To Admire A Gainsborough

by katriaine

What if walls could talk

10. Chapter 10

The painting in question is Thomas Gainsborough's Conversation in a Park

wiki/ File: Thomas_Gainsborough_-_ Conversation_in_a_Park_-_ WGA8400. jpg

(remove the spaces)

Apparently Darcy did sell it to Louvre like he threatened because that's where it's located now.

The epilogue is for lisay who gave me the idea for the last sketchbook.

TO ADMIRE A GAINSBOROUGH - PART 10

THE EPILOGUE

Mr. Gardiner insisted on continuing their Derbyshire tour as planned, and Mr. Darcy followed them to Hertfordshire as soon as he could manage. After he had left detailed instructions for his steward and for the household staff he collected his sister and Mrs. Annesley who had been staying with the Matlocks, and brought them to Netherfield with him.

Getting Mr. Bennet's consent to the engagement was a formality but although Mr. Darcy would have preferred a quick wedding, Mrs. Bennet's cooperation was harder to obtain. She insisted that Elizabeth had to be the prettiest bride in the kingdom. Mr. Darcy did not disagree with the principle but he and Mrs. Bennet had differing opinions regarding the amount of lace that would be required to accomplish the feat.

"You could come to me wearing an old flour sack and you would still be the prettiest bride in the kingdom," he said to Elizabeth.

"And the itchiest," she said.

Mrs. Bennet was overruled on the matter of lace, but Mr. Darcy never got to see his bride in a recycled flour sack. Elizabeth would be married wearing a lovely embroidered silky dream, of entirely her own choice.

During the engagement, Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley spent a lot of time at Longbourn, dropping subtle hints about how things were done in the earl's house. Mrs. Bennet was very impressed and her desire to emulate a countess helped to achieve some changes in the Bennet household, as the women strived to modulate their tones and Mrs. Annesley and Miss Darcy provided a constant example of refined speech and restrained behaviour.

What Mrs. Annesley and Miss Darcy could not change was subdued by the Earl, who attended the wedding and had such regal bearing that not even Lydia dared to speak a careless word in his hearing.

After the wedding, Elizabeth and Darcy honeymooned at the seaside, and Miss Darcy and Mrs. Annesley stayed at Longbourn during that time. Mrs. Annesley continued to be a role model, and Miss Darcy picked up some carefree sisterly cheer that might have done her some good.

After the honeymoon, the newlyweds went to London. Elizabeth familiarised herself with the Darcy house and the servants, and spent a not inconsiderable amount of time at the modiste. They visited museums, galleries, and bookshops and attended many society events, and with Elizabeth by his side, Darcy rarely felt the need to dissect every interaction in pictorial form afterward.

From London, they went to Netherfield and spent a few weeks with Jane and Bingley before going back to Derbyshire.

The day they arrived, they were very tired and retired into their chambers immediately. But Mr. Darcy's bed was spacious and extremely comfortable, and they woke up feeling refreshed.

When they finally thought it a good time to get out of bed Darcy asked her what she wanted to do first.

"I need to meet the servants, I suppose," she said. "But that can wait, there is something more urgent to do first."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you know that the Gardiners and I came to Pemberley very particularly to visit your gallery and to admire the Gainsborough? But here we are. We have been married for several months, I have been drowning in artworks of all persuasions, yet I still haven't seen your Gainsborough."

"I'll show you my Gainsborough any time you like!" he said, and dove under the covers.

It still took an hour before the master and mistress of Pemberley emerged from the bedroom to survey their domain.

When they walked in the gallery, Elizabeth saw that there were many new paintings. Now that Darcy was married he had dared to hang some of his more recognisable portraits of her in the gallery.

And there were portraits of her family.

"Some of these are Georgiana's work for real this time," Darcy said. "Or Mrs. Annesley's. She says that while people are forced to sit still for a portrait it is an excellent time for educational conversations."

"Oh, I love them," Elizabeth said. "But I will not be sidetracked. Show me the Gainsborough, now, before we get distracted again."

There it was, at the end of the gallery.

Elizabeth studied it quietly. "Well, it is certainly something," she finally said.

"It is," he said.

"You are a good husband, you know," she said. "Always so ready to agree with me."

