“Has something happened to one of your factories?” Elizabeth asked.
“There is a plot to attack it on Tuesday,” Darcy supplied.
Elizabeth nodded. “You are hoping it can be avoided.”
“May I speak with you privately, Elizabeth?” Darcy asked, and Elizabeth led him downstairs, likely to the parlour.
He was left alone with Jane, who smiled shyly at him. “I am sorry that you have to leave on such a worrisome errand,” she said. “Do you think they will do much damage?”
Bingley sat beside her and took her hands in his. “They have been very successful in their attacks. My uncle wants to prove a point and has requested the militia be present. I fear there could be violence.”
Jane gasped. “How terrible! I know they are breaking the law and must be punished, but I cannot help but feel sorry for them.”
“Indeed, I am of a like mind. I hope to avoid bloodshed.”
“There is nothing that will deter them from targeting your mill?”
“I do not think there will be anything that could satisfy the rioters. They have no personal grievances. Their complaint is that the factories take their jobs, but neither do they seek employment in them. They can break the machines, but we will rebuild them and continue on. I believe that is the best way to respond to such acts.”
“I would hate for my father’s tenants to feel the loss of a few pounds a year so extremely that they would risk imprisonment or death.”
Bingley sighed at the helpless state of things. “It is very different in the North near these large market towns. Conditions are harsher for everyone.”
She squeezed his hands. “I am sure you will be a conscientious landlord.”
He smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks. Jane perfectly understood that the easiest way to alleviate this concern was for landlords to lower rents. It would affect their own income, but he would never be able to live with his conscience if he lived in luxury while others feared for money to feed their children. “My dearest Jane, how I love your kind heart,” he said before a swift kiss. “I will return as quickly as I can. I do come with good news as well. Everything is arranged with the solicitor and nearly so with your father. I can think of nothing better than to have you as my bride and my Valentine.”
Jane blushed red at his reference. They would be wed on February thirteenth, and he had every intention of being the first man she saw upon waking on the fourteenth. He indulged in another, much less swift kiss before they went in search of Darcy and Elizabeth.
*****
Elizabeth led Will to the Gardiners’ sitting room. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she said, “I am coming with you.”
Will took a step towards her. “Elizabeth—”
She interrupted him. “No, I will not be parted from you.”
“That is impossible for a variety of reasons. Your uncle will never agree, and I would not blame him.”
“I believe the wife of Mr. Darcy is not beholden to the opinions of other men.”
“Yes, well, as I am sure you have gathered, the wedding must be delayed.” He frowned while speaking.
“Or moved ahead,” she said steadily while meeting his eyes. Anticipating his argument, she held up her hands to cease the words forming on his lips. “I do not require much rest on journeys. We shall travel swiftly. I suppose the moon is no help right now, but surely two days is sufficient.”
“I was hoping to talk with the local landowners. If they can be convinced to help alleviate the burden felt by their tenants, there would be no need for attacks. And the yeoman has to face high prices for goods as much as anyone.”
“So your solution would be to spend a week browbeating gentlemen and shopkeepers?” Elizabeth asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Do you have a better suggestion?”
Elizabeth sat and smoothed her skirts. “Do you even know them? Are you even acquainted with the owners at all? Do you know if they are even at their estates and not in London? Their stewards could not promise to do anything of that sort without approval. How can you work on shopkeepers? They have their own families to feed.”
She tugged Will’s hand, and he sat beside her. Seeing that Will looked unconvinced, she pressed her point again. “The trade components are more complicated than most are considering. The factory owners have to pay for the materials. Due to the war and the American embargo, we rely more on textiles made in England, but that will not be true forever. The shopkeepers buy their goods and must have a profit. Meanwhile, many of the other goods they used to sell are now unavailable due to the war. Our entire economy is built on ancient practices and is ready to collapse. Goods now travel around the world instead of remaining in a very local marketplace. Even the centuries-old trade of raw materials from America to England and goods to Africa has collapsed because of the Revolution and the abolition of the slave trade. There is something great for the future to be made out of this tangled mess, but we must live in harmony.”
