She let her gaze wander round the table. At the head was Mr Gardiner, and Mrs Gardiner was on his right. She had a great respect for both of them. They were a constant source of common sense and advice, and just to see them made her feel confident and secure. It did her good to see Mr Gardiner looking so relaxed. He was sitting well back in his chair, savouring the very last of the wine from the Longbourn cellar and cradling the glass in his hands. As an active man with a business to run he rarely had time to sit down to such a leisurely meal, but today he was able to take his time.
Next to him, Mrs Gardiner was helping Thomas, her youngest son, to cut up his meat.
John, her eldest son, was surreptitiously eating with his fingers. When his two sisters caught sight of him Hannah, the eldest, admonished him. Claire, the youngest, put his knife and fork into his hands and encouraged him to wield his cutlery.
Elizabeth’s gaze moved on to Mr and Mrs Philips. She felt her heart swell with gratitude as she saw their homely faces. They might not have the sense of the Gardiners but they were generous in their spirit and Elizabeth knew she was lucky to have them. They had offered a home to her and her sisters when needed and had sacrificed their own convenience by moving into Longbourn, until such time as Elizabeth and her sisters should have to leave.
Her gaze moved on to her sisters. Mary was concentrating on her meal, cutting up her meat with calm precision. Lydia, her spirits returning, was examining her face in the bowl of a highly polished spoon. Kitty was talking to Georgiana. Jane was deep in conversation with Mr Bingley, and next to them was Mr Darcy. Elizabeth’s face softened as she saw him. They had come on a long journey, separately and together. They were both changed since their first meeting in the drawing-room of Netherfield Park, and changed for the better. He had become so necessary to her that now she could not imagine her life without him.
After dinner, the rest of the afternoon was given over to the children. They were tired after their walk and their large meal and so they were less boisterous than usual, content to sit and listen to stories. When they went to bed, Jane played the pianoforte. Her sweet touch and soft notes provided the perfect end to the evening.
As the clock struck the hour, the Netherfield party departed. Jane and Elizabeth were granted a few moments alone in the hall with Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley, and took a fond farewell of them. At the moment of parting, Mr Darcy bent his head and brushed her mouth softly with his. It sent tingles down her spine and confirmed her in her belief she was the luckiest woman alive. He gave her a smile which made her blush, and then he put on his hat and coat and went out into the night.
Elizabeth watched him glow and then turned to her sister. Seeing Jane’s flushed face, she guessed that hers had not been the only kiss that night.
Together, she and Jane returned to the drawing-room where they sat down on the sofa.
‘And now we have another present for you,’ said Mrs Gardiner to Jane. Small gifts had been exchanged that morning, before church. Now Mrs Gardiner took a parcel out of her capacious work basket and handed it to Jane. ‘We could not give this to you earlier, for reasons you will soon appreciate. I am sure your sisters will not mind us giving you an extra gift this year.’
Jane opened the parcel and took out a new gown. It was made of white silk, and as she held it up before her, she almost wept. It was truly beautiful. She held it out in front of her, the better to see it. The beading round the hem caught the light and sparkled. The long sleeves had puffed tops, and the gathers beneath the bodice were embellished with another line of beading.
‘Oh, Aunt, Uncle, how can I ever thank you?’ she said.
‘You did not think we would let you go to your wedding without a new dress, now, did you?’ asked Mr Gardiner, touched by her sincere thanks.
‘It should be a good fit,’ said Mrs Gardiner. ‘My dressmaker still has your measurements, after making you a new gown last year, but if it needs any slight alterations I can make them for you.’
Jane hugged her aunt and uncle.
Elizabeth watched, smiling. She had known of the surprise and had been looking forward to seeing Jane receive her gift. Although she herself had given Jane a new gown, when Mr Darcy had provided her with new clothes for companioning his sister, it was not suitable for a wedding. The white silk, however, was lovely.
