A/N: Darcy gets a surprise and some sage advice from his family. I found I had pre-wedding events to add to balance things out so the wedding will not happen until Chapter 21.
The Darcy siblings arrived at Netherfield and were surprised to see much of their family already in residence. Warm greetings were exchanged and the family settled in the parlor for refreshments. Mr. Bingley had decided to travel to Longbourn directly to see his beloved Jane. Darcy used the excuse of spending time with his family to avoid a visit, sending the Bennet's and his betrothed polite greetings through his friend.
"I am surprised to see you here so early. I had thought you would arrive the day before the ceremony." Darcy said to the Fitzwilliam family.
"We traveled early. Did not your friend Bingley mention it to you?" Lady Fitzwilliam inquired.
"No, he did not. His mind is in the clouds at present and in the clouds he sees Miss Bennet's face. I hope your stay has been pleasant so far." Darcy remarked.
"Very pleasant! We have met your fiancée and her delightful family and have spent some time getting to know them." Earl Fitzwilliam said jovially.
"You what? You have met the Bennet's without my support? I am so sorry I was not here to prevent that from happening. I apologize Uncle. That must have been quite a trial for you. Richard, why did you put your parents in such a position?" Darcy thundered at his cousin.
"Of what are you speaking? Why would you apologize? I found Miss Elizabeth to be an entertaining companion and her family was most welcoming." the Earl responded.
"Oh, I am sure they were welcoming. Did Mrs. Bennet prostrate herself in front of you? Was her kowtowing performed before or after she asked you to confirm your income? I imagine she had the entire neighborhood present to boast of her association with an Earl. Uncle, Aunt, please accept my sincere apologizes that you were exposed to such a spectacle." Darcy said sanctimoniously.
"Nephew, you are aware that you speak of the family of your betrothed?" the Earl asked looking at him oddly.
"I am well aware of whom I speak. I do not need to be reminded by you or anyone else. Now, please tell me how terrible your interaction was. It can be no worse than my own dealings with that family." Darcy said in a haughty tone wondering what offenses the Bennet family had wrought on his noble relations.
"Darcy, you will watch your tone with me. You may be full grown but I can still put you over my knee if necessary." the Earl replied.
Colonel Fitzwilliam could not but laugh at the well-deserved rebuke. A sharp look from his mother however silenced him at once.
"My apologies, Uncle." an abashed Darcy replied.
"Whatever could your objection be to the Bennet family? They are landed gentry. They may not have the social status of the Fitzwilliam and Darcy families but they are certainly not vagabonds or gypsies." Earl Fitzwilliam said seriously.
"Close enough." Darcy said quietly but it was still heard by all.
His aunt gasped. "Fitzwilliam, I found the eldest Miss Bennets' to be quite charming. The entire family was very pleasant company. They were genuine and kind. The younger girls may need a bit more polish but that will come with age. We had a lovely family dinner and I must say your future mother in law sets a fine table. She is certainly not the most erudite woman I have ever met but she was not offensive. Mr. Bennet has, shall we say, an unusual sense of humor but he fit in well with your uncle and Richard."
"You dined with the Bennet's?" said a horrified Darcy. He could only imagine the chaos and vulgarity that had occurred.
"Yes, as your aunt said. We had a lovely time. I agree with my wife's assessment of the family. Miss Bennet is very lady like and charming, as well as beautiful. Too bad that Bingley chap got there before you Richard." the earl japed. "Your fiancée is amusing and intelligent. She will make a good addition to the family. One has to be on their toes to keep up with her. Mr. Bennet is a fine fellow, we have some mutual acquaintances from Cambridge. He is quite an educated man. He is as fond of his library as you are of yours." Earl Fitzwilliam said frankly.
"Are you sure you met with the Bennet family of Longbourn?" Darcy said sarcastically. "My own interactions with them have been quite sub par."
"No, cousin, I introduced my parents to the wrong family just for my own amusement. Of course, it was the Bennet family." Richard said wryly.
"But the younger girls, surely you find them objectionable. I have been thinking of ways I could avoid having Georgiana exposed to them." Darcy replied.
"They are young girls. Were you perfect at the age of fifteen or so? Were any of us? As your aunt said they could use some polish but I do not think Georgiana needs to be shielded from them as if they were diseased." said the Earl with a laugh. "The middle girl, Miss Mary I believe, is a fine musician. She entertained us with a lively tune at the pianoforte."
"Now, I know you did not meet the Bennet's. When she performs, it sounds like someone stepped on a cat." Darcy said smugly.
"Brother, that is most unkind." said a horrified Georgiana. This was a side of her brother she did not often witness.
"But true." Darcy replied.
"Darcy, I will attest to my father's outlook on the matter. The girl is not as proficient as our dear Georgiana but her performance was pleasing." Colonel Fitzwilliam answered. "The younger girls, especially Miss Lydia, are a bit outspoken but were certainly genial. There was no artifice in them. They were quite thrilled with hearing of my adventures in the military."
