Hello lovely readers! Thank you for reading and special mention to these reviewers:
Deanna27, midnitewanderer, Maria Teresa C, Motherof8, ChrisM0519, 777kid57, Guest, Levenez, Guests, RHALiz, Jansfamily4, liysyl, Shelby66, Sew Cajun
RHALiz: Sorry, I am not sure about the missing reviews. I do not receive some reviews or notifications via email. I see them on the FF app or online site.
Levenez: There was a chapter sometime ago about Darcy visiting the Matlocks, when he collected Richard. The family had a conversation about Elizabeth then.
Guest: Darcy did not show a stronger reaction to his aunt due to her being ill or possibly going mad. Otherwise, I would have loved to see him defend Elizabeth more too.
777kid57: About publishing, sorry I have not really considered doing that… for various reasons… I am writing to entertain myself and hopefully some fellow JA fans. I do not think any of my current/past work is worth publishing. As I am doing this for "fun" or as a hobby, they are probably not serious pieces of work… my stories are on the silly side and unpolished… maybe one day when I have more time, when I feel brave enough, when I am more "capable" of writing better… Thank you so much for your kind words and support. On a side note, I hope you enjoy your retirement – reading, relaxing, anything else you wish.
Deanna27: I do not think Elizabeth will allow Darcy to play favourites among their children. You were like Elizabeth (she was not the favourite of Mrs Bennet). But there are many other blessings in life… :-)
Well, here is the next installment…
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"What did Dr Russell say?" Richard asked his father after the physician had finished his examination of Lady Catherine.
"Your aunt's breathing is more even now but she feels some tightness in her chest. The doctor said it could be a sign of an underlying heart problem," the earl replied.
The colonel nodded and waited for his father to explain what he planned to do.
"She can stay here to rest for a few days until she has regained some strength. She has reluctantly agreed to allow us to help her oversee the management of Rosings while she is ill," the earl said in a solemn voice.
"What of Anne?" Richard enquired.
"Darcy wishes to return to Hertfordshire tomorrow. I think it is best if Anne goes with him. She will be away from her mother, and she will enjoy Georgiana's company," the earl answered.
"Have you considered what to do with aunt once she recovers? She will be furious when she finds out Anne escaped with the help of Mrs Jenkinson."
"She has gone through a difficult period of time. I guess I should have looked after her more these past years. She has always presented herself as a formidable woman and I just assumed she did not need or want any help, aside from your annual visits to Rosings," the earl started to explain. "I think… sending her to Bedlam will not be beneficial. To anyone."
"She is not mentally sound, father. She has been tampering with Anne's medication. It is fortunate that Anne's companion is sensible and reliable, otherwise, the consequences could have been very serious," Richard voiced his concerns.
"I know… but patients in asylums live in terrible conditions, They are not really given proper treatment. They are shackled, bled, purged, blistered and beaten. I… I just cannot imagine committing my own sister to such a dreadful fate. I cannot in good conscience allow that to happen without exhausting other alternatives. I am hopeful that with due care and less stress, she will improve," the earl said and shook his head. "Not to mention the talk our family will be subjected to when people learn about us having an insane relation."
Richard sighed in resignation, knowing his father raised valid arguments.
"I will accompany your aunt to Rosings when her condition becomes more stable, but I would like you to go ahead of us. One important thing I would like you to do before we arrive is inspect the state of the dower house, and if possible, make it ready for occupation."
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It was evident that the countess was needed at Matlock House where she can attend to the needs of Lady Catherine. From what she had observed, she was confident that her nephew would soon succeed in winning Miss Elizabeth Bennet. In her estimation, the young lady was already halfway in love, and she would know this, being one of the fairer sex. The earl was satisfied with the assurance from his wife and second son that Miss Elizabeth would be an excellent match for the master of Pemberley.
The following morning found Mr Darcy in a carriage bound for Hertfordshire, along with Miss de Bourgh and Mrs Jenkinson. He had been checking his watch every few minutes, willing the time to go faster. When he had had enough of viewing the scenery, he had taken out a sheet of paper from his coat pocket and carefully unfolded this. Expecting that Anne and her companion would remain asleep for most of the journey, he had indulged in staring at the sketch he made of Elizabeth, tracing the features of her lovely face with his fingers.
"She is beautiful."
Darcy was startled by his cousin, despite her soft-spoken voice.
"May I?" Anne held out her dainty hand, as Darcy was about to put the drawing away. With some hesitation, he parted with his work of art.
"You put a lot of detail on her eyes," she said after studying the rough portrait. She, of course, noticed that the young lady was shown on the drawing with her hair down, but she did not want to mention this to avoid causing further embarrassment to her reserved cousin.
