A/N - This chapter is unedited. Please let me know if you see any issues or where you think the story might drag. What do you think about this chapter? Does it fit? Does it need more/less? Let me know your thoughts.
Let me know if you continue to see any issues with consistency, language/usage, or just too much information. This story will be published on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited at some point once it is finished (new target: September 10?).
Chapter 29
As the summer moved into autumn, the Darcys began to plan for a trip to London. Darcy delayed his business there as long as he could, but it was becoming imperative he visit town to deal with some investments and other items requiring his personal oversight. The family prepared to depart early in October, shortly after the annual harvest celebration for the tenants and staff.
This year's Harvest Celebration was as successful as the previous one. The single ladies organised the events for the children of the estate while Elizabeth met with Mrs Reynolds to plan and make arrangements for the picnic lunch, the supper and the dancing that would occur in the evening. Since Longbourn never hosted such an event, the Bennet girls found all of this fascinating and were slightly awed by their sister's role. Elizabeth encouraged all the girls to participate in learning how to run such a large household and were constantly amazed at what required Elizabeth's time and attention.
When the celebration arrived, all were eagerly anticipating it. Mary was the only one considered 'out', but all the girls would be permitted to dance since only the Pemberley 'family' would be in attendance. They were high-spirited leading up to the celebration, but a warning from Elizabeth and the girls' companion helped to settle them down. All four girls helped with the children's games during the afternoon while Mr and Mrs Darcy mingled with their guests and ensured everyone received the baskets intended for them.
Later that evening, as it was time for the dancing to begin, Mr Darcy delivered his traditional address, thanking the tenants for their hard work, ending it with, "Ladies and gentlemen, please join us on the dance floor. Let us celebrate this harvest with joy and merriment." With that, he offered his wife his hand and led her toward the dance floor to open the dancing.
After this first set, Darcy danced with each of his sisters before finally leading his wife back out. As they danced, Elizabeth smiled at her husband and said with her typical arch look, "It's been such a wonderful day, has it not, Mr Darcy?"
He nodded, a contented expression on his face. "Indeed, it has, my love. I am continually impressed by your ability to manage such events with grace and poise. And I am always delighted to dance with you. I have danced with you and all my sisters; it is time for us to depart."
She nodded her agreement and finished the dance before escorting their sisters back to the house. While their servants and tenants respected the master and mistress, it was established custom for the residents of the manor to depart before supper while the celebration would last into the wee hours of the morning.
A few days later, Georgiana and the three remaining Bennet sisters travelled to London with the Darcys to London. Georgiana was to be presented the following spring — her come out was delayed by a year in part due to Elizabeth's confinement and because she wanted to wait. Despite this, she and Mary would attend a few events while they were in town, which meant a visit to the modiste was high on the list of priorities for this trip. Kitty would also occasionally attend events with the other two but would not attend dances, and Lydia was to attend school for one more year. The Darcys and the Gardiners offered for Lydia to stay with them instead of returning to school, but Lydia asked to be permitted to return. At the end of the previous term, she was asked to mentor some new students arriving that autumn and Lydia was looking forward to it. It was such a change from Lydia's previous attitude that everyone was surprised but agreed that one more year of schooling would benefit the girl.
Since befriending Georgiana Darcy and living apart from her mother, Mary was more willing to wear gowns that flattered her, something she was reluctant to do in Meryton. This was partly because her mother tended to decry her as the least attractive Bennet daughter, as she sought to set herself apart by being severe and studious instead of 'pretty.' However, she learned to accentuate her best traits, and even her brother-in-law noticed the difference in her appearance. Kitty and Lydia likewise helped her learn to trim her bonnets in more flattering colours and style her hair less severely. The confidence this engendered in her added to her new appearance, and men in the village took notice.
One of these gentlemen was the vicar of Kympton, Samuel Kingsley, a gentleman in his late twenties who held the living for the last several years. He was sufficiently dedicated to the responsibilities of his parish and was not yet concerned with pursuing a wife, but the eldest of his patron's three sisters-in-law intrigued him. During the summer, he frequently called on the family at Pemberley and spent hours in conversation with Miss Bennet. Just before they left for London, Mr Kingsley spoke to Darcy about his desire to court Miss Bennet upon their return.
