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Part 49
The gentlemen joined the ladies after a while. Colonel Fitzwilliam had laughed heartily at Mr. Bennet's misunderstanding, and then resolved to think no more of it, but now when he entered the room after Bingley and Mr. Bennet, he could not help glancing in the direction of his alleged wife. She happened to be looking in his direction also. He noticed she looked far more handsome than the other ladies, even if she was ill. Her husband would be fortunate in that aspect, at least. Mrs. Bennet was desirous of talking to him about something, and she invited him to sit by her, so he had no more chance to dwell upon Caroline's appearance.
Caroline's headache had come back again, and she had seated herself near the fire, not joining in on any conversation. She was rather surprised to see Mr. Bennet take the other chair near the fire, but she put it down to a wish to be seated as far removed from his wife as possible.
Mr. Bennet had been rather amused and intrigued by the Colonel's reaction. Obviously the young man was in denial. He decided to gauge Miss Bingley's reaction instead. He wanted to know if he had been completely off. Mrs. Bennet was far too fond of red coats for him to rejoice in the possibility of an officer for a son-in-law. He would have no peace if one was to marry Kitty or Mary. It was in his own interest to do anything that would get the Colonel away from Mrs. Bennet and her schemes, but for the time being Fitzwilliam was still interestedly listening to Mrs. Bennet's tales of when Colonel So-and-so's regiment had been quartered in Meryton twenty-five years ago. Mr. Bennet admired his patience.
"I had mistaken you for Mrs. Fitzwilliam," he said in a low voice to Caroline.
"Heavens, no! I sincerely pity the person who is going to be answering to that title," Caroline replied with a careless laugh. "Whatever gave you that idea? Not Mrs. Bennet, I am sure," she said mockingly.
"No, it was not Mrs. Bennet. I got the feeling that you knew each other really well and spent a lot of time in each other's company."
"Not at all," Caroline frowned.
Georgiana who did not want to see her cousin monopolised by Mrs. Bennet all evening, had devised another clever scheme. She suggested to Kitty that they play a game of cards, even though she had claimed not to know any a few days before. "I shall ask my cousin, and Caroline likes playing too. Who do you want to play with?"
"With you, if that is possible?"
Georgiana looked satisfied. "Good, then the others can play against us."
She rescued the Colonel from Mrs. Bennet, and called out to Caroline. "Caroline, will you play cards with us?"
Caroline nodded and walked over. "What are we playing?" she asked. Her voice still had not returned completely.
"That game you played two days ago. I think I know how it goes now."
"Who is playing with who?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.
"I am playing with Kitty, so you can play with Caroline, if you do not mind?" Georgiana said with an innocent look.
"You have no choice," Caroline said to him, "I think your cousin wants you to team up with me."
"I play with Miss Bingley so it will be the young against the old, Georgiana?" Caroline rolled her eyes and he gave her a discreet wink.
"Yes," Georgiana said, "and Kitty and I are going to decide on our strategy for a minute. We will be right back." She took Kitty's arm and they moved away a little.
"I will keep the score," Caroline said, as she got some writing material and sat down.
"Do we have to decide on a strategy too, Caroline?" he asked.
"I do not think that is necessary," she replied. She wrote three names on the score list, but hesitated over the fourth. "How do you want to appear on the score list?" Should she write Colonel Fitzwilliam, or Fitzwilliam, or Richard, or just initials?
He grinned. "What a lovely handwriting you have. You should have let me take the scores and you would not have had this problem."
"Uhh...how do you...?"
"R..."
"R?" She wrote down an R.
"I..."
"Oh!" she said in annoyance, because she had put a little dot behind the R and now she had to write an I over it, and she hated a messy score list.
"No, that spells Rio."
"Stop it."
"By all means." He reached out and carefully took the pen out of her hands to write down his own name. "There," he said when he pushed the paper back to her. "Approve of my writing? Georgiana can attest to the fact that my handwriting is not my strongest point. Perhaps I ought to write more."
Kitty and Georgiana sat down, and Georgiana shook her head. "I do not think it so bad."
Neither do I, Caroline thought when she thought of his letter, but she could not go ahead and say that.
"Ladies, are you ready? I think Miss Bingley is ready to order one of you to deal."
Caroline gave him a look. "Not at all, I shall order you to deal."
"Yes, Madam. Your wish is my command," he said meekly, to their opponents' great amusement.
They played the first round. Kitty and Georgiana were better than they had imagined, and they beat Caroline and Fitzwilliam. He bent over to whisper in his partner's ear. "I thought you always played to win?"
"You should have dealt the cards better," she whispered back with shining eyes.
"You ordered me to deal." His eyes shone no less.
Georgiana cleared her throat to remind them they were playing a game and both returned their attention to the game looking slightly flushed.
Part 50
They finished the game without any squabbles, and Caroline was surprised to find how easily they played together. Either they could not find anything wrong with the other's choice of cards to play, or they did not say anything.
"Did we win, Caroline?" Georgiana asked after the game.
"No, you did not," she said with a satisfaction that caused her partner to smile.
"Ahh, Miss Bingley still plays to win, I hear," he said.
"And you?" she inquired of him.
"Let me say that my world would not collapse if I lost."
"Neither would mine."
"No?" Colonel Fitzwilliam raised his eyebrows.
"Remember that I lost last time."
"Remember what happened to you since that last time."
"That had nothing to do with it," Caroline said defensively, and he laughed.
Mr. Bennet noticed that the game was over, and he announced that it was time to go. Mrs. Bennet protested of course, but even she had the sense to see that it was getting rather late and that they would have to go. Jane, Bingley and Georgiana accompanied them to their carriage, while Caroline stayed behind because she did not want to be exposed to the cold night air. Colonel Fitzwilliam lingered also, because he did not know the Bennets very well.
Caroline seated herself by the fire and closed her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" asked the Colonel who took the other chair.
She stared at him through half-closed eyes. "Very well."
"Are you speaking the truth or are you trying to be a big girl?"
Her eyes opened completely. "Really!" she said indignantly. He laughed and winked. "Really!" she repeated. "Will you not wink at me?"
"Why not?"
"What will other people think of it?"
"There are no other people," he said, just as the others returned.
"Oh no?"
Fitzwilliam shook his head and smiled. She watched him get up and walk towards the cards table. She wondered why he was studying the score list so closely. If her voice had been strong enough, she would have called out to inquire, and once again she cursed her illness. She saw him exchange some kind of joke with Charles, and she almost died of curiosity.
They had supper early, and after supper Caroline observed that Charles was rather anxious for them to go to bed. Georgiana had gone up right after supper, so Charles had only to wait up for herself and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who appeared not to notice Charles' fidgeting. She waited for a chance to discreetly suggest to him that he ought to go to bed. It took a while before such a chance presented itself, and in the end Caroline decided to gesture instead of wait for a chance to speak. She waved at him until she caught his attention, and then she first pointed at him, then upwards, and then at Charles and Jane, all of this accompanied by some very strange grimaces. He gave her an odd look, but he seemed to understand what she meant, because shortly afterwards he got up and bade the others a good night.
After about a minute Caroline got up as well, and announced that she was going to bed too. She was so lost in thought that she almost stumbled over Colonel Fitzwilliam who sat on the stairs. "What are sitting on the stairs for?" she exclaimed. "I almost fell over you."
"I was waiting for you so you could explain your gestures."
"I thought you had understood them."
"I did."
"Then do not be so annoying!" She started to climb the stairs.
"I apologise."
"What?" she halted in the middle and looked down.
He caught up with her and they continued upwards. "I did not mean to annoy you. I only wanted to see if my guess was right about you following me very shortly."
"Your guess was right." She arrived at her room and halted. His room was a few doors down, but for some reason she did not want to say good night just yet. "What did Mrs. Bennet have to tell you?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
He began to relate what Mrs. Bennet had said, and when Charles and Jane came up thirty minutes later, they were still talking.
"Ha!" Charles cried. "You two cannot seem to get enough of each other. How long ago did you go up? An hour? Well, you have my blessing. Good night," and he and Jane disappeared.
Part 51
"What does he think he is giving his blessing for?" said Caroline who really did not see it. "For standing here an hour? I am sure it was not an hour."
"It was more like half an hour," Fitzwilliam said. His mind had some trouble in correctly interpreting the blessing as well. "I dare say he lost track of time, being agreeably occupied by his wife."
"I do not understand how anyone can lose track of time," Caroline agreed seriously.
"We had better go to bed as well."
"Yes..." Neither moved.
"Well, good night."
"I hope so. Good night," Caroline answered.
