So Long, Sentiment

by Amber Allen-King

  "Why? What did she tell you?" Colonel Fitzwilliam asked; he was very curious to hear Miss Bennet's version of how the engagement came about.

  "I am sworn to secrecy, beloved. I suppose you could ask your cousin," Olivia teased.

  "I did," the Colonel pouted. "He evaded me the entire evening." Olivia laughed again. The pair rode on awhile in silence, enjoying the quiet summer evening. "Speaking of engagements, you and I should start thinking about setting a date."

  "I thought you said that we would probably have to wait awhile," replied Olivia, referring to the delicate subject of the Colonel's finances. Although Olivia had received a handsome legacy from her grandmother, and stood to bring a more than respectable dowry to her marriage from her father, the Colonel was somewhat reluctant to marry until he was more certain of his own resources. While Olivia saw no reason for his apprehension, she nonetheless respected his desire to provide for his wife and family.

  "There have been two very interesting developments that should permit us to marry almost immediately," the Colonel smiled. Olivia's eyes lit up at this news and she eagerly pressed him for details.

  "Well, first of all, my father has made us a very generous gift of a tiny estate in northern Derbyshire. It is nothing more than a cottage really, on a few dozen acres of land with no real income to speak of, but it is completely self-sustaining. It came into my father's hands quite a while ago. He was trying to acquire a large parcel of land to the east of the property and he bought it simply to link the larger parcel of land to his own. He had leased it for many years to a family. The last of his tenants died recently and the cottage thus became available."

  "Oh, Richard that is wonderful!" exclaimed Olivia. The Colonel looked into her eyes.

  "Do you really think so? You have been accustomed to far finer lodgings, I think."

  "I would happily live in a gypsy cart, so long as we are together, my love," Olivia declared.

  "Well," Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed. "Our future home is considerably grander than a gypsy cart, but it is no Crenshaw House," he admitted. But the look in Olivia's eyes told him that she truly did not mind.

  "What is the other development?" Olivia asked as the carriage made its way onto ______ Street.

  "Oh, I very nearly forgot," replied the Colonel. "I have received a letter from my aunt's solicitors, and one begrudging letter from my aunt herself."

  "Your aunt Lady Catherine DeBourgh?" Olivia asked as the Colonel stepped down from the carriage and handed Olivia out.

  "Yes," Colonel Fitzwilliam answered. "Perhaps we should discuss this inside. I want Darcy to hear of this." The couple entered the Darcy drawing room, where Mr. Darcy and his sister greeted them. Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted his young cousin with a kiss on her forehead.

  "I believe you have met my fiancée, Georgiana," he said.

  "Yes, of course, although it has been nearly a year since we last met," said Georgiana with a curtsey.

  "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Darcy," Olivia smiled.

  "You must call me Georgiana, since we are to be cousins. I was delighted when Richard told me that you and he were to be married. I will finally have a relation near to my own age."

  "Thank you, Georgiana, and you must call me Olivia." The two ladies took seats together and began to chat. Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, approached the Colonel.

  "I have had some very interesting correspondence, cousin," the Colonel said. "I was just about to tell Miss Crenshaw about it." At the sound of her name, Olivia looked up, as did Georgiana.

  "What manner of correspondence?" Mr. Darcy asked.

  "The first was a document from Aunt Catherine's solicitors, and the other was from the lady herself," Colonel Fitzwilliam replied. Georgiana rose and came closer.

  "Has something happened? We have not heard anything--." Colonel Fitzwilliam immediately laid her fears to rest.

  "No, no, my dear. All is well at Rosings Park. Well, all was well...I had better begin at the beginning," the Colonel chuckled. "I received a letter from Aunt Catherine informing me--since I about to marry--that Uncle Lewis left me a legacy." Now it was Mr. Darcy's turn to interrupt.

  "A legacy? I knew nothing of this," he said.

  "According to Aunt Catherine, there was no need to inform me until now." The Colonel turned and directed his speech toward Olivia. "My uncle, Sir Lewis DeBourgh, looked upon me as the son he never had. Since Darcy here stood to inherit Pemberley, and my older brother, John, will inherit our father's titles and estate, Uncle Lewis decided to leave something in his will for my future well-being." Mr. Darcy exchanged looks with Georgiana.

