by Lily Bernard
Suddenly, Elizabeth had to look down as her eyes filled with tears. “William, I was so devastated by the news of your death. When I saw a strange carriage outside Longbourn that terrible morning, I thought you had come back to ask my father for permission for us to marry. I missed you so much and you had been gone for so long without a word. I walked to Oakham Mount every day praying that you would be there to meet me. Every time Charles came to Longbourn to call on Jane I looked at him for a sign that he had heard from you. He never gave me a note or spoke to me of any news of when you would return. I understand what you did to protect Georgiana and me, but my heart was in shreds.”
“I am so sorry I caused you so much pain. I had lost a great deal of blood and did not awaken until after I was taken to Scotland to recover. As soon as Georgiana was settled in London with her new companion, Richard returned to Scotland and we discussed and argued about what we should do to protect you both for many days. We ultimately decided that the only way to keep you both safe was to have everyone, especially Wickham, think I was dead. After we made that decision, Richard came to see you at Longbourn.”
Elizabeth had experienced enough emotional upheaval for one day and did not wish to continue the discussion of Darcy’s death. She decided to change the subject. “I believe I have exhibited my riding skills enough for today. Shall we head back now?”
“Elizabeth, you continue to amaze me. If I did not know that you have just begun riding, I would have thought you grew up on the back of a horse.” They smiled at each other and slowly rode back to Birchwood.
After breakfast the following day, Elizabeth asked Jane to join her in her room. When Jane entered, Elizabeth asked her to sit beside her on the settee. “Jane, you asked me to come to you when I was ready to make a decision about my future and I must tell you what is in my heart. I know I will always love Darcy. He has proposed to me again. I know he loves me and I love him, but I am not the same person I was last year.”
“Lizzy, Darcy is a very good man. He is kind and generous and very intelligent. Everyone can see he is madly in love with you. You may not realize it, but your face lights up when he enters the room. You never looked like that when David Brooks was calling on you. If you follow your heart and marry Darcy, I predict a lifetime of happiness for you both. Lizzy, you must be the best judge of your happiness.”
“Oh, Jane, do you really think so?”
“Yes, and do not wait much longer to accept him. You have tortured that man long enough for making you think he was dead.” The sisters laughed and embraced each other with happy tears in their eyes.
Chapter 26
The next day, Darcy and Elizabeth were out riding together, and she led them toward the path to Pemberley. She stopped her horse and looked at Darcy.
“May we rest here a moment, so we may enjoy the view?”
“Madam, I am at your service.”
“Mr. Darcy?”
“Yes, Miss Bennet?”
“Since you returned, I have been doing a great deal of thinking.” Elizabeth looked down and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She looked up to see the man she loves anxiously awaiting what she would say next. “I do not know how I ever doubted what was in my heart, what has always been in my heart. When we are together I can feel the strength of your love. When I am in your arms while we are dancing, I feel safe. I know you will always protect me and my children. You are a kind and caring and generous man and I know that we can have a wonderful new beginning together. I love you most ardently, William, and I am very happy to accept your proposal and become your wife.”
Darcy quickly realized the meaning of what Elizabeth was saying and dismounted while she was still speaking. He walked over to her horse and when he heard her accept him, he said playfully, “Elizabeth Bennet, get off that horse right now!”
“Mr. Darcy, whatever do you mean?” Elizabeth asked teasingly.
She put her arms out and Darcy lifted her out of her saddle. His hands remained on her waist and he pulled her very close to him. They gazed into each other’s eyes until Darcy lowered his face to kiss his betrothed. Their first real kiss was long and gentle. Darcy pulled away and saw that Elizabeth was on the verge of crying. “My love, what is it?” He then changed the tone of his voice and teased her, “oh no, it is too late to change your mind again. You have already told me that you will marry me, twice, in fact. As a gentleman’s daughter, you are honor bound to be mine.”
