I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton

by Fredrica Edward

  As the three started from the churchyard for the short walk to Longbourn, Elizabeth spoke: "On behalf of my sister, thank you for attending the wedding, Mr Darcy. Mr Bingley was adamant you would not come, but I knew you would not fail him."

  Oh, how she knows how to make me feel like a crumb, thought Darcy.

  He glanced at his sister, who was suppressing a smirk and would not meet his eye. "It was a pleasure, Miss Elizabeth," Darcy replied.

  "You may call me Miss Bennet now, Mr Darcy," she replied, referring to her accession to this title upon her sister's marriage.

  But I would prefer to call you Elizabeth, thought Darcy, or Sweetcakes…, or Petal… But, no, Darcy decided, Petals didn't wield sticks…

  "Is that all right, Brother?" asked Georgiana, interrupting his reverie.

  They had somehow reached the back garden of Longbourn.

  "Pardon?" Darcy replied.

  "Miss Elizabeth would like to introduce me to her other sisters…" repeated Georgiana.

  "Of course," he replied, and the two women who meant the most to him in the world hurried off and left him standing alone.

  He remained there contemplating his loneliness for several minutes, until he remembered Miss Elizabeth's admonition that he was haughty and unsociable. Consequently, he set about talking to the local populace with determination. He endured Sir William Lucas's toad-eating, Mrs Philip's vacuous nothings on fashion, and Mrs Long's gossip before finding himself beside Mr Gardiner. Darcy managed to have quite a painless and intelligent conversation about public education with this gentleman for an hour, before Mr Gardiner ran off to deal with a crying child. During his social torture, Darcy glanced around occasionally, trying to spot Miss Elizabeth, or even her companion, Dr Gregory; but he could see neither of them.

  After the initial shock of finding Mr Darcy in the church, Elizabeth had accepted his presence with equanimity and focused on the ceremony. She was so happy for her sister, who glowed with joy: happy that she had found a man worthy of her, who appeared devoted to her, who had braved the disapproval of his family to pursue her.

  She had been incredulous when Mr Bingley had finally admitted a week ago that his sisters and brother-in-law were unable to attend the ceremony. At that stage, she had already been aware that Mr Darcy would not attend. She knew not whether he withheld himself from rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi or if embarrassment of their own past dealings influenced his decision. If it was the latter she was regretful, for she would not wish their own sorry history to interfere with her sister's happiness or that of her husband.

  She was grateful that Mr Darcy had appeared in the end to support his friend; and in the quiet of the vestry, while she waited for her turn to witness the marriage; Elizabeth began to think how she might lessen his embarrassment.

  When Dr Gregory had cited his need to return to the Wells' home to check on the new mother and her babe, she had seen an opportunity to forward her project and waited patiently outside the church for Mr Darcy to emerge. The fact he took so long to do so made her think that he was avoiding the wedding breakfast for her sake. Again, they seemed to have very different ideas of what constituted a truce: for him, it seemed an avoidance of interactions; while for her, it was to normalize their interactions.

  After Mr Darcy emerged from the narthex with Georgiana, she had her second insight: she would work on him through his sister. So as they walked towards Longbourn, Elizabeth started to chat with Georgiana, who was of a similar age to her youngest sister. She was not sure that Georgiana and Lydia would have much in common, but Elizabeth determined to introduce Mr Darcy's sister to all three of her younger siblings.

  Mr Darcy seemed deep in his own thoughts as they walked along. The look of hauteur that had previously characterised him in Hertfordshire seemed to have softened, and he appeared mainly abstracted. He hardly acknowledged them when she drew Georgiana off.

  Elizabeth found Mary in the parlour, entertaining the guests on the pianoforte. Mary seemed unwilling to be disturbed in this occupation until, discovering Georgiana to be the sister of their benefactor, she proudly showed the superb instrument her brother had bestowed upon them. Kitty arrived in the parlour during the introduction, seeking refuge from their mother. Mrs Bennet wished her to attend the punch bowl, but Kitty thought the guests perfectly capable of handling a ladle themselves. She was, however, very happy to explain the provenance of their new piano to Georgiana and even led her outside to be introduced to Mr Bennet's goat.

