A/N - this has been updated to correct grammar and spelling - a big thanks to my beta reader Ann ( goclimbatree), who has begun reading through and helping me fix errors and ensure clarity. I took down several chapters and am slowly adding them back. Some chapters have been split, so this is not the same as the original chapter 12.
Let me know if you continue to see any issues. This story will be published on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited at some point once it is finished (August?).
Chapter 12
A week after their marriage, the London papers published the notice they received from the Earl and Countess of Matlock announcing the marriage of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Darcy House and Pemberley to Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn. Sunday services across London were unusually well attended, and the marriage of one of London's most eligible bachelors was well discussed.
Many wondered about the identity of this unknown woman, and some speculated about a possible compromise. When Lord and Lady Matlock were seen smiling and looking pleased at church that morning, and the gossip circulated that Lady Matlock had hosted both the wedding and the wedding breakfast, much of this speculation was laid to rest.
On Monday, Lady Matlock sent the invitations for the ball honouring her nephew's marriage, ending all gossip concerning a compromise. Many still wondered who this Elizabeth Bennet was and why such a wealthy gentleman married her so precipitously.
Two women were unhappy with the marriage and had much to say about it, and at least one did her best to discredit the new Mrs Darcy before she ever stepped foot into the ton.
Miss Caroline Bingley was most displeased with the announcement of Mr Darcy's wedding to Eliza Bennet. She carefully planned her visits to women who were prone to gossip to share all the details about her former neighbour. She did not count on her entry being refused at nearly every house she visited, however, and arrived back at her townhouse angry and intemperate. The news about Darcy's public cut less than a fortnight before had made its rounds. Caroline Bingley was now persona non grata in London society.
Her sister, Mrs Hurst, was aware of the talk and had tried to convince Caroline to leave London for a time, but she steadfastly refused. When Caroline returned from her failed visits, she spoke sharply to the servants and her family members, who all gave her a wide berth. When Mrs Hurst suggested again the next day that they should all leave London for the country, Caroline unwillingly agreed. Their departure would occur within a fortnight, as Mr Hurst could not depart until his business was completed.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh, because of her distance from town, did not receive news of her nephew's marriage until the post was delivered to Kent on Monday morning. She, too, was angry that the upstart had the audacity to marry her nephew and that both her brother and nephew had set aside her oft-used argument that she and her sister, Lady Anne Darcy, had betrothed their children together as infants. She immediately ordered her carriage to be readied and commanded her daughter, Anne, to ready herself for a trip to London to confront her betrothed.
"Mother, I am not betrothed to William," Anne insisted. She had received a letter from the Colonel several days before announcing the marriage and was pleased for her cousin. "Nor would I have married him had he ever asked. William and I would not suit, and I will never be strong enough to bear a child. William needs an heir, and I have no desire to marry."
"You do not know what you want," Lady Catherine insisted. "Now, go prepare yourself for our trip to London. We will have Fitzwilliam's foolish marriage set aside, and you will be marrying him."
Anne de Bourgh stood. "I will not be going with you to London, Mother. I wish William well in his marriage and intend to tell him so." She quickly exited the room and locked herself in her bedchamber.
An hour later, furious with her daughter, her brother, her nephew and the upstart he married, Lady Catherine boarded her coach for the trip to London. Moments after her carriage departed, another carriage arrived, and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam stepped down and entered the house, exiting quickly with Anne by his side. He would have Anne in London and at his parents' home long before Lady Catherine arrived. It had been previously arranged that something would go wrong with the lady's carriage, delaying her briefly and allowing the Colonel's carriage to overtake it. He also knew, again by prior arrangement, that Lady Catherine would be going to Matlock House in an attempt to keep the lady from disrupting the Darcys' honeymoon.
At Darcy House, the knocker was still off the door, but the couple decided it was time to leave their suite and begin to settle into married life. On Tuesday, nine days after their wedding, a tour of the house had resulted in the couple 'resting' in two new rooms – the library and his study. After their encounter in the study, William led Elizabeth to the settee in front of the fireplace, and they began sorting the post.
