Chapter 32
The Great North Road
Heading South
The land rolling past outside the carriage window was lush, green grass turned purple with flowers. Herds of sheep ambled across the countryside, with working dogs darting around them and the shepherds following behind. Scotch Corner with its ivy-covered inn vanished into the distance behind them, as the travelers were all equally eager to return south.
It was somewhat wearisome to rise as early as they had and spend so much time on the roads, going as quickly as the horses could comfortably go, and changing horses every twenty miles, but it was a weariness they all bore with good cheer. Lydia, of course, wished to introduce her new husband to all her sisters and her mother, and be vaunted as Lady Harding, wife of a baronet. Mr. Bennet was eager to return to his library with its books and brandy and undisturbed peace. And Elizabeth's heart thrilled to the idea of seeing Darcy again who would, hopefully, have returned to Netherfield, with his overbearing aunt firmly dealt with in London.
The party had agreed that morning that, God willing, they would attempt to reach Doncaster by that evening, and spend the night there. Sir Christopher and his bride had taken the primary coach, with Mrs. Greenfield riding with the newlyweds. She would stay on with them for a time, teaching and instructing Lydia in her new duties as the wife of a baronet and the mistress of an estate. Elizabeth had cheerfully acquiesced to riding in the second coach with her father and Captain Scofield, who proved a quiet companion. Elizabeth was grateful for her fiance's generosity in paying the unsuccessful suitors three hundred pounds each.
"Would you care to play another game of chess, Lizzy?" Mr. Bennet asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Of course, Father," Elizabeth agreed with a smile, and watched as he set up the set, which Darcy had left for them.
As the game commenced between father and daughter, Elizabeth found herself contemplating her sire, and the difference between that gentleman and Darcy, whom she would soon marry.
She was aware of a lingering, and uncharitable, amazement that Mr. Bennet had exerted himself so much as to travel all the way to Scotland, and that after spending time in London looking for his wayward youngest. There had never been much love lost there, and now there was even less – she wondered, uneasily, if their father would have bothered seeking Lydia at all had her disappearance not affected all of them, or if he would simply have been glad to be rid of her.
But he had put himself out, at least somewhat, and through the kindly machinations of Mr. Darcy, Lydia was now well married to a member of the minor nobility. Lady Lucas and old Mrs. Long and their friends would never quite forget Wickham or the scandal that had gripped Longbourn for a time, but none of them truly wished the Bennet girls ill. Doubtless all of them would be pleased enough that one of their own had married a baronet, as it provided a luster to the four and twenty families of the area.
Elizabeth worried more for her unmarried younger sisters. They no longer had the taint of ruin hanging above their heads, but she was under no illusion that Mr. Bennet would take any more interest in or care for them than he had for Lydia – with that one crisis averted, he seemed to consider his part entirely done. Still, they were in a better situation than previously; Lydia would likely have Kitty, at least, to come stay with her at times, introducing her favorite elder sister to a wider society. Even a month previously, that would not have seemed a positive event, but Lydia had improved, and with Mrs. Greenfield overseeing her, Kitty would come to no harm and indeed might well gain some good from spending time away from Longbourn.
Moreover, Elizabeth herself would soon be married to a good man of high standing, and had every intention of inviting Mary and Kitty to stay with her for months at a time. If Mr. Bennet would not exert himself for his daughters, she, Elizabeth Bennet, soon to be Elizabeth Darcy, would do her best to aid her sisters.
/
Drawing Room
Longbourn
The window towards the fields had been opened, letting in a balmy breeze heavy with the scents of late flowers and cut hay. The farmers were calling and laughing to one another as they did their work, and mother cows were bellowing for calves nearing weaning. It was an idyllic scene, entirely spoiled by Mrs. Bennet's ranting. Jane gritted her teeth, staring out determinedly at the sun-dappled landscape below, watching a cloud shadow scooting across the ground and trying to ignore her mother's petulant, strident voice.
"How could I possibly have birthed such selfish daughters?" Mrs. Bennet demanded, walking back and forth on the polished wooden floor. "First Elizabeth refused to marry Mr. Collins, and now you refuse to marry Mr. Bingley. When your father dies, we will be cast into the hedgerows, and you will not care in the least!"
Jane Bennet, who was knitting a scarf for the Gardiners' elder daughter, tightened her lips and steamed inwardly. It was not Jane's fault that her parents, blessed with a large income, had chosen to spend every penny without saving for the future, nor was it her fault that Longbourn was entailed away from the female line.
Even two months previously, she would have accepted Mr. Bingley's offer with delight. Even now, there were times when guilt, and familial responsibility, and the memory of her former attachment to the master of Netherfield, caused her to waver inwardly. Mr. Bingley would be a kind husband and she did like him very much...
But no. There was an excellent reason to reject his offer for now, anyway, and that was that Mr. Bingley wished for a marriage of mutual attachment and respect. At the moment, while she liked him, she did not respect him. Perhaps, in time, he would win her respect again. Or not. In any case, she knew that Elizabeth was in love with Mr. Darcy, and he with her, and if they married one another, the Bennets would never suffer starvation and homelessness regardless of the future of Longbourn. Not that she would or could tell her mother of the attachment between her second daughter and Darcy. Mrs. Bennet had a long memory for those who insulted her family, and she well remembered Mr. Darcy's initial, unfortunate insult of Elizabeth's beauty at the assembly in Meryton...
"Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley," the butler announced.
Mrs. Bennet, who had opened her mouth to begin another diatribe, closed it and surged forward, her eyes crinkled with delight. "Mr. Bingley! And oh, Mr. Darcy, this is quite a surprise. Do come in, do!"
The gentlemen did so, though Darcy sat down on the chair nearest Jane's, while Bingley sat a little farther away, to the matron's surprise and displeasure.