"I am," he said. "But can you be a little more specific and tell me what kind of something you think it is? So I know what I am agreeing with."

"We are safely married, right?"

"Right," he said.

"The banns were read, the register was signed, the ceremony was witnessed by multiple relatives on both sides, no one objected, the papers were notified, and you have introduced me as your wife to most if not all your acquaintances, right?"

"Even to a few people that I would not care to know," he said.

"We have lived together as husband and wife, you have shared your worldly goods with me, and the marriage has been consummated in the usual way, right?"

"Usual? I would not know how other people do it," he said. "But I can confirm it has certainly been consummated in a most pleasurable and enthusiastic manner."

"So there is little danger that the marriage will be annulled at this stage."

"Not a chance!" He grabbed her in a bear hug. "You are mine and I am not letting go."

"So I am probably safe now, and you cannot cast me off," she said. "Even if I tell you that I think it is hideous."

He let out a surprised laugh. "All right, let's have it."

"Well, just look at her," she said. "Look at her face, look at her posture."

"Right," he said.

"Look at that dress."

"It is pretty impossible to look at anything else."

"She is so tired of everything. She is wearing the most uncomfortable skirt of all time, she can't even sit down and rest properly because her clothes get in the way, and to top it all there is some annoying man who will not stop speaking to her."

"She does look very uncomfortable," Darcy said.

"I am sorry but I think your portraits are better," she said. "You never painted me wearing a window frame."

"When I was a child I thought that he is asking her if she knows anything about the stolen Rembrandt," he said.

"Stolen Rembrandt?"

"Yes," he said. "You see, there is a house behind those trees. Somebody stole a priceless painting off the wall, in the middle of the day. It is not so easy to walk away hiding a framed painting but somebody was able to do so."

"And you think she knows where it is."

"Just look at her dress," he said. "She knows exactly where it is."

Mr. Darcy did not cast his wife off for failing to admire the Gainsborough. Instead he surprised her with a wedding gift.

"Another one? We have been married for months, and you have already given me several wedding gifts."

"Yes but this one took some time to create."

It was a sketchbook, its cover decorated with a gilded wedding ring motif.

"It is our wedding album," he said.

Inside, there were several lovely portraits of Elizabeth in her wedding finery. She was walking down the aisle, facing her bridegroom at the altar, reciting her vows, signing the register, greeting the well-wishers after the ceremony. And Elizabeth could see that he thought she was the most beautiful bride in the kingdom.

A few of the pictures were captioned with quotes from Shakespeare's sonnets.

"I was feeling brave," he said. "I thought our love is strong enough to withstand a sonnet or two now. But if you disagree I can paint over them."

"Don't you dare, Fitzwilliam Darcy!"

Deviating from his former habits, Mr. Darcy had included himself in some of the portraits. There was a picture of their first married kiss, and a painting of the two of them staring in each other's eyes, a moment before stepping out on the church steps to be congratulated by all.

Each picture was lovelier than the previous one, all of them suffused with a sense of incandescent happiness.

"I could not watch myself," he said. "But for once I knew exactly how I felt."

Portraits of the wedding guests and scenes from the wedding breakfast were also included in the album.

The bride's proud parents were portrayed together, captioned, "God has been very good to us. Even our little hoyden Elizabeth has managed to marry! Who would have thought!"

Elizabeth slapped her husband in mock dismay. "I am sure they did not say that."

"Would I lie to you?" He pretended to be injured, and his wife kissed him better.

Mrs. Bennet was hugging Elizabeth, and crying. "You must learn all his favourite dishes, and never go to bed angry. And if you give me a grandchild you must visit very often!"

Then she was hugging Darcy. "Oh, goodness, you are so very tall! You must make sure that my Lizzy is well! Derbyshire is so far away! And it gets so cold in the winter. But you are good for her, and I am sure she will be taken care of, and you must call me mama!"

Mr. Bennet was embracing Elizabeth. "You will be such a grand lady, and he is a good man, despite being so rich and responsible. But please do not forget your papa."

To Darcy, Mr. Bennet said, "I won't deny that I am a little upset at you for taking my Elizabeth away. But if you did not, she would be devastated."

