Dearest, Loveliest Elizabeth Read online

  Darcy was pacing the floor when Elizabeth entered the room.

  Approaching him, she demanded, “Could you have been any ruder toward my mother and sister?”

  “I suppose I might have stayed in the room and told them what I truly thought of their ill-mannered display, so, yes, I could have been ruder.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair. “What on Earth are those two about? It is as though they are determined to make themselves ridiculous wherever they go.”

  “I fear you are too severe on my mother and Lydia. They have no premeditated motives toward behaving ridiculously. They are the same as they ever were, and their exhibitions are merely exaggerated as a consequence of their being parted for so long.”

  “And this must be their excuse for such vulgarity in the presence of others. Would that they simply remove themselves from the company of the civilized members of our party, and then no one would have any cause to repine—especially me.”

  She pursed her lips. “As much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.” Elizabeth folded one arm over the other. “Those were your words, sir, not mine. Did you really mean what you said that day or was it merely a clever way of ingratiating yourself with me at the time? And if you did indeed mean every word you said then what happened?”

  “What happened? What happened was the spectacle your mother and your youngest sister have made of themselves almost from the moment of their arrival. That is what happened! Am I expected to rejoice in the fact that my sister must be reminded of that vile George Wickham at every turn?”

  “Perhaps you ought to have thought of that before you married me!”

  “Perhaps I should have!”

  Taken aback, Elizabeth gasped at his declaration. Darcy could have no doubt of the impact of his words upon his lady. He felt just as horrible having uttered them. He could never regret their union. Angry people did not always think before speaking. Surely this was the case now.

  “Please forgive me, Elizabeth. You know I did not mean a word of what I just said. It is just that it pains me every time that scoundrel’s name is mentioned in front of Georgiana. True, I blame myself, but not enough to regret our marriage. I love you more than life itself. Tell me you know that.”

  “Indeed, I do, sir. How could I deny it? You prove your love for me every day. Pray do not think for one moment that I am impervious to what the mention of his name must do to Georgiana. Do not forget that she is my sister too. I feel her pain most acutely, and I wish more than anything that there was something I might do to temper my mother and Lydia’s high praises of the man. In their defense, they know nothing of the history of Wickham and your family other than what he may have told them.”

  “I hope you understand why I prefer to keep it that way. Other than you, I have told no one. As Richard is my sister’s co-guardian,” he said, referring to his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, “he knows of course. He and I do not speak on the matter—neither do Georgiana and I for that matter. Heaven only knows what havoc would be wrought on my sister’s prospects were it to be made widely known what happened in Ramsgate.” He looked at her with eyes begging reassurance. “You’ve not mentioned a word of it to anyone, have you? Not even Jane?”

  She hesitated a little. “I must confess that, in enlightening Jane of Wickham’s true character as described in your letter, I repeated the whole of its contents so far as they concerned him. I assure you that you may rely upon my sister’s discretion.”

  Darcy colored a little. “What of the letter? Is it in a safe and secure place, or did you heed my advice and burn it?”

  “Indeed, I eventually burned it. Although I confess that I hesitated a little before doing so.”

  “I fail to see why. It was, after all, written in a dreadful bitterness of spirit.”

  “The letter, perhaps, began in bitterness, but it did not end so. The adieu was charity itself.” Those words would forever be impressed upon her mind.

  I will only add, God bless you. Fitzwilliam Darcy

  Recalling herself to her purpose, Elizabeth said, “Pray let us not dwell on those matters from the past that give us both displeasure and rather focus upon the issue at hand. My family is here now, and it seems they are to remain here for the foreseeable future. I will be seriously displeased should you afford my relations the same callous disregard as you evidenced this evening.”

  “I shall make no such promise other than I will do my best. With that said, can we simply pretend that I did not walk unceremoniously out of the room on your mother and sister? Better still, let us pretend that she and Mrs. Wickham”— he nearly spat the appellation—“are not even here, if only for tonight? There are far more pleasant endeavors for us to entertain. Do you not agree?”

  His less than contrite manner was not at all in accordance with the severity of his offense, Elizabeth felt. “You cannot be serious, sir.”

  “Indeed, I am. You know how much I dislike the prospect of retiring to bed angry.” He took her hands in his and kissed both of them in their turn. “Please, let us not allow family matters to come between us.”

  “If family matters should come between us, it will not be my doing.”

  “It sounds as though you mean to abdicate yourself entirely from the task of reining in your mother and your sister.”

  Elizabeth released an exasperated sigh. “It has been a long day, and I am far too tired to continue talking over the matter at this time. Perhaps you and I might take up this discussion in the morning. Shall we meet in the breakfast parlor before the others have awakened?” she asked in a tone that suggested that his sharing her bed was not an option.

  “What became of our wedding night edict not to go to bed angry? Have you forgotten?”

  “No—I haven’t forgotten.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Good, because I believe you were the one who suggested it.”

  “I am nothing if not a woman of my word. But that is not to say I will not fall asleep the moment my head touches the pillow,” she said and then added a healthy yawn for good measure.

