"Pah! Look at them all, smug and cozy amid their superiors," she grumbled to no one in particular. The Earl pointedly ignored her as he spoke with the Gardiners ands Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. "Darcy is throwing himself away on that little nobody. Well, at least Fitzwilliam had the good sense to choose someone appropriate as his bride. I daresay that her relations know how to behave in company. Her family will not be an embarrassment to her. Nor would she approve of Darcy marrying so far beneath himself. Olivia Crenshaw will be a credit to this family. Thank goodness one of my nephews has shown some good sense." Just then, voices could be heard down the hall. The Earl and Countess rose to receive the Crenshaws, and Lady Catherine hastened to join them.
"Now, we will see a dignified and refined young lady worthy of becoming a Fitzwilliam. Olivia Crenshaw will put Elizabeth Bennet to shame," Lady Catherine said to Lady Rebecca, who merely smiled to Colonel Fitzwilliam as he came to stand by his mother's side. "Fitzwilliam, I am proud of you. You have chosen your bride well," Lady Catherine declared loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"I could not agree with you more," the Colonel replied with a wink for Elizabeth. She and Mr. Darcy exchanged a confused glance as the Crenshaw party, led by Mr. Crenshaw with Olivia on his arm, entered the room. The Colonel immediately relieved Mr. Crenshaw of his burden, and whisked Olivia back into the hall. Lady Catherine was not insensible of the Colonel's impropriety, but so anxious was she to flaunt the Colonel's fiancée before Elizabeth Bennet that she immediately forgave him.
"I think you should be warned," Colonel Fitzwilliam said hastily. "My Aunt Catherine is here, and she is in a foul mood." Olivia barely had time to take in this information before he returned her to the room. As he formally introduced his future bride to his parents, Lady Catherine insinuated herself into the conversation.
"It is very good to see you again, Miss Crenshaw," said Lady Rebecca, "And it especially gives us pleasure to welcome you as a member of our family."
"Thank you," Olivia said with a deep curtsey as Lady Catherine stepped forward for an inspection.
"You are a very pretty girl, Miss Crenshaw," Lady Catherine said with a proprietary interest in the girl. "I admire my nephew's taste, but then, Fitzwilliam has long been my favorite, and has had the good sense to follow my judgment in the choice of a wife." Lady Catherine paused, accustomed as she was to some acknowledgment of her excellent judgment, but try as she might, Olivia could think of no suitable comment to make. Lady Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly, but still convinced of Olivia's superiority, she bestowed a smile on the young lady. "I shall take you under my wing and prepare you for marriage myself, as I understand that you are without a mother." Olivia involuntarily gasped.
"I thank you, Lady Catherine," she managed as she recovered herself. "But that will not be necessary. Mrs. Gardiner has been as a second mother to me since I was a child and has already been invaluable in preparing me for marriage. Also, my sister Elise has been a great help. So, you see," she concluded with a smile, "I am quite well looked after." It was Lady Catherine's turn to gasp as Olivia curtseyed again and turned away.
"Well! To refuse my counsel...and for that of inferior advice from people who can know nothing of what it is expected of her in elite society," she said as she glared at Olivia's retreating back. Of course, it did not occur to her that the young couple's income would be no more than that of the Gardiner's, if one discounted Olivia's legacy--as the Colonel was wont to do. Nor did it occur to Lady Catherine that Richard and Elise Crenshaw's income easily exceeded her own or that the pair traveled in the first circles. She watched with mounting horror as Olivia approached Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
"Lizzy! You look beautiful!" Olivia gushed. "I knew that lavender was a perfect shade for you. And your hair-oh, Lizzy, you look wonderful!" Elizabeth laughed as she returned the compliment.
"Oh, you find it easy to praise my attire, do you, when you know you have all the credit of it," Elizabeth laughed. Olivia joined her, as Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy exchanged quizzical glances. They had no way of knowing that not only had Olivia given Elizabeth the gown she wore so becomingly, Olivia had seen to every detail of her outfit down to her choice of scent.
"And you, Livy," Elizabeth said, turning the tables on her friend. "You look...you look so..."
