Stupidus Interruptus
What if Darcy's proposal was interrupted before he could utter all of those silly and insulting addendums? When an emergency calls Elizabeth home from Hunsford, Mr. Darcy's opening words run over and over in her mind. With him unable to finish and her unable to rebut, will ODC's journey take a different route or will it fizzle out altogether?
On the road from Hunsford towards London, 1812
His words bounced around in her head over and over again, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you"
Elizabeth scolded herself for focusing on those words rather than on her mother's plight, but they would persist in returning to the fore over and over again: how ardently I admire and love you.
She was in her uncle's carriage with an older maid, hurrying towards London and then Longbourn. The carriage had arrived at just the right moment, startling Mr. Darcy out of his revelation and Elizabeth out of her confused shock. The footman who stepped into Hunsford Cottage was familiar to Elizabeth. He had been a trusted servant of the Gardiners ever since their marriage. The racket caused by the horses and carriage, along with John's sudden entrance into the strange tableau broke the dreamlike (or nightmarish) scene.
"I apologize, Miss Bennet, but your uncle sent me in a hurry to collect you. Here, if I may..." John extended a letter to her. Darcy, still standing by the fireplace, was forgotten for the moment as Elizabeth read.
When she let out a startled gasp and covered her mouth, though, he rushed forward, "What is it, Elizabeth? What has happened?"
Neither noticed John's surprised glance between the two.
Elizabeth quickly read the rest of the letter before answering in a trembling voice, "My mother suffered an apoplexy! Oh, I must hurry home! Mr. Darcy, could you please tell Charlotte... Mrs. Collins? I must go and gather my things and go."
Darcy wanted to gather the distraught young lady he loved into his arms, but instead he put on his "Master of Pemberley" mask and turned to the footman, "You have sufficient help to see to her luggage? And a maid to ensure propriety?" When the man nodded, Darcy pulled out several crown, "See that she has every comfort on her journey. I... I know what it is to lose a mother too young."
John was going to protest the money in his hand, but the tall man Miss Elizabeth had addressed as "Mr. Darcy" was already out the door. Given the man's use of her given name, her own request for his help, and his almost possessive behavior, John could only assume that and understanding had been reached. Why else would the two be alone in this sitting room?
The carriage traveled into London in the dark, arriving at the Gardiner's home just before midnight. Despite the hour, the adult Gardiners were already there waiting, "Oh, Elizabeth. We are relieved that you made it safely. The coachman and horses will rest for tonight and then your uncle will accompany you home." Aunt Madeline pulled her worried niece into a deep hug.
"Where is Jane? And how is Mama?"
"Your father sent a his carriage for your sister. It was supposed to continue on to collect you, but we offered the alternative. Your mother lives... at last report... but she has not woken since the collapse."
Elizabeth allowed her beloved aunt and uncle to comfort her, but she was too numb to converse or even think, such was her anxiety. At least now she was blessedly relieved of Mr. Darcy's voice and his startling words.
~oOo~
Upon waking, another persistent feeling came to the forefront. Last night, when her aunt spoke of what had happened, she seemed to be avoiding some detail. Elizabeth had been to exhausted and too overwrought to notice that detail at the time, but now her keen mind brought it to her memory.
She did not have time to quiz her aunt, who was already bustling her into the carriage, but her uncle was a captive audience for the next three hours, "Uncle Edward, what part of the story are you not telling me? What caused Mama to have an apoplexy?"
Edward Gardiner expelled a breath. Leave it to his intelligent niece to notice that detail. "It might be simpler if I just allow you to read your father's note." He extracted it from a pocket and extended it like a hot piece of metal. Elizabeth regarded her uncle with concern as she took the missive.
Edward,
I am sorry to write this bluntly, but there is not time for delicacy. Your sister has suffered an apoplexy and it does look well for her. Since her attack she had not regained consciousness and is breathing very shallowly. I have sent my coach to collect my only two sensible daughters. Send them to me as you think best. Jane first, then a longer trip to collect Lizzy. Or send my coach on for Lizzy and then send them both to me at once. Regardless of the means, I need them home.
If it was only Fanny, one might suffice for the present, but the greater need is also the cause of Fanny's attack. She could not sleep well last night and rose before dawn to find some relief for a troubled stomach. Once downstairs she came upon Lydia dressed for travel and Mr. Wickham collecting her trunk. It seems that my silliest daughter intended to elope. The shock of the situation was too much for her, She yelled and then collapsed.