"Mr Darcy, I realise Miss Bennet could make a far better match than a simple rector, but I have come to admire her greatly. If she returns from London without her heart being touched by a man there, I would like your permission to begin to court her," Kingsley said.
"Have you spoken to my sister about your desire to court her?" Darcy asked.
Kingsley hung his head. "I have not. I did not want to request it before she had an opportunity to see what men in London may have to offer. While I have a good living and enjoy what I do, I would not want to deprive Miss Bennet of the opportunity to visit London and possibly find someone more suited to her there," he said quietly.
"I believe you undervalue yourself, Kingsley," Darcy told him. "But I will approve your request, pending Mary's agreement. When we return, if she is not engaged or courting another, I will allow you to make your request, and if she is amenable, you may court. We will be in London for two months and will return before the Christmas holidays."
The two men spoke a bit longer about parish matters before Kingsley took his leave, briefly meeting with Mary as he departed. The two spoke for a few minutes, and Kingsley wished her well in London, missing the brief sadness that crossed her face when he departed.
The Darcy family arrived in London nearly a sennight later. Alex travelled reasonably well, but his presence did extend their trip an extra day since he required more frequent stops than usual. It took three carriages to convey all the people, family and servants, and the luggage required for the visit to London. Alex frequently alternated between these to keep him happy and occupied and keep any adults from becoming too frustrated. His aunts particularly enjoyed his company, and Darcy liked the rare opportunities he was provided to travel alone with his wife.
After visiting the modiste to obtain new dresses for all the ladies, Lydia was delivered to school, and Kitty returned to the Gardiners. Mary chose to remain with Georgiana since she would attend events along with Elizabeth and Darcy in preparation for Georgiana's come out in the Spring.
Mr and Mrs Darcy's presence was noted amongst the ton as they had not been to town in over a year. Many wanted to look again at the woman who captured Fitzwilliam Darcy's hand and heart and, of course, to see the level of contentment between the couple. Since they appeared just as happy, if not more so, as the previous spring, the reaction was similar — some were pleased to see that Darcy remained happy in his choice, although a few jealous harpies hoped he was unhappy so they might have a chance at him. However, he was obviously content and happy with his wife and rebuffed any overtures from these women.
Darcy was busy during the days tending to his business concerns, which included meeting with Mr Gardiner about investments made on behalf of the Bennet daughters. Mr Bennet was caught up on his missing payments from the previous autumn, and with the savings from not having his daughters at home, combined with his finally making efforts to improve the estate, he was able to get ahead. With Mrs Bennet's assistance, they were living on substantially less than ever before and could not only pay down the debt to Darcy but put aside funds to add to Mrs Bennet's jointure and provide for their daughters' dowries. Mr Bennet was investing these small amounts with Mr Gardiner, surprising that man, given Bennet's indolent nature.
While Darcy worked, the ladies shopped and visited. In the evenings, the entire family attended the theatre, operas, musical evenings, and a few dinner parties. Georgiana and Mary performed well at these events but, similar to Elizabeth and Darcy, found little to admire in the falseness of society. While they enjoyed the events they attended, they found that often, those who attended did so to be seen rather than for the sake of the performances.
They enjoyed visiting with Lady Matlock and Mrs Gardiner and with a few ladies who were Elizabeth's friends when she was in town following her wedding. These ladies introduced Mary and Georgiana to girls near their ages, helping them form a few friendships with ladies in town. However, Mary wondered if she would return often, much preferring to live in the country. They also frequently visited with Jane, who was happy and content in her life after several months of marriage as the wife of a barrister.
One morning, several ladies were visiting at Darcy House as they discussed upcoming plans. Lady Matlock arrived accompanied by Mrs Gardiner, and Elizabeth was discussing plans with her aunts when Jane was announced, followed by Mrs Thornton and Mrs Ashford. These ladies were married to friends of Darcy and had been introduced not long before the Darcys' house party the previous autumn. The Thorntons married only a few months later, but the Ashfords were still newly married.
