Mr. Joseph stood with his back to Covington then slowly turned around. “We have more in common than I thought. I pity you, Covington and I have a parting gift for you as well,” he said. He threw his punch to an unsuspecting Covington, though not having much practice he did not do much harm. The unexpected move did cause Mr. Covington to lose his balanced and hit his desk behind him. All of the candy fell onto the floor around him.
“And you can take your tainted candy with you,” Mr. Joseph said as he walked out the door.
Mr. Joseph stopped by the general store before he walked to Longbourn that afternoon. As he walked he opened the bag and offered the candy to anyone he met. It was not the cheap hard lemon drops and peppermints that Mr. Covington offered daily. These were smooth caramels. This was not something he could afford regularly, but he decided that day to make it a special treat now and then for the townspeople he had come to consider as his family. He wanted to replace the bad taste in all of their mouths that Mr. Covington was leaving behind.
“Mr. Joseph is here, Mrs. Bennet,” Hill announced. “I saw him coming across the field just now.”
“Mr. Joseph at this hour? Did you invite him without mentioning it to me, Mary?” asked a surprised Mrs. Bennet.
“No mama, I was not expecting him until tomorrow.”
“He must have gotten the dates mixed up. Very well, we shall pretend he was expected. I will let Hill know we need another place set.”
“Mr. Joseph ma’am,” Hill announced for a second time.
“Hello, Mr. Joseph! And how are you today?” asked Mrs. Bennet.
“I am very well, Mrs. Bennet. I was hoping I might have a private word with Miss Bennet on this lovely afternoon?” he said.
Mrs. Bennet’s face lit up and she said quickly, “Yes, of course you may!” before hurrying out of the room.
“Miss Bennet, I would like to ask you something.”
“Yes, Mr. Joseph,” a surprised Mary said quietly.
“Would you be so kind as to tell me, do I talk too much?” he asked.
Mary realized she had been holding her breath and let it out before answering, “I do not think so Mr. Joseph. I enjoy our conversations.”
“As do I Miss Bennet. But tell me truthfully, do others to your knowledge think I talk too much?”
“I.. I… “
“Now Miss Bennet, do not hesitate to be forth coming with me. After all, a man needs to have a wife who will be a compliment to him and that includes giving honest counsel when asked. I beg your pardon, I am sorry Miss Bennet, I seemed to have gone about this in a backwards fashion. Miss Bennet, will you do me the honor of being my compliment, my companion, and my counsel for the duration of my life? I have come to love you and find your company to suit me very well indeed. I think you are the most knowledgeable, steady and entertaining person I have ever met.”
Mary could not have been addressed in any way that would have pleased her more. She accepted calmly with a bright smile on her face.
“You know I have not the wealth of your relations and never will. But I can provide you a comfortable home with a warm fire and I have a very nice collection of books I have inherited from my father. He too was a reader, and come to think of it, I always thought he did talk a bit much,” Mr. Joseph said with a smile. “Well, perhaps you might help me get my tongue somewhat under control to set an example for the next generation of Josephs.”
“Perhaps, I might gently touch your arm if I discern others are beginning to drift in their attention,” she mildly suggested. “Though when we speak together, I do not believe I have ever felt such a need.”
“Excellent idea! That will be our special little signal, just between us. Oh, I almost forgot,” he said as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a little paper bag. “It is not the fine jewels you have seen adorning others but I give it to you as a promise of my eternal constancy.”
He lifted her delicate hand and put the little ring of tin and silver on her finger. It had a small circle of tiny seed pearls around a slightly pink tinted small pearl in the center.
“It is beautiful,” Mary replied feeling as if it were the most luxurious jewelry she had ever beheld.
“I have a plain silver band that was my mother’s that you may wear with it when we marry, if you like.”
“I would like that very much,” she replied.
“I shall go directly to speak with your father. And I shall bite my tongue to make sure I do not bore the poor man. I am determined to change your father’s opinion of me!” he said with a smile. He turned to leave but seemed to hesitate for a moment, before making up his mind. He turned back to Mary and quickly gave her a kiss on her cheek before leaving the room. When he closed the door Mary could hear him whistling as he made his way to her father’s study.
