Chapter 26

Darcy drove back to Netherfield in the coach with Jane and Elizabeth and, while Jane perseveringly looked out of the window, he sat opposite and held Elizabeth's hands in his.

"Sweetheart," he said as they left the grounds. "If it meets with your approval, I would rather ship Wickham overseas than hand him over to the constable. I will do my best to ensure he never returns to this country." He sighed. "We were boys together and I am sadly convinced that many of his faults may be attributed to the way my father dealt with him."

"Surely he must bear the lion's share of the responsibility for his own actions."

"Perhaps, but my father made much of him, enjoyed his conversation and easy manner. Wickham was the son of my father's steward, a worthy and respectable man. But my father, in paying for his education and keeping him so much about him, gave him expectations that were not and could not be met. I never before realised Wickham thought my father preferred him to me. What he did not realise was that the rigours of my own education and up-bringing were what my father considered necessary for his heir. Wickham was allowed to be idle and charming only because he was, in the end, unimportant. I cannot but think that cruel of my father."

Elizabeth pondered for a moment, trying to bring her mind to bear on the problem of Wickham's fate. However, her mind slipped into contemplation of her lover's generosity and from there, by easy stages, into the way his hair curled; the fact that it was not black, as she had first decided, merely very dark brown, with occasional lighter tones and shades.

She shook herself back into attention. "I own I have no desire to see any man hang," she said, "but nor do I wish your life to be in danger in the future. If you can be sure he will not return, then I agree."

He leaned forward and kissed her hands, so she seized her opportunity to touch his hair, feeling the curls spring against her palms. He raised his head and there was something in his eyes so fierce and yet so tender, she could hardly bring herself to meet his gaze.

"I shall take him up to London tomorrow."

"You will not go alone, surely?"

"No, no, I promise. However, I'm afraid I will have to be away for several days. I must make arrangements for Miss Lydia, and there is much that needs to be set in train for our own wedding. I will speak to your father today to make arrangements, but I think we should begin the preparations for moving to London and then on to Pemberley. If you are in agreement, that is."

She tightened her grip on his fingers. "I do not wish to wait a single second longer than is absolutely necessary," she said firmly and was rewarded by the brilliant smile she had first seen at Rosings, all those months ago.

Following the discussion with Mr Bennet, it was decided that the family would remove to Darcy House the following Saturday, Mrs Bennet and Lydia to remain with Mr and Mrs Gardiner. Elizabeth woke early next morning and stationed herself in the window of her mother's room overlooking the road, and was rewarded by the sight of Darcy's coach, with two stout footman on the box, and her lover's face in the window, looking out for her to exchange waved greetings.

Elizabeth was in such a ferment to be away that she had packed her few belongings by the end of Monday afternoon and was reduced to mooning around the house, until her father packed her off outdoors for a long walk. While she was out, Mr Bingley called, and it was confirmed that she and Jane were to share a wedding in the church at Lambton, the village where Mrs Gardiner had spent much of her childhood.

By Tuesday afternoon, Jane had packed the clothes she wished to take and the two sisters were reduced to discussing the manifold excellencies of their respective betrotheds, and Elizabeth was forced to concede that she now knew the state of her affections with some degree of precision. Any inclination that Jane may have felt to tease, was effectively stifled when Elizabeth suggested discussing tongues with Mr Bingley, the next time Jane had the opportunity to kiss him.

On Wednesday, a letter arrived for Mr Bennet from Mr Darcy, with a sealed enclosure for Elizabeth. She seized it and ran to her chamber to peruse it in peace and privacy.

Darcy House,

Grosvenor Square

London

"My Dear Elizabeth,

It seems strangely unfair that my first letter to you, my darling, should be full of mundane business, but I feel I should inform you that I am just come from the docks, where I have arranged passage for Wickham to India. I have left him in no doubt that a return to England means his death and have correspondents in that country to whom I can entrust watch over him. The broken nose you gave him should go far to hamper his efforts to ingratiate himself with the fairer sex.

There, that is out of the way and I can enquire of my beloved how she does. I devoutly trust you suffer no ill-effects from the shocking events on Sunday. I miss you quite dreadfully, despite having seen you so very few days ago. My only consolation is that the work that I do now will help establish our new life on the firmest of footings.

I have written to Bridger and his wife to prepare the cottage for Miss Lydia and to Nurse Grayson to secure her aid. I have set Darcy House on its ears preparing for your arrival. My parents' chambers, which have been empty for many years, are being opened and cleaned. I have not ventured on any decorative changes since I feel sure you will have your own tastes and fancies and I wish that you should make this house as much your home as Longbourn has been.

I hope you will not feel I am being indelicate when I say how much I look forward to seeing you in this familiar setting. The kiss we shared in the drawing room at Netherfield is much on my mind, and I have, as promised, ordered a selection of footstools to be distributed about the house. I wish we were married already, sharing this house and our lives. I dream about you, and where once my dreams were confused and distressing, now I awake calm and contented, relieved that another day is passing and I am another day closer to seeing you again.

Never to spend another day apart is the devout wish of your most humble and loving

Fitzwilliam Darcy

If this were not enough to disturb her equilibrium, the discussion of her marriage settlement, details of which Darcy had sent to Mr Bennet, certainly was. She had always known him to be a wealthy man, however the sheer extent of that wealth was a shock, and the amount that Darcy had determined to settle upon her, by way of income and of provision in case he predeceased her seemed, to her at least, ridiculously generous. She was somewhat distressed and, although she resolved not to let him know, was relieved when he arrived on the Thursday, alerted by some passing comment in the letter from Mr Bennet agreeing to the terms.

They walked in the garden, since her sisters were all out at their Aunt Philips, doing their best to stem the tide of gossip and speculation arising from the recent flood of incident.

Elizabeth could not take his arm as she tried to express something of her misgivings, and was charmed all over again by his grave attention to her concerns. "There are two aspects of this matter I would like you to consider," he said when she had finished. "Firstly, I am a man of considerable means and, as my wife, I dearly wish you to share in those means. Although I sincerely hope to spend many years with you, in the event that I cannot, I will not leave you dependant upon anyone's goodwill." He took her hand and threaded it through his arm. "Secondly, my dear, in the circles in which we shall move, any want of attention on my part will be seen as a reflection on my regard for you. I love you and I do not wish anyone to be in any doubt of that."

"But Fitzwilliam, I bring so little to.."

"Elizabeth, you have brought me everything! Can you not see? I had almost succeeded in turning myself into my father, a man without connection to the world save as patron or landlord or master. I was.... ossifying in my own pride and conceit until I met you. I had even begun to neglect my poor sister." He sighed and shook his head. "Even were we to part today. I should be the better man for having known you and, since we are not to part, I do not believe there is anything we cannot accomplish together, you and I."

She stopped and looked up at him. "You give me too much credit. You are a good man, Fitzwilliam, you always were,"

"I am a better and a far happier man now." He fumbled in his pocket and produced a small box. "There are bigger, more opulent jewels waiting for you at home, but you have such small hands, I thought you would prefer this." The ring was beautiful, a single diamond on a simple, gold band. "It was my grandmother's," he said as he slipped it on her finger. "I hope you will wear it and remember how very much I love you, and how much I long to make you my wife."

She lifted her face and he bent low to kiss her. Then she threaded her arms round his waist, beneath his coat, and rested her head on his chest, feeling his warmth and the steady beat of his heart. "I still think you over-estimate my worth," she said. "For it seems I suffer from a sad lack of resolution...."

He rested his cheek on her head, and they stood until the sound of voices in the road revealed that Jane, Mary and Kitty had returned.