  Georgiana was astonished but amused to hear of the trouble Argos had caused, which prompted Elizabeth to disclose his penchant for rabbits at Netherfield.

  "Well, I must tell you of another of the misdeeds of Argos," exclaimed Georgiana, eager to converse with her new friends. "My brother and Richard once had an argument, which resulted in raised voices, and Argos bit Richard for his temerity."

  "Oh, dear," said Miss Elizabeth, "I hope Richard was not injured!"

  "It was but a scratch. Luckily he was wearing his top-boots, but the dog put a hole clear through the leather. He had to throw them out." At least, she thought, the head groom thought them still wearable.

  "Did your brother also have to buy his cousin a new pair of boots?"

  "Yes, but the trouble did not finish there: Argos would not let Richard near Brother afterwards, and we had to bribe him with a knuckle bone to get past him."

  "Well," said Elizabeth, "it would seem the dog is aptly named, though I wonder that your brother tolerates his misdemeanours."

  "Oh, no, he appreciates that he is loyal. He says that he has a good heart and that trumps any minor infractions of his youth."

  This statement gave Elizabeth some more insight into Mr Darcy's character, and she saved it up, hoping she might be able to talk to her aunt before she returned to London.

  Two hours after they had arrived at the reception, Georgiana finally returned to Darcy's side, and he reminded her they should start for London in order to reach it before nightfall. Their carriage was called for, and they began to make their goodbyes to Bingley and Jane as they waited for it to be brought round.

  Darcy had almost gotten as far as the carriage door when Georgiana darted off saying she had forgotten something. Into the space she had vacated, Dr Gregory finally reappeared.

  "Forgive my earlier absence, Mr Darcy. I had hoped to catch up with you and introduce my wife before you go: Mrs Amanda Gregory."

  Darcy stood stock-still and turned, speechless, to the lady by Dr Gregory's side. She was a very plain woman, but well dressed. He bent over her hand and murmured, "Enchanted."

  Indeed, he was very pleased to meet Dr Gregory's wife! "Forgive me, Dr Gregory, I somehow managed to miss your nuptials."

  "We were married after you left Netherfield, sir. So that is not surprising."

  Mrs Gregory curtsied and backed away as if she was leaving the presence of royalty.

  "Indeed," said Mr Darcy, looking down at Dr Gregory's hands. "I used to think myself quite an acute observer, but I completely failed to notice your wedding band in the church this morning, despite the fact that I was sitting in the front row."

  "Ah," said Dr Gregory, "you can consider yourself acquitted. I was not wearing it this morning. I took it off to deliver Sophia Wells' baby, and in my hurry to get to the church, I neglected to put it back on."

  Darcy raised his eyebrows. "Well, it sounds like your attendance was a near-run thing."

  "You have no idea," laughed Dr Gregory. "I also had to change my cravat and can only be glad that my horse is such a plodder. I looped the reins over the front of the Tilbury while I was tying it and could only hope that I did a creditable enough job without a mirror. It's just as well my horse knows its way into Meryton!"

  Darcy gave a small laugh after which Dr Gregory nodded to excuse himself.

  Turning back towards the house, he saw Georgiana emerge, towing a laughing Miss Elizabeth. "Brother, tell Miss Elizabeth she must come to visit us in town!"

  "Georg
iana, I would love to visit you," exclaimed Elizabeth, "but I cannot! I have been to Kent and Derbyshire this year, and I am sure my father will disown me if I leave Hertfordshire in the next six months."

  "I am sure Miss Elizabeth will be very busy, Georgie," added Darcy; "but if she visits the Gardiners while we are in London, you could always call on her there."

  Elizabeth was a little shocked, but gratified, that Darcy would let his sister near Cheapside. "Indeed, you must call, Georgie," reiterated Elizabeth. "Now go! Your brother looks most impatient to be off!"

  With a quick hug for her new friend, Georgiana scooted into the carriage. Her brother lingered, unsure what to say, when Elizabeth suddenly started, saying:

  "Oh, goodness! I almost forgot!"

  She ran back into the house, returning several minutes later with a book, which he instantly recognised as the volume of poetry he had loaned her at Pemberley.

