Chapter 17 Forgiven
Longbourn was in an uproar. Mr Bingley had arrived and Jane was not even dressed. She had their maid, mother and three sisters assisting her to get ready.
Calm as a millpond she entered the parlour where Mr Bingley was waiting. Smiling serenely at the sight of him. He was gobsmacked and speechless for a moment but their ease soon returned. Chatting happily amongst themselves.
Mr Bingley was appalled that the Bennets had not been notified that he would be detained from attending their dinner party. The missive he had sent his sister must have gone astray. He was forgiven, of course, a new invitation for the morrow was promptly delivered and accepted. The invitation was extended to include his friend and the entire Netherfield party.
XxX
Longbourn's dining room had been decked in finery as the large party of friends dined. Mr Wickham had been invited as well, he was Georgiana's husband and now, as of two days, a colonel in his Majesty's militia.
The two unpronounced lovers had not been seated together as nobody knew of their engagement. Furtive glances were exchanged that no one seemed to notice which led to an audible gasp from several of the revellers when at the end of the meal, Mr Darcy rose and requested a private audience with Mr Bennet.
They were not gone long before Mrs Hill came to fetch Elizabeth.
Her stomach churned as she approached her father's study. He could occasionally act capricious, hopefully, this was not a moment for sport.
Her father had turned out to be too stunned to make any jests. He had some doubt about Elizabeth's acceptance which she promptly alleviated.
In joined forces, they entered the parlour where both ladies and gentlemen had adjourned. Mrs Bennet had been too distracted to remember the separation of the sexes.
"I have an announcement to make," Mr Bennet's voice rose over the din. "The engagement between my daughter and Mr Darcy, may they have a long and prosperous life together."
"Which daughter?" Mrs Bennet was struggling to get to grips with her husband's proclamation.
"The one standing next to her fiancé, Elizabeth, if I can recall her name correctly."
"Oh, you enjoy vexing me but how? When? I had no notions they courted and much less liked each other."
"Neither had I, Mrs Bennet. I applaud them, making this decision with so little inconvenience to myself. I urge the rest of my daughters to act likewise."
"Mr Bennet!" His wife was too distraught to follow up on the two admonishing words.
Congratulations were exchanged of which some were sincere and some were begrudgingly given.
Mr Bingley however, regained his speech and congratulated the happy couple. In his next breath he inquired after a private interview with Miss Bennet. He was afforded five minutes of privacy with Miss Bennet of which he needed two to propose and be accepted.
A second pronouncement was had that evening. Leaving poor Mrs Bennet out of sorts and utterly speechless, Miss Bingley sputtering and Mrs Hurst rolling her eyes. The Wickhams was the only ones who had no misgivings in any of the evening's betrothals. Georgiana was not even surprised by her brother's choice of bride, having perceived his penchant for the petit brunette's company since they were at Gretna Green. He even valued her opinion which was not like him at all.
Miss Bingley sat stewing in a corner, wondering where her life had taken such an unpleasant turn. Miss Darcy had married, ruining her chances for the desired marriage to her brother whilst Mr Darcy had slipped out of her fingers, right underneath her nose. It was all too vexing...
"Pray, Georgiana, when are you planning to leave Netherfield?"
It was a blow beneath the belt, even for Miss Bingley who knew full well that Mrs Wickham had nowhere to go but a tent on Flynn's western field but she was no longer of any use to Miss Bingley.
"I... I was planning to leave in a fortnight, Miss Bingley. Captain Wickham is relocating to Brighton where he has been offered a new position as a Colonel. We have yet to find any accommodation that suits us. I will remove to The White Lion Inn if you need the chamber I am occupying."
"There is no need for that, Mrs Wickham. Now that we are to be sisters, I would like to get to know you even better. You should come and stay at Longbourn."
"I would love that, Miss Elizabeth," Georgiana beamed.
Mr Darcy looked a little alarmed and much cross with Miss Bingley. He had no wish to relocate to the Inn neither did he relish Captain Wickham in the presence of his fiancée when he was not there himself. Captain Wickham was too charming by far... He looked upon Elizabeth with much admiration though, turning an unpleasant event to a perk. The quick turn of her mind never ceased to amaze him.
