Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Posted on Tuesday, 4 April 2006
The travelers arrived later than their appointed time at the inn where Mr. Bennet's carriage was to meet them. Kitty and Lydia, who awaited them, hardly noticed the delay. They had whiled away the past hour making unnecessary purchases at the local shops and busily arranging a light meal for them all, the cost of which exceeded the contents of their joint purses. Luckily, Jane and Elizabeth had money enough, and as they sat down to eat, Lydia imparted the latest gossip. Of great interest was the news that the regiment would remove to Brighton in a fortnight and that there would be no Mrs. Wickham accompanying them.
"There is no danger of Wickham's marrying Mary King," Lydia told her sisters and Maria. "There's for you! She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool; gone to stay. Wickham is safe."
"And Mary King is safe!" Elizabeth countered. She did not have opportunity to elaborate before Maria took up the charge.
"Oh, Lydia, Kitty! Oh, and you too, Jane, for I did not breathe a word of it to you in London. If you could have heard the things Lady Catherine said about Mr. Wickham you would have been quite shocked!"
Maria told them all she remembered, calling on Elizabeth to confirm nearly every detail. Lydia exclaimed; all were appalled. Elizabeth was glad Jane had had the foresight to send the waiter away.
One of the girls, however, remained unconvinced, certain that there must have been some mistake. "Has not Lady Catherine had her information from Mr. Darcy? Perhaps she knows nothing of the matter herself."
"But it was she who inquired into Mr. Wickham's dealings. Did she not, Eliza? Lady Catherine had accounts from the people of Derbyshire where Mr. Wickham lived some years ago. She said specifically that Mr. Darcy tells her nothing of his business affairs."
"La! I never would have taken Wickham for such a bounder! I cannot wait to tell Mrs. Forster and Mama and Aunt Philips. Do you think he has run up debts, or ruined any ladies hereabouts? Ooh!" Lydia tittered. "I shall make Denny tell me all he knows!"
Kitty continued alone in her stalwart defense of the soldier. "Lizzy, surely you cannot accept that! You have always liked Wickham." She looked with hopeful eyes at her elder sister.
"I did like him," Elizabeth answered, "but I cannot dismiss what I have heard. I am afraid Mr. Wickham has not been truthful with us about his past."
"What of you, Jane? Do you not think that Lady Catherine must be mistaken in her opinion? Wickham is the most agreeable of all the officers. He cannot be so bad. I refuse to believe it."
Jane had been quiet, save for a small gasp of surprise at the charges laid at the door of Meryton's highly favoured redcoat. She had listened to Maria and Kitty with equal earnestness. Elizabeth knew her sister well and could see she wished to pacify both parties, impossible though it would prove. Jane's words showed Elizabeth that she was right. "Much as I would wish to agree with you, Kitty, I find I cannot. It is clear from what Maria says that Lady Catherine's words have merit. She could have no reason to fabricate and spread a tale about the son of her brother's steward. What could she gain by it?" Jane paused and fiddled with her sleeve. "I have always suspected there must be more to the history between Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy than what we knew. I could not believe Mr. Bingley's closest friend capable of treating someone so cruelly." She blushed and said no more about it.
Jane's mention of Mr. Bingley did not go unnoticed by her sisters. As the party spilled out of the inn and settled in the carriage, Lydia took up the subject of her eldest sister's marriage prospects with as much energy as she had the last topic of conversation, especially after Maria revealed that they had met Mr. Bingley in London. Lydia dominated the discussion, rattling on and putting forth questions without waiting for any replies.
"Will Mr. Bingley give another ball when he returns? I shall ask him again, just as I did in November," Lydia said as the carriage door was shut. "We were all out walking with Aunt Philips several days ago, Mama, Kitty, and Mary too, when my aunt thought she spotted Mr. Bingley down the street from the blacksmith's shop, riding in the direction of Longbourn. None of us believed her at the time. We were sure he must still be in London." She shifted in her seat. "Do you think Mr. Bingley truly called on Papa while we were out? What a good joke that would be, and just like Papa never to tell us!" She clapped her hands together. "A daughter married! Mama will be so relieved that you are not to be a spinster after all." She huffed. "I should not like to be almost three and twenty when I marry. It would be great fun if I secured a husband before any of you. Then I could chaperon you at all the balls!" She continued in like fashion, steering the discourse from balls and dancing to ball gowns and finery, and from there to a recent incident involving Chamberlayne dressed in a woman's clothes. "He fooled them all, Kitty, did he not? Even Denny and Pratt and Wickham." The mention of that escapade led inexorably back to the subject of Wickham's scandalous behaviour.
By the time the ladies reached Longbourn, Lydia appeared to have forgotten all about Jane and her Mr. Bingley. With Maria's able assistance, she energetically related all she had heard of Wickham to her parents and Mary, and to several of the Lucases, who had come to meet Maria and were then in the house. Kitty was wild to walk to Meryton and reassure herself that Wickham was everything worthy. Lydia wished to accompany her, but for different reasons. "Mama, do let us go! I am sure I can make Denny give us the particulars if Wickham will not."
The conversation excited Mr. Bennet's concern sufficiently for him to prevent the excursion with a single curt remark; Mrs. Bennet agreed completely and declared it best that they all remain where they were. "Your father is quite right. There will be time enough to see the officers later, Lydia. Besides, I do not wish any of my girls to chance being in company with a known rake."
Elizabeth listened to the others in gratitude and relief that the truth had emerged without her giving away any of Mr. Darcy's secrets or earning the distinction of 'bearer of ill tidings'. She did not wish to consider what Mr. Wickham might do were he the type of man, as Mr. Darcy's first letter implied, to seek revenge.
"Jane, how soon will he come?" Elizabeth whispered as they stood together and waved goodbye to the Lucases. She smiled at her sister's blush.
"Bingley will be here before dinner tomorrow."
Elizabeth did not inquire further but the question must have been in her eyes, for Jane answered it without hesitation. "Mr. Darcy is coming as well, but I do not know how long he intends to remain in Hertfordshire. That reminds me; I must warn Mama to expect guests. I wonder that she asked me nothing of Bingley. Her letters have been full of little else. It must be as Lydia said. Bingley must have called here while the others were with Aunt Philips, and Papa has kept it a secret from them all."
"Not to worry, my dear sister. As soon as the last Lucas is out of sight, Mama will recall her most beautiful child and her most pressing business, which is, as we know, to marry off her daughters so that she and Papa may have Longbourn to themselves once more. But perhaps she saw in your shining countenance all the proof she required and thus felt no need to trouble you for the particulars."
"Lizzy, do be serious!"
"I am serious," she laughed. Then more soberly she said, "You do look so happy, Jane."
"Does it show?"
"You are no longer the melancholy girl who left for London in January. It pleases me to see it."
Jane's smile brightened her whole face. "It is good to hear you laugh again. Will you revert to the teasing, playful Lizzy we all know once you and Mr. Darcy have come to an understanding? You were so quiet on the journey here."
Elizabeth was not in the mood to make light of her dilemma, and though she might have preferred to keep her struggles to herself, she knew it was useless to feign ignorance. "I had much to occupy my mind, Jane."
"I can imagine."
She supposed a sister on the verge of a formal engagement could very well imagine her thoughts. "It is all so strange."
"You shall grow accustomed to it soon, I think."
"How? How can you be certain?"
"You may not see it, but I do, and Bingley does. My aunt and uncle noticed as well. They did not know what to think of Mr. Darcy after all that my aunt had heard from Wickham at Christmas, although they were inclined to welcome any friend of Bingley's. I asked them to withhold judgment until they had the chance to meet him for themselves. They saw what I saw: a man who clearly cares for you; and you...you are different in his company, Lizzy, in a good way. Not so easy as you might like, but that will come in time. You are not unhappy, surely? You do not dislike him still?" Elizabeth shook her head in reply. "You and he got on uncommonly well today. Not a single argument or sour face, to my recollection."
Elizabeth laughed. "We did get on well. Mr. Darcy remarked on it himself."
