what they should wear to the Lucas’ Wednesday night. Elizabeth sent Mary a look of sympathy and she smiled back weakly.

  Jane patted the sofa and Elizabeth joined her. “Was that a note from Mr. Darcy, Lizzy?” She whispered.

  Elizabeth nodded, but would not share this note with her sister. “He is wonderful.” Elizabeth sighed, touching the note, and tucked it inside of her gown. “Georgiana told me that he has never been able to express his feelings, but he certainly knows how to write them.”

  DARCY SEALED the envelope of his final letter and set it aside in the stack for Danny, then flicked through the envelopes to be placed in the post. That finished; he looked out at the wet garden and then at the clock on the mantle. “Surely he should be back by now.” He stood and paced, then settled against the mantle and stared at the dancing flames. A knock startled him. “At last!” He called out, “Enter.”

  “Mr. Darcy, there you are! You have been hidden away all day in here.” Caroline glanced at the piles of letters and the neatly arranged desk. “It seems that your work is finished. Will you not join us for some tea?” She glided up to him and slipped her hand on his arm then smiled up to his expressionless face. “Georgiana quite misses you.” His eyes flickered. Caroline triumphed, mentioning his sister was bound to make him react.

  “I suppose that I should eat something.” He started to move and glanced down at the hand tightly gripping his arm and sighed. Silently they proceeded to the drawing room where tea was laid out.

  “There, you see, I knew I could persuade Mr. Darcy to join us.” Caroline declared as they entered the room.

  Bingley caught his attention and rolled his eyes. “I hope that we did not tear you away from anything pressing.”

  Removing Caroline’s hand he took a chair near Bingley. “No, I had just finished when Miss Bingley arrived.” He looked about the room. “Where is Georgiana?”

  “Here I am.” She said softly. Caroline leapt to her feet and hurried over to the doorway. “I think you will be most comfortable here by Charles.” She practically pushed her down next to him on the small sofa.

  Bingley stared at his sister then smiled at Georgiana. “I suppose you can bear my company, Miss Darcy.” She nodded and looked to Darcy, whose eyes moved between Caroline and Louisa, and narrowed with suspicion. His reaction was not missed by Hurst.

  “It is quite nice to have our whole party together for once. We have seen so little of you, Mr. Darcy. You seem to never be about.”

  He met her gaze then turned to Bingley. “Forgive me if I have been a poor houseguest.”

  Bingley smiled. “N
o, you are certainly under no obligation to spend your time with us. I wanted you and Miss Darcy to enjoy your time here. Obviously you have found suitable distractions in the neighbourhood.” He winked.

  “Indeed I have.” Darcy smiled at him then back at Georgiana. “We have made many new friends here.”

  “Yes, Elizabeth already was my friend, but we are so much closer now. And I think that Miss Mary and I are getting on well, too.”

  Darcy nodded. “Perhaps you will meet some other young ladies at the Lucas dinner.”

  “You intend to go?” Bingley asked carefully.

  Darcy turned back to look at him. “I choose to believe that it was an accident, Bingley. I have spoken at length with Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth on the subject.”

  Caroline was not at all pleased with the time Darcy spent with the Bennets. “I have accepted several invitations from other families in the area; of course you will be joining us, Mr. Darcy. You can not spend all of your time with the Bennets, delightful as they are.”

  He turned a blank face to her. “I will consult with Miss Elizabeth before committing to any other engagements.”

  “Come now Mr. Darcy, you are not obligated to follow their schedule! You are far too important to be spending your time with such insignificant people.”

  He addressed her coldly. “I am courting Miss Elizabeth, Miss Bingley. I hardly would term her or her family as insignificant.”

  Caroline pressed on. “I cannot help but wonder what exactly has drawn you to her. She is hardly the type of woman I would have expected to entrap you. What allurements has she used?”

  “I am not entrapped, Miss Bingley, and just what type of woman would you expect me to choose? Certainly not one who overestimates her own value?” It was a jab that flew above her head.

  She nodded. “But obviously Miss Elizabeth does if she has targeted you. I am sorry that you may be unaware sir, but she shows all the signs of being a fortune hunter.” Darcy stared at her. “And I must sadly inform you sir, that she was quite attached to Mr. John Lucas mere days before you entered the neighbourhood. I am sure that when she saw you at the assembly she jumped at the chance to attract you. I do not wish you to be blinded to the machinations of an accomplished temptress.” She nodded knowingly at him then smiled over at Louisa. Darcy looked to Bingley, who had closed his eyes in mortification. Hurst snorted. Georgiana was bright red with her embarrassment.

  Darcy stood and towered over Caroline. “I am quite aware of everything there is to know about Miss Elizabeth, and I will thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, they are not welcome.” He turned and strode over to the window, cursing the rain that kept him from Longbourn. Bingley cleared his throat and Caroline sat staring at Darcy, feeling the sting of his rebuke. Gradually conversation filled the room and Darcy ignored the buzz, instead drifting into the memory of the walk he took with Elizabeth the day before.

  They met at the stile where he had proposed. After a long embrace and passionate kisses, she suggested they walk to Oakham Mount where they settled on a rock, holding hands and talking. He opened up a little to her about his childhood, and she listened without interrupting. When he finished he felt drained, but knew he had only scratched the surface. He had told her of fights he overheard and witnessed, as well as the complete withdrawal of affection by his mother, and his attempts to win his father’s rare praise. He admitted that he had felt no emotion other than relief when his mother died. When his father passed, he felt regret, because although they never were close, he did respect him. He sensed that his father did feel pride for the man he had become, and somehow knew that if he had married differently, his father could have been a very loving man. His mother had effectively killed that emotion for both of them. He felt nothing while speaking of his parents. His heart had long ago become numb to them.