XxX
A double wedding was planned four weeks hence, at the beginning of January. Ample time to plan a wedding in Mr Bennet's eyes and about as much of the frivolity of Mrs Bennet he could tolerate. The sooner the newlyweds could be sent off, the sooner he would have some peace...
Georgiana moved to Longbourn to aid the Bennet ladies with their preparation. Mr Darcy stayed at Netherfield as Mr Bingley would not hear of him moving out. His sister was reprimanded for her uncharitable treatment of Georgiana who would become his sister through marriage when he and Mr Darcy married the delectable Bennet sisters.
Meanwhile, Mr Darcy was busy with finding an estate for his sister and her husband in an easy riding distance from Brighton. In the middle of the wedding planning, the new Colonel Wickham moved to Brighton to aid his search and train his new regiment. He would return for the wedding and the new Mr and Mrs Darcy would go to Brighton for their honeymoon. There was just too much to accomplish in a too short timeframe. Mr Darcy had apologised profusely for this inconvenience to Elizabeth who had brushed him off. The invitation to the renowned twelfth night ball at the Royal Albion Hotel was too much of an incentive to be cross.
It mattered little to her where she was as long as she was with Mr Darcy. She had survived driving a donkey cart and walking for miles in the rain when Mr Darcy was at her side. Little could deter her after that experience.
Mr Darcy had rented a terrace house. It would accommodate the newlyweds and Wickhams until an estate had been purchased. A strange solution but it could not be helped. Mr Darcy would not allow his sister to live in a tent if the location was Meryton or Brighton...
XxX
With Georgiana at Longbourn and Mrs Bennet in a constant state of fluttering nerves, the betrothed couple was afforded little in terms of private interludes. Instead, they were pranced around the neighbourhood on countless dinners, teas and card parties. Their wedding could not come soon enough for Elizabeth who worried what the recluse and taciturn Mr Darcy might suffer under the constant attention. He remained steady at her side, showing little of his thoughts though.
Elizabeth would have been surprised if she had been privy to Mr Darcy's thoughts. He did not relish in the entertainment provided by the Meryton community but he was not displeased. Elizabeth fended off barbs and steered clear of the worst of the tabbies. He found that by keeping close to his Elizabeth, not much was demanded of him in turns of insipid conversation. He longed to have her alone but the time spent at large parties was much more tolerable with Elizabeth on his arm.
XxX
Happy was the day where Mrs Bennet got rid of her most deserving daughters. Jane would travel far away to Italy while Elizabeth was off to Brighton. The wedding breakfast was a huge success while the parting was bittersweet.
Mr Darcy had gifted her second eldest with a new carriage, that would at least give her something to talk about for the coming days...
The Bingleys left for London, they had been offered and had accepted the use of Darcy House until their ship would sail for Italy. The Darcys left for Brighton and estate hunting. As soon as that deed was accomplished, they would venture north to Pemberley. Lady Matlock worked the ton while they were away, to ease their path when they returned to London for the season. Mr Wickham was now a colonel and when the estate had been bought, he could count himself a gentleman which is what Lady Matlock chose to share with her friends in town. Elizabeth was a gentleman's daughter. Unknown and insignificant but of an ancient line that garnered respect regardless.
The Darcys had not been long at Brighton before Mr Darcy wholeheartedly regretted the scheme. His bride insisted on joining his sister, breaking their fast when he would gladly have foregone the entire meal and feasted on his delectable bride instead.
The previous night had been a revelation, for both of them and proved just how well they were suited, in every way that mattered...
Two days hence, they had accepted invitations to General Whythenshawe's twelfth night ball at the Royal Albion Hotel. Another decision he had made and regretted after one night spent with his wife. It had been impossible to deduce how loathed he would be to share her after they had married. He had even felt some concern towards spending too much time alone with her, on the grounds that they did not know each other that well. There might be awkward moments if left to their own devices for too long. How utterly wrong and misjudged his musings had been.
He longed for Pemberley and solitude, Elizabeth was included in solitude, Georgiana and Wickham most certainly was not...