"Come, girls!" Mrs. Bennet ushered her children inside. "Jane, you must tell me all about London and how my brother and sister do. Have you had any callers since last you wrote?"
Jane leaned towards Elizabeth. "I suppose the time has come to let my secret out."
"It appears so. You tell her, while I send Hill to fetch the smelling salts."
The sisters giggled and walked arm in arm through Longbourn's door.
"Oh! My dear, dear Jane, I knew how it would be. I was sure you could not be so beautiful for nothing!"
Mrs. Bennet's reaction to her eldest daughter's engagement was all that Elizabeth had expected. She watched as her mother simpered and smiled and eventually scurried off in the direction of the kitchen, no doubt to plan an elaborate menu for the following day's dinner.
Mr. Bennet called after his wife, "Remember, Mrs. Bennet, the engagement has not been sanctioned. The young man has yet to present himself." His voice and manner, not to mention his unrestrained smile at Jane, plainly showed how happy he was.
"Mr. Bennet," Elizabeth heard her mother reply, "have compassion on my nerves! 'Tis not as if you are going to refuse him. Five thousand a year---what pin-money you shall have, Jane! Cook! Cook, I must speak with you."
As Mrs. Bennet's voice grew fainter, Mr. Bennet sidled up to Elizabeth. "I am glad you are come back, Lizzy."
"I am glad to be home, Papa."
"You seem a little quiet. Did you not enjoy your time with the Gardiners?"
"Oh, most certainly! I always do."
"And the journey home?"
"Uneventful."
"Ah, then perhaps you regret having to relinquish the exalted company of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter."
She forced a laugh. "Yes, something very like that, I am certain."
Mr. Bennet seemed satisfied. "Well, well," he murmured as he walked to his library, "I am glad you are come back, all the same."
The evening, though as it passed it seemed long, was not long enough for Elizabeth to determine her feelings towards one of the gentlemen expected at Longbourn the next day, and she lay awake two whole hours endeavouring to make them out. She no longer disliked him; in fact, she believed she liked him very much. Whether those feelings might grow into something deeper was what she asked herself as she stared at the ceiling of her room. And if the answer was no, would respect and esteem be foundation enough for marital happiness? Would such offerings be deemed acceptable by a man who loved her so ardently?
She pulled out the letters and read each one again. As she tucked them inside Mr. Darcy's book for safekeeping, she resolved to leave her questions for the morrow. Mr. Darcy's presence so far had proven very helpful in bringing her true feelings to light. She could only hope that being with him again would help her know her own mind.
Late that night, Elizabeth dreamed of Mr. Darcy a second time. Instead of Mrs. Jenkinson's furnishings, the familiar objects of her own chamber surrounded them as they sat together, and no little boy made an appearance---Fitzwilliam was quite grown up. She awoke to these vaguely pleasant recollections and fell asleep again almost immediately, attempting with limited success to recapture the fleeting images before they faded away completely.
Posted on Thursday, 13 April 2006
Elizabeth stood with her eyes closed, willing herself to be calm. The first thing she saw when she opened them threatened to throw her emotions once again into disarray. There, on top of the pianoforte, was the music Mr. Darcy had given her. She had brought it down from her room after breakfast, intending to try one of the pieces before the gentlemen's visit, but there had been no time. Mrs. Bennet had kept all of her daughters occupied with various tasks until the moment Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arrived.
Kitty and Lydia had achieved their heart's desire of the previous day: both were allowed to walk into Meryton. Their mother had sent them out early to purchase some new ribbon for Jane's hair. Lydia came back bursting to tell her family that she had seen Wickham and cut him on the main road. "You would have been so proud of me, Mama. I turned away like this," she demonstrated to Mrs. Bennet, who stood with Elizabeth and Jane in the latter's room, "and I refused to acknowledge his greeting. But Kitty walked right up to him as we have always done before, and they talked and talked as if everything was the same, only she won't tell me what he said. Make her tell, Mama! Oh; Jane, here is the ribbon. I picked it out myself. Kitty was too busy talking to go into the shop with me. I hope Mr. Bingley will like it."
Neither her mother nor Lydia could persuade Kitty to reveal any part of her conversation with Wickham. Whatever the matter was, it weighed heavily on her, for she seemed at least as preoccupied as Elizabeth herself and had behaved with open hostility towards Mr. Darcy.
It had begun the moment she saw him approaching Longbourn. "Mr. Bingley is here, Mama! The man with him looks just like Mr. Darcy." Kitty jumped back from the window. "It is Mr. Darcy! I had hoped he would not show his face in Hertfordshire again. How dare he come here! I, for one, shall not welcome him."
"Kitty," he mother scolded, "you certainly will welcome him, though I must agree with you that nobody wants him here. We all must be civil, for Jane and Mr. Bingley's sake."
"But he is the cause of Wickham's difficulties! If only he had not withheld the living, Wickham would be so much better off."
Lizzy could hold her tongue no longer. "As would we, for in that case we never should have met him at all. Kitty, there are many things you do not know, such as the fact that several years ago Mr. Wickham resigned all claim to assistance in the church in exchange for a large sum of money from Mr. Darcy." She ignored the looks of surprise on her sisters' faces. "It is his mismanagement of that sum, not anything Mr. Darcy has done, which has resulted in Mr. Wickham's present poverty. Beware that you do not let him fool you any longer with his charming manners and smooth words. Whatever he said to you today, I would not assume it is the entire truth, or even that it is true at all."
"Who told you that?" Kitty demanded. "Was it Lady Catherine?"
"No." Elizabeth hoped to put an end to the conversation by her short answer.
"Lizzy," Lydia asked her, "Maria never said anything to us about Mr. Darcy giving Wickham money, other than the one thousand pounds in the old man's will. How do you know so much about it?"
Fortunately Elizabeth was spared the trouble of a reply, as the gentlemen had reached the house and at that instant were being escorted to the drawing room. The callers' happy timing did not put an end to her discomfort, however. She sat wondering how to demonstrate her preference for the company of Mr. Darcy while avoiding the raised eyebrows and questions such a preference would inspire. Her family, other than Jane, knew only of her pointed dislike. Behaviour on her part that suggested friendlier feelings would alert the suspicion of everyone present.
Mr. Darcy looked just as handsome as he had the previous day. Elizabeth curtsied to him and felt her knees wobble. She steadied herself just in time to see Kitty cut him with her eyes and step away. He noticed the gesture and looked questioningly at Elizabeth, but she could do no more than offer an apologetic shrug.
Mr. Bingley soon excused himself to consult with Mr. Bennet on "a personal matter", eliciting smiles from all the ladies. Mrs. Bennet, giddy with excitement, exerted herself to speak to Mr. Darcy more than she ever had before. Mr. Darcy rose to the challenge, haltingly at first. Elizabeth watched, dumbfounded, as two people who had so little in common exchanged several sentences with only minor evidence of silliness on one side and haughtiness on the other. Mr. Darcy looked serious as usual despite the improvement in his manners, but perhaps he could not in her mother's presence be what he was before her uncle and aunt. It was an uncomfortable, but not an improbable, conjecture.
After such a good beginning it was impossible that the visit should continue so; Lydia, clearly bored with the current topic of conversation, interrupted her mother mid-sentence. "Mr. Darcy, is it true that Wickham has been lying to us about the living in Derbyshire? Lizzy says he refused it and you gave him a great deal of money instead."
"Lydia!" Jane hissed, mortified. In a calmer voice, she said, "Mr. Darcy, I apologise."
Kitty glared at Mr. Darcy. "I doubt he can give us an answer that will satisfy."
"Kitty!" Elizabeth took her turn at checking one of her sisters. "Mr. Darcy, the fault is mine. Just before I departed Kent, Lady Catherine shared with some of us her opinion of Mr. Wickham. It seems she conducted an investigation of sorts into his habits when she visited Derbyshire about five years ago." She looked at him in silent sympathy for all he had endured since his father's death. "Miss Lucas, understandably concerned by your aunt's information, discussed the matter with her family and mine yesterday upon our return from town. Some of us," she glanced at Kitty, "are more reluctant than others to accept that we may have erred in our estimation of Mr. Wickham's character. The subject of the living arose just before you arrived, and I happened to mention that Mr. Wickham once refused a career in the church in favour of more immediate remuneration." She hoped he understood that this was the only part of his letter she had revealed and that his account of Miss Darcy's thwarted elopement remained a well-kept secret. "This...disclosure has inspired many questions among my sisters, as you can see."