Will listened quietly during her speech, so she continued. “Bingley or his uncle would know the principal landowners in the area, but it is possible they would defer to others who are even more influential. Your uncle is a powerful lord with an estate in West Riding and is the Lord Lieutenant. He must know many…” She trailed off. “You already know all of this, of course.”
“Yes, I have sent a note to my uncle and will meet with him soon. I do enjoy how passionate you become on subjects in which you are knowledgeable, though,” he said while lightly caressing her hand.
Resisting the pleasurable feeling, Elizabeth shook her head. “You will not distract me. You must see then that there is little for you to do. I know you will go. You cannot shirk your responsibilities and investments, but as you do not know the people on either side of the conflict, your uncle could put you to use just as well here in London for a few more days.”
Will ceased his movements and looked her directly in the eye. “It means a great deal to you that I do not leave without you and that we wed earlier than planned?”
Elizabeth ducked her head and whispered, “Yes.”
He pulled her into an embrace, and she fought back tears. “I would be happy to marry you any day of your choosing,” he murmured into her hair. “Although I would rather not be a means for you to avoid your feelings about your father or your mistreatment by Wickham.”
She sniffled, again willing the tears to hold back. “How would you know so much about it?”
“I have been disappointed in my father, and I have seen how long it took Georgiana to recover her spirits over Wickham.”
“She had thought she was in love with him, and I never did. I only hate that I did not see his true character and seemed so weak compared to him. It is so frustrating to be a woman. How many times have people attempted to take my power of choice away?”
“I know, love,” Will said while rubbing her back. “I will abide by your choice now if you are certain you truly desire to wed in a few days’ time and then go on this arduous journey with me.”
Elizabeth pulled back to meet his eyes. “I have already journeyed to London by my own choice to be with you. What are a few hundred miles more?”
He chuckled. “I wish I could assure you the roads are in good condition, but you will see things run differently in the North. It is not too far from Pemberley actually. We could return there when our errand is complete before returning for Bingley’s wedding—unless you would like to come earlier.”
She furrowed her brow. “Will Georgiana wish to go as well?”
“No, she hates Derbyshire in the winter. She may come if you desire it, though…” He trailed off.
She smiled. “No, I believe newlyweds ought to have privacy.” She blushed. “Rather, I had not wanted to make her feel unwelcome in her own home or abandoned.”
“Nonsense. She will stay with the Matlocks and have the company of my aunt, Anne, and Lady Belinda. I am certain Mrs. Gardiner and Jane would be welcome additions as we
ll.”
“Then I think it is a splendid idea!” She beamed.
Will looked around the room. “Speaking of privacy…” He captured her lips for several minutes until there was a noise in the hall.
Bingley and Jane appeared hand in hand. Bingley announced he was ready to leave, and Will agreed. When Elizabeth made her sister and the Gardiners acquainted with her decision, they could hardly contain their surprise. Mrs. Gardiner and Jane declared shopping was necessary and began making lists for the next few days. Before going to bed that night, Lady Matlock had also written to say she welcomed the opportunity to take the ladies to her modiste on Bond Street in the morning.
It occurred to Elizabeth that marriage to Will truly meant leaving behind the life of a daughter of a country squire who seldom came to London and who knew no one of the first circles. The wife of Mr. Darcy must be appropriately and fashionably attired. She knew she would never regret marriage to Will and upon the whole had such a cheerful opinion of the world that she thought London society would prove tolerable, but she did have a twinge of sadness as she considered leaving the simplicity of her old life behind—a life in which her father had featured heavily. His wit and sarcasm, so familiar to her, would now be exchanged for the more deceitful charm and ingratiating behaviour of many. There would be a part of her that would always be Lizzy Bennet, but perhaps her dissatisfaction with Longbourn during the last several months gave her the nudge to take on the yoke of Elizabeth Darcy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jane smiled at Elizabeth from her seat on the bed in the chamber they shared at the Gardiners’. Elizabeth sat before the mirror on the small dressing table, beaming.
