After giving her fiancé a warm, affectionate greeting, Elizabeth said happily, "Fitzwilliam, I thought for sure you were coming back tomorrow."
"Yes, but I finished a day ahead of time." He grinned. "I have missed you so much, and I did not want to stay a day longer than necessary in London."
"I am so happy you are here with me." She caressed his cheek, "Tell me, how was your trip to London? Did you see your brother?"
"I had a good trip, and yes, I did get to meet my brother," he said as he gently kissed her hand. "But before I share the news, I have a present for you." He handed her a small package containing the ring. Elizabeth opened it, revealing a stunning piece of jewelry. "It is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much."
He placed the ring on her finger, which was a perfect fit, kissed her hand and the ring, and smiled sincerely. "This ring belonged to my mother. I told my brother I wanted to buy you an engagement ring, and he gave me this one for you." They smiled. "Regarding your question: my brother wants to meet you and will attend our wedding. He has extended an invitation for us to stay at his London house for a few days after our wedding; he has also offered to let us use his box at the Royal Theater. Besides, one of his carriages will be at our disposal for our wedding trip to Derbyshire." He kissed her other hand. "Bingley will be attending our wedding, too. He is interested in touring Netherfield Park to lease it. The Matlocks and my cousin, the Viscount, will not be coming, but we have never been close. My other cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, is currently in the Continent."
"I am delighted your brother and friend are coming to our wedding. And I am eagerly anticipating our trip to Pemberley! I am very curious to know more about the place where you were born and lived for so many years." She paused and inquired, "Is the marriage settlement ready?"
Darcy nodded. "Yes. I have it here, my love." He took some papers out of his bag and gave them to her.
As Elizabeth read through the contract, tears welled up in her eyes. Her fiancé was a kind and generous man who always took her needs and well-being into consideration. She was aware that some men only married a woman for her potential dowry and did not make adequate provisions for her future. However, she was grateful that was not the case for her.
After carefully reading the settlement, Mr. Bennet signed it without any comment. The couple then proceeded to church to discuss the wedding plans with Mr. Tilk. The wedding date was set for just over two months, followed by the wedding breakfast to be held at Longbourn.
PPP
Darcy was seated at the breakfast table of the parsonage, with a look of pure contentment on his face. His eyes fixed on the newly acquired piano he had purchased just a fortnight ago. The day prior, after Elizabeth and her cousins had finished teaching at school, Darcy had extended an invitation to the parsonage. Elizabeth was under the impression that he had invited them so she could compile a list of the changes she wished to make before the wedding. It never crossed her mind it was merely a guise to surprise her with the piano.
The sight of joyous wonderment on his beloved's face brought Darcy immense pleasure. He relished the thought of being the cause of her happiness and seeing her beam with such heartfelt emotion.
Mary and Jane were very 'understanding' chaperones, allowing them a few minutes alone to speak in private.
Elizabeth was acquainted with all the tenants of Netherfield and actively participated in church charities. The children at school adored her, and the tenants respected her and even congratulated him on his excellent choice of wife. He felt he was the luckiest and happiest man in the world.
Unfortunately, the tranquility and happiness he felt that day vanished in a moment when he received an express with news that changed his destiny forever.
June 23th, 1811
London
Nephew,
Your brother is seriously injured. The doctor thinks it is unlikely he will survive. You must come to London urgently.
Lord Matlock.
After reading Lord Matlock's note, Darcy, greatly concerned for his brother, hastily packed some clothes and subsequently went to Longbourn to visit Elizabeth. The visit was brief, Darcy showed her the letter and they parted with much sadness and concern. Elizabeth felt helpless because there wasn't anything she could do to ease her fiancé's concern, nor could she accompany him to London.
PPP
Darcy arrived in London late in the afternoon. Lord Matlock was waiting for him there. He greeted his uncle politely and afterward inquired about his brother's condition.
Lord Matlock sighed wearily, his forehead creasing in sadness as he spoke, "He is still alive, but he is in critical condition. The doctor managed to remove the bullet, but he lost a lot of blood and he is unconscious. Unfortunately, there is nothing more that the doctor can do. It is going to take a miracle for him to survive."
Darcy nodded sadly, and asked, "Do you know who shot him?"
Lord Matlock shook his head despondently. "Unfortunately, there are no witnesses and there are no suspects to be found." He said with a sigh. "I was not aware that your brother had enemies, much less someone who wanted to kill him."
"Me either... after I change clothes, I would like to see him."
