The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy (9 page)

Jane was waiting for Lizzy at the top of the stairs and hurried her sister into their room. “What did Papa say? Is Lydia to go to Brighton?”

Earlier in the afternoon, Jane and Lizzy had returned from Meryton only to find the house in an uproar. Mrs. Bennet and Lydia were laughing, Kitty was crying, and Mary was pounding on the pianoforte in an attempt to be heard above all the noise. It was then that they had learned of Mrs. Forster’s offer to have Lydia accompany her when her husband’s militia regiment removed to Brighton. Lizzy immediately sought out her father in a vain attempt to have him forbid the excursion.

“Yes, Jane, Lydia is to go to Brighton. Papa would not be dissuaded. He said Lydia would never be content until she had exposed herself in some public place and that Brighton afforded her that opportunity and at such little expense to the family.”

“Oh, Lizzy. Please tell me he said that in jest. Even Papa, who turns a blind eye to the foolishness of his three younger children, must recognize Lydia’s behavior barely warrants her being out in society under the supervision of her parents and older sisters, no less being free to move in society in Brighton where the streets are full of officers.”

Lizzy repeated all that she could remember of their conversation. “I reminded him that it was his responsibility to check her more exuberant spirits, not Colonel Forster’s, but he insisted she is under the protection of the colonel, who is a sensible man.”

“But Mrs. Forster is not a sensible woman. She is very young, and although newly married, I am sorry to say that at the ball I noticed she continued to flirt with the young officers who are under her husband’s command.”

“Such strong words, Jane! How unlike you. But I agree. I saw the same thing and was embarrassed for both of them. But Papa insists that Lydia’s poverty will protect her as she has no fortune to be an object of prey to anyone.”

“We shall go and talk to him immediately. If he hears our combined voices in pointing out the danger of such a plan, he will reconsider.”

Lizzy shook her head. “It will do no good. He sees Lydia going to Brighton as a way for her to learn of her own insignificance.”

“How so?”

“To his mind, she will be of less importance even as a common flirt as the officers will find women better worth their notice.”

“And if he is wrong?”

“We are doomed.”

At that moment, Mrs. Hill knocked on the door, so that she might replace the candles. She could see both sisters were in distress because of Lydia’s news.

“Miss Lizzy and Miss Jane, I know you two are unhappy about Miss Lydia going off with Mrs. Forster when the regiment leaves Meryton, but it might not be as bad as you think.”

Both looked at Mrs. Hill with hopeful expressions. Whenever something happened at Longbourn, Mrs. Hill was always the first to know of it.

“Mrs. Forster has a bun in the oven.”

Jane and Lizzy exchanged glances before Jane asked, “How do you know that?”

“Because Sally Smart’s aunt did the Forsters’ laundry. You can tell a lot about a family from their laundry, especially the women. What I’m saying is Miss Lydia might not be going out as much as she thinks if Mrs. Forster gets the sickness. I don’t think she’d take kindly to Miss Lydia being out dancing while she’s eating pieces of dry bread to keep her dinner down. And if that don’t cheer you up, remember April showers bring May flowers, and it rains all the time in Brighton.

“And if I may say one more thing, Miss Lizzy, you sitting here worrying about Miss Lydia won’t change a thing. Remember what the reverend said, ‘Parents have to instill the right principles in their children, but then it’s up to the children to live up to those principles.’ So, Miss Lizzy, you go to Derbyshire and not worry about a thing. It’s out of your hands.”

After Mrs. Hill left, Jane asked Lizzy what she thought.

“Well, they’ve certainly been married long enough for Mrs. Forster to be with child, and if she is as selfish as our sister, then she will insist on Lydia staying with her, which should, at a minimum, decrease her outings and limit her opportunities to get into trouble.”

“I imagine it is the best we can hope for,” Jane said, but knowing Lydia, she was not entirely reassured. However, it might allow Lizzy to put Lydia out of her mind and think about her upcoming holiday with the Gardiners.

When the carriage pulled up in front of the London townhouse, Darcy could see his sister peeking out from the upstairs window. In the time it took for Anne to alight from the carriage, Georgiana had come through the front door. Without saying a word to her brother, she escorted her cousin into the house.