“I am so happy for you, Lizzy,” Jane said. “Bingley and I hoped you and Darcy would work everything out. Now look at how happy you are!”
Elizabeth came to the bed and laughed. “I may be happier than even you!”
Jane shook her head. “We are both happy in our own ways.”
“Of course, dearest! I did not mean to offend.”
“No, you just tease like Papa.”
Elizabeth frowned and looked away. “I hope I am not too much like him,” she said quietly.
“You have always liked his wit and intelligence. What has caused this change?” Elizabeth said nothing and would not meet Jane’s eyes. Jane circled a flower on the bedspread and tried to sound nonchalant. “Has Papa replied to your letter about the wedding?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Uncle said they would not be coming. Papa does not want to bear the cost or Mama’s likely unrestrained shopping.”
Jane gasped and squeezed her sister’s hands. “You are not upset at not seeing him before your wedding? That our other family will not be coming?”
“I am upset over a great many things, but I did not expect them to come. I knew it was likely when I left Hertfordshire.”
“Does Papa disapprove of Darcy for some reason? I always knew you left home to meet with him—and not because you missed me, no matter how much you protested it when you arrived—but I had not thought it was without Papa’s blessing.”
Elizabeth let out an exasperated sigh. “Do you remember that my ankle was sore when I arrived?”
“Yes. It is strange that it took so long to heal from the sprain before Christmas. I thought it nearly mended by the time I left for London.”
“It was sprained again the day before I journeyed to London with the Hursts and Caroline.” Elizabeth recounted her visit to Mrs. Harrison and some salient points from Darcy’s letter. Next, she explained Wickham’s assault and what Jane understood to be the largest betrayal of all, their father’s role in Wickham’s plot and why she had fled Longbourn.
When Elizabeth had finished, Jane sat mutely, trying to acquit both Wickham and her father in her mind. She would have gladly gone through her whole life without believing there was so much evil in the whole world, let alone as she now knew resided in one gentleman who had once sat in her mother’s drawing room.
“And even now Papa is ignorant of Wickham’s true nature?” she asked Elizabeth.
“No, Uncle and Will have both written to Papa, but he has not…” A sob wracked her body, and Jane pulled her close. When she had calmed, Elizabeth finished in a whisper, “He has not written to me. He has not asked how I am doing. It is as though I am dead to him.”
“No, there must be some misunderstanding. Promise me you will give him a chance to explain himself when you return to Longbourn for my wedding.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, I will not promise that. I do not know that I will return either.”
Sensing Elizabeth refused to budge, she determined to ask more about Wickham. “Has Mama and our sisters, at the very least, been warned about Wickham? Or is he still welcomed at Longbourn?”
“No, the regiment has left already.” She was told of Wickham’s plot against Darcy and the Matlocks. “They can charge him with extortion and blackmail if he does not cooperate.”
Jane nodded. It seemed unjust that Wickham might be allowed to go free and potentially wreak havoc on others, but a trial would bring more pain than anything else. She was confident that the others considered how best to employ their powers to keep their families and the general public safe from Wickham in the future.
“I am glad you finally told me,” she said as she hugged Elizabeth once more. “How did you bear it all alone when it first happened?” Jane would never forgive herself for enjoying her engagement and time in London while her sister had been assaulted so and felt abandoned by their parents.
The sisters were so close that Elizabeth understood the thoughts in Jane’s mind. “Do not blame yourself,” Elizabeth scolded. “Caroline and Louisa were quite kind to me, and I asked for Mary to attend me. Each of them has qualities that I have not given them justice for, but I was not alone. It is not the same as you, but we will soon have to bear that in any case, for you will be at Netherfield and I will be at Pemberley.” She tried to smile, but Jane saw tears glisten in Elizabeth’s eyes.