  "I meant to return it before I left Derbyshire," she explained, holding it out. "I had intended to use Jane as a courier when she visited your townhouse, but as you are here now, I can return it in person."

  He received it from her, transferring it to his other hand, so he could feel the warmth of her handprint. "Did you like any of the poems?" he asked, trying to spin out the moment.

  She blushed. "I must admit, I can only remember the one about daffodils." What prevarication! I remember your letter to your sister far better!

  He performed a deep bow and said, "Goodbye, Miss Elizabeth."

  The smile had drained from her face as she looked at him. She took a step back and gave a curtsy, "Au revoir, Mr Darcy."

  Then she turned and ran back to Mr Bingley and Jane, who had come to the front portico to wave.

  Darcy stepped into the carriage and rapped on the roof with his walking stick. He caught a last glimpse of Elizabeth before they were out the front gates.

  As Darcy drove away, he realised he been labouring under a grand delusion since talking to Miss Elizabeth at Pemberley. When she said she wished to do something with her life with Dr Gregory, he had assumed that her interest in the good doctor went beyond her work at the infirmary, but it would appear that he assumed too much.

  Darcy realised he had continually made the mistake of trying to understand her in terms of the marriageable women who surrounded him, the women who considered playing cards, being dressed fashionably, and going to balls a lifetime occupation. Not only was Miss Elizabeth not interested in these things, as she had told him directly at Pemberley, she was not even interested in getting married. How ironic that the woman who most appealed to him was unreachable and not, as he had previously believed, because her heart belonged to another; no, she did not even want to enter the game.

  At last he realised that if he wished to win her heart, he needed to understand her as a person, understand her hopes and dreams, and stop treating her like a beautiful doll. He needed to understand how to please a woman worthy of being pleased. But how?

  They had reached St Albans by the time Darcy shook himself from his ruminations and looked at his sister.

  "I hope you enjoyed your time at the wedding, Georgie."

  "Very much, Brother. Longbourn is much smaller than Pemberley but very lively. I've asked Miss Elizabeth and her sisters if I may correspond with them. I hope you approve."

  Chapter 45: Confidences

  When Lizzy retreated back inside the front hall of Longbourn, she encountered her Aunt Gardiner.

  "Lizzy, have you seen Mr Darcy?"

  "Yes, Aunt, he just departed."

  "Oh, dear, I wanted to talk to him before he left, mainly for the sake of politeness, and now I have missed him. Did you get a chance to speak with him?"

  "Yes, Aunt, I spoke with him briefly and spent a lot of time with his sister."

  "Oh, good, good, Lizzy, he was very kind to us at Pemberley. I wouldn't want him to think we were neglecting him."

  "I think his problem is usually the opposite, Aunt. Although without the presence of the Bingley sisters and Mr Collins, he may have felt sadly neglected."

  "Now, now, Lizzy, be nice. I've been wanting to talk with you since I arrived, but it has been such a terrible rush, and we must leave first thing tomorrow morning! Do you have time now?"

  They retreated to Lizzy and Jane's bedchamber.

  "Lizzy, I wrote to my aunt about Mr Darcy, and her account was very similar to that of Mrs Reynolds. He is thought to be a very good master, an excellent landlord to his tenants, and generous to the poor. He does not interfere with the female servants and ensures his guests don't either. Apparently the viscount has previously been banned from Pemberley for just such an infraction. After his drunken intrusion during our visit to Pemberley, Mr Darcy sent him packing to London in a post-chaise early on the morning of our picnic."

  "Well, Aunt, the small amount of information I have managed to glean from Mr Bingley and Georgiana was favourable. But do you think he could behave differently in London?"

  "Well, he wouldn't be alone in that. I, um…" Here her aunt looked a little embarrassed, "I asked your uncle to bring up the topics of Mr Darcy, mistresses, and brothels with Mr Bingley, if he could. Well, he managed to do so yesterday. As you can imagine, it was rather an obscure conversation. Your uncle got the impression that Mr Darcy doesn't spend a lot of time in brothels, but he has used them. He couldn't get any information on whether Mr Darcy might have previously had a mistress."