“Oh, I am so glad you have come,” Georgiana said, taking hold of Anne’s hand. “It has been such a long time since we have visited, and I have such good news. I will shortly finish at Mrs. Bryan’s Academy, and thanks to you, I will be released early. After that, we will all go to Pemberley, and after that, I will come out into society.”

“Georgiana, allow Anne to take off her coat and then show her to the parlor while I arrange for tea to be served,” her brother instructed.

After giving Georgiana sufficient time to bring Anne up to date on the most urgent of matters, such as the new bonnet she had ordered just that morning, Darcy came into the room followed by a servant bringing in a tray of cucumber sandwiches.

“Is your mother in good health?” Georgiana asked about her Aunt Catherine.

“Very much so. She is enjoying her visit with my father’s sister, Lady Hargrove. They are a quite a pair, very much alike.”

“Oh, dear!” Georgiana said.

Anne started to laugh, but her brother was anything but amused, giving her a withering look.

“Will, it is all right. Everyone knows what my mother is like. There is no need to walk on eggs amongst us three.”

After that remark, Georgiana quickly asked if Anne remembered her father as she had no memory of him.

“Oh, yes, dear Papa. I was sixteen when he died. Even though I did not see as much of him as I would have liked, since he preferred town while Mama wished to remain in the country, I have nothing but fond memories of him.”

“Are the de Bourghs more interesting than the Darcys?”

After Darcy rolled his eyes at her comment, Georgiana shifted her position so that she was not directly in her brother’s sight line.

“Yes, they are. They made their money quite dishonestly by smuggling goods in from the Continent. That was the foundation of their wealth.”

“Oh, how exciting! Is that why Rosings has turrets? To defend against rival bands of smugglers?”

“Georgiana, defend against smugglers? Smugglers do not launch assaults. When challenged, they run away,” her brother said, amazed at the ideas that came into his sister’s head.

“No,” Anne said, laughing, “the turrets are there because Rosings was built shortly after the Civil War. There was great concern that another such war might erupt, and because of that, defensive elements were included in Rosings’s design. But the de Bourghs are not the original occupants. The family’s name was Belifort, I believe, but their line died out. Because the de Bourghs remained loyal to Charles II, after his restoration, he transferred Rosings to my family. And I am sorry to disappoint, but it was never necessary for any de Bourgh to man the ramparts. And although Pemberley lacks turrets and arrow slits, it is truly lovely.”

“Oh, I know that, and although I dearly love Pemberley, it does not stir the imagination as Rosings does. You cannot imagine anything bad ever happening there.”

“Georgiana, would you please favor us with a tune?” Darcy asked. He was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, believing that Georgiana was being overly romantic—again.

After supper, the three played cards, and Georgiana told Anne of all the fine things that Madame Delaine and she had purchased in preparation for her debut. As far as Georgiana was concerned, that day could not come soon enough. Her brother was of a different mind.

The following morning, after Georgiana left for the academy, Darcy apologized for his sister’s overactive imagination.

“Oh, you should not apologize. She is like a breath of fresh air.”

“I am convinced she is writing a novel in her room after she retires each evening.”

“What is the harm in that?”

“None—as long as she knows it will never be published. I do not approve of the gothic novels she reads, and I do not understand why the fathers or husbands of these authoresses allow their publication. It is unseemly.”

“She is quite changed from our last visit at Rosings. At that time, I found her to be cautious in her conversations and reserved in her manners. That is obviously no longer the case.”

“I agree there has been a change in the last month. I believe the alteration is a result of our discussion of that sordid affair involving Wickham. She has convinced me that she would never have married him. Even at her young age, she was able to see through his façade. That conversation seems to have had the effect of clearing the air, and the exuberant Georgiana that lay hidden has emerged. But that is behind us, and it pains me to mention it. So let us talk of your visit.

“You must tell me what you want to do while you are in town, and we will do it. Georgiana has visited Vauxhall and has said that the gardens are ‘a riot of color.’ The Royal Conservatory has an exhibition, and Mrs. Colbert has asked that she be allowed to call. On the other hand, if you do not wish to do any of those things, we shall stay at home, play cards, drink sherry, and if Georgiana has anything to say about it, play charades.”