"Why do you hope so?"
"I hope I can sleep."
"In case you cannot sleep, do not go downstairs or outside without waking me up first. Yes? Come to my room and wake me up. Promise me that."
"Your wish to be locked out in the cold strikes me as very odd."
He smiled. "You seem to overlook the possibility that I would probably prevent you from locking yourself out."
"That had not occurred to me yet. I was thinking along much more dramatic lines. I am sure that I would get into more trouble with you than I would by myself."
"I do not doubt it. Good night."
"Good night."
The next morning all were gathered round the breakfast table when Colonel Fitzwilliam suddenly remarked to Caroline, "did you know Mr. Bennet thought you were Mrs. Fitzwilliam?" The others looked surprised, especially Georgiana. Bingley already knew, because Mr. Bennet had taken him aside to alert him to the possibility of Fitzwilliam becoming his brother-in-law, but he was still surprised that the Colonel would bring it up over breakfast. Georgiana stifled a giggle.
"Yes, he told me," she said quietly.
"I have been giving the matter some thought during the night, and I have come to the conclusion that it is really a very advantageous scheme," he grinned.
"What is?" Caroline asked carefully. He cannot mean...
"We would both benefit greatly from such a union--"
Caroline's knife clattered onto her plate. He means it...marriage...
"I am certain that I need not explain the advantages to you. I would save you from dying an old maid, and you would put an end to my female relatives' matchmaking for good, to give you but two examples. So, what do you say?"
Caroline glanced around the table. They were all watching her as if in shock. Is he being serious? Am I supposed to give a serious answer? Am I supposed to laugh? What am I supposed to say? She decided to give him an answer in the same vein. "It sounds very advantageous indeed, and for you as well, I am sure," she said calmly. This was the best answer, she reasoned, and waited anxiously for his reaction.
He grinned again. "Very well, I take it that is settled then?"
Her heart was in her throat and she had to breathe deeply before she lightly replied, "Yes, of course. Who could say no?"
"Good. Your brother already gave us his blessing last night--"
She stared at Charles at incredulously. How could I not have known what Charles meant? And he is really talking about marriage? Charles cannot be in on the joke, can he? He would not fool all of us like this. I am sure he would not. This is real? This must be real. Am I about to be engaged to Colonel Fitzwilliam? It was rather exciting.
"--but I would like to have it again, if you do not mind, Bingley?" Fitzwilliam asked.
Bingley recovered from his surprise and grinned. "You have my blessing. I hope you will be very happy together. I am glad you finally decided to get engaged, Caroline."
Georgiana gasped, and hid her mouth behind her hands to hide her delighted grin. She could hardly believe that this was real. If it had been other people deciding on marriage like this, she would have been appalled, but now she was merely amused. They certainly had a very odd way of showing their affection. She did not doubt that they cared for each other and that they would come to their senses pretty soon.
Part 52
"Let us go for a walk," Caroline ominously suggested to her fiancé immediately after breakfast.
"That bodes ill," Colonel Fitzwilliam said to himself.
The night before he had felt a little empty when he had entered his room, and naturally he had replayed their conversation in his head. He had remembered Mr. Bennet's misconception and on a subconscious urge wondered what it would be like to have Caroline as his wife. Surprisingly enough, he had found it a rather agreeable idea, and he had started to look for reasons why he could marry Caroline, without going too deep. Of course willing minds can always find suitable reasons, and he had concluded that it would be a mutually beneficial match, convincing himself he was acting in a purely rational manner, by even considering such things as the fact that his conduct had hardly been irreproachable when he had hugged her, and that he had to marry her now.
The following problem had then been how to convince Caroline of the advantages. This had to be done very carefully, because subconsciously he had known he did not want her to turn him down. If he brought it to her in his usual flippant manner, he would always be able to convince himself that he had meant it as a joke only, and he was still half convinced that it was a joke. He would suggest it, and see how she reacted, and then he would take it from there.
She had accepted. The only flaw in his plan had been that he had not anticipated what would happen if she would reply in the same manner. He had no idea if she was being serious or not, and thus if he was really engaged to her now. Bingley had seemed to think it was a serious engagement, but Fitzwilliam had not proposed to Bingley, so this was of no import. He was more interested in Caroline's thoughts on the matter.
Are we really engaged? he thought when he offered her his arm and accompanied her outside. I hope she gives me a clue.
Unbeknownst to him, Caroline was having the same thoughts. Am I really engaged to him? Or was it a joke? I hope he tells me. I do not want to bring it up. What if it is real and I ask him? He might be hurt. What if it is not real and I ask him? I would feel so stupid. I must try to figure it out in a less obvious way. "Richard," she felt a bit awkward saying that, but she figured that it would be acceptable now they seemed to be engaged. "I am determined to punish you for those inelegant words."
"How?" He held his breath.
"I already did -- I said yes."
He let out his breath. But were you serious? "Is that...a punishment?"
"I should think so."
"What was so inelegant about my words?"
"You called me an old maid! I would not have thought that could ever recommend anyone's suit."
"Yet it recommended me to you?"
He does not deny the proposal. He does not take it back. So, are we engaged or are we playing engaged? I wish I knew, but I think I like both...I shall play along for the time being. "Yes. To punish you," Caroline said.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was still no closer to knowing if his engagement was real. "How are you going to punish me?"
"Oh, I think I shall just be generally insufferable, make disparaging comments about people, and embarrass you in public," she said casually.
"I am surprised that you would want to be seen in public with me," he said, referring to her adversity to officers. He felt her hand on his arm tense slightly.
"Of course," Caroline said lightly, "you are much too popular with the ladies for me to allow you to go out alone."
The vision of Caroline accompanying him everywhere to ward off other ladies with her umbrella made him snort. If you are simply joking, you are taking it very far.
"What is so amusing? I hope that was not a self-satisfied snort?"
"Not at all, but I imagined you waving your umbrella at everyone who came too close and it was a very amusing picture."
"My umbrella?" she asked in wonder. "That is not my usual weapon."
"No, but I am sure you could use it very skillfully."
"And at everyone who came too close? I wish you would not be so spoilt with attention." They were walking through a wooded area and she picked up a stick.
"Why?" Am I spoilt with attention? Only a real fiancée would say something like that, would she not? And what are you going to do with that stick? Hit me?
"Because..." she said, waving the stick at an imaginary person and sighed. "This will not do. I cannot do this properly with my left hand. There is always one of us who is going to be incapacitated, no matter which side we walk on." She was getting carried away by the idea of being engaged. Please let us be truly engaged. I am enjoying this if this is what being engaged is like.
"Perhaps you would like to walk on my other side to practice?" he offered.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You really think I am going to need this skill, do you not? That is so infuriating!" She nevertheless took his other arm and waved the stick again. "This is much better, thank you."
He was amused. "Caroline, you are waving that stick a little at random. I am not sure you would actually accomplish anything by doing it like that."
"Hello! This is all very hypothetical, and I happen to enjoy waving sticks."
"All right then, as long as you keep it away from me."
"As long as you refrain from suggesting that it is perfectly natural that every female in town will throw herself at your feet."
"I never suggested that," he said indignantly.
"Keep it that way."
"Well, have I ever!" Bingley cried when the engaged couple had left the house. "They are engaged? I never thought I would live to see Caroline married. But what an insensitive proposal -- it was more like a business deal. Jane, I wonder why your father ever saw more. I cannot believe he proposed in public like that, and that Caroline accepted. This is too strange. I wonder if anything good can ever come of it. Why are you giggling, Georgiana? Do you know something we do not?"
"I was hoping this would happen," Georgiana giggled, "but I had hoped that it would be a little more romantic than this."
"I wonder what they are doing now," Bingley said. "It seemed to me that Caroline was a little surprised. I hope she will not be so stupid as to break off the engagement, if it was a real proposal, because I really like Fitzwilliam."
"Why would it not be real, Charles?" Jane asked.
"Well, it sounded like a joke."
"I am sure Colonel Fitzwilliam would not be so cruel as to play a joke on all of us. He does not strike me as that kind of person. It must be real, whatever their motivations might be."
"If you say so, Jane," Bingley said doubtfully. "So you are assuming they are sealing it with a kiss somewhere?"
"Charles!" Jane said with a pointed look at Georgiana.
"Sorry, Georgiana. You did not hear me say that."
Part 53
Suddenly they found themselves near the house again, and since it was rather cold outside they entered again. Colonel Fitzwilliam was still not sure if Caroline had interpreted his proposal as a joke or not. He made up his mind to tell her it was not before they went in, but he could not bring himself to say it. A servant took their coats and gloves, and he looked at her before she went into the drawing room. "Caroline..."
