The Lady of the Mount and Patience Rewarded: Two Stories of Darcy and Elizabeth

by Don H. Miller

  “We were not sure the day would ever come,” said Lord Monttard, “but we can see he knew the type of woman he needed and would take no less.”

  Then Mrs. Gardiner stepped up to Elizabeth and hugged her. “Congratulations, Lizzy. Edward and I were sure you would be engaged by Christmas also. You seem a perfect pair.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Madeleine. He and I agree with you. We are perfect.”

  After Mr. Gardiner had hugged her and congratulated them both, Lord and Lady Willingham and Lord and Lady Denby came to add their congratulations, and Lady Denby asked, “May I assume this affects your plans to come stay with Peggy Sunday and Monday.”

  “It will, my Lady. I have spoken with Peggy about it, and I hopefully, we can make arrangements for me to visit later.”

  Others, whom Darcy had to introduce to Elizabeth, also came and offered their congratulations, but many, who Darcy knew, but probably knew of Elizabeth’s lower status, did not.

  Finally, Darcy, Elizabeth, Lady Alicia, and Lady Matlock, were able to leave, and boarded Darcy’s carriage. On the way to Matlock House, which was only three blocks away, Lady Matlock said, “You know, do you not, that your Aunt Catherine and Uncle Darcy will be highly upset with you?”

  “I do, Aunt Helen, and it concerns me not at all. I believe we have received felicitations for as many friends this evening as we need to be happy, and care little what the rest of the ton thinks of us. I believe, someday, you will see the wisdom of my choice and how lucky I was to win her.”

  “It still astounds me, Miss Elizabeth, that you would refuse a man of his wealth and position until you were certain it would be a good marriage.”

  “Once you know me better, my Lady, I hope you will understand why I did.”

  Shortly after dropping off Lady Matlock and Lady Alicia, at Matlock House, Darcy pulled Elizabeth into his arms and said, “And now, Elizabeth, it is time we had that engagement kiss.”

  The twenty-minute ride to the Gardiner’s house seemed too short to Elizabeth. The first time his lips touched hers, she knew how much she loved him and how perfect they were for each other. She was sure it was inappropriate to spend almost all the time back to Gardiners’ house in his embrace, kissing him, but it was the most delicious twenty minutes she had ever experienced and knew it would be hard to resist kissing him every time they were together. The only thing which they decided about their wedding during that trip, was that it should not be a long engagement.

  Chapter 16: Dinner at Willingham Mansion

  When Lady Anne Darcy had been alive, it had been usual for the three neighbors – Dumonts, Sutherlands, and Darcys – to share a Sunday dinner at one of their houses at least once a month when they were in town. Darcy received a note from Lady Willingham on Saturday, after the Grand Tea Party, asking him if he, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Kitty could join them and the Dumonts the next day for such a dinner at Willingham Mansion. Lady Monttard and Lady Willingham had decided that resurrecting that regular monthly event would be an effective way for them to know Elizabeth better. When Darcy brought Elizabeth to Darcy House on Saturday to meet the staff and tour the house, he asked her about it, and she was delighted to accept.

  As they were conversing before dinner Sunday night, Lady Monttard said, “You see, Miss Elizabeth, you have already had a positive influence on us. This is the first time these three households have gathered at one time as neighbors since Darcy’s mother died. We need to do this more often.”

  “I was just thinking how pleasant it will be to be living next to such neighborly people. I shall make sure Will and I do our part in ensuring the tradition continues after I become Mrs. Darcy.”

  Of course, Kitty and Georgiana were at the dinner and Elizabeth was amused that Mark Dumont seemed to be attracted to Kitty. Her figure had become considerably more mature over the past few months and it occurred to Elizabeth that her younger sister was no longer a little sister. She was taller than Elizabeth and, in the gown borrowed from Georgiana, looked exceedingly pretty. Somehow Elizabeth had missed what was happening to her sister right before her eyes, but Mark, who was seeing Kitty for the first time, had not missed it. Georgiana had also seen Mark stare at Kitty and whispered to her, “You have an admirer, Kitty. Mark has been looking at you often.”