Business letters would be dealt with later, invitations would be considered, and personal notes would be read first. The personal correspondence addressed to both of them was mostly well-wishes for their marriage, although there were several letters from Hertfordshire congratulating the couple and expressing some amazement that Elizabeth would marry the 'haughty man from Derbyshire.' The note to Elizabeth from Mrs Bennet was the worst – congratulating Elizabeth for 'capturing' such a wealthy husband and using her 'arts and allurements' to force his hand. She 'forgave' Elizabeth for the ignominy of an early babe and promised not to mention it again in the future, as it allowed her to marry the 'disagreeable, but oh so rich' gentleman.
She groaned when she read it and nearly threw it into the fire before William could read it. However, he insisted on reading it, as he wanted to ensure Mr Bennet was aware of what his wife believed about his daughter.
"I am sorry, my love, but I cannot allow you to destroy it. I do hope your father will act to quash any rumours in Meryton and prevent his wife from circulating that tripe," William said, his face stormy.
"None of the other letters from Meryton mentions any rumours," Elizabeth said. "I will write to Charlotte, who will share the story with Lady Lucas, who will tell the whole town about our 'whirlwind courtship' in Kent. Charlotte was the first to suspect you had feelings for me, and the whole neighbourhood noted I was the only one you danced with at the Netherfield ball in November. And, since no baby will come in less than nine months, these rumours will disappear on their own."
"I cannot apologise enough for my behaviour in Hertfordshire, Elizabeth," he sighed. "I was in love with you before I left, but I was determined to forget you. I thought it was a mere infatuation and that time away from you would allow me to forget. It did not. My aunt introduced me to several women at her Twelfth Night celebration, and I compared them all to you, and they all fell short. I went to Pemberley for a time, and all I could think of was how much you would enjoy losing yourself in its grounds and gardens. I thought of you constantly.
"When I arrived in Kent and found you there, I became determined to win you. Richard quickly discovered my interest and disabused me of the notion that you were waiting for my addresses. He convinced me I would have to work to win you – and I confess, in my arrogance, it took quite a bit of convincing and some observation for me to realise you would not fall at my feet just because I asked."
He looked down sheepishly. "I am sorry I was such a fool for so long, love."
She smiled at him and caressed his face lovingly. "You have been forgiven, William. I was a fool as well, allowing my hurt and anger to prejudice me against you and blind me to the truth about you. I do not mind the gossip as I know that as soon as they see us together, they will know we married for love and not for any other reason."
He kissed her at her words, and they eventually returned to reading the many congratulatory messages, some from true friends who wished the young couple the best – and meant it – and many others who offered best wishes on the surface but who were really seeking gossip or currying favour. It was easy to see the difference, and Elizabeth separated them into different stacks for their replies. She made notes on a few of them to aid her when she replied since that task fell to her as Mrs Darcy. She would need quite a bit of stationery, she thought, and wondered if she and William could go shopping soon to obtain that and some other items she would need over the next several weeks.
As they sorted through the invitations, William discarded a number without truly looking at them, giving Elizabeth some information about why he discarded a few of them. Lady Matlock would discuss the remaining invitations with them, and they decided to invite her to tea the following day for that discussion. They would invite Mrs Gardiner and Jane the following day and both families for a family dinner at Darcy House on Friday. Elizabeth quickly wrote the invitations and called for a servant to deliver them. The couple decided they would do some necessary shopping the following morning and then went to their suite to 'rest' until dinner.
That night, they bathed separately, a first for the couple since their wedding, and dressed for dinner. After dinner, they went to the music room, where Elizabeth played a few songs, and William, who had played with his mother as a child, joined her for a duet or two. There was lots of laughter as one or the other of them made mistakes, but they enjoyed the camaraderie. Servants who passed the room looked in and smiled, pleased that the master was so very happy and wondering just how quickly the next generation of Darcys would arrive.
The couple took tea in the library, and William read poetry to Elizabeth. Soon, however, the couple retreated to their private rooms, where they dismissed their personal servants and helped each other undress. They fell into William's bed and remained there until late morning, breaking their fasts in their sitting room together.
Copyright 2023 Melissa Anne