If there is one relief from this disaster, it is that Lydia, distraught, could not abandon her mother on the floor. I was woken by Fanny's yell and came down to hear the bounder using abusive language in trying to hurry Lydia along. When the man saw me he snatched up Lydia's reticule and immediately ran. I have since gotten the truth from Lydia that her purse contained several of her mother's finest pieces of jewelry.
I give credit to our youngest at least in this: she did not even look at him, her whole concentration being on her mother.
Mr. Jones was sent for immediately, but he has been able to offer little in the way of hope. I feel sorrow for Fanny, but am worried for Lydia, who is almost catatonic since our apothecary's prognosis.
Please hurry my daughter's home,
Sincerely, Thomas Bennet
Elizabeth read the short letter twice, her shock only increasing. She had thought George Wickham the finest of young men, even after he turned his attentions to Mary King. But to elope with Lydia, who was only fifteen! And to steal her mother's jewelry! None of it made sense!
"Are you well, Lizzy?"
"I do not know, Uncle. If I may... I just need time to think... there have been too many shocks in such a short time..."
"Certainly. I will leave you to your own thoughts for now."
Longbourn, four hours later...
As soon as Elizabeth stepped out of her uncle's carriage she was surrounded by her sisters, save Lydia. The cacophony of tearful greetings finally subsided enough for Elizabeth to ask, "How is Mama?"
Jane, looking sadder than he had ever seen her, shook her head, "Her breathing is even more shallow than earlier... Mr. Jones thinks it will be today. I am relieved that you made it in time." She took her sister by the hand and led her inside.
"And Lydia?" Here she saw an actual flash of anger from the normally placid Jane.
"She has not left mother's side. For the first hour she wailed and begged Mama to wake, but after Mr. Jones arrived and made his pronouncement, Lydia has not said one word. She just holds Mama's hand, sits there, and stares blankly." Jane shot a glare at Elizabeth, "How could you ever believe that man was good, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth was shocked and hurt, but she could not respond. After all, she had been thinking the same for the past few hours. Jane's expression fell and she hugged her dearest friend and sister, "I am sorry, Lizzy. You are not to blame. I thought well of the man myself. Please forgive me?"
"There is nothing to forgive, Jane. I have been willfully blind about the man's character... and perhaps about Mr. Darcy's as well. He did try to warn me that Mr. Wickham does not keep friends for long. Oh, how I wish that I had pursued the matter further."
"Lydia might not have listened anyway. According to Kitty, Lydia has been chasing after any officer who would stop and pay her attentions. She has also been sneaking off without Kitty, threatening her not to tell. Oh, Lizzy, how could she be so..."
"Foolish? Heedless? Wanton? I do not know the right word either, Jane, but something terrible was bound to happen." For once Jane did not attempt to soften her sister's impressions. Not even she could excuse Lydia her actions. Elizabeth hugged her, "You look exhausted. Go and rest now for a while. I shall sit with Mama and Lydia."
Elizabeth found Mary sitting vigil in the room, for once not reading Fordyce. She looked up and shared a wan smile with her older sister, "I thought I would come in while you and Jane talked. Papa has all but locked himself away and left Jane to manage. Kitty and I have tried to help, but..."
Elizabeth patted her sister on the shoulder, "I am sure that anything you and Kitty have done has been a help. You may stay here with me if you choose or seek out other tasks... I fear that we shall all be turning at least a few dresses black soon. Could the two of you perhaps..." she could not finish her words due to the lump in her throat, but Mary nodded in understanding.
"We will see to it, Lizzy. I am glad that you are home," Mary was not a demonstrative person, but on this occasion she hugged her sister tight enough to almost hurt before leaving the room.
~oOo~
Colonel Forster made an appearance that same afternoon with news about his lieutenant. Jane was back in the room with their mother and Elizabeth was sitting in her father's office along with her uncle, "Mr. Bennet, my men captured Wickham in Clapham along with Miss Lydia's reticule full of jewelry... So far as anyone is aware, your wife was having the servants polish her collection, so it was laid out on the dining table. When Mrs. Bennet came down for tea to sooth her stomach, she discovered Wickham in the house and stealing her valuables. No mention of Miss Lydia has or will be made.
"The value of the jewelry well exceeds the hanging limit, so between the theft and his obvious intent to desert, he will receive no mercy."
There was a long, embarrassed pause before the colonel continued, "Mr. Bennet, while my men were pursuing Wickham, I had inquiries made around Meryton. It seems that the man has managed to amass quite a large debt among the shopkeepers as well as debts of honor. There are also three possible cases where the man has left local girls in disgrace. I cannot apologize enough for allowing one of my officers to behave in such a manner..."