  Darcy walked behind his wife and began sprinkling soft kisses along her slender neckline. “That, my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth, remains to be seen.”

  ~*~

  Early the next day, Elizabeth and her eldest sister were out for a walk. Her sister’s calm serenity was just the diversion Elizabeth needed. “Jane,” she began, “I always suspected you were a true angel. Now I have irrefutable proof.”

  “Dearest Lizzy, to what do I owe such high praise?”

  “Owe it to the fact that you have managed to live so close to Longbourn – to Mama – and you have not succumbed to madness. Mama has been here for less than a full day, and I am at my wits’ end.”

  “Trust me, Lizzy, I am unworthy of such admiration. The truth is that Charles and I have been secretly plotting our escape from Hertfordshire for months. Nothing would bring us more joy than to be settled nearby to you and Darcy. That is but one of the reasons we plan to stay on after the festivities. Charles intends to speak with Darcy and solicit his help in locating a suitable estate here in Derbyshire.”

  “Oh! That is the best thing I could have possibly heard. I should love it.”

  “It pleases me that you are delighted with the news, for I should hate to think that our residing in such proximity to Pemberley would be a cause for displeasure.”

  “I do not suppose Mama will be pleased to be robbed of the satisfaction of knowing one of her daughters is the mistress of Netherfield.”

  “Nor will Kitty be happy to lose her favorite prospective venue for balls. We have yet to give one, as you know, even though it’s Kitty’s most earnest request.”

  Elizabeth could well imagine what Jane said was true. Every letter she received from Kitty gave the strongest hints of her ardent desire for Elizabeth to have a grand ball at Pemberley as well. She sighed inside. Perhaps one day I shall, but for now it is all I can do to accustom myself to my new home and all my responsibilities as the mistress
of such a grand estate and wife of one of the wealthiest men in the county.

  Elizabeth said, “To Papa’s credit, he remains steadfast in his resolve to keep her safe from the great disadvantage of the Wickhams’ society by never consenting to allow her to accept Lydia’s frequent invitations to come and stay with her, with the promise of balls and young men.”

  “Indeed, but I am given to consider that it would be to Kitty’s material advantage were she to spend the chief part of her time away from Meryton. In another society she would improve significantly in both temperament and understanding. I should hope that wherever Charles and I live she will be a frequent guest.”

  “Once again, dearest Jane, you have proved to be a true angel. Indeed, I shall follow your example in that regard.” Here again, Elizabeth’s mind wandered to Kitty’s desire for a ball at Pemberley. Even if she wanted to give a ball, she did not know how her husband would feel. A grand dinner party was one thing, it suited his idea of how members of civilized society ought to spend their time; a ball was another matter altogether. In all the time she had known him he had not shown any particular interest in attending such gatherings. How would he fare were he prevailed upon to host one?

  “No doubt Mary will be displeased over the loss of Charles’ ever-expanding library,” said Jane, piercing Elizabeth’s thoughts.

  Elizabeth nodded. “Then there’s the matter of Caroline’s displeasure. She likes to boast of her eager disdain of Meryton and its small society, but that does not seem to dissuade her from being a frequent guest.”

  “Lizzy, I know you may not enjoy hearing this, but my sister is quite changed.”

  Elizabeth supposed the young woman liked to pretend she had changed. Indeed, she had gone out of her way to pay off every arrear of civility toward Elizabeth since the wedding, but Elizabeth thought she knew better. A leopard did not change its spots so easily as that, and she had seen the manner in which Caroline’s well-practiced smile turned into a sneer whenever she thought no one was looking. Although that young woman was fonder than ever of Georgiana and almost as attentive to Darcy, Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself for the unflattering image her mind conjured of Caroline circling Pemberley like a vulture hoping for Elizabeth to keel over at any moment so that she might swoop down and feast upon the spoils.

  “Jane, you have always been the one who only saw the good in everyone. However, I thought your eyes had been awakened to Caroline’s true character long ago.”

  “No doubt you are speaking of the lengths to which she and certain others, whose names I dare not mention, went to separate Charles and me.”

  Elizabeth always wondered if Bingley had confided Darcy’s role in the scheme to Jane. It seemed he had if Jane’s last words were an indication. The very thought of what he had done and the heated words between them when she had found out pained her still.

  “I have every reason in the world to think ill of you. No motive can excuse the unjust and ungenerous part you acted there. You dare not, you cannot deny that you have been the principal, if not the only means of dividing them from each other—of exposing one to the censure of the world for caprice and instability, and the other to its derision for disappointed hopes, and involving them both in misery of the acutest kind.” Having paused and detected in him not a single shred of remorse, but rather a smile of affected incredulity, she repeated, “Can you deny that you have done it?”

  With assumed tranquillity he then replied, "I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Toward him I have been kinder than toward myself."

  Elizabeth shook her head to chase away the memory. She had forgiven Darcy and Bingley had too. Surely it was not in her sister’s nature to fail to do likewise.