  This, of course, made Kitty look down the table to where Mark was seated, and to her embarrassment, he was looking at her when she looked at him. She quickly looked away, blushing profusely. Mark smiled and thought, “Her blush makes her look even prettier. I wonder if she is going be like her older sister.”

  Later during the dinner, Lord Monttard said, “I have been reluctant to ask, Darcy, but how did your discussion with your aunt and uncle go.”

  Darcy shrugged his shoulders and grimaced, “As expected, my uncle said he could not condone the marriage and would have nothing to do with us hereafter if we married. Aunt Helen was also unhappy, but understood she had to accept it and said she would talk to Uncle Robert.”

  “I do not understand,” said Lady Penelope. “Did they not like Elizabeth?”

  “Oh, I think they liked her character and personality well enough but did not approve of her lack of wealth and status. They have decided that my marriage to Elizabeth will discredit the Darcy and Fitzwilliam family names.”

  “That is nonsense,” said Lady Willingham. “Lady Marie, I believe we must speak with Lady Helen. Miss Elizabeth is a gentleman’s daughter and tells me her family has had their estate for over two hundred years. There is no shame in that. Besides, from what I have seen, she is an exceptional young woman. The ton should be happy to have her.”

  “I agree,” said Lady Monttard. “Lady Helen is a reasonable woman. I am sure we can convince her. It is Lord Matlock who is the stumbling block. I hate to say it, Darcy, but your uncle is a bit overly class conscious.”

  “I agree, Lady Marie, about Elizabeth and my uncle. I have hopes that after a time he will relent, particularly when he discovers how well she fits into our society. Your endorsement will certainly be a help and I thank you for it.”

  “Actually,” said Lord Vollenbrook with a chuckle, “Mark was right. It was a good thing you found her first. If she had been introduced to the ton by Lord and Lady Monttard, there are some of us who might have given you a run for your money. You see what you missed, Miss Elizabeth, by attaching yourself to this man so quickly.’

  “As I told Mr. Mark Dumont, Lord Vollenbrook, I think our fate was already sealed in the book of life. We were destined to be together, and all of you would have probably found me completely unacceptable.”

  “Miss Elizabeth, you are as good as married to Darcy and a part of the family. In these family settings, would you be willing to call me and the other young people here by our family names – Roger, Matt, Mark, and Penny – and let us call you Lizzy, and Miss Catherine, Kitty?”

  “Of course, if everyone thinks it is appropriate, I would prefer it.”

  “I think is most appropriate,” said Lady Willingham. “And I believe you may call us older folks Lady Edith, Lord Prescott, Lady Marie, and Lord Henri.”

  “And, once you are married,” said Lord Willingham, “you may call me Uncle Prescott, if you wish.”

  After dinner, the young people were asked to provide entertainment. Lady Penelope and Mark started it off, with Lady Penelope playing the piano, while Mark sang. Elizabeth believed he was a more accomplished singer than she would ever be. She was almost embarrassed to perform when Darcy coaxed Georgiana to play and her to sing. However, they did a song by Mozart, which everyone thought was delightful and all thought Elizabeth’s voice was quite good. After them, Lady Penelope played a piece on the piano, and then Elizabeth embarrassed Kitty by insisting that she sing one of the songs she knew that Kitty and Georgiana had been practicing. Kitty protested, saying she was just learning and not good enough to perform yet, particularly after hearing Mark. However, Lady Penelope assured her that after her debut the next Season, she might often be called upon to perfo
rm, so it was good to start before an audience who would not judge her harshly. Georgiana and she performed an English ballad they had practiced, and Elizabeth was surprised at how good Kitty sounded. She had been working with Kitty on her singing for several months before her trip to the Lakes with the Gardiners but had not heard Kitty sing since the trip. She had no idea that Kitty had continued to work on her singing while she was gone and improved so much. Her voice was not yet the quality of Mark’s or even Elizabeth’s, but it was very pleasing.

