Hi all. Sorry for the very long wait for this chapter. It's been a beast of a semester so far and I haven't had the time or inclination to write.
Where we left off: George Darcy overhears something about William and Elizabeth's courtship, so he makes his way to Netherfield to make his displeasure known. Once there he's rude and demanding and, well, George. Mrs. B comes to Elizabeth's defense and Elizabeth has a few choice words of her own for George. William makes a spontaneous declaration of love and kisses Elizabeth in front of both their families. The group separates and the Bennets discuss Mrs. B's admission that she's jealous of and intimidated by Elizabeth. Meanwhile, George wonders how it all came to this and tries to make nice. William goes to Elizabeth, more declarations of love and a few kisses and, yay, they're engaged. They also realize that their relationships with their parents might never heal but they still have an abundance of family who love and support them.
~~PoR~~
"Would you care to walk for a bit, Elizabeth?" William asked. "Once we resume our journey, we will still have another few hours in the carriage."
"Oh, yes, that would be delightful. Papa, William and I are going to take a walk." Mr. Bennet looked up from the book he was reading as he waited for his traveling companions to refresh themselves in the inn.
"Very well, Lizzy. I would like to say we will be back on the road soon, but knowing your mother and sisters I believe we will be here for some time. All the same, do not go far."
Multiple carriages were making their way from Meryton to London three days following the betrothal of Elizabeth and William. All the occupants of Netherfield and Longbourn, both residents and guests, found themselves up and on the road early. There was much to do. The marriage settlement needed to be finalized, notices sent to the papers, the minister of William's London parish must be notified so the banns could be read, and, of course, shopping and being seen.
William and Elizabeth had ridden with Lady Catherine in her carriage, along with Mary. The rest of the Bennets enjoyed the luxury of William's carriage while Lady Anne and Georgiana rode with Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine monopolized the conversation with her advice for the upcoming wedding. The others were left only to listen. This small break in the journey was a welcome respite and gave William and Elizabeth a chance to be alone.
"Are your sisters excited about their first visit to London?" William asked.
"Need you ask? They have spoken of nothing else since my father informed them. Although, I have to admit I was just as surprised as they were that he is allowing them to come. They are a bit disappointed to be staying with my aunt and uncle rather than at Matlock House with the rest of us."
"There is plenty of room for them at my uncle's, there is really no need to separate your family."
"It is all part of my father's plan to introduce more responsibility and structure into my sisters' schedules. They will assist with the children so my aunt and Jane may attend to the wedding planning with me. And as they prove themselves, they will be granted rewards – a trip to Gunters, a visit to the Royal Menagerie, and such. Of course, they will each get a new dress for the wedding."
"That is wise. Your sisters may not appreciate it now, but it will be to their benefit. I have seen the perils of leaving children unchecked."
"They are so happy to be going to town that they will get over their disappointment soon if they have not done so already. But it is best that we do not further importune your family all the same. And I wish you were not required to sacrifice your comfort as you are by staying with your father."
"It is not a sacrifice, merely an inconvenience, but I would gladly make any sacrifice for you, my love." He gave Elizabeth a warm look. "And it would not be proper to stay in Matlock House while you are in residence."
"There will be so many people there, I cannot imagine anybody would think it inappropriate."
"You misunderstand, I do it for my own sanity. I think the temptation to get you alone would be far too great. As you know I qualms about showing my affection for you, and with both of us under the same roof, well…" William stroked the hand that Elizabeth rested on his arm.
Elizabeth shivered at his caress and tried to pull her thoughts together. "You did that deliberately to get me off the subject."
"Maybe, just a bit, but I do think it is a concern. For what I wish most at this very moment is take you behind the trees and let you kiss me senseless."
Elizabeth could not help but laugh at this. But she had to agree William did have a point as she glanced around to see if it was feasible that she might grant his wish. Unfortunately, she saw both her father and William's aunt looking their way so she could only sigh and wish for the weeks to pass swiftly. She turned the conversation back to William's stay at Darcy House.
"I imagine what you wish for least is to return to a house you have avoided for so many years, and I still have misgivings about your father. The last few days do little to erase everything that has come between you."
"I have no expectations of that. It is merely a roof over my head. I do not expect to be there much. However, I should take this opportunity to review the household and the books."
"Are there not bad memories for you there?"
"Not really. Before the chasm between my parents grew, we spent most of our time in Derbyshire. I was only at Darcy House occasionally. I will not be overwhelmed by the past, you need not worry."
"If you are sure," Elizabeth said uncertainly. "Lady Catherine mentioned that your cousin said you could stay with her."
"Anne and Julian are only just returned from their wedding trip. I would not stay with them as I would have no desire to host anyone if I were in similar circumstances. They need some time alone. If Richard were not out of the country for the next several months, I could see him inviting himself to reside with us just to annoy me. You do not have any cousins that will come looking for accommodations, do you?"
"Only one very distant cousin, and I know nothing about him. I think we are safe in that regard."
