The trip to Brighton in support of her sister taught Elizabeth Bennet many realities of military life she had never considered. First, all matters were to be handled efficiently and expeditiously.
Mr. Denny devotedly tended to Miss Lydia's recovery. In less than two days, it was decided the two would wed. At first, Lydia insisted that she would remain true to the memory of Mr. Wickham, but Mrs. Forster quickly disabused her of that notion. There was no mistaking that Miss Lydia was with child, and it was very fortunate that Mr. Denny agreed to claim another man's child as his own.
Although Elizabeth knew Mr. Denny was an honorable man and that he felt some responsibility for the situation her sister found herself in; Lizzy could not help feeling that something was amiss in his eagerness to marry. She wanted to raise her concerns with Colonel Forster, but in the end, saved her breath for her own porridge.
The second reality of military life was that death happened too frequently for anyone to properly mourn. For the corrupt, like Wickham, no one paid any mind to the loss of a murderer. Memories of the man's charm and geniality soon changed to everyone believing they knew something was off about the man. In Captain Carter's case, the regiment wore a black armband in honor of their fallen leader, but the needs and necessity of the unit required them to shift their loyalties immediately to his replacement: Captain Denny.
Mr. Darcy visited every day and aided Colonel Forster in the arrangements for Lydia's nuptials. On the Saturday before Mrs. Fitzherbert's ball, both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy stood up as witnesses in church for the ceremony. Harkening back to the first reality of military life, Captain and Mrs. Denny were efficiently housed in the small town home that had been Captain Carter's, a mere three blocks back from the seaside in a slightly shabbier part of town.
Participating in the modest wedding breakfast hosted at the Old Ship Inn after the ceremony, Elizabeth greeted Miss Darcy and her companion, Mrs. Annesley for attending.
"I believe Captain Denny is very much in love with his wife. I suspect he harbored feelings for her all while she was distracted by another," Miss Darcy said, judiciously, careful to avoid mentioning Mr. Wickham's name.
Elizabeth nodded, though she could not quite bring herself to agree with Miss Darcy's sentiments. As Colonel Forster made a toast to the happy couple, particularly illustrating the good character traits of his new Captain, Elizabeth drank her wine and then politely excused herself.
She needed to walk and being of age and with Lydia married, she cared not a fig anymore to seek permission from the Forsters. The ends may have all tied up nicely in a bow, but their guardianship nearly resulted in disaster. Under Colonel Forster's rule, Lydia was impregnated and nearly married off to a thief and murderer.
She wrapped her arms around herself and soon heard footsteps behind her.
"May I walk with you, Miss Elizabeth?" Mr. Darcy asked, and too exhausted to fight for the man's dignity, Elizabeth relented.
She had not forgotten how safe his arms had felt that terrible night.
Their feet carried them to a place they had never strolled together, the long promenade along the shore. Neither of them performed for the sake of others, but it suddenly struck Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy had left his sister behind.
"Is Miss Darcy going to be safe with only Mrs. Annesley?" she asked.
Mr. Darcy coughed. "Her co-guardian is with her as well, Colonel Fitzwilliam."
Elizabeth nodded, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink that she had forgotten that Mr. Darcy shared his responsibilities to his sister. The turmoil and distress of the week had robbed her of sleep and the ability to properly eat.
Spying a bench up ahead, Elizabeth pointed to the opportunity to rest and allowed Mr. Darcy to escort her directly. As they both sat down, the gentle rumble of the waves crashing to the pebbled shore amused them both. Elizabeth allowed her hand to rest on the bench between them and she closed her eyes to listen to the sound of the seaside.
"Would you be offended, Madam, if I spoke plainly on the subject that may cause injury to us both?" he asked, and Elizabeth opened one eye lazily to see a smirk on Mr. Darcy's face.
She smiled and inhaled a deep breath of the brine-laced air. Boldly, she turned her face up in the direction of the sun's rays, allowing their warmth to soothe her nerves.
"After this trip to Brighton, I don't believe I have it within me to be afraid of any words one might say. Please, Mr. Darcy, speak your mind."
Taking her hand in his, Elizabeth flinched at the sudden gesture but soon eased her tension as her body found the sensation delightful.
"If we are discovered, Miss Elizabeth, I'm afraid your reputation will be in tatters and you will have no choice but to accept my proposal of marriage," he said.
Elizabeth groaned at his terrible jest and squeezed his hand. "Come, come, Mr. Darcy, you can do better than to threaten a lady with your hand in marriage. I refuse to accept this as a proposal."
Mr. Darcy scoffed and then leaned forward to treat Miss Elizabeth to the only proper response he could think of for her impertinence. He pressed his lips to hers and enjoyed the sound of surprise that escaped her lips before she desperately kissed him in return.
His lips tingling after they parted, he gazed into her eyes and managed his words properly.
"Then please, end my agony. Days ago, before all of this, I tried to tell you that I would never abandon you no matter who your sister married or didn't marry. I cannot live without you, my Elizabeth, and I certainly do not wish a lifetime of following you all over England. I will spend the rest of my days protecting you, providing for you and our children, and delighting in your company. I love you."
Elizabeth maintained eye contact with the man throughout his entire speech. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same for him, that in the course of the last few weeks, she had sought to protect him from her sister's scandal. She had wanted to provide him with care and assist with his sister's needs. Certainly, she had delighted in his company, even during the bleakest of moments.
"I love you, as well," she managed, and Mr. Darcy exhaled.
Loudly, with a broad smile on his face, he came to the point. "Will you consent to become my wife?" he asked, sliding off the bench to kneel before her like a knight.
Elizabeth giggled as the man became entirely silly in his affections for her. "Yes, yes, I will marry you," she replied, and she accepted another kiss from the man before she confessed that they should return back to the Old Ship Inn before anyone sent out a search party.
Other couples muttered amongst themselves at the spectacle they had just witnessed, but Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth didn't pay them any mind. Arm-in-arm they walked back to the wedding breakfast to find that nearly everyone had left.
Colonel Forster shook Mr. Darcy's hand and Elizabeth realized that her beau had gone to him for permission.
"I'm afraid you'll have to go back to Longbourn, sir, to meet with Mr. Bennet. I cannot sign for Miss Elizabeth," he explained.
Elizabeth stood next to Mr. Darcy and finally spoke up for herself. "I am one and twenty and no longer need my father's permission to marry. However," she said, turning to Mr. Darcy, "I should dearly love to go home and marry in my home parish."
Glasses were raised and those few still enjoying themselves on the Forster's generosity, toasted to Mr. Darcy and his engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
After sipping her wine, Elizabeth looked around for Lydia but found no sign of her sister or her new husband.
"The Dennys left just before you returned," Mrs. Forster explained, and Elizabeth smiled. "And don't worry, I'll make sure my husband grants Captain Denny a week of leave so they can escort you to Hertfordshire," she said.
Elizabeth thanked Mrs. Forster for her kindness, and then followed Mr. Darcy to share their happy news with Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Accepting their congratulations and well-wishes, a new emotion seeped into Elizabeth's heart. So many times, she had been accused of jealousy in her sister's quarter, and now she finally felt the venomous sting of discontent. It was patently unfair that Lydia enjoyed the attention of her husband and Elizabeth would have to wait weeks more for the same!