At Last: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Page 46
• • •
Mr. Bennet was surprised by the letter from his brother-in-law saying that Lizzy was to come home to Longbourn, but that Lydia was yet to stay, because Lydia was of great help in the nursery with Baby Arthur and the two girls. Mr. Bennet thought he was not sure that was a fair trade as they were to still have Edward and Benjamin under foot up in the Longbourn nursery with Simon, for Mr. Bennet knew how well, how little, his wife liked that prospect. But he rather liked having little ones underfoot. It gave him a sense of vigor and focus to hear those high-pitched voices. He wondered how he would feel when he held his first grandchild, who was to be born that coming Easter.
Lizzy came home, and on the very afternoon of her arrival a young man came and asked for her hand in marriage. He had often imagined such a scenario. He had been on the receiving end of such a request twice before, but Mr. Bennet had first imagined such a request coming for Elizabeth years ago, though it had yet occurred. He had never give up on the idea that a young man would come seeking her hand.
He was surprised it was Mr. Darcy. This was the man who had first not made much of an attempt to be liked by the neighbors, but his family's time in Scarborough, and their short time in Pemberley had certainly made the man grow in people's and his own estimation. He had been such a congenial host in the summer, though in the fall, Mr. Darcy had appeared to return to his original reticent manner.. The man certainly took a long time in his wooing.
However, Pemberley was a grand place. Bennet would appreciate visiting that library again, it was a place his son spoke of with fondness, and Mr. Darcy was a man he would like his son to know. Mr. Bennet readily agreed to Darcy's suit for he would have his oldest settled at last.
• • •
Georgiana felt as if the burden of George Wickham's death lay at her feet, but her brother assured her it lay squarely on Wickham's shoulders only. Wickham's actions were his own ,and the fact that he had manipulated and attempted to seduce her was in no way her fault. He had been a grown man twice her age; his experience alone gave him an advantage over her, let alone that his motivations had been malicious.
Darcy spent most of his betrothal period in London seeking to improve his sister's spirits, and searching for a new companion for her. In this, he had help from his aunt, the Countess, who could give him some of her attention since her son Radbourne and his wife, Lady Veronica, had reconciled and were living together once more.
Georgiana had been slow to congratulate him on his upcoming nuptials. She had often expressed a wish in the past for a sister, but the events of the Frost Fair, of Wickham's attempted seduction, followed by the brother and sister's tentative, but growing and closer relationship, made her cautious as to how Elizabeth would fit into her life. Darcy assured her he would not leave her side, and their closeness would not fade with his marriage, expressing a hope that she would find closeness with Elizabeth as well.
The Countess suggested a lady, a Mrs. Annesley—a woman well past forty—as a companion for Georgiana; her background was well-documented and pristine. She and Georgiana took a liking to each other immediately. Georgiana liked her especially because the lady had never been a governess. She had raised two daughters, seen them through a number of Seasons to the altar, and had been at loose ends, and was in want of something to do. She was, rather than an older sister-like companion, more of a motherly one, which appealed to Georgiana on many levels. As his wedding day to Elizabeth approached, Darcy felt easier leaving Georgiana in Mrs. Annesley's capable hands for a number of weeks.
He and Elizabeth needed to change their wedding trip plans, as Georgiana decided she would rather return to Pemberley, and have the freedom to ride, the freedom of the local lending library, and the comfort of the home she knew in Derbyshire, rather than stay at Darcy House in London as had been planned with its associated recent memories. So Darcy and Elizabeth changed their plans: the two of them would travel from Meryton to London for a fortnight together before traveling to Pemberley. A fortnight at Darcy House was perhaps not the wedding trip desired, but they juggled Georgiana's needs ahead of their own.
Georgiana had jealousy to work through; there had been jealousy and envy in her relationship with Lydia. She realized that she had unfounded suspicions that Wickham had preferred Lydia because of her form, and she realized her own sense of inadequacy, because she felt she did not yet have a womanly form. In reality, Wickham had not thought her beautiful; he had only thought her money beautiful.
Georgiana had often undervalued Lydia because of the disparity of their dowries, but she realized that there were more ways to measure a friend. Lydia had been loyal, confident, and composed, a good friend and companion the past year. Still, so often, enjoyment of this friend had spilled over into suspicions of a rivalry for Mr. Wickham. Georgiana realized she would need time to work though all of her experiences. She could best do this at Pemberley, her home.
Darcy at last saw his sister and her new companion safely off to their family estate with some semblance of her former self showing once again on her face, in her countenance, and in her dealings with others.