Mr. Darcy's eyes had remained on her throughout her speech, and though he appeared anxious at first, she soon saw that determined look she knew so well. "Miss Elizabeth, thank you for that explanation. Mr. Wickham can be quite convincing, and I cannot blame anyone for having believed him. My own father doted on him and supported him generously for many years." He turned to face some of the other Bennet girls. "Had he lived, Miss Lydia, my father would have offered Mr. Wickham a valuable position in the church, and he recommended in his will that I do the same. However, Mr. Wickham decided against taking orders and expressed a desire to study the law instead. I gave him the money he requested to support him in that endeavour."
"How much?"
"Please, Lydia!" Elizabeth hung her head in embarrassment. She risked a glance at Mr. Darcy and caught the offended expression on his face just before it disappeared. 'He will want nothing to do with me now,' she thought. Sister to Lydia and Kitty! From such a connection she could not wonder that he should shrink. She absolutely started, therefore, when she heard him answer Lydia's indelicate question. Several voices had sounded then, one after the other, some overlapping.
"Three thousand pounds! That cannot be true!"
"Why, that is more than Longbourn's annual income."
"How generous of you, Mr. Darcy."
"I wish someone would give me three thousand pounds! I would know just what to do with it."
"A fool and his money are soon parted."
They all had stared at Mary in incredulous silence; all, that is, except Mr. Darcy, who quickly checked his bitter laugh. "How appropriate, Miss Mary. I cannot say who was the greater fool, Wickham or I. He neither completed his law studies nor lived prudently on the interest of his four thousand pounds; in that light, my money was thoroughly wasted. Yet I could have done no less than what my father asked of me. I would gladly do the same again, foolish as it would prove to be."
Mary apologised immediately thereafter, assuring Mr. Darcy that she meant no slight against him at all. Kitty, on the other hand, continued to glower, saying little to anyone, until Mr. Bingley returned with Mr. Bennet and declared himself to be the happiest of men. Mrs. Bennet suggested they remove to the garden while she saw to dinner preparations. "You arrived so early, Mr. Bingley. We have a bit of a wait before dinner is served. However, I am sure our cook can arrange something in the meanwhile."
The party eagerly consented, happy for a change of subject and scenery. Elizabeth lingered behind. At the last moment she took off in a different direction, stopping in front of the instrument, and now she was trying her best to recover from the disastrous conversation and wondering what excuse she might invent so she would not have to face Mr. Darcy at the dinner table.
She set before her some of the music and read the first few measures of a song, slowly picking out the melody. She played it again, tentatively, and again, more confidently.
The fourth time, Mr. Darcy surprised her by approaching the pianoforte and playing the same notes an octave lower.
"Oh!" Her hand flew to her bosom. So much for her hope of avoiding him. "I heard footsteps, but I thought it was my father." He only smiled. "You are making a sport of testing my fortitude." She was glad he had come, if only to provide her an opportunity to express regret for her sisters' unfortunate behaviour.
"I did not mean to alarm you, Miss Elizabeth."
Oh, his voice...its teasing lightness tempted her to dismiss every unpleasant thought from her head. Apologise, or avoid the painful subject altogether? The first, she decided, was the proper course. "The weather is lovely," she said to break the silence and give herself time to choose the right words. "I thought you would have gone out."
"Without you?"
"I must beg..." Elizabeth's half-formed apology, spoken at the same instant as his question, froze on her tongue. Their eyes met and she suspected her cheeks were overspread with the deepest blush.
She played a little more of the song to conceal her agitation. Mr. Darcy followed her as well as he could. In a few moments she felt recovered enough to speak again. "Have you ever tortured poor Miss Darcy in this way?" she asked him, and he grinned in response. "How am I to practice properly with your constant interference?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Consider this a test of your musical fortitude."
"Mr. Darcy!" She laughed and played faster, disregarding the written notes altogether. "Stop!" When he did no such thing, she challenged him, "We shall see which one of us is the true proficient!" She played bits of scales and familiar melodies and nonsense, moving quickly between them and altering her tempo until he was thoroughly confused.
"I declare you the proficient," he said at last. "My clumsy hands cannot compete with your skilled ones."
"Your hands are far from clumsy, Fitzwilliam." He had kept pace with her rather well until she began to play a song she and Jane had composed as children. His long, elegant fingers were anything but awkward; his right hand felt so solid and warm...it was the warmth that made her realise her hand partially covered his. She gasped as she recalled how familiarly she had addressed him.
"Oh, Mr. Darcy." She swallowed hard and closed her eyes in shame. "I have behaved no better than my younger sisters. Forgive me." Her whispered words filled the room.
"For what, Elizabeth?" He had caught hold of her wrist before she could pull away completely. "You cannot possibly believe I object to you calling me by my name." Though his smile was slight, his eyes sparkled. "However, I think we had better go out to the garden with the others."
Elizabeth nodded. Slowly she slid her hand through his until they were no longer touching. Mr. Darcy gestured to her to precede him out of the room, but her feet refused to move.
"Elizabeth, dearest, if I remain here with you, I am certain I shall do...something I ought not."
She forced her trembling lips into a smile. Still, her voice faltered. "If you are quite certain, I suppose I must believe you."
"Please do not tease me now. I should hate to do anything you might find objectionable."
"And I should equally hate to witness it." Mr. Bennet's voice startled the couple and they quickly separated.
"Father!" He had not the indulgent look of her dear 'Papa' as he stared at them from the doorway. How long had he been there?
"Mr. Bennet."
"Mr. Darcy, may I have a word?"
After a brief glance at Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy wordlessly followed Mr. Bennet out of the room.
Elizabeth paced back and forth in front of the pianoforte. She had been left alone no more than half an hour, likely less; twenty minutes?---surely more than ten!---long enough, at any rate, for the others to trickle in from the garden and congregate in the drawing room once more.
Mrs. Hill came to fetch Mr. Bennet, and Elizabeth cringed at the tone of her father's impatient reply. The housekeeper soon walked by in a huff. "I shall come with Papa, Hill," Elizabeth called after her. "He will not be much longer, I think." The servant nodded and disappeared down the hall.
A few minutes later the men returned and Mr. Darcy approached her. "Miss Elizabeth, will you grant me a private audience tomorrow morning?"
She looked at him and then at her father, who stood off to the side. Rarely had she been unable to read her father's face, but at that moment his expression gave away nothing.
"Certainly, Mr. Darcy."
"I thank you." He did not smile as she had hoped he would. "Shall we join the others?" This time he did not have to ask her twice.
When they entered the drawing room, Mrs. Bennet, with great civility, was begging Mr. Bingley to take some refreshment. "Do try one!" she said, indicating a particular dish. "I ordered it in honour of your engagement to dear Jane, after all." She looked up at the doorway and her lips stretched taut, her expression recalling to Elizabeth's mind the earlier tension in that room. "Oh," Mrs. Bennet said after a slight hesitation, "and Mr. Darcy, do sit down." She gestured towards a chair and immediately turned her attention again to Mr. Bingley.
"I appreciate your hospitality, madam." Elizabeth was surprised that Mr. Darcy's tone held no trace of sarcasm or resentment, though he must have noted the carelessness of her mother's invitation compared with her preferential treatment of his friend. "However, I find that I must see to an urgent matter of business and ought to take my leave very soon."
Elizabeth dropped her gaze to the floor. How wrong everything had gone, and how suddenly! First, Lydia and Kitty and even Mary had ruined a perfectly good visit with their improper remarks. Then, Elizabeth herself had behaved scandalously at the piano, and her father had only made it worse by calling Fitzwilliam to task for what had been her fault! Who knew what words had been exchanged behind the closed doors of her father's library? Now, her mother's preoccupation with Mr. Bingley had caused her to be almost dismissive of her other guest. Elizabeth could hardly blame Mr. Darcy for wanting to escape Longbourn as quickly as possible.