Brighton had not been much of a choice since he was looking for a property to purchase of which they could all agree on but he had not known that the Prince Regent himself was building a new development. The Royal Pavilion was being raised, close to the terrace he had rented. The work had begun with all the noise, hustle and bustle that commenced. He cursed Dr Russell who had made the waters of Brighton so popular a century past. Recommending sea-bathing for every malady known to man. One might believe that they were out of the season in January but with several indoors bathing facilities, the season no longer mattered.
Elizabeth had deserved so much more than to be awakened at dawn by hammering and chiselling. It had led to a pleasurable pursuit but yet...
His eager and passionate bride pervaded his mind, chasing the misgivings away. He would just have to be patient, twelve hours until he could retire with his bride. Ten if he did not mind being rude...
XxX
Elizabeth descended the stairs in a red velvet ball gown he had not seen before. Her dark colouring and brilliant complexion made her one of a few ladies that could wear the dark shade without looking washed out. An image of Miss Bingley in a similar colour entered his mind unbidden. Perhaps it was his unconscious self that chose this moment to alert him of his fortunate selection of a bride.
Elizabeth radiated happiness and a little sauciness, now that she was all too aware of the effect she had on him. His inability to speak did not offend her, it made her tad haughty, fitting of a Darcy.
The rubies Georgiana had selected from the jewellery he had brought with him, fit her gown and the hollow beneath her neck perfectly.
The long curl rested enticingly on her...
He closed his eyes to rein in his thoughts which proved not helpful at all, quite the opposite.
A tinkling laugh made him reopen his eyes, take his wife's hand and kiss it reverently. She blushed becomingly and complimented his strapping appearance accompanied by a bold look upon his person that did nothing to alleviate his predicament.
He tucked her hand around his arm, strode out the door and hurried them into the carriage. The faster he could get into the dim lighting of their conveyance the better. He almost forgot their outerwear. Fortunately, Elizabeth had kept her wherewithal when he had not.
Georgiana and Wickham joined them shortly after. A detail he had forgotten in his haste secure a moment of solitude with his bride. Wickham smirked like he had read his thoughts. An impudent man soon forgot when Elizabeth turned slightly towards him and rested her knee against his thigh.
XxX
"Colonel Wickham, how nice to see you."
"Mrs Young."
"Why so formal? You used to call me Ruth..."
"That was a long time ago, Mrs Young."
"Oh my, we once shared much more than an informal address."
"As I said, it was a long time ago, Mrs Young. We have both met our matches since our youthful indiscretions."
"Yes, I suppose... Pray, tell me, I been wondering why the Viscount would choose you to take the blame for Miss Perranuthnoe's child?"
"The Viscount tried to blame Darcy, forgetting he was away on a rowing competition between Eton and Westminster. He went directly from Westminster to his yearly visit with an aunt in Kent. He was not in London at the time of the event, so to speak. He became desperate and the only plausible scheme he could come up with to rectify it was if I had pretended to be Darcy to elevate myself in yours and Miss Perranuthnoe's eyes."
"I guess they bought it?"
"You know the rest..."
"I never did thank you."
"Why would you thank me? Miss Perranuthnoe was sent home and married off to some poor sod who had no idea he being foisted with another man's child. You were not much better off as I have lately been made to understand. I hardly see any reason for gratitude."
"No, that is not why I feel some gratitude towards you. Did you know that Mr Darcy has blacklisted me at the servants' registry office?"
"No, I was no aware."
"It was looking bleak, my late husband was not as wealthy as he led me to believe before we married but his legacy has turned out rather well for me lately and it was you that put the notion in my mind."
"What notion?"
"You urged me to sell the boarding house and move back to my parents, remember?"
"Yes, did you get a good price on the property?"
"Oh no, I did not sell it. The thought of moving back home was utterly distasteful to me so I opted to make some much-needed alterations to my business. It has been a great success, so much that I have paid off most of my debts and still have a little to spend."
"I am glad it has all worked out for you but I hardly believe you have any reason to be grateful to me."
"Never the less, I feel it..."