"Thank goodness for that." William smiled at her. "I can only repeat, I am not sacrificing myself by staying with my father. It is my choice, and it is only for a few days. It will be fine. Also, I cannot overlook that Ana would like to visit with my father more. She has such a different relationship with him than I." He shook his head in amazement. "And if I am not there, my mother will feel compelled to be, therefore I will tolerate him, so she need not. I feel bad enough that she is sharing a carriage with him today, but she insisted."
They walked in companionable silence for some time until William finally broached the subject on his mind. The subject he particularly wanted to address when they set out. "Elizabeth, I have something to tell you and I should have spoken to you sooner. I hope you will not hold it against me."
"You have not made any deathbed promises, have you?" Elizabeth asked in a teasing tone.
"Lizzy!" William barked out a laugh, surprised.
"I am sorry. I do not mean to make light of your experience, but I feel there is very little I would hold against you. I hope you will feel comfortable telling me anything. Now, what have you to confess?"
"Do you remember saying that it was possible to live too near one's family?" She indicated that she did. "Did you mean it? Have your thoughts on that changed given your mother willingness to repair your relationship? Would you be sorry if we did not make Netherfield Park our home?"
"Oh, is that all? I was hoping for something much more sensational." Elizabeth feigned disappointment. "While I will always think of Netherfield Park fondly, for it is where we fell in love, I am not overly attached to it."
"You are sure? You would not be averse to making your home elsewhere? And I do not mean Pemberley."
"Not at all, I have always known I would leave Longbourn and Meryton when I married. I quite look forward to it. It seems to me that marriage is hard enough, we should not start it under the shadow of either Pemberley or Longbourn. Whatever the future has in store for us, that is one thing we can do for ourselves."
William breathed a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you would say that."
"But I do not understand, why would you think I would hold that against you?"
"Ah, well, I have already spoken to your father about this and, taking his advice, I have had an agent look for homes for us. I thought we could meet with the agent and inspect some locations while we are in town and even venture out to see some estates."
"I think it very sensible but surely my father did not advise you to seek an agent."
"No, I did not explain that well. Your father advised that we settle elsewhere, away from Longbourn and away from your family. Well, more suggested than advised. As much as he loves you, he wants you to have a life away from your mother and sister."
"That is what you thought I would hold against you? You need not have worried, you and my father both have my best interests in mind, though, it does help that they coincide with my own wishes."
"Truly, you are not upset?"
"I am not. You did not conspire against me. In fact, it shows great understanding and selflessness on my father's part. And I quite like the idea that we will choose our home together. I am thrilled that we will have this opportunity to find what suits us best. I am sure your aunt would tell me to take this more seriously, but it will be such fun!"
"But I will be taking you away from your family while asking you to live with mine."
"Try as you might, I am not angry with you. That is quite common. If I had a brother, would he not expect the same of his wife? That he would bring her to Longbourn to live among us?" Elizabeth looked around and maneuvered William so his tall figure blocked her from view. She then stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss, placing her hands on his chest to steady herself. "I appreciate you want to eliminate any obstacle that may be cause for concern, but you need to believe me when I tell you I am perfectly happy with the situation. Ladies so seldom get to choose the house in which they live, that I will have a say in the decision is a wonderful gift."
"You are amazing." William returned the kiss.
"I should be humble and tell you that I am not but then you would insist. Then I would insist that it is you who is amazing. However, I hear my sisters coming towards us so I will admit to, indeed, being amazing, and thank you. Now you must do the same."
"Yes, I, too, am amazing. Thank you for saying so, my darling Lizzy."
"Oh, darrrling Lizzzzzy, Papa sent us to get you." Lydia said in a singsong voice as she skipped up to Elizabeth and William, looking pointedly at where Elizabeth's hands continued to rest. The young couple both said a silent prayer of thanks that Lydia would be riding in a different carriage for the duration of their journey as her laughter rang in their ears.
"Are you excited to see Miss Bennet again? You have been parted for some weeks." William asked Elizabeth once they were back in the carriage with Mary and Lady Catherine.
"I am. It will be nice to see her again." Elizabeth's response was more subdued than William expected.
"Is there something amiss?"
"No, not at all. It is just that her letters have been very brief of late. She barely congratulated me on our courtship."
"Perhaps she is busy with Mr. Bingley."
"Mr. Bingley, the man from whom you bought the mill? Why would she be busy with him?"
"Ah, I see she did not tell you." Elizabeth shook her head, as did Mary. "I believe I mentioned that Mr. Bingley came with me when I delivered your letters to Gracechurch Street, and he was also invited to the same dinner I attended at the Gardiners...She did not say anything at all?"
"She did not."
"Well, Mr. Bingley took an immediate shine to your sister, and from what I can decipher from his correspondence, he has been calling on her these last few weeks."
"Neither she nor my aunt mention it. If they had written of it to Mama, all of Meryton would have known by now," Mary said. "And had she known, it might have dissuaded my mother from her plotting. Whyever did you not mention anything, Mr. Darcy?"