“We have three weeks, Will. I hope in that time I shall be able to do all you have suggested and possibly more.”

Darcy went over and took Anne’s hand in his and said, “I am so glad you are here. You are so very dear to me.”

“And you are very dear to me, and I want you to be happy. If it is within my power to assist you in that regard, I will always do so.”

“If you are referring to Elizabeth Bennet, I created the situation, and if it is to be set right, I alone must do it.”

“We shall see,” Anne said to herself.

While Lizzy packed her trunk for her visit with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to Derbyshire, her sister was watching her closely. Having never been to the Peak District or Matlock or Chatsworth, Jane would have expected Lizzy to be talking nonstop about all the wonderful things she would see in her travels. Instead, her thoughts were obviously elsewhere as she kept folding and refolding every piece of clothing in her trunk.

“We have had another letter from Lydia, but this one is quite different. She is not as enraptured about Brighton as she was in her earlier letters when she wrote of meeting officers at the library and of her new gown and parasol. Apparently, Mrs. Hill was correct about Mrs. Forster, and because of her condition, she is sick for most of the day, thus limiting her excursions. Lydia is chafing at having to stay indoors, even though she writes about visiting the shops, a concert, and a number of dances. But as you and I know very well, Lydia requires constant entertainment.”

“I shall be very glad when she has come home. If we are fortunate, she will return to Longbourn without embarrassing herself or her family,” and then Lizzy returned to her packing.

“Lizzy, what is the matter? Why are you not excited about your holiday? You seem unsettled.”

Lizzy abandoned her packing and sat down on the window seat next to her sister.

“I
am
excited about our visit to Derbyshire, but I have to admit I have been unsettled ever since my return from Kent. I have had a letter from Charlotte in which she reiterates that she is content to be the wife of Mr. Collins. However, I ask myself, how is it possible for her to be satisfied with her situation when she is married to a man of such meager intellect and who is often ridiculous? But Charlotte says she is content, and I must believe her.”

“Are you afraid that you will be forced into a similar situation?” Jane asked. “I know I am. I do so want to marry for love and not just for the protection marriage provides women like us who have no fortune.”

“Jane, unlike me, you need not worry,” Lizzy said emphatically. “You turn heads wherever you go, and this summer, you will visit Aunt Susan and will be introduced to a whole new crop of gentlemen. You know she is determined to see you well married.”

“I think, if asked, Aunt Susan would include you in the invitation. I would be glad to write to her on your behalf.”

“As you are well aware, Aunt Susan does not like me as I am guilty of having my own opinions and expressing them. Lady Catherine said something similar about me,” and Lizzy imitated the high-pitched voice of Her Ladyship. “‘You have very decided opinions for one so young.’ She did not like me either.”

“Lizzy, you made the mistake of thinking Aunt Susan and Lady Catherine actually wanted your opinion. What they desired was one-sentence responses, so that they could take over the argument. But you will not perform as they wish. If you are to remain in their good graces, you should do as I do. You must say, ‘Yes, no, and thank you.’ That is all that is required, and you will be assured of being asked to visit again.”

“In other words, I should pretend ignorance of all that is going on about me and limit my conversation to the weather and other mundane topics. And I must not read the books or newspapers in Papa’s study or visit the circulating library. It will not do, Jane. I have never had any patience for the things society dictates that a young woman must know or do. My French is painful to the ear. Instead of walking in the meadows, I should have practiced more on the pianoforte, and I would have been better served if I had remained at home, as you did, painting tables and making sketches of the dogs instead of playing with them. Unlike Miss Georgiana Darcy, I shall never be considered an accomplished lady.”

“And yet, Mr. Darcy proposed marriage. It seems he did not care if you painted tables or made sketches, and words of love sound just as beautiful in English as they do in French. I think he was attracted to you because you were different from the other ladies he meets when he is in London. I daresay he had grown tired of deference.”

“Well, I certainly never deferred to him,” Lizzy said, laughing. “I do not think he said anything that I did not challenge, possibly accounting for the quizzical expression he wore whenever he was in my company. But I fear I have painted too unflattering a portrait of Mr. Darcy. He is a man of parts, and I fear I have judged him too harshly. If I can but forget that awful afternoon when he proposed and that dreadful letter, there were times when he was quite pleasant.”

