Chapter 25 ~ Hastening to Perfect Felicity

After learning Lydia's fate Mr. and Mrs. Bingley left all the Bingley relatives in Yorkshire and continued their journey North. The two parties met before they reached Scotland and the sisters joy on being reunited astonished the gentlemen. They had been apart less than a fortnight but the length of their embraces and the tears that filled several handkerchiefs might have suggested to an ignorant observer that they had endured a cruel separation of many years. They soon gathered in Lizzy's room to explain all that had occurred. Lydia told her story first and both her sisters were surprised to hear her acknowledge herself to be at fault. She was not yet prepared to repent for her folly secured her 'dear Wicky.'

It was Elizabeth who explained how a Mr. John Thorpe who for reasons of his own misrepresented each to the other. It is, in short, impossible for us to conjecture his reasons for doing so. The result was nothing less than alienating two men who ought to have been friends. They wasted years in useless animosity each believing the other guilty of the most reprehensible conduct without either being in the least to blame it is shocking without actual blame on either side.'

Jane was far too generous event to hint that she had said so all along. and her belief in her 'Charles' was such that she could not suppose he would be so excessively deceived by anyone. No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of anything near Mr. Wickham's confidences. Mr. Wickham himself was far too good in his general conduct to be suspected of willful deceit. This conclusion had been obvious to Jane from the first and though Lizzy had tried she could not laugh her out of opinions that were so easily comprehended by her.

her dependence on the merit and sense of her fellow creatures this dependence was tried when she heard the actions of the interested party who had been the cause of so much distress. In endeavouring to justify his actions she was forced to concede that without intending actual harm some men, if they are not especially clever and were never taught good principles might cause a good deal of harm. This lesson was a difficult one for tender-hearted Jane but she put it to very good use by warning her children what dreadful things may result if you do not carefully tend to your character the way you might tend a plant. All of her children grew to be excellent gardiners.

Lydia listened to all of Jane's gentle wisdom but still repeated that "John Thorpe was a horrid, disagreeable man and she had no opinion of him."

Their party soo arrived in Scotland and in a church near the border an Anglican Vicar was married by a Methodist considering it preferrable to having only a Blacksmith. He took care of all expenses even ordering a modest trousseau from a dressmaker. They spent a jolly holiday in the ancient stone manor house reading Macbeth and Mrs. Radcliffe's novels aloud each night but were pleased to return to England. Pemberley beckoned the Darcys, duty to family shortened the Bingleys visit. The Wickhams remained only a week after they left.

Having learned that by living frugally, and investing wisely Wickham had grown his fortune enough that he could support his family even without the benefit of a living Darcy offered his brother the use of a small estate in Staffordshire. It was, for good or for ill, the estate on which his mother had a cottage. The living was in need of a vicar should he wish to take it on. They may if they wished to live at manor and care for its tenants and parishioners. This was a handsome offer and they did not refuse it. Mr. Wickham served his neighbours well. He read the sermons and guided his flock well, not least among them his wife.

You must wonder at the cruelty of the hand that can tether a good and clever man to a thoughtless and silly wife. It may perhaps have been preferable if Mary had been sitting on the kitchen steps and overcome with jealousy took drastic measures to claim her man. He would have in that instance a wife for whom he only need blush when she attempted to play the piano. She would at the same time have always felt herself better informed and morally superior. Having had a mother who made him feel unworthy I wonder if such a wife would indeed have been preferable and as he reflected fondly in later years he was grateful for that his wife tricked him as she had. He never would have chosen her otherwise and she had shaken hi a little out of his sobriety and made him take time to enjoy his life. Her fawning admiration of him was most gratifying and he grew to adore her for all her faws she was a comfort and a help annd they were very happy together.

As for Mary she discovered the man whom she could admire and improve. After meeting John Thorpe the truest example of a rattle he had ever encountered he was so well entertained that he sought to make him a neighbour. He convinced his brother Philipps to let Thorpe clerk in his office and invited him often for dinner. When his eager influence resulted in having Mr. Thorpe for a son-in-law he repented of his folly making extended visits to all his daughters in the North.

His daughter however was very pleased with her conquest and after only five years of marrige had so reformed the poor fellow that he no longer wore ill fitting and faded garments but was respectably if not fashionably attired. There were no more wages curses or praises for drinking 'a bottle a day.' To her great relief and complaisant dignity he became more grave than garrulous, more sober than cheerful. Lest you feel inclined to pity him you must acknowledge that he may not ever have become wise he now spoke so little, and behaved so properly that he was considered by his neighbours to be very clever indeed. That soothed his vanity and encouraged him to stay the course as much as his wifes disapproving glances and pious prosing.

Now at last we return to the couple whose story however imperfectly it may be told makes us fall in love along with them. Darcy continued to charm and to flirt but only with his wife. The ladies in London sighed for they could not accuse his wife of being stodgy or jealous. He did not stand on the edges of ballrooms as if wishing to escape. No he laughed and he chatted but always his eyes roamed to find her and because she was in the habit of doing the same he would give her a smile and she would blush. They were unwisely, unquestionably and unfashionably in love.

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This chapter has had no rewrites or rereads it is as raw as it gets!

Lorigami8 ~ I was uploading this when I saw your review. YOU READ MY MIND! I wanted Jane to be right for a change it was the inspiration for both stories. I did not think I could take this path without exploring the other.