She only hoped he did not regret being compelled to pay his addresses to her sooner than he might have wished, if he still wished it at all. He, who had been his own master for so long!
What an inconvenient time for Mr. Bennet to take up the role of protector and defender of his children's honour. Had she been Lydia, flirting with some of the officers at Aunt Philips's house or at Lucas Lodge, her father would have been content to laugh at her, if he would have bothered to attend the gathering at all. He rarely went into society with them and therefore had not witnessed half of the folly and impropriety of some of his family. It simply was not fair.
As she wallowed in her misery, Mr. Bingley took steps to relieve her suffering. "Darcy, you cannot abandon us now! You must stay for dinner and you must taste this heavenly confection." He took a bite and groaned in pleasure. "Besides, today is a day of celebration. Surely your work can wait. Make an exception for me, old friend."
Mr. Darcy smiled for the first time since returning to the larger company. "I shall, Bingley, if you insist." He looked warily at Mr. Bennet, who, thankfully, offered no objection. "But I shall have my dessert after the main course, and not before."
"If there is any left! Mrs. Bennet, I must commend your cook."
Elizabeth knew Mr. Darcy dared not sit by her with her father watching them both. She wrung her hands together as he looked about the room and at last chose a seat near Kitty. Kitty! Now, there was trouble in the making.
Kitty rebuffed his first few attempts at conversation. They appeared at a standstill for several minutes, but soon the two of them were inexplicably talking, truly talking, conversing with such flow and intensity as to draw the notice of a few others. Elizabeth strained but could not make out a word of what was said between them. She never quite mustered the temerity to call out, "What is it you are talking of?" as Lady Catherine might have done in her place, no matter how sorely she was tempted.
When the time for dinner came, she took a turn about the room. As she passed the sofa where Mr. Darcy and Kitty sat, she heard a little of their dialogue.
"Why not?" Kitty was asking him. "If she had plenty of money and no objection to sharing it, why was it wrong?"
"There are several reasons I can name. Miss Catherine, shall we continue this conversation over dinner?"
Were they speaking of Miss King? At least Kitty was listening, though it seemed she still took Wickham's part.
Elizabeth followed them out, intending to sit near them and hear more, but her father intercepted her and placed her hand on his free arm. Had she not with great effort turned her thoughts from her own misfortune to Jane's utter happiness, she might have given way to tears right then. She walked solemnly to the table with her parents and resigned herself to a very different sort of dinner than she had envisioned that morning.
Posted on Friday, 21 April 2006
Elizabeth was awakened in the night not by dreams, but by voices outside her room. She heard Lydia shouting something and Kitty answering her. Determined to stop the argument before it disturbed anyone else, she crept across the hall and opened their bedroom door.
Lydia was busy donning a robe and slippers. Kitty was sitting up in bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. "I told you, stay away, Lydia," Kitty was saying. "Pay no heed to it."
They heard a tap at the window, or just below it.
"There it is again!" Lydia ignored her sister's warning. "Should we not send a servant to see what it is? Even better, I shall go down myself. It will be like an adventure!"
Another tap was heard; they all looked to the window and then away.
"I shall tell you both what I find." Lydia turned to the door.
"NO!" Kitty immediately covered her mouth. "Go back to bed," she insisted in a harsh whisper, "and keep the light away from the window or he will know I---"
"Who will know?" Elizabeth demanded.
Kitty disregarded Elizabeth's presence altogether. "Just pretend you heard nothing, Lydia."
"Lydia, sit down." Elizabeth pulled her by the hand to the nearest chair. "No one is going anywhere, at least not yet." Elizabeth sat at the foot of Kitty's bed. "Kitty, do you know who is out there?"
Flustered, Kitty would not meet her eyes. "I cannot say."
"What do you mean, you cannot say? It is well past midnight, surely, and someone is on our grounds throwing stones at your window! You cannot convince me it is a common burglar, since he means to rouse the household."
Elizabeth got up and peered into the hall. There was no one else to be seen. She closed the door and sat back down. Why would someone deliberately try to wake the two girls? Lydia appeared to know nothing about it, while Kitty did not seem surprised or curious at all, only anxious. Every possible explanation that occurred to Elizabeth's mind troubled her. "Kitty," she begged, "please tell me what you know."
Kitty only buried her face in her hands. Elizabeth had to strain to hear her next words. "Oh, go away! I don't want you anymore!" Kitty turned her back to the window. "If only he would go away!"
"You did not agree to meet someone at this hour, did you?" Elizabeth hoped her sister was not so careless of her own safety or reputation. She desperately hoped the person outside was not who she suspected he might be.
They heard yet another clink against the glass. Kitty's hands flew to her ears. Elizabeth grabbed the younger girl by the shoulders and shook her. "Tell me!" she hissed at her, refusing to be put off again. "Is that man out there waiting for you?" Her eyes widened as Kitty burst into wracking sobs.
Elizabeth's feelings vacillated between anger and compassion as she embraced her sister and attempted to calm her. Lydia, surprised by the intensity of the scene, simply stared in silence. The three sat in semi-darkness until Kitty was quiet again.
There were several more taps, followed by a loud, dull sound far below. The noise continued, but inside the house now; someone else had taken notice---her father, or one of the servants. Shuffling, heavy steps and muffled words echoed in the corridor.
Elizabeth saw that Kitty had nearly cried herself to sleep. Lydia extinguished the light and groped her way back to her own bed. Elizabeth covered Kitty in a blanket before leaning down to whisper in Lydia's ear, "I shall see if Papa can tell me anything. Stay with her."
Downstairs, all was in uproar. Elizabeth heard her father's voice above the din. "Jones! Prepare to deliver a message to Colonel Forster in ten minutes. If I must be dragged from my bed for this nonsense, so must he." And again, "You, there---take another with you and guard the door. Make certain the rascal is gone and does not come back." The servants bowed and scurried in various directions.
"Papa, what is the matter? Who was here?"
Mr. Bennet appeared to notice her presence for the first time. "I am sorry the commotion roused you." He looked up to the top of the stairs. "Go back to bed, Mary, Lizzy. All is well. Things will quiet down in a moment." Elizabeth glanced up in time to see Mary's long plait flapping against the back of her nightgown.
"I heard noises..."
She followed her father to his desk and watched as he pulled out pen and paper.
"Why do you not go back to bed?" He scribbled furiously. "These young men from the north are nothing but trouble. Oh, that they had never come to Hertfordshire! Jane's Mr. Bingley is the only tolerable one of the whole lot, and by far the most gentlemanly."
Elizabeth paled. "Who was outside, Papa? Why are you writing to Colonel Forster?"
He paused and looked up. "You heard quite a bit. It was not Mr. Darcy, if that's what concerns you!"
Her mouth dropped open. "I never thought it was."
"Did you not?" His stern, disapproving look pained her. "Ah, well, no need to worry, Lizzy. I am certain you are not involved in the business this time." His severe expression relaxed into one of bemusement. "Never before have I fancied myself under an attack of nerves---my own, not your mother's---and I sincerely hope it never happens again." He stared at her, and when she did not comment, he asked, "Do you not wish to hear why that is? What do you think has happened, Lizzy, to threaten to turn me into Mrs. Bennet?"
She did not understand how he could make flippant remarks at a time like this. "I hardly know."
"A young man in Forster's regiment knocks on my door at half past two in the morning, and when I open the door, do you know what he says? I am sad to report it is not, 'Mr. Bennet, I humbly beg your pardon for calling on you at this ungodly hour,' or anything remotely sensible. No, indeed! He whispers, 'Kitty, where have you been?' Before he sees my face, of course. Kitty! Hmph!" He hunched over his desk and again applied himself to his writing. "This is how he repays my hospitality; this is how he thanks me for his frequent teas and dinners at Longbourn! If that seducer thinks he can run off with one of my daughters, he is greatly mistaken."