  Lizzy sighed and looked out the window.

  "You might also be interested to know that your uncle got the impression that Mr Bingley has also, occasionally, been to a brothel…"

  Lizzy flushed red and looked incredulous.

  "…but not with Mr Darcy. Apparently they frequent different establishments."

  Lizzy shook her head and wondered if Jane was aware of her new husband's indiscretions. It was hardly a topic she could broach with her sister now.

  "Many of the men with money tend to use them, Lizzy," said her aunt. "The ones who don't are the rarer species."

  "But, Aunt, I am not a… such a lady… and Mr Darcy insulted me by making such a proposal!"

  "That is true, but there is something else you should know; I considered telling you this during our earlier conversation, but I hesitated to do so."

  Mrs Gardiner grasped her niece's hands while Lizzy waited for her aunt to continue.

  "I received several such improper proposals before your uncle asked me to marry him."

  "You?" asked Lizzy, shocked.

  "Yes, Lizzy. I turned them all down, of course, but one gentleman was so persistent that my brothers had to threaten him with violence."

  "Oh, Aunt!"

  "Remember, however, that I was associated with the theatre, Lizzy, even though I didn't work on the stage. The men who pursued me were all Cits, not members of the Ton like Mr Darcy."

  "So, it was again a perceived difference in class?"

  "I don't think it's so much a question of class, Lizzy. I believe it's more about money. Men are willing to spend money to satisfy their needs, even quite a lot of money if a woman is particularly desirable. But they expect their wives to bring money to them. Important women have large dowries. Do you know the extent of the dowry of Mr Darcy's sister?"

  "Yes, I believe it is thirty thousand pounds." replied Lizzy.

  "There you go. Mr Darcy would expect his wife to bring a similar amount to his coffers."

  Well, Caroline Bingley is not so far from the mark with her twenty thousand pounds, thought Lizzy. No wonder she was so dismissive of me when I only have one thousand.

  "It would appear I have been living in my own little bubble, Aunt," said Lizzy.

  "I'm sure your world is a nicer one, Lizzy," said her aunt, giving her a hug. "But think, if Mr Darcy did convert his original offer to one of marriage, he must like you an awful lot."

  When they returned to the wedding reception downstairs, Mr and Mrs Bingley were making their final farewells before heading off to Netherfield. Jane looke
d rather nervous, and Lizzy could well understand why, after the rather intimidating prep talk given to her by their mother.

  When Mrs Bennet had walked into their bedchamber on the previous evening and declared her intention of 'having a little talk with Jane', Lizzy had stood up to leave; but Jane grabbed her hand and begged her sister to stay. Her mother was by no means happy about this. Given her timing, she obviously believed premature disclosure might frighten her daughters away from matrimony, but with the big day on the morrow, Jane was unlikely to cry off.

  After intimating Lizzy was so incomprehensible one wouldn't know which way she would jump, Mrs Bennet accepted the presence of her second eldest in the room.

  What followed was, without doubt, the most embarrassing conversation of Lizzy's life. Not only did what their mother have to say make little sense, it shed far too much light on her parent's own conjugal relations; and Lizzy's attempts to ask questions which might put things in a different light for Jane’s sake did not swerve her mother from her set speech. Lizzy knew well enough the mechanics of what occurred in the marriage bed from the farmyard, but her mother's portrayal of what constituted proper behaviour for a lady seemed unlikely to be of much satisfaction to either of the participants. By the time Mrs Bennet had finished, Jane was red to the tips of her ears.

  After Jane crawled, mortified, into the bed, and Lizzy snuffed the candle, there was a long silence. Lizzy sought desperately for something to say which would assuage her sister's trepidation, but was hampered by her own maidenly ignorance. Finally, she had a happier thought.

  "Jane," she whispered, "has Mr Bingley ever kissed you?"

  There was a short silence before her sister admitted, "Yes."

  "And what was that like?" asked Lizzy.

  "Oh, Lizzy. It was so wonderful, I thought I might faint from delight." This, thought Lizzy, coincided with her own experience with Mr Darcy. "Then, Jane…"

  "Yes?"

  "Just forget what Mamma said and do what feels right."