The sadness had finally been replaced with the joy that had resided in the large house when Darcy suggested they go to a play in London, where they could meet with old acquaintances and enjoy the memories of ----shire and Netherfield. Elizabeth was eager to see her beloved sister Jane and her husband Mr Bingley so she readily agreed. The pair set off for the review in high spirits and arrived at the house the majority of the party had occupied for the winter of the first year they had known each other. The Darcys were pleased to see the Bingleys and Hursts had arrived just earlier. Elizabeth and her sister Jane were inseparable for the first few hours but neither husband minded, although Miss Bingley and her sister Mrs Hurst were most disgusted with the antisocial behaviour.
"I can still not understand why he married her." Exclaimed the unmarried woman.
"Nor I Caroline, but truly it is your duty to make him see that she is not a suitable wife." The idea was laughed at to begin with but it sat in the mind of the devoted woman for some time. She proceeded the very next evening to reply to a letter she had received earlier that month. She sent it express and enclosed payment.
It was only a matter of days before Miss Bingley received the reply she had been waiting for. Although she had still not been able to gain from Mr Darcy the smiles or looks he gave his wife, she had done as much as she could to the point. She had even acted as friendly toward Mrs Darcy as was believable for the time they had spent together. Mrs Darcy also received a letter from the same source some days later. However, it was only known to herself as she did not see it necessary to confide such a thing to her dearest sister as the letter was written very ill and made little sense. But her mood was not as it had been earlier and this was noted by Darcy, although the proud man said nothing directly about the subject. Jane also noticed and it was she who asked one evening about her sister's manner.
"It must be that I miss my children more than I thought I would. The sooner I am back at Pemberly the better." She smiled for her sister and invited her to bring her family to the estate for a visit. Jane said she would discuss it with her husband but there shouldn't be any reason for them to refuse the invitation.
"But Lizzy, will Mr Darcy mind that you have not asked him?" That bought the laughter, which had been lacking, to the dark haired woman's face.
"Darcy does not mind who I invite. With exceptions of course, but you are not those I promise you." The smiles and laughter the two were sharing lasted through the next day and indeed Darcy was more than happy to second the invitation to the Bingleys. It was a different matter with the Hursts and the unmarried sister, as they would be attending the great house at Christmas and that was soon enough for both husband and wife. Plans were made between the four and it was decided they should leave in the next few days so as to bring the cheer back to Pemberly and for their guests to collect their two children, both boys and both energetic.
Mr Darcy had a last surprise for his now jovial wife. There was a wonderful bookshop, which he had been meaning to visit on the last excursion to town but he had left no time for it in his desire to return to Pemberly.
"You mean to take me to another review." She guessed as the carriage made it way down the lane ways.
"Not at all, I now realise how much you enjoy them." The half smile of jest played at the corners of his mouth as she retorted,
"Then you must be taking me to see your dear aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourge. For you know how much her company stimulates my mind."
"Yes, it sharpens your wit considerably. But I am then the victim of your tongue and I have no wish to recollect the manner in which I was addressed when you were near Rosings last." Lightly scowling his wife feigned anger.
"I thought it was decided we should never mention that again, but if you will bring up my behaviour…"
"No, I beg, hold your tongue," but although he was serious the laughter there made her smile in return.
"A truce then. I shall never mention again your abominable behaviour when I first met you in ---shire, or that you slighted me and said 'she is tolerable I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me',"
"But now dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth I will only dance with you, for you are the handsomest woman of my acquaintance." He lightly caressed her cheek and she laughed for a moment and then went coldly still, the letters' content leaping to mind.
"Mayhap, dear husband, you should tell me where we are bound so I know how long from home we shall be." His chuckle was touched by the concern at her strange behaviour, never had she been so quick to change mood.
"We are almost there, I do hope you like it." The carriage stopped in front of the shop and once inside Mrs Darcy was exactly how she had been when first discovering the library at Pemberly. Darcy leaned close to her ear and whispered,
"You may have anything here you desire, dearest wife. A gift from me as I will always love you." Smiling she spent quite some time choosing her book. There were two which she liked greatly and could not decided between. Noticing this Darcy purchased the second as a gift also, but in secret, so as to make it a surprise. His wife was waiting for him outside and he hurried to meet her. However when the tall Mr Darcy appeared from the doorway a sudden crowd had formed and in the middle, his dear wife and some man he knew not. The man was brandishing a letter, which Elizabeth refused to take from him although it was addressed to her. Frowning Mr Darcy made his way towards the pair and heard what his wife was saying.
"I wish to have nothing more to do with your master. I have told him this repeatedly. I would like you to take back the letter to whence it came, as I have no desire to read it." The servant was about to reply but Darcy appeared behind her.
"Perhaps you should take the letter. The crowd will then disperse and you can do with it what you will."
"You take it, for I have no inclination to, crowd or no." Their eyes clashed but he stepped forward with his hand outstretched to receive the offensive post.
"I was told to deliver it to her personally, no one else." The man had hidden the letter behind his back.
"I am her husband, give me the letter." The paper exchanged hands, Mr Darcy offered a coin to the man, who took it and departed like smoke. Jaw set he walked with his now rigid wife to their carriage and began the journey to Pemberly. The book he had bought hidden in the folds of his coat.
