by Beth Wood
* * *
After arriving in London, both of Darcy's carriages made their way to Lord Hastings' home. After Lord Hastings and his valet were both delivered, the servants' carriage departed for Darcy House, while the Darcy carriage made its way to the Gardiner residence on Gracechurch Street. It was getting quite late in the evening, so after ensuring that they had interpreted the newspaper accurately, and that Lydia has in residence, Darcy and Elizabeth departed for their home, with a promise to return on the morrow to discuss in depth any other plans that needed to be made.
When they arrived at Darcy House, they were amazed to discover they were not the only people in residence. Both Lord Hastings and Colonel Fitzwilliam had made themselves at home in the library, sipping on brandy and trading stories.
When Darcy inquired as to their presence, Lord Hastings explained that his wife had not welcomed him home due to his mention in the newspaper article concerning Darcy's elopement. He then spent several minutes expounding on the frigidity he had found when returning home, Colonel Fitzwilliam laughingly encouraging him. Darcy finally cut him off in mid-sentence. Telling his cousins they were welcome to stay in any of the unoccupied rooms in the house, he led Elizabeth to their bedchambers. It was not until the next morning that Elizabeth was able to discern anything about the features of the room, beyond the fact that it boasted the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in.
Chapter 8
Lady Matlock tried her best not to roll her eyes at the inanities coming out of the mouth of her daughter-in-law, Lady Hastings. The lady had arrived at Matlock House fairly late in the morning, expecting to find her husband in residence. She was to be disappointed. When it became clear as to why Lady Hastings expected to find Lord Hastings at Matlock house, Lady Matlock had called for the carriage. Lady Matlock had spent the majority of the previous day answering brazen questions regarding Darcy and his new bride. She felt that she had been able to put a fairly positive spin on the elopement. If she decided to place the blame for the elopement on Lady Catherine's shoulders she could hardly be faulted. Richard had confirmed the fact that the two women did not get along, and Lady Catherine had never disguised her hopes for a union between her daughter and Darcy.
When the carriage came to a stop in front of Darcy House, Lady Hastings made it clear that she was surprised at their destination.
“What are we doing here?” she asked. “I cannot be seen going into Darcy's home so soon after his elopement.”
“I was under the impression that you desired to meet with your husband,” Lady Matlock replied.
“I will meet him at your house, but I will not set a foot inside Darcy's house.”
Lady Matlock took a long look at the woman sitting across from her before speaking again.
“We are both going to enter Darcy's house in the next couple of minutes. You can decide how long you stay, but you will most definitely be entering the home.”
“But visiting his home will make it appear as if we are accepting of his marriage,” Lady Hastings was getting quite indignant.
“I know exactly what it means,” Lady Matlock replied. “Now, unless you plan to be cut off from Matlock House, I highly recommend that you follow me inside.”
Without giving Lady Hastings a chance to reply, Lady Matlock tapped the door to indicate they were ready to exit the carriage. Ever efficient, the door was immediately opened and Lady Matlock and Lady Hastings were both handed out.
* * *
After their late arrival at Darcy House on Monday night, Darcy and Elizabeth enjoyed a private morning in the master suite. It was not until quite late in the morning that their conversation turned to the Fitzwilliam brothers who were undoubtedly somewhere within the house.
“Why do you think they are here?” Elizabeth asked.
“I'm sure that Richard wants to acquaint us with any news concerning Lydia,” Darcy replied. “As for Hastings, I thought he waxed fairly eloquent on the topic last evening.”
“Yes, his wife,” Elizabeth grimaced. “Is she really so horrid? Do you think she will try to make things uncomfortable for us?”
“That is difficult to tell, though I am sure we will find out soon enough.”
They were interrupted by a knock on their door by a servant announcing the arrival of Darcy's relatives Lady Matlock and Lady Hastings.
“This is a good sign, at least,” Darcy stated before dropping a quick kiss on his wife and making his way toward the door to his dressing room.
“How is this a good sign?” Elizabeth asked.
“Apparently, my aunt has decided to publicly accept our marriage,” Darcy replied. “You are soon to meet the true head of the Fitzwilliam family, and it appears she is predisposed to approve.”
With a smile he disappeared behind the door, and Elizabeth rang the bell for Sally to come and help her get ready for the day. It was time to meet the relations.
* * *
Caroline Bingley had occupied her Monday contemplating the elopement of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. At first, she had been furious that Charles would run to the Longbourn as soon as he discovered an excuse to call on the Bennets. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she could use this to her advantage.
Although she was disappointed that her attempts to attract Darcy's attention had failed, she did not wish to lose the privilege of visiting Pemberley or the other benefits that the association with Mr. Darcy had brought into her life. By the next morning she had decided that the best way to ensure she remained welcome within the Darcy sphere of influence was if they were family. Charles was clearly still besotted with Jane Bennet. It should only take a mild push and he would propose. With her brother married to Mrs. Darcy's favorite sister, Caroline was certain that her place in society would be secure.
With her new plan in place, Caroline informed Charles that she would join him on his next visit to Longbourn. A rather perplexed Charles told his sister he was planning on visiting that afternoon.
