Back to Pemberley and the Darcys, Bennet, Gardiners and Bingleys.
As you'll see everything is not perfect.
Chapter 17: Pemberley prospects
Pemberley, friday the seventh
Darcy was exhausted. The whole Thursday had been spent in meetings and war councils. After their few minutes together in the morning, he had been unable to see Elizabeth fr more than a few minutes. And each time her uncle was orbiting around them like an angry wasp...
At times Fitzwilliam was sure that he wanted to slip himself between them.
He could have cried out!
Did this man really fear he could be so unseemly as to...
Fitzwilliam stopped and forced himself to be frank.
Perhaps he was right, after all. Without him, he, they would probably have been a lot closer these few minutes...
A lot closer!
And the evening was spent in idle chat and idiotic card games.
He had tried twice to get Elizabeth to slip out of the Great Parlor...
She did it but each time her aunt was shadowing her. He not the least chance to see her alone.
And when finally he thought that everybody was abed, he still encountered Mr. Gardiner on an late night stroll...
They went together in the kitchen to gather a much needed glass of milk!
No need to says that the night has been awfully short in terms of sleep ad awfully long in terms of time.
He stood up with a will to stop this non sense.
First thing in the morning, he would search Elizabeth and speak with her.
He looked at the sun.
First thing now!
"We should return to the Inn in Lambton" said Mr. Gardiner while dressing in his dressing room. Their chambers were perfect and very nicely furnished. Miss Darcy had been very forthcoming with her choice of lodging for the Gardiners.
"Dear" said his wife. "How would people react at such a decision. They would believe the engagement is already in question... It would be a very bad omen, indeed."
"I caught him roaming the halls, dear. I'm sure he was planning to intrude on her..."
"Ohhh" said she mimicking to be shocked. "What an awful choice of terms. You can't be sure, he was perhaps really in need of a glass of milk?"
"And I'm the holy ghost!"
"I hope not, dear, it would be rather inconvenient..."
He came out of the dressing room half dressed and struggling with his cravat.
"How can you take it with such detachment? Were I not been there they would have..."
"You cannot be sure and what do you plan to do? Camp the next two months in the hall before Elizabeth's room?"
"That's exactly the reason why we should decamp and go to Lambton."
"We would injure his pride in front of all his neighbors. Do you really believe there's still one inhabitant of Derbyshire who ignores that they are engaged? Bringing her to the inn would claim to everybody that we do not have trust in Mr. Darcy. Not a happy message to convey for future members of the family. And, must I remind it, members who could very well soon be paupers?"
He sat near his wife and looked at her with dread in his eyes.
"Her parents trusted us to protect her..."
"Against Highwaymen and adventurers. Not against half of Derbyshire and ten thousands a year! I'm sure our sister, were she here, would camp before our door in order to guarantee that you do not disturb the nightly walks of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."
"She could do it, she's the mother. I'm the ward, it's my duty to..."
She interrupted him.
"...Do what you can. There are forces one cannot withstand. Passionate love is one of these forces, be careful not to stand in its way..."
He looked at her and a small smile came to his lips. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Blast it, you're right. He's a gentleman and showing him mistrust would be a deep breach of manners."
"Indeed and since he is a gentleman there's, in the end, nothing to fear... She'll be Mrs. Darcy and that's the only important thing..."
To his surprise, to his great surprise, she was alone in the morning parlor.
He would have bet on finding her in company.
He was behind her and his lips were on her neck even without him knowing doing it.
Her hand came to cover his.
"Elizabeth could I have a few minutes of your time?"
She looked up at him by bending her head backwards.
"Fitzwilliam, I do believe I just accepted to spend my whole life at your side, I'm sure I will be able, in my current state of mind, to secure you a few minutes of my last hours of freedom..."
He kissed her fleetingly on her lips. The kiss made her smile blossom.
She turned on her chair to face him. Sparkles were in her eyes.
"Fitzwilliam, what a pleasure to be able to see you alone. I was fearing uncle Gardiner would never let me out of his eyes..."
She stood up and, to Fitzwilliam's great surprise, let herself be taken into his embrace.