With no one around, she jumped up and down several times with pure delight
Winter came, leaving all time for parties and balls behind. As an early spring neared, the parties and celebrations were to begin again. For the first time in her life, Kitty did not feel like joining in the festivities. She was more content to stay at the house while her mother visited her sisters.
Kitty and Georgiana visited each other whenever they were able, and Kitty was thankful for it. Her friend was always there for her whenever something was bothering her and knew exactly what to say to cheer her up.
"Kitty, you must attend some sort of celebration or the entire town will begin to miss your laughter," she pouted as they sat next to each other on the site, "The whole room lights up when you do and, with the weather still cold, it should be most welcome."
"I cannot think of anything to laugh about. Do you know, Mr. Covington never did talk to me again after the Pemberley Ball. Not another word was ever spoken between us again. What am I to do?"
Georgiana's face became stern, reminding Kitty that she and Mr. Darcy were siblings. "You are to forget about him. He is not worth your time. It might not be good news, but we have heard reports from Lady Catherine herself that we should expect a wedding at Rosings Park.
Kitty shook her head as though to clear out those dreary thoughts. If Mr. Covington had such fickle emotions and tendencies, then he was not one to pine over.
It was not until the last week in March that Kitty heard the news that spread like wildfire around the countryside.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mr. Covington had something special planned he did not tell Anne about. He arrived unexpectedly at Rosings one afternoon. Unexpectedly to Anne that is, as Lady Catherine had been applied to for her daughter’s hand. She had given her approval of him and they had her blessing. She had also advised him to choose a ring from their family collection. Mr. Covington had answered, “Yes, of course, I will if you think it best. However, I am in possession of my mother, Lady Covington’s wedding set and I thought I might present this to your daughter.” He reached into his pocket and took out a box and handed it to Lady Catherine.
When she opened the box, she was very pleased to find an exquisite piece. The center stone was a lovely oval diamond flanked on either side by marquise rubies of the finest quality. “Well, Mr. Covington, this will be very becoming on Anne indeed. Tell me, how did you secure it when you have two older brothers?”
Mr. Covington smiled bashfully and said, “One might say I am a favorite of my Mothers. When I was very young I asked her if I might have it and she said she would give it to me when I was to marry. My older brothers have already wed, so my Mother stayed true to her promise and gave it to me from her finger.”
“Well, I must say that is rather unusual, but most admirable of you to recognize its value at such an early age. Yes, I believe Anne will like it very much.”
When he was announced, the de Bourghs were in the sitting room. Lady Catherine, knowing their visitor was soon to arrive, had sent Mrs. Jenkins on an errand. Mr. Covington came into the room carrying two extravagantly beautiful bouquets of flowers. After he bowed and greeted the ladies he said, “For you Lady Catheri
ne,” and presented her with an arrangement of her favorite roses and exotic orchids.
“How stunning, Mr. Covington. I will see that these are put in water and I will let you two be” said Lady Catherine with a final smile at her daughter as she departed the room.
“And these are for you, my lady.” He then presented her with a bouquet of lovely white and red roses. “These flowers symbolize two things,” he said. “First they will always remind me of the day we met, when I looked up and saw you with your delicate white dress and your red jewels coming down the staircase. It was a striking combination, I must say. And secondly, I chose these in particular to represent my pure love for you, Miss de Bourgh, as well as the fiery passion you have stirred within me. Will you do me the greatest honor I could ever hope to attain, my dearest Anne, and consent to being my wife?”
“Yes,” she said happily as he placed the ring on her finger
Rumor spread far and wide that Miss de Bourgh had said yes, and the marriage ceremony had been a very early one, scheduled and committed to promptly, as per Mr. Covington's idea. Anne agreed wholly, knowing it would be best to start her family soon. It was said that she felt it was fine and elegant ceremony hosted at Rosings naturally, with the entire town in attendance.