Elizabeth laughed through her tears, “my dearest love, I have no desire to change my mind. In my entire life, I have never wanted anything more than to be your wife. I was remembering when I learned that you were dead, and I thought I would never feel this way. Never have the man I love with all my heart hold me in his arms and kiss me. Never again feel your embrace and enjoy your wonderful sandalwood scent. At times, I feel as if I am still dreaming that you are really here.”
“I am here, and I will never leave your side.” Darcy kissed her again. “I promise that I will hold you and kiss you every hour for the rest of our lives or until you realize that you are not dreaming. I love you, Elizabeth Margaret Bennet, and for the rest of my life, I will prove to you that I am worthy of your love and your faith in me.”
“I think I like the part about kissing me every hour,” Elizabeth teased, and Darcy happily obliged her. Their first kiss had been soft and gentle, this kiss was passionate and needy. They finally broke apart and rested their foreheads together as they tried to catch their breath.
Elizabeth knew that if they remained where they were, it would be difficult to stop their shared passion. “Now may I see my future home?”
They both smiled, and Darcy said, “I hope you will like it.” Elizabeth smiled at his teasing words. “Before we ride to Pemberley, I have something for you.” Darcy reached inside his coat and removed a small velvet pouch. “The first time you accepted me I was not completely prepared to propose.” Darcy removed a beautiful sapphire ring from the pouch. “I have been carrying this ring with me since the night of the Bingley’s Ball. May I place it on your finger?” Elizabeth smiled at her beloved and removed the glove on her left hand. “This was my mother’s ring and I know she would be very happy to see it on the hand of my future wife.”
“William, it is just beautiful. Thank you for this precious family treasure. I only wish your mother and father were here to share our happiness.”
“I believe that they are watching from above. I like to think it was their protection that kept me alive after Ramsgate.”
Elizabeth placed her hand on Darcy’s cheek. “And now they will have the task of protecting me, as well.” Darcy placed a kiss on Elizabeth’s forehead and embraced her. They were each lost in their own thoughts about their future life together and for several minutes they stood where they were and simply held onto each other.
They rode side by side to Pemberley and Elizabeth tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible. When they entered the manor house, Darcy introduced Elizabeth to Mrs. Reynolds as his betrothed. Mrs. Reynolds was very happy to meet the woman Mr. Darcy had been speaking about since he returned to his home. “I am very happy for you both. I was hoping you would accept him. It has been hard to get Mr. Darcy to speak of anything except the lovely Miss Bennet since he has come back to us. Welcome to Pemberley madam, I am sure you will be very happy here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds, I have heard so many good things about you and I look forward to getting to know you better. I know I will be relying on your help when I become Mrs. Darcy.”
“Of course, madam. It will be my pleasure to assist you in any way I can.”
Elizabeth looked at Darcy and teased, “am I permitted to see any more of my new home? The front hall is lovely, but I believe there is much more for me to see.” They all smiled, and Mrs. Reynolds knew that this lovely young woman would bring laughter back to Pemberley.
“I will be happy to show Miss Bennet around,” Darcy said as he took Elizabeth’s hand. She walked through th
e halls of Pemberley and was overwhelmed by its beautiful and tasteful décor.
“You were right, William, I am very happy that I accepted your proposal before I saw the house. It is simply magnificent.” Elizabeth never imagined herself living in such a grand home. When she and Darcy were falling in love in Hertfordshire, she never realized how very wealthy he was. ‘I will marry the only man I have ever loved, and I will be mistress of this beautiful house for the rest of my life. A year ago, I could never have imagined myself being here or being so happy.’
As they were walking toward Pemberley’s lake, Elizabeth stopped and said, “it is exactly how I saw it in my dreams.”
“Your dreams?”
“When you left me in Hertfordshire, I dreamt about you almost every night, but I had one dream that was always the same. You and I were walking by a lake and we were each holding the hand of a little boy and you were carrying a little girl in your arms.”