"Yes?"
"Could I have a word with you?"
Oh no! He is going to tell me to stop the act. We are not engaged...and I do not want to hear it. "Do you have to do that now?" she said a little crabbily.
"Well...yes...if you do not mind. I...I..." he stammered, thrown off balance by her tone.
She closed her eyes and held her breath. Say it.
A maid was scrubbing the floor near them and he glanced at her. He could never say it here. "Somewhere else."
Caroline frowned. "Where?"
He shrugged and nodded towards the other end of the hall, near the kitchen. She followed him there and waited.
"Caroline, I have not been entirely --" He was interrupted by a sudden clattering of pots and pans in the kitchen.
Entirely what? She waited anxiously, trying to finish his sentence in her mind.
"I have not been entirely truthful in my proposal," he said gravely.
She felt as if someone had dealt her a hard blow in the chest and she could only stare at him. He did not want to marry me. He was only jesting.
"I..." Before he could say more another maid came from the kitchen and started working on the floor. "Blast!" he exclaimed, and opened the first door in sight, dragging Caroline with him.
"No!" she cried, recognising the wine cellar. "Not in there. There is no--"
The door fell shut behind them and they were in the dark.
"There is no what?" he asked.
"Handle on the inside of the door," she finished her sentence lamely. "And do not move that way!" she cried and grabbed him as she felt him move away.
"Why not?" he asked curiously.
"Because you will fall down the steps."
Fitzwilliam was silent for a few minutes and she was getting nervous. "You do not mean to say..." he said eventually, trying hard to keep his voice even.
"Go ahead and laugh. You have my permission."
He put his arms around her and chuckled. Caroline felt her stomach do all kinds of strange jumps. It felt good. "You could have been seriously hurt," he said in a concerned voice near her ear.
"Mmm," she replied and put her head on his shoulder. This time, she did not mind being in the cellar at all. "I told you I would get into more trouble with you than all by myself," she said triumphantly. "Ha! I thought you were going to prevent me from locking myself out."
He put his hand over her mouth. "Blame the maids, not me. They had to clean the floor." She mumbled a long sentence behind his hand. "Nothing can shut you up, can it?" He grinned in the dark. "Wait! I know..." He removed his hand and silenced the words that immediately came out of her mouth with his lips. He had only intended to give her a brief kiss, but it felt too wonderful to stop.
Suddenly the door to the wine cellar was opened and they parted with a start. Caroline could almost hear the imaginary thump with which she returned to earth, and she stared with great alarm at the obviously surprised person who had opened the door.
"It is all right, Fosset. There is no need to look so shocked. We are engaged," Fitzwilliam said as if it was a completely normal occurrence to be found kissing in a dark wine cellar. "The lady has a predilection for wine cellars," he said conspiratorially to Fosset as he led a furiously blushing Caroline out of the cellar.
Part 54
Caroline's feelings and thoughts were in a jumble. She walked into the hall in a daze, stopping in the middle because she had no idea where she wanted to go. Colonel Fitzwilliam went into the drawing room, so she followed him. Her red colour and slightly guilty expression had not drained away yet, so it was no wonder that the others in the room eyed her curiously. They could not gather anything from the Colonel's inscrutable face. Caroline sat down and picked up her needlework, trying to seem calm and composed. She ventured a few glances at her fiancé, but he seemed unaffected by what had just passed between them, and she wondered about that.
If they had known the other's thoughts, life would not have been so complicated. Colonel Fitzwilliam was far from being unaffected or unfeeling; he merely had better skills in hiding his feelings, both from the outside world and himself. He had not been so deeply mortified by Fosset's interruption of their kiss as Caroline was, although he had been slightly embarrassed, but he was always quick to see the humour in any situation. He wondered if he had gone too far, seeing that she was clearly uncomfortable, but he had not thought, merely acted on impulse, when he had kissed her. He would never have thought he would enjoy it so much.
"So Caroline will accompany us to Matlock," Georgiana stated. This remark startled them both out of their reverie. Neither of them had considered that yet, and they stared at each other rather stupidly while they were guessing what the other was thinking. "Are we leaving tomorrow?" she asked.
"I think we could do that," Colonel Fitzwilliam said cautiously. "You both seem to be fit enough to travel." He was secretly relieved that Georgiana had taken this decision for him, because he had been wondering about what to do when they left. He had not known if Caroline expected him to take her with him to Matlock.
Caroline nodded. I am to go to Matlock with them? She had been wondering about that as well, assuming that he would not take a mock fiancée to see his parents. Now that it was Georgiana who mentioned it, she still wondered if it had been his intention as well, or if he had been forced into an engagement by his own stupidity. She wondered what she would do if that were the case. Nothing, I suppose. He kissed me, but I assume a kiss is part of the engagement deal...though a very sensational part.
"Uhh...good, that is decided then," he said. "Early tomorrow."
"Then we had better go and pack, Caroline. Will you help me?" Georgiana rose. She really disliked to be so forward, but she felt she had no choice and she was awfully curious to learn Caroline's feelings.
Caroline put her needlework aside and rose slowly. She felt confused by all the things that were happening to her. I am no longer in control of myself. Someone or something has taken over. She blushed from embarrassment when she thought of what she would have to tell her sister Louisa when she returned, and cringed. She is never going to believe what has happened to me in the past few days. Colonel Fitzwilliam saw me in my dressing gown with my hair undone, he held my hands, he hugged me, he sat in my bedchamber with me when I was ill -- and I did not even mind. Louisa must think I lost my senses! And she would be right, for the icing on the cake is that I got engaged to an officer...and he kissed me in the wine cellar and we were caught in the act by the footman. My life is a farce! She made a sound that stood midway between a sob and a snort. Quickly she exited the room and erupted in a fit of hysterical hiccups.
Georgiana was worried. "What is wrong, Caroline?"
"Nothing," Caroline gestured as they went upstairs.
"You can tell me, if you want," Georgiana offered.
"No, thank you. There is nothing wrong with me." I cannot tell you, because I do not even know what is wrong with me myself.
Georgiana gave Caroline a puzzled look. "How does it feel to be engaged?" She was becoming quite relentless.
Caroline gave Georgiana the answer that was expected of a newly engaged woman, "It feels wonderful," she said cheerfully, but she did not feel what she said. How can it really feel wonderful if I do not know what he is thinking?
Georgiana could not quite rhyme this with her previous behaviour, but she decided to play the innocent. "I am glad," she smiled. "You both look so happy," she lied. Forgive me this little lie.
Caroline did not look convinced.
What Georgiana really wanted to know was if they had kissed, but she was not bold enough to ask. The young and talkative maid who came to help her after Caroline had gone to her own room was able to enlighten her on this subject, however, and even without prompting. "I was doing the floor, Miss, and the gentleman and Miss Bingley were standing there because they had just come in..."
"Where were they standing?" Georgiana was very interested.
"In front of the drawing room, Miss, and he said to her Caroline, could I have a word with you? And then she asked him if he had to do that now, really snappy, like she can be, and I felt really sorry for him! He wanted to say something, and then he said he could not say it there, so they walked away."
"What did he want to say?"
"I don't know that, but later after a very long time I heard the Colonel say to Fosset that it he need not look so shocked because they were engaged. They came back again and Miss Bingley looked all red and embarrassed as if she had just been found doing something she should not have been doing--"
Georgiana gasped.
"--and later I heard Fosset say something about the lack of morals in the army."
Georgiana gasped again.
"I tried to find out what they had been doing, but he would not reveal anything! It does sound like they were kissing or something!"
Georgiana agreed that that was a very likely thing, and she was very excited. It proved that there was more to the proposal than met the eye, and that she had been right. She hoped it was true.
Caroline packed her things and sat looking out of her window for an hour. When she had had enough of thoughts that were going nowhere, she went downstairs. She saw no one, so she played on the pianoforte until it was time to change for dinner.
At the dinner table she acted normally and conversed on various subjects. It felt comfortable to know where she was going geographically, if not figuratively. After dinner she talked with Jane and Georgiana until the gentlemen joined them, but it took a very long time before they did.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had racked his brains over Caroline's snorted sob, but he could not find a reason for it, unless it meant that she was unhappy with the engagement, but he was almost certain that she would speak up about it if that were the case. He had spent nearly all afternoon trying to explain Bingley's household accounts to him. Bingley had asked him to do so, because Caroline was both busy and an impatient teacher. Fitzwilliam noted with some amusement that during the periods when Bingley had been alone at Netherfield, nothing had been entered, or it had been written down in the wrong places. There were lots of little notes inserted between the pages that made him laugh. Charles, I do not believe for one minute that you did not have any expenses while Louisa and I were in London. I am really offended by this suggestion that I am responsible for all the spending.