"Run off?" To meet with the man at night, for whatever reason, was foolish enough, but surely Kitty had contemplated nothing worse; surely she had not been so completely lost to everything... "Who was at the door?" Elizabeth had no need to ask, but she desired confirmation all the same. She knew very well who it was. She simply could not make herself believe it or say the name aloud.
"Lizzy, have you not worked it out for yourself? Where is your wit tonight?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Asleep, I suppose, as it should be, considering the hour." Her father had misunderstood her entirely, but there was no help for it. "The man is Wickham, of course! Have you forgotten that he grew up in Derbyshire? He has mentioned it often enough." He looked her in the eye. "He used to be quite a favourite of yours, until you chose another. You seem to be partial to gentlemen from that county."
He completed and sealed the note. "Wickham was carrying a traveling bag. I would not be surprised if he had thought to steal away on one of my horses with Kitty and her pocket money in tow."
Mr. Bennet briefly left the library to dispatch the missive. Rather than return to his desk, he paced the room.
Elizabeth allowed her thoughts to wander while her eyes followed her father's movements. She recalled the day's events, contrasting her sister's earlier conduct with her words and manner in her room just minutes ago. "Papa, if what you suspect is true, we may have Mr. Darcy to thank that Kitty is safe. He must have talked her out of meeting Wickham."
"What?"
"Kitty spoke with Mr. Darcy at dinner, remember? She had been angry with him all morning, ever since she had returned from Meryton, where she had seen and talked with Wickham---that must have been when they arranged to meet---but she was kinder to Mr. Darcy by the end of the visit. Perhaps something he said changed her mind."
"I must speak to Kitty myself, though I do not relish the prospect. I imagine she has been awake for some time," he closed his eyes, "packing her belongings."
"She is doing no such thing, I assure you. I hope she is asleep by now. I left her room just before coming down here."
"Why?" He looked up and frowned. "Did you catch her trying to sneak out of the house?"
"No. She did not even leave her bed. She heard something at the window but absolutely refused to acknowledge it and refused to allow Lydia to do so. In fact, we both had to stop Lydia from coming down. She was quite eager to discover the source of the disturbance. She thought of it as an adventure, I believe."
"Oh, tell me no more, please! I shall not even entertain the notion of my youngest and silliest daughter coming face to face with a redcoat in the middle of the night! Else, I truly will have reason to complain of my poor nerves." He shook his head. "I am glad you succeeded in keeping Lydia upstairs. But perhaps Kitty was only waiting for you and Lydia to return to bed. Might she have intended to come down later, do you think?"
"No. I heard her say she wanted him to go away, though she never mentioned his name. She was very distraught. I know she and Mr. Darcy talked of Mr. Wickham, and I am certain he is somehow behind her decision not to go through with whatever she had planned."
Mr. Bennet was silent for a few minutes. Elizabeth, too excited to sleep, lingered in hopes of hearing further news.
"I have no wish to be indebted to Mr. Darcy," her father said at last. "My opinion of him is not very high at the moment."
"He is an honourable man, Papa." Mr. Bennet looked at her as though she spoke gibberish. "Please do not hold the events of yesterday against him. The fault was mine."
"You did not force him to call you Elizabeth or 'dearest', did you?"
She lowered her head. "He has treated me with nothing but respect."
"Lizzy," he replied through clenched teeth, "the man has treated you with improper familiarity in my presence and under my roof!" He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I have neither the time nor the energy to devote to this now. I must await Colonel Forster's reply. Go to bed, Elizabeth."
Posted on Sunday, 30 April 2006
The morning activity of the Bennet household, at first glance, revealed blessedly few traces of what had transpired during the night. In looking back to what they had endured only six hours ago, Elizabeth felt all the advantages of this quick return to normalcy.
Kitty's empty chair at breakfast was the most noticeable indication that anything was amiss; fortunately, Mrs. Bennet remarked on her tardiness only twice. The meal proceeded without incident until Mary asked Mr. Bennet whether the problem, whatever it was, had been solved and received a gruff, unintelligible response for her trouble.
Mrs. Bennet paused in her eating. "What problem, Mr. Bennet?"
"A slight disturbance behind the house. It has been taken care of."
Jane looked up. "I thought I heard someone walking the halls while it was still dark, but I was not sure."
Elizabeth looked at Jane and smiled. She was grateful for the way things had turned out. A rash act by one of their sisters would have thrown a shroud of scandal over Jane's engagement. "I am sorry," she told her sister, "that you were roused from such pleasant dreams as you must have had last night."
"Oh, yes!" Mrs. Bennet joined in. "Mistress of Netherfield! How well that sounds! Jane, we must call on my sister Philips today to tell her the good news."
"I did not hear a thing after I finally fell asleep again," said Lydia. "Lizzy, did you ever come back into my room? I am sure I did not notice. Kitty is bound to have a dreadful headache from all that crying. When she is better, I shall make her tell me who was throwing things at our window. Did you see who it was, Papa?"
Mr. Bennet tried and failed to contain the curiosity unleashed by Lydia's speech. He was in the midst of soothing his wife's nerves and assuring her Longbourn had by no means been under attack when Mrs. Hill came in.
"Mr. Darcy is here to see you, sir."
"Mr. Darcy here, without Mr. Bingley?" asked Mrs. Bennet. "And so early?"
Mr. Bennet stood and threw his napkin on the table. "Show him to the library."
"Yes, sir." The door closed on Mrs. Hill, and Mrs. Bennet turned back to her breakfast.
Mr. Bennet looked at Elizabeth for a moment before speaking. "Lizzy, when you have finished eating, fetch that new book from your room and bring it to the library, please."
"Yes, Papa." Elizabeth was glad her mouth was empty; else she might have choked on her food. Had her father discovered and read her letters? She lost what little appetite she had remaining and rushed upstairs to do as she was told.
She heard Jane running after her and slowed her steps.
"I am so sorry, Lizzy." Jane hurried Elizabeth into her room and shut the door. "It is my fault. After the gentlemen left yesterday and you went to your room, Papa inquired minutely into our last days in town, particularly concerning any interactions between you and Mr. Darcy. At some point in our conversation I told him that Mr. Darcy had carried a book home for you. Perhaps I should not have mentioned my uncle's conjecture that Mr. Darcy may have in fact loaned the book to you, or even purchased it for you. Of course, my aunt and I declared it unlikely, but my uncle seemed so certain."
"Oh, no."
"I believe Papa saw something between you and Mr. Darcy yesterday that concerned him. I only wished to ease his mind and assure him of my belief in Mr. Darcy's sincere affection for you. Please forgive me if I have done you any harm."
"No, Jane. Truly, you have done no harm." She smiled sadly. "I have accomplished that all on my own. I just wonder whether Papa came in here at any point to examine the book for himself."
"Is it important? Was it Mr. Darcy's gift to you?"
"Yes, in a way, but the reason for my concern is that it is where I have kept all his letters."
"Letters! How many?"
"Three. The first one contains an explanation of business transactions between Darcy and Wickham."
"So that is how you knew about the three thousand pounds."
"Yes. The other two letters are rather more personal in nature. I just hope Papa is ignorant of their existence."
"I am certain he is." Jane watched as she found the letters a new hiding place. "Come, Lizzy. There is no need to worry now, is there? It will all turn out well. Papa is just upset that he knew nothing of your courtship. You know how little he likes surprises when they involve his own family's affairs."
"True. But what could I say? That Mr. Darcy might come to Hertfordshire to pay his addresses to me? That I might like him enough to marry him, after hating him so vehemently for months? I felt I could do nothing unless he declared himself."
"Is that why Mr. Darcy is with Papa now?"
"Oh, Jane! If only it were that simple...but it is too late. I must go."
The girls were halfway down when Jane stopped. "Did something truly happen last night to make Kitty ill? Perhaps I should look in on her."
Elizabeth agreed. Jane turned around and went up to Kitty's room while Elizabeth gripped her book with white-knuckled hands and walked to the library door.
