The Engagement Page 11

  “There is a friendship between Mr. Darcy and your father, Lizzy?” Mrs. Gardiner enquired, looking curiously at Elizabeth.

  “‘Friendship’ is too strong a word, for now at least. They do not mind each other. They can sit in the library together for hours, each occupied with a book, speaking barely a few words.”

  “I see.” The older woman nodded.

  “Jane received a letter from Mr. Bingley today,” Elizabeth said.

  Mrs. Gardiner sent her elder niece a look full of concern. “How is his sister?”

  Jane sighed. “Her condition is not improving.”

  “Aunt, do you not agree that it is truly terrible that Jane is separated from Mr. Bingley only a few weeks before their wedding?”

  “It is not an ideal situation, for sure. However, what else can be done? Mr. Bingley is a good man. He cannot abandon his sister in her hour of need, even if it does not suit his own plans.”

  “Lizzy is of opinion that Caroline is not as ill as we think,” Jane mentioned.

  Mrs. Gardiner seemed sincerely surprised with such an allegation. “Truly, Lizzy?”

  “I suspect that she wishes to separate Jane and her brother. She did it once before, last year. I simply do not trust her.”

  “You believe that she is manipulating Mr. Bingley into believing that her condition is worse than it truly is?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Exactly.”

  “What is your opinion, Aunt?” Jane enquired. “I do not wish to believe that Caroline would do such a thing.”

  “Well, Jane, we have to remember that Miss Bingley is capable of deceit, of which we have the best proof in her behaviour from last winter when she hid from her brother your presence in London.”

  “Exactly,” Elizabeth repeated.

  “Still, we should not forget the way she acted that evening at Darcy’s townhouse when she realized that Mr. Darcy and Lizzy were engaged. We all witnessed her distress, and I refuse to believe that she pretended it. She truly was unwell, completely losing control over herself.”

  “The only good news is that Mr. Darcy vowed to travel to Ramsgate himself in order to bring Mr. Bingley in time for the wedding, no matter what condition he found Caroline in.”

  “Darcy is a man of his word. If he indeed said that to you, Lizzy, there is no doubt that he will keep his promise,” Mrs. Gardiner announced with authority.

  The little Gardiners ran to Jane and Elizabeth, demanding their participation in their game of hide-and-seek, for which they had failed to recruit their father. Jane volunteered to play with them, seeing that Elizabeth preferred to stay in their aunt’s company.

  “Well, then, Lizzy, how are your spirits?” Mrs. Gardiner asked, smiling at the younger woman. “In three weeks you will be a married woman. Nervous?”

  “I am anticipating it but at the same time I feel overwhelmed. I cannot sleep at night even though I am tired, especially on days when Mama insists on visiting every single shop in town to find the perfect shade of gloves to match a bonnet. Only two months ago I thought that Mr. Darcy would be gone from my life forever, that I would perhaps see him at Jane’s wedding.”

  “It is most fortunate that you and Mr. Darcy found each other again, explained all your differences.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Mrs. Gardiner peered at her closely. “Forgive me, Lizzy, but you do seem a bit subdued to me tonight. Are you worrying over your new role as the mistress of the grand estate?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I will try my very best to fulfil my new duties. I feel that Mama prepared us well in that respect. Moreover, I believe that I learnt a lot observing you during many visits here over the years. Being Mistress of Pemberley is a challenge that will welcome.”

  “Are you concerned about the more intimate side of the marriage?”

  Elizabeth blinked in surprise at her aunt’s directness. “No, of course not,” she answered without hesitation.

  “No?”

  “Mr. Darcy is very gentlemanlike in that respect.”

  “He is? How can you know?”

  “He has barely touched me since our engagement.”

  “I see.”

  “I have tried to entice him, but...”

  Mrs. Gardiner smiled knowingly. “You have?”

  Elizabeth sighed. “He claims that we should wait, that there is a time and place for everything, that we should restrain ourselves until after the wedding.”

  “You do not agree with him.”

  “It is of no importance now because he is so displeased with me that I do not believe that he will even kiss me goodbye tomorrow.”

  Mrs. Gardiner touched her hand. “What happened, Lizzy?”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “He is jealous of Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

  “I cannot say that I am surprised. He said that to you?”

  “When I asked him about it, he said that I had showed my true preference that evening when Colonel Fitzwilliam dined with us.”

  “It is a lesson for you, Elizabeth,” Mrs. Gardiner told her sternly.

  “I still do not understand what I did wrong. Colonel Fitzwilliam and I talked about Darcy. We were not flirting.”

  “Were you not?”

  “Dear Aunt, you too?” Elizabeth asked with hurt in her voice.

  “If I noticed how comfortable you were around Colonel Fitzwilliam, I am certain that Darcy felt it ten times as much,” Mrs. Gardiner lectured. “Mr. Darcy was once rejected by you, remember? He knows that you disliked him once; also, he is intelligent enough to realize that you changed your opinion about him largely because he helped your youngest sister and rescued your family’s reputation. You cannot blame him that he may be a bit insecure about his feelings towards you.”

  “I assured him that I loved him.”

  “I do not doubt that he believes you, but when he saw you with his cousin, conversing so animatedly, he might have thought that if the circumstances were different, you would have chosen Colonel Fitzwilliam over him.”

  “It is a gross untruth. I like Colonel Fitzwilliam’s company. However, I have never been in love with him.”

  “I only try to present to you the way Mr. Darcy sees it.”

  “It is ridiculous,” Elizabeth argued. “It seems that now I cannot even talk to and smile at other gentlemen.”

  “Unless the gentleman in question is your father or uncle, I would advise not, at least until you and Mr. Darcy feel more secure in your marriage. Imagine, Lizzy, how you would feel if Mr. Darcy spent the entire evening in the company of a young, attractive woman, ignoring you entirely.”

  “I was not ignoring him!” Elizabeth exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of Mr. Gardiner, who was currently supervising the building process of a castle made of wooden blocks. “I was not ignoring him,” Elizabeth repeated in a whisper, her expression determined.

  “You are defending yourself too much for my taste, my dear.”

  Elizabeth sat quietly for a moment longer, considering Mrs. Gardiner’s words and her own feelings. Her aunt had a point when she observed that she would not be pleased to watch Darcy laughing with some other single woman right in front of her eyes.

  “What should I do now?” she asked. “How to convince him of my devotion?”

  “Mr. Darcy needs time, I believe. In a few days he will hopefully forget about it.”

  “Hopefully? He is not returning with us tomorrow,” Elizabeth complained. “He claims that he needs to stay in London for a couple of days to finalize all his business.”

  “Perhaps it is not such a bad idea. Not seeing you for some time, he will begin to miss your company and it will be easier for him to put this matter to rest.”

  “I do hope so, as I do not know what to say to convince him that his cousin is of no consequence to me.”

  “Such matters need time. Marriage is the union of two minds, two bodies, two characters. There will be times when you will see things differently. The most important thing is to remember to mind the other
person’s needs and feelings, at the same time not forgetting about your own.”

  “For the last year I have known Mr. Darcy, we rarely saw eye to eye. It does not bode well for our marriage.”

  Mrs. Gardiner put her arm around Elizabeth, hugging her. “Oh, Lizzy, you and Mr. Darcy will do just fine. I know that you will do your very best to succeed in this new endeavour. You have the example of your parents’ union, and I do not believe that you wish to repeat their mistakes.”

  “I do not,” Elizabeth confirmed with determination.

  Mrs. Gardiner smiled. “I know. Your Mr. Darcy is an excellent man. You will have a good life together.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Then there will be forty-five guests at the wedding breakfast,” Mrs. Bennet said as she frowned over the list she had scribbled on a single sheet of paper.

  “Is it not too many, Mama?” Jane asked.

  “Too many!” her mother exclaimed. “Not at all! I would gladly invite more if we only had a larger house.”

  Elizabeth sat with a book, curled in the window seat, absentmindedly listening to the chatter of her family, trying to read at the same time.

