One happy chapter today.
Chapter Eleven
Fitzwilliam Darcy was discussing the planned celebrations for the holidays with his favourite cousin, a colonel in His Majesty's army who was Miss Darcy's second guardian when an express was delivered from Netherfield Park.
"What does Bingley have to say that can be urgent when you have spent so many weeks with the man already?" Colonel Fitzwilliam enquired.
"Give me a moment to decipher his handwriting. Well, he will be getting married next week, on the fourteenth in the morning, and he is asking me to stand up with him." Darcy answered.
His cousin was just about to add another jest about Bingley's tendency to act impulsively and much faster than anyone else in their circle of friends when Darcy swore angrily.
"What is it? Spit it out, man."
"Wickham, that is what," Darcy growled.
"I thought you said the cur and all his militia friends were kept on a leash by the locals, what has he done?" Fitzwilliam hated the lieutenant as much as Darcy did.
"I told you about Bingley's betrothed and her family. It appears that her father attempted to marry his second daughter, Miss Elizabeth, to dear George who told everyone he has been raised to run an estate." Darcy had turned red in his anger, both at Bennet and Wickham.
His cousin whistled briefly. "The Miss Elizabeth you wrote about in every letter you sent Georgiana? The one you danced with at Bingley's ball? Did you not say the lady started running their small estate years ago and made impressive improvements? I would quite like to meet her, especially if Bingley likes his new sister enough to add a few thousand pounds to her dowry."
Darcy's head snapped up from the letter and his eyes shot daggers. "Richard, not now, and you will respect the lady if you ever meet her."
"I always respect ladies, cousin, far more than you do most of the time." Fitzwilliam sniggered, happy to have his suspicions confirmed. "Anyway, I assume the man failed and the damsel is not engaged to Wickham, although if we do not act soon, she will be in some danger as your old playmate may plan some form of revenge."
"We?" Darcy raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"We, as in, I have some leave still to use, and I deserve an opportunity to see our old friend. So I will join you for the boy's wedding, meet the apparently worthy gentry residing in Hertfordshire, and we can take care of your father's godson together. Him being a soldier means you need me anyway, and I will enjoy repaying all his kindness of the past few years." The word kindness had come out with so much hostility that Darcy smiled grimly at his cousin.
"When can you be ready to go? As Georgiana is staying with your mother and sister I would like to be off early tomorrow."
As the two cousins were reaching the outskirts of London, Mrs Bennet and Mrs Hurst were comfortably ensconced in Longbourn's pink parlour discussing wedding preparations with Jane; flowers and dishes needed to be prepared, friends invited, and all in under a week. On the other side of the room, Elizabeth was sitting at her little work table checking the various bills that needed to be paid that month.
"I am so excited, this will be such a wonderful day. I hope you do not mind too much me imposing my help but as we no longer have a mother, I always wanted to be the one helping my baby brother; Charles was always such a dear boy."
Jane could not help laughing at her future sister's enthusiasm; Mrs Hurst's excitement and energy were infectious and the small celebration the Bennets had initially planned was fast becoming the wedding of the year for Meryton.
"I am happy to have your support," Jane said, "and I love your idea to use pink cyclamens to brighten the church; the flowers are so delicate and pretty, it will look perfect."
Mrs Bennet was looking over the notes she had made the previous day after they had visited most of their neighbours and added: "Nearly everyone we invited has accepted already; my brother and his family will arrive on the thirteenth, Mr Long will still be in London, but his wife and nieces will be attending, and Charlotte has written to Mr Collins to inform him, although he is unlikely to be able to travel at such short notice. It will be just what a wedding should be, Jane."
Elizabeth listened to the conversation with a smile. Jane had told their father of her upcoming nuptials that same morning after breakfast. He was not asked for either consent or blessing as the first was not required and the second did not matter to either the bride or groom. After her sister had departed, Elizabeth had walked into Mr Bennet's study and informed him that any attempt to interfere with Jane's nuptials would have immediate consequences; two of Longbourn's tenants were soon due to renew their leases, with more due before the summer, and she knew of several suitable farms currently empty on some of the neighbouring estates; with Jane soon to be mistress of Netherfield Park, Bennet needed Longbourn to succeed more than his daughters did as their future was now safe. She had not told anyone of her actions or of Mr Bennet's fury, but she trusted that he would not endanger his income.
