Remembrance of the Past

by Lory Lilian

  He finally slept at dawn; when he awoke, Elizabeth was gone. His man informed him that the mistress left word she would be downstairs.

  Darcy finally found her, but she begged him to wait for her in the breakfast room as she was occupied with making proper arrangements for their guests’ journey to London. She promised she would join him for coffee in five minutes, and Darcy had no choice but to obey. He spent more than half an hour alone, reading newspapers and wondering whether he should buy Elizabeth a new watch as her old one did not accurately measure how long a minute was.

  “Good morning, Darcy.” He was greeted by a cheerful Cassandra.

  “Look who is here so early in the morning! I cannot believe my eyes,” he said, and was rather shocked when Cassandra placed a quick kiss on his cheek as she had not done since they were children.

  “All right, that demands an explanation,” he said soundly as she poured herself a large cup of coffee.

  “I, too, would like an explanation about why you kissed my husband, Lady Cassandra.” Elizabeth sat by Darcy, smiling, waiting for an answer. “I dare say you are feeling much better today. I imagine you slept quite well.”

  Cassandra replied in a lower voice, ignoring Darcy, “Your guess is only half correct, Elizabeth. Indeed, I feel better than I have felt in many years, but I did not sleep at all the entire night—and neither did David.” Darcy promptly spilled his coffee on his coat.

  He looked at them in disbelief, waiting for some sign of remorse from his friend or embarrassment from his wife. He saw none.

  “I cannot deny that I am happy you reached an understanding with David, Cassandra; however I also cannot refrain from telling you that you are shameless to make such a public confession,” he scolded her.

  Cassandra smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Mr. Darcy; I learned that from your wife.”

  A lost Darcy witnessed Elizabeth and Cassandra laughing together. Elizabeth leaned over to him and covered his hand with hers.

  “Forgive us, my love. It is a joke between Cassandra and me. I shall explain it to you later.”

  “By all means, my dear wife, do explain it to me. But a little later, as now I am going to have a word with David—if he is awake.” He rose from his seat, but Cassandra stopped him with a mischievous smile.

  “He is very much awake, but there is no need for you to go anywhere; he will be here soon.”

  “You are shameless, you know that,” Darcy repeated to his friend, shaking his head in reprobation. Then his countenance softened, and a caring smile appeared on his lips. “I am pleased to see you happy, Cassandra.”

  “Thank you, Darcy. I shall always be indebted to you—

  “Oh, stop speaking nonsense; we have serious things to discuss,” he interrupted her, while Elizabeth considered that neither Darcy nor Cassandra was comfortable receiving gratitude.

  “So true, Darcy. We have many things to discuss,” said the colonel, striding into the room.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Darcy, Lady Cassandra,” he said politely, but Cassandra laughed.

  “No need to be polite. I already told them what happened,” Cassandra confessed. “I hope you do not mind.”

  “Mind? No indeed, I am quite pleased.”

  “I am not pleased at all, David as somebody could hear her,” said Darcy. “For heaven’s sake, there are a thousand people in this house, not to mention the servants. We must be guarded. You would not want to ruin your reputation forever, would you?”

  “I am sorry, Darcy. You are correct as usual. It is your home, and I have no right to disrespect your rules. I promise I will be more cautious from now on,” Cassandra apologised, as did David, but Elizabeth began to laugh.

  Neither Cassandra nor the colonel managed to discover why she was laughing. Darcy did not need to ask; he was only grateful that his wife chose not to betray his own occasional disregard for the rules.

  “David, we must discuss your plans; considering the situation, I hope you will not long delay your wedding. I know I am not Cassandra’s guardian; still I dare say I am responsible for her and—

  “Of course you are responsible for me, my dear elder brother,” Cassandra replied. “And I would be more than grateful to you if you would take care of everything. I already told David he was to ask you for my hand, you know. Elizabeth, shall we go upstairs now? I want to talk to you privately.”

