A/N
HLW - Chapter 11, hope you enjoy.
Will be posting the remaining three chapters in the next couple of days. Once again requesting readers to keep track as I will remove the story pretty quickly after posting the final chapter.
Thank you so much for the feedback and the engagement :) Do let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter.
Her Last Words
Chapter 11
As they approached Netherfield Park the next day, Mr Bennet pondered how he could relieve Mr Darcy of the duty of playing chess with him. He wanted the young people to enjoy themselves instead of being forced to entertain him. If Netherfield had had a hostess, he would have sent his daughters, and himself pleaded a headache. Since that was not the case, he found it incumbent on himself to accompany them. He need not have worried, however. To get what he desired, all he had to do was to be himself.
They were in the drawing-room partaking of tea and refreshments when Mr Bennet's gaze fell on a thick tome placed on a side table next to his chair. Out of curiosity, he shifted slightly to read the title more clearly – Goethe's Faust, First Part. He could not hide his delight at sighting a book he had been trying to obtain for quite some time, without success.
"Mr Bingley, where did you get this volume," Mr Bennet asked.
Bingley shook his head with a sheepish smile. "I am sorry, Mr Bennet, but I cannot tell you anything about this tome. Darcy owns it and has been reading it voraciously ever since we arrived here."
Mr Bennet turned to look enquiringly at Darcy. "Mr Darcy?"
"I know a trusted book seller in Derbyshire, Mr Bennet. He procured it for me on special request."
"Ah... I hope you would not mind if I read it while I am here?" Mr Bennet asked with a covetous gleam in his eyes. All thoughts of matchmaking had by now fled from his mind. For the time being, the booklover in him had overpowered the concerned father.
When Darcy opened his mouth to offer the book to Mr Bennet – to take it with him to Longbourn – a sudden thought struck him. If Mr Bennet knew he could take the book with him, he might expect to play chess with him. But if he thought he only had the present time to read the book, he would certainly choose it over a game of chess, leaving Darcy free to accompany Elizabeth outside.
Ignoring the fact that it was Bingley's responsibility to play the host, Darcy suggested helpfully, "Of course, Mr Bennet. You are welcome to sit in the library. Nobody would bother you there." He would offer the book to Mr Bennet when the Bennets were leaving Netherfield.
"That is an excellent suggestion, Mr Darcy. I hope you will not mind if I take you up on that game some other time?" Mr Bennet asked absentmindedly, his eyes already glued to the page in front of him.
"Not at all, sir," Darcy said with a pleased smile, unaware that Bingley and Jane Bennet had been keenly observing his conversation and the byplay. They exchanged amused glances at Darcy's obvious happiness.
"Well... I never thought I would ever see Darcy like this," Bingley whispered to Jane.
"To be honest, Mr Bingley, neither did I," Jane replied with a grin.
Only Elizabeth, preoccupied with how and what to tell Mr Darcy about Mr Wickham, missed that fascinating exchange between her father and Mr Darcy.
~§§§~
When four people go for a walk, and the goal of all four is to give their friend or sister the opportunity to enjoy some private moments with their loved (or supposed loved) one, then it is not at all surprising that, within minutes of leaving the house, the two couples go their separate ways.
While Elizabeth expressed a desire to visit the stream that ran past the back boundary of Netherfield Park, Jane chose what Mr Bingley's invitation had offered them – some fresh air in the famed rose garden of Netherfield. The garden had been cleverly conceived so that it could be seen from every chamber in the mansion's family wing.
Although the bushes were still a few weeks away from full bloom, Jane found it soothing as she strolled around the garden. Like for everyone in her family, life had been difficult for her in the past fortnight, and she carried the added burden of the guilt of being the cause of her mother's demise. In these unhappy times, helping Elizabeth and Mr Darcy find their happiness had become her redemption, as she knew it would please her mother wherever she was.
"Well, now that I am paying close attention to Darcy's behaviour and countenance, I am puzzled as to why I did not notice his partiality for Miss Elizabeth the last time we were here," Bingley said as they strolled past the shrubs of yellow roses, which were full of pretty buds in various stages of unfurling.