"Mrs. Bennet," Darcy said before she could suggest that he switch his position with Bingley, "I have some news of great import which I would like to share."
The lady's blue eyes widened in confusion, and she asked, "News, Mr. Darcy? What news?"
Jane, watching Darcy, was startled to see a smile fill his handsome face, and she found herself leaning forward with anticipation.
"I have the great honor and pleasure of informing you that last Wednesday, on the 19th of August, I asked your daughter Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, and she accepted."
Mrs. Bennet's mouth dropped open, revealing a set of white, and very straight teeth, and Jane hastily said, "Mr. Darcy, I am so very happy to hear that! I know that you and Elizabeth have long..."
"Indeed, it is wonderful news!" Bingley chimed in, doubtless eager to allow Mrs. Bennet time to recover some semblance of equanimity.
This was, as Jane knew well, quite unlikely. Fortunately, the lady did not shriek or scream, but instead said, "Mr. Darcy, are you truly – you would not be teasing me, would you? But you must be, for you said Lizzy was not handsome enough..."
"To dance with," he finished, and shook his head rapidly. "I was a rude fool to say such a thing, Mrs. Bennet. In the intervening months, my admiration for Elizabeth has grown and grown and now I consider her one of the most handsome ladies of my acquaintance. I am, moreover, very much in love with her."
"You are... you are..."
"Congratulations!" Jane said warmly, turning toward the man who would soon be her brother by marriage. "I know that Elizabeth loves you in return, and am confident you will be very happy together."
"I know we will," Darcy agreed and Jane found her own chest easing. Elizabeth would be happy, so very happy, and the Bennets were saved.
/
Drawing Room
Pemberley
"Oh!" Georgiana cried out.
Richard Fitzwilliam quickly looked up from his newspaper to look at his cousin, who was staring down at a letter from her brother, her face stretched in a delighted smile.
"What is it, Gosling?" he asked affectionately.
She looked up, her eyes bright, and said, "Such wonderful news, Richard! Fitzwilliam is engaged to Elizabeth Bennet!"
There were simultaneous gasps from the other inhabitants of the room, and Richard turned toward Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, who sat side by side on a couch, the former playing with her bracelets, the latter reading a book about, of all things, crop rotations.
Georgiana's smile dimmed immediately and she turned to look at a random wall, while Richard said, rather menacingly, "That is wonderful news, is it not, ladies?"
Mrs. Hurst's brown orbs were whirling balls of dismay and confusion, but Caroline Bingley managed, "Yes, it is wonderful news. I am so happy for your brother, Miss Darcy, and for you as well. Do you look forward to having a new sister?"
This was, of course, exactly the right thing to say and Georgiana turned back and said, "I am, so very much. I do not know Miss Bennet well, of course, but my brother has spoken of her so much, and with such fondness, that I am certain we will be great friends."
"I am certain you will," Miss Bingley replied, and to Richard's approval, sounded genuinely sincere. "Miss Bennet is a lively young woman and a great reader. I believe you will like her very much."
"I am certain I will!" Georgiana replied. "My brother wishes for me to travel to Hertfordshire for the wedding, and I am looking forward to that very much! Oh, I am so happy!"
/
Caroline Bingley's Sitting Room
Pemberley
The night was a cool one and Caroline, dressed in her gown turned the wingbacked chair a trifle to face the fire, and then sank into with a sigh. It had been a strange day and a difficult one, but also, in some ways a freeing one; Fitzwilliam Darcy was engaged to another woman, and any hope of becoming Mrs. Darcy was entirely at an end.
There was a soft knock on the door and Caroline called a welcome, though she did not bother to turn around. There was only one person it could be.
"Caroline!" Louisa Hurst hissed, even as the older woman, also clad in a dressing gown, sat down on the other chair near the fire, "Did you have any idea that Darcy was actually going to offer for Elizabeth Bennet?"
"I suspected that he might."
"I… I truly cannot believe it, Sister! The Bennets are nobodies; indeed, Mr. Darcy agreed that Charles ought not to be permitted to marry Jane Bennet. How could he turn around and offer for a woman of little importance in the world, who is not accomplished, who is poor…"
"He loves her," Caroline said simply, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames dancing around the logs in the fire.
There was silence for a full minute and then Louisa said, "What has gotten into you, Caroline? You have been acting oddly of late and now you are talking about love! Love is for peasants, is it not?"
Caroline sighed deeply, wrinkled her nose, and then turned a solemn gaze on her sister. "Do you know what our mother asked me to do on her death bed?"
"Mother? No, what was it?"
"She asked me to do everything in my power to marry a highly connected gentleman of fortune in order to raise our family's place in society."
Louisa blinked. "Well, I… yes, of course she did! That has been both our goals for as long as we can remember. Charles is to purchase an estate and you and I are to marry gentlemen."
Caroline turned back to stare at the fire. "I thought when we first met Mr. Darcy that he was my ticket to the life that Mother wanted for me. He is tall, handsome, rich, wealthy, and a good friend of our brother's, so I thought the Heaven itself destined us to be together."
"That was not unreasonable," Louisa replied, and some part of Caroline was warmed by the passion in her sister's tone. "You are beautiful, accomplished, a charming companion, and wealthy!"
"Yes, but I have had two weeks to consider Colonel Fitzwilliam's words about my lack of suitability for the role of mistress of Pemberley, and I am genuinely grateful. I have, for far too long, been carrying on based on our mother's desires. As much as I loved and respected her, she is gone, and it is foolish to try to fit into a mold created by another. The truth is that Darcy and I would not suit. He loves the country and dislikes parties and assemblies, and I love nothing more than attending multiple events a day during the Season. No, Darcy would never have offered for me, regardless of his meeting Elizabeth Bennet, and neither of us would have been happy anyway."