"Elizabeth" whispered he. "Elizabeth..."
She smiled.
"That's my name Fitzwilliam, I'm quite happy you still remember it..."
"Never would I..."
She paced back and looked at him with frowning brows.
"It was a joke, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. I know you'd never forget my First name. No more that I could ever again forget yours..."
He smiled and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I'm not accustomed to..."
"Than you'll have to train" said she. "I'm quite a proficient in joking, mischief making and laughing and I'm sure a man whose smile is as beautiful as yours will soon be a convert..."
Soon they were again in each others arms.
"Didn't you have something to ask?"
"I did but I'll wait till someone comes and forces me to let you go. Meanwhile I'll hold you as long as possible..."
She laughed and he loved feeling her body's tremors against his.
"You could ask me while your face is buried in my hair. I'm quite sure it would be very convenient to have a conversation while holding each other. Nobody but us could hear us... It would be quite satisfying." She laughed once more. "I suspect there are more pleasant ways to have a conversation but I fear for those we might have to wait till after the wedding."
He laughed and both their laughs became one...
Elizabeth was very happy to hear him laugh to her little jest. She had feared that he would be as serious in private as he was in public. It seemed he was not.
"Speaking of wedding..."
She bent backwards and looked him in the eyes.
"Tomorrow?"
He stayed there open mouthed and bright eyed.
She smothered her next laugh. How she loved him when he looked like a dumbstruck teenager and not serious master Darcy.
"Too soon? Well, what about Christmas?"
He took hold of himself and to Elizabeth's delight she saw sparkles in his eyes.
"Perhaps we could find a compromise between these two dates? I would have proposed the day after your father's arrival or two weeks from now whichever is soonest."
She looked him in the eyes and hugged him lovingly.
"Let's hope than that they arrive a Saturday since mama will never accept another day than Sunday for our wedding..."
She inched herself against him and rested her head on his chest.
"Tomorrow, on the other side, tomorrow, would be such a great choice. Mama wouldn't be here at all. Great advantage that! No cries, no nerves, no endless preparations."
She bend backwards and they could look each other in the eyes.
"And than, there's the little detail of tomorrow night where Mr. And Mrs. Darcy could, eventually, test a few of these other ways to make conversation."
He blushed and it made her burst out laughing.
"Nothing but advantages to tomorrow... Wouldn't you agree?"
He hugged her fiercely.
How could he have had the strength to live without her at his side?
"Charles? Could I ask you to spend a few minutes in my company?"
Bingley looked up from his newspapers --the local newspapers out of Derby whose main article was telling about the invasion. Nothing that they hadn't already known-- and silently nodded.
"Where to?"
"My study if you please" said Fitzwilliam. "It's a private and delicate matter..."
Bingley made a face and frowned at Darcy who was already walking toward the library's door.
He followed more than a little anxious.
"I owe you an apology, Charles and I'm not sure that our friendship will stand up against what I'm going to say..."
"You're going over to the French?"
His attempt on humor earned him what could be called, in those days, a smile.
Fitzwilliam shook his head.
"Would it be that, I could give you excellent reasons of the why, Charles. For what I'm going to confess, I have only very bad excuses..."
"Confess, Fitzwilliam? What could you have done you should want to confess to me?"
"Meddling with your life, Charles! Sacrificing your happiness out of egotism and pettiness!"
Charles took hold of an armchair to steady himself.
What could Fitzwilliam mean with those words?
Was it in relation with Jane?
"Last winter, Charles, Jane Bennet was in Town and she made two attempts to call on you. I and your sisters intercepted her at each attempt and took the decision not to inform you!"
All blood vanished of Bingley Normally sanguine face.
"You did what?"
This time he could only seat himself.
My God, she had called! Twice!
Twice she had come to call when his own behavior should have pushed her into forgetting him as soon as possible.
Had he been informed, he would have known that she had feelings for him. And even such a dumb oaf like him would have been able to make the right decision.
What could she be thinking of him, now?
He had had hopes that his silence could be forgiven.
But that! For him not to accept her call could only have been interpreted by her in one way...
