Elizabeth Bennet's Excellent Adventure: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary (4 page)

Elizabeth nodded her understanding. She prayed Mr. Darcy’s long absence would not provide him the opportunity to change his mind, especially now that the world knew of their intention to wed.

“Mrs. Bennet shall be beside herself to entertain the son of an earl,” Elizabeth said with common mischief.

“My cousin is not of the nobility,” Mr. Darcy declared with a frown. “Only my uncle and his wife claim that distinction. Even Rowland Fitzwilliam owns only the courtesy title of Viscount Lindale. The colonel is a commoner, the same as you and I and the same as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.”

“I am well aware of the distinctions, but you most know my mother will care little beyond the colonel’s parentage. It will be a feather in my mother’s hostess bonnet.”

As they both recognized the shortness of their time together, Mr. Darcy did not argue instead, he caught Elizabeth’s hand and brought it to his lips.

“I will miss our afternoons together,” he said as he brushed a kiss across Elizabeth’s bare knuckles.

To her horror, she found herself leaning closer to Mr. Darcy. In the past, she often declared her dislike for the man, so how could she now find him so fascinating?

“As will I,” Elizabeth admitted. “You will write?” she asked on impulse.

She hoped for a return of Mr. Darcy’s expressed affections.

“I would consider it an honor, William.”

The familiarity of his name upon her lips brought shock to Mr. Darcy’s expression, but in a pleasant manner. The gentleman’s eyes sparked, and he gathered Elizabeth into his embrace.

“Thank you, Elizabeth,” he murmured as he brushed a kiss across her temple. “I long wished to hear you acknowledge me beyond the formality of our relationship.”

A clearing of a masculine throat kept them from saying more. Her uncle stood under the frame of the open door.

“Mr. Bennet’s coach awaits you, Lizzy. Jane is already aboard.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Mr. Darcy released her from his embrace, but he kept possession of Elizabeth’s hand to lead her to the waiting coach.

“Soon,” he whispered as he assisted her inside. I will follow soon. Confirm a date for the ceremony with Vicar Williamson and send me word.”

And then the door closed, and Mr. Bennet’s coachman set the horses into motion. Elizabeth scrambled to window for a final look upon Mr. Darcy’s countenance. It pleased her that the gentleman remained upon the street looking after the coach until the distance was too wide and the London traffic too heavy to maintain the contact.

She would not see him again until days before their wedding, and the prospect frightened Elizabeth more than she would admit to anyone.

* * *

Darcy addressed the salutation of the letter he wrote to Elizabeth. He would give everything he owned to possess the liberty to tell the woman on the other end of his correspondence how much he cherished her and how happy he was to claim her, but he and Elizabeth held not that type of relationship.

“Perhaps some day,” he whispered. “If it is God’s will, the lady will learn to love me over time.”

Resigned to the situation before him, Darcy permitted his ego a bit of passion in writing, “My dearest, loveliest Elizabeth.” Following the endearment, he chronicled his progress in his business by explaining the negotiations with a group looking to expand a railroad line into his part of Derbyshire.

Such expansion would provide my tenants more opportunities to sell their crops and their craft works outside the circle surrounding Pemberley. Moreover, the line would bring the world’s products to our door.

My enthusiasm is only dampened by the news that the considerations will likely keep me from joining you in Hertfordshire as quickly as I would like. Please know this is not my wish, but I cannot abandon my cottagers until this business knows satisfaction. I pray you will forgive me.

In a previous letter, Elizabeth informed Darcy that the Meryton cleric would marry them on the Thursday after the third calling of the banns, and Darcy prayed his business complete by that time. He wished to remove to Pemberley after he exchanged vows with Elizabeth in hopes that his estate would soften her dislike for him and permit him time to woo Elizabeth properly. However, it could be necessary to return to Darcy House for a few days to complete the paperwork for the rail line.

Darcy would prefer not to return to London for he feared his mother’s family would express their objections to the joining of the Darcy name to the Bennets and to Elizabeth. Darcy would cut ties with the Fitzwilliam faction if they persisted in their disapproval. He would know great pain in doing so, but Elizabeth would be his future whether Lady Anne Darcy’s brother and sister accepted the situation or not.