"Can Jane not do it?" Bingley whined. "I have no patience for this sort of thing. I know I am bound to forget to note these things down. I will go and get Jane."
The whole thing had to be explained all over again, and Fitzwilliam still had no chance to speak to Bingley about Caroline. He was not sure what he wanted to say, but he just wanted to talk about her.
It was only after dinner that he had the opportunity to broach the subject, and he was lucky too, because Bingley did it for him. "I am still amazed. I would never have guessed that you would end up with Caroline."
"Neither did I," Fitzwilliam murmured.
"What happened? Did you see her and think she was an absolute angel?" asked Bingley. He considered this to be a fairly rhetorical question because he did not wait for an answer. "I am glad though. Everybody seems to be getting married lately. My other sister is even expecting her first child. Oh! I did not tell Caroline that yet!"
"She knows."
"Oh. Good. I had forgotten. What did she say about it?"
"I think she was happy for her sister."
"Oh. Good. Because I was worried about that. Though I dare say she will change her mind now that she is getting married. I must say that was a most unusual proposal, Fitzwilliam. You had us all wondering if you were serious or not. Well, that is to say, we were all very surprised and I was wondering, but Jane and Georgiana seemed to think you were serious."
"You discussed it?"
"Of course. I confess I said it sounded like a joke."
"Do you think Caroline took it as a joke?" He looked worried.
"Caroline?" Bingley frowned. "Why do you ask me? Have you not discussed this with her then?"
"No."
"Oh, well. She is going to Matlock with you now so I suppose it has all taken care of itself, and you are going to have to marry her now. Perhaps if you had kissed her right after the proposal..."
"Over the breakfast table?" Colonel Fitzwilliam exclaimed. He turned slightly red at the thought of exchanging the same kind of kiss with Caroline while seated at a breakfast table in the company of other people.
"I forgot about breakfast," Bingley said pensively.
"But...what would have happened after I had kissed her?"
"Well, then she would have told you she loved you," Bingley said matter of factly.
"Oh," Fitzwilliam said. I kissed her but she did not tell me that.
Georgiana played for them all evening, and they did not tire of it because she played beautifully. Shortly after supper everybody claimed to be tired and they all went up together. Colonel Fitzwilliam dared not try out Bingley's suggestion in public, and kiss Caroline in front of her room with Bingley, Jane and Georgiana looking on. For the benefit of the others they exchanged a little more formal greeting in front of Caroline's door, one that only involved a chaste kiss on the cheek and an unconscious squeezing of the hands.
Part 55
Shortly after breakfast, when everything for their departure had been prepared, they left. Colonel Fitzwilliam sat opposite his two companions, which gave him a good view of his betrothed.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Yes, I slept very well. Did you?" she asked politely.
"Yes, I did too."
"There were no people in distress that called upon you?"
"No, unfortunately not, but I would not get enough sleep if it happened every night."
"Not enough sleep! Do you mean you are not an experienced hero?" she asked mockingly.
"Not at all," he said modestly.
Caroline looked out of the window for some time. She really did not know what to say this morning. "When will you go back to Pemberley?" she asked Georgiana a while later.
"In a few days."
"When Darcy has had a little time alone with his new bride," Fitzwilliam explained.
Oh. Are we going to have that too when we are married? "I see."
"We will deliver her to Pemberley."
"Deliver? Really! I wish you would express yourself a little...nicer."
He grinned. "We will take Georgiana back to Pemberley."
"That is better," she said approvingly. "But who are the we you speak of?"
"You and I."
"Me?" She looked alarmed. Pemberley? I am not sure I want to see Pemberley and Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
"Do you not want to come then?"
"I am not sure. Do I have to say it now? Can I not decide that later?"
"Certainly. In one or two days will be fine," he said with a frown. Is it a good thing that she seems reluctant to go to the Darcys? He changed the subject abruptly. "You will meet my sister at Matlock."
"How nice. I like your sister very much," she smiled.
Georgiana tried not to smile. Catherine was so much like Richard that this was almost an admission that Caroline liked him as well.
"What are you smiling at, Georgiana?" Fitzwilliam asked her.
"I am simply glad that I will see Catherine again," she said innocently. "And little Robert. He is absolutely adorable! Catherine says he is just like you used to be."
"Pray tell me how Cathy knows what I was like. She was only a year old at the time," he said dryly. He was beginning to become a little suspicious of Georgiana.
"My aunt must have told her."
They talked at little intervals, but not about anything important. As they neared their destination, Colonel Fitzwilliam began to get restless. He frequently stared out of the windows if he could detect familiar signs yet. "We are almost there," he announced with a smile. Caroline, who had attributed his fidgeting to nervousness, looked surprised. She did not know that he was very fond of the home he had been born in.
She held her breath when it came into view. It was just as beautiful as Pemberley, perhaps even more so. He could see she liked it, so he did not ask her about it.
Georgiana and her cousin Catherine had speculated on what would happen at Netherfield, but she was sure her cousin would be just as surprised as her aunt and uncle, who had heard only selected bits of information that Catherine had chosen to disclose. She was fidgeting as well, eager to get out of the carriage and talk to Catherine.
Caroline was a bit nervous when she got out of the carriage, it was a big step in her life after all, but Fitzwilliam smiled at her in the same way he had smiled when she was ill, and it helped. He presented her to the Earl and the Countess as his fiancée in a very casual manner, and she was rather surprised to see that they did not doubt his engagement for one minute, although they were both highly intrigued.
Catherine, who had just been filled in on some of the particulars by Georgiana, greeted her warmly with a mischievous smile. "You must tell me all about it," she added.
"I am not sure there is much to tell," Caroline said.
"Of course not! You only got engaged!"
Caroline gave a weak smile.
Lady Matlock was anxious to get to know her son's fiancée better, and she was eager to get them all to sit in the drawing room with her. "I admit I am somewhat surprised, although when Catherine informed me that Richard had been quoting sonnets, I knew something was wrong."
Colonel Fitzwilliam glared at his sister who smiled back sweetly. "That had nothing to do with my engagement," he protested.
"Oh no, no sonnets, I beg you," Caroline said with a shudder.
"See?" he cried triumphantly to his mother.
"It was not your merit, but my disapproval that caused you to refrain from quoting sonnets to me," Caroline replied.
"What? Are all the women conspiring against me?" he grinned.
There was more conversation until Catherine suggested to her brother that he give Caroline a tour of the house. Her mother approved of the idea. "Excellent, but do hurry a bit, Richard. You have only two hours till dinner."
Caroline would have thought an hour would be quite enough, but obviously there was much more to see than she thought.
"Uncle Fitzwilliam, I am coming too," Robert cried and bounced towards him.
"No Robert," Catherine called him back, but the Colonel smiled at her and took Robert anyway.
"Can I sit on your shoulders?" Robert asked when they got to the first room.
"Of course," Fitzwilliam said and placed his nephew on his shoulders. He explained to Caroline what they saw, and she was impressed. They passed through some beautiful rooms that were only used on special occasions. At one point, when Caroline had already lost all sense of direction in the maze of interconnecting rooms and passages, they were interrupted by a servant who informed them that His Lordship needed a word with the Colonel. He put Robert down and told them not to move. "I will not be long."
Caroline sat down on a chair and looked at Robert. He was staring at her curiously. "Are you going to marry my uncle?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Can I sit on your shoulders then too?"
"Are you not too heavy?"
He shook his head. His eyes sparkled. "Shall we play hide and seek?"
"I do not know all the places yet, and besides, your uncle told us not to move." Caroline foresaw that she would not be able to find Robert, or that he would throw over a vase.
"Oh," Robert said in a disappointed voice. "Where are you from? Do you have any children?"
"I am from London and I do not have any children," she said with great amusement.
"Why not?"
Do they always ask so many questions? "I am not married yet."
"But you are going to marry my uncle, mama said so. Will you have any children tomorrow?" Robert's concept of time was not very clear yet.
"Tomorrow?" Caroline was shocked by the thought. "No, not tomorrow."
"Yesterday?" it sounded hopefully.
She pressed her hand to her mouth. "Yesterday was...yesterday," she said helplessly.
"Today!"
"No, today is right now."
"It must be tomorrow then," exclaimed.
Caroline gave up. "Yes, tomorrow."