"Lizzy, is that you? Come in."
She joined her father and her suitor.
"Miss Elizabeth." Mr. Darcy stood. His eyes widened when he noticed the book in her hands.
Mr. Bennet murmured something about his brother always having been a clever fellow.
"Mr. Darcy, good morning. May I return this to you?" She gingerly held out the volume to him.
He took it from her and they sat, waiting for Mr. Bennet to begin whatever conversation he felt necessary to have before allowing them a moment of privacy. Elizabeth fully expected a reprimand of some sort. She was not disappointed.
"Mr. Darcy," Mr. Bennet began, "as I said to you before, I will not tolerate the level of impropriety that I witnessed yesterday in your behaviour towards my daughter. Your manner is entirely inappropriate while no understanding exists between you." He looked at them intensely. "You have not been secretly engaged, have you?"
"No indeed, sir."
"No, Papa."
"Yes, well, the fewer secrets, the better." Elizabeth, thinking of her letters, blushed at her father's words. "I have had enough of clandestine meetings under cover of night to last me the next twenty years."
"Pardon?" Mr. Darcy's confusion was clearly etched on his face.
Elizabeth still keenly felt the debt of thanks she owed him for his forbearance the previous day and seized the opportunity presented to her. "Mr. Darcy, I am sorry; you have borne much at our hands already, but I must ask for your continued patience. There has been little rest and a great deal to try our tempers at Longbourn since last we met. We had an unexpected visit from one of the officers very early this morning, before dawn, in fact." She dreaded telling him the next part. "It appears he had formed designs on one of my sisters."
She could see him sorting the facts in his mind and arriving at an accurate conclusion. The rage that flashed across his face just before he spoke did not surprise her. "Is Miss Catherine---"
"Yes, you are correct," Elizabeth interrupted. "Kitty is well, or soon will be, thanks in no small part to your talk with her yesterday, I am sure. I dread to think what might have occurred had you not taken the time to speak to her."
"I had no idea they had agreed to meet! I only knew he had her sympathy and I did not want her to be taken in as so many others have been."
"You would have been pleased with your efforts had you seen their effects last night. She steadfastly refused to come down or to acknowledge his presence at all."
Mr. Bennet had remained silent throughout the exchange. His sour expression made Elizabeth realise just how firmly set against Mr. Darcy he was; he had neither asked for an explanation nor expressed the slightest gratitude for the saving of his daughter's reputation.
She looked from her father to the man she now knew she wished to marry. Her Papa sat nursing his wounded pride while Fitzwilliam could barely remain seated for the anxiety he felt regarding her younger sister's welfare. Elizabeth continued more gravely than before. "Mr. Darcy, you have accomplished far more than any of us have been able to do. Please allow me, on behalf of my entire family, to thank you, for most of them do not know how narrowly we have avoided discredit and misery, or to whom we are indebted for our present good fortune."
"I did not do it to be thanked, but I am happy to have been of use to you...and your family."
Mr. Bennet roused himself to offer the pair an opportunity for private discourse. Without a word he opened the doors onto the lawn. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth proceeded through them to a stone bench several feet from the house.
Once seated, Mr. Darcy inquired, "Is the wind too much? Shall I get your shawl?"
"No, I am quite warm." Elizabeth turned towards the library windows. As she had expected, Mr. Bennet was watching their every move. "Mr. Darcy, please do not allow my father to force you into a situation you would not choose for yourself."
He took her hand. "Elizabeth, look at me."
"How can you bear it?" she cried. The more she looked, the less she saw of that proud, aloof man who had come to Hertfordshire so many months ago and insulted her at the assembly. "My family, excepting Jane, has treated you abominably, and I am the worst offender of them all! How can you abide us?"
"Your aunt and uncle were very kind to me..."
She smiled a little; she could not deny that.
"...and your mother has been gracious."
"Barely!"
"She is about to acquire Bingley as a son-in-law. He had every right to the lion's share of her attention yesterday."
"But my father---"
"Had every reason to act as he did."
"He has not even thanked you for what you have done! If not for you, he might at this very moment be calling on every neighbour for miles around, attempting to discover Kitty's whereabouts." She squeezed his hand. "You have preserved one of his daughters from ruin and the only thing he has done is to scold you for a breach of propriety that pales in comparison! I am so ashamed."
"I deserved the scolding, and what is more, I feel no shame at all." He sought her gaze. "Elizabeth, what is all this talk about your family? Where is the formidable young lady who defended the Bennets' honour and stature against my ill-bred remarks at Rosings?"
She took a little time to form her answer. "The events of the last several hours have shaken me, I admit. And in losing my prejudices against you, perhaps I have lost a little of my boldness as well. Those same prejudices are behind much of what you suffered yesterday and continue to suffer this morning. Had I not voiced my disapproval so decidedly and so often, my family might have a better opinion of you now and treat you as you ought to be treated."
"I have done nothing to solicit their good opinion. You once spoke to me of my pride, arrogance..."
"Oh! Do not repeat what I said then!"
"...and selfish disdain for the feelings of others. I have thought about that again and again, and I have come to the conclusion that you were right to accuse me of those things. When I first came to Netherfield, I did not give your family the respect they were due. I dismissed you before I even knew you. Even after we became acquainted, I never looked for the good in your situation, only for those things that confirmed my opinion that your connections were beneath me.
"Yesterday, during our conversation in the drawing room, I determined to look at your family afresh. Do you want to know what I saw?" She shook her head, but he smiled and continued to explain. "I saw my beloved's mother and sisters, and among them at least two impressionable young girls who had been misled by Mr. Wickham, much as Georgiana had been. I also realised I was in an ideal position to do something about it. I had asked you not to reveal my secret---or, rather, my sister's secret---but complying with my wishes left your own sisters vulnerable to Wickham's schemes. Thus I felt obliged to answer Miss Lydia's questions and to speak to Miss Catherine myself."
"You take too much upon yourself."
"I do not believe so. I have begun to look upon them, and Miss Bennet and Miss Mary, as my own family. As such, they should have my protection if they are in need of it."
"Your family..." she repeated, still finding it hard to believe that he was intent upon gaining such a mother and father and sisters...and a woman such as herself.
"Can you have any doubt whatsoever about my intentions, Elizabeth? What more can I say? What must I do to convince you?"
"Fitzwilliam, there is nothing you need do. That is what I have been trying to tell you. I do not want you to be under obligation to me."
He smiled. "At least you are calling me by my name again. And there is one thing I can and must do." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. "I had this with me two days ago when we were still in London. I kept it in my pocket along with the letter I gave you. Unless you can tell me honestly that you want nothing more to do with me, you will have to put this on before we return to the house."
"Why?" The gold and jewels sparkled in the sunlight. A ripple of nervous pleasure ran through her. "Because my father expects to see it on my finger?"
He rolled his eyes. "You are impossible."
She tried to laugh but her voice came out in a breathless rush instead. "Was that a proposal, by the way?"
"No, merely your last chance to avoid one." He knelt before her. "Miss Elizabeth Bennet, will you do me the great honour of consenting to be my wife?" He whispered, "I love you," and tears welled in her eyes.
For a moment she was too overcome to say a word.
He caressed her hands. "What is wrong, dearest?"
Elizabeth did not know what she felt, only that she had never felt it with anyone but him. ‘I think I love you, too, Fitzwilliam,' she thought. "Nothing is wrong." How right he had made everything. She shook her head and the tears fell. "Nothing at all."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes."
He placed the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. Then he helped her to her feet. "I would ask you for a proper kiss, but your father is staring at us."
"I think you are right." She never would have believed it possible, but Papa had managed to detract from one of the most important moments of her life. She pushed her annoyance and frustration aside. She was an engaged woman, after all! "But Mr. Darcy, are you certain you would ask my permission?" she teased him, feeling more like herself. "Would you not just steal a kiss instead?"
"Perhaps, Miss Elizabeth. We shall see when the time comes. Now I had better speak with your father."