Lizzy thought back to the conversations she had had with Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam in the great room at Rosings Park. While discussing events on the Continent, Lizzy had learned that both men had gone on the Grand Tour after finishing at Cambridge. Before being interrupted by Lady Catherine, Colonel Fitzwilliam was on the verge of sharing a story about Mr. Darcy from the time when they were in Venice for Carnavale. She would have loved to have known what costume Mr. Darcy had chosen for the masked revels—something with a black cape, she imagined, that would conceal everything but his eyes.

“It must seem unreal to you,” Jane said, “Mr. Darcy of Pemberley asking you to be his wife.”

“Oh, I can assure you that it is
very
real. Jane, can you imagine the storm that would have ensued if I had actually accepted Mr. Darcy? Looking at it from that point of view, I believe that he is in my debt. I have saved him from the rantings of his aunt and the ridicule of his friends,” she said with a laugh in her voice. “But seriously, I have the greatest fear that I will encounter him at Pemberley. He would rightly ask what I was doing there and what would I say? I would be mortified.”

“But being the gentleman that he is, Mr. Darcy would offer to show you about the estate, and after you had left, he would wonder if you had reconsidered his offer and if he might renew his attentions to you. And this time, he would receive a very different answer.”

“Yes, I can picture Mr. Darcy down on one knee making a second offer of marriage to me,” Lizzy responded, shaking her head at the absurdity of her sister’s idea. “Oh, Jane, those things only happen in novels. But should such an event occur, you will be the first to know.”

***

To Jane, the reason why Lizzy was so unsettled was obvious. She had rejected an offer of marriage from a man of elevated rank and with very high connections, and Jane recognized that she was part of the reason why her sister had refused Mr. Darcy. Although Lizzy had not said anything about it, she understood her sister’s temperament well enough to know that she did not become angry without sufficient cause.

It was true that Lizzy’s dislike of Mr. Darcy was based on his unkind words and haughty behavior at the assembly, but that would not have been enough for her to reject out of hand a proposal from a man of such consequence. And as sympathetic as Lizzy was to Mr. Wickham being denied a promised living, Lizzy had not known Mr. Wickham well enough to become so angry as to be dismissive of Mr. Darcy’s offer. The intensity of Lizzy’s rejection could come only as the result of someone she loved being hurt, and that someone was Jane.

In all these months since Mr. Bingley had left Hertfordshire, Jane had gone over and over every moment she had spent in his company. She recalled their first dance and how he had looked at her. Even while he was dancing with the other ladies, his eyes kept seeking her out, and he would smile or wave. When he asked her for a second dance, she felt something stir within her. In her twenty-two years, she had had her share of flirtations, but this was something very different, and she knew it from that very first evening.

Right up to the Netherfield ball, everything had been going splendidly. That evening, Mr. Bingley had abandoned all pretense of being interested in any other lady, and during supper, he had told her that he anticipated great changes in his life in the very near future. But within the week, he was gone.

Jane now understood that Caroline, Louisa, and Mr. Darcy had worked in concert to ensure that Mr. Bingley made no offer of marriage to a woman who had no fortune, no connections, but who did have a family who was guilty of the most inappropriate behavior. Despite this realization, Jane did not blame any of them. Caroline and Mrs. Hurst believed they were acting in the best interest of their brother, while Mr. Darcy was looking out for the welfare of his friend. She could bear that. But the thought that Mr. Bingley was insincere in what he had said to her was too painful to contemplate. She finally concluded it was simply a matter of the depth of his affection not matching hers. As she had once said to Lizzy, “Women fancy admiration means more than it does.”

However that was not the case with Mr. Darcy. He was so in love with Lizzy that he had set aside the very same objections he had raised with regard to Mr. Bingley. His feelings were so overwhelming that the impropriety of her mother and sisters receded into the background. Poor Mr. Darcy! How he must have suffered at her sister’s rejection, but a love so strong would not just go away. But what could be done to reunite the two? If only it were possible for Lizzy to meet Mr. Darcy during her time in Derbyshire, but as her sister had said, such things only happened in novels. But one could hope.