  She was glad that her mother and Jane took over the wedding preparations. After weeks in London filled with time-consuming and tedious visits to the seamstresses and shoe and hat shops, she welcomed their return to Longbourn with quiet relief. Her time was her own, as Darcy was still in London. She was free to take long walks and enjoy her own company, even though the weather was cold and more suited to sitting by the mantelpiece in a warm home rather than being outdoors.

  She was glad to see her father, and they spent long hours in the library. They discussed books as well as current affairs, avoiding the topic of her impending marriage. Soon they would be separated for many months, perhaps even a year. Darcy was not keen on leaving Pemberley in the near future. Countless times he had mentioned to her how pleased he was that at last he would be able to stay in his ancestral home for a longer time in the upcoming year.

  Mr. Bennet began to fully comprehend that soon two of his most liked and intelligent daughters would leave his home. At least Jane would live close by, but Elizabeth, the only person in his household that could hold a sensible conversation about literature, history, and poetry, would live in the far north. Darcy was not a man who would wish to be separate from his wife for longer periods of time, especially so early in the marriage. Mr. Bennet tried to improve his own mood, already planning a trip to Pemberley and its famous library. He hoped that in March, once the roads were drier, it would not be too soon to visit the newlyweds. He also thought hard about how to discourage his wife and younger daughters from joining him. It would not be an easy task.

  “When is Mr. Darcy returning, Lizzy?” Mrs. Bennet asked, demanding Elizabeth’s attention.

  “Any day now, Mama,” Elizabeth answered calmly.

  “You said that yesterday and the day before,” the older woman accused. “Are you certain that Mr. Darcy is not cross with you over something? Did you say something to him that might have offended him? I told you before that your teasing is good between friends and family, but Mr. Darcy will be your husband and you should have more respect for him.”

  “Mr. Darcy is a very busy man, Mama,” Jane reminded her. “He has many responsibilities to attend to. You remember how Uncle Gardiner told us that Mr. Darcy was interested in investing in his business.”

  Mrs. Bennet sighed, her expression most unhappy. “I simply cannot understand why two weeks before the wedding both of my future sons are so far away from my daughters!” she exclaimed, fanning herself with her hand. “Oh, my poor nerves! What a year it has been! Three daughters married! I will not leave my room a week after it all ends.”

  Elizabeth and Jane exchanged knowing looks. They had no doubt that the second day after the wedding their mother would be visiting her friends, informing them about all the details from the ceremony and the wedding breakfast that might have skipped their attention.

  Elizabeth returned to her book, but was only able to read a few pages when Mrs. Bennet demanded her attention again.

  “Have you unpacked those dresses which arrived from London yesterday, Lizzy?”

  “No, I haven’t, Mama.”

  Mrs. Bennet’s eyes widened dramatically. “Why ever not?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “I did not see the point. They are summer dresses, much too thin to wear them now. I will simply put them in my trunk when the time comes to pack it for our trip to Derbyshire.”

  “Are you not curious how they turned out, Lizzy?” Jane asked.

  “I already saw them during the last visit with the seamstress.”

  “You see, Jane, what I have to suffer with this girl?” Mrs. Bennet complained. “I cannot believe her! Such beautiful dresses and she will not even look at them! You should be thankful that Mr. Darcy was so generous to pay for all those fine things that we were able to purchase in London. Any other girl would be trying them on and admiring them for long hours.”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

  Her mother pointed her finger at her. “I saw that, Elizabeth Bennet. Do not roll your eyes at me! I am your mother! I hope that you are not so insolent when in the company of Mr. Darcy.”

  Jane smiled. “I think, Mama, that Mr. Darcy likes the fact that Elizabeth does not always agree with him. He quite likes her teasing manner.”

  “But I am certain that he would not tolerate rudeness.” Mrs. Bennet clutched her generous bosom where her heart was and exclaimed, “Oh, my poor nerves! I doubt that my heart will survive all this worry.”

  “Why should you be worried, Mama?” Jane asked reasonably. “After all, you succeeded in marrying three out of five daughters. It has always been your biggest concern to find good husbands for all of us.”