Jane was pictured full of smiles, hugging Darcy. "Welcome to the family! You are my new favourite brother! Lately Lizzy can't speak of anything but you."

Bingley was next up with the hugs. "You were already part of my family, old man, but now you are Jane's too. You had better take good care of her sister, or else!"

Jane embraced Elizabeth too. "I will miss you so much, you must write very often! I can see he loves you to distraction, and you will be cherished."

"What have you done with Darcy? You married some fellow who looks just like my stoic friend, but is grinning like a fool!" Bingley took a brotherly right to congratulate Elizabeth with a hearty hug as well. "Would you look at that smile on Darcy's face! I foresee a lot of smiles in your future."

Instead of hugs, Mary offered a suitable Bible verse and a prim: "Congratulations, I hope you will be as happy as you both deserve."

Elizabeth took her eyes off the book for a moment. "You, my love, deserve all the happiness," she said, and kissed him for effect.

"I think I have already received my rightful share and then some," he said. "I am very willing to share the excess with you."

In the next picture, the newlyweds were holding hands and Elizabeth was murmuring something in his ear. Kitty was pictured looking at them dubiously. "I did not understand why Lizzy chose him - but they seem to be doing all right."

Mr. Gardiner was the voice of reason, as ever. "Lizzy has married a good, trustworthy man, and she will be a great mistress of Pemberley and a very happy woman."

Kitty was with Maria Lucas. "People speak of Pemberley with such awe, like it is some sort of a fairyland! But I am sure it is just a house!"

"I have seen Pemberley and trust me, you all would wish to be invited some day," said Mrs. Annesley.

Lydia's transformation was not quite complete for even in sketch form, she sounded a little whiny. "Harriet sent me another letter to invite me to Brighton but Lizzy had to get married, and now I will never see Harriet or the officers again!"

Miss Darcy was pictured saying, "I dare say Lizzy and my brother could introduce you to many gentlemen in the first circles, but I suppose it would be rather romantic to give up the life of comfort to follow the drum with the love of your life."

"It has to be true love if you are cooking your husband's dinner on the campfire in front of the tent," said Mrs. Annesley.

"Officers' wives have to do chores?" Lydia said, horrified.

Mrs. Gardiner had a more pressing point of view. "Lydia, Mr. Darcy has a great eye for colour. Now that he is your brother, ask him what he thinks of that shade of pink with your hair!"

Mr. and Mrs. Philips were somewhat surprised. "I never in a million years could have predicted this. They did not look like lovers last autumn. But they say that still waters run deep, and they certainly look like lovers now."

"They should have a bit of decorum!"

"They should have a private room!"

The next pages were the housekeeper from Pemberley. "We are slightly acquainted, she said!" Mrs. Reynolds was clearly pictured in the middle of a scoff. "I take some of the credit, you know. I tried very hard to delay her gallery tour so the master had time to get home. I had to make up so many fictitious anecdotes about the portraits! I hope that it will not constitute a stain on my immortal soul."

Lady Lucas was among the guests too. "I did not think any of the Bennets could do so well for herself, but there is no accounting for tastes, and that Mr. Darcy always did seem a little odd after all."

Sir William Lucas bravely disagreed. "Miss Elizabeth is a sweet girl, and a blind man could see last autumn that Mr. Darcy never had any eyes for anyone other than her. I knew he was dying to dance with her at Lucas Lodge, and at the Netherfield ball they were by far the prettiest couple!"

Charlotte Collins was chuckling to herself. "Eliza looks so happy! When this all started he said she was not handsome enough to tempt him and she promised never to dance with him! So I dare say this is the only possible ending, the only rightful way to conclude their story."

Mr. Collins was the guest who found the most peace of mind in witnessing the marriage. "Now I can finally understand why she refused my suit. Why, I never knew that she had a tendre on another man!"

Mr. Fowler was content. "The shine on those shoes is perfection, if I say so myself. The master could see his own reflection in them, if he looked down. Not that he can keep his eyes off his new wife! This marriage is the best thing that has happened to the master in years. When I saw him painting her at Netherfield I knew exactly how it would be."

Fowler's daughter Molly had been promoted to Elizabeth's lady's maid, and she took great pride in her accomplishments. "I dare say one must search far and wide to see a lovelier bride! There's not a hair wrong on her head, even after all that kissing! I just hope that she likes the new artwork in her bedrooms!"