Robert was satisfied with this answer and sat down for a few minutes until he got bored. Caroline was studying a painting, so she did not see him slide off his chair and move behind hers. Suddenly she felt something tug at her hair and light footsteps running away. He had managed to pull all but one pin out and her hair now hung down on her back. Of course he had already disappeared into an adjoining room that had three exits when she realised what he had done. She ran after him because she wanted her hair pins back before Colonel Fitzwilliam would return and she took a random exit. Far ahead she saw a glimpse of him and she headed in that direction, but he knew his way around better than she did and she could not catch up with him.
When she ran around a corner she bumped right into her fiancé and his mother. Caroline looked at them in horror. "I am sorry. I was looking for Robert," she said breathlessly. Fitzwilliam looked amused as usual but his mother's face was impassive. She wondered if Lady Matlock disapproved of her. "He...he pulled out my hair pins."
"Oh! Is that why your hair looks so wild?" Fitzwilliam smirked.
"My hair looks wild?" Caroline almost shrieked.
"Not at all," Lady Matlock assured her. "Do not worry. He pulls them out of Catherine's hair all the time," she said with a smile. "Do finish your tour. I will have Robert bring back your hair pins and apologise."
Part 56
"Do not look so appalled," Colonel Fitzwilliam said to Caroline when his mother had left them. "Are you angry with him? I am sure he did not mean any harm. He likes to play tricks on people."
"That must be a family trait."
"Why, do you know of any more family members that show signs of it?" His eyes twinkled.
"Certainly, although I should like to think that you have outgrown this kind of tricks."
"I am surprised by your faith in me." He was not so sure if he had really outgrown it--pulling Caroline's hair pins out sounded exactly like something he might want to do one day.
"I wonder if my family has a characteristic trait," Caroline mused. "I do not resemble Charles at all, and Louisa does not resemble him much either.
"In some ways you do, I have observed. You both have that early morning over-activeness sometimes, when you cry I cannot sit still," he imitated her absurdly.
"I do not speak like that!" She smacked him on the arm.
"I was giving you an impression of Bingley," he said gravely.
"Oh!" She smacked him again. "He does not speak like that either."
"Shall we continue our tour?" Fitzwilliam asked.
"Where did we leave off? I am completely lost after that chase."
He laughed. "Here of course."
She looked around herself in amazement. "He ran in a circle! I see it now. That must be why you were coming in here."
"What did you and Robert do before he..." he smirked, "got into mischief?"
"You do not seem to disapprove of it," she asked curiously.
"It was a means to an agreeable end. It is quite interesting to see your hair undone."
"I do not see what is so interesting about it," Caroline looked puzzled.
"No, I suppose you would not, but what did you and Robert do?"
"Oh, we talked. No, actually, he asked me a hundred questions."
"What about?"
"If I was going to marry you, and if he could sit on my shoulders then too --"
"I would love to see that," Fitzwilliam commented. "Did you say yes?"
Caroline ignored him. "Then he asked me if I had any children --"
"Do you?" he asked in an interested voice.
"Ha ha. I told him I was not married yet --"
"That is not exactly a necessary -- oh, never mind." He waved her on.
"Then he asked me if I would have any children tomorrow, yesterday or today..."
"Today! I should hope not!" He exclaimed.
"I said no," she continued imperturbably, "and I know this is probably not what you like to hear, but --"
"I do not mind," he hastened to say. "If you do not want any children, I mean, well..." he shrugged. "I would not want any children that were half unwanted."
Is he talking about children we might have together? I have not given that any thought yet! Caroline gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about?"
He looked flushed. "What are you talking about?"
"I was saying that you would probably not like to hear that I got tired of Robert's questions and finally gave in to him and admitted that I was going to have children tomorrow."
"Good gracious! How many?" He was rather relieved.
"He did not ask, fortunately, or I might have been tempted to say ten or twelve."
Part 57
"Ten or twelve?" he exclaimed in shock. "Not all of them girls, I hope?"
"Of course," she said mischievously.
"Ten little Carolines?" he cried. "Have mercy!"
"Why? What is wrong with me?"
Only one of you is enough to drive me insane, let alone ten! "I am glad that this fantasy only exists in Robert's mind," Fitzwilliam said.
Robert was sent up to return Caroline's hair pins. "I am sorry," he said with his head down. He had obviously been punished because his eyes were red from crying.
"Thank you," she said and she felt sorry for him. She bent over and whispered in his ear. "I am not angry with you." His face lit up and he ran away.
"What did you say?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked curiously as he watched her put her hair up again with some regret, but she only smiled. "Keep your hair down," he advised her when it would not stay put. "We are going to have to change for dinner anyway. If I had any clue, I would offer my help, but I regret to say that I do not."
"Would it be safe to trust my hair to you?" Caroline said while she made a frantic effort to get her hair to stay up.
"Of course. I would make sure you looked lovelier than ever," he grinned. She did not believe him for a second, and his grin widened.
He led her through the passage and up some stairs. "Do you know which room they put you in?"
"I have no idea. Did they not tell you that when you were called away?"
He gave her a sideways glance. The Earl had quizzed him on his fiancée's fortune, because that was rather an important issue for a younger son, and apparently he had been satisfied with the answer. After that he had encountered his mother who had asked him what his father had said, but neither had told him where Caroline was staying. "I think we are going to have to open a few doors. These are all taken," he gestured at the rooms they passed. "The guest quarters begin here."
"Where are you staying?"
He pointed back. "The second door on the left."
"But if I stand here, it will be the third door on the left, and they all look alike to me so I shall never know where I am. I suppose I shall have to count from the beginning of the passage."
Fitzwilliam opened a door and looked in. "No, you will not. You are in here. He bowed. "I shall see you at dinner."
"Did you like the house, Miss Bingley?" Lady Matlock asked some time after dinner before the gentlemen joined them.
"I liked it very well, my lady, and it was a pity that we had to go and change for dinner."
"I hope you were not too upset by Robert," Catherine said. "He said you were not angry with him."
"No, I was not," Caroline replied.
"Robert was very excited about the fact that you were going to have children tomorrow," Lady Matlock remarked.
"Oh! I hope no one believed him," Caroline cried in a concerned voice and Catherine smirked. "He kept asking so many questions that I gave in and said yes. I had said no to tomorrow, today and yesterday, but he told me it had to be tomorrow, and I had enough of it so I said yes."
The other women laughed. "I wonder what Richard will think of that," his mother said.
"I told him," Caroline replied seriously. "He asked me how many and I said I was tempted to say ten or twelve --"
"Ten or twelve?" Catherine exclaimed with a giggle. "Surely you cannot mean that."
"Of course not. I think the number proves very well that I was not serious. If I had said two, he might have thought I was serious."
"What did my brother say?"
"'Not all of them girls, I hope?' I said of course, and then he said, 'Ten little Carolines? Have mercy!'"
They laughed again. "How about ten little Richards?" Lady Matlock suggested.
Caroline looked horrified. "I do not even know what I am supposed to make of one."
"Has he been teasing you?" Lady Matlock asked sympathetically.
"I never know whether he means something or not because he is never serious," Caroline complained.
"He may not always be serious, but he is always honest," his mother said. "I have never heard him utter a falsehood to someone who might interpret it wrongly. I know he misbehaves around foolish people, but even then he is honest, I believe. He would not give any of those silly followers of his the idea that he loved them, for example."
This gave Caroline some food for thought. That means he was serious about the proposal, but how about those things that might have been compliments if they had been spoken in another tone? "Does he never exaggerate?"
"Yes, he does, but there is always some truth in it."
Caroline grew pensive and Georgiana settled herself next to her aunt. "I think she was referring to the proposal," she whispered.
"What about it?"
"It sounded like a joke."
Lady Matlock got up and took Georgiana with her to the other side of the room. "Tell me about that proposal. How do you know it sounded like a joke?"
"I was there." Georgiana told her aunt what had happened.
She was appalled. "He went too far. That poor girl! No wonder she does not know what to make of him. I am amazed that she accepted."
"I think she loves him," Georgiana giggled.
"I do not know her well enough to be able to say that, but I can tell you that your cousin looks quite delighted every time he sees her. How convenient, there he comes to illustrate it! Look at his expression, Georgiana."
They studied Colonel Fitzwilliam's face as he walked into the room. He looked only at Caroline and he grinned rather widely.
Part 58
The Darcys sat in their breakfast parlour that morning eating breakfast while Mr. Darcy opened his mail. He picked up a letter. "It is from Georgiana!"
"What does she write?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"I shall read it to you." He said, and he began.