  “Jane—”

  “Lizzy, I think I know what you are about to say. I assure you that I suffer no ill will toward anyone as a consequence of what happened then. In this regard, I say we adhere to your philosophy to remember the past only as it brings one pleasure.” Reaching out to touch and squeeze her hand, she smiled warmly. “What say you, my dearest sister?”

  Elizabeth’s spirits quickly rose to playfulness. She chuckled. “Who am I to argue in the face of such sage advice?”

  Meanwhile, Darcy and Bingley were set to embark on a similar discussion. The two had just enjoyed a vigorous race on horseback across one of Pemberley’s expansive open fields and were walking back to the stables, leading their mounts by their respective reins.

  The events of the past evening weighed heavily on Darcy’s busy mind, as did the thought of how his friend must suffer being at Netherfield—three miles away from Longbourn. “Bingley, how do you do it?”

  The younger man, who also appeared a bit distracted, pursed his lips. “How do I do what, Darcy?”

  “How do you survive your mother-in-law day in and day out? I can well imagine she fancies Netherfield an extension of her own home.”

  Bingley laughed at his friend’s assertion. “I endure it far better than you, I am afraid. However, has that not always been the way of it so far as you and our mother-in-law are concerned?”

  “I take it you are referring to all those times she took umbrage at me while I was visiting you at Netherfield when she insinuated that I lacked good breeding. I believe her exact words were, ‘That is my idea of good breeding, and those persons who fancy themselves very important, and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter’,” Darcy said mockingly.

  Bingley laughed a little at this rarely exhibited side of his friend. “Ah, and that is but one of several occasions, if I recall correctly. Your disagreements were ones for the history books.”

  “I do not know that I would go so far as to suggest all that.”

  “No—I suppose I exaggerate a bit. However, one does reach a point at which having one’s family nearby is more of an inconvenience than not. It is for that reason Jane and I plan to settle elsewhere.”

  “I understand it has long been a favorite wish of yours to purchase an estate. I commend you in having committed to the idea. Have you given a thought to where you should like to live?”

  “Indeed, we are thinking of purchasing an estate in Derbyshire or hereabouts. It would be a fine thing if you would accompany me to look at some of the places of interest. I plan to do things correctly this time around. Not that I regret my hastiness in letting Netherfield Park, mind you, for that turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.”

  Which is to say nothing of how my own life changed for the better as well, Darcy thought.

  “Our decision on where we shall reside will affect the rest of our lives. It is to be the place where we raise our children, where our children raise their children, and so on for generations to come.”

  Darcy could not have been more pleased by this intelligence. His friend had inherited property to the amount of nearly a hundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate himself but did not live to do it. There was the expectation that Bingley planned to do likewise. At times, he even decided on a county. Once he let Netherfield, however, Darcy suspected he might easily spend the remainder of his days there, what with the easiness of his temper, and simply leave the next generation to purchase. Darcy was indeed delighted to hear Bingley speaking this way. He told him as much.

  “Bingley, I cannot tell you what it means to me hearing you go on and on in this way. Marriage has done things to you and all for the better.”

  ~*~

  The balmy afternoon breeze afforded the perfect excuse for a ride around the park for two.

  “I feel almost guilty stealing you away from the others,” said Mrs. Gardiner to Elizabeth. “I am amazed you remember my remarking in my tell-all letter about how a low phaeton with a nice little pair of ponies would be the very thing, for I was merely speaking in jest.”

  A tell-all letter is precisely what it was. Elizabeth might never have learned about Mr. Darcy’s relen
tless endeavor to recover her sister Lydia if her aunt had not been the one to tell her. Darcy truly did intend to keep his part in the scheme a secret. Indeed, Elizabeth had committed her aunt’s letter to heart. It was a good thing, too, for time away from the manor house with her dearest aunt was just the thing she needed.

  “A promise is a promise, is it not? Even one given tacitly.”

  “I suppose you are correct. As much as I am enjoying it, I would not wish to keep you away too long. No doubt you have an endless list of things to accomplish before the festivities begin.”

  “Indeed, I do. However, if I am to be completely honest, I would have to confess that Mrs. Reynolds is more than capable of handling everything without me. She was expertly overseeing the smooth operations of the manor house before I was even conceived.”

  “Pray, Lizzy, why would you say such a thing? You must not minimize your importance as mistress of Pemberley. In the short time I have been here, I have seen the effect of your presence all around. Pemberley feels more like a home now than when we first visited. That is to say nothing of the change in your husband. Anyone who’s ever had the good fortune of being in love need only observe the way he looks at you to know he loves you deeply.”

  “The question is will he love me just as deeply by the time Mama and Lydia are done making a complete spectacle of themselves?”

  “Oh, dear, pray the two of you are not suffering any discord as a consequence of my sister Bennet and young Lydia.”

  “You observed the manner in which he stormed out of the room the other day, did you not?”

  “Yes, it seems the mention of Mr. Wickham’s name is rather disconcerting for him and his sister.”

  “Dearest Aunt, if only you knew the extent of my husband’s grievances against that man whom I must now call my brother.”