"I will not read it." She exclaimed as the candles were lit. "I have no desire to know what it contains." The evening was cool and they were sitting in the music room. As the children were asleep Darcy had taken the opportunity to again talk of the letter which sat accusingly in his lap.
"Then may I?" His voice had taken a cold turn and his eyes were as black as the night had become.
"If you wish but I'm sure it contains nothing of consequence." She sunk into her favourite chair and reached for her embroidery. It was that small move that made Darcy all the more worried. He opened the letter and scanned it briefly.
"You are right," he said, voice soft and threatening, "it merely states that Mr Wickham is disappointed that you have decided to end the affair." The cloth fell from her hands and she quickly grabbed the letter and began to read it for herself.
Dearest Elizabeth,
I was shocked and grieved when you declined to answer my last letter. I was even more hurt when you did not meet me as we had agreed so many months ago. I must believe then that somehow Mr Darcy has been able to win back your heart by some token or other for you know he cannot love you as I do.
"No Wickham. Love itself is beyond you."
We have never had the worry of dislike or social restraints, I have been missing you terribly and your sister is no consolation as she is her mother and not her elder sister.
"You knew that when you married her." Darcy looked at his wife as she continued to read aloud.
It pains me to say it but I never have and never will love Lydia. There, I have written it and although I have told you as much many times I thought you might have to have it in writing to believe it.
"Great God, Darcy you cannot believe this!" Her voice was amazed at the absurdity of the contents of the letter yet he remained stonily silent. She continued to read.
You need not worry about Mr Darcy or his wrath should you leave him and come to me. I know I cannot offer you the comfort he can but I can give you love like he could not possess.
"Yes, a love for money perhaps?"
It is in your best interests as well as his for his heart lies not with you.
Darcy looked up then and caught her eyes. She read on.
Indeed his regard for you was just a mask for the one he truly carries for another woman. She is of higher rank and fortune. She has a claim on your acquaintance from Netherfield. I believe you have never been much impressed with her and noticed her affections towards your husband before you were wed. I regret to inform you that there has been a change in his regard as he now is very much in love with Miss Caroline Bingley.
He stood and began to pace, her eyes followed him but his hand was resting slightly on his lips as it always did when he was distressed by something. She knew that the last line was a lie, but her husband's reaction made her doubt for a second her certainty. What could he be worried about? He knew that she did not believe he and Miss Bingley had ever shared so much as a warm friendship.
I am well aware of the consequences of the information in this letter but I must admit that I hope it will not pain you for long and we shall meet at Longbourn in a matter of weeks.
Yours forever lovingly,
Mr Wickham.
"Hateful man." She looked at her husband. "Surely you can no longer believe this. He has said that you and I are having separate affairs with people neither of us can tolerate." She was angry and folded the letter quickly. "If it is not true that you and Miss Bingley are involved then it is also means that someone else must be." He still did not answer but stared out the window.
"But what if he is right in one regard?"
"That by no means proves the others. Surely you still do not think that I could ever…"
"No. You are too generous to those you love to toy with their affections. I do not have that virtue." There was a pause.
"But you do not hurt those who need you or respect you. Of that you are not capable."
"And what if I am?" He turned away from the window and from her. His movement was agitated and he could not believe either the logic of Elizabeth's words nor the contents of the letter. She watched him in slight hurt before gathering her wits.
"Then I am capable of marrying someone who I do not truly love. And as you are well aware I swore that only the deepest love would induce me into matrimony." He stopped and looked at her and saw the hurt in her eyes. She was standing proudly but there was nothing he could say to remove the tense stance she held.
"Then we are both in more trouble than either will admit."
"Mr Darcy, you are a proud and arrogant man but since living here I have discovered not only your kindness and compassion but your disdain for those who doubt themselves. I have also discovered that I am ill qualified to act as the mistress of this great estate without your assistance. Which requires co-operation and to a large extent trust. If I continue here I will not succeed as it appears you have no more trust in me or my decisions." She collected her embroidery, the offending letter and the book he had given her the day before.
"What do you mean by all this?"
"I mean, sir, that I am not able to live here and fulfil all my duties if you doubt me. But then I may have lost your good opinion and that is something once lost, it is lost forever and therefore I should leave before I cause you more disgust."
"I suppose you mean that because of this I will not be fair or reasonable with you."
"I mean that you will not be fair or just while you are in a temper such as this and I have no inclination to be even in the same room with you if you can no longer respect me. If I have lost that then you can not truly love, I pray you excuse me." She left the room and hurried up the stairs to her room. Darcy hesitated a moment and then followed her quickly. He knew that he had upset her but his wife was being impossible. The door to her chamber was locked and he could hear the rustle of clothes as she moved around. Her mutterings were audible too and caused him to reassess his belief in what Wickham had written. If, there was a chance that Darcy could feel otherwise towards… but here the thought was laughable and he could not complete it in any way. It was impossible for him to feel otherwise to either Elizabeth or Miss Bingley and indeed he could see why it had been so easy a thing to believe for originally. There had always been an attentiveness to him which Elizabeth had found diverting in the other woman. Decided, he went to the library to allow his dear wife time to collect herself.