This one as an answer to a certain wet blanket who was, of course, right...
Chapter 35: Pemberley Qualms
"What happened, dear? It's a long time since I saw the Bingley sisters in such a good mood..."
Elizabeth was sure that her cheeks became crimson and she couldn't help but shook her head without saying a word.
Fitzwilliam frowned and came nearer.
They were alone in his mother's study where Elizabeth liked to spend the few hours she had between fittings and preparations for the impeding wedding.
"Did they bother you? Did they hint at us..."
"No," said Elizabeth. "Of course not. Even if the whole staff seems to know what we really did that night, the sisters don't know a thing and I'm sure they won't ever hear a word from anybody..."
Fitzwilliam hugged his beloved and looked in her eyes.
"That's good new, but that's not all. What did they do to you to look so happy?"
"They did nothing to me, dear. I swear it. We spoke and they made a proposition I found interesting. We made a deal..."
Fitzwilliam made a face, took Lizzie's hand and pulled her to their favorite sofa.
"Let's talk, dear. I'm very interested what scheme Caroline Bingley had found to bluff you..."
Half an hour later Fitzwilliam was reassured and quite unhappy.
That Elizabeth could think so less of herself to fall into the Bingley's sisters' scheme was rather upsetting. He took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face.
It began a little forced but soon became genuine and loving.
"Dear, you don't need her half as much as she needs you..."
He lifted her hand and kissed it.
"You are a gentleman's daughter, Lizzie, and even if my aunt took the right to look down at you, you're in no way her inferior. And that is even more true for Caroline Bingley. I made her and not the opposite. She came to enter the circles of the society where I was roaming because I was dragging her brother behind me. She used me to get her entrance in the best circles of the ton. And without my help or her brother's money she would very soon fall back into the oblivion where her origins would have condemned her if Charles and I wouldn't have been friends..."
She tried to speak but he stopped her.
"Let me finish, please."
He took her in his arms and let her head find her favorite position on his chest.
"We need nobody, dear. And our daughters will be Darcys. They will bear one of the most prestigious name of Britain and they will have a dowry which will be a much greater problem for their happiness than all the slander my aunt could summon."
He heard her sniff and began to nibble her ear lob. Her sniffs stopped soon replaced by a very satisfying purr.
She was soon much better.
He went on.
"For sure, you have a lot to learn but you have also more than fifteen years to learn it before our first daughter will be of age. By then, you'll know every trick necessary to protect and further her and your other children and you won't need the help of anybody. Neither Caroline Bingley's, nor any other upstart's looking down on you because of your country upbringing."
He forced her to look into his eyes.
"You must stop believing that you are a simpleton and a disgrace to the Darcy family line. You're not only beautiful, witty and full of good sense, you're also, beginning next Sunday, one of the most admired and coveted women of Great Britain."
He smiled at his future wife who smiled back.
"Caroline Bingley believes herself very important. But she's nothing than a rich merchant's daughter. Yes, she's one of the best dressed women of England. But you must realize that she needed to be one of the most elegant ladies of London just to exist!"
He put all the love he felt for his future wife in his eyes.
"She has everything that can be bought with money. Nothing more. If you want to be more elegant than her, we can afford it. If you want to be more knowledgeable than her, I can find you within the week a dozen member of the ton who will be happy to spend their time to teach you everything Caroline Bingley believes so difficult to get..."
She could only shook her head. Of course she was not interested in being more elegant than Charles' sister and the knowledge of what was fashionable for the ton was not at all what was at the center of her preoccupations.
He pulled her against him and whispered in her ear.
"You, you exist only by yourself. You wouldn't be a nobody even if you weren't going to be my wife. You have charm, spirit and a brilliance Caroline Bingley will never have even if she covers herself with jewels. She has been constructed and built. You are a natural and, in my eyes, you need nothing to make you the most beautiful woman of the world." He sat up and they looked into each other's eyes. "But since you'll soon be Mrs. Darcy, you could your whole life shun the whole British elite and our children would still be Darcys. And being Darcys they will have more than a name, they will have a place where they belong and a position which comes with being member of the ruling families since William the Conqueror."
