I paced across the floor of the private room where I had agreed to met that lame excuse of a man that was George Wickham regarding his elopement. I decided to pace, instead, by the desk, and I started thinking about how much more I abhorred this man, for now he had harmed my beloved Elizabeth, and now he was keeping me from her. What an insulate man! I slammed my fists down on the desk in anger, and a knock at the door interrupted my thoughts of Elizabeth. "Come in," I said sternly, and the door opened.
"Wait right here, Liddy, my love," came Wickham's voice, and the fool himself followed, closing the door behind him. "Hello, Darcy, my old friend."
"There is a fine line between 'playmate' and 'friend'. Sit down," I said, my eyes trained on him. He smirked and sat down across from me, and I took my seat at the desk. "What is tempting you to elope with the youngest Miss Bennet?"
"Can't a man be in love, Darcy? Surely, you and your now wife, I believe, had the same idea."
"Do not attack my wife, and no, we did not elope. This is not about my situation, George, this is about the mess you have caused. I will not believe for a moment that you possess feelings for Miss Lydia."
"Feelings exist, that I will not deny, but no, I am not in love with her."
"I did not think so."
"Once I found out that her elder sister was the object of your affections, I figured there was no better way at getting back at you than going after her."
"You have nothing to seek revenge for, Wickham."
"Don't I? You did deny me my fortune, though it were small."
"I denied you nothing! You wasted it all on drinks and gambling and prostitutes!" Manage yourself, Darcy... "I cannot allow you to attack and victimize my family any longer. You will marry Miss Lydia Bennet and I will not allow you to deny me that wish."
"Really? Well, I deny you that wish."
"Your intention was to leave Miss Lydia a woman broken from your promise of marriage with a child. Can you not ruin the Bennet family any more? Why must you victimize so many women to begin with and give them my name instead of yours?"
"You denied me what was rightfully mine."
"I denied you nothing. I increased the amount that was given to you by my father. You will marry Miss Lydia Bennet."
"And if I do you this little favor, what will you, in turn, do for me?" I closed my eyes in irritation for a moment; I knew what it was that I had to so, but the question was, could my family and Pemberley afford it?
"My new husband and I are to come immediately and visit for a few short days before joining the regiment up north," read Papa from Lydia's letter, and we all let out a sigh of relief. Mama, upstairs, let out a cry of joy, and she rushed down the stairs shouting at the maids to put the freshest and softest of linens on the bed that Mr. and Mrs. Wickham would be sharing. "How in the name of God did Mr. Darcy do it?"
"It must have been expensive," I said, imagining now that my husband would soon be returning to me! It had been almost a fortnight since our wedding, and now, he would soon be joining me and Georgiana again! Both of us rejoiced in knowing we were to see him again and we wondered if we would be meeting him in London, at Pemberley or here at Longbourn. Or even Netherfield!
"How am I to ever repay him?" asked Papa, clearly distressed at the size of the price Mr. Darcy must have paid to get Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia.
"Accept him as your son, and he will accept that as repayment," I said with a smile, thinking of what Georgiana had told me before regarding her brother and my family. His greatest wish, when our father died, was to be an excellent son to whomever the father of his bride would be. He was, indeed, a most excellent son to Papa.
"After what he has done for this family? Of course I shall accept him as my son," said Papa with a smile, and I leaned over to kiss his forehead. "I must reply as soon as possible with my greatest gratitude. You have married a fine man, Lizzy, and if you do not love him, I suggest you try." I laughed and smiled.
"Oh, Papa... I do love him. He and I... We're so alike. We... We're both so stubborn!" I exclaimed, and I laughed remembering Mr. Darcy falling into the river from his horse. In remembering Mr. Darcy's silly stubbornness, I had not noticed my father had gotten up and quit the room, so I continued to giggle to myself and blush.
"Darcy shall be here any day, then?" said Mr. Bingley, whom had been visiting with Jane when the letter arrived.
"I do hope so," I said. "Most certainly after he knows that Lydia and Mr. Wickham have left already. Has he not written you?" Mr. Bingley shook his head. "Surely, he will soon..."
"You and Miss Georgiana will know before I. You are both his immediate family," said Mr. Bingley, and I blushed when I remembered that I was now Mr. Darcy's wife. "Whenever you wish, though, you and Miss Georgiana are most welcome at Netherfield, Mrs. Darcy." I couldn't help but blush and smile even more when he addressed me by my formal name.
"We shall consider your offer, Mr. Bingley," I replied.
"Mrs. Darcy," said the Colonel from across the room, and I turned my gaze to him.
"Yes, Colonel?" I asked him, wondering what reason he had for calling my attention.