  “Gladly,” Elizabeth said, and as she rose from her seat, she leaned and unexpectedly placed a soft kiss on Darcy’s lips. He had no time to react—even less to scold her—as two servants and Colonel Thomason entered the room at that moment.

  Darcy spent the next few minutes slightly embarrassed, wondering whether the others had noticed his wife’s impulsive gesture; however, he could not deny that the taste of her lips was indeed delicious. He checked the clock to see how many hours remained until he could be alone with her again.

  ***

  Such a joyful Christmas Eve had not been seen at Pemberley for years, Darcy thought. He was deeply, completely happy—happier than he would have dared to dream a year earlier. There he was, surrounded by his dearest relatives and friends and wondering how a family dinner could be so perfect. He smiled at himself as he realised how pleased he was to have Elizabeth’s family there, though his tranquillity was somewhat disturbed. And there were David and Cassandra; his beloved Georgiana, more lively and cheerful than he could remember; his old friend Bingley, completely charmed by his wife; and his dearest Elizabeth, glowing with happiness as she hosted their small party and frequently turned her sparkling eyes toward him.

  The dinner ended, and Darcy invited the gentlemen to his library for a short drink, as they were all desirous to be reunited with the ladies as soon as possible. While they enjoyed their wine, their conversation was interrupted by Darcy’s servant, entering with an express for Mr. Bingley.

  “For me? Who would send me an express?” he wondered and broke the seal so hastily that he tore the paper.

  A moment later, his face paled as his mouth opened in shock. The others put down their glasses and moved toward him as he was in evident need of support.

  Finally, Bingley lifted his eyes to Darcy and then to David, and managed to articulate: “Caroline has left for the Continent. She married Markham a month ago.”

  Chapter 26

  August—one year later.

  The marriage between Lady Cassandra and David Fitzwilliam was not a discreet event in Town. The genuine happiness of the colonel’s family, together with the rumours and wonderings of those who had never considered such an alliance before made it the talk of the ton for the entire season.

  The wedding took place at the end of February at the Fitzwilliam residence, and though both the bride and groom expressed their request to have only the family invited, guests filled the large ballroom.

  The only comfort of the newlyweds was that they shared the ton’s curiosity with the Darcys. There were many who had been convinced for years that young Darcy would eventually marry Lady Cassandra; hence, the unexpected turn of events was difficult for them to understand. Mrs. Darcy was therefore carefully scrutinised and severely judged with respect to her looks, manners, behaviour and disposition; Elizabeth was declared pleasant enough, pretty enough, with a lively disposition and—most of all—exceedingly fortunate in securing Mr. Darcy for a husband. By what arts and allurements she managed to catch Mr. Darcy remained a mystery, still unsolved by summer when the couple returned to Pemberley.

  The Bingleys found an estate only 30 miles from Pemberley, and Mr. Bingley offered it to his beloved wife precisely at the time she announced to him another more precious gift: the news that he would have an heir.

  The only reason for distress tormenting Charles Bingley was the lack of news from his sister Caroline. Except for the brief note announcing her marriage to Markham, no word arrived for months.

  As happened with their engagement, the Darcys shared the blessed secret of expecting a son or daughter a month later than the Bingleys, as they
preferred to share the bliss of their future parenthood between themselves.

  Mrs. Bennet’s nerves barely survived such happy news; she expressed her desire to visit her daughters instantly, but Mr. Bennet disagreed with great determination. He insisted the weather was entirely too hot for such a long journey, and he forced his wife to delay the trip until some unfixed date in the future.

  Instead, at Miss Darcy’s invitation, Kitty and Mary were allowed to spend the summer at Pemberley. Understandably, Miss Darcy, being surrounded only by newlyweds she did not wish to disturb, could benefit from the company of two sisters-in-law of the same age, and Kitty and Mary could certainly benefit even more from Miss Georgiana’s friendship.

  In such a pleasant way June and July passed until, unexpectedly, Mrs. Bingley’s state became a source of worry for her husband. Her health seemed much worse than did Elizabeth’s though Jane was only a month nearer to her confinement.