"Of course, that's why you liked them. They probably hung on your every word. Did Mrs. Bennet manage to engage you to one of them before dinner was through?" Darcy replied critically.
"Darcy do not be absurd. They are children. Why are you acting in such a manner? I had thought you would be thrilled that your closest family took so well to that of your affianced." his aunt replied.
"I am just surprised. I had thought this discussion would be one where I was berated for my poor choice. Never in my wildest imaginings did I think that you would approve of the Bennet family. In fact, that was one of the reasons I did not approach Miss Elizabeth earlier. I assumed I would face great opposition to my selection of bride." Darcy replied.
"Fitzwilliam Darcy, when have I ever led you to believe I would be unkind? Have your uncle and I given you such a low opinion of our characters that you would think we would react so?" his aunt chastised.
"Aunt, I know you are most liberal in your dealings. I was not sure that you would apply such reasonings to my bringing one with no connections into our family. I thought you would have wanted me to reach higher." Darcy replied.
"I want you to be happy nephew. I never supported Catherine in her attempt to marry you off to Anne because I knew you would both be disappointed in the union." Lady Fitzwilliam replied.
"I would have been unhappy but Anne would have been well-satisfied." Darcy replied pompously, forgetting Anne's apparent joy at his engagement to Elizabeth.
"Really, nephew, is that what you believe?" his uncle asked smugly. "You obviously do not know Anne as well as you think you do. Well, there is no opposition from the Fitzwilliam family. In fact, even my sister has informed me of her support of the match. That is no small feat considering her past aspirations. Your Miss Elizabeth can charm even the most frightening of creatures. The ton had best be on their guards. We will put forth a united front." the earl said, earning a laugh from his family.
"I thank you for your support of my decision. If I had known as much when I proposed I would not have pointed out the degradation our marriage would cause to myself and my family. It would have saved me much angst." Darcy replied.
"Fitzwilliam, you did not tell Miss Elizabeth such a thing! Did you?" his aunt gasped.
"I did Aunt. I thought it best to be completely honest. I believed it would show her my devotion that I was willing to share my life with her anyway." Darcy replied.
"And she still agreed to marry you after you called her a degradation." said his aunt shaking her head.
"Oh, mother, that is not the half of it. You would not believe how ill equipped for wooing your nephew is!" Colonel Fitzwilliam replied gleefully.
"Thank you for your input Richard but it is not required." Darcy said forcefully. "Aunt we have had a less than traditional engagement to say the least. I do not feel it necessary to delve into all the details at this point. I am happy to have your approval and I would like to leave it at that if I may." Darcy said.
"I will not pry any further but I hope you did apologize for that remark." his aunt replied.
"In a way. I explained to her that we both behaved badly and said things that should not have been said. I feel that is sufficient." Darcy said.
The Earl of Matlock laughed out loud at his foolish nephew. "You have much to learn son. Your aunt would not have spoken to me again if I had said such a thing to her. You are lucky that Miss Elizabeth is forgiving."
"It would not be necessary to make such a remark to my aunt. Her pedigree is impeccable." Darcy answered.
"Nevertheless, you should not have said it. If you are so worried about pedigree you could have married any of the titled debutantes that flaunted themselves in front of you each season for the last five years. Unmistakably you did not want a lady of the ton, so why would you criticize Miss Elizabeth's family for something you did not desire in the first place? You are talking out of both sides of your mouth, my boy." Earl Fitzwilliam said candidly.
"I, I, felt her family below my own and their behavior is abominable." Darcy replied embarrassed that he was caught being hypocritical.
"If you were so disgusted by her connections then why propose in the first place. I seem to be at a loss here regarding your motives." his uncle said.
"My feelings seem to have overcome my logic at every turn. I fought long and hard against the attraction to no avail. Miss Elizabeth herself has much to offer and I hoped it would overcome her family's situation and deportment in my mind. You have seen her intelligence and charm. Unfortunately, I may have been too optimistic in that hope considering her behavior since our engagement. As to the issue of her family, I will admit that I have come to admire Miss Jane Bennet. She is marrying Bingley and I believe they will find great felicity in marriage. Her father is an intelligent man but he is far too lax in the management of his family. I can say honestly that I greatly admire her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner as well. They are in trade but act in a most dignified manner and I have no issue with welcoming them to my company." Darcy said.
"How kind of you nephew. Shall we tell Miss Elizabeth that she may keep those relations but must throw the others into the hedgerows?" His uncle said sardonically.
"Uncle, you must allow me my own opinions on the matter." Darcy said.
"Perhaps such opinions should be kept to yourself in the future. Causing offense to your wife does not make for a happy marriage." his aunt counseled. The rest of the family nodded their heads in agreement at this statement.
"Your point is well taken but we are with family at present so I feel I do not need to mince my words." Darcy said.
"Cousin, in three days they will be your family as well. You acquitted yourself well with the Gardiner's. You must make an equal effort with the remaining Bennet's before you dig even a deeper hole. As it is, you will need a very long ladder to make it back to even ground level." Colonel Fitzwilliam chortled.