* * *
As Elizabeth laid her hand on Darcy's arm to be led downstairs to meet his relations, Darcy chose not to resist the temptation to pull her to him and steal one more kiss. They were interrupted by a loud clearing of a throat from behind them.
“At least it is comforting to know that we have gone through all this hassle for a woman you love.” They turned in unison to find Colonel Fitzwilliam approaching from the direction of the bedchambers. “A pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Darcy.”
“The pleasure is mine, Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth replied, moving into a slightly more proper position next to her husband. “I trust that you slept well.”
“You cannot deny that you took great delight in finding Wickham,” Darcy added. “I do not think any of this has been an imposition for you.”
“You are correct,” replied the Colonel, as the threesome made their way down the stairs. “I will be forever grateful that you allowed me to go after that man. It is a relief that he will be out of our lives forever.”
A shadow crossed Darcy's face. Before he could ask after Mr. Wickham's fate, Richard assured him that he would not face the gallows.
“He will be leaving for Australia by week's end. If you desire to see him one last time it can be arranged, but I would recommend that you do not. You have done everything you could to help Wickham throughout his life. You have done more than your father asked. It is time to let go.” Richard did not miss the way that Elizabeth's hand squeezed Darcy's arm in comfort, or the stoic look that overcame his cousin. “Besides, this is a time for celebration. I do believe I failed to offer my congratulations last evening, so let me offer them now. Welcome to the family, Mrs. Darcy.”
“Thank you, Colonel Fitzwilliam,” Elizabeth replied. “I only hope that the rest of the family will be as welcoming. I fear that Lord Hastings' presence here last night was a bad omen of things to come.”
“Do not let that worry you, I have lost count of the number of times the two of them have had an argu
ment that has driven my brother from the house. You would think that their house would be large enough for them to coexist. I am afraid that my brother rather likes having his wife collect him after an argument.”
“So, should I be expecting him here often, then?” Elizabeth asked.
“No, I am afraid that I am the cousin you should expect to see regularly,” Richard replied. “Since I share Georgiana's guardianship, Darcy long ago offered me a room in the family wing of the house. Anthony typically goes directly to Matlock House.”
It took a moment for Elizabeth to realize that 'Anthony' was Lord Hastings, but then she felt silly for thinking his brother would refer to him by anything other than his given name.
“What do you think prompted the change?” Elizabeth asked.
“That is a mystery that only Anthony could explain.”
They had arrived outside the parlor that housed their guests. Elizabeth returned her attention to her husband, and was relieved that he appeared to have returned to good humor. Since it was clear that neither of the others would take the lead, and it felt ridiculous to wait for a servant to open the door for them, Darcy turned the knob with a murmured: “Once more unto the breach, my friends.”
* * *
Jane Bennet was thoroughly overwhelmed and confused. From the moment the Bingleys first arrived at Longbourn she found the prospect of raising her eyes from the floor to be much too daunting of a task to attempt. Although she had convinced herself that she would be able to meet with Mr. Bingley again, he was not the main cause of her unease. She had always been able to imagine altruistic motives for those around her, no matter their offense. She found herself in the unenviable position of being in the company of a young lady to whom she could not assign noble motives, and she did not like the feeling. The source of her confusion was clasping her arm as they circled the room.
When Miss Bingley had first asked Jane to accompany her on a turn about the room, she thought it was an attempt to separate her from Mr. Bingley. It was not until they were several paces away from Mr. Bingley that it became clear that Miss Bingley had asked Jane to walk in an attempt to share confidences.
“Now Jane, I know I should not be telling you this,” Caroline started (though Jane could not remember giving her permission to address her so informally), “but my brother greatly admires you.”
“Indeed?” Jane was much too confused to formulate a more articulate response.
“Certainly,” Caroline replied. “He thinks of you constantly, and I am sure that if there had not been pressing matters he would have returned to Netherfield Park long ago.”
“Pressing matters?” Jane's mind was in such turmoil that she could do little beyond repeating a few of Caroline's words, but it appeared as if Caroline did not need any more encouragement than that.
“Why yes!” Caroline exclaimed in a whisper. “First he had such a dreadful amount of business in London, then as soon as the weather cleared we travelled to Scarborough to visit some relations. We were there several months before travelling to Pemberley. Then, we came here as soon as we could politely take our leave after Mr. Darcy left so abruptly.”
“Abruptly?” Jane looked back toward Mr. Bingley, trying to determine how best to shed herself of Caroline's company and return to his, without making it appear as if she was seeking his company.
“It took us completely by surprise,” Caroline continued. “Though, perhaps it is for the best as it allowed my brother to return here sooner than expected. He has not been the same since leaving Hertfordshire. I am afraid that he left his heart behind. If I had understood at the time how much he suffered I would never have imagined giving up on our correspondence. I am convinced we will soon become friends again. Will that not be nice?”
“Friends?” By this point Jane was only listening to half of Caroline's words as her eyes had met Mr. Bingley's and she had not looked away. Caroline was getting frustrated at how completely dull Jane appeared to be, but if she could secure her place in high society by Jane's marriage to her brother, she would do everything in her power to make it happen.