  While Elizabeth changed few of her habits, Jane was rarely able to leave her bed. A doctor was fetched from London and, upon thorough examination, declared Mrs. Bingley’s pregnancy to be a reason for concern.

  When Jane’s state did not improve, Bingley decided they would go to London so Jane could be under the doctor’s constant care. Even more, he hired a nurse to be with her day and night.

  Of course, the Darcys could not stay away, so they returned to their town house only two days after the Bingleys. A week later, Cassandra and David followed them, so that only Georgiana and the two Miss Bennets remained at Pemberley to enjoy each other’s company as nobody informed them about the gravity of Jane’s state.

  Bingley’s despair was heartrending for his friends; day by day, his distress grew and was more difficult to handle. He had reached the point where he declared he cared for nothing but his wife’s health. After many glasses of brandy, and tearful with worry and helpless torment, he swore to Darcy and the doctor that his wife would never be put in a similar situation because surely he would never touch her again and put her at such a risk.

  The doctor, a proficient physician who had treated the Darcys for more than 30 years, patted Bingley’s arm, assuring him he had seen many other ladies bear a difficult pregnancy with the first child, only to have easy, uneventful births later. Then, while having a glass of brandy himself, the doctor concluded it would be a pity for a man who was so much in love with his wife never to touch her again. To the shock of Darcy—who was assisting silently in the conversation—the doctor suggested to Bingley that he could offer him some medical advice about how to “delay” a new pregnancy, until the moment he and his wife would wish to have another child.

  ***

  “Darcy, be so kind as to pour me a glass of wine,” said David to his host, and Darcy hurried to fulfil his request.

  “I have just come from the Bingleys, and I have to say I am very impressed. Bingley has been brave indeed—I grant him that. To have his son born a month earlier than expected after such a long labour when everyone feared the child would not survive—I would never imagine both Bingleys being so strong! I say, Mrs. Bingley has gained my deepest admiration. I saw her today, only a week after those horrible days and nights, smiling so serenely as if she had the most peaceful time of her life.”

  “Yes, she is remarkable indeed.”

  Darcy sipped some of his wine and then continued regretfully. “I still cannot forgive myself for how grossly I misjudged Jane last year. When I think that I could have ruined her happiness forever—and Bingley’s—and mine too as Elizabeth never would have forgiven me.”

  “Now, Darcy, do not ruin my disposition. I am in such a good mood since Charles asked me to be the child’s godfather!”

  “Yes, I noticed that. I think it was a wise decision of Bingley. I cannot see a better godfather than you.”

  “As for Mrs. Jane Bingley—she is so kind that I am sure she forgave you a long time ago, so perhaps it is about time to forgive yourself, too.”

  “I truly hope so.” He offered his guest another glass of wine.

  “Darcy, did you see poor Bingley’s face? He seemed lost in his own world as he looked at his son and his wife,” the colonel laughed.

  “Well, he has every reason to be proud and grateful to his wife. She gave him a strong, healthy boy. What more could a man wish for?”

  Suddenly understanding the effect of his words, Darcy stopped and looked at David with regret. He tried to apologise, but David would not allow it.

  “Do not worry for me, Darcy; I am perfectly happy as I am now—just Cassandra and me and hopefully a few godsons from both you and Bingley. Now, speaking of that Bingley boy—he will be a very spoilt child. Mark my words! Thank heaven your child will be born soon so the Bennet family attention will be split in two.”

  “Not quite so soon.” Elizabeth still has two months until…you know.”

  “I know that—two more months. Just long enough for Mrs. Bennet to change her residence from the Bingleys, where she stays now, to your home, to be as close to your wife as she has been to her eldest daughter.”

  “Heaven forbid, David! Mr. Bennet indicated they will leave town in a month, not a single day later.”

  “Your father-in-law is a wise man.”

  “Well, he does his best, considering the circumstances. I know he has been of great support to poor Bingley all these weeks as Bingley’s family seemed indifferent to his problems.”