“My love, I will do everything I can to make your dreams come true.” Darcy took her hand and kissed it before they resumed their tour of the grounds.
He took her for a short walk through the formal gardens and Elizabeth recalled his description of Pemberley. “I have never seen a house better situated on the land. The formal gardens, the natural vegetation, the lake, the orchards, and the walking paths are all so much more than I ever imagined.”
“We will be very happy here, my love.”
“Yes, William, we will be very happy here.” Elizabeth paused. “May I speak to you about something I have had on my mind for some time now?”
“Madam, I am at your service.”
“Now that we are engaged, I do not wish to speak of your feigned death or our separation ever again. I have cried enough tears to fill Pemberley’s lake and I do not wish to think of the sadness of the past any longer. We should put it all behind us and concentrate on our future life together. What say you, my love?”
“I could not agree with you more. No more tears, no more sadness, only happy dreams for Mr. and Mrs. Darcy.” He leaned over and briefly kissed his fiancée. “Let us return to Birchwood and share our happy news.”
When Elizabeth and Darcy returned to Birchwood Manor, they entered the drawing room arm in arm and glowing with happiness. Jane took one look at her sister’s face and knew she and Charles would soon hear wonderful news.
“Lizzy, you do not have to say anything. Your happy faces convey everything we need to know.”
“Charles, Mrs. Bingley, I am delighted to tell you that Elizabeth has finally agreed to be my wife.” Jane quickly embraced her sister as Charles vigorously shook Darcy’s hand.
“I know I speak for Jane when I tell you both that we are very happy for you and wish you much joy. Darcy, soon you will truly be my brother and I am delighted!” The two couples agreed to refer to each other by their Christian names since they would all be family soon. Catherine soon joined them, and the remainder of the day was spent in pleasant conversation among five people who all celebrated the joy and love they were feeling.
Elizabeth wrote to her father to share the news of her betrothal to Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bennet quickly wrote back and expressed his delight at the happy news. He also informed her that Lord Winthrope wrote to him asking for permission to enter into a courtship with Catherine. Elizabeth had mixed feelings about the news. ‘Is it possible that the feelings he had for me have changed so quickly? What kind of marriage would I have had with him? How sincere are his feelings toward Catherine?’ Elizabeth told Jane about their father’s letter and about her concerns. The sisters decided that they would watch Lord Winthrope very closely and would intervene if they thought their sister might be hurt.
Darcy and Elizabeth wanted to be married as quickly as possible and planned their wedding for early September. Although she grew up in Hertfordshire, her happiest memories were with William in Derbyshire and they decided to be married at Pemberley. Darcy sent his finest coach to Hertfordshire and all the Bennets made the trip. Although the militia was once again going through maneuvers in Meryton, even Lydia decided to attend the wedding. She had heard how wealthy her future brother was and thought that Darcy had surely invited many wealthy young men with titles to the wedding. Since Lydia could not be the first Bennet sister to marry, she thought she could surpass all her sisters by marrying someone with a title.
The Gardiners were coming from London, as well as Darcy’s family; Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam and his parents, Lord and Lady Matlock. The Fitzwilliam’s oldest son, Viscount Ashford, was scheduled to arrive shortly before the wedding. Darcy told Elizabeth that he had received a letter from Lady Catherine and she sent her regrets from her new residence in London. What Darcy did not tell his future bride were the horrible things his aunt had written to her nephew. “It was bad enough when Richard turned me out of my own home and forced me to set up a new household in Town. Now you are further disgracing the Fitzwilliam-Darcy name by marrying a woman with no social standing, no connections and no dowry. You have allowed yourself to be lured into a sham of a marriage by a woman who has used her country girl’s arts and allurements to trap you. Are the halls of Pemberley to be thus polluted? If you had not concocted that ridiculous scheme to feign your death, my dear Anne would still be with us and she would be happily married to you. Yes, Darcy, I blame you for the premature death of my darling daughter.” Darcy could read no more of his aunt’s venomous lies and threw the letter into the fireplace. He watched her letter burn until there was nothing left but the charred words of a bitter old woman.