He gave her a tender kiss on the tip of her nose.
"You are in need of nobody and nothing but self confidence!"
He saw her eyes become brighter and her smile was as perfect as ever.
"Sorry, I..."
He stopped her once more.
"Don't be sorry, dear. Caroline played her game and even if I understand Charles deception and anger I'm not inclined to forget that I was as guilty as his sisters in his unhappiness. They're not innocent but then neither am I! Had they come to me and asked me, I would have given my blessing..."
"Then you are not upset with me?"
"Of course I'm upset, but only because you persist in believing that Caroline Bingley is in anything superior to you. You're much better than her, in blood, in manners and in humanity. Don't you dare continue believing she's able to best you in any field of life. Such a thing will never be possible..."
He kissed her lovingly.
"You convinced me to do what she never could and never would have. You'll be Mrs. Darcy and she will just have the pitiful honor to be a lengthy witness of your happiness." He shook his head. "Let her, and let's hope tat, one day, she'll discover your secret and find happiness. But I sincerely doubt it!"
"Mr. Darcy? Could we, please speak with you?"
Fitzwilliam turned around and looked at the two Gardiner boys who just appeared in his study. As were the Gardiner girls they were well bred and, when outside her rooms, behaved like real little gentlemen. They were quite liked by the staff who was always smuggling tidbits to their nursery.
"Yes Master Gardiner, what can I do for you?"
They looked at each other with that sort of look which was proof of a real inner trouble.
Fitzwilliam showed them the sofa and invited them to take place.
They did it and the eldest took a deep breath.
"Mr. Darcy, will papa come back?"
Fitzwilliam couldn't help but show his surprise.
"Why would you ask such a question, master Gardiner? Of course your father will come back. Or, if everything's well, you'll go back to London and join him at your home..."
The boys looked once more at each other.
"It's because of the war," said Philip, the eldest.
"People die in wars," said little Thomas with all the earnestness a five year old could muster.
"That's true, master Thomas," answered Fitzwilliam. "But since your papa is no soldier and under the efficient protection of Mr. Kennedy, he should not be exposed to any risk..."
Once more they looked at each other.
"But Mr. Kennedy is an enemy, is he not? Why is he protecting papa?"
What a very good question... I'd hope having the answer to that one.
"That's because of our family links with Mr. Kennedy's employer. He works for a cousin of mine and it seems that this cousin of mine takes great care of his family. And since I'm going to marry your cousin Elizabeth, you're becoming cousins of mine and since he is my cousin, cousins also to him... And that's why Mr. Kennedy even if he is an enemy of Great Britain can be a friend of the family."
Another look to the brother and Philip went on.
"But why are we at war and why is your cousin not with us?"
Count on children to ask smart –and difficult-- questions.
"You know perhaps that Great Britain has been invaded a long time ago by Frenchmen?"
"William the Conqueror," said Philip. "He vanquished Harold at the battle of Hastings... Thousand sixty six!"
"That's right, Master Philip and we Darcys were at the side of William when he came ashore in England. And that part of the family who came with William stayed and I'm the heir of this line of the Darcy family..."
Both boys nodded with total levity.
Fitzwilliam went on.
"But a part of the Darcys, the French d'Arcys who spell their name with a capital 'A' and an apostrophe after the 'd', has stayed behind and are still French while we, the Darcys of Pemberley, we became English..."
Philip nodded once more.
"That explains that you are on opposite sides. But then why are we at war with the French if the same families are here and there?"
That one will be even more difficult.
"That's called politics, boys. France and England are two different countries and they have different interests or to be more precise they have the same interests and they both want what is available without sharing with the other..."
This time it was Thomas who spoke.
"But sharing is a Christian virtue..."