Darcy gave a slight nod and felt his face flush.
"I am afraid I could not do them justice. I tried to copy their shape, but I could not catch their expression," he admitted.
"She has such fine eyes. I can see why you are so besotted," Anne said in a quiet voice, after spying that her companion was sound sleep. Mrs Jenkinson was exhausted from all the activity of the past day and had not had a restful sleep last night due to her ensuring Anne's comfort every so often.
"It is not why… I mean, she is very handsome, but that is not why I… " his words trailed.
"Love her," Anne finished the sentence for him. "You love her."
Darcy met his cousin's gaze and said, "Anne, you know I care for you. You know I do. But what I feel for you and for her are completely different."
"You need not explain, Fitzwilliam. We have spoken about this in the past. You care for me as a cousin, and I understand that. I am delighted for you. You deserve to be happy," Anne replied.
"I thank you, Anne. I only hope I can convince her to accept me, especially after what aunt did," he said in a worried tone.
"If there is anything I can do to help…"
Darcy offered a tight smile and shook his head. "This is for me to do. I need to speak to her as soon as possible."
"I know, that is why you were in such a hurry during breakfast. I was concerned that you would choke on your food," Anne teased her cousin. "Now, could you tell me more about her? I am curious why you singled her out. What sets her apart from the numerous ladies of the Ton chasing after the elusive Mr Darcy?"
The gentleman proceeded to describe her attributes and ended with, "She is not perfect, but she is real. And I love her, flaws and all."
"She sounds perfect for you, Fitzwilliam. And she will be very good for Georgiana too," Anne expressed her approval, not that he needed it. The rest of the trip was passed in relative silence, each keeping to their own musings – Darcy impatient to see Elizabeth and ask her a question, and Anne thinking about her mother and wondering if in the future, someone would want to share her life and love her for who she was.
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Once they arrived at Netherfield, Darcy learnt that Bingley was already at Longbourn. Whyever not? he thought. If Elizabeth would allow him, he would also spend every moment he could in her company.
Georgiana was surprised but very pleased to be reunited with Anne. She had missed her cousin so much that she could not help but hover over her and ask her a multitude of questions.
Darcy was glad to witness his two female relations becoming reacquainted, but he had one goal in mind before the day ended, and he was determined to accomplish it. He would not be able to sleep while worrying about what Elizabeth thought of him. During their last meeting, they had agreed to talk today, and he was feeling more anxious by the minute.
"I will be calling at Longbourn as soon as I get changed. Georgiana, if you wish, you can stay here and continue your conversation with Anne, but please give her time to rest too," he said and left without hearing a response. The two ladies looked at each other and shared a knowing look, both aware that Darcy was keen to visit Elizabeth.
"You must be very tired, Anne. Would you like to rest now?" the younger Darcy asked her cousin.
"I am not so tired as to miss meeting your future sister. I cannot wait for us to be introduced! Just give me some time to refresh," Anne replied. Before she left Matlock House, her uncle and aunt had promised her that they would ensure her mother would be taken care of. She had been so inactive for a good part of the last few years and now she finally had the chance to venture out and enjoy some freedom.
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Mrs Bennet received the three guests warmly and informed them that Jane and Mr Bingley were strolling in their gardens. She also explained that her three youngest daughters were at present preoccupied with selecting ribbons and trimming bonnets in the adjoining room, with the date of Mary's wedding fast approaching.
After the initial period of polite exchanges, Anne summoned the courage to apologise for any disturbance brought about by her mother's call.
"It was quite a surprise, but do not fret about it, Miss de Bourgh. Perhaps it was only a misunderstanding. Pray, how is your mother? Is she staying at Netherfield?" Mrs Bennet tried to answer with civility, knowing they were Mr Darcy's relations.
"She is staying at Matlock House with my uncle and aunt," Anne replied safely, avoiding any mention of her mother being ill or possibly losing her mind. Georgiana tried to provide her some comfort by lightly squeezing her arm.
It did not escape Elizabeth's notice how close Miss Darcy was to her cousin. They were sitting next to each other on the settee and shared meaningful looks and secret smiles. Then suddenly, she remembered something Mr Darcy had told her about the relationship between the two young ladies: They were inseparable. Anne always looked after Georgiana. She was like the sister Georgiana never had. And in turn, Georgiana adored her and followed her around everywhere.
Oh my! Could it be? Would they become sisters?
Recalling Mr Bingley's news that Mr Darcy, the countess and the colonel had left for London yesterday, some doubts and different possibilities entered Elizabeth's mind.
Did Lady Catherine persuade Mr Darcy to marry her daughter? Did Mr Darcy go to London to pursue and accompany Miss de Bourgh? Is Lady Catherine at Matlock House so she and the countess can start planning the wedding? Are they engaged?