Dear William,I hope you and Elizabeth are well. Due to an illness we are still at Netherfield, but do not worry for it is nothing serious. In the meantime I have become friends with the Miss Bennets. I shall expect us to leave for Matlock as soon as the engagement is settled. You may reply to me there.
Your loving sister, &c
"Engagement? Whose engagement?" Elizabeth cried.
"I certainly hope it is not Georgiana's!" Darcy was equally surprised. "I had better not be."
"I do not think so. She would have volunteered more information in that case."
"But why does she have to wait for it before she can go to Matlock?" He looked at his other letters. "I think I saw a letter from Fitzwilliam here. Perhaps he can clarify things."
Elizabeth looked on with interest as her husband opened the letter. She saw Darcy's face turn from curiosity, through puzzlement, to incredulity. "What is it?" she asked anxiously. He said nothing, but reread the epistle again. "William? What does he write?" she pressed him.
Finally he looked up. "He got engaged."
"What?" Elizabeth gasped. "It was him? Colonel Fitzwilliam finally got engaged? To whom?"
"You are never going to believe this," Darcy said sardonically. "To Miss Bingley."
"What?" Elizabeth gasped again. "No, I do not believe it. He cannot be serious."
"It does not strike me as a very serious letter," Darcy replied, "but his letters never are."
"No! To Miss Bingley! I seriously doubt her motives. She cannot have you so she goes for your cousin. Despicable!"
"Now, Elizabeth..."
"Do not tell me you believe that he genuinely loves her."
"He does not write that. He writes very little upon the subject, only that he writes to inform me that he has gotten himself engaged to Miss Bingley today and that he will see us when he brings Georgiana back to Pemberley."
"He is much too good for her. Why would he marry her?"
"Because she is wealthy?" Darcy guessed.
"I would never have thought him capable of such a thing!" Elizabeth exclaimed in agitation. "Why does everyone marry for security? First Charlotte, and now Colonel Fitzwilliam!"
"Are you sure you are not a little bit quick to judge, my dear? Surely you cannot compare Miss Bingley to Mr. Collins! Think about it. What is in it for Caroline? I hardly think that she will enjoy being an officer's wife! There must be more to this," Darcy said reasonably.
"She is only marrying him for his connections," Elizabeth said stubbornly. "And because she will be left over if she does not marry soon. They have that much in common at least."
"Elizabeth! She is only five and twenty."
"So is Mr. Collins! How would you know that anyway? Why are you so eager to defend her?"
"I am not," he protested.
"Yes, you are! How do you know her age?"
"Bingley told me. Elizabeth, you will be able to quiz my cousin on the subject of his engagement, because he will be bringing Georgiana back in a few days."
"You may depend upon it that I will."
Neither of them paid any attention to the dates on the letters and the fact that Georgiana expected an engagement the day before it actually came about.
"You look serious," Colonel Fitzwilliam said as he seated himself next to his fiancée.
She looked at him. "Yes, I was thinking." I want to talk to you alone.
"What were you thinking about?"
"We never finished that tour of the house." Caroline was not quite sure if it was acceptable to suggest that they go somewhere alone, but she would soon find out.
"Would you like to do that now?"
"Yes, please. That would be nice," she smiled.
The Colonel looked around the room if they would be missed, but the only ones who were looking at them were his mother and Georgiana, so he walked over to announce that he was going to continue the tour.
His mother smiled knowingly and she nodded. "Of course. I understand that you have many things to discuss. Robert has told us some very interesting news." He turned red and she laughed. "It may be interesting to know that the prospect of having ten little versions of you is equally daunting to your fiancée as the prospect of having ten little versions of her is to you, because you seem to be quite a handful to her, although I must say I think you are uncommonly improved. I think this will be a very advantageous match indeed," she said mischievously, referring to his own words.
Fitzwilliam gave Georgiana an incredulous look. "Did you..."
"Yes, she did," Lady Matlock answered. "And I am glad she did, because I understand things much better now." She waved him off.
"Did your mother say anything shocking?" Caroline asked as soon as they were out in the hall and walking into a passageway.
"She said I was quite a handful."
"I would agree with her."
"Being married to me will be very hard then, I suppose," he mused.
"Will it be harder than being married to me?" she asked.
"I doubt that," he said playfully. "You already compromised me before our marriage by inviting me into your bedroom, and suggesting that you were having children."
"Oh!" she cried indignantly, but her eyes sparkled. "And who was the one who kissed me?"
"Do you mean you do not know who kissed you?" He pretended disbelief.
"It was dark," Caroline countered. "I could not see, only feel."
They had stopped walking and were now facing each other. "I hope you do not mean that it could have been someone else."
"I am sure I would feel the difference," she said softly.
"Well, I hope you would not," Fitzwilliam said.
"Why not?"
"Because I would not like you kissing anyone else." He stepped closer.
"Why not?"
"Because..." He touched her face. "I could not bear it."
Caroline felt wonderful and she smiled happily. "I could not bear to be kissed by anyone else either."
"Do you want me to prove that it was really me?" he grinned. "To relieve your worries?"
"I insist upon it," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Anything you say, my dear," he said before he kissed her.
Part 59
"Well?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked.
"Huh?" Caroline said, dreamily staring into space. "Oh! Oh, yes." She smiled at him. "Now if you would have done that before you proposed to me, I would not have had such doubts."
Would it really have helped if we had kissed before? "Would you have let me?"
"After all the other things I let you do and see? I am usually rather particular about being properly dressed and coiffed. I should have known that not caring about how you saw me was a sign of being far gone," she laughed embarrassedly.
"Do not look so embarrassed. You were a very pretty sight, and that one time I had to open the door for you I was not so very well-dressed myself." He offered her his arm and they walked on.
"Really? I never noticed that."
"You were too busy noticing I had blue eyes, I think. Caroline," he said, suddenly serious. "My leave of absence expires very soon. I think we should discuss what we are going to do. I do not know what you prefer, waiting several months, or hurrying it."
"Several months is quite a long time," she said thoughtfully. "I think I would prefer to hurry it, unless you have great objections to that."
"No, I do not have any objections. In fact, I would prefer that option as well, before you change your mind about marrying me when you find out who you are marrying -- an officer. My dear Caroline, surely you must have realised that half of your orange-coloured wardrobe will suddenly become useless?" He was rather surprised that she preferred a quick marriage.
"Nonsense! I do not see you wearing your regimentals very often. The only time I saw you wear them was at the wedding."
"But you only saw me on leave, and you will see me in them very often if you live with me."
"I do not think I will be equal to the sight," she said weakly. "I might faint."
"I could always leave you here," he offered.
"No," Caroline said in a decided tone. "Are you backing out? It is all of me or nothing of me."
Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned. "I should have known."
They finished their tour about an hour later. Georgiana, Catherine and her husband had been waiting for Caroline because they wanted to play a game of cards. The four of them sat down at the card table, while the Colonel had a serious discussion with his parents about the arrangements of his upcoming marriage.
They decided that a special license would be best. The Colonel's leave ended soon, and his next long one would be a very long time away. It would perhaps be as much as six months before he could take enough time off to get married, because there were always formalities to be taken care of. He had two weeks left now, and that would be not be perfect, but sufficient.
"Would Miss Bingley have enough time before the wedding?" his mother asked. She was rather amused by the whole situation. He had never wanted to even consider marriage, and now it had to be done as quickly as possible with little or no preparation. She wondered if he had properly consulted with his fiancée -- she struck her as a young lady who liked to be well-prepared.
The two men stared at her as if they did not see the problem. "Three days," Lord Matlock protested, as if he thought that three hours would be sufficient time as well.
"That should be enough," Colonel Fitzwilliam said doubtfully. He had no idea, especially since Caroline had informed him that she was usually rather particular about being properly dressed and coiffed. He would have to ask her after she finished the card game. She would probably not thank him for it if he disturbed her game and she lost because of his interruption.
"And after the wedding?" Lady Matlock inquired.
"London?" he suggested with a shrug. "I should think that we have some matters to see to there. And we must bring Georgiana back to Pemberley."
"Richard, I shall not have a son of mine take his bride to an inn," she said decidedly. "No matter how little time he has to conduct his business in. Surely you can spare a few days to take her somewhere else? I do not think you should stay here, unless you would both want to very much, which I have never seen a newly-wed couple do."
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked uneasy. This was not something he enjoyed discussing with his mother. He would feel much more comfortable talking about this with his father.
"Take her to the hunting lodge," Lord Matlock suggested.
"That would be a good idea," his wife agreed.
The Colonel nodded. It would be nice to go somewhere quiet and reasonably comfortable. The thought of spending his first days as a married man under the curious eyes of his relatives was not the most appealing thing he could think of. He wondered how he should discuss this with Caroline and glanced at her.