Time to waffle...
"France is no longer a Christian country, Thomas. They renounced Christianity to endorse the cult of Wisdom..."
"Is not wisdom better then being a Papist?"
And to add insult to injury they have a fanatic reverend as a teacher... I'll have to speak with Mrs. Gardiner. She does perhaps not know that her sons are drilled in intolerance and sectarianism...
"Better a Christian than some one who refuses the idea of the existence of God, gentlemen. Being a papist is perhaps sinful but it's less sinful than refusing to acknowledge God."
The two boys looked at each other and finally nodded their acceptation of the argument.
"Then your cousin is worse than a papist?"
You did that to yourself, Fitzwilliam, go and find a way out of the trap...
"France, as a country has turned it's back to God, but lots of Frenchmen continue to believe in God. So does my cousin, why else would he be so protective of a family he does not even know?"
"Then he is a Papist?"
And now?
"I don't know but it's not sure. There were always French protestants in France. He could be one of them. It would explain a lot..."
They both nodded their acceptation of his argument.
He had a problem to conceal his relief.
They came back to their prior subject.
"Will we have to go to war against our cousin?"
"I do believe this war will find an end a few years before you're of age to enlist into the King's Armies."
They seemed more disappointed than relieved.
"Will you go?"
Fitzwilliam could only took a deep breath.
Would he? Probably... Would he have to fight against d'Arcy. He hoped not and prayed for it.
He decided to stay on the side of safety.
"I don't know, gentlemen. It could be. If the King calls me, I'll go. But I have already taken all the precautions necessary to ensure the safety of all the member of my family. And since soon you'll be members of said family, you'll be protected too..."
Philip looked him directly in the eyes.
"And who will protect you, Mr. Darcy if you go to war?"
He chuckled.
"God, I hope, gentlemen and the prayers of the people who love me..."
They both swore to pray for him.
"What is it, dear, you look preoccupied..."
Fitzwilliam looked up and smiled. Elizabeth was there just in front of his table and he had not even heard her.
"I am!," said he. "I just had a conversation with the Gardiner boys and their preoccupations became my preoccupations. What will happen with you if I have to go to war? What if I die? What if..."
Elizabeth stopped him with a frown.
"And these are my cousins topics of conversation? My God! Why are they so preoccupied..."
"They are scared for their father and they are troubled with Kennedy's and d'Arcy's roles. They don't easily understand that an enemy could offer protection..."
"Poor darlings, I'll have to speak with them..."
She looked at Fitzwilliam.
"Really, dear you shouldn't think about such things. It will trouble your mood..."
"My mood is already troubled and what I said to convince them didn't convince me. I have no idea what the future will bring and I fear disaster."
She came to his side and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"We will get over this crisis. It gave you the courage to propose and it gave me the humility to accept. It will bring a lot of changes in our lives but it will not destroy us or our happiness, I feel it. The coming times will not be easy ones but we will overcome everything which comes our way. Together we'll do it..."
He looked at her and laughed.
"Two hours ago it was me who was trying to give you a new confidence...
"I never lacked confidence in us, dear. Only in me. I have known since I accepted the fact that we love each other that together we are stronger and more resilient than alone. Stay with me and we will find strength in each other..."
"It could happen that I'm forced to go to enlist myself in the Militia."
"We'll cross that bridge when we are there. For now, it's you and me and it's enough to overcome everything... Even your French cousin!"
"Were he alone I'd had no qualms but he is with thousands of his soldiers. I fear we are not enough for such a force..."
She smiled at him and kissed him on the forehead.
"We're more than we two, dear. The rest of the family will be there to help..." She laughed. "It could even be that your cousin has already something else on his mind and is no longer plotting to bring his invasion to an end..."
Fitzwilliam kissed her back and made a face.
"Don't count too much on that one... We Darcys are very well able to follow two goals at once." He shrugged. "Even, as I proved it, in two opposite directions..."
Next chapter: London Encounters