That afternoon, Bingley brought his friend and the man's cousin with him when he visited his betrothed.
"Jane, Mrs Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, may I introduce Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who has joined us for the wedding." Bingley was beaming, happy to have as many people as the church could hold to witness the moment his beloved Jane would finally become Mrs Bingley.
Colonel Fitzwilliam, who led the way, was about thirty, not handsome but in person and address most truly the gentleman. He entered into conversation directly with the readiness and ease of a well-bred man and talked very pleasantly.
(Pride and Prejudice, chapter 30)
Mr Darcy was by nature more reserved than his cousin, but despite taking a few minutes to compose himself after seeing Miss Elizabeth again, he was able to address her older sister with the required greetings.
"Miss Bennet, may I wish you joy? I believe Bingley has been very lucky to win your hand and I hope you will both be very happy together."
"Thank you, Mr Darcy," Jane was beaming, "I believe you are correct and your friend and I will suit very well indeed."
As refreshments were served and the discussions continued comfortably in Longbourn's front parlour, Mr Bingley ostensibly gravitated toward a display of miniatures on the fireplace. He smiled at Elizabeth who was sitting on the nearest chair, and, after glancing briefly in Jane's direction quietly addressed her: "Miss Elizabeth, I was hoping to get some advice from you without your sister being informed." His eyes glinted with mischief.
"I am intrigued, sir, yet I cannot guarantee my silence before I know of the topic you wish to discuss," Elizabeth answered teasingly.
"It is about a wedding trip," his smile grew bigger, "I have not forgotten your words you see. I was thinking of the seaside, maybe Lyme or one of the other coastal towns in Dorset. We will not be able to go sea bathing in winter but the cliffs and beaches are beautiful at this time of year, and the towns are very quiet, which would suit me nicely. Do you think this would please your sister, or do you have better suggestions for me?"
By the end of that speech, Elizabeth's smile was matching his. "This is perfect, better than perfect for Jane and I only went to the seaside once, many years ago and I can guarantee you that my sister has long been desperate to see the waves and the sea birds again. You could not have chosen better. But she is now looking in our direction, so you may tell her I showed you our grandparents' miniatures and told you the story of our Gardiner grandmother tearing her wedding dress dreadfully by climbing a tree to rescue a kitten only moments before the start of the ceremony; it will explain our smiles and not prompt further questioning."
With that, they rejoined the assembled guests; whether Miss Bennet was fooled by that tale or not, Elizabeth never discovered.
"Bingley, I like your Miss Bennet and her sisters," Fitzwilliam stated as the gentlemen enjoyed a late-night drink in the Netherfield billiard room, "many members of the second circles in town will be quite jealous of you for securing a beautiful, well-bred and genuinely amiable woman such as her before any of them could meet her."
"Jane is an angel," Bingley was sporting his usual dreamy smile, "but you should see her when she is angry, Colonel, she is simply breathtaking, a proper warrior queen of old, all strength and fire."
"I would like to see that one day, although possibly with her anger aimed at someone else than me," Fitzwilliam laughed, "I expect her next sister would be quite a spitfire too if riled."
"If you like that kind of spectacle, then I am sorry to say, you missed quite the show the other day," Bingley answered, "Miss Elizabeth confronted Lieutenant Wickham in front of a small crowd in Meryton. From what Jane told me, her sister was spectacular in her anger; rumours are circulating in the area that Colonel Forster should ask Miss Elizabeth to train his soldiers as she utterly tore the man down without raising her voice or getting even a hair out of place."
"I wish we could have been there to help the lady, but at least we will deal with Wickham once and for all, Bingley; he has gone unchecked long enough," Darcy said, "however we would welcome any additional information you can give us so that he cannot lie and argue his way out of trouble by harming Miss Elizabeth's reputation."
"There's little chance of that! My clever new sister skilfully led him to reveal his true nature in front of other officers and some of the most prolific gossip the town boasts." Bingley's smile had turned hard. "His former friends in the ranks have distanced themselves from Mr Wickham and he is not admitted in any of my neighbours' homes."