When they started walking towards the house, Mr. Bennet turned away and sat down at his desk. Elizabeth let her eyes trace the back of her father's head. For once, she was glad not to be able to see the expression on his face. "Mr. Darcy," she wondered aloud, "how long will you be at Netherfield this time?" She received no answer. "Fitzwilliam?"
She looked up at her intended and immediately found herself physically prevented from repeating her question. In fact, for one long, delicious moment, she was hard pressed even to recall what that question had been.
Claiming a kiss to seal the engagement was not more than Elizabeth had expected from a man violently in love, but she granted that perhaps her father did have one valid reason to distrust Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
The man was a thief, and a very, very good one at that.
Posted on Sunday, 14 May 2006
"Send Kitty to me."
"Yes, Papa." Elizabeth closed the door and sighed in relief.
Mr. Bennet's consent had been tersely given, and Elizabeth had been anxious to remove Fitzwilliam and herself from the library to seek more friendly company. At least Jane would be happy for her. But first Kitty needed to be brought down, and Elizabeth preferred to go herself rather than send a servant.
"Mr. Darcy, I believe Kitty is still in her room. I shall return in a few moments. Shall I show you to the drawing room first?"
"I shall wait for you here." He stopped at the base of the stairs.
She met his answer with an inquiring look and a bemused smile that quickly grew tender beneath his gaze. Then she turned and hurried upstairs to find her sister.
Jane was still with Kitty, sitting close beside her on the bed.
"Kitty," Elizabeth whispered, hating to disrupt the calm scene, "Papa wishes to speak with you now."
"I cannot face him."
"You must." Her tone was firm but not unkind. "Come; Jane and I will go down with you."
"I cannot, Lizzy! Jane, do not make me go!" Kitty lunged forward and thrust her arms around her eldest sister's neck.
Jane cradled Kitty in her mother-hen way and coaxed her out of bed, whispering assurances. Apparently Kitty had confessed to Jane something of what had passed.
Between the two of them, Elizabeth and Jane managed to make Kitty presentable in very little time. They supported her on either side as she walked down the stairs.
"Mr. Darcy, good morning." Jane had not had the opportunity to greet him before now. Elizabeth felt Kitty stiffen.
Mr. Darcy stepped aside so as not to impede the ladies' progress. "Good morning to you, Miss Bennet." His voice softened as he added, "And to you, Miss Catherine."
"Mr. Darcy," she mumbled in reply.
"I hope you are well this morning?" His tone held an earnest quality that seemed to disconcert Kitty even more.
"I...I am, I..." She gulped. "I must go to my father," she said without looking at him. "Please excuse me."
"Of course."
As soon as Kitty was out of sight, the three of them moved into the empty drawing room. Mr. Darcy lingered at the door. "I hope..." He looked towards the hall where Kitty had gone.
"What is it, Fitzwilliam?" Elizabeth heard Jane's gasp and turned to see her sister smiling at her. Realising what she had let slip, she nodded in response to Jane's unspoken question. She took Mr. Darcy's arm and guided him to a comfortable seat, but he remained standing.
"It is just that..." He expelled a breath. "She reminds me so much of Georgiana after...after last summer. That look in her eyes, the trepidation in her voice; they recall to mind bitter memories."
Elizabeth wished she could soothe away his sorrow. She reached up and touched his cheek, causing him to look at her. "Both our sisters are most fortunate to have you for a brother."
Their tender moment lasted no longer, for at this further confirmation of Elizabeth's relationship with Mr. Darcy, Jane offered her congratulations to them both.
"It is a joy to know there is someone who is not unhappy with our betrothal." Elizabeth embraced her sister. "You are the first to express good wishes," she said as they all sat down.
"But no one else knows yet, Lizzy! When you make the announcement, surely---" She stopped short. "Do you mean to say that Papa is not pleased?"
"Unfortunately, he is not."
"Perhaps this business with Kitty is clouding his joy."
"Joy was the last thing on his countenance when he gave us his consent."
Jane pondered this news for a moment then gave Mr. Darcy an apologetic smile. "I am disappointed if our father truly does not welcome this union. I hope after he grows accustomed to the idea of losing Lizzy, he will think differently. She is something of a favourite with him."
Elizabeth appreciated Jane's attempt to smooth over the difficulties of the morning. She looked at Fitzwilliam to see how he fared. His face looked grim. "Do not worry; Jane is right. Sooner or later my father will show himself to be more pleased than he appears now."
"It is not your father I was thinking of. If you believe his disapprobation is worrisome, imagine what my aunt will say when she hears the news."
Elizabeth did imagine what Lady Catherine would say, and it made her laugh. "I doubt she will be happy to allow me access to Rosings after this, not even to the humble Mrs. Jenkinson's room."
Darcy slowly smiled. "You may well laugh, but I assure you, when she makes her opinion known, you will be far more inclined to anger than mirth."
"I do not doubt it." She turned her eyes to Jane. While Mr. Bingley had no overbearing aunt that she knew of, there were still Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. No one's path was completely free of thistles and briars, she supposed. "Jane, has Mr. Bingley informed his sisters of his engagement?"
"He writes to them today."
"Had they any idea of it when we all were in town?"
"I have neither seen nor heard from them since Miss Bingley's visit to my aunt's. Therefore, I do not know."
"How shall they behave when you meet again? I suppose Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst will be as friendly to you as they ever were." Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy and was struck by his mortified expression; she remembered a little late that he, like Mr. Bingley's sisters, had contrived to separate the couple. Jane noticed his distress as well, and Elizabeth silently berated herself for dredging up the awkward business.
"Miss Bennet---" Mr. Darcy's voice cracked. "Miss Bennet, I hope one day you can forgive me for my unwarranted interference in your affairs."
"Mr. Darcy, considering everything, there is nothing to forgive."
"Pardon me, Miss Bennet, but you must know that there is." He looked pained. "I gave my friend faulty advice. It was most fortunate that Bingley did not rely upon it. I was mistaken as to the depth of your affections. I was mistaken in many regards."
"You have more than compensated for your errors. Bingley was so discouraged, when Papa...Oh!" Jane paused to retrieve her handkerchief. "Had you not taken the trouble, I don't know what would have become of us."
"It was no more than I should have done."
"I must disagree with you. You were under no obligation to correct a problem you did nothing to cause. Pardon me." She patted her eyes with the cloth. "Mr. Darcy, my present happiness is such that I cannot be anything other than grateful for your most recent act of interference."
"Jane!" Kitty's call reached their ears, putting an end to the gentle argument. "Jane, where are you?" They all looked to the doorway as Kitty poked her head through.
"Please join us, Kitty."
Kitty hesitated a moment, then ran into the room. "Oh, Jane! Oh!" She flushed beet-red when she realised that Lizzy and the gentleman also were within. "P-Pardon me, Mr. Darcy."
"Kitty, we are all friends here," Elizabeth offered, grasping Fitzwilliam's hand.
"Yes indeed," Jane added. "In fact, we are not just friends, but family. Mr. Darcy is to marry Lizzy."
"Truly?" Kitty's face lit up with pleasure. "I shall be honoured to have such a brother."
"The honour will be mine, Miss Catherine."
"Please, call me Kitty," she replied, giggling. "Or Catherine, if you like."
Elizabeth rejoiced to see her younger sister smiling again. "Was Papa very severe on you?"
"Horrid in every way! He said I am not to leave the house for a month, not even to go into the gardens, and that he would not trust me so near society as our front door for fifty pounds!" She pouted like a little girl. "No officers will be allowed to visit us, save Colonel Forster, who is coming today. I hope the Colonel will not ask to speak with me. When he calls, I shall run up to my room and stay there."
She batted at the tears that had begun to fall. "Oh! I cried and cried! Then Papa told me not to make myself unhappy and said if I was very good he would allow me to stand up with one of my sisters at the next ball."
Elizabeth laughed, to everyone's astonishment. "It sounds to me as if he already has forgiven you, Kitty."
