by Wells, Linda
“What?” He leaned down and spoke softly. “Incoherent?” Their eyes met and he sighed. “No, only when especially happy.” Abbey bit her lip and he sighed. “I beg you not to do that.”
“What?”
“Provoke me.”
“How did I do that?” She asked curiously and touched his arm.
Bingley closed his eyes. “Lord, give me strength.”
“Well this is certainly the place to ask for it.” Darcy muttered from his side. “Rein it in.”
The minister stepped up to the pulpit and the service began. Bingley took advantage of the moment to calm and peeking over to Abbey, he noticed that she was blushing. Leaning over he whispered. “You are doing it again.”
“You are doing it to me. It is only fair.” Mrs. Long cleared her throat and they glanced at her and grew quiet, until they all had to rise and sing. She spoke to the hymnal. “How dare you wear a coat that matches your eyes?”
Bingley smiled and missed the next stanza, leaning a little closer towards the book, he whispered to her bonnet, “How dare you wear a pelisse that matches your lips?” She gasped and coloured further. The song ended and they sank back down to their seats. Bingley shot her a glance and saw that her lips were pressed tightly together. “Forgive me. I am too forward.”
She waited for the minister to start the sermon and glanced at him. “The other men who courted me were different.”
“Tell me what you want, and I will be that way.” His sincerity and worry were obvious.
“I want you to be yourself.” Their eyes met. “And I will be the same for you.”
“I will do my best.” The sermon ended and they knelt to pray. Lifting his head he noticed that more than one pair of eyes was watching him, and noticed Darcy’s raised brow. Shaking his head, he acknowledged his friend, and sat quietly for the remainder of the service. When at last it was over, he stood and offered his hand to Abbey, and felt hers shaking. “I promise you, I will be everything a gentleman should.”
“I will try very hard to live up to your expectations of a lady.”
Bingley smiled. She was as nervous as he. “Miss Martin, please do not worry, you already do.” Stepping out into the aisle, he offered his arm, and followed the Darcys outside. The eyes were no longer on him, he noticed, and the sun was shining. “Oh no.” He said softly.
“What is wrong?” Abbey asked and looking around, she sighed. “Poor Mrs. Darcy.”
“Oh my, Lizzy!” Mrs. Philips rushed up to take her hands, how are you, dear?”
“I am fine Aunt, and you?” She smiled, Darcy stood behind her, one hand on her back.
“I am well, but the gossip …” She looked around and whispered. “I am not sure what to say. You have such a way about you, what do you suggest? I had no idea … well I knew that your mother was not overly fond, but that is to say, when you married …” She glanced at Darcy’s rather intimidating stare and back down to Elizabeth’s calm expression. “I … I …”
“Aunt.” Elizabeth gathered her thoughts. “I would ask you to let the ladies know that Mr. Darcy and I will be attending the assembly tomorrow with the family and then going home. Any opinions that we have regarding last evening or any other subject about our family are private.”
“Oh.” She glanced behind her to see groups of women tilting their heads and trying to listen. “Nothing else?”
“What do you expect?” She smiled.
“Well, my dear, the opinions of the neighbourhood are quite … your mother is being ridiculed. I am afraid that nobody will listen to her again.”
“I understand.”
“You do not have any thoughts?”
“I spoke my thoughts to Mama last night, as far as I am concerned, the subject is closed.”
“Mrs. Darcy.” Darcy’s soft voice broke through. “Our daughter is waiting for us.”
“Yes she is.” Elizabeth’s smile broadened. “We promised her a game of ninepins.”
“We did indeed.” He nodded to Mrs. Philips. “Excuse us.”
“Oh … of course!” She watched them walk away and board the carriage with the de Bourghs. “I will see you tomorrow, then?” Elizabeth nodded and waved as the door was shut.
She leaned back against the cushions and found Darcy’s arm around her. “That was not so very bad.”
“You ignored them, dear. And we did not linger.”
“How did it go for you, Mary?” Elizabeth leaned into his arms. “I am sorry, I was spending the service pretending to be Jane and serene.”
Mary laughed and was joined by the men. “I was just being invisible; I found it was not as easy as it used to be.” She looked up to de Bourgh and smiled when he copied Darcy, putting his arm around her and pulling her close to his side.
“You are not invisible, my dear.” He kissed her and she blushed. “Not to me.”
“I see a challenge being thrown down.” Darcy looked to Elizabeth and kissed her gently.
“Fitzwilliam.” Elizabeth said softly. “No betting.”
“On what?” His eyes twinkled and he heard de Bourgh’s snort.
“On whatever is whirling around in that overactive imagination of yours.”
Darcy sighed and hugged her. “If you insist, love. But you would have enjoyed it.”
“OH MY DEAR LYDIA!” Mrs. Bennet cried from her bed. “Come, come sit with your mother, my nerves! I hardly know what to do! The cruelty!”
“Cruelