Update ch 43
Elizabeth climbed into the open carriage and sat beside Miss Darcy. They sat awkwardly for a moment, observing each other, while Mr. Darcy spoke to the driver before climbing in.
"I have longed for this day for many weeks. The day the two most important women in my life meet. Miss Bennet, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Miss Georgiana Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire. Georgie, this is my betrothed, Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire. I hope you will become friends."
As the carriage began heading for the Darcy's home, Elizabeth took the lead and exclaimed how much she hoped to have a sister when she married and moved away from her sisters. "It would be lonely with just one other companion in the house with me, though I do not expect Mr. Darcy to lack in his ability to entertain." She winked at him slyly. She knew Georgiana was shy, and she hoped she would be able to draw her out of her shyness.
Miss Darcy only nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darcy. Your brother speaks very highly of you."
Miss Darcy barely whispered a small thank you as she continued knotting her hands with her skirt.
They were interrupted by an acquaintance of Mr. Darcy's hollering from another carriage. They all turned to see the man. Mr. Darcy only nodded with his serious scowl. Elizabeth laughed at his reaction. "I take it that was not a close friend."
Mr. Darcy smiled at Elizabeth, feeling how well she brought out his happiness. "No. Lord Farthing has gambled away his fortune and hopes I will wed his sister so that he can stop paying for her new dresses. We ought to mingle in society soon so that our betrothal can become common knowledge. I long to be off the so-called marriage mart. I shall procure a special license tomorrow."
Elizabeth looked apologetically at Mr. Darcy as she replied, "No. There has been enough haste in your family to reach the altar. We shall be wed in the traditional manner."
"Then can we at least begin the reading of the banns this Sunday?" He sounded almost petulant as another acquaintance called out to him. This time he did not even turn toward the annoyance, but stared at Elizabeth as though he might devour her.
Elizabeth blushed under the scrutiny. "I believe that is best, yes. And we shall let everyone know at your aunt's ball that we are engaged." Changing the subject, Elizabeth turned to Miss Darcy who was fidgeting with her gloves quietly. "Would you like to come to Hertfordshire to see us marry?"
Miss Darcy replied in the affirmative.
"Good, for I long to show you my favorite haunts. Mr. Darcy has told me that you are a remarkable rider, but I am a walker, so I shall take out on foot. We shall be a merry party. Do you not think so?" Elizabeth smiled encouragingly, even though Miss Darcy could not see it.
Miss Darcy agreed quietly.
Elizabeth talked about Hertfordshire, allowing Mr. Darcy to compare her reminiscing with their home in Derbyshire. They carried on the conversation pleasantly for the remainder of the ride.
When the carriage stopped, Elizabeth looked up at a stately edifice that was more modestly decorated than the other places Elizabeth had stopped. She smiled happily. "This is more like where I envisioned you would live. Seeing the other homes on our stops was not as pleasant. Lady Catherine declared the homes fit for lords, and they may keep them. I prefer the simple elegance of your home. I believe I shall be very happy here."
Mr. Darcy proudly offered her his hand, beaming at her praise. "I am very glad to hear it. Welcome to your future home." He then helped his sister out of the carriage as she was giggling lightly at their interaction. When she caught her brother's eye, she blushed at being heard. He had been disappointed with Miss Darcy's monosyllabic responses earlier, but the consolation of being with Elizabeth again kept those thoughts at bay. After all, there was time for them to grow closer. Miss Darcy was naturally shy.
They walked quietly up the steps and allowed the servants to take their outerwear. "I suppose Mr. and Mrs. Warden will be able to have tea with us."
"No." Miss Darcy stated simply.
"Ah, I suppose they are resting upstairs. Mrs. Warden would need her rest after such an exciting day."
Mr. Darcy coughed slightly. "They are not married yet. I said what I had to. Lady Catherine would have continued making trouble if I had not said that her cause was completely lost. While I abhor deception, I believed it to be absolutely necessary. The clergy had refused to marry with such haste when they plan on marrying so soon already. He had not met Lady Catherine before, so he did not believe the urgency."
"Ah. I did not realize how adept you are at subterfuge. You had me fooled." Elizabeth squeezed his arm lightly before taking her seat next to Miss Darcy.
Mr. Darcy did not enjoy relinquishing contact with Elizabeth, but he knew it was temporary. He took the seat across from them and accepted a cup from his sister. "If you had seen Anne, you would have done the same. I hope I am never called for such a purpose again."
"You care very well for those in your charge. It is admirable." Elizabeth turned to her future sister. "Tell me, does your brother escort you to the dressmaker?" she asked playfully.
"Yes." Miss Darcy blushed as she realized they were both watching her again.
"Then he is a better man than my father. But with six women, Mr. Darcy might also begin to find the excessive talk of silk and lace tedious."
"It is entirely possible, but I shall wait to pass judgement on your father until I am escorting five daughters to the dressmaker. I quite enjoy taking Miss Darcy as we always end up visiting a bookstore. And her tastes are very reasonable."