"I suppose it was because Mr Darcy was fighting his attraction and was careful not to show it too openly," Jane said excusingly, then ruined it all by adding, "Although both Charlotte and I noticed his proclivity to stare at Lizzy even at that time."
"Hmm... and have you noticed any shift in Miss Elizabeth's feelings toward Darcy?"
"It is too early to say, Mr Bingley, although I can safely say that she no longer demonstrates any dislike of him as she used to do all too frequently," Jane replied with a rueful smile.
"Well... I suppose one could consider it an improvement," Bingley shook his head, a little disappointed.
"Sir, you are in too much of a hurry. We will have to give them time, especially Lizzy. Unfortunately, my sister is a little too stubborn for her own good."
Before Bingley could respond, a footman appeared at his side. "Mr Bingley?"
"Yes, James?"
"Sir, some guests have arrived – Lady Catherine and Colonel Fitzwillliam. Mrs Nicholls has shown them to the drawing room."
Bingley swore under his breath at the first name. "Thank you, James. I will follow you in a second."
Once the footman had gone, Bingley addressed Jane, "Are you coming, Miss Bennet? Or would you rather stay here?"
Jane had formed a good impression of Colonel Fitzwilliam after meeting him in London in the tragic aftermath of mama's accident. She would have been keen to meet him if she had not been keener to avoid Mr Collins' noble patroness. Elizabeth's anecdotes about the lady had been, to put it mildly, horrifying.
"Ah... I would rather stay and explore the garden some more."
"Lucky you," Bingley muttered to himself. Jane, who heard him clearly, hid a grin behind her hand.
"It is on days like these that I miss Caroline," Bingley said with a wry smile. "I will be back as soon as I have attended to the guests," he added, and took his leave of her.
"Everything has its uses, even venom, it would appear," Jane muttered when she was certain Mr Bingley could not hear her.
~§§§~
Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed as he entered the spacious chamber assigned to him by Bingley's housekeeper. It had amused him to discover that he had been allotted a chamber in the family wing of the mansion, whereas his aunt had been put up in the guest wing. Bingley finally appeared to be acquiring some savvy in managing difficult people and situations, the colonel thought with an inward smile.
Soon, however, his amusement gave way to restlessness. He had not wanted to come to Netherfield, but his father had insisted that he accompany his aunt.
Lady Catherine had come to Matlock House the day before, fulminating about Darcy's madness in chasing after a conniving nobody from Hertfordshire. Darcy, it seemed, had to be saved from himself, whether he wanted it or not!
Richard had no idea how his aunt had learned about Darcy's trip to Netherfield. Someone, most likely the buffoonish Mr Collins, had recently informed her about it, and she had rushed to Matlock House with her bagful of complaints and demands. Much to his chagrin, his father had very conveniently passed the buck to him.
When Aunt Catherine had revealed the identity of the conniving country nobody, the colonel had privately informed his father that he had nothing against Miss Elizabeth, who was an unexceptionable young lady, with not so brilliant connections and circumstances.
Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed heavily and began to make his way to a large window, overlooking a large, well-maintained garden. He once again recalled his father's surprise when he had told him, "If I did not need a fortune to survive as I am accustomed, I might have considered offering for her myself."
What he had not chosen to reveal to his father was that if he had any hope of winning the hand of the lady's elder sister, Jane Bennet, he would have disregarded the fortune in a heartbeat. Richard had also not toldhis father that he had begun to toy with the idea of shifting from active service to the diplomatic corps, before Darcy dashed his hopes by informing him of his journey to Netherfield and the reasons for it.
Ever since, he had been trying – quite unsuccessfully – to stop thinking about the woman who had haunted his dreams from the day he first saw her in Grosvenor Street. He had therefore not wanted to visit Netherfield, even if he had wanted to meddle in Darcy's life, which he did not.
However, his father had been adamant. "Go with her, Richard, and save me from this harangue. You have a fortnight left of your leave. Spend a few days in the country with Darcy and his friend."