• • •
At last, she had found happiness. Elizabeth had known such highs and lows of emotion: happiness, heartbreak, despair, fear—that she had settled parts of herself, her very own nature, deep inside of her in order to not be subject to the depths of great emotion again.
She had become exactly what Lydia so often had accused her of. It had been her response to her own life's circumstances. Elizabeth had been grateful to her aunt and that help and support so many years ago. She also realized how indebted she was to her mother. What could have been the ruin of her, had not worked out that way. Her disgrace did not haunt her, her misstep had not wrenched her from her family, her natural-born child, had not been her disgrace, taken from her never to be seen again.
Her response, though, had been to withdraw, to be a dimmer, smaller, meeker version of the woman she had once been. When she had fallen in love so many years ago it had been sweet and thrilling, an adventure, an escape to have met and been courted by Henry Mandeville those many weeks. He was full of ideals, angry with Napoleon, angry with his grandfather, and Elizabeth was sure he would solve the world's problems, and succeed at whatever he tackled. It had been love and passion with Henry, an ideal romance to fit into his vision of the world, with nothing to intrude during their time together.
Her and Darcy's love was more than a summer romance, easy when that are no barriers besides parental permission. She hearkened back to the Meryton Assembly, an evening of conflict and misunderstanding, his disapproval and her pointed dislike. She thought of the love they shared which had survived a time of trials. Their time in Scarborough, where she had learned that the actions of a gentleman speak a lot about the man, both good and bad. Their time in Meryton—his discovery of her secret—his not running from her side at that knowledge. During their time at Pemberley, he strove to prove he had begun to change, though at the time Elizabeth had not wished to see it, perhaps Mr. Wolton-Fane's indecent proposal weighed on her more than she considered.
She had come to realize the value that they both had for each other in the fall, in London, but by then it was as if they had both burned their fingers on a hot poker once too often, and were afraid to act on their admiration. What would have happened without her impetuous rush to stave off Georgiana's elopement?
• • •
Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day that Mrs. Bennet saw her oldest daughter married. She had despaired of ever seeing this particular daughter come to the altar, especially during this last year. Mrs. Bennet had given over entirely believing that such a thing would be possible. And to have Elizabeth secure such a gentleman as Mr. Darcy of Pemberley had quite rendered her speechless. While she had once or twice suspected an admiration on Mr. Darcy's part, she had been convinced her daughter would forever mourn Edmund Goulding, and would be one of those detestable types of women who only love once. Lizzy would gr
ow old, put a cap on her head, and become opinionated and insufferable.
All-in-all Mrs. Bennet thought that she, herself, had not done so poorly in her own life. At one time she had thought she might be the wife of a Baronet, but William Mandeville had not asked her to marry him, and Bennet had proposed to her instead. Though she had despaired with the birth of five daughters, she had eventually obtained that golden child, that son, and at last it had all worked out.
• • •
Darcy had his bride at last. When he walked Mrs. Darcy out of the Longbourn Church after they had declared themselves to each other, he had to work hard to stave off his tears, and he thought of what a long journey it had been for a man who had sneered at the company of these very people who now welcomed him as he walked out of that church, so beset with emotion and love, admiration and delight, at the woman beside him. He knew he would cherish her forever.
Simon Bennet came running up to him, the pair of them then, joining in the throngs rejoicing over the couple. Simon burst into that sea of well-wishers, and Darcy thought the boy was going to give him a hug, and he was not unwelcoming of such a thing. But instead, that little master of Longbourn stopped an arm's length away and gave him a bow, a proper gentleman's bow and said;
"Congratulations!"
Darcy was not sure if someone had put him up to such a gesture, but Darcy was still very welcoming of it, he held out his hand, and they firmly shook hands and Darcy replied, "thank you!"
Simon replied, "You're welcome," and then that little boy was there, and leapt over to hug him around the waist. He said, "Lizzy has told me that I am to come to Pemberley to stay every summer!" And the boy leaned back in his arms to ask, "is that true?"
Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth, who face radiated with happiness, and then nodded at Simon and said, "yes."
"Can I invite Anna and Paulette ,for it would be more fun to have friends to play with?" asked Simon with his usual eagerness.
"Yes," replied Mr. Darcy who was anticipating with pleasure such a family scene at Pemberley.
"And Edward and Benjamin too? Baby Arthur is not quite ready to play yet, but he will be soon," continued Simon, who was the master of his own little world.
END
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