Much as she admired it, however, she did not feel it was quite as beautiful as the gown she had decided to wear to her own wedding. Mr and Mrs Gardiner had offered to provide her with something new, but she had a beautiful ball gown which she had never yet worn. It had been made for her when she had become Miss Darcy’s companion, and she thought it was one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. It was of an elegant cut and it suited her. It was made of fine satin which was iridescent and looked almost pearlescent against her skin.
Jane carefully put her new gown back in its box.
Elizabeth was filled with happiness and said, ‘Jane, you will be a beautiful bride.’
Jane’s wedding was now fast approaching. Since Elizabeth was to marry Mr Darcy at Pemberley shortly afterwards, the arrangements were much under discussion. At Netherfield Park, the options were examined. The Miss Bennets had to vacate Longbourn on the thirtieth of December, the day after Jane’s wedding. Someone must be available to oversee the move. To begin with, Mr Bingley suggested they begin their journey to Derbyshire on the thirty-first, but Mr Darcy did not like the idea of delay. He preferred the idea of leaving after Jane’s wedding breakfast. Both Jane and Mr Bingley were agreeable to this, but if everyone went to Derbyshire, then who would organise the move?
‘I will,’ said Mr Gardiner. ‘I cannot neglect my business for so long at this time of year and I am afraid I must decline your kind invitation to Pemberley. I will stay behind and make sure the move is completed successfully. I will keep the children with me. They are too young for the long journey north in any case. I will then return to London with the children.’
‘This means I can give you away – if you will allow me the honour?’ said Mr Philips to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth agreed to this happy thought. She knew that Mr Philips had felt somewhat left out because Mr Gardiner had originally been going to give both of his nieces away, but now each uncle could play this important part in the ceremony of each niece.
She thanked Mr Philips. Then she turned to Mr Gardiner.
‘We will miss you,’ she said. ‘You must come and visit us as soon as you can leave your business.’
‘All being well I should be able to leave it unattended at Easter, and I am already looking forward to seeing Pemberley. I have heard a lot about it, and I dare say I will hear more after your aunt’s visit.’
The details were then discussed: which servants would be needed to help with the move, which carriages should be used, how many carts must be hired and where everything would go once it reached Netherfield Park.
Mrs Gardiner was a great help in this. She and Mr Gardiner had moved house before, when his flourishing business had allowed them to buy a larger residence, and she undertook to draw up a plan for Mr Gardiner to follow. By the end of the evening, the new arrangements were agreed upon.
In a few days’ time, Elizabeth thought, she would leave Longbourn and start on a new chapter in her life.
As she felt Mr Darcy’s soulful gaze upon her, she felt it could not come soon enough.
There was now only one social engagement left before Jane’s wedding, and that was at Lucas Lodge. Elizabeth had been dreading it for some time. Ever since Charlotte had agreed to marry Mr Collins, Elizabeth had thought less of her, and this was not the only source of coolness between them. Elizabeth also disliked the way Charlotte had tried to encourage her to fix Mr Darcy’s attentions. The idea of trying to catch a wealthy husband was abhorrent to Elizabeth, but now that she was betrothed to Mr Darcy because she loved him, and because he loved her, she no longer feared Charlotte’s well-meaning but unwelcome interference. In her happiness she was generous, and prepared to
be on good terms once again with her erstwhile friend.
News of Elizabeth’s betrothal had already spread around Meryton. Such an interesting piece of gossip could not be contained. The dinner at Lucas Lodge, however, was the first time that Elizabeth and Mr Darcy had been seen together after the news of their betrothal had set Meryton alight, and they were the object of everyone’s attention as soon as they arrived. Elizabeth’s neighbours clustered round, congratulating her, and Mr Darcy was told, again and again, how lucky he was.
‘You are carrying away the brightest jewel in the country,’ said Sir William Lucas, with a stately bow. ‘Miss Elizabeth Bennet has adorned Meryton society for many years with her grace and charm, rendering it uncommonly elegant and desirable. Her wit and sagacity are admired wherever she goes. She is truly a very great gem.’