XxX
Elizabeth was hot and bothered. The throng had made air the stale and she had not seen her husband in half an hour. When the set ended, he had not been in his usual place. Elizabeth wandered the outskirts of the dancefloor but he was nowhere to be seen. It was nice to be engaged for every set for a change but she wished it had been before her marriage or restrained to her husband. Ridiculous rules that one was not supposed to dance with your own husband. They had eschewed the rule for the first set and the supper set but a third would be an absolute scandal. She would not have minded though. The next was a waltz which she had never danced in public. It was unimaginable with anyone else than her husband due to the intimate nature of the dance.
He was not in the card room nor by the refreshment table. Perhaps he had ventured out onto the balcony to have some air. The inside of the hotel was definitely stifling.
Elizabeth fetched her shawl to stave off the brisk January air and braved the out of doors.
There was no one else out there but voices drifted up from the garden. She went to the railing and what she witnessed had her rooted to the spot for several long moments before she found her ability to move and hastened inside, searching even more frantically for her husband. He came striding towards her a moment later.
"Elizabeth, you look flushed. Are you well? Perhaps I should take you home, you are cold and clammy to the touch."
Mr Darcy was not overly concerned, merely eager for any excuse that may convince his bride to retire early.
"Yes, I think it might be best."
Her lack of resistance towards cutting short their evening made him doubt his initial diagnosis.
"Let me call the carriage and find our outerwear."
"Yes, thank you. I hope you are not too disappointed?"
"Not at all, I assure you."
The carriage was readied quickly and the Darcys departed.
Mr Darcy became more anxious by the minute. Elizabeth sat wringing her hands, biting her lip, refusing to even look at him. Could someone have accosted her while he was refreshing himself?
The ten minute drive felt like an eternity before the horses finally came to a halt outside their shared terrace.
He alighted before the step was down and handed Elizabeth out as soon as it was down.
"Come, let us go to our private sitting room."
He wanted neutral ground when he was informed about what had happened. He dismissed the servants that came rushing to tend them and quickly informed them that they would need no further services that night. He uttered not a word until they were out of earshot of the staff, neither did Elizabeth. This must be grave indeed...
"What happened?" Mr Darcy bore down on her as soon as the door had closed behind them.
"I was hot and could not find you anywhere when the waltz commenced so I ventured out on the balcony overlooking the garden."
Mr Darcy dreaded what would come next. Anything could happen on a darkened balcony. He ran his hand down his face and swore they would never attend another ball.
"It was refreshingly frigid and empty of occupants but I heard voices from the garden. Shamefully curious as I am, I walked to the railing to see who it was. The conversation should have alerted me that something was amiss..."
Mr Darcy peeped through his fingers at his bride. She had just remarked that the balcony was empty, would he be fortunate enough that it had remained so?
"It was Colonel Wickham and Mrs Young. They were in some kind of argument, not loud or shouting but clearly disagreeing."
"I did not know Mrs Young was here."
"Neither did I but she was in dire straits the last time we saw her when she was trying to get funds from Colonel Wickham. She obviously does not know him very well as monies seem to burn in his pocket but I did learn how you got those fabulous muscles on your upper arms."
Mr Darcy dropped his hand from his countenance and stared at her quizzically.
"Do you still row, Mr Darcy?"
"On occasions where the ladies want to view Pemberley from the lake but not competitively no."
"Oh, I definitely want to see the lake view when we get home."
She smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
"It was a row competition between Eton and Winchester who saved you from being held responsible for Miss Perranuthnoe's child. The Viscount did not know you were not in London when he decided to frame you for his misconduct. Served him right when he did not own to his faults. He thought the easy way out was for Wickham to claim he had pretended to be you of which he was correct. Well, the end of the story was that Mrs Young did not need any money this time. She had come with a lame thank you to Colonel Wickham for suggesting she should sell the boarding house, pay off her debts and move back home to her parent's house. The thought had so distasteful to her that she had decided to make some improvements to her business."
"Sounds like she has finally developed some sense..."
"I rather believe she has not... She has turned a respectable but not so successful business into a lucrative brothel. She came to offer Colonel Wickham the use of her services and spread the word of her new venture amongst his friends... The Colonel declined and tried to send her off, telling her not darken his door again but then he caressed her cheek and she rose on her toes and kissed him. It was a short chaste kiss but it was on the lips, not his hand or even his cheek but the mouth!"