"Well you will have your chance very soon nephew. If Mr. Bingley agrees I will invite the entire Bennet family and the Gardiner's to dinner here at Netherfield tomorrow evening. He has no one to act as hostess at present so I will offer myself for that service. Please try to look at the family without prejudice. You may see that your earlier impressions were somewhat exaggerated." Lady Fitzwilliam said pointedly.
Darcy nodded but his aunt understood his countenance betrayed his disbelief at the possibility.
She continued, "Even if your opinions are not swayed perhaps you can at least practice patience and try to be sociable with the entire family. Especially considering that Catherine and Anne will be present by then, patience may be the order of the evening for us all. It will also please your betrothed if you are kind to her family. I can think of nothing more important that pleasing your finance in the days before your wedding, can you?"
"If she were capable of being pleased by me, I could not." Darcy replied. His aunt and uncle looked at him questionably as he made his response but did not have the chance to question him further as Colonel Fitzwilliam made their excuses and pulled him from the room.
"Why did you remove me from the parlor." Darcy asked his cousin.
"If you were to continue that conversation, more than you wished may have been revealed. I do not think you want my parents to know all of the details regarding your proposal and subsequent engagement." Colonel Fitzwilliam said.
"I agree, I have more than enough to worry about." Darcy replied.
"So, what are my responsibilities as I am standing up with you. I offer my services since you neglected to ask." the Colonel joked.
"Oh, thank you, Richard. I did mean to ask but it seemed to have slipped my mind. I hope I did not forget anything else of importance." Darcy said.
"Do you have the license?" the Colonel asked.
"I do." said Darcy.
"A copy of the settlement." the Colonel asked.
"That was all taken care of in town. It has been signed and sent to the attorney. I assume Mr. Bennet has talked over the particulars with his daughter." Darcy said.
"Where will you go after the wedding?" Richard asked.
"To town, I suppose. We have not discussed any sort of wedding trip. Actually, we have not discussed anything at all about our future life." Darcy admitted despondently.
"Perhaps dinner tomorrow evening would be a time for you to broach such matters. Surely, a destination for a wedding trip would not cause any controversy. Especially if you ask her where she would like to go not tell her without her input." the Colonel suggested strongly.
"With Elizabeth, I never know what will set her off. If I ask her she may accuse me of some sort of trickery or diabolical plot." Darcy replied.
"Risk it." the Colonel advised.
"Now, show me the ring you selected from the Darcy jewels for your betrothed. Will she be able to lift her hand when she wears it?" the Colonel joked knowing the value of the Darcy family jewelry.
"Damn it to Hell! I completely forgot about choosing a ring before I left. Elizabeth may take it as an affront if I show up at the chapel without a ring." Darcy exclaimed.
"Do you really think so? How astute of you to make that determination." the Colonel said sarcastically. "You need to find something and soon. You do not have time to return to town. Does Hertfordshire have a jewelry shop?"
"Not that I know of. Do you think your mother may have something with her that I could use? Nothing of Georgiana's would be suitable." Darcy asked.
"She may but then you will have to tell her that you forgot to see to that particular detail. She will probably be offended for Miss Elizabeth's sake." the Colonel replied.
"Yes, she probably will but I have no other choice. Let's us move into the breach and ask her, shall we?" Darcy said with more bravery than he felt.
"No, you are on your own with this little problem cousin. If my mother has a chance she will begin to grill me for details on your engagement and that will not help your current situation." the Colonel said.
Darcy proceeded to approach his aunt. He explained his forgetfulness and tried to blame it on taking care of the other wedding details but truly he had never thought of giving Elizabeth with another gift after the facetious presentation of James Fordyce's tome.
After a somewhat harsh tongue lashing, his aunt began to pick through the jewelry she brought on her trip. She had three rings that could be considered acceptable. "Which ring do you think Miss Elizabeth would like best? What are her tastes in jewelry?" she asked.
"I have no idea. We have never discussed jewelry." Darcy admitted sheepishly.
"That is something you should know for future reference nephew. You will be picking out suitable gifts for her for the rest of your life." his aunt said.
"Well, perhaps, the emerald ring. She has green eyes." Darcy said choosing an ornate ring liberally decorated with emeralds in the shape of a flower. "Yes, this will do very well."
"I agree it is lovely but I did wear it at our dinner at the Bennet's. She may have noticed." his aunt replied.
"She was probably more concerned with governing her family's deportment than your jewelry. I am sure she did not notice. Yes, this is my choice if you do not have any sentimental attachment to the item. I will of course replace it with a ring of your choice as soon as we return to town."
"That is not necessary. Consider it a wedding gift. I am just glad you realized your oversight before you were standing in front of the altar. And Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth did seem to be a very discerning girl, she may have taken notice of my ring. Her mother certainly did pay attention to my attire." his aunt said with a shake of her head at the thoughtlessness of men.
"Oh, I would not worry about it. Her mother probably assumes you have hundreds of rings. No one will remember this one. Thank you aunt, you do not know how much you have helped me." Darcy said with a smile.