Mr Darcy’s mouth twitched at this ostentation, but he bowed and said, ‘I will endeavour to give her a setting worthy of her.’
‘By all accounts, Pemberley is worthy of even the most illustrious lady, and I am certain Miss Elizabeth will adorn it. The stately halls will frame her pastoral beauty, and the fountains will whisper her name.’
Elizabeth felt a bubble of mirth rising up inside her at his courtly speech and so, saying that they must not monopolise Sir William, she guided Mr Darcy away.
‘Oh, dear, I am sorry for that,’ said Elizabeth with a smile, once Sir William was out of hearing.
Mr Darcy smiled, too, but said, ‘There is no need to apologise. I happen to agree with Sir William on this occasion.’
‘Be careful how you praise me, or I will be in danger of my head swelling,’ said Elizabeth, laughing. ‘Or I would be, if I had not heard Sir William make the same remark to every newly-betrothed gentleman in the neighbourhood, including Mr Bingley and Mr Collins. Anyone listening to Sir William would think that Meryton has enough jewels to make a tiara!’
Mr Darcy laughed.
‘Your mention of Mr Collins makes me wonder that he is not here tonight,’ he said.
‘He is seeing the Archbishop but he will be returning to Longbourn tomorrow.’
Mr Darcy looked surprised.
‘I did not know he would be here so soon,’ he said.
‘It is his home, you know. We cannot keep him out. He needs to be here for his own wedding, of course, but my Aunt Philips has also invited him to Jane’s. As our relation, and, in a way, our landlord, we could not very well exclude him.’
‘Then let him come,’ said Mr Darcy. ‘I am only sorry for your sake that he will be staying at Longbourn.’
‘In a way, I am glad,’ said Elizabeth thoughtfully. ‘With Mr Collins in residence, it will not be so hard to leave. I do not think I would want to stay above a day if it meant listening to his comments, and indeed it would. There would be no getting away from him. I know, I have tried. Mr Collins is a man who likes the sound of his own voice. If he is determined to say something, then he says it, even if he has to follow his reluctant listener out of the room. He once followed me into the garden, and thence to the flower room, to tell me that he thinks the painting in the dining-room is ugly, but that it belongs to him nevertheless, and must not be removed from the house. He seemed to think I would smuggle it out of the door, concealed beneath my cloak, if he did not impress upon me his ownership of it.’
‘The man is a fool,’ said Mr Darcy, ‘but a fool you do not have to endure very much longer.’
The evening had been arranged with dancing before dinner. Mr Darcy was asked to open the ball with Charlotte Lucas. He bowed, said he would be delighted, and did his duty, whilst Elizabeth danced with Mr Purvis.
Gentlemen were outnumbered by ladies, and Mr Darcy behaved well, dancing every dance. Elizabeth danced most of the time, but just before supper she found herself sitting down at the side of the room, where she was joined by Charlotte. The two of them had not had a chance to speak for some time, but now it could not be avoided.
‘Thank you for coming, Elizabeth,’ said Charlotte.
‘Did you think I would not?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘I feared you might make some excuse,’ said Charlotte. ‘When you said you could not attend my wedding, I thought you did not want to see me at all.’
‘We will not be here for your wedding. We are travelling to Derbyshire as soon as Jane is married, a day before you marry,’ said Elizabeth.
Charlotte nodded.
‘Yes, I know. I am pleased you are marrying Mr Darcy, and so I make no complaint. Even so, things have not been the same between us since my betrothal was announced. I know it is hard for you to think of me living at Longbourn—’
And married to a fool like Mr Collins, thought Elizabeth, but she did not say it.
‘— but, perhaps, as you are to remove to Derbyshire, it will be easier for you to think of it now. I hope so, for I would be sorry to lose your friendship. Will you write to me?’
‘Yes, I will,’ said Elizabeth. In her own happiness, she was generous, and went on, ‘Jane has often remarked it will be easier to have you at Longbourn than a stranger.’
Charlotte’s face, which had been tense, relaxed.