If Caroline Bingley's finery did not overshadow the bride's loveliness it was not for lack of trying. "Of course, I am very close with the Darcys. I do believe I was the only one to predict this outcome. You may not know this, but the portraits of Mrs. Darcy's family in the gallery at Pemberley were originally my idea."

Mrs. Hurst looked very formal and prepared, as if she was reciting a memorized statement in front of the press. "As close as Charles and dear Mr. Darcy are, I have always known that he would be part of our family one day. We are very much looking forward to visiting Pemberley and seeing the changes that the new mistress has wrought."

Mr. Hurst was next to her, bored as usual: "Yes, dear, but Pemberley is a bit far, isn't it? There is no one of any note in Derbyshire, and in fact, I had set my mind upon going to Bournemouth. Caroline will not find a husband at Pemberley."

Colonel Fitzwilliam was pictured as his cheerful self: "Good job, old chap! She is much too pretty for you but I dare say you can make it work."

To Elizabeth, he said, "I am very grateful that you took on the care and feeding of my poor wayward cousin. He gets broody but I bet you can snap him out of it, easy as a pie."

"Have you any advice for me?" Darcy asked.

"If she sulks, just draw it out of her!"

The Colonel offered her a handshake, then grabbed her in a warm hug. "Darcy and I are like brothers, you know, so you are legally my sister now, whether you want it or not."

The Colonel's elder brother the Viscount clapped Darcy on the back. "Congratulations! I never thought I would see the day. Do you need any pointers for the wedding night?"

Darcy's uncle was puzzled. "I don't get it. I can see she is very pretty and cheerful, but that daft boy could have had an earl's daughter!"

"Hush, Bertie, he can hear you," his wife said. "Count yourself lucky, I know you were worried that he'd never marry at all."

Lady Catherine De Bourgh had condescended to attend the wedding in the name of family unity but she would not go as far as to be happy about it: "Is she even English? In the Darcy house, he has a painting of her, riding into battle with a bunch of Scots. Astride!"

Miss Anne De Bourgh was philosophical: "I am so glad he is not marrying me. I bet he will want to draw her even when she has not had her hair done, so all I can say is, good luck, Mrs. Darcy!"

"When we met him at Pemberley it was plain to see that he was crazy about you," Mrs. Gardiner said to Elizabeth. "But he is even more besotted now. Lizzy, you had better take care!"

"Yours will be a lovely marriage. Your husband has his quirks, but what man doesn't?" Mr. Gardiner told her. "Just help the poor boy out, and tell him what you want."

Jane had some confidential advice to share with her sister. "Our mother will have told you never to go to bed angry. But I think you might give it a try sometime, for making up in bed can be great fun!"

Georgiana Darcy was ecstatic. "My brother is so much lighter when he is with you," she told Elizabeth.

"Thank God! I am so happy!" she said to Darcy. "You are finally married, and Lizzy is so lovely, and so real! For a while in the spring I thought that you had an imaginary friend!"

There was another lovely portrait of Elizabeth leaving the wedding breakfast, getting the last greetings of all her family at once, and yet another of how she looked in the carriage.

"You did not draw the wedding night," she said.

"I think I will be able to remember it without a sketch," he said, smiling. "And if we forget we can always try again."

She laughed.

"And here I thought that on our wedding day, you paid attention only to me," she said. "But you must have noticed other things too, to draw all that."

"In my defence," he said, "you are in most of those sketches. Or they are talking about you."

He wrapped his arms around her tenderly. "I do not care what anyone says, I love you and we are going to be so happy,"

The last page was blank but not for long. Mr. Darcy sketched it right there and then. It was a picture of the two of them at that moment, in the gallery at Pemberley, in front of the Gainsborough.

"That painting brought us together so I might have to admire it after all," Elizabeth said.

"We would have been together, with or without it," he said firmly.

"It is hard to see any other kind of life now," she said. "You have become a necessity."

"I think you should caption the last sketch," he said.

She thought only for a moment, took a pen and wrote, "I do not care what anyone says, I love you, and we are going to be parents."

"Oh darling, are you sure?"

-THAT'S ALL FOLKS-