I don't own Pride and Prejudice
When intermission came the men left to do get refreshments for the ladies, and the women from the Darcy party started discussing what they thought of the play thus far. Well, they tried to discuss it, but voices from a lower box drifted up, and made it difficult not to be distracted.
"I hear Mr Darcy is here tonight with his new wife, some have even said she is rather beautiful." A young lady's voice said. Elizabeth tried to distract the younger girls as it was not proper to eavesdrop, nor did she expect to hear kind words said about her in this society.
"Surly you've heard about his marriage Caroline, the rumor is she compromised him at your ball." It seemed she was the only one in their box trying to ignore the ladies.
"I assure you there is no one from that society he would have willingly married. The most prominent family there had five daughters all out and all unmarried." Caroline Bingley's voice rang out, and Elizabeth gave up trying to distract anyone. "The eldest sister was the only tolerable one in the bunch, but even she was rather bland. I will grant you, she was very pretty, but the rest of the sisters had nothing to recommend them"
"The youngest of the sisters were nothing more than common flirts. They didn't have a lick of sense between them." Lizzy saw Kitty's face crumple, but it was not she who comforted her sister. She hadn't seen him return to the box, but it was Fitzwilliam who reached her sister first and comforted her as only a seasoned older brother could do. Georgiana had moved to the second row, and Elizabeth pulled her into a comforting embrace, seeing how shook up she was.
"While the middle sister did nothing but sermonize, and pretend at being accomplished at the piano forte. However, the second sister was by far the worst. A more impertinent creature I'm sure I've never met." Caroline then laughed, "And to think, she was considered one of the local beauties. Even Mr Darcy was not impressed with her, I believe his exact words were, 'She, a beauty, I'd just as soon call her mother a wit.'" The women all laughed while her husband turned to look at her.
She just shook her head and motioned to the two girls requiring their comfort. The comment would have hurt at one time, but their conversation before leaving for the theater had changed all that. She knew her husband found her handsome, but also valued her for more than just that.
"The mother was just as bad as you would imagine after hearing that statement." Caroline tittered, the ladies all laughing along, "And if that wasn't bad enough, the mother's brother is in trade and lives in Cheapside."
The Earl and his guests shot disparaging looks to Mr and Mrs Gardiner, the couple having been introduced as Elizabeth's aunt and uncle.
"Really, I find it so disgusting that the daughter of a tradesman would seek to elevate themselves by spreading gossip about a genteel family." Surprisingly the voice came from the back of the box, where Lady Camille stood.
"I just heard that my dear Mrs Darcy was in this box, and I had to come say hello." Her voice was raised, clearly wanting others to know they had her support. "I see you've brought Miss Darcy and Miss Bennet with you. I'm here with only my sister and her husband, perhaps you will let us steal away the younger girls. I'm sure Mr and Mrs Gardiner could act as chaperones for them. We would hate to deprive the rest of your guests of your company."
"A fine idea if you ask me, I'm sure the young ladies would enjoy it immensely." The captain spoke, letting Mr and Mrs Gardiner know he and his wife would be ok without them.
Fitzwilliam looked to her to see what she thought of the plan, and she gave a slight nod of approval. He then turned to the girls, "Would you both like to join Lady Camille?"
"If Mrs Gardiner is going to be there I don't think I shall feel half so intimidated with you not with me." Georgiana answered and Kitty nodded her agreement.
With that the girls and the Gardiners took their leave, and the staff came in to move the chairs and make more room for everyone. "I must say Darcy, I have never met more pleasing girls than your sisters, they are a credit to you both. I believe I heard from my friend Gardiner that you had guardianship of both girls?" The captain continued to speak loudly.
"Yes, I was named guardian of my sister when my father passed, and my wife and I of Miss Bennet when she came to live with us." He knew they had discussed this before, but Elizabeth figured the Captain felt this needed to be public knowledge, let the ton know that Kitty was well protected.
"It'll be so much easier on Georgiana when she has a proper sister to help her prepare for her coming out." Lady Matlock spoke up, though thankfully she kept her voice low, and cast a meaningful glance at Lady Margaret.
Elizabeth saw the fire in her husband's eyes, and gently placed her hand on his arm. "Georgiana already has a sister who is more than capable of guiding her through her coming out." He said evenly, keeping his voice low so that no one could of hear them. They last thing they needed was as scandal.
"I have said before that I am happy in my choice of wife, and nothing you say will change that." He saw Lord Creston start to bluster.
"How dare you think you can string my daughter along and then jilt her like some common street wench." The man's face was almost purple, and the hairs of his mustache were practically vibrating he was breathing so hard.
"There was never an understanding between your daughter and I, nor was their any preference shown to her." Darcy stared them man down, unmoved by his reaction.
"Your uncle..."
"Is not my father, and therefore has no say over my life and who I marry." Fitzwilliam shot the argument down before it was even expressed. "You and I sir have never spoken before today, your daughter and I have only four dances, though we have been in each other's company on six separate occasions. I have never asked for a second dance, nor invited her for a walk, or a carriage ride. I have done nothing to single your daughter out sir, so there was no reason to expect an engagement."
The girl in question fled the box in tears, and Elizabeth did not know how the rest of the argument went, as she slipped out after her. She found her in the powder room, trying to dry her tears. "Come to gloat?"
"Not at all, I've just come to see if you were alright." She informed her, and the girl became enraged.
"Of course I'm not all right, did you know that I had a proposal eminent just this summer?" She wondered how she was supposed to know, but just shook her head no.
"I was about to become Mrs Price, I new it would just be a matter of weeks until he went to my father to ask for my hand. I relished in the thought of no longer being a drain on my father's estate." The picture became a bit more clear to Elizabeth. The Darcy money would likely be funneled into the Creston estate much like it was the Matlock. All the while it would be Mr Darcy doing all the work to keep everyone afloat.
"Then my father came to me and told me he'd struck up a deal with the Earl of Matlock. I was going to marry the man's nephew, which was much better than the 40 year old man I had courting me. Mr Darcy was at least handsome and rich. Mr Price was just moderately wealthy."
"Then Mr Darcy returns to town, married to so upstart country nobody, who had the audacity to compromise him. That he should marry you when he was promised to me, it should not have to be born." The woman's face was just about as purple as her father's had been.
"The way I see it, if he did not speak the words to you himself, then he was never promised to you. I have not known my husband long, but I do know that he is an honorable man. If he had had an understanding with you he never would have offered for me." Shh crossed her arms and stared the young woman down.
"Further more, it would seem his marriage saved at least one of you from a loveless marriage."
"Oh please, women in the ton don't marry for love, we marry for power and connections. Love is a frivolous thing, it can not keep a woman in the lifestyle she has grown accustomed to." The woman scoffed.
"Good thing I was referring to him. Love may not buy you happiness, but it may make life much more worth while. And while I may not love my husband yet, nor he love me, we do respect each other, and that is as good as any place to start. Contrary to popular believe, we upstart, country nobodies do not aspire to marry into the upper echelon of the ton. We are much more pragmatic than that, knowing that the likely hood of us socializing in the same circles as them are minor. We prefer to look for men who will treat us with kindness and respect." She then turned and left the woman to wallow in her own misery.