Pride and Prejudice
AU not canon
*my source said engagement rings were not a thing until the Victorian age, until then they were signs of affection. So, that is what I went by.
Reminder: in this AU I have moved all estates within walking distances of each other
No Common Lady
Previously:
"Forgive me, my lady, if I do you wrong." With that he kissed her on the forehead and then stood up, set her hand upon the covers and walked out of the room.
Aurelia Awakens and is Moved
Ch. 21
"Father! Father!" Elizabeth ran down the stairs of Pemberley with the sun shining all over the estate, as if excited by the new owner. She was looking for her father, who had just arrived back from Longbourn. "Mrs. Fletcher is awake! Fully awake!"
Mr. Bennet, who had been visiting his daughter's home as often as possible, had barely climbed out of the carriage when she had burst out of the front door. He wasted no time in rushing up the steps and into the house.
"How long has she been awake?" he asked eagerly.
"Ever since breakfast." Elizabeth's face beamed. "She has been asking for no one but you and Lydia. And..." She could not help but giggle. "She is already asking when she gets to go back to Netherfield."
Thomas was elated that Aurelia at least remembered him. It gave him hope. Maybe it meant she would remember him holding her while dancing, touching her hand in passing, and making eye contact across a crowded room. It would mean he had not been carrying a ring as a sign of affection for nothing. If not, he would keep his word and love her from a distance.
Mr. Bennet followed Elizabeth to the guest room where Mrs. Fletcher had been moved. The room was spacious and elegant, with a large window overlooking the gardens. The curtains were drawn back to let in the fresh air and the morning light. The bed was covered with a white quilt and several pillows. On a bedside table, there was a vase of fresh flowers and a glass of water.
Mrs. Fletcher looked pale but peaceful. She smiled when she saw them enter and reached out her hand to Mr. Bennet.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Bennet," she said softly. "I feel so weak. I am so sorry for all the trouble I have caused you and your family."
Mr. Bennet took her hand and kissed it gently. "No trouble at all, I am just glad to see you awake."
"How is Lydia?" Aurelia's eyes turned down just a little. "I vaguely recall her calling my name and, I think, she was the one who pulled me from the water."
"Yes, Lydia pulled you from the water, after she had taken a fall herself." Remembering the barrister's words and knowing Aurelia would wish to hear the facts from him and no one else, Mr. Bennet went on. "My daughter broke her leg pretty badly from that fall, and her back appears to be hurt, but the doctor says - with care - she stands a good chance at healing, enough to have a decent life anyway." Thomas spoke sternly when he saw a look of guilt appear on Mrs. Fletcher's face. "It is not your fault, so do not go there. None of us blame you. Nor do you need to concern yourself about any medical bills; they are well-covered." He saw no need to inform Aurelia how they were being covered and he knew for a fact Lady Catherine had made it loud and clear others were not to tell the ladies either; he could go over the rest later.
"If you are up to it, I happen to know of a young lady who wishes to see you. One who changed her mind about returning to Netherfield until you were awake. She has been refusing to go anywhere but here, visiting you every day. What do you say about allowing her in?" Elizabeth spoke as she opened the door and then stepped aside, exposing Lydia behind her in a chair.
"Hi." Lydia was rolled into the room by her nurse and up to the side of Mrs. Fletcher's bed. "Do not ask me to be sorry for running after you." She jutted out her chin just a little.
"I am sorry you were injured, though I am grateful you saved my life."
Mr. Bennet watched the two interact. He knew there was probably a better time for what he was thinking, but when Jane appeared in the room unexpectedly, he grinned thinking 'Why not' and cleared his throat. That got everyone's attention.
Mr. Bennet lifted Mrs. Fletcher's hand and looked at her with a smile on his face. His daughters, guessing what he was about to do, had to bite back giggles. Thomas, knowing that sound all too well, focused on Aurelia instead. "I think..." He looked down at her slim fingers. "You are missing something."
"What are you talking about?" Aurelia, who normally would have quickly caught on, was understandably still in the early stages of recovery and was taking longer than the others to grasp what Thomas's actions meant.
"I think..." Mr. Bennet began rubbing her fourth finger. "A piece of jewelry would look very nice on this finger." He began grinning from ear to ear when Aurelia's face turned a faint pink and sported a grin of her own as it clicked as to what he was saying. "I will take that as a yes?"
"Yes, you may." Aurelia shone bright, as did his daughters, as he then offered a small ring with rose engravings, a sign of affection to wear until their wedding day.
"Now." Mr. Bennet's face darkened. "Let Mr. Collins dare say you are not good enough for me. See how far he gets with such a false accusation." Thomas's face instantly brightened back up as Aurelia reached up and touched the back of his hand with a smile remaining on her own.
Epilogue
Aurelia stood in the kitchen, helping to prepare a hearty meal for her family along with their cook. Mr. Bennet had said it was not necessary as they had plenty of servants, but his wife had begged, saying she loved being in the kitchen and therefore he did not insist on her stopping - as long as the cook handled the actual fire and Mrs. Bennet only did minimal tasks. The aroma of roasted chicken and vegetables filled the air.
Neither she nor Lydia had completely healed from their injuries, and both needed support to function. Mrs. Bennet's hands were weak, and she could not always open jars without help. Plus, occasionally, she would have fainting spells - another reason Mr. Bennet refused to let her work alone in the kitchen even though she delighted in being in that particular space of the house.
Aurelia could hear her daughter, a toddler, playing in the parlor with their father, laughing and singing as Lydia sat at the kitchen doing small jobs the servants had come up with for her to do. Mr. Bennet figured it was simply a way for his youngest to be close to her mother. Hence, he did not argue; it was a small price to pay for Lydia's continued improvement. So much so, that a gentleman had come calling just the other day, a respectable one at that. One that was not bothered by the fact Lydia's limp would never go away, a nurse would always be needed, and, on her bad days, a chair would also be needed.
"I do not think…" had started more than one of Lady Catherine's sentences to her nephew, Mr. Darcy, in regard to the ongoing bill for the Bennets' nurse. But she was always reminded that it was her lack of speaking up to the man she knew full well would have listened to her that had caused the whole mess that kept her in check. It helped that Mr. Barnaby had dug up some obscure law that would have given Mr. Bennet Rosings Park because of her inactions. A law that Mr. Darcy would have backed up with full force in spite of Mr. Bennet's willingness to let Darcy's aunt off the hook after the first year.
"No, Lady Catherine does not need to get out of any medical bills in regard to your wife - not even your daughter, Lydia, at least not until the young lady marries. My aunt not only refused to speak up and defend the innocent, but she had the gall to return to an event when she had already been escorted out of it." Therefore, the nurse remained at no expense to Mr. Bennet in spite of his vastly improved income thanks to Mrs. Fletcher's newfound wealth via her grandparents' and mother's will. And when it came to Collins, Mr. Barnaby had made it so that, if a son was not born to Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet, while the vicar would still be allowed to move into Longbourn, the Bennet women could not be kicked out, nor would they be forced to live in any servants' quarters. And, as to the Prestons, they spent the rest of their days in prison.
Later, Mr. Bennet - thanks to the birth and miraculous survival of twin boys - knew Longbourn had been secured to his immediate family for the next generation, though he did take pity on Mrs. Collins and made arrangements for her should she have no sons.