Hurst broke his silence to add: "I know the colonel has ordered all officers to remain in groups of at least three when they are out of the camp with the understanding that any misdemeanour from any soldier will have consequences for the whole group. I suspect it came out of that Wickham's takedown and Forster does not want any further trouble with the local gentry."
"And as none of the merchants are granting credit to any of the soldiers regardless of rank, the man has very few opportunities to escape his duties these days," Bingley concluded with a snort.
It was many minutes before the gentlemen could resume their conversation without one or more chuckling uncontrollably.
The days preceding the wedding were filled with activity and visits between Longbourn and Netherfield were more frequent than ever. Darcy's admiration for the second Miss Bennet, which was obvious to his cousin, became noticeable to the other gentlemen at Netherfield within two or three days. None of them commented on their observations however as the man did not appear inclined to throw away his prejudices and act as a proper admirer of the young lady. Hurst could not help thinking it was a pity, as Miss Elizabeth was a lively, educated lass who could have brought joy and life back into the old mausoleum that Pemberley was, to the benefit of both Darcy siblings; however, if the man was set on remaining a snob, let him end up with a society lady as agreeable as Caroline, it would be entertaining enough.
Colonel Fitzwilliam had little time to worry about his cousin's choices; he had gone to the militia encampment the morning after his arrival. Knowing Colonel Forster's reputation, without having met the man, he needed to tread carefully before accosting Wickham.
The militia leader welcomed his counterpart from the regulars cautiously at first.
"Colonel Fitzwilliam, I have heard of your reputation, and I am surprised to have one of the Dragoon's elites visiting my obscure little camp," Forster said warily.
"I am staying at Netherfield with my cousin Darcy for Mr Bingley's wedding," Fitzwilliam answered cheerfully, wanting to ease the tension in the room, "when I learned your troops were stationed so near, I could not resist visiting you. I will be in the area for a little under a week, and I have a few new training routines we have been experimenting with in the regulars that I would be happy to share if you are interested. I warn you though, your men will not be grateful for it; they will be fitter, but not pleased."
Forster chuckled, "I will take you up on that offer; some of my men, including some officers, are still far too soft for my liking. Good thing your boys are keeping Little Boney away from our shores for now." He looked straight into Fitzwilliam's eyes, "I will take a guess however and say this is not the principal reason for your visit, even if it is one I welcome. I have a Lieutenant George Wickham in my ranks, and he has been quite expansive in his criticisms of your cousin; your name has cropped in a few of his tales as well. I assume at least some of his babbling is more fudge than should come out of a gentleman's mouth."
Fitzwilliam let out a bark of laughter before answering: "Wickham is good at weaving his lies around a core of truth. I can give you an example I have known him to use several times in the past." The other man nodded. "George was my uncle's godson, and he was left one of the livings attached to Pemberley in the will, should he decide to take orders. That is all true, and so is the fact that when the living became vacant about a year ago, Darcy denied Wickham's claim. However, there's usually a little missing fact in his tale. After my uncle's death, Wickham did not wish to take orders and was compensated for giving up all rights on the living. Three thousand pounds added to his one thousand pounds legacy."
Forster inhaled sharply, stood and started pacing the length of his office, "That makes quite a difference, and you are correct, this is one of the tales he has regaled us with." He paused for several minutes before continuing: "You have heard of his little encounter with Miss Elizabeth Bennet." This was not a question. "Since that day, Meryton has turned significantly colder towards my regiment; I need the goodwill of the people in the area, especially as we are unlikely to move until the end of spring at the earliest. One stupid move from just one officer is all it took to lose us our welcome in town, and now I find the man is a skilled liar on top of being a rake. How do I get rid of him? Don't give me the runaround, I know you came here with a plan, so shoot, I'm ready to listen."
It only took the two colonels another quarter of an hour for Mr Wickham's fate to be decided; the man would soon find himself transferred to a northern regiment scheduled to leave for the Americas, as reinforcement for the troops already stationed near Washington; while he may survive the fighting likely to take place to recapture the city, it was unlikely Wickham would return to England any time soon.