A tear trickled down Jane’s cheek. “Our husbands are close friends, and Charles is still looking to purchase an estate. I know he favours the North.”
“Yes, we would see each other often then,” Elizabeth attempted another smile. “Here, let me brush out your hair,” Elizabeth said while blinking away tears and walking to the dressing table. It was a sisterly task they had performed for each other countless times in their lives.
“I am glad you think better of Caroline. I worried you were not looking forward to her being invited to join us for tea with Georgiana tomorrow.”
Elizabeth’s brushing slowed. “I think, after understanding her temperament a bit more, that I feel sympathy for her. I do not pretend to be her confidante or friend, but her treatment towards me in the last several weeks has made me believe she knows heartache. I am glad she is better than I first thought as well. I know you will have Mama and our other sisters nearby, but I did worry what marrying a man with such a dreadful sister would be like for you. I know you would bear it all with the greatest graciousness, but you have always been my sister to protect.”
Jane smiled. “Silly, I am the eldest. I should worry about you and our sisters.”
“And so you do. You cannot blame me for wanting to fret as well. Our sisters quite require the extra nerves.”
Jane laughed before sobering. “Do you truly worry about them, Lizzy? I had not thought before of the dangers that could befall them, but men like Wickham might be anywhere and everywhere.”
Elizabeth waited to answer until the sisters had swapped places so Jane could return the favour. “I think the danger lies more in our parents than in concerns with rakes and criminals. After talking more with Mary, I think what our sisters need most is for someone to value them and believe in them. I have failed them in that as much as our parents, who failed by allowing them to remain uneducated and silly. After we are both settled into married life, we could take turns exposing them to better society.”
>
Jane agreed, and the sisters soon went abed, but before falling asleep, Jane could only think about how brave Elizabeth was to face her recent trials with fortitude and not grow bitter. Despite what Elizabeth had said, Jane could not help but feel she had been a less than attentive sister. She vowed to make it up to her others, including her new ones. She would speak with Bingley about Caroline.
*****
Elizabeth looked in the large mirror in her aunt’s chambers, loaned to her for wedding preparations. Jane and Aunt Gardiner had both been needed elsewhere for a moment, and so Elizabeth was left alone with her thoughts, and she was not entirely glad for it. With the dried orange blossoms on her head like a crown and wearing the finest, if hastily made, day dress she ever owned, she knew she ought to feel like a bride. Something was missing, though.
She was never one to imagine her wedding day. Having the unwavering love of Will fulfilled her every hope. And yet she longed for more. She had spent too much of her life embarrassed by her family to realise until now just how important they were to her and how they made up who she was.
She shook her head. No. No grim thoughts on this day. They had the opportunity to come, and they had chosen otherwise. Or rather, her father had. Her mother would have wanted to visit London and crow about Elizabeth’s conquest and meeting peerage. Lydia and Kitty would frolic about, hoping for balls and shopping. Mary would beg to visit the bookstores. And on this day of preparations, they could all have been counted on to noisily help with arrangements. How very quiet her aunt and uncle’s house seemed. Still, she would not lament what she could not change.
“Are you ready, Lizzy?” Jane breathlessly entered the room.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I am.” She believed it with all of her heart.
The wedding itself was such a blur that she did not think she would recall it on the morrow, let alone years from now. She would not forget, however, the look of adoration and pride in Will’s eyes as she walked to him at the makeshift altar. Only when she heard a familiar shrill cry of triumph at the conclusion of the service did her mind register that her mother and sisters were present. Her eyes sought Jane’s, who silently communicated by glancing at Will that he had arranged matters. Turning to beam at him, he returned the smile. Then she cast her eyes about the room, looking for the missing face and not finding it. Returning her gaze to Will, he sadly shook his head. Her father had not come—would not come, even when her generous husband arranged everything for him. Georgiana launched into her arms.
Sufficient Encouragement: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (When Love Blooms Book 1) Page 27