He had tried to object, but his father had taken away all his reasons for refusing. "Go and enjoy. Do not meddle in any way unless you believe something catastrophic is happening. Catherine is too foolish to understand that we cannot force Darcy's hand in this manner. To be honest, I have no desire to spoil our relationship with Anne's only son."
Richard could not deny his father after such a reasonable request, and so here he was. He had not even dared to contemplate that one of the reasons he might have allowed himself to be persuaded was to get one last glimpse of Miss Bennet before returning to his duty.
He had received a shock when Bingley informed him that she was here in Netherfield, right at this very moment. Bingley had offered to take him to her, but like a coward, he had come here to hide, on the pretext of refreshing himself before meeting anyone.
Richard sighed, and looked out of the window, straight into the hauntingly beautiful face of Miss Jane Bennet, who was strolling in the garden, all alone. He could do nothing else but stand there and drink his fill of her serene beauty.
Even as he stood there watching, Bingley came hurrying to her side. Richard wanted to move away, unwilling to watch her with another man, but he could not make his feet do his bidding.
So, he stood there, listening to a conversation that made him want to smile for the first time in a fortnight.
"I apologize for taking so long to return, Miss Bennet. At first, Lady Catherine threw a tantrum over her assigned chamber, and then Jacob, my steward, arrived with an urgent query. So..."
"There is no need to apologize, Mr Bingley. I hope you remember that I chose to stay here when you asked me to accompany you inside."
"But..." Bingley began to protest when Jane interrupted him with a laugh.
"There is no need to be so apologetic, Mr Bingley. I did not mind at all. You seem to have forgotten that we are not really courting, just making a pretence of it for Lizzy's and Mr Darcy's sake. I am not going to be miffed if you do not dance attention on me."
Bingley smiled. "I am glad that you are not offended, Miss Bennet, but you are also my guest, and my mother..."
Richard could only hear faint murmurs from the couple now that they were far enough away. Anyhow he was not interested in any further eavesdropping. 'Miss Bennet and Bingley are only pretending to be interested in each other... for Darcy's and Miss Elizabeth's sake... but why?'
Oh, but that meant he was free to pursue Miss Bennet! It appeared that a long conversation with Bingley was in order. However, before approaching Bingley, Richard decided to observe him and Miss Bennet for a while to ensure that he had not misinterpreted what he had heard.
Feeling quite upbeat all of a sudden, he rang for his batman, Simpson. He needed to look presentable before he went to greet Miss Bennet.
~§§§~
Darcy turned to look at Elizabeth in some consternation. They had been walking along the stream for a while, and instead of enjoying the scenery as she had desired, she appeared to be lost in her thoughts. Thoughts that were not very comforting, if her solemn expression was any indication.
"Miss Elizabeth?" he called out to her softly.
"Uh... yes, Mr Darcy?" she blinked up at him.
"Is there a problem? I have been watching you for a while now, and you appear uncommonly grave."
Elizabeth sighed deeply. She had been dithering whether or not to speak of her fears, but now that he had offered her an opportunity, she would be foolish not to take it. Mr Darcy knew Mr Wickham's mind. He could shed some light on the rogue's motivations.
"Yes, Mr Darcy, unfortunately there is a problem, at least... I believe so."
"Why, what happened in the two days since we last met, Miss Elizabeth?"
"Since our last meeting, I have learned that Mr Wickham has begun to single out my youngest sister whenever she goes out. It is especially troubling as he started doing it after Jane took him to task that day. Unfortunately, he could discern that day that Lydia has a soft corner in her heart for him."
"Hmm... but can you not tell Miss Lydia what he is really like?"
"You have seen my youngest sister, sir. She is... headstrong and is not likely to let go of a notion simply because I say so. She would need evidence for any claims that I make."
For a brief moment, Darcy was left amused as he wondered if Elizabeth realized the inherent irony of her statement, but his amusement faded as he saw the anxiety on her troubled face.
All of a sudden, she burst out, "If only mama was here! She would have known how to persuade Lydia and even compelled papa to take some action against Wickham."
To be honest, Darcy was sceptical of this assertion; from what he had seen of Mrs Bennet when she was alive, she had been quite fond of the redcoats. But then he had also seen recently that she cared deeply for the wellbeing of her daughters. Anyhow, Elizabeth knew her mother better than he did.