  "According to Aunt Catherine, Uncle Lewis left me an annuity of one thousand pounds per annum, to begin upon my marriage." Olivia's face registered surprise, as did Georgiana's. Mr. Darcy, however, merely looked intrigued. "Naturally, Aunt Catherine found this sufficient provocation for investigating Miss Crenshaw's background and reputation the moment she learned of our betrothal."

  "What?" cried an outraged Olivia.

  "Do not worry, my love; you passed inspection and were deemed worthy to become a Fitzwilliam," said the Colonel. As charmed as she was by her fiancé's smile, Olivia was hardly mollified.

  "So, Aunt Catherine, having decided that she approved of your marriage partner, informed you of your inheritance," Mr. Darcy said, speculating about his aunt's motives. Colonel Fitzwilliam addressed his unasked question.

  "Aunt Catherine wrote that she did not tell me of my legacy earlier fearing that I would marry the first girl who caught my eye just to get my hands on it," the Colonel said with a bitter laugh. "At least that is what she would like for me to believe."

  "What did her solicitors have to say?" asked Mr. Darcy, as Olivia rose from her seat and came to stand near the Colonel.

  "Ah.... now here is where things get interesting. Aunt Catherine has apparently not been very forthcoming with her solicitors or with me. They contacted me independently out of concern for my legal rights and undoubtedly in order to protect themselves. It seems that Aunt Catherine lied about the legacy," said the Colonel.

  "You mean that there is no legacy?" asked Olivia, aware that she sounded mercenary, but too curious to worry about it.

  "No, my love. There is a legacy, all right. But Aunt Catherine has lied about its terms. Uncle Lewis stipulated in his will that I was to receive an annuity of one thousand pounds to begin upon my marriage or my twenty-fifth birthday--which ever came first."

  "Then Aunt Catherine has been withholding money that belongs to you for five years?" gasped Georgiana. The Colonel nodded.

  "To think I have spent the past several months wondering whether or not I could afford to start a family when I might have had ample income to do so some time ago," said the Colonel, shaking his head.

  "And Aunt Catherine, no doubt, has made good use of it while she was allegedly saving it for you," said Mr. Darcy.

  "Do you mean that she stole it?" asked Georgiana.

  "Technically, it could be considered stealing, although the money never left the security of the DeBourgh accounts. But I suspect that Aunt Catherine has made herself a tidy sum in interest," said Mr. Darcy distastefully. "I daresay you have grounds for suing her."

  "Will you?" asked Georgiana. The Colonel shook his head.

  "I am just happy that I am able to marry Miss Crenshaw and provide for her comfortably," he smiled with a loving look for his love.

  "With five thousand pounds, you can buy a very nice piece of property and still have funds to put aside for investments," smiled Mr. Darcy.

  "That will not be necessary," replied the Colonel. "Father has made us a gift of Petrie Farm."

  "Do you mean that marvelous old stone cottage?" cried Georgiana.

  "Do you know the place?" asked Olivia.

  "Yes, Uncle and I toured the place just last week while I was at Matlock. Aunt Rebecca wondered about his sudden interest in looking at it. Uncle said that he wanted to see what kind of shape it was in and whether it needed repairs.
Oh, it is a lovely cottage! And it has the prettiest little flower garden...."

  "Then it was to your liking, Georgie?" asked Colonel Fitzwilliam with a grin.

  "To my liking and your father's," she replied. "The last tenants left it in immaculate condition. I am so happy that you are planning to settle so near Pemberley," Georgiana said to Olivia. "That means that we will be able to see each other often."

  "I look forward to that, Georgiana," said Olivia, who found the shy girl very sweet and charming. At that moment voices could be heard from the hall. Moments later, Mr. Harris led Mr. Bingley into the room, with Jane and Elizabeth on his arms. Behind them came Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and the Gardiners. Mr. Darcy went to welcome his guests.

  "Elizabeth, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, I would like to introduce you to my sister, Georgiana." The shy young lady politely greeted her new acquaintances, but was only interested in coming to know the lady about whom her brother had spoken so frequently. Elizabeth was equally interested in Georgiana, and the two ladies took a few steps away from the others to become better acquainted. Olivia introduced the Colonel to those in the room he did not know; Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, became the immediate captive of his future mother-in-law.