"I do apologise if we have come at a bad time," Mrs Thornton said as soon as she greeted all the women. "I know this is not your normal day for receiving visitors, but ever since you wrote you were coming to town, I looked forward to seeing you and dragged Amelia with me." She indicated Mrs Ashford. "We have not seen you since the autumn, and I know you were unable to come to our weddings, but we were anxious to see you again."
Elizabeth smiled graciously at the women. "You are not interrupting at all," she answered. "Do you know everyone here?" After a brief introduction to Mary, who had not been at Pemberley in the autumn, the ladies began to speak of more general topics, although they continued discussing their plans for the coming weeks.
"I know you have only been in town a few days, but how long as you intend to stay?" Mrs Ashford asked. "My husband cannot imagine Mr Darcy being willing to stay longer than he must, but I suggested that you might be able to persuade him to stay longer."
Trilling a laugh, Elizabeth replied airily, "I quite prefer the country to town as well, but we did want to give Georgiana and Mary an opportunity to attend a few events before attending the Season in the spring. We have several outings planned while we are here — a few musical evenings and several theatre performances."
The group spoke a little while longer before the butler brought several cards for Elizabeth to review. After glancing at them and a slight nod from Lady Matlock, she permitted the butler to announce them. "Ladies Grenville and Harcourt, and Mrs Sutton," the butler intoned as the ladies entered the room. The other visitors in the room stiffened somewhat as these women were known as inveterate gossips and were there to glean whatever gossip there was to be had.
"Mrs Darcy," they greeted her insincerely, reminding Elizabeth of Caroline Bingley, "it is such a pleasure to see you again. You have been quite absent from London for much of the last year." They greeted the other guests but turned up their noses at Mrs Gardiner and Miss Bennet.
"Well, I believe it was published in the paper, but Mr Darcy's heir was born this spring, and that prevented our travelling to town during this time," Elizabeth said carefully. "Alexander Darcy is a handsome child, and my husband is thrilled with him."
"How lovely," Lady Grenville said. "When was he born?" She was an older matron of the ton, of a similar age to Lady Matlock, and her daughter was one of the ladies who sought to win Darcy's attention for herself. Both mother and daughter were disappointed when he married Elizabeth and still sought to discredit them by assigning a different reason for their hasty wedding.
"He was born in April, my lady, just after our anniversary," Elizabeth replied, her smile tight.
"Oh," Mrs Sutton said, clearly disappointed at the lack of scandal in this news. She was also a gossipy matron, and while she did not have a daughter with marital ambitions dashed by Darcy's marriage, she attempted to entice Mr Darcy to a tryst on several occasions. She hoped that with him married, she could now convince him. "How long will you remain in London? You have not been in town in a year, and we do hope you will remain."
"We only intend to stay in town for a brief time," she replied. "We were just discussing some of the events we hope to attend while we are here."
"How wonderful," Lady Harcourt cried. Lady Harcourt had been married on a few months; Lord Harcourt, the Earl of Bexley, was at least sixty but, having pursued Darcy for several seasons, had finally relented to marry a title. Like Mrs Sutton, she was still hoping to entice Mr Darcy into agreeing to a liaison with her and subtly let Mrs Darcy know her intentions. "I missed seeing Mr Darcy in town this season, and I look forward to seeing him this autumn. I am certain once Mr Darcy realises how much all his friends have missed him, he will wish to remain in town longer."
Elizabeth eyed the women warily and took a moment to compose herself. She wanted to unleash her claws on these intruders into her peaceful afternoon, but her upbringing and the presence of other guests demanded a more refined approach. However, before she could speak, Lady Matlock answered for her. "Darcy is even less enamoured of town than he was before his marriage. He is very happy at Pemberley and only came to London for this short visit for the sake of his sister. Once she is safely married" — she reached over to pat her niece's hands in her lap — "I would expect him to limit his visits to town until little Alex has come of age or he has a daughter to launch on society. Marriage has made him extraordinarily content, and I do believe he would spend all his days at home with his wife and family. Of course, he will always be willing to invite his friends for brief visits, and I am certain that Mr and Mrs Thornton and Mr and Mrs Ashford will continue to be frequent visitors. In fact, these ladies both met their husbands at the Darcys' house party last year." She smiled at the two ladies she referenced as she spoke, who smiled back graciously.