"He is resting in his bedroom and his valet is with him." He sighed. "Now that you are here, I should return to my house. Please let me know if there is any news…"
The next day, Frederick Darcy awoke for a few minutes and spoke a few broken sentences to Fitzwilliam with great difficulty. As far as Fitzwilliam could gather from what Frederick said, someone shot him for revenge, and his brother had an illegitimate daughter with a woman named Maria or Marianne. Due to the effort, Frederick quickly became exhausted fainted, and never woke up again... two days later he passed away.
Although they were not as close as other siblings, Frederick's death was deeply sorrowful for Fitzwilliam. He immediately sent a letter to Elizabeth with the sad news. He missed her and needed her very much. Unfortunately, he would not be able to see her for several more days or even weeks.
The following day, his friend Bingley, and his sister Caroline came to see him and offered their condolences. A few hours later, his aunt, Lady Catherine whom he had not seen her for several years, arrived at Darcy's house.
She seemed distressed as she asked about her nephew's well-being. Learning of Frederick's ultimate demise, she stated, "… My poor Anne will be devastated when she learns about her fiancé's death. They loved each other so much and were about to get married."
Darcy had heard the story of his brother's engagement to his cousin several times before but was convinced neither his brother nor his cousin loved each other and didn't want to get married. So, he simply replied, "I am saddened and shocked by the death of my brother, and I am very sorry for the suffering and pain that my cousin Anne has had to endure. "
Lady Catherine studied her nephew closely, curiosity stirring her heart as she had never paid attention to him before. Until now, he had simply been the youngest son, the spare. He had been a gentleman without any real importance in the world, but now everything had changed. After a period of deep mourning, Fitzwilliam could marry her daughter and fulfill her and her sister's dream of uniting Rosings with Pemberley…
PPP
On the morning of the third day after Frederick's death, a small procession set out for Pemberley where Frederick Darcy was buried in the small family churchyard.
Following Frederick's funeral, the family solicitor carefully read the will. In the will, Frederick stipulated that Fitzwilliam Darcy should inherit Pemberley, Darcy's London house, a small property in Ramsgate, and £22000. Fitzwilliam's life had changed forever.
Before returning to their respective estates, Lord Matlock and Lady Catherine, had a tense and long conversation with Darcy regarding his prospects and the standards they anticipated for his future endeavors.
Lady Catherine was the one who surprised him the most with her unexpected demands and expectations. "...Unfortunately, your brother is dead, and now it is your duty to marry my daughter and unite Rosings and Pemberley."
Extremely surprised and even annoyed by his aunt's demands, he shook his head vehemently and replied, "No; I am not going to marry my cousin Anne. As you know, I am engaged to another lady and I will marry her in a few weeks."
Before Lady Catherine could reply, Lord Matlock intervened, "Nephew, have you realized how your life has changed radically due to your brother's death?" He looked Darcy in the eye. "You are no longer just a simple parson, now you are a wealthy gentleman of the First Circles of England, and as such, you should marry a high-society lady."
Darcy shook his head, "I am a gentleman and Miss Bennet is the daughter of a well-respected gentleman, thus we are equals. She will be my wife."
Lord Matlock shook his head and with great annoyance replied, "Miss Bennet is a gentlewoman and she was a good choice when you were just a parson. However, she is not adequate to be the wife of the master of Pemberley. Lady Matlock through her extensive network of high-society friends and acquaintances can help you find a wife who meets the standards of the master of Pemberley."
Darcy shook his head again and replied with more conviction, "I repeat, as you know, I am engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet and I don't want any other woman. Besides, the marriage contract is already signed and I..."
Lord Matlock interrupted him, "But you are not married yet, and that's all that really matters! You can pay her a small fortune to break off the engagement and you solve that problem. Nobody important knows about your engagement, and if the Ton finds out, they will perfectly understand your motives and applaud your decision."
Outraged, Darcy replied, "I know about my engagement to Miss Bennet; my sense of honor is at stake, and under no circumstances will I break my engagement with her. I will marry her and I will not allow anyone to speak ill of her. Period."
"You are a fool! If you marry my daughter, you will be the master of Rosings." Lady Catherine shouted in great indignation.
Annoyed, Darcy replied, "I have never been interested in being the master of Rosings, so it won't be a loss for me!" He looked her in the eye. "Nothing you could possibly offer me will tempt me to change my mind!"
Lord Matlock intervened to pacify them, "Nephew, you are facing some of the most profound changes of your life, and you will need time to adjust to all the responsibilities that come with being the master of such a large and important estate as Pemberley. Fortunately, you have an excellent steward, but you will have to learn how to run Pemberley and you also have to make several important decisions before the harvest. For all these reasons, and the fact that you are in mourning, in my opinion, you should postpone the wedding for a few months..."