  "I have been looking forward to meeting you, Miss Darcy. I have heard nothing but glowing accounts of you since Fitzwilliam and I first became acquainted," smiled Elizabeth, as she looked for signs of the brother in his younger sibling.

  "Please, you must call me Georgiana, since we are to be sisters, and if I may, I would be honored to call you Elizabeth," Georgiana replied in one breath. Elizabeth's laugh disconcerted her, but for only a moment.

  "My sisters call me Lizzy, but if you prefer Elizabeth, so be it." Georgiana relaxed then, and the two ladies sat together and instantly began to become friends.

  "Oh, what a grand and elegant room, Mr. Darcy," said Mrs. Bennet to Mr. Darcy. "I am certain that my Lizzy will be very happy here," she smiled as she stroked the silk drapery.

  "I intend to see to it, madam," Mr. Darcy replied graciously. "Elizabeth will have free reign to make any changes or improvements to suit her taste. I want this to be her home as much as mine." Mrs. Bennet, who had merely been smiling, fairly beamed at this disclosure.

  "You are very generous, sir. To tell you the truth," Mrs. Bennet confessed, as she stroked the deep blue silk upholstery of the drawing room, "The place could use a woman's touch. It has too much the look of a bachelor's home." Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, who had been speaking with the Colonel and Olivia, thought it best to come to Mr. Darcy's aid. But to their surprise, Mr. Darcy agreed with her. The importuned man went so far as to offer to take his guests on a tour of the public rooms.

  The Colonel and Olivia stayed behind with Georgiana, while Mr. Darcy led Elizabeth, Jane, the Gardiners, and the Bennets on a tour of the parlor, the library, his study, and the morning room. Mr. Bingley trailed along, mainly to keep company with Jane. Elizabeth was far too mortified by her mother's decorating advice to pay much attention to what she was looking at, but even when Mrs. Bennet suggested that Mr. Darcy have the hundred year old mahogany paneling removed from his study Mr. Darcy remained in good humor and seemed completely unfazed by behavior that would formerly have lead him to quit her presence. Elizabeth did not know what had come over Mr. Darcy, and seizing an opportunity in the corridor when they were walking a short distance ahead of the group, she asked him about his good mood.

  "I would happily suffer a dozen enthusiastic Mrs. Bennets if it means that I will have you by my side for the rest of my life," Mr. Darcy whispered into her ear. Elizabeth glanced up at the unaccustomed spectacle of Mr. Darcy's dimples, and returned his smile.

  "You may very well live to regret suffering one Mrs. Bennet before our vows are complete, sir. She has even managed to push Mr. Bingley to the edge of his patience these last few days," she said under her breath. At the mention of Mr. Bingley's name, Mr. Darcy glanced back at his friend. He opened the door to the drawing room and, letting Elizabeth, the Bennets and the Gardiners pass by him, he summoned Mr. Bingley with a look. Mr. Bingley allowed Jane to pass into the room before him and went to answer Mr. Darcy's inquiry.

  "Where is your sister, Bingley? I thought that she was coming with you tonight." A frustrated look quickly flashed across Mr. Bingley's usually serene face.

  "She is not coming, Darcy," Mr. Bingley said dejectedly. "I tried to convince her, but...." His voice trailed off, leaving Mr. Darcy slightly confused.

  "Is she unwell? Has something happened to her?" he asked with genuine concern. Mr. Bingley looked into Mr. Darcy's eyes, a bit surprised by his questions.

  "She...she said that you would not want her to come after...well, she said that you two had words...." Mr. Darcy's brows rose, and then it came back to him. In his happiness at becoming engaged to Elizabeth, he had completely forgotten his unpleasant scene in the park with Miss Bingley. "Did you two argue?" Mr. Bingley asked cautiously. Mr. Darcy shifted uneasily. He did not want to repeat what had transpired that day.

  "I am afraid that Miss Bingley is correct. We did...have words," he admitted.

  "Whatever about? I cannot imagine...I mean I know that my sister can be very irritating at times, but--."

  "No, Bingley. I am afraid I am to blame. She made a remark that made me lose my temper. I should not have allowed myself to lose my composure," Mr. Darcy was beginning to realize how painful his retort to Miss Bingley must have seemed to the lady. He lowered his voice so that only Mr. Bingley could hear. "We both said things we cannot be proud of that day." Mr. Bingley grew even more curious to know what had passed between his sister and his best friend, but he was more interested in healing the breech.