‘Thank you for that,’ she said. ‘I hoped you would forgive me. For my part, I count myself fortunate to be the future mistress of Longbourn, not just because it is a fine estate, but because it holds happy memories of our friendship. I will endeavour to take care of it, and you must visit whenever you like.’
There was time for no more. Supper was announced and both ladies were claimed by their partners for the light repast. Soon after supper the carriages were called.
‘I was pleased to see you making your peace with Charlotte,’ said Jane to Elizabeth, as they waited for the carriage to be brought round.
‘I am pleased to have done it. In truth, I am so happy myself, I do not want to be on bad terms with anyone. Only think, Jane, the day after tomorrow you will be married, and not long afterwards, so will I.’
Jane’s eyes sparkled with happiness.
‘Then you will be able to call me Mrs Bingley.’
‘And you will be able to call me Mrs Darcy.’
The arrival of Mr Collins the following afternoon proved the only irritant to their happiness. On the day before Jane’s wedding, they did not want to be distracted by his clumsy compliments and his fatuous remarks. They quickly tired of him and retreated to their room, leaving Mr and Mrs Philips to bear the brunt of his stupidity, together with Mr and Mrs Gardiner. Mrs Philips was in a better mood than at their last meeting, and endured his company by the simple expedient of ignoring everything he said. She drowned him out by speaking over him about her two eldest nieces’ excellent marriages.
‘There has not been as much time as I would have liked to order new clothes for my nieces, but where love is concerned, Mr Collins, what do such trifles matter? Elizabeth and Jane will both be very wealthy women, and they will soon have the most magnificent clothes money can buy. After spending a month at Pemberley, they will be going to London, where they will patronise all the best shops and return with whole new wardrobes.’
‘The wardrobes at Longbourn are not as large as I would like,’ said Mr Collins, following his own train of thought. ‘My dear Charlotte tells me they are outmoded, and who am I to contradict the leader of fashion in Hertfordshire? I plan to buy new ones as soon as we take up residence.’
Mr Philips moved restlessly in his chair. Usually an even-tempered man, at last he could take no more.
‘Mr Collins, it is very good of you to spend so much time with us, but you must not neglect Miss Lucas. I recommend you go to Lucas Lodge at once, and do not hurry back on our account. I would advise you to stay there until the Lucases retire for the night,’ he said.
Mr Collins was much struck.
‘No, indeed I must not neglect my dear Charlotte,’ he said. ‘I would not do so for the world. Thank you for your kind interest in my affairs, Sir. I must away, and tell her she is the apple of my ocular organ. Ladies like such delicate flatt
ery.’
Elizabeth enjoyed this piece of foolishness when Mr Gardiner relayed it to her at dinner that night.
‘You have had a narrow escape,’ he said, turning to Jane. ‘Tomorrow, we will be able to rejoice in your wedding, and in your narrow escape from the gentleman your Aunt Philips persists in calling - not without reason - the neighbourhood donkey.’
Chapter Thirty-One
‘So here it is, at last,’ said Jane on the morning of her wedding. She was sitting at the breakfast table, nibbling the remains of a hot roll. She and Elizabeth were lingering in the breakfast parlour. The rest of the household had moved to the morning room, but Elizabeth and Jane wanted some time alone. ‘I am sure you will think me foolish, Lizzy, but there were times when I thought this was all a dream and I feared my wedding would never come to pass. It seemed too good to be true. My dear Charles is everything I ever hoped for in a man, but I thought I would never find it. He is affable and good natured, quick to approve and slow to scorn. His constant good spirits make me always cheerful, and his admiration makes my spirits soar.
‘And his love?’ asked Elizabeth, looking at her sister with affection over her cup of chocolate.
‘His love makes me feel that I am where I am meant to be, in his heart,’ said Jane. ‘I do not know what I have done to deserve this happiness.’
‘You have been the best sister in the world,’ said Elizabeth. ‘And you will be the best wife.’
A Companion For Miss Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 29