  After the performances, as they were sitting having tea, Lady Penelope said something about wanting to take art lessons and Georgiana told her she should see Kitty’s drawings – that they were fantastic. “So, you draw as well as sing, do you?” said Mark, who was also in on the conversation. “I would love to see your drawings.”

  “I just do them for my own pleasure,” responded Kitty. “They are not that good.”

  “That is an absolute falsehood,” said Darcy, who had overheard the conversation. “She is self-trained and yet sketches better than anyone I know. When she comes to live with us, we fully intend to hire an art master for her. I think her drawing and painting will be good enough to hang in any home.”

  “Now I am intrigued, Kitty,” said Mark. “Would you be willing to let me escort you home to retrieve your sketch books, so that we can look at some of them?”

  “Really, they are not that good.”

  “That is not true, Kitty,” said Georgiana. “Will, would you allow Mark to walk Kitty and me to Darcy House to get her sketch books?”

  When everyone encouraged him to agree, he finally said, “Very well, Mark, but for appearances sake, take a footman with you.”

  When they returned half an hour later, everyone looked expectantly as they entered the parlor. “You must see these sketches,” said Mark. “They are fantastic. The drawings of Lizzy, Georgie, and Darcy and some of the scenes around her home in Hertfordshire are remarkable. Once she starts painting, her art will be museum quality.”

  He handed the sketch book to his grandparents and it was subsequently passed around the room for everyone to peruse. They all praised the work and asked if she would be willing to sketch them or their children. “I will eventually sketch all of you, if I have an opportunity,” she said. “I have one sketch book that is devoted to the people I have known, so that I will always have a memory of how they look.”

  “Do you have your subjects sit for your drawings?” asked Matthew.

  “No, most of them I start from memory and then fill them in when I have a chance to look at them more. Some drawings have taken me weeks until I had them right. At first, I needed to start over many times, but now I can usually do the drawings in a few days and never need to start over, once started.”

  “What if I sat still in front of you for, say, fifteen minutes? Could you almost finish my likeness?” asked Mark.

  “I do not know. I have never tried it.”

  “Are you willing to try?”

  Kitty was hesitant to do it but decided she might as well try. “I am willing to try if you are willing to sit.”

  Mark and Kitty went into the dining room where Mark sat in one of the side chairs, while Kitty sat at the table with her pencils and sketch book and, after telling him how she wanted him to sit, started drawing. As always, once she started drawing, she seemed to forget the world around her and concentrated on her drawing. After a while, she said, “There, that is as far as I will take it today. I want to see you more to decide how to finish it.”

  Mark looked at his watch. “That was less than fifteen minutes. Let me see what you have done.”

  When she showed it to Mark, he was astonished. It was him, and in far more detail than he could have imagined she would do. “This is incredible. I fear I do not look as good as you make me look, but it is marvelous. Come, let us show the others.”

  As before, everyone was awestruck with her work and Lady Monttard asked if she could make a copy of it after it was finished, so she could hang it on the wall in her sitting room. “It takes almost as long to make a copy as to do an original. Would you rather see him from some other angle?”

  “Kitty, could you do a full body portrait of him on his horse? That is how I always think of him. He loves to ride.”

  Kitty hesitated, fearing to promise more than she could deliver. “I have never done such a sketch. I would like to try it, but it would undoubtedly take me much more time, and we would need to find a time when we could do it. I am only here a few more days and I am not sure when I will return.”

  “That is fine, dear. I can wait.” She turned to Darcy, “Have you decided what your plans will be for the next few weeks?”

  “I will place the announcement of our engagement in the paper tomorrow. Also, I am waiting for the responses I get from my Aunt Catherine and my Uncle Darcy to the notes I sent to them yesterday, telling them of my engagement. They should get them Monday and if not, they may see the announcement in the paper on Monday. In any case, I expect my Aunt Catherine will be here breathing fire Tuesday or Wednesday and that my Uncle Darcy will express his disappointment also sometime during the week. They agree with Uncle Robert and will undoubtedly make threats of one kind or another also. My Great-uncle Fitzwilliam, the Bishop, will probably be the only one of my elder relatives who will be happy for me and will want to perform the wedding.”