Soon, Lady Matlock began to depart, taking the rest of the ladies with her. Elizabeth hugged her friends and relations, whispering thank yous in their ears and invited them to return soon. Her other visitors did not receive the same warm farewells, and they took their leave unhappy at the lack of gossip they accumulated.
After a month in town, the Darcys began to prepare to return to Pemberley. Darcy's business was accomplished more quickly than he thought, and while they planned to stay for two months, they saw little need to extend their stay beyond what was necessary. A month in town was enough for them all, especially Mary, who spoke with Elizabeth about her desire to know Mr Kingsley better. Knowing of the conversation between the vicar and her husband regarding Mary, Elizabeth encouraged her sister to do just that, and she promised to invite him to the house often.
When the Darcy party returned from London, Mr Kingsley was more convinced than ever of his desire to marry Miss Bennet. He asked to court her nearly as soon as he saw her and waited only a week before proposing. The couple decided to marry in Derbyshire just before Christmas and visit the Bennet family the following spring.
Upon receiving the letter conveying this news, Mrs. Bennet expressed her discontent with it, perturbed by having yet another daughter marry away from home without her input. "Mr Bennet, Mr Bennet," his wife cried when she read the letter from her third daughter announcing her engagement and outlining her plans. "You surely cannot approve of our daughter marrying so far from home. You must tell her to return home to Longbourn for her wedding."
"Mr Darcy informed me of the gentleman's intentions a month ago when the gentleman spoke with him to request his permission to speak. I replied to that letter granting permission to act on my behalf, and they have determined it is best to marry in Derbyshire. They will visit us in the summer when travel will be easier," Mr Bennet told his wife.
"Why have you said nothing sooner?" Mrs Bennet demanded.
"The gentleman had a rather direct conversation with Darcy before the family departed for London but said nothing to our daughter then. He knew what he wanted, but wanted Mary to experience society in London before committing herself to life as a vicar's wife," Mr Bennet explained. "Though, once they returned, he was determined to win her and acted rather precipitously. He barely began to court her and proposed only days later."
"Oh," she said as she began to consider that information, but it lasted only a moment as her outrage rose again. "But what is this nonsense of her marrying from Pemberley? This is that Lizzy's doing. She has taken our children from us and is not even allowing me to plan Mary's wedding."
"It is Mary's choice to marry from Pemberley. Lizzy did not influence her, but it was a matter of expediency. It is too much to expect the vicar to travel all this way for a wedding, and quite frankly, the fact that you have yet to apologise to your second daughter makes the whole situation more complicated. Since Mary has lived with the Darcys, she has greatly appreciated both of her sisters there. If she has to choose between the presence of her sisters at her wedding over that of her parents, she prefers to marry with her sisters present. Also, as she is marrying a vicar, she feels it best to marry where those she will serve one day can watch the ceremony. There is also the matter that travel will be difficult over the next several months, and neither wanted to wait until spring for a wedding. They will travel here in the summer."
Mrs Bennet scowled. "Nothing is preventing Lizzy's coming here if she wanted to," she stated defiantly. "She is doing this to vex me. How can I tell my friends that yet another of my daughters is to marry away from home? Our neighbours will have never even met the gentleman."
"Except for Lizzy's promise never to be in your company again until you have apologised for your insults," he replied. "I saw the letters you sent, Mrs Bennet, and I cannot blame our daughter for not wanting to be in your company until you own up to your actions. Those letters were horrid. And what does it matter that our neighbours have not met Mary's intended — neither have we. And they will live in Derbyshire."
She started to defend herself against such, but a moment of reflection made her realise the futility of it. "They were," she agreed, but it only lasted a moment. "It is the right of the bride's mother to plan the wedding. Regardless of the relationship between Lizzy and me, Mary should want to marry from home."