"I told Papa I had not really wished to go away. I was only to meet Wickham and loan him some money." She sat down next to Jane. "Wickham told me the rumours had spread and already three creditors had called on him. I should have known then that Lady Catherine was right. But I felt sorry for him. He seemed so hurt when Lydia walked away! I said to him, ‘All of Meryton may turn against you, but I shall not.' I thought I was being noble." She laughed nervously and sighed. "Now I see how foolish it all was. I would have ruined my reputation if I had met him last night and anyone had seen us. And who knows whether he might have convinced me to do something even worse."
"You are safe now, and that is what matters." Jane's gentle voice seemed to start the tears flowing in earnest from Kitty's eyes. "Shall I accompany you to your room?" Kitty nodded, and the two left Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to themselves.
"Would you like anything to eat or drink, Fitzwilliam?"
"No, no; I breakfasted at Netherfield."
"Then what would you like?"
"I believe you know the answer to that, my love."
Elizabeth lowered her eyes. "Do I?"
"Do not be coy with me." He ran his finger down the side of her face. "As it is, I must leave you soon."
"Can you not stay awhile?"
"Unfortunately not." He stood, pulling Elizabeth to her feet. "Will you see me out?"
They heard footsteps and chatter, and in another moment, Mrs. Bennet, along with Mary and Lydia, entered the room.
"Mr. Darcy! I heard you had come to call on my husband."
"Good morning, Mrs. Bennet, Miss Mary, Miss Lydia. I have talked to Mr. Bennet. I was just about to take my leave."
"Have you had refreshments? Lizzy, why did you not invite Mr. Darcy to join us at breakfast?"
"I did, Mama. He declined."
"I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Bennet, but I must travel to London. My mention of business yesterday was no idle excuse. There are some important financial matters I must see to in person."
"Well, I shall not keep you, if you are in a hurry." She smirked as Mr. Darcy shifted from foot to foot and moved a little closer to the entrance. "Please give my regards to Mr. Bingley."
"I certainly will, ma'am."
He turned and raised an eyebrow to Elizabeth. She caught the hint and announced to her mother and sisters that she would see him to the door.
"Must you go just now?" she pulled him closer and whispered as soon as they were out of the drawing room.
"The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return." He grinned. "There is also the small matter of your father's anger. I hope that it may lessen more quickly in my absence."
"You are hardly its primary cause." She could see the wisdom in giving Mr. Bennet time to recover from recent events, however. "How long will you be away?" she asked as they reached the outdoors.
"A few days, at most. I shall miss you."
"I wish I could go with you." She coloured at her forwardness, but Mr. Darcy did not seem to mind it at all.
"Thank you for that." His eyes caressed her. "I must draw up the settlement papers for your father to approve."
"Oh! I had not thought of it. I see that marriage to you is going to be a dreadfully practical, tedious business."
"Do not tell me," Darcy said, leaning towards her, "that your head is not as full of the prospect of trinkets and pin-money as that of any other woman of marriageable age."
"You wound me, sir! My mind is far above such earthly concerns."
His expression softened considerably. "Then you are indeed an angel, as I have believed these many weeks now."
Elizabeth had nothing to say in reply and only tore her eyes away from his when Mr. Darcy's horse was brought. "I suppose I shall have to tell Mama and Mary and Lydia the news before nightfall."
"Do." He smiled and moved closer as if to steal another kiss but quickly backed away and mounted his horse.
Elizabeth watched her gentleman gallop towards Netherfield. No sooner than he was out of sight did Colonel Forster appear, and Elizabeth returned to the house to tell her father. On her way to the library, she cast a fleeting glance up the stairs and hoped that this matter with Wickham would soon be over.
The hours flew by and Elizabeth still had not found the right opportunity to inform her mother of her engagement. From the moment Colonel Forster was announced until he departed Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet engaged her daughters in wild speculation about the nature of his talk with Mr. Bennet and the danger to Longbourn from roaming marauders who tried to force their way into the homes of respectable gentry.
Once the Colonel left without confirming or denying any of the ladies' conjectures, Mrs. Bennet hurried Mary, Lydia and Jane out with her to call on Mrs. Philips, and they were gone much of the afternoon. Elizabeth had been commissioned to sit with Kitty in Jane's stead. "I imagine it is only a headache," her mother had said before leaving, "brought on by the noise of that awful man, whoever he was, but do stay with her, Lizzy. She will feel sorry not to be going to her aunt's with the rest of us. Oh, and if Mr. Bingley calls, tell him he is welcome to join us at my sister Philips's. Otherwise, we shall see him in time for dinner." Elizabeth gladly consented to everything and spent a quiet afternoon with Kitty in her rooms.
Mr. Bingley put in an appearance at dinner and apologised for not calling earlier in the day. He, like his friend, had been attending to business related to his upcoming marriage. "I spent the morning poring over my accounts," he explained to the Bennets, "and the afternoon writing to Caroline and Louisa. I must confess my letter writing took more time than it should have, but I made sure to take particular care so that nothing would be misunderstood." He winked at Elizabeth. "Mr. Darcy left for London some hours ago. He was sorry to go, but it was for a worthy cause." His warm, expressive look left her in no doubt of his good information.
He sat across from Jane and next to Elizabeth. As soon as there seemed the least danger of his being heard by the others, he spoke to the latter. "I congratulate you."
"You are very kind."
"Do they all know?" His eyes wandered to her mother.
"Not all, as you have surmised, but they shall before the day is over."
"I suppose now I may pronounce my friend's name as often as I wish without causing you any undue discomfort. I believe I shall miss watching you blush; you do so charmingly."
"You are very naughty, Mr. Bingley. I am surprised my sister tolerates that trait in you."
"Your sister tolerates a great deal in me, for which I cannot be thankful enough."
That evening, Elizabeth followed Mrs. Bennet to her room.
"Your father is not the least bit concerned for our welfare. He refuses to tell me what happened last night, no matter how many times I ask. Did you notice that he changed the subject when I told Mr. Bingley of it?" She sat down and began to remove her necklace. "Colonel Forster will help us. That must be the reason for his visit. If we beg the Colonel's assistance, perhaps the militia will set a guard around Longbourn. But they will be gone in less than a fortnight, and then who will protect us?"
Elizabeth almost laughed at the irony of her mother's last statement. Forster and that scamp Wickham would leave together for Brighton, and good riddance, she thought. "Mama, I am certain that we are safe in our own home." She smiled at her mother's agitation. "If Papa thought otherwise, he would say so." Amused as she was, she could not help but be grieved that her father kept so much of import from her mother. She hoped Fitzwilliam would never shut her out in such a way.
"Mama," Elizabeth said when she felt she could no longer put it off, "I have something to tell you."
"Well? What is it, girl? Goodness knows we have had more than our share of bad news."
"This will be welcome then, for it is very good news. I am going to marry Mr. Darcy."
"Mr. Darcy? Have you not always hated him?"
"Not always, and not at all now; quite the contrary."
"Has he spoken to your father already? Of course---that is why he came so early! And is it really true? Oh!" Mrs. Bennet began to get that familiar gleam in her eyes. "My sweetest Lizzy! How rich and how great you will be! This certainly makes up for your refusing Mr. Collins!" She got up from her chair and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Is that ring new? I have never seen you wear it before." She gasped. "Is it from Mr. Darcy? Has he given you a token of his esteem already?" "He presented it to me when he proposed, Mama." "An engagement ring! How unexpected! Well, he certainly can afford it." Mrs. Bennet examined the sparkling object with an appreciative smile. "But how did I not see it earlier? Did you wear it at dinner?""
Elizabeth explained, amidst her mother's continued exclamations, that she had twisted the ring around so that no one might notice.
"You will have a double wedding with Jane and Mr. Bingley!"
This new idea gave birth to a host of others, and Elizabeth sat down and prepared to stay a long while. She knew her mother was not in general backward to credit what was for the advantage of her family, or what came in the shape of a lover to any of them, but this excitement at present seemed too much, her own happiness notwithstanding, until compared with the less enthusiastic reaction of Mr. Bennet. After the censure that Elizabeth and her intended had borne from her father since the day before, she almost---not quite, but almost---wished Fitzwilliam had remained long enough to hear her mother's effusive but sincere good wishes.