  "She thinks that she is unwelcome in your home, Darcy," Mr. Bingley said softly. Mr. Darcy, who had been staring at his shoes, suddenly looked up.

  "No! No, no, Bingley. Your sister and I have never been the best of friends, and my marriage to Elizabeth is bound to put a strain on our relationship, but I never meant to...I will go to your sister and apologize to her first thing in the morning, Bingley. I am heartily sorry things ever came to this. I will set things to right, you have my word on it as a gentleman," Mr. Darcy said with a pat on Mr. Bingley's shoulder. Mr. Bingley nodded, and they returned to the company.

  Mrs. Bennet was in the midst of a scheme to send Mary, Kitty, and Lydia to spend the season in London with "the Darcys," as she had already begun to speak of her daughter and her fiancé. Mrs. Gardiner tactfully suggested that the Darcys be allowed to spend some time alone in their first few months as husband and wife.

  "Nonsense," Mrs. Bennet cried. "What will they have to do, alone by themselves for four months? They will become bored to tears with each other I am sure. It will do them no harm to have some company," she added, to the great amusement of Colonel Fitzwilliam. Olivia poked him in his ribcage to silence his laughter, but everyone in the room, save a crimson-faced Elizabeth had joined the Colonel in smirking at Mrs. Bennet's comment. Mr. Bennet quietly assured Elizabeth that she would spend her first six months of marriage without a visit from any Bennet younger than himself. Dinner was announced, and as Mr. Darcy began to escort Elizabeth to the dining room, Miss Bingley appeared. Mr. Darcy was surprised to see her, given her brother's recent disclosure, but he tried to both make her welcome and convey his regret at their misunderstanding.

  "Miss Bingley! I was just asking your brother for you. I am very glad you were able to join us after all. We are about to go into dinner. Won't you join us?"

  Mr. Darcy extended his free arm, and Miss Bingley shyly took it. She fairly whispered her greeting; she could not bring herself to look Mr. Darcy in the eye. She had come because she did not wish to disappoint her brother. But she had almost turned and run away when she reached the drawing room door, fearing Mr. Darcy's rejection. His gracious welcome was wholly unexpected.

  The party moved from the drawing room to the dining room, with Mr. Darcy in the lead and the Colonel, with Olivia and Georgia
na, bringing up the rear. Ahead of the Colonel, Mrs. Bennet could be heard to exclaim about the quality of the lace on Miss Bingley's gown.

  "I am certain it is the very finest lace, but I daresay, my Lizzy will have her equal share of it soon enough," she whispered to Mr. Bennet. When the party was seated, Elizabeth tried to break the apparent tension between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. Something had apparently happened; she could see it in both their faces. Colonel Fitzwilliam, Olivia, and Mr. Bingley seemed equally conscious of the fact that something was amiss. Assuming that it had something to do with her engagement to Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth took a deep breath and attempted to break the ice, but before she could speak, her mother's voice could be heard from the far end of the table declaring that the dining room drapes were just perfect and should not be changed. From the corner of her eye, Elizabeth could see Georgiana nodding patiently.

  "Lizzy looks very becoming in green, you know. It is her coloring, which comes from my side of the family," she said to the snickering Colonel. "Yes, yes...these dark green drapes will look very well with her complexion."

  "Miss Bingley, I understand that your brother and sister are traveling on the Continent," Elizabeth said quickly. Miss Bingley seemed a bit surprised at being addressed by Elizabeth, but she answered gamely.

  "Yes," she replied as she felt her brother, who sat between herself and Jane, give her hand a squeeze. "They have just reached Milan. I have been thinking about joining them there," she said, unable to meet Elizabeth's gaze.

  "Oh, but you must not go before the wedding!" Jane cried. "You cannot! Charles will have so little of his family at the wedding, and you are his closest relation... Please say you will stay at least until then." Miss Bingley felt her hand being squeezed once more.

  "I...I will, of course, remain for your marriage to my brother," she said with a sincere smile for Jane. "Which reminds me... I have yet to congratulate you, Mr. Darcy--and you, Miss Bennet--on your forthcoming nuptials. When is the happy event to take place?" Miss Bingley's comment was made without enthusiasm. She felt obliged to congratulate the couple but was not really interested in an answer. She received three.