"I have already explained the reasons to you, and I believe Mary conveyed many of the same sentiments to you in her letter," Mr Bennet replied. "Besides, it is not as though you have ever had a relationship with Mary. I believe you have spoken to her more through letters in the last year than in the five years before that."
Once again, Mrs Bennet was reflective. Mary flourished under the care of the Darcys, which was evident from the letters sent during the time Mary was at Pemberley. The Darcys opened the world to Mary, encouraging her to trade Fordyce's Sermons for other texts, forcing her to change her perspective on many things. Under their influence, she became less pedantic and judgemental of those around her. Initially, her letters were full of her blossoming friendship with Georgiana, but those subtly changed to include more and more information about the vicar of Kympton and her growing friendship with him. As Mrs Bennet thought about this, she wondered how she had not seen it before.
"Mrs Bennet?" her husband asked after she was quiet for several minutes.
"I was just thinking, husband," she replied, sighing. "Mary has changed quite a bit. I wonder if I would even recognise her were I to see her; she seems so changed in her letters. And I had quite forgotten about her praise of the vicar of Kympton long before she went to London. I think she has been in love with him for some time."
"From what Darcy has said, I believe you are right," he agreed. "This is why I allowed him to act on my behalf ages ago. Mary has been under their care for some time, and I do not feel it would be right for me to attempt to exert my authority now and insist she marry from home. I have finally felt the weight of my failures as both a landowner and a parent since I have been taken to task repeatedly by a man nearly half my age. Our eldest three daughters have risen above the upbringing we gave them, and our youngest two have been given opportunities to do so as well. Unfortunately, we did not give them that opportunity, but it was our son by marriage, the one that married the daughter you despised, who enabled our daughters to do so. Do you not feel this weight, Mrs Bennet?"
Mrs Bennet did not immediately answer, only looked at her feet. He recognised that she felt at least of the shame he felt, so Mr Bennet remained quiet as she reflected. He had already written to congratulate the pair and grant his endorsement of the match, finding contentment in the knowledge that one more daughter was now provided for, no longer even remotely under his guardianship. Although Darcy shouldered much of the responsibility for the last 18 months, relieving Mr Bennet of many parental duties, there still lingered an illusion of authority over his unmarried daughters. The prospect of having one more daughter well-situated pleased him, soothing the remaining traces of any perceived shortcomings in his care for the family's welfare. Now, he only needed to get the youngest two sorted, and with Kitty in London with the Gardiners and Lydia at school, indeed, within the next few years, they would meet their matches, and then all of his daughters would be taken care of with little effort from him in the matter.
Eventually, Mrs Bennet sat down to write her letter to Mary. She began by complaining about the plans for the wedding, but she grudgingly agreed and welcomed her daughter's proposed visit in the summer. She was pleased to reread that Mr Darcy offered them one of his carriages and the loan of a house his family owned at the seaside for a short honeymoon after visiting the Bennets. While Mr Kingsley was reluctant at first to accept it since it was offered as a wedding gift, he found he could not turn it down, and Mary found it amusing to recount the details of the conversation.
At Pemberley, the next months were spent planning for Mary's wedding. Both Mary and Elizabeth preferred simplicity in their preparations, and so with little fuss, Mary obtained a trousseau from the dressmaker at Lambton, and all the ladies at Pemberley spent much of the months before the wedding sewing all the linens and other things that Mary would need as the wife of the vicar.
Soon, the wedding was upon them. Since their mother was not present, Elizabeth took upon herself the responsibility of 'mother of the bride' and reassured her sister and soothed her worries about what married life would entail. Despite these last-minute nerves, the wedding went smoothly, and all too soon, Mary traded the name Bennet for Kingsley.
Mary asked Georgiana to stand up with her since the rest of her sisters were not present for the wedding. In fact, Elizabeth was the only member of the Bennet family there, but that was fine with Mary. She had grown closer to her sisters since leaving Longbourn, but considered Georgiana to be her favourite sister, despite their connection being only through marriage. Despite this lack of family, Mary was exceedingly happy with her choice and looked forward to visiting the rest of her family another time.
Copyright 2023 Melissa Anne