  “How about your Fitzwilliam and Darcy cousins?” asked Matthew.

  “All of my Fitzwilliam cousins will be happy for me, as will David Darcy, Uncle Darcy’s son. I am not sure what the eldest of my aunts, Lady Esther Pershing and her husband, Sir Randolph, will think, but they have been supportive of me in the past and were most helpful when father died. I sent them a letter yesterday, announcing our engagement, but they may be visiting their son, Phillip, who is now managing the original family estate in Yorkshire.”

  “May I assume you have no relatives who will object to this marriage, Lizzy?” asked Lord Monttard.

  “I believe all will be ecstatic, save one – my cousin, Mr. Collins, who is Lady Catherine’s clergyman. He is dedicated to her well-being and will be incensed that Will would deign to go against his mistress’ wishes and that I would be a party to that insult. However, his wife is one of my best childhood friends and will be most happy. She was the first to opine that Will might be interested in me.”

  “Have you informed your parents yet?”

  “Yes. I sent my father an express yesterday, so they will know by now. Will volunteered to take me to Longbourn to tell them, but I wanted to save him from my mother’s overly enthusiastic reaction. I told them we will be travelling to Longbourn on Friday and tell them all about it.”

  “Have you had any more thoughts on where and when the wedding will be?” asked Lord Willingham.

  “We are leaning toward having it at Pemberley early next year, just before we come to London for the Season. If we do, we hope you will all come. I know it is a four-day trip, but, as you know, there is plenty of room at Pemberley for you and our families.”

  “Why Pemberley and not here in London, or at least in Meryton, which is closer to London? You will have more of your friends and acquaintances attend. In fact, we would be happy to host a wedding ball. Having a Marquess give your wedding ball ought to help your acceptance by many of the ton.”

  “Thank you for your offer; however, we love Pemberley and wish to allow not only those gentry, who will be neighbors, but also the staff and tenants, to attend the wedding. Neither Will nor I is especially concerned about our reception by the ton and neither of us particularly want to be a part of the pomp and circumstance which would be part of a London wedding.”

  “But how about the debut of Georgiana and Miss Catherine?”

  “That is over a year away, Lady Edith,” said Darcy, “and I firmly believe by then, given her new connections and her personality and poise, Elizabeth will be accepted by most, and our marriage will no longer be a topic of importance. Furthermore, by th
en, Georgie and Kitty will be even more beautiful, talented, and composed than they are now, and will also have large dowries. I believe they will not have a problem attracting many men, both worthy and unworthy. Besides, if we think our sponsorship might cause a problem, we might ask you, or even Uncle and Aunt Matlock, to sponsor them.”

  “And, of course, we would be happy to do that,” said Lord Willingham. “However, I hope you give it more thought before you make a final decision.”

  “We intend to. We hope to make a final decision by Wednesday.”

  Chapter 17: Trouble with Relatives

  Monday Elizabeth went out with Georgiana, Jane, Kitty, Lady Penelope, and Mrs. Gardiner to take a first look at wedding dresses and other items for her trousseau. They carried with them sketches Kitty had made, working with each of Georgiana, Jane, and Elizabeth, of the kinds of gowns, dresses, and riding habits they wanted. The modistes they visited, when they saw who was with Elizabeth and discovered whom she was to marry, were most anxious to help her.

  All were most impressed with the sketches Kitty had made and assured Elizabeth and the others that they could makes patterns and produce the dresses depicted. Each of them also found existing gown-designs they liked but decided to cogitate on what they had seen and come back later before anything was purchased. Two of the modistes who knew Elizabeth as the Gardiner’s niece, because they bought almost all their fabrics from the Gardiner warehouse and had provided designs for some of the gowns she had purchased in the past, took her aside and assured her they could provide her with an exceptional wedding dress and trousseau with her aunt providing the fabrics.

  That morning, Darcy’s announcement of the engagement was in the paper. In the afternoon, one of his best friends, Mr. Harold Farrington dropped by, wishing to congratulate him and meet his fiancée, if she was there. Both she and Jane were there and, at that moment, were in music room with Kitty and Georgiana.