Elizabeth nodded appreciatively, unable to speak as she thought of the process of creating five daughters. The rest of her energy was spent in not blushing. Attempting to turn the conversation, she decided to discuss more immediate concerns. "While I am glad to be here, I suppose I shall stay with Anne while I am here." She knew it could cause talk if she slept the night in Mr. Darcy's home, and it was common for single women to sleep together to protect their reputations.
"That is not necessary. The Gardiners have already been invited for dinner. They will undoubtedly take you home with them."
"You did not know I was coming." Elizabeth smiled wider as he shook his head in the negative. "You intend to keep company with my aunt and uncle."
"Of course. They are remarkable people to say nothing of their connection with you." He looked to his sister who was eyeing them with curiosity. "I was wrong to disdain your family." He paused and observed the look of pure joy on Elizabeth's face. He felt giddy that he was the cause. "Perhaps we ought to send them a note so they have more time to prepare for your stay. This is also a chance for Miss Bennet to see Mr. Bingley, as I have invited him as well."
Elizabeth beamed at him again. "You really are the best of men." She turned her attention to Miss Darcy. "You have the best of brothers. I am quite envious, for I always wanted a brother. I used to think him reserved and aloof before I knew him well. I can see now that his pride is not misplaced." She set down her empty teacup and turned to Georgiana. "Will you show me the house? I long to stretch my legs, and I hope you are not too tired."
Georgiana nodded slightly and took Elizabeth's arm. She led Elizabeth up the stairs and began pointing out each room. At first, Georgiana barely said more than one or two words together, the minimum she could say for each room. At first, she only said the name of the room. Elizabeth's skill at small talk, and her natural enjoyment of the room around her slowly coaxed Georgiana out of her shell. After the fifth room, a particularly opulent guest room meant for those of "distinguished" taste, as Elizabeth called it, Georgiana giggled openly, and she used more words.
"I suppose you are right." Was the first sentence Georgiana said to Elizabeth. After that, Elizabeth continued speaking with Georgiana. Mostly, she kept the conversation one sided. Georgiana needed time to recover from each blush. By the time they returned to finish their tea, Georgiana was laughing openly and seemed much more at ease. As they sipped cups of tea, they spoke of their youth and childhood antics.
Mr. Darcy had moved to the study, downcast that Georgiana was so silent and shy. He tried to work on his correspondence, but the thought of Georgiana not opening up to Elizabeth was hard to swallow. What if Elizabeth realized she would miss her family too much to marry him, or she might insist on being closer to Longbourn so that she could speak at length with women her own age.
He was finally drawn to the present by the sound of hearty laughter from both ladies. Shocked, he quietly moved to the parlor, only to find Georgiana laughing so hard she was bent over her legs. Elizabeth was rubbing her back appreciatively. The smile Georgiana gave Elizabeth when she recovered was enough to melt Mr. Darcy's heart. Content that Elizabeth had only needed more time, he returned to his correspondence, even less willing to focus. He wanted to give Elizabeth and Georgiana all the time they needed to become sisters at heart.
An hour later, he was roused again by the sound of the pianoforte. He could not distinguish a song, so he moved to the music room which was only three doors away. Once again, he opened the door an inch to observe his two favorite ladies sitting side by side on the bench. Elizabeth would play a small tune, followed by Georgiana. They would burst into giggles and then repeat. Elizabeth was still talking of her time at Longbourn, and Georgiana shared her time practicing with her music master. It seemed even the dullest of stories brought giggles, and Elizabeth was so happily laughing that Mr. Darcy noticed she would occasionally rest her tongue between her teeth while she laughed.
As his longing for a moment alone with Elizabeth rose to a fever pitch, Elizabeth looked up and caught him spying. "Mr. Darcy! You ought not to seek us without announcing your presence. How unkind of you! We might have been speaking of you!"
Georgiana turned and smiled at her brother, but when Elizabeth finished, "Oh, Lizzy, of course we could say nothing my brother would not be pleased to hear. He is the best of brothers."
"Have no fear, my dear Georgie." Mr. Darcy said soothingly, placing his hand on her shoulder in a show of affection. "Miss Bennet intends to tease me, and I am delighted at how well you are getting along."
Georgiana blushed, but Elizabeth brushed it away. "Well, perhaps on the first day everything shall stay positive, but I am certain there are stories that we can delight each other with which do not always show your brother in the best light. He cannot be all good."
"That is not possible, but I was known for my reserve, even when I was younger. Perhaps I ought to tell you of the time we put a toad in Lady Catherine's bed when she came to visit her sister."
Elizabeth laughed. "I suppose the colonel put you up to it."
Mr. Darcy shrugged while Elizabeth laughed again. She quickly amended her statement. "Very well, the best child of the bunch, though, having met some of your playmates, I am not certain that is much of a distinction. The colonel would certainly have been the ringleader of your pack."