"I shall discuss all that with Miss Bingley after supper," Lady Matlock said quickly. He gave his mother a relieved look and she moved away when they started to discuss money.
Part 60
After supper Lady Matlock took Caroline to her parlour. "We discussed your wedding before supper," she informed Caroline.
Caroline was not surprised. "That is what I thought you were doing."
"I understand it was the wish of both of you to get married quickly?"
"Yes, I would prefer that, my lady."
"Would you object to being married in three days from now?"
Three days? That is very soon, but I said I preferred to hurry it... "Uhh...I suppose I would not," she swallowed.
"If you do not agree you must say so, but Richard thinks this would be best. Will you have enough time to prepare yourself for the wedding?"
Caroline thought of Louisa's wedding and she frowned. Although she could not quite remember what they had been busy with, the preparations had taken extremely long, especially since some of their aunts had been interfering. "I think so," she said doubtfully.
"Finding a gown should not be a very difficult thing. We will take you shopping tomorrow and pick out a very beautiful one for you because your wedding day will be an important day for you. You must be nervous."
"A little," Caroline smiled, grateful for the understanding.
"I should think you have reason to be more than a little nervous after what Georgiana told me about that proposal," Lady Matlock chuckled. "I understand it was quite original. Were you not in terrible doubt? I should have been completely confused."
Caroline looked alarmed that Lady Matlock knew about the proposal. "I hope that will not become some family joke."
The older woman was greatly amused. "But of course it will! It is just the sort of thing the family appreciate. They are all terrible teases, like Richard."
"He knows when to stop."
His mother was surprised. "Does he?"
"He was very kind to me at Netherfield," said Caroline as she studied the healed scratches on her hands.
"I am glad to hear that. Now, about the days after the wedding...the two of you can go to our hunting lodge for a few days, or if you wish, you could stay here. I gathered you have some business in London to take care of as well, and you can go there immediately after the wedding, or after a few days. I do not know what you prefer, and this is only a suggestion, but would the lodge be acceptable to you?"
Caroline looked bewildered. It was suddenly coming very close, and she wished she still had a mother to guide her through all of it. Unfortunately, her mother had died when she miscarried twins when Caroline was twelve, and she and Louisa had been sent off to a strict school where they had not been allowed to grieve for their mother after that. She had the sudden urge to cry for her mother and tears sprang to her eyes.
"Am I overwhelming you?" Lady Matlock said sympathetically. "I should advise you to go to the lodge. You are very welcome to stay here, but from my own experience -- we spent the first days after the wedding here with my husband's parents and all of his younger siblings -- I know you would probably be longing for some time alone, or you will think you did not marry one man, but his parents, a sister and three brothers as well, like I did." Her eyes twinkled.
Caroline could not help but give a small smile at this prospect. She enjoyed being with him, whether she played cards, walked in the garden or argued with him. "It sounds like good advice, my lady."
"Then why are you crying, my dear?"
After a long and relieving talk about her mother with Lady Matlock, Caroline went to bed. It was quite late and she was certain that everybody else was already asleep. Tomorrow they would go shopping, and she was looking forward to that. Even if she was not going to have a big wedding, she did want to look her prettiest.
Part 61
In the morning Caroline went down for breakfast and found only Colonel Fitzwilliam and the Earl there. "Will this be another eventful breakfast, I wonder?" the Colonel said mischievously as he pulled out the chair next to his own for Caroline. One breakfast she had made him drop his cup, and the other he had proposed to her.
"Does the exception not make the rule?"
"Aww," he said with mock disappointment. "It was your turn again."
"I shall think about it," Caroline said demurely.
The others soon entered and they talked about various things while the Colonel was wondering what Caroline and his mother had talked about the night before. He hoped she had agreed to the suggestions, and he was not really paying attention to what he was doing or whether the cup he raised to his mouth was really his or not. It was not, and he found that out as soon as he took a sip. Being used to putting sugar in his coffee, it tasted awfully bitter and he grimaced. He put it down and started to reach for the sugar bowl, but Caroline's hand pulled his hand down on the table.
"I do not like sugar in my coffee," she whispered. Fitzwilliam stared at her in some confusion, and then at the coffee. Caroline patted his hand. "But thank you, anyway."
"Do you really drink it like that?" he asked in a low voice, looking rather disgusted.
She kept her eyes on him as she sipped her coffee to show him. Colonel Fitzwilliam pulled a face when she drank all of the contents of her cup. Caroline nudged him with her knee and hissed, "Stop distorting your features like that! It almost makes you look ugly." It sounded as if she really minded.
He leant his face in his hands to hide his laughter and promptly received more impatient nudges. He could not contain himself much longer and fled from the table into the hall where he burst out laughing.
The whole table looked rather startled at his sudden disappearance, but especially Caroline. She wondered if he was angry, and her spirits fell. She had her gaze almost fixed on the door, even if it meant that she had to turn in her chair. What she really wanted to do was run after him, but she was not sure if such an action would be looked upon very kindly by Lord Matlock. Lady Matlock saw Caroline's stares and her fidgeting and she waited with interest for the moment when Caroline would get up and leave the room too. She had judged the situation correctly, for after two minutes Caroline excused herself indistinctly and fled the breakfast parlour in search of her fiancé.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was no longer in the hall and she frowned. Where did he go? She could not imagine why he would go to any of the other rooms, so she headed for his bedroom and ran up the stairs. Caroline counted the doors and knocked on his door. There was no answer, but she shrugged and opened the door anyway. She halted on the threshold and glanced into the room. He was not there either but she looked around the room curiously. The only men's rooms she had seen were her father's and Charles'. This did not look like Charles' room at all, somehow, even if it was unmistakably a man's room.
"Caroline?" Lady Matlock's voice asked behind her. She turned with a start, but she saw the other woman looked amused. "I thought that you might want to finish your breakfast."
"I am sorry for running away," Caroline said anxiously. "But..."
"I understand. Now go down and finish your breakfast."
Caroline wondered if Lady Matlock was angry with her, but she had sounded very friendly actually. With a deep blush on her cheeks she hurried down into the breakfast parlour. She entered and noticed that only Fitzwilliam was still seated there. He looked surprised when he saw her enter.
"Where did you go?" she cried indignantly.
"Where did you go?" He was almost as indignant.
Caroline sat down and looked at her unfinished breakfast. "I went after you."
"Why?"
"I wanted to know why you ran away so suddenly."
"I had to laugh."
"Laugh?" She was aghast. "You made me misbehave because you were laughing?" Her reaction was enough to start him laughing again. "Do not laugh at me. This is serious. It was uncivil of me to run away like that. I do not doubt that Lord Matlock is very upset with me, and Lady Matlock caught me upstairs and ordered me to finish my breakfast."
"She ordered you?" he gasped. His mother would never do that. When he had returned to breakfast with a serious countenance and he had looked rather taken aback at Caroline's absence, she had winked at him. Another thing struck him. "What were you doing upstairs?"
"I was trying to find you," she confessed.
"Where did you think I had gone?"
"To your bedchamber."
"How do you know I went there?" Colonel Fitzwilliam looked amazed.
"Really! One does not run away from breakfast to hide in the library, I thought. But why are you so surprised? You were not there. I was wrong."
"I was there."
"No, you were not."
"Oh! Did you check?"
"Yes, I did."
"I am shocked, Caroline," he said gravely, but his eyes danced. "You must have just missed me. I took the back stairs down and I was there only very briefly. Did you like the room? I find it a very agreeable room, it is very sunny in the morning."
"I did not go in, I merely looked in," she said with a blush. "And then your mother came and she ordered me to go downstairs."
"She did not order you, she ordered me. She ordered me to stay here until she had found you."
"Oh."
He grinned. "Do you want some more coffee?"
"Yes, please."
He poured them both a cup, and put sugar in his cup. "My father and I are going to get a license today."
"We are going shopping too."
"Oh! That reminds me of something." He put down his cup. "Give me your left hand."
"Why?" Caroline asked curiously.
He examined her rings and pointed at one. "May I borrow that one?"
"Borrow it?" she exclaimed.
"Yes," he grinned again. "You will see in two days."
"You have my leave to take it off."
"Why, thank you." Fitzwilliam slid it off her finger and put it in a little box which he put in his pocket. "May I just get a general idea of your taste?" He studied her other rings carefully.
"Well, what is my taste?" she asked.
"Expensive."
"That is all? Not good or bad?"
"Good taste, of course. I would not marry a woman of bad taste."