  “Almost, dear Jane, almost married,” Mrs. Bennet stressed. “Who knows what will happen in the next two weeks? Mr. Darcy is in London, while Mr. Bingley stays in Ramsgate with his sister. I do not believe at all that she is as sick as everyone thinks her to be. She wants to separate dear Mr. Bingley from us; I can feel it deep in my poor, sick heart. I do hope that she will not wish to live with you and Mr. Bingley after the wedding. At her age, she should look for her own husband. It is high time for her. I hope that she will not become a burden to Mr. Bingley when he has his own family.”

  “Caroline Bingley has a dowry of twenty thousand pounds,” Elizabeth reminded her mother. “She will never be a burden to her family.”

  Mrs. Bennet was not convinced with such reasoning. “For now all her expenses are covered from Mr. Bingley’s funds, though. It was all fine when he was a bachelor, but soon he will be a married man with responsibilities, and he should think of his wife and future children in the first place.”

  “Mama, I think that it is too soon to speak of such matters. Caroline is ill. We should concentrate on her regaining her health.”

  Mrs. Bingley sniffed. “I only hope that Mr. Bingley comes back to us soon.”

  Elizabeth began to read again while Jane and Mrs. Bennet returned to discussing the seating arrangement at the wedding breakfast. They were wondering where to sit Colonel Fitzwilliam, as he did not know anyone in the company apart from Darcy, Bingley and Georgiana.

  The door opened, and Elizabeth did not even look up to see who entered, thinking that it was Mary coming from the music room, or Kitty and Georgiana, returning from the Lucas Lodge.

  “Dear Mr. Darcy! You came at last!” Her mother’s high-pitched voice drew her attention. On turning her head, she saw Darcy, standing stiff and awkward, as Mrs. Bennet hugged him around his midsection.

  Elizabeth rose to her feet and made her way across the room hastily. “Mama, Mr. Darcy must be tired after the journey from London,” she reminded gently.

  “Oh, yes, naturally,” the woman agreed, stepping back. “Are you hungry, Mr. Darcy? Would you like to eat something before dinner?”

  “A cup of tea would be quite enough,” Darcy said. />
  “I will see to it myself,” Mrs. Bennet assured. “Jane, come with me, dear, I will need you.”

  Jane rose from her seat with a smile, then followed her mother.

  Elizabeth and Darcy were left alone, looking at each other for a moment longer, not saying a word.

  Darcy spoke first. “Where is Georgiana?”

  “She and Kitty are visiting Maria at Lucas Lodge.”

  Darcy nodded. “I see.”

  He was staring at her broodingly. Elizabeth reached for his hand, leading him to the sofa. As they sat down, she asked, “How is your business? Have you managed to deal with all the matters?”

  “I have,” he confirmed, closing her hand in both of his.

  He was even less talkative than usual. Elizabeth refused to believe that he was still upset over her conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam.

  “You are pale, and look thinner,” she noted, stroking his cheek with her free hand.

  He leaned into her touch. “I had no appetite over the last week.”

  She smiled. “I am certain that my mother will be happy to change your mind in that respect.”

  He smiled back, but it did not reach his eyes.

  “Fitzwilliam,” she said, looking straight into his dark eyes, her hand still cupping the side of his face. “You cannot still be cross over my conversation with your cousin that evening in your townhouse.”

  Darcy leaned forward, putting his head over her shoulder. “I missed you,” he confessed.

  She stroked his hair. “I missed you too. I was wondering why you had not returned from London. Fitzwilliam, you cannot expect me to never again talk with Colonel Fitzwilliam. He has been a true friend to you and Georgiana over the years. We should treat him as such, both of us, you and I.”

  He turned his head slightly, kissing the side of her neck. “I simply want to be at Pemberley, you, Georgiana and I.”

  “I hear it quite often from you.”

  “It is the truth,” he said, lifting his head to look into her eyes. “I am a very private man. This year has been especially disturbing, and it is due to you.”