Mr. Bennet waved the man's apology off, "We have all walked around with blinders on, Colonel. I would like to believe that most of your men and officers have behaved like gentleman, but this incident has taught me to question everything. Assure me that the man will never have an opportunity to do harm again and that will be apology enough."
"Of that you have my assurance, Mr. Bennet," Colonel Forster said his goodbyes and departed.
Mr. Bennet took another drink and looked to his favorite daughter, "Well, Lizzy, what think you of your favorite now?"
Elizabeth's face crumpled, though she fought off bitter tears of self-recrimination. Her uncle barked, "Bennet! Do not try to place the blame on Lizzy! Both Madeline and I tried to warn you about your youngest two and their obsession with redcoats at Christmastime!"
Thomas regarded his brother and heaved a sigh, "That you did. And I laughed it off as usual. Lizzy, please forgive me my words?"
"There is no need for forgiveness. I have been willfully blind where Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy are concerned, I think."
"Mr. Darcy! The man for who no woman of Meryton is tolerable enough to tempt? Pray tell, what have you to say of that man?"
Elizabeth grimaced, staring out of the window. The day should not be so fine. A day such as this should be overcast. "Only that I might not understand the man as well as I wished to believe. If I was so wrong about the lieutenant, was I also mistaken about Mr. Darcy?"
Thomas rose up from his desk, "That is probably a matter for a different time. I will go and sit with my wife now. I fear the time draws near and I can no longer hide away."
After he left, Edward Gardiner said, "Lizzy, John told me that Mr. Darcy was alone with you at the parsonage and that he spoke to you in a very personal manner. I have said nothing about the matter to your father, but I should like an explanation."
Elizabeth sighed, then looked up at her uncle, "I honestly do not know. He arrived just shortly before your carriage. He paced around for several minutes, and then... I believe... I think that he was actually beginning to propose to me... as ludicrous as that may sound."
"Why should it be ludicrous? You are a beautiful, intelligent, lively young lady who has attracted many a male eye."
"But Mr. Darcy took one look at me when we first met and pronounced me 'tolerable, but not handsome enough' to tempt him, even for one dance!"
Mr. Gardiner smirked and shook his head, "Perhaps men should read romance novels too. Then maybe they would not put their feet in their mouths quite so often. Did your aunt ever tell you that I insulted her on our first meeting?"
"No! I cannot imagine it. You two are my ideal for what a good marriage should be."
"And yet I was in a churlish mood when we met. Her father was a shrewd landowner who managed to get the better of me in a deal where I was buying up wool. I was quite proud of my negotiating skills and therefore quite put out after this farce. The steward was a friend and he tried to make introductions, but I said, 'I have no time to meet silly, mindless girls at this moment. I have a business to build'. Then I turned around and saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen," At Elizabeth's amused look, he added, "It took me two years and many visits to convince Madeline to give me the time of day, much less her hand. She still teases me about it today.
"The moral of my story is this: first impressions should never be final. Everyone has bad moments and anyone can say foolish things. You must look at Mr. Darcy's behaviors over time to truly know who he is and if... just perhaps... there might be someone there for you to love and respect."
Edward rose, kissed his niece's cheek, and left her alone in her father's study.
~oOo~
Longbourn, that same evening...
Mr. Darcy's carriage rolled onto Longbourn's drive that same evening with three men inside. Mr. Darcy had stopped in Town to speak with Charles Bingley to request permission for he and his cousin to stay at Netherfield Park. Charles insisted on the details and learned of the Bennet's possible loss, he immediately instructed his valet to pack his own bags.
Miss Bingley and the Hursts were thankfully in Bath at the moment, so no explanations were asked or given on that front.
Darcy heard the wails as he stepped down and he knew. He might not have made the same sounds out loud when his mother passed, but he had felt them in his heart.
The three men stood outside of Longbourn, uncertain of what to do. It seemed wrong to knock at such a time, but how else could they help? The matter resolved itself, somewhat, when the door opened and a very sad Elizabeth stepped out. She seemed startled, at first, to see the three men and the large coach, but then, by some inner instinct, she walked directly to Mr. Darcy.
"She is gone," Elizabeth said in a lost sort of manner. Somehow her small hands were held in Mr. Darcy's large ones and it felt as if they belonged there. "I don't... what should I do?"