"Permit me, Miss Bennet," the Colonel interrupted with a slight cough. "Ethereal, incredible, beautiful, lovely, exquisite, astounding," Colonel Fitzwilliam reeled off, pausing briefly between each word. Olivia and Elizabeth rolled their eyes as they smiled at his hyperbole. "Magnificent--did I already say magnificent? Wonderful, uh...." Colonel Fitzwilliam searched for more words with which to flatter his beloved
"Charming?" Mr. Darcy offered helpfully, but the Colonel squinted at his cousin with disdain.
"You must forgive my cousin, my dear. He is too little practiced in the art of flattering ladies," Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a sidelong glance at a smirking Mr. Darcy.
"And I am afraid you will find that my cousin is far too well practiced in that art, Miss Crenshaw, Mr. Darcy retorted.
"At least I know better than to tell a young lady in evening dress that she merely looks 'charming.' Most girls upon hearing such pallid praise would spend the remainder of the evening peering into every available mirror wondering what went wrong between their mantua makers and their toilettes," the Colonel huffed as the ladies giggled.
"Which do you think is worse, Lizzy: marrying the man who has had too little practice or the one who has apparently had too much?"
"I am afraid I have the better of them, for should Mr. Darcy be moved to flatter me, I know that he will be speaking from his heart. I doubt you will be able to believe a word of what the good Colonel says," Elizabeth laughed. Olivia and the Colonel joined her, but Mr. Darcy was distracted by the sight of Georgiana in conversation with Mr. Douglass.
"What is it, Fitzwilliam?" asked Elizabeth, with a touch to his arm.
"Nothing," Mr. Darcy replied absently as he continued to observe the pair. Georgiana and Mr. Douglass were immediately attracted to one another however, they were each hampered by shyness. Mr. Douglass spoke mostly to his shoes, while Georgiana's eyes flitted about, landing upon every object in the room except Mr. Douglass' handsome face.
"They make a lovely couple," suggested Olivia when the Colonel joined Mr. Darcy in his fraternal vigil.
"She is far too young to be courted," Colonel Fitzwilliam murmured.
"Courted!" Elizabeth laughed. "He can barely say two words to her much less pay her court."
"Pay her court?" Mr. Darcy had not been listening, and only caught the last of Elizabeth's comment. "He does not even know her."
"And how well did you know me when you fell in love?" Elizabeth teased, but Mr. Darcy's would not be sidetracked.
"Georgiana is barely sixteen," he growled.
"And we know nothing of this man, nor of his prospects," added the Colonel. Olivia and Elizabeth could scarcely believe their ears.
"Mr. Douglass is two and twenty, has a very decent income which will very likely double next year when he comes into his trust fund, and is as pleasant, intelligent, and refined a young man as you are likely to meet," Olivia said with some asperity.
"Yes, and he is rather charming, if you will allow us ladies the use of the word without the fear of sending Mr. Douglass to the nearest mirror," Elizabeth quipped. But Mr. Darcy was still not disarmed.
"No matter," he said. "Georgiana is too young and impressionable to know her own heart," Mr. Darcy said with an air of finality. He prepared to cross the room to break up the tete a tete.
"And who are you to dictate her happiness?" Elizabeth cried as she grabbed his arm. She immediately recoiled from her own bold act and covered her mouth. Mr. Darcy turned on her, sparks flashing in his eyes. One look at Elizabeth, however, was enough to forestall the outburst that had sprung unbidden to his tongue.
"I suppose we are being a bit presumptuous," Mr. Darcy said evenly, "But you will allow Fitz
william and me to show a filial concern for our young charge." Elizabeth bowed her head, and Mr. Darcy felt awful. He had not meant to sound so harsh. He reached out to touch Elizabeth, but she eluded him and crossed the room to join her sister and Mr. Bingley. Mr. Darcy drew a deep sigh. He glanced at his sister, who had been joined by Richard Crenshaw and Elise, then at Elizabeth, who determinedly refused to look up. A few feet away, Lady Catherine who had observed the exchange between the couple, smiled. Mr. Darcy decided to wait a few minutes before apologizing. He did not want to repeat his mistake in acting too hastily. He stood awkwardly beside the Colonel and Olivia, hardly hearing their discussion about their wedding.