  “By the way, do you have any news of Bingley’s sisters?”

  “Well, the Hursts are still at Brighton, and they sent a note that they will return next month. As for the present Lady Markham, not a single word.”

  “Damn, that stupid woman continues to torment poor Bingley with her silence. What is she thinking? Where the devil is Caroline, and how is it she has only written him twice in as many months?”

  “Something is not right, David. Something has been wrong since the day Mark­ham decided to marry her. And this long, strange silence! Bingley visited the elder Markham, and not even he is aware of Caroline’s whereabouts. He said he had not seen her since they married.”

  “That is indeed strange—especially considering we met Markham in town a month ago! Did he not allow her to contact her family? I do believe him capable of such cruelty. I am quite certain he is completely out of his mind. Do you remember what he said when we last met him in July?”

  “That we finally are all a big family now, just as he always wanted? Of course I remember, but it was not only his words but his voice, the look in his eyes.”

  “Have you seen him since then? Did you get any news? I know you have hired some men to find his location.”

  “Nothing at all; he did not reside in any of their houses, and nobody—including his father—has seen him.”

  “Do you trust the earl to tell you the truth?”

  “I do. The elder Lord Markham did misbehave in the past, in more than one situation. He always supported his sons in everything they did, and he trusted them implicitly, but he is also known as a reasonable man and an honest business partner. I am certain he understood Bingley’s worry about his sister. If he knew something, he would have at least mentioned it.”

  “You are probably right. If we meet Markham again, we should force him to tell us where his wife is.”

  “I would rather not meet Markham anytime soon. I promised Elizabeth I would never allow him to provoke me again, and I intend to keep my promise; however, it would be very difficult were I to face that man. Elizabeth was distressed when I told her about our meeting, and I will do everything in my power not to upset her again during this time.”

  “I understand—you must be worried about your baby. You know, I might be selfish, but that is why I am somehow pleased that Cassandra will never. . . I do not think I could bear the worry, the fear that something might happen to her or to the child.”

  “David, are you out of your mind? Why are you telling me all this now, when you know perfectly well I hardly sleep a few hours a night? Is this your
way of offering me support and comfort?”

  “Blast! Please forgive me, my friend. I never thought that…I did not mean that…Damn, I am such an idiot!”

  Half an hour later, David still had not succeeded in redirecting Darcy’s attention to other subjects of conversation. Their discussion was rather dull and only served to make the time pass until the ladies’ return.

  An impromptu opening of the library door and a livid Bingley entering the room animated them—more than they would have wished.

  ***

  “Bingley? What happened?” Bingley emptied a glass of wine in one swallow and then indicated for David to fill his glass again. Darcy took the glass from his hand before David could comply.

  “Bingley, calm yourself and tell us what on earth is wrong with you? Did something happen to your wife or son? Elizabeth and Cassandra are there—

  Bingley interrupted him and barely managed to reply. “It is about Caroline—I got a note from her.”

  The other two gentlemen watched in silence as Bingley re-filled his own glass and started pacing the room while answering them.

  “My steward said the note arrived quite late last night, but he did not know who brought it; of course, I did not open it until you left—a couple of hours ago. How could I have known it was an important letter? It was from Caroline; I barely recognised her handwriting. She sent word they have been in town for six weeks, but she was not allowed to speak to me. She begged me to come to see her, and I went, but Markham—he is out of his mind—he refused to allow me to speak to her. He demanded that I tell him how I discovered their whereabouts. I tried to enter by force, but I could not. I need to enter, even if I have to defy Markham. I will call him out if need be. He cannot keep my sister imprisoned, even if she is his wife—can he? I must see her immediately. She begged me to come to her, but Markham would not let me,” Bingley repeated, moving desperately around the room, looking from Darcy to the colonel with a lost expression on his face.

  “Bingley, come and sit down. Let us speak rationally.” Darcy grabbed his arm and forced him to take a seat.