He had played with her feelings and now, while back in Town, the country beauty no longer was of any importance.
She could only believe that he scorned her.
In the most ungentlemanly and cowardly fashion.
He looked at his friend who immediately went on.
"At the time, I had very convincing and sound reasons to do such an awful thing. She was socially to low and had a mercenary streak. You deserved better than a woman who looked only after securing your wealth for her family. As your friend I had the obligation to protect you against a very unfavorable match..."
Fitzwilliam took a deep breath.
"I know now the real reason I have separated you from Jane Bennet, Charles." He shook his head and bit his lips. "As I said it was a petty and egotistic reason. I was already in love with Elizabeth, Charles. And I had convinced myself that she would be a mismatch for me. That my family would never accept her and that her low birth would pollute Georgiana's chances to find an acceptable partner. And if you stayed with Jane, Charles, I guessed that my life would have become a nightmare! Imagine, me forced to see the woman I loved and refused to love, every time I came to visit you and your lovely wife... Because I knew she would be there with her preferred sister. And I could not stand the prospect."
Fitzwilliam went to the window and looked out at his estate.
Normally it would have brought him strength and serenity. Now he was too ashamed to find such a solace.
"I have been twice a coward, Charles. First when I chose to make you pay for my decisions and then three days ago when I did what I prevented you to do..."
He turned to face his friend.
"Will you ever be able to forgive me, Charles?"
Charles Bingley was a desperate man.
In a matter of days he had been made aware that he had lost his love and that the best friend he had ever had was a petty manipulator who had chosen to sacrifice his best friend's happiness in order to protect himself...
Charles Bingley's world had just collapsed.
He was galloping in the countryside around Pemberley without seeing anything, without looking at anything. His heart was bursting within his chest and he had this ugly desire to end everything once and for all.
How could one live just after having received proof that the persons you loved were either a bunch of treacherous liars or a woman you scorned in such a way that never ever would she want to even speak to you again.
Charles Bingley, sociable and open and smiling and companionable Charles Bingley was discovering that he was lonely and forlorn. That what he had believed of his sisters and his best friend was nothing but lies.
They didn't love him, they used him, they manipulated him, they only thought of themselves.
Never of him or his happiness.
He could bear it no more. It was too difficult. It was the end of his world...
He was about to chose a wild ride through the peaks when a voice tore him out of his suicidal mood.
"You seem disturbed, Mr. Bingley..."
He turned and saw Mr. Gardiner approaching him on the gray mare he refused an eternity earlier. He had wanted a stallion. A horse that would not stop at difficult paths and dangerous tracks...
"Some bad news, Mr. Gardiner. Nothing a good gallop through wilderness could not correct."
Mr. Gardiner smiled at him.
"It's quite astonishing, you know..."
Bingley looked at the older man with surprise in the eyes. What could he be meaning?
"Your father and you!" said Mr. Gardiner. "Such a likeliness in body and such a difference in mind. Never saw him on a horse or in the wilderness. Every hour of every day in his study. Working, working and working..."
Charles Bingley looked up.
"You knew my Father?"
"Quite well, Mr. Bingley. I even knew you! You were quite young when your father and I decided to cease working together. I had the capital to start my own business and so we went our different ways. But everything I know and I own is thanks to your father. Never saw a better businessman or a better teacher... Shame he died before teaching you his skills."
Bingley raised his shoulders.
"The Bingleys no longer have use of common skills: they no longer have to work," said he. "We are now of the Gentry. We spend our time in idle talk, dancing, card playing and flirting... And for those who like deceiving, we manipulate, we lie and we cheat..."
Mr. Gardiner came nearer.
"The way you describe it, it's a long way from something I'd like to do all my life."
He put his hand on Charles' shoulder.
"Let's walk a few moments. I must confess my hindquarters are shouting at me for this rather energetic ride..."
He dismounted.
So did Bingley, out of good manners and curiosity.
"How was my father?"
"As I said, an astute and skilled business man. And he had a nose for the good bargain... You couldn't imagine how he could smell the best way to make money... When I was a young lad, we..."
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