"And... to think I accused her of driving Mr Bingley away from Jane through her encroaching behaviour!"
Elizabeth's distress was very evident from her wide eyes, and Darcy placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "Elizabeth..." he began, but she was lost in her own world at the moment and it did not appear to be listening.
"I did not even get a chance to apologize for my cruel words." She had covered her face with her hands, and Darcy had to bend to hear her whispered words. He watched in disbelief as tears started to fall from between her fingers.
"Elizabeth... please no...," he muttered roughly. The next moment, he had gathered her to him, and his arms tightened around her. It was a visceral reaction on his part, with the sole intention of offering her comfort. He did not stop to think about the impropriety or her reaction to the liberty he had taken. And as his arms closed around her, the emotions that washed over him left him stunned. He had thought that he was the one offering her comfort, but for the first time he realized that the one offering solace might derive equal comfort from the act.
It was not until she buried her face in his chest and gripped his jacket tightly, that his brain began to function again and he understood that she was finally done acting brave. The sadness and even the guilt that she seemed to have suppressed for so long were now finally breaking through the surface.
He stroked the back of her head, gently, comfortingly. "Elizabeth do not cry, please. You must believe me when I tell you that your mother has already forgiven you and is only wishing for the happiness of her daughters, wherever she may be."
The conviction in his voice had its effect on Elizabeth, and the intensity of her grief reduced slowly. She disengaged herself from his arms after a few moments, and said sheepishly, "I apologize for crying all over you, Mr Darcy. I do not know what came over me... I am not usually such a watering pot."
He looked at her dear face, which still looked absolutely lovely to him despite her swollen eyes and a red nose, and almost blurted out that she need never suppress her emotions in this manner again and that he would always be there for her. However, he did not want to scare her. So, instead, he said lightly, "I was happy to be of service, Miss Elizabeth."
Recollecting the source of her unease, he sought to reassure her. "And... please do not worry about Wickham. We will not let anything happen to Miss Lydia, I promise. Tomorrow, I will come to Longbourn, and together we will speak to your father."
"Are... are you sure, Mr Darcy?"
"Of course. I am as sure of his discretion as I was of yours. Mr Bennet can then decide what to do with the information. I am confident he will be able to guide Miss Lydia so that she does not come to any harm," he replied gently and was pleased to see her expression lighten.
"Thank you," she whispered. Her words were prosaic but carried a wealth of emotions.
~§§§~
Lady Catherine's grip on her cane tightened almost unbearably as she stood there watching Darcy embrace Elizabeth Bennet. In a moment of madness, she began to march forward in an attempt to drag the brazen hussy from her nephew's protective embrace. Sanity returned only when her gaze was drawn to Darcy's face. The naked emotion on it stopped her feet from moving any further. This... whatever this was that Darcy was feeling, would not go away just because Elizabeth Bennet was dragged from his arms. No... it would not.
Something else had to be done – something shocking – to bring Darcy back to his senses. But what could she possibly do? Nothing struck her as she stood there, helplessly watching her nephew and his inamorata. She needed to think things through. After one last look at the embracing couple, she turned and went back to her room to do just that.
She sat down and began to consider a possible course of action once inside. As a first step, she decided to keep an eye on Darcy and Miss Bennet for a while longer... to confirm that what she had seen today would last. If she found it was so, unfortunately, then she somehow would have to make it impossible for Darcy to even consider marrying the upstart miss.
But then she could not be seen to be involved in whatever needed to be done. It would be best if she left now and sent someone else to spy on Darcy and the Bennets.
Suddenly, she remembered that her friend Maureen St. James, Lady Deverill, lived in Ashmore Park, an estate five miles north of Netherfield. She would leave Netherfield on the morrow and stay with Maureen for a few days. John, her devoted footman, could travel back and forth between Maureen's home and Netherfield to keep an eye on Darcy. Meanwhile, she would think of something that would discourage her nephew from continuing his relationship with Elizabeth Bennet.