Her expression turned pale, and she could not look directly at the gentleman opposite her. She started wringing her hands nervously and wished to escape the confines of the parlour. All of a sudden, she felt nauseous and wanted to cry.
Mr Darcy was about to request for an opportunity to speak to her, but he detected a change in her countenance. Why is she avoiding my eye? She appears agitated. Does she not want my presence?
Although Mrs Bennet was oblivious to their state, Georgiana saw that both were uneasy, and she felt the need to act and allow the pair some time to themselves.
"Mrs Bennet, please forgive me for asking, but would your other daughters terribly mind if my cousin and I have a quick peek at what they are doing? Weddings are so exciting, are they not?"
"Oh, yes, indeed! There is so much to do! And no, they would not mind at all! They would love to hear what you and Miss de Bourgh think about their choices of colour and fabric. But I would beg you to pardon the mess and the noise in there. That is something these sisters are good at creating together," Mrs Bennet replied, standing up and starting to lead the two female guests out of the parlour.
"It would be so nice to have a sister," Georgiana said to Anne conspiratorially, which Elizabeth overheard.
For a few moments, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth sat looking at everything else in the room but each other.
"Mr Darcy --"
"Miss Elizabeth—"
They began talking at the same time, then stopped as abruptly as they started.
"Please, do continue," Darcy said, hoping she would not declare that there was no hope for him.
Just be done with it, Elizabeth thought to herself.
"Mr Darcy, please accept my best wishes for you and Miss de Bourgh," her words came out so fast.
The gentleman stared at her, confused. Whatever he had been expecting, it was not that.
"I beg your pardon. I do not understand what you mean," he knitted his eyebrows and waited for some clarification.
"I offer you and Miss de Bourgh my warmest felicitations," she said more slowly this time.
"What for?" he questioned.
"For your engagement, sir," she replied.
"What engagement? Wait, did my aunt Catherine tell you that?"
"Not exactly, but she said you were destined to marry Miss de Bourgh, and it almost means the same thing--" she was quickly cut off by the gentleman.
"No, it does not! I am not engaged to my cousin, nor to anyone. I thought I had made that clear before," he stated.
"Oh," then she paused. "I am sorry."
"What for?" he wondered.
"I am sorry for my false assumption, and for how I reacted to your aunt," she replied. She then briefly recounted what had transpired during the visit.
"I should be the one apologising for the way she spoke to you, and for trying to hurt you. I was horrified to learn about her unexpected call and what she did. I do not know what I would have done had you been harmed," he said the last line in an affected voice.
"You cannot be responsible for the words and actions of your aunt," she gave him a small smile, which was sufficient encouragement for him.
"Miss Elizabeth, I hope… I would like to ask… please… would you accept a courtship?" He was equally nervous and hopeful, and held his breath as he waited for her response.
"Yes," was her immediate reply.
The brightest smile spread across his face and rendered him even more handsome. In an instant, he was beside his beloved, bestowing tender kisses on her delicate hands. No words could describe the joy he felt in his heart at that moment, but no words were needed. Elizabeth's skin tingled at his touch, and she felt her heart swell with happiness. How could I not love this man?
Soon after, their relations interrupted their sweet moment, but they were more than ready to share their news with their loved ones. When some quiet was restored, Mrs Bennet asked,
"When is the wedding?"
"Mamma!" Elizabeth reacted, but all the others just giggled.
"Well, for Mr Darcy's sake, do not make him wait too long," her mother added, and the gentleman wished that Elizabeth would heed this advice. He once commented that -- A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. In this regard, a small part of him hoped this was true for Elizabeth.
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Woohoo! I think I am as happy as D/E. ;-)
For some odd reason, the song "Love is All Around Me" is what came to mind as I write this author's note. LOL.
By the way, in case you have not noticed, I have changed the story cover and my avatar to Lizzy's portrait. I spent a few hours on that. Haha. Now who were the readers who commented to say they wanted to see Darcy's drawing of Lizzy? ;-) That was only done on plain paper, using a school pencil and rubber, so sorry it is not any better. I played with different filters and all using my phone but decided to just stick with the original. Darcy would naturally only have time to draw a rough sketch at Longbourn, then he worked more on it in private.
I really loved all your answers to the question about how many children etc. So entertaining to read. Thank you!!!
Next one: Name one or more of your favourite lines from JA or from her books.
I know there are so many, but here is one I like --
"It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do." - Sense and Sensibility
Or how about this one -- "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
I do not like Mr Bennet as a parent, but I enjoy his sardonic wit.
Thank you all and till next chapter!
Extra note: Tentative chapter title now added.