Richard Fitzwilliam had retained Mr. Collins as parson when he took over Rosings Park. Mr. and Mrs. Collins sent their regrets because Charlotte was entering her confinement.
September 1812
Hunsford
Dearest Lizzy,
We are terribly sorry to miss your wedding, but I know you can understand the reason for our absence. Mr. Collins and I wish you and Mr. Darcy a lifetime of health and happiness.
Now I know why you had been so sad before you left Hertfordshire. Lizzy, I am so happy that my oldest and dearest friend is marrying such a fine man. I listened to Lady Catherine extol her nephew’s virtues for months after his, well you know when. I am certain we will see each other when Mr. and Mrs. Darcy visit their cousin at Rosings Park and I am eagerly looking forward to that time. Again, I am delighted for you, my dear friend.
With love,
Charlotte Collins
Jane accompanied Elizabeth as she shopped for her trousseau. Every shopkeeper in Lambton expressed their warmest congratulations and best wishes to the future mistress of Pemberley. Two days before the wedding, Elizabeth moved her things from Birchwood Manor to her new home. The Bingleys and Catherine were planning to travel to Pemberley the following day. After her trunks were loaded, Elizabeth embraced her sister and Charles. “I can never thank you enough for the care and love you have given me this past year. As you well remember, I was at the saddest part of my life when you took me in. I am so delighted that we will be living only a few miles apart. I will see you tomorrow and I love you both.”
Elizabeth entered the Bingley’s carriage and thought about her time at Birchwood. She remembered how very heartbroken and empty she had been when she first arrived. At that time, she had no idea how she would ever get over the death of her beloved Darcy. ‘The happiness I felt the day William returned to me will be etched in my memory for as long as I live. I am traveling to my new home and I will marry the man I will love and cherish for the rest of my days.’ Elizabeth smiled to herself and felt her heart swelling with joy.
Chapter 27
When the carriage carrying Elizabeth stopped in front of Pemberley, Darcy and Georgiana were on the steps awaiting her arrival. Georgiana ran toward the carriage and as soon as Elizabeth was helped down, Georgiana warmly embraced her. “Lizzy, I am so happy that you are finally here. Welcome to Pemberley, I mean, welcome to your new home.”
“Thank you, Georgie. I am very happy to be here.”
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“I have met all your sisters and I hope that one day you will love me as I know you do them.”
“Georgie, I already love you and think of you as my sister.”
Darcy came forward and teased the two women he loved with all his heart. “May I have a moment with my fiancée?”
Georgiana giggled, “of course, William. I will meet you both inside.”
Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and kissed it. “Welcome home, my love. May I echo my sister’s sentiments? I thought you would never arrive.” As they were walking toward the front door, Darcy said, “the mistress’s suite has been prepared for your arrival. Mrs. Reynolds has assigned Hannah as your lady’s maid and she has already unpacked all the parcels that have been arriving from Lambton. Let us go in and greet our guests and then I will show you to your rooms.”
As soon as they entered the drawing room, Mrs. Bennet rushed toward Elizabeth and embraced her daughter. “Oh Lizzy, you have done very well for yourself. I have never seen such a grand home in all my life and to think you will be mistress of all this. I still cannot understand why Mr. Darcy chose you and I suppose you can overlook his arrogance to live in this splendor.” Elizabeth did not respond to her mother’s words and simply returned her mother’s embrace before she moved on to greet the remainder of her family. She had warned Darcy that her mother would most likely make inappropriate comments and she was not surprised to hear her mother praise the grandeur of Pemberley and question her daughter’s true feelings for Darcy.
Mr. Bennet greeted his daughter with a warm embrace. “Lizzy, I am delighted to see the sparkle is back in your eyes. I have seen the Pemberley library and you should expect me to visit you more than you ever anticipated. Darcy is a very fine man and I believe you will be very happy.”