Georgiana confided that Lindale questioned Darcy’s sister extensively regarding Georgie’s true opinion of Elizabeth. Thankfully, Darcy spent time with Georgiana beforehand in which he professed his affections for Elizabeth and in instructing Georgiana on how to thwart the Fitzwilliam family’s manipulations.

Yesterday, Darcy called upon Rundell, Bridge, and Rundell to create a special ring for Elizabeth. He thought to present his betrothed with one of Lady Anne’s jewels, but Darcy desired a ring to mark Elizabeth’s unique femininity and to express his declaration to win Elizabeth’s heart. The craftsman promised to complete the work by Monday next, in time for Darcy’s departure for Hertfordshire.

“Everything will come together,” Darcy pronounced as he sanded his finished letter. “I simply must bide my time until Elizabeth pronounces her vows; then I mean to earn the lady’s heart. I am convinced if we are in constant company, Elizabeth’s disdain will soften to my favor.”

* * *

Elizabeth’s jaws ached from the need for a constant smile. Another group of neighbors called upon Longbourn to learn something of Mr. Darcy’s courtship.

“I thought Mr. Darcy would return to the area by this time,” Mrs. Connor hinted. “When do you expect your betrothed in Meryton? We all wish to extend our felicitations.”

Elizabeth understood what the woman wished to know: Had the gentleman experienced second thoughts?

Mrs. Bennet snatched away Elizabeth’s response.

“Lizzy had a post from Mr. Darcy only this morning.”

Her mother meant for the village gossip to know that Mr. Darcy did not abandon Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wished she knew more of Mr. Darcy’s nature. Then she might determine if “this railroad business” was a convenient stall or just the unexpected claiming a bit of mayhem.

“Yes, Mr. Darcy engages in business negotiations to benefit his cottagers,” she said with more enthusiasm than she felt. “I am very proud of my affianced’s benevolence. His actions mark Mr. Darcy’s character.”

“Does he not possess a duty to the wedding?” Mrs. Connor persisted.

Again, Mrs. Bennet fended off the woman’s cattiness with practiced aplomb. Elizabeth never was so thankful for her mother’s ability to manage the most difficult “tabby.”

“All men must do for a wedding is to stand before the altar and pronounce their vows. A wedding is a woman’s domain. I assure you Mr. Darcy is quite besotted with our Lizzy. Mr. Bennet claims this is so, and you know my husband never freely speaks of what he terms feminine ‘nonsense,’ unless Mr. Bennet makes an earnest observation. Mr. Darcy courted Elizabeth while my daughter resided with our cousin Mr. Collins in Kent. I thought Mr. Darcy quite clever to visit with his aunt Lady Catherine De Bourgh at the same time as Lizzy’s sojourn with the Collinses. We all know the only lady in the neighborhood to which Mr. Darcy presented any preference was our Elizabeth. He danced with her at the Netherfield Ball, placing Lizzy at the head of the line in a place of honor.”

Elizabeth wished she possessed the same confidence in Mr. Darcy’s devotion, as did her mother. Perhaps if she did not eloquently abuse the gentleman in her initial refusal, Elizabeth could believe her mother’s assertions as easily as did Mrs. Connor. But Elizabeth was more practical than Mrs. Bennet. She delivered a blow to Mr. Darcy’s pride, and he admitted the “love letter” was a means to purge Elizabeth from his thoughts. She could not help but wonder if Mr. Darcy succeeded in doing that very thing.

The gentleman never meant the letter for Elizabeth’s eyes, and she wondered when a drop of the other shoe would occur.

* * *

On the Monday after the third calling of the banns, Elizabeth’s angst increased thrice-fold with the arrival of Lady Catherine De Bourgh at Longbourn. Fearing Lady Catherine’s disdain would injure Mrs. Bennet, the request from the grand Dame to follow Her Ladyship into the “little wilderness” behind the manor house gladdened Elizabeth. She expected Lady Catherine’s disapproval, but if she recognized the full extent of the Her Ladyship’s vehemence, Elizabeth might have clung to Mrs. Bennet’s skirt tails for protection.