"You compare us to wolves!" Mr. Darcy pretended to be affronted.
"Not at all. I am certain wolves would have behaved better as children than I imagine your cousins would have." Elizabeth laughed again, lost watching Mr. Darcy enjoy her teasing.
Miss Darcy enjoyed watching the moment, though she would never tease her brother so openly. It showed how truly happy he was and how good Elizabeth would be for them. Instead of reminding them of her presence, she quietly left the room. Knowing she ought not to leave them alone for long, she took a seat in the drawing room. Any servant coming by would see her first. As she grew anxious that she should not have left the couple alone, she nervously took out her embroidery project and attempted to continue her pattern.
Thankfully, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy followed her about five minutes after she had left them. "My dear Georgie! We did not bore you with our banter, did we?"
"Of course not. I simply thought of giving you some time. I hope I was not mistaken."
"You should not be in the position of making those decisions." Mr. Darcy stated, taking the seat beside Georgiana. "We ought to call Mrs. Annesley and Anne to visit with us."
"No need!" Anne stated as she entered gracefully. She saw Elizabeth and immediately moved to her side. "You stood up to my mother, I am certain of it. She would be here otherwise. You are always so brave."
Mr. Darcy beamed and recounted what had happened at Lady Cartwright's. "Of course, I only arrived at the end. I am certain Elizabeth has much more to say of the matter."
Elizabeth suddenly gasped. "Oh! I did not tell you that was our second stop!" Eyes wide, she recounted that she had played the pianoforte with Lady Jane while Lady Catherine had spoken without her. "Do you suppose she has told anyone?"
"Most certainly!" Mr. Darcy stated clearly, rolling his eyes at the disgusting business of gossiping harridans. "But it matters not. Anne marries Mr. Warden tomorrow, the banns will be read Sunday for us," He paused to reach for Elizabeth's hand, glad for the ability to do so freely. "And both will be announced at the ball on Tuesday. The gossip will feebly die, and I shall be happy to end my part in it." He squeezed her hand, but it was an odd angle, so he released it and sat back in his chair.
Anne sat there thinking over what she had learned. "I believe you are right, Fitzwilliam. My mother must be removed to the dower house. She cannot be trusted, and she will be very angry for some time. I do not know if I will be ready to be mistress of Rosings. What if," She stopped as Elizabeth sat straighter and interrupted her.
"What if nothing. You will be a fine mistress. Mr. Darcy has overseen much while your mother was in residence. He can continue to do so until you feel ready to take over matters. Mr. Warden will no doubt be eager to learn as well. I suppose we shall plan many visits to Rosings once we wed to ensure that you are as well equipped as possible. The servants adored you. I could see it in their care. They did not adore your mother, which is why Mr. Darcy had to intervene in the running of the estate. All shall be well, you shall see. Everyone here and Mr. Warden wish for your success."
Anne beamed at such praise and support. Mr. Darcy smiled as he watched Elizabeth plan their married life. She spoke so easily of their future. Georgiana looked eagerly at the group, wondering how she had ever thought she could run off with Wickham and start her own home alone. Unbidden, tears formed in her eyes. She attempted to hide them, but Elizabeth noticed.
"Are you well, Georgie?" Elizabeth asked with true sincerity.
"I am simply so happy that all is resolved for the better." She dissembled. She could not share her troubled thoughts with Elizabeth, even if she had learned to forgive herself.
The bell chimed, announcing the arrival of guests. Elizabeth looked around, "Who would be calling at this hour?"
Mr. Darcy rose, and offered the suggestion, "It is likely to be the Gardiners, for I had sent them a note saying you had arrived."
Elizabeth needed no further information. She leapt up and ran out of the room and into the arms of her aunt, uncle, and sister who each claimed to have missed her company. Elizabeth took her aunt and uncle in each arm and led them to the drawing room. She started to introduce everyone, but then she remembered that they had all met. There was a slight awkwardness smoothed over by Mr. Darcy welcoming them to his home with as much graciousness he would have extended to the king.
Elizabeth blushed as she remembered how she had thought him proud and disdainful, but she quickly pushed the thoughts aside and enjoyed the remainder of the evening, especially when Mr. Bingley arrived an hour later in time to join them for dinner.
AN: My writing is not as fast as I would like it to be. School starts in just over a week, and I wanted to be done with this story, but I also can't rush it. If I did, then the ending would not be as good as it could be. You deserve the best I can write. Many thanks to my beta reader for making me realize I need to take my time. So here it is, almost midnight and I should really be in bed sleeping, but if I do, then tomorrow comes, and I have one fewer day between now and the start of school. I am actually looking forward to next year. They have already told me I'll be teaching an extra class (unless they hire a teacher in the next week of course, but that is unlikely at this point). Means I will be busy. I am running around with my thoughts. I appreciate your reading this, and I hope you are all well. Your reviews make me think more about my story, so I hope to hear your thoughts.