  Elizabeth described her parents’ unhappy marriage, and how growing up witnessing such a poor union was what led her to the determination to only marry someone she could both respect and love with her entire being. Darcy considered telling her the story Mr. Bennet had confessed about his sister and how he came to marry Mrs. Bennet, but thought he should share that news himself. Instead, Darcy told her that growing up with his parents had set him so against marriages of convenience that he determined he would never marry at all. It was Georgiana’s ruin and the recent, seemingly true revelation that she was not a Darcy by birth that made him reconsider … and he said, meeting Elizabeth.

  They talked over Georgiana’s confession about Wickham, and Darcy was filled with guilt. He felt that it was his own inability to express love that drove her to this life-changing decision to accept Wickham’s advances. Elizabeth disagreed and told him what he already knew, that Wickham was a master at playing on girls’ hearts, and that Georgiana freely admitted she knew she was doing wrong at the time. Perhaps a more affectionate brother might have helped, but the love of a brother is not the same as the kiss of a lover. She punctuated her statement by taking his face in her hands and kissed him so tenderly his heart nearly burst with emotion. He admitted that at first he felt guilty for having fallen in love, he actually felt grateful that Georgiana had run away, because through her ruin he had found his Elizabeth. She waved that away. They would have met anyway, the timing would have been different, but he would have come to Netherfield to be with his friend, and they would have begun then.

  It was a conversation that reassured him, and gave him such a bright look into the future. He imagined sharing so many concerns with her, not only of the heart, but of the estate. He hoped that she would be interested in his affairs. It was an unusual view for a man, but he had been alone for so long, he wanted to share his life with her, at least so that they could talk out the problems and decisions he must face so that she could understand and contribute. He anticipated bringing her home so very much. During the conversation he found that he had wrapped Elizabeth tightly in his embrace, and was afraid to let her go. He felt almost desperate for her expressions of love, and clung to every squeeze, smile, laugh, and touch. Her kisses made him feel alive, and he realized that only she could have coaxed him to show his feelings.

  Darcy’s musings were interrupted by the arrival of a note on a salver. “Sir, your messenger brought you this, but did not wish to dirty the carpets with his attire.” Darcy nodded and picked up the awaited envelope. He looked up and noticed the eyes of the room were upon him. He turned back to the window and broke the seal of the carefully folded sheet, feeling a small lump inside. He held it out of everyone’s view and slowly opened it, finding the new yellow ribbon. He could not hold back the brilliant smile that lit his face. He slipped the ribbon in his pocket then read the note.

  Dearest,

  I received with surprise and delight your words of love, and I return them to you with this fresh token to hold until I may take my proper place with my hand in yours, where I hope to always reside. I eagerly await my lesson tomorrow, not simply because I will be with you, but because it is something that you love, and I wish to share everything with you. Now, if you could simply speak to the horse about cooperating with its inept rider, I would dearly appreciate it.

  Yours always,

  Elizabeth

  Darcy laughed out loud and grinned. Then realizing where he was, quickly folded the note and placed it inside of his coat next to her precious handkerchief, and relaxed. He turned back, not seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of the room’s occupants and took his seat, ready to bear Caroline’s attentions again.

  LORD MATLOCK’S carriage rolled into Rosings early on Tuesday morning. They stayed at their London home overnight, so everyone was refreshed and ready for the short trip to Kent to take on Lady Catherine. On the long journey from Derbyshire, they discussed their options, including stopping at Netherfield to consult with Darcy. Together the family decided to spare him this trial, and Richard spent the time as they approached London describing his search for Georgiana in detail. His parents listened in fascination, as mile
by mile marked the ever growing ruin of their niece.

  The party was announced and Lady Catherine stood to welcome them. “Henry, Elaine, Fitzwilliam! This is a great surprise; I thought you were in Matlock.” Her sharp gaze moved between each of them. The last thing she wanted was for her brother to be present, not when suitors for Georgiana’s hand were arriving. “I would have expected a letter announcing your plans; I have several guests coming this afternoon to stay. I am afraid that I am ill-prepared to host any others.”

  Lord Matlock sat down as did his wife and son. Lady Catherine paused, and then resumed her chair. “Rosings has, I believe, twenty bedchambers. I sincerely doubt that we would be forced to sleep in the dining room.”

  Lady Catherine cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I will ask my housekeeper to prepare your rooms …”

  “Catherine, it has come to our attention that you have been casting about for a husband, not for your daughter as we would expect, but for Georgiana. What have you to say about this? I sincerely hope that it is not true, as I specifically told you not to interfere.” He met her glare with one just as imperious.

  “You told me not to approach Darcy, and I have not.” She lifted her chin and sniffed.

  Lady Matlock had held her tongue long enough. “Catherine, stop this ridiculous dancing! How dare you impose yourself on the Darcys in this way? Even if Georgiana was of age or at least presented, Darcy would never go about searching for a husband in such a cold manner. He knows better than anyone the mistake of marrying devoid of feeling, and he is seeking to correct that in his own life. He will not take kindly to your behaviour!”

  Her head snapped around to her sister. “Does he know?”

  She regarded Lady Catherine with disgust. “No, we have sought to spare him this trial. He has enough. But, I assure you, he will know.” She laughed derisively. “So you admit to your scheme? Are you so afraid of losing Rosings? Do you truly believe that marrying off Georgiana would change Darcy’s attitude to marrying Anne?”