Anne and Lady Catherine were thrilled. Lady Catherine adored the man for his lineage, his handsome person and affection towards Anne, and Anne had been swept off her feet. Lady Catherine had made multiple public comments about Mr. Covington making the correct choice out of the two women he had a desire to court. Anne was obviously the more respectable woman. There had been whispers of only adoration and affection towards Mr. Covington and his cunning personality from everyone. No one spoke any malicious manner against him to his new relations.
The wedding took place right before all the flowers had bloomed due to spring setting in. But as they all bloomed, Kitty felt as though she were one of the flowers that had wilted. Once graced by Mr. Covington's presence, only to be stripped and left alone in the cold.
Later, the additions to the rumors were that Mr. Covington had decided to discontinue his law pursuit, and instead he committed to loving Anne. Lady Catherine was pleased that Mr. Covington would care so much for his wife that he would discontinue his studies. Lady Catherine declared it had been well worth the wait to find such a handsome and adoring husband for her daughter.
Kitty refused to attend the last ball of the season with the Darcys, regretting the possibility of seeing Lady Catherine, Anne, or Mr. Covington. Kitty could not muster the will to see any of them, especially not the now happily married couple. Kitty would abhor the awkward glances from Mr. Covington, and the silence he would now force upon her, as though she had meant nothing to him. Kitty burst into a fit of tears at the thought.
Kitty began to wonder what it would take to get over her first love interest.
It had taken the rest of the spring for Kitty to get over Mr. Covington's decision, but she found herself getting over him easier than she had assumed that she would. After all, she had made a promise to herself that she would not pine over someone who showed certain tendencies. She followed Georgiana’s advice and went to as many parties as she could. Now that Anne had secured Mr. Covington, she did not feel the need or desire to mingle with the commonplace of society anymore.
But there was Georgiana’s wedding day fast approaching. The Lady Catherine and more significantly, Mr. and Mrs. Covington would be in attendance and Kitty feared it would mar her pleasure in the day. It must not, she thought. Georgiana was more important to her than Mr. Covington could ever be. She must put on a strong front for Georgiana’s sake, as well as her own.
**************
Georgiana's heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest as she paced the floor anxiously. Her wedding dress swished wildly around her ankles as she tried to steady her racing thoughts.
“Come now! You are going to wear a path into the floor.” Elizabeth scolded gently with a knowing smile. “Sit down and drink your tea. Things will begin quickly enough. “
“Were you this nervous when you were wed?” Georgiana asked, though she already knew the answer. Elizabeth had been a perfect bride. Poised. Calm. Graceful. Everything Georgiana was lacking in this moment. She envied how easy it was for people like Elizabeth and Kitty to endure such huge events in their lives. She could clearly see a future Kitty reclining in her wedding dress declaring how bored she was with the waiting. Far into the future of course. She doubted that there was a man to match Kitty in this town. If they were, they were certainly well hidden.
“Oh no, I was not this nervous at all.” Elizabeth shook her head firmly, and gave a small wink afterword. “I was far worse.”
“What?” Georgiana blinked and looked toward her sister in law in confusion. “I was there. You did not look nervous at all.”
“Oh yes. I did not sleep a wink the night before. I was so anxious I barely ate for days. I was in a near faint the day before. I know I drove the maids half-mad with my fussing and worrying. I even came close to asking to postpone the wedding.”
“No!” Georgiana sat in a chair beside Elizabeth. “Why? Did you two have a quar- forgive me. That is too personal.”
“Not at all, I could not have been happier... or more worried. Making everything just perfect, not messing up my vows. And I was simply terrified of the changes. I feared I might fail in my duties as a wife or to my new little sister.” She smiled and gave Georgiana's hand a reassuring squeeze. How was she able to be so calm after stating such a heavy secret?
“I had no idea,” Georgiana breathed, stunned at the new knowledge. She never dreamed that outgoing and elegant Elizabeth might have been so fearful of her own wedding. She seemed so composed and serene as she walked down the aisle.