Their little tête-à-tête was interrupted by Lord Matlock. "Richard, are you ready? We are leaving in ten minutes."
He rose with regret. "We will stay away for almost two days. I shall see you tomorrow evening."
Caroline rose too. "Good-bye, Richard." She kissed him on the cheek, but after he looked over his shoulder to see if his father was still there, he kissed her on the mouth and left with a grin.
Part 62
Not long after breakfast the ladies went to Lady Matlock's favourite dressmaker. While the younger ladies admired some gowns that were displayed in the front of the shop, Lady Matlock had a quick word with the proprietress in the back. "We are looking for a wedding gown, Mrs. Johnson. My son got engaged a few days ago and he is getting married on Wednesday. I have brought his fiancée."
"Young people are always in such a hurry," Mrs. Johnson smiled, and she looked curiously towards the front of the shop to get a good look at Caroline, and she wondered if the cause of the hurry would be visible. "What did you have in mind, my lady? I have a piece of fabric that would make a lovely wedding gown, and its colours would go very well with the lady's complexion."
Caroline was summoned over and introduced to Mrs. Johnson. One of her assistants was ordered to fetch the fabric. It was smooth, off-white and lined with silver. "Do you like it, Miss Bingley?"
"Yes, I like it very much." Caroline felt slightly uncomfortable as the dressmaker looked her up and down with a professional eye.
"You seem to have an easy figure as far as I can see. Good. That will make it much easier."
Mrs. Johnson took Caroline's measurements and the fitting then began. After Caroline had been standing patiently for a long time while the fabric was being adjusted and cut around her, Mrs. Johnson had a rough model of the gown, held together with pins. It promised to look very beautiful once it was finished, and all the ladies expressed their admiration. Caroline already liked the sight of herself in the unfinished gown, and she was certain that Colonel Fitzwilliam would like her in it when it was finished. She smiled in delight, oblivious to the smiles of the others.
While Caroline was changing back into her own gown, it was arranged between Lady Matlock and Mrs. Johnson that they would come back the next day around three o'clock. "That will give me some time to make any changes, if that would be necessary," Mrs. Johnson said, but Lady Matlock knew that she hardly ever needed to do that, and the woman knew it as well. "However, I do not think it very likely. Miss Bingley has an excellent figure to make gowns for."
"I am sorry to cause so much trouble at such short notice," Lady Matlock apologised.
"Do not worry, my lady. Brides are my favourite customers -- they are extremely patient because their thoughts are elsewhere," Mrs. Johnson smiled. "And it was a fortunate coincidence that it is not very busy this week."
The four ladies then left the shop to have tea somewhere. "You will look lovely in the gown," Catherine said. "Richard will love you in it."
Her mother smiled. She was sure he would love his bride in anything. "You will be a picture."
"Thank you," Caroline said earnestly. "I am very grateful that you would take the trouble..." She paused and blinked.
"You will be a part of the family, and besides, you do not have anyone else to assist you. I hope you do not mind that I have sent for your brother?" Lady Matlock asked.
"My brother?" Caroline was surprised. "Is he coming?"
"I do not know that, but I sent a servant to Netherfield with the message that you were to be married on Wednesday. We shall see."
"Thank you," she whispered. She hated it when she had to cry and she blinked furiously, but it was so extremely kind of Lady Matlock to send for Charles so she would not be alone among all those people who were related to each other.
They visited one more shop to buy some small things and then it was time to return home for dinner. After dinner Lady Matlock and Catherine told stories about their own weddings and courtships, and the younger ladies giggled so much that Catherine's husband Philip who had not joined the other men on their trip, excused himself and departed to the library with an exasperated look on his face.
On Tuesday the ladies all went shopping again to buy the other things that were needed, and at three o'clock they visited the dressmaker. Mrs. Johnson and her assistants had worked very hard and the gown was ready. Caroline put it on and she was indeed a picture. She was slightly disappointed when she had to take it off again.
After having spent half a day traveling and the other half in pursuit of a special license, the gentlemen made it an early night in a hotel. The second day was to be used for the purchase of several things, the most important being of course the wedding ring. Colonel Fitzwilliam basically lived off some investments in property that he had made and not off what he earned as a colonel, because that was not much. He lived comfortably, for a bachelor, but Caroline's expensive taste worried him slightly. It was true that she was bringing a fortune into the marriage, but judging by her clothes and jewelry she also spent a fortune. He shrugged his worries off, for if they had both been able to manage before, they surely should be able to do so after they were married. He hoped he knew what Caroline would appreciate, but he was not entirely sure. In the first jeweler's shop he and his father entered he could not find anything he liked. The Earl, who did not enjoy shopping, sighed when Fitzwilliam insisted that they go to another shop. "In my days young ladies were not so fussy."
"I suppose that is why mother has such a beautiful ring?"
"That happened to be the first ring I saw, in the first shop," Lord Matlock defended himself.
"Of course," Fitzwilliam said sarcastically. "No doubt they had a much more limited selection of wedding rings fifty years ago so it was not that difficult."
"Thirty-six years ago, and why do you young people always think that we did not have anything in our youth? I hope you can find something to your liking in this shop because I am getting rather thirsty."
Colonel Fitzwilliam did not feel particularly pressed by his father's thirst and he carefully studied all the wedding rings the jeweler had to offer. Finally he saw one he liked, but it was one among the normal rings and not a wedding ring, but the only difference between the two categories seemed to be one in price and not really in appearance. It had small stones set in a band of gold and it was not at all flashy, but none of Caroline's rings were really flashy. He closed his eyes to imagine it on her finger and he thought it would look very well. There were two of them in different sizes. He compared one to that of Caroline's own ring, and it was the same. "That one, please," he said.
"Are you certain, sir? That is not a wedding ring," the jeweler warned him. He did not like to miss the chance to sell expensive jewelry to wealthy gentlemen.
"It will be tomorrow."
Lord Matlock did not attempt to argue with his son. He knew that he was quite unyielding once he had really decided on something. For his part he was glad that they could go and have a drink now, but Colonel Fitzwilliam was not quite ready yet because he had also seen a bracelet that went with the ring.
When they were finally seated behind a drink, Fitzwilliam could not refrain from unwrapping his purchases to study them another time. His father watched him. "Richard, was there a real necessity to get married so quickly?"
His son caught his meaning very well, and he shook his head. "Of course not."
"It is not that I would have minded," the Earl thought it best to pass over this subject very quickly and continued, "but I was rather surprised at the suddenness of the whole affair after all those years your mother attempted to get you interested in every eligible girl in the neighbourhood."
"It was not as sudden as that. Looking back I see that it took me rather long, because I first met her three years ago." He waited impatiently for his father to finish his drink and reminded him that they had some more things to buy.
"There is no point in returning too early. The ladies will be busy themselves and they are probably not even at home."
He did miss Caroline. It was rather dull without her, and he opened the box with Caroline's ring again to look at it. She still wore this yesterday morning.
Caroline was going to pack her things and she asked Catherine to help her. "I am not sure what I need when I am married."
Catherine grinned. "Nothing changes, except that you might want to take that nice nightgown because there will now be someone who sees you in it."
"He already saw me in my nightgown with my dressing gown over it," Caroline said, "when I was ill."
"Interesting! Was this before or after the proposal?"
"Before."
"Oh!" Catherine cried and then she calmed down. "I suppose you will not be very nervous about being seen in your nightgown tomorrow night then."
Caroline thought about this as she folded some articles of clothing. "Not at all," she replied with a smile.
"I was very nervous about my wedding," Catherine confessed. "But there was no reason. I did not forget what I was supposed to say during the ceremony and I was so afraid that would happen."
Caroline chuckled and she heard the sound of a carriage. She ran to the window and looked out. "It is Charles," she said, and she walked downstairs.
Bingley was rather surprised when his sister threw her arms around him to embrace him. She had never greeted him so enthusiastically before. "Caroline, you must be really happy to see me."
"Yes, of course, and I am glad to see you too, Jane," she said as she gave Jane a hug as well.
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lord Matlock arrived home when everybody was changing, and Caroline did not see him until they were called for dinner. She was so happy to see him that she grinned like an idiot, and she was disappointed that they did not have the opportunity to exchange many words. Lady Matlock had wisely not put them next to each other at the table, to avoid a repetition of yesterday's breakfast, but they were now seated across from each other. Caroline found it rather frustrating that they could not really talk about what they had done in the past two days. That would have to wait until tomorrow, and consequently neither of them said very much during dinner or afterwards. They only looked and smiled. Caroline went to bed very early -- it would take a long time for her to get ready in the morning.