Fitzwilliam returned to Netherfield Park in a merry mood after arranging a few morning training sessions for the officers over the days leading to the wedding; just as he told Forster, the men were not pleased with the routine the two leaders imposed on them, despite their improved stamina and agility after only a few months of following the advice shared that first week. Colonel Forster however was thrilled to see his mismatched rabble of men become a cohesive and efficient regiment that he would not be ashamed to parade in front of the great General Wellesley himself. Having been forced out of the regulars by a bullet that hit his knee in Spain, Forster had despaired at the thought of never being proud of his career again; now, he had renewed hopes of a distinguished and useful future training officers and men of value.
At long last, the day of the wedding dawned on Hertfordshire. Mrs Bennet and Mrs Gardiner were proudly helping Jane prepare for the start of her new life as Mrs Bingley, while Mrs Phillips fluttered from room to room assisting the four younger girls and chatting happily with them all, and with the servants.
At exactly ten in the morning, Mr Gardiner walked his beautiful goddaughter down the aisle towards a beaming Mr Bingley. The past week had been awash with rumours and revelations; none in the community was surprised at Jane's choice to exclude Mr Bennet from her day, and the man sat in his usual pew, sulking.
Mr and Mrs Bingley exited the church on this sunny December day to receive the due congratulations from family and friends, new and old. In their delight, neither noticed the two silent and sullen exceptions in the happy crowd of well-wishers.
Miss Caroline Bingley was standing stiff and haughty in the church doorway. She had not said a word to her brother for over four and twenty hours and as yet refused to discard her unjustified dislike of Jane in particular and the Bennet sisters in general. Mrs Hurst had ensured her silence by presenting her with a neatly written bill for all the items damaged during her stay at Netherfield and threatening her to add one extra pound to the list for each insult she was overheard uttering while there were guests around. Despite having a volatile temper, Miss Bingley was not unintelligent and she knew when to accept defeat gracefully, at least for the time being.
A few dozen yards away, at the entrance of the neat little cemetery attached to the churchyard, a resentful Mr Bennet was helplessly watching his family; he knew this wedding signalled his final defeat. He had been blind and overconfident, and Fanny had won; he was now powerless as any action or word against the girls would see them all depart for Netherfield Park or wherever the Bingleys would settle.
The wedding breakfast organised by Mrs Bennet and Mrs Hurst was the most lavish ever seen in this small part of Hertfordshire, where weddings were normally celebrated quietly with only the bride and groom's closest family in attendance. Jane and her new husband were enjoying the celebrations, surrounded by what seemed to be the whole town.
"Oh, my dear, dear Jane," Mrs Bennet was holding her daughter's hands tightly, "I knew you could not be so beautiful and strong for nothing. You are so well matched with dear Mr Bingley, you will be so happy."
Elizabeth laughed as her mother's voice held a hint of her former shrillness as she attempted to hold back tears of joy. "I believe you are right, Mama, my new brother is perfect for our Jane."
"Perhaps they are too well matched, Mama," Mary said with a pretend frown belied by the glint in her eyes, "Their tempers are by no means unlike. They are each so complying that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy that every servant will cheat them; and so generous that they will always exceed their income."
"Indeed we are not, you wicked little sister," Jane said once the general laughter Mary's comment had prompted calmed enough, "My husband and I will be so generous and fair that our servants will love us and be loyal, we share an easy temper so that all decisions will be made without arguments. I have no doubt we will do very well together."
"I entirely agree with my wife," Bingley said as haughtily as he could manage, prompting another round of hilarity when Colonel Fitzwilliam guffawed loudly. With his cheeky grin firmly back on his face, Bingley took his wife's hand and saluted his guests, "Be it as it may, I believe it is now time for Mrs Bingley and me to depart on our wedding tour. Mrs Bingley, my wife, this sounds so wonderful I could repeat these words all day long, but we must be on our way my love. Beloved family, dearest friends and neighbours, thank you for joining us on this most magnificent of days, we will see you all sometime in the new year." And with a deep theatrical bow, Bingley exited the Netherfield ballroom with his still laughing wife at his side.