"I was speaking with my parents earlier and, if you and your father have no objections, we would like to hold the wedding at Matlock," said the Colonel with a surreptitious glance at his cousin, whose eyes, mind and heart were across the room.
"That would be lovely," smiled Olivia. "As a girl in Derbyshire, I often dreamed of a beautiful country wedding. But when father gave up our country home and decided to move to town permanently, I quite gave up on the idea. A wedding at Matlock would be perfect. Lizzy has already consented to be my maid of honor, if she is still a maid. Have you two discussed a date?" Olivia asked, desperately trying to draw Mr. Darcy into the conversation.
"No," he replied, a bit sadly. "But I hope it will be soon." He looked at Elizabeth wistfully and found that she was looking at him with same expression. A bit of a smile was all it took to make Mr. Darcy to fly to her side. He immediately began to apologize, but Elizabeth put her finger to his lips. He kissed the delicate obstacle and smiled his apology.
"So when will the two of you take your vows, Darcy?" asked Mr. Bingley.
"As soon as humanly possible," Mr. Darcy said with a smile meant only for Elizabeth, and Mr. Bingley and Jane smiled at the besotted couple, as did Olivia and the Colonel as the joined them.
"So, it is to be a rushed business is it?" Lady Catherine remarked. She was overheard by Mrs. Bennet, who had briefly escaped her husband.
"Certainly not," she sniffed. "It will not be a 'rushed business' as you call it, for all that Mr. Darcy is eager to have his way with my Lizzy." Mr. Darcy reddened at her remark, and Elizabeth wished she could disappear. Miss Bingley giggled at Mrs. Bennet's vulgarity, until her brother silenced her with a look. As Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Crenshaw had just joined the Earl to take a look at some bronzes in the Fitzwilliam library (and undoubtedly to partake of some port as well) the duty of extricating Mrs. Bennet fell to Mrs. Gardiner.
"I believe that my niece and Mr. Darcy have yet to set a date," she said diplomatically. "Perhaps we should let the couple in question decide what sort of wedding it is to be." Elizabeth allowed herself to breathe again, but she knew better than to think that her mother was done.
"Nonsense!" squealed Mrs. Bennet. "What would Lizzy know of planning such a grand event"? She was not brought up to it. No, she and Mr. Darcy must leave every detail to me. It will be the most lavish and extraordinary event of the season, mark my words." Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy in silent appeal as Mrs. Gardiner tried and again failed to silence her sister. Mr. Darcy leaned over and whispered into Elizabeth's ear as Jane went to her mother and took her arm.
"Would it not be lovely, Mama," she said as she carefully led her mother to a chair a safe distance from Lady Catherine, "If Lizzy and Mr. Darcy were to be married with Mr. Bingley and myself?" Jane looked her question to Elizabeth but both she and Mr. Darcy suddenly seemed to be deep in conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Olivia.
"A double wedding? Nonsense, child! Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are to have a wedding of their own, with everything the finest, as befits her new station in life. I can see it all now...." Mrs. Bennet said as she became lost in elaborate schemes.
"Spending my nephew's money already are you?" Lady Catherine sneered. "Well, it is no more than he deserves, casting his lot with the likes of you," she said as she crossed her arms smugly. All the Bennets in the room were too far away to hear her, but Lady Rebecca had heard enough.
"Lady Catherine, if the presence of my guests is so offensive to you," she said in a low voice, "Perhaps you would rather take your meal in your chambers. I will arrange to have it sent up now." She turned away immediately, before Lady Catherine could utter a syllable. She rose from her chair, smarting from the set down and strode from the room, nearly bumping into Mr. Bennet as the men returned from the library. She drew herself up haughtily and swept past the men without a word. The gentlemen entered the room in time to hear Mr. Darcy declare to all assembled his intention to marry Elizabeth in early autumn.
"I rather like the idea of a double wedding," he said with a smile for Jane. "But you and Bingley deserve a special day of your own. On the other hand, Miss Bennet and I would probably not be here today were it not for the intervention of these two," Mr. Darcy continued, with a nod toward the Colonel and Olivia, "So we have chosen to impose upon them instead. The four of us will marry in October at Matlock."