“You can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand the reason of my journey hither. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I came.”

Elizabeth pretended unaffected astonishment, but her insides trembled with trepidation. She recognized Mr. Darcy’s allegiance to his family.

“Indeed you are mistaken, Madam; I am not at all able to account for the honor of seeing you here.”

Lady Catherine’s color increased.

“Miss Bennet, you ought to know that I am not one with whom to trifle. However insincere you choose to be, you shall not find me so.  A report of a most alarming nature reached me. I was told that not only would your sister be most advantageously married, but you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would soon unite with my nephew Mr. Darcy. Though I know this must certainly be a falsehood, I resolved to make my sentiments known to you.”

One of Mr. Darcy’s letters hinted to some opposition to their betrothal, but Elizabeth did not expect Lady Catherine’s highhandedness.

“If you believe the rumor impossible,” Elizabeth said with well-honed patience, “I wonder why you arrived upon Mr. Bennet’s doorstep.”

“I mean to have the gossip contradicted,” Lady Catherine declared.

“I fear you are late to the party, Your Lordship,” Elizabeth snapped. “The local vicar called the banns for the third time before all in attendance at yesterday’s service.”

Lady Catherine gaped as if she were a fish from water.

“You speak an untruth. My nephew would not forsake the duty he owes to all his family. You drew Darcy with your arts and allurements, but it not too late for you to end this farce. I insist you abandon your promise.”

“And have my name ruined?” Elizabeth said with incredulity. “The time for second thoughts is long passed. Mr. Darcy and I will not disown our commitments.”

Elizabeth prayed she did not speak too boldly.

Lady Catherine pulled herself up tall.

“Let me be rightly understood. This match to which you aspire will never take place. Mr. Darcy holds a prior pledge to my daughter, and when I threaten to bring proceedings of a breech of promise, Darcy will rethink his promise to you.”

Elizabeth did not know Mr. Darcy as well as she would like, but she did not think the gentleman would take well to his aunt’s coercion.

“Although I witnessed your professions of Mr. Darcy’s tacit engagement to Miss De Bourgh, the gentleman says otherwise. If Mr. Darcy is neither by honor nor inclination confined to his cousin, why is not for him to make another choice? And if I am that choice, why may I not marry him?”

“Because honor, decorum, prudence, nay interest, forbid it. Yes, Miss Bennet, interest, for do not expect to be noticed by his family or friends, if you willfully act against the inclinations of all. You will be censured, slighted, and despised by everyone connected with him. Your alliance will be a disgrace; your name will never even be mentioned by any of us.”

Her Ladyship’s warning stung more than Elizabeth would admit to anyone. She worked hard to keep guilt from her features. Elizabeth prayed her alliance would not bring such censure upon the gentleman’s head.

“These are heavy misfortunes!” replied Elizabeth. “But the wife of Mr. Darcy would possess such extraordinary sources of happiness necessarily attached to her situation that she could upon the whole, have no cause to repine.”

“Obstinate, headstrong girl!” Lady Catherine hissed. “Is this your gratitude for my earlier attentions? Is nothing due to me on that score? You are to understand, Miss Bennet, that I came here with the determined resolution of carrying my purpose; nor will I be dissuaded from it. I am not accustomed to submitting to any person’s whims, nor am I in the habit of brooking disappointment.”

“That will make your ladyship’s situation more pitiable, but it will have no effect upon me.”

Elizabeth’s chin notched higher as she gathered her skirt to make her exit.

“You can have nothing further to say,” Elizabeth spoke in resentment. “You insulted me in every possible method. I mean to, therefore, return to the house.”

“You have no regard, then, for the honor and credit of my nephew? Unfeeling, selfish girl! Do you not consider that a connection with you must disgrace him in the eyes of everybody?”

“Lady Catherine, I have nothing further to say. You know my sentiments.”

“You are, then, resolved to have him?”

Elizabeth wished Mr. Darcy would appear to bring an end to this madness.
Did she want to marry the gentleman? A resounding “yes” echoed in her head
.