"Richard, if you will. We are family," he said. "Might I speak with you a moment alone?" I blushed when he mentioned 'alone', and I glanced at Mr. Bingley for a moment, who was engaged in Jane's appearance. "It is nothing that will bring a blush to your name, madam. I must ask your opinion on something... Regarding your sister." I stood and allowed him to lead me out to a small creek, using the stepping stones to reach the other side. "I must ask how you think I ought to propose to Miss Kitty."
After I had settled Mama down as Papa requested, I returned to the drawing room in search of the Colonel's company, only to find Jane and Mr. Bingley sitting in there alone with Mary playing on the pianoforte. "Where is the Colonel?" I asked.
"He asked Lizzy for a private moment and they went outside," said Mary, and for a moment, my heart stopped. He asked Lizzy for a private moment? Oh, dear, why did my other sisters always have to succeed in things and not I? I tried to remain calm, and I calmly made my way to the river, remembering that it was a place the Colonel would like to walk to with me.
"Now, I must ask you something, madam," I heard the Colonel's voice say, and I stopped. What would he ask my sister? Oh, I had to hurry! I ran to the river, finding the Colonel on one knee and Lizzy's hand in his. "Will you consent to be my wife?" I nearly fainted; instead, I let out a gasp.
I had brought my new cousin, Mrs. Darcy, outside to ask her to aid me in preparing the proper proposal for Miss Kitty, as she deserved one that did not consist of me stuttering and tripping over my tongue like a silly lovesick school boy. I had asked her to pretend to be Miss Kitty, and she agreed happily, and when I had dropped down on my knee to prepare for my practice proposal, I stopped when I heard a gasp, and both Mrs. Darcy and myself turned to the other side of the river to see Miss Kitty standing there, tears flowing down her face.
"Miss Kitty!" I cried.
"Oh, how could you? Both of you!" she cried, and she ran from the river.
"Miss Kitty!" I called again, leaping across he stepping stones to the other side. I slipped on a rock and fell in, and when Mrs. Darcy came to my aid, in only leapt from the water and ran after my dearest and distressed Miss Kitty. "Miss Kitty, please!" I followed her into the house and up the stairs, taking two at a time. On the top step, I lost my footing and fell down the stairs a bit, but I caught myself and raced to the top again, coming to Miss Kitty's door moments after she slammed it shut. "Miss Kitty!"
"Leave me alone!" she cried from the other side. It broke my heart to hear her so distressed, and that I was the one to cause it?
"Miss Kitty, please, you must hear me out!"
"Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" She had begun shouting it over and over again, trying to drown me out.
"I was not proposing to your sister!" I shouted even louder, but she was still screaming. "I WAS PRACTICING MY PROPOSAL TO YOU ON HER!" Silence. "Miss Kitty, I do not deserve your hand, but I pine for it... We have known each other only a month and a fortnight, but to me, that is enough to know that I indeed love you! I've met many a woman before you... Women more wealthy and accomplished and ladylike, even, but I do not want those women! I want you, and I love you for the fact that you are not a woman of wealth with a title or an accomplished woman that plays some silly pianoforte or sticks her nose in books all of the time or sews bloody cushions and I love most of all that you are not ladylike! I want a woman that loves fun almost as much as she loves..." Me. "I have found that in you. Miss Kitty, will you please accept my hand in marriage?"
Slowly, the door opened, and Miss Kitty appeared, her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained with tears; she rasped a damn handkerchief in her hand. "Oh, Colonel," she whispered. "You don't really mean that, do you?"
"Of course I do, Miss Kitty," I muttered quietly in response.
"What were you going to say when you said you wanted a woman that loved fun?" I smiled and paused a moment, deciding I might as well say it.
"I don't want to impose... But I was going to say that I want a woman that loves fun almost as much as she loves... Me." Slowly, a smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, Colonel... I will accept your hand." It was my turn to smile.
"Richard, if you will," I whispered, and she let out a cry of joy and leapt into my arms, I spinning her around in my arms. I set her on her feet again and took her face in my hands. "Dearest, I must go to your father immediately!"
"Oh, Richard, you know you will have his consent," she told me, and I gave her a smile; seeing her face glow caused my heart to swell.
"Kitty... My dearest, most darling Kitty!" I said to her. "Might I... Might I ki-" She had grabbed my face and pressed her lips to mine before I had even gotten the words out. I was never a romantic man, but the kiss she bestowed on my lips was enough to cause my entire body to go numb. Needless to say, I had been granted her father's consent.
A day after Darcy's news had reached the Bennet household, I received a message from him on the express. Another Netherfiell didn't sound like a terrible idea, all of a sudden, though Darcy might disagree.