"Yes," Elizabeth chimed in, beaming. "And since Lady Rebecca has graciously consented to attend to all the details herself, Mama, you will be spared the trouble of planning my wedding." Elizabeth had to suppress the smile that threatened her composure. Mrs. Bennet was on the verge of apoplexy, but Mr. Bennet claimed his wife's arm and led her to the dining room along with the others, effectively silencing her for the remainder of the evening.
For Elizabeth's part, the remainder of the evening went quite well. The meal was splendid, the conversation pleasant, and the Fitzwilliams warm and gracious. Elizabeth discovered that the Colonel's winning smile was a family trait that was frequently displayed by all the Fitzwilliams. And in the company of the Fitzwilliams (and especially in Lady Catherine's absence), Mr. Darcy also smiled a great deal more. He was so disposed to be in good humor that he did not seem to mind that Georgiana and Mr. Douglass sat together at dinner, still barely conversing. Miss Bingley even deigned to make conversation with the Gardiners, who both instantly became great favorites of all the Fitzwilliams.
When the evening was over and Mr. Darcy had seen Elizabeth to Mr. Bingley's carriage, she peered up at the beautiful façade of the mansion. From a corner window on an upper floor, Lady Catherine glared at her, but her face was no more than a shadow. But Elizabeth recognized the lady and after she pointed her out to Olivia, they both waved goodbye as the carriage pulled away. Lady Catherine was outraged by their audacity. She immediately called for her abigail and ordered that her carriage be brought around at first light. She was furious at her nephews.
"They are fools, the pair of them. To be so easily manipulated by those vulgar little chits...." She momentarily considered contacting her solicitors to withhold Colonel Fitzwilliam's inheritance, but knew that her efforts would not be successful. "Bah! Let them be made fools of. They deserve their fates. They will not know a moment's happiness, either of them. Mark my words, they will come to regret their marriages." She blew out the candle and slid into her bed, as the Colonel and Mr. Darcy, who had heard her rant from the courtyard, laughed.
Twelve
—
"Tell me again exactly why you insisted on dragging me out here at this hour?"
"Insisted? Dragged? My love, all I did was extend a simple invitation."
"Simple invitation? You made those eyes--you know it is impossible to resist you when you make those eyes." Colonel Fitzwilliam paused in his tracks and smiled wickedly. Olivia grabbed the lapel of his coat and pulled him along until he suddenly grabbed her hand and led her off the path. "Where are you taking me?" she gasped as she struggled to keep up with the Colonel's long-legged stride.
"It would not be much of a surprise if I told you that, now would it?" he called over his shoulder as he trod on.
"I do not need any surprises this morning. If Elise discovers that I am missing--and worse, that I am out here with you at dawn--."
"If Mrs. Crenshaw threatens to harm one hair on your lovely head she will h
ave to answer to me for it," the Colonel replied as he turned to help Olivia over a particularly large and slippery rock.
"Oh? Will you call her out, Colonel?" Olivia asked as she stopped to catch her breath.
"Yes," he laughed, as he brushed an errant wisp of hair out of her eyes. "And I will show her no mercy." The couple laughed as they continued to trudge up a rather steep hill. Olivia began to lose her enthusiasm for the Colonel's adventure when she plunged her foot into a muddy hole in the ground.
"Really, Richard! I do have better things to do this morning." Colonel Fitzwilliam turned upon her with "those eyes." Olivia rolled her own eyes and tried to look away. "I should be sleeping, or better yet, preparing. I have hours of preparations to make before the ceremony..."
"Exactly what is it you brides do before a wedding that takes so long? When John and Gemma were married, she was cloistered in her chambers for a day and a half." Olivia shot him a withering glance.
"Never you mind. Just be prepared to appreciate my efforts," Olivia laughed. The Colonel put his arm around her waist and drew her close.
"Have I ever failed to appreciate you?" He whispered in her ear.
"Only the first ten years or so of our acquaintance," she whispered back. She smiled at the Colonel's surprised expression, and kissed him lightly on the mouth before pulling away and ducking under a low hanging branch on their path.
So Long, Sentiment Page 29