As Caroline opened her mouth to continue her monologue that was disguised as a conversation, Jane was saved by Mr. Bingley rising to his feet.
“Your activity has inspired me to wish for a walk among the gardens. Would you be inclined to show them to me?”
Before Jane could respond, Mrs. Bennet eagerly agreed that it was a splendid idea. As everyone readied themselves for the outdoors, Mrs. Bennet took Mary and Kitty aside to instruct them on ways to keep Miss Bingley occupied in order to allow Jane and Mr. Bingley as much privacy as possible. Her instructions were unnecessary as Caroline had felt she had already done as much as she could do in one afternoon. She could only hope that her brother would take advantage of the privacy afforded him. Both Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley were to be disappointed.
Although both Mr. Bingley and Jane enjoyed the time together in the garden, it was still much too awkward between them to come to an understanding. As the Bingleys took their leave later that day, both Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley starting considering ways they could throw the couple together again.
* * *
When Darcy opened the door to the parlor, he was surprised to find that Lady Matlock and Lady Hastings were alone. His cousin was nowhere in sight. Introductions were quickly made, with Lady Matlock truly delighted, and Lady Hastings saying as little as civility allowed.
“Now, you should know what is being said,” started Lady Matlock. “I had quite the most informative day yesterday. I do not know how the rumor came about, but you should be aware of the fact that many believe that the two of you have been secretly engaged since April. I may have intimated that one of the reasons you chose to elope was to avoid discord between the Fitzwilliams and the de Bourghs. It is fairly common knowledge that Lady Catherine has always hoped for a marriage between Darcy and Anne, though few actually expected the union to take place. So, you eloped in order to save my dear husband the uncomfortable choice of either supporting you or his sister.”
“And, is this story being generally accepted?” Darcy asked.
“I understand you must not, as of yet, seen this morning's paper.” All in the room turned toward the voice, to see Lord Hastings entering the room, newspaper in hand. With little fanfare, the newspaper was handed to Darcy. Elizabeth unabashedly looked on from his side, with Colonel Fitzwilliam reading over his shoulder.
“This is a remarkably positive article,” Darcy finally indicated. “I am amazed at some of the information they were able to gather.”
“I do know how to spread a good rumor,” said Lady Matlock. “I had at least a hundred women in and out of my parlor yesterday. All it takes is a seemingly innocent comment to one, and another piece of the story to another. They then all circulate through different houses all day long comparing notes. It does not take long for them to draw their own conclusions. There are so many young ladies reading novels, that it was not difficult to convince them of the romanticism of it all.”
“Yes, but how were they to know of Elizabeth's original dislike? Though, the article indicates that she pretended a dislike in order to better hide the engagement.”
“You can thank Elizabeth's sister for that bit of wisdom,” Richard cut in. “I took her for a ride in Hyde Park yesterday. She can be remarkably loquacious about a variety of subjects, especially when ladies and gentlemen of fashion are asking her questions. She is the one that told people that everyone in Hertfordshire had thought you disliked each other dreadfully. In the course of the afternoon she also mentioned that you had been guests in the same house for several days while the eldest Miss Bennet was ill. I will admit that it was only after my encouragement that she seemed to remember your propensity to stare at the then Miss Elizabeth while in company.”
“Well, now there is enough information spread around to have everyone talking for a great long while,” Lord Hastings interjected. “Mother, I am assuming you are here to plot the next
step of introducing Elizabeth into society.”
“Yes, and your wife graciously agreed to accompany me, so it should be clear to society that Mrs. Darcy has been well received by the family. I have given it some thought, and I think Lord and Lady Berwick's Ball would be the ideal occasion to launch her.”
“They are holding a ball?” Darcy asked, though he was not the only one astonished.
“What is so surprising?” Elizabeth asked.
“In February, Lord Berwick married his much younger mistress. This will be Lady Berwick's first ball.”
“And, why is this the ideal occasion?” Elizabeth asked.
“Everyone will be so occupied with the scandalous nature of the hosts that your elopement will pale in comparison. In short, there will be much more interesting gossip on which to attend.”
It was quickly agreed to introduce Elizabeth at the Berwick Ball. When Lady Matlock revealed that it was not for another fortnight, Darcy was more than happy to agree to stay secluded until then, as that gave him time alone with his wife.
Lady Matlock indicated she would make arrangements for her modiste to visit Darcy House within a few days in order to begin Elizabeth's wedding clothes (“Every bride needs wedding clothes.”) She was certain there would not be an issue in creating a new gown in time for the ball.
Darcy and Elizabeth saw Lady Matlock and Lord and Lady Hastings to their carriage. A few steps from the door, with his wife's hand still on his arm, Lord Hastings kissed the back of Elizabeth's hand. Throwing a wink in Darcy's direction, he once again expressed his pleasure in making her acquaintance, then handed a fulminating Lady Hastings into the carriage. Even if she had managed to avoid saying more than two words directly to Mrs. Darcy, those passing on the street had just been given the impression that she was willing to accept her into society. She did not care to think that her husband had the ability to manipulate her, so chose to believe that it was mistakenly done.