~§§§~
The next morning, a puzzled Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam stood under the Netherfield portico, waving goodbye to their aunt, who had decided to spend a few days with a friend before returning to Rosings.
"If I understood you correctly, Lady Catherine had come here to denounce me for succumbing to Miss Elizabeth's art and allurements, and to remind me of my duty to the family and Anne?"
"That is correct, and she harangued my father so much that he forced me to come here in his stead," Colonel Fitzwilliam replied.
"And what were you sent to do?" Darcy asked, his brows raised in challenge.
"To enjoy myself in the countryside."
"Hmm..." Darcy's lips lifted in a smile. "Frankly, I find it incomprehensible that she should come here, seclude herself in her chamber, and not say anything of what she came to say," he said, after a moment.
"Well, she did summon us to her room and request that you behave yourself." Colonel Fitzwilliam grinned at Darcy.
"I always behave myself," Darcy replied in an offended voice.
"So, you told her. Perhaps she decided to take you at your word and leave," his cousin said with a straight face and received an unsmiling stare for his pains.
The colonel raised his hand in supplication. "More seriously, I do not believe that Aunt Catherine has given up on her ambitions for you. We must remain vigilant and also try to anticipate what she might do. Unfortunately, nothing strikes me at the moment."
"Hmm... at least she spared me the harangue," Darcy tried to jest, but he was uneasy at his aunt's behaviour. Wanting to calm himself before visiting Longbourn, he decided to go out. "I am going for a ride. Would you like to come?" he asked Richard, who turned down the offer.
~§§§~
Normally, riding was a relaxing activity for Darcy, but today his worry over his aunt's strange conduct refused to lessen, so he went to the church.
He felt much calmer as he exited the building twenty minutes later. He was on his way to retrieve Poseidon when Mrs Bennet began to walk by his side. Darcy looked around and noticed there was no one nearby to observe him.
"Good morning, madam," he murmured softly, as the lady did not appear inclined to talk.
Instead of replying, she asked abruptly, "Will you come with me?"
"Where?" Darcy asked uneasily.
"To the church yard."
"But..."
"Please?"
"All right, lead the way, Mrs Bennet."
Darcy followed Mrs Bennet. The lady led him to her own grave! Darcy came to a halt some distance behind her when he noticed that Mr Bennet was already present there. It discomfited Darcy to intrude on a private moment of grief.
Mr Bennet knelt to place a lovely pink and white bouquet on the gravestone.
"Hmm... he seemed to have remembered that I love pink carnations," Mrs Bennet said to him. She had returned to stand next to Darcy.
"And the lilies?" he asked quietly.
"They are Thomas's favourite... but I find I rather like the combination," she whispered, and he nodded in agreement.
Darcy jerked into attention when he heard Mr Bennet's low voice.
"I know the girls have visited you since the headstone was placed, Fanny. You must have thought that I was hiding in my study as is my wont... but... I was trying to muster courage." Mr Bennet paused and bent to arrange the bouquet more decorously.
I hope you will forgive me, Fanny."
"Oh!" Darcy turned his head towards Mrs Bennet, who stood wide-eyed, her hand pressed to her mouth.
"I am very sorry, my dear. For... for acting like an idiot... and laughing away your fears for so many years."
"Oh, Thomas!"
Feeling like a peeping Tom, Darcy started to edge backwards. This time Mrs Bennet did not pay him any heed. Perhaps she no longer sought comfort from his presence.
"You know, Mr Bingley has come back to Netherfield with that disagreeable Mr Darcy. Only, he is not so very disagreeable after all." Mr Bennet chortled, and Mrs Bennet chuckled along with him.
"That is precisely what I told him, Thomas."
Darcy could not help but smile at the strange conversation.
"I am trying to bring Jane and Mr Bingley together..."
Just before walking away from the churchyard, Darcy turned and looked back. Mr and Mrs Bennet were standing next to each other at her grave, her hand resting on his arm. For a brief moment, Darcy could only stare at the unbelievable image before he turned and walked away.
If he had stayed, he would have also heard about his own fascination with their Lizzy.
~§§§~
Her Last Words
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