"Mr Young is a beautiful woman, used to getting her way by her looks alone. It must be difficult when beauty is all you have and it turns out, it is not enough."
"You think she is beautiful?"
"Everyone with eyes can tell she is beautiful, Elizabeth."
It rankled her that he thought someone else was beautiful yet he never told her that she was beautiful. He obviously had the ability to both gauge and express beauty...
"I can see my confession has upset you, Elizabeth. There really is no reason for you to feel threatened."
"Is it not? You have not once expressed such sentiments about me."
She wanted it unsaid the moment the words left her lips. She sounded petty and insecure, yet what worried her the most was what did he really think of her appearance? Was he proud to have her on his arm or was he embarrassed she was not prettier?"
"You are very pretty, Elizabeth."
That word, pretty, it was what you called a sweet girl that was not beautiful to comfort her.
"It was not your beauty that drew me to you, Elizabeth. I have encountered many a beautiful lady in my adult years but not once have beauty drawn me in, stirred my soul nor engaged my heart. It was knowing what lies within that made you the most handsome woman of my acquaintance."
He wheeled himself in, quite nicely. She could settle for the most handsome woman of his acquaintance and rewarded him with a lingering kiss.
"Do you believe she was trying to entice him, by... Offering favours?"
"Most likely, did he not send her off?"
"He did, sort of. When she did not move, he left but they have a history together. By what I overheard, I believe they might even have been lovers one time."
"Then he acted honourably towards my sister of which I am glad. This is probably not the first nor the last proposition he has received. It is how you deal with it that matter."
Elizabeth would not like to contemplate the offers her husband was likely to get but she could not let the matter of Colonel Wickham go just yet.
"You seem to think a kiss is nothing at all but I disagree. It is a violation of their marriage vows. Would you not be disturbed should I kiss the Colonel or any other man for that manner?"
"What are you insinuating?"
"Nothing, I am merely trying to make you understand the gravity of his actions. I would never forgive you if you kissed another woman."
"But I have."
Elizabeth felt the impact of his words constrict her breathing but she had to ask. He had a penchant for speaking without thinking but he was always honest.
"After we were married?"
"No of course not, it was a long time ago."
"As much as I do not relish the thought of you in the arms of another woman, it is entirely different to kiss her after we have married."
"What if I kiss our daughter if we should be so lucky to have one?"
"I meant a beautiful woman."
"Our daughters will be beautiful..."
"I meant a beautiful unrelated woman."
"So, I am allowed to kiss your sister?"
Jane, always the beauty of the family, every man fell at her feet, Elizabeth thought while jealousy raged within her breast, almost missing the smirk on her husband's countenance. Teasing man, she had to get accustomed to his wry sense of humour or they would row needlessly.
He did not deserve a kiss though so she tickled him until he begged for mercy.
"I am glad, Elizabeth, that Wickham did nothing but remove himself. Had he berated her and made a spectacle, it could have drawn attention from the other guests and we would have a much more serious scandal on our hands. Women like Mrs Young may be beautiful but she is mean, selfish and manipulative. Had the other guests noticed she might have made a kiss into so much more. Her beauty has done her little favours. She owns a rundown bawdy house on Edward Street while you have a wealthy, bewitched husband who will provide for your children with the education fit for a queen."
"Queen? Are you planning on having only daughters, Mr Darcy? Let me think... Yes, I believe I should give you five daughters. They will all live at home because you, my dear, will never leave them out of your sight. Just like our dear Majesty the King. He has quite a few adult daughters living at home, I believe."
"Are you comparing me to our mad King?"
"Perhaps..."
Elizabeth shrieked as her feet left the floor. She was tossed over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs to the second floor and down the hall to their suite of rooms in the west wing.
"What are you doing? Put me down, you mad man!"
"No! I am of a mind to make these baby girls forthwith. I am mad...
Remind me later to build an impenetrable tower at Pemberley for all our female offspring."
Elizabeth laughed until she was tossed onto the master's bed. Her mouth was soon otherwise engaged though. Ardently kissing her nutty husband.