"That was just my intent in bringing your sister to Mr. Bingley's attention. I would have gladly told your mother that Miss Bennet had a potential suitor in London but then I thought better of it. I wanted everybody, but especially Mrs. Bennet, to know that I chose you, Elizabeth, simply because of what was in my heart. You were my first choice and always will be. So, I said nothing of Mr. Bingley and Miss Bennet and, of course, I had no idea if anything would come of their acquaintance."
~~PoR~~
"Now, do I have this correct, Miss Bennet? Your younger sister is newly betrothed to a tradesman. The very tradesman who bought my brother's mill. And he leases an estate neighboring your father's, near a little market town of Merton?" Caroline Bingley did not bother to hide her disdain.
"Meryton, Miss Bingley, but you are correct in all the other particulars," Jane replied.
"I declare, your family must be very broadminded. I am sure congratulations are in order." Yet Caroline offered none.
"Caroline, I still retain some interests in the mill. Mr. Darcy is now my partner in trade, and he is rather a nice fellow. I imagine he and Miss Bennet's sister will be very happy."
"One hopes so, for otherwise the circumstance of a gentleman's daughter marrying into trade is quite unfortunate."
"Caroline, it seems I must remind you we are in the home of a tradesman." Mr. Bingley quietly chastised his sister. Luckily, Mrs. Gardinier had left the room to speak with the housekeeper just a few minutes before. "And we are the beneficiaries of wealth amassed by trade. You should not speak so."
Once Miss Bingley had discovered that her brother was calling on a young lady at Gracechurch Street, with what she considered dismaying frequency, she demanded to go with him on his visits. Such a lady was a danger to her carefully crafted plans. Despite what she had just said to Jane about a gentleman's daughter marrying a tradesman, she needed her brother to accomplish that very thing, opening up avenues for her own future. Jane Bennet had little to offer her brother or her.
"Of course, I meant no offense Miss Bennet. I am sure your sister's situation is all very charming, in its own way."
"Thank you, Miss Bingley. My sister is well pleased, as is the rest of my family."
"And the whole lot of them, including your many sisters, is descending upon London tomorrow."
"As it happens, Miss Bingley, they will be arriving today and very soon at that. So, I am afraid I must ask that you cut your visit short." In truth, the Bennets were not expected for another few hours, but Mrs. Gardiner had indeed overheard Miss Bingley's barbs and had no intention of entertaining her any longer.
"Ah, Mrs. Gardiner, of course. You have our apologies. We should not have stayed so long." Mr. Bingley had not noticed her return to the room. He hoped she understood he was apologizing for his sister's words as well as staying past visiting hours. "I shall look forward to when we may meet again."
"We shall be quite busy with preparations for my niece's wedding, but we will be happy to welcome you back to our home when time permits." Mr. Bingley was relieved that Caroline's behavior did not result in his banishment from the house on Gracechurch Street and, more importantly, Miss Bennet's presence.
After the Bingleys departed, Mrs. Gardiner sat Jane down for a long overdue conversation. "Now that your parents will be arriving you will not be able to avoid informing them of Mr. Bingley's attentions."
"Must I inform them? It has been so nice to enjoy Mr. Bingley's company without Mama watching over every conversation and interaction."
"I am sure Lizzy would have enjoyed that same luxury. However, she would not begrudge you your actions. I do think she will be hurt that you have not shared with her your relationship with Mr. Bingley."
"I know but I did not want to take away from Lizzy's courtship with Mr. Darcy. I like Mr. Bingley but he is very young. He is simply calling on me. I cannot imagine marriage is on his mind. Mama would have celebrated what she considered my success, though it may come to nothing, while neglecting Lizzy."
"Still, I do not think Lizzy appreciated your mother's undivided attention. At your request, I have not mentioned anything to either of them about Mr. Bingley, but that cannot continue. I think it is beneficial that you are to stay at Matlock House with Lizzy. You will not be able to receive guests there. It will give you an opportunity to think more clearly. Do you want Mr. Bingley in your life when it means Caroline Bingley will also be in it?"
"Surely it is too soon to think on think on that. Though I cannot like what she said about Mr. Darcy. She is…" Jane paused as she considered her words.
"I believe insufferable hypocrite is the term you are searching for, dear."
"She was very rude, but I do not think she is quite so bad."
"Believe that if you like, Jane, but she has shown herself otherwise. Just you wait until she discovers Mr. Darcy is the grandson and nephew of an earl. I promise she will behave much differently. Do you really want to associate with a woman who disparages everyone around her until she finds they may be of use to her?"
"She is young and knows little of the world. I think we could excuse her for not exercising more decorum."
"Jane, you are young with little knowledge of the world as well, yet you do not treat people as she does. Even Lydia and Kitty show more decorum than she does."
"I understand she attended one of finest private seminaries for ladies in town. Certainly, she was instructed on proper conduct. Perhaps in her excitement for Mr. Bingley she is trying too hard. It is most likely daunting becoming acquainted with the lady your brother is calling on. I am sure she will be a delightful acquaintance and we will be great friends in time."
"As I said, Jane, believe that if you like." Mrs. Gardiner left her niece to her thoughts and went to ensure everything was prepared for her family's arrival.