"For now, my dear Elizabeth, you should just let yourself grieve. There will be time enough to think about duty later. We are here to help in any way we can." In the decades that passed after that moment, Elizabeth sometimes wondered how so much was said without ever being said. All that she remembered distinctly from that moment was that her Mr. Darcy was there, and therefore all would be well. She did not even think it improper that she was suddenly wrapped in his arms, crying bitter tears.
Mr. Bingley's reception was not so easy. Jane's long, lonely ordeal in London, her rejection by Mr. Bingley's sisters, and now her very painful awareness of the evil in this world had taken its toll. Jane, who had been the soul of conciliation and trust, treated the return of Charles Bingley with the utmost of suspicion.
Colonel Fitzwilliam, the third passenger in the coach, spoke with Edward Gardiner and Mr. Bennet. Since the two other young men were preoccupied, he offered his assistance in seeing to the important matters, such as having the local parson say his benediction and drafting a death notice. He was a man who knew much of death, sadly, so he was able to offer comfort and assistance without overstepping.
It would have been too much for the Gardiner's young children to stay at Longbourn at such a time, so Charles Bingley had rooms prepared at Netherfield. Mary moved there to help her aunt to watch over her brood. They returned to London after the funeral, taking Mary with them.
Proper mourning for a parent was six months. Despite this, Darcy saw Elizabeth on a very regular basis. Georgiana was sent for and she quietly made the acquaintance of the remaining Bennet daughters. It was she who practically installed herself in Lydia's life and helped the guilt-ridden young lady to finally move on from those feelings which threatened to destroy her. Nobody but Georgiana could have understood so well.
When the six months were over and Elizabeth married her Mr. Darcy, Georgiana insisted that Lydia join her at Pemberley. There Lydia took quiet walks with her friend, learned to draw, paint, and play the pianoforte, and discovered new sides of herself that she never knew. She eventually shared a coming out with Georgiana and later married a good man who had never worn a red coat in his life.
In London Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was working at the War Office, became a regular visitor to Gracechurch Street. Three months after Mary Bennet put away her mourning clothes, he proposed. She did not have the fortune he claimed he needed, but she did have his heart. Together they went from assignment to assignment around the world for the next thirty years. Due to her frugal nature and several lucky breaks on his part, he was able to retire and purchase a small estate in Kent.
Like a boulder washed by the waves, Jane eventually wore down and allowed Charles Bingley back into her heart. She had needed to see consistency and the man simply would not go away. He purchased Netherfield Park, worked to make it prosperous, and camped on her doorstep until she learned to smile again. When she finally met him at the altar, she knew that she had found a man who would never waver.
In case you, the reader, might wonder about Kitty: When Mr. Bennet put away mourning, he found the atmosphere of Longbourne too confining. He took his one daughter who was still at home and began to visit all of the places he had wanted to visit in the past, before his marriage and the onset of children. On one such visit to Sarum, a place also known as Stonehenge, he met a former colleague from Cambridge and the man's full-grown son also taking a tour. While the older men talked, the young folks walked about.
The loss of her mother, the circumstances surrounding the event, and the long period of mourning had matured Kitty. The young man was just as impressed with her quiet nature as with her beauty. The old friends were so pleased to see each other again that they decided to combine their itineraries. By the time that summer was out, Mr. Bennet had decided to return to Cambridge and resume teaching, while his daughter had quite happily pledged her hand to her young man.
~oOo~
Pemberley, 1824
One summer evening, more than a decade after that night in Hunsford, while they sat on a blanket and watched their children running along the lake at Pemberley, Elizabeth said, "You know, my love, you never did actually propose to me. As I remember it, you told me how ardently you loved and admired me, but then we were interrupted. When you showed up at Longbourn all that I could think at that moment was how much I needed your arms around me... but I wonder... what else had you planned to say that night?"
Unlike his beloved Elizabeth, Darcy knew and remembered exactly what he had intended to say that night. Many times since that evening his intended words had played through in his mind. Each time he thank Providence that he had never been allowed to speak that nonsense. So as he sat on on the blanket and held her close, he merely answered, "Oh... I forget, actually. I suppose that it was something foolish and loving. You know how someone in love can run on in a stupid manner. But since you wish for me to complete my proposal, I will do so now:
"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. I cannot imagine a life without you in it. You are like the air I breath... without it or without you, I would be nothing. So please, my love, would you have mercy on me and agree to be my wife?"
Elizabeth snuggled close, "That is a very fine proposal indeed. Though as I remember it, you were not as good with words then as you are now. It probably would have been something different."
Darcy looked up at the heavens and then down at his dear wife, "No, I am certain that I intended something of the sort."