“It is a normal anxiety I was told. Becoming a new person. A wife. A new name. A new family.” Elizabeth gave her a gentle smile. “All turned out perfectly in the end. I am thankful each day that I did not let my insecurities get the better of me. My marriage was everything I had hoped for, and more still. I have no doubt yours will be the same.”
Georgiana sighed as she gazed at the doorway anxiously. She could only hope as much! She did not even touch her tea out of fear that she might stain the white lace, her hands trembled so. She could not recall sleeping in the last two days, yet she did not feel even remotely tired.
And in a flurry of cloth and lace burst in Kitty, who looked flawless in her bridesmaid dress. She smiled as her friend glided across the room. “Oh my! You two are far too quiet. I was expecting you to be dancing about waiting for your big moment, Georgiana.”
“Oh Kitty,” Georgiana sighed, though she had to smile at her friend as she slouched unceremoniously into a chair, complaining about how restricting the garments were. She could not recall a time Kitty was ever afraid to speak her mind.
“How fast are you two going to run to the port after the wedding?” Kitty smiled to Georgiana as Elizabeth prodded her silently in soft rebuke. She reluctantly corrected her posture.
“The port?” Georgiana gazed at Kitty in confusion.
“Italy? A year abroad?”
“Oh!” Georgiana and Elizabeth both shared amused smiles. Georgiana shook her head, “We will be leaving in a month. My brother insisted that travels should be better in warm weather. He fretted over the storm season on our voyage over.”
“So he claims. He frets over his little sister being so far away from home,” Elizabeth corrected her with a soft laugh. “The excuses he came up with after it sank in!”
“It may be for the best. We will spend the first month touring some of my favorite places in England. For all of his travels, England is the one place Alex has seen very little of. So my brother’s idea was a good one as usual. At least that is what I told him,” she said with a smile.
“My poor husband!” exclaimed Elizabeth. “He is happy that Georgiana is getting married. He wanted her to be happy and safe and he is pleased with the man that will so
on be her husband. He certainly trusts him more than others. But he had been her guardian and protector her whole life. He is having such a hard time letting go. He had claimed everything from weather to making sure she had everything sent ahead of her as excuses to prolong things. I have had my hands full, trying to keep brother and sister alike calm!”
“How silly men can be sometimes.” Kitty sighed and looked at the two women reproachfully. “I envy you two! Especially you Georgiana! Here you are, leaving me behind! Not only are you more elegant and refined than I could learn to be in a lifetime, but now you get married to a perfect husband. And one who has no problem with his wife joining him in travel at that!”
“Refined?” Georgiana certainly did not feel refined. In fact she was surprised she had not fallen over her own two feet yet! She prayed she could just make it through the vows without making a fool of herself in front of family and guests. Even Colonel Fitzwilliam had rushed back for this event! He would never in three lifetimes let her live down any trips or fumbles. Never mind the small handful of family from Alex's side that traveled all this way to meet the new bride joining their family.
Kitty only rolled her eyes at her.
“Everything will be fine.” Elizabeth assured her as sat together. Kitty hummed as she rearranged Georgiana's hair and helped her put on her wedding veil. “Once you walk down the aisle, it will feel like you are the only two up there.”
“With fifty pairs of eyes watching,” Kitty added helpfully.
***********
As promised, Georgiana would not have changed a single second of the wedding ceremony. Alex had been so nervous that he nearly dropped the ring during their exchange. That moment was precious to her, with his sheepish smile as he finally managed to steady his hand enough to place the ring on her finger. Mr. Darcy had decided that Georgiana was to have their Mother’s wedding set and the pieces that matched. He knew how much they meant to his sister. So he had given Alex the first ring for him to use as an engagement ring and on the morning of the wedding, he had given him the matching band. He had gone to see his sister shortly after and spent a half hour, reminiscing and enjoying each other’s company. He had then presented her with the pieces from their mother as well as a ring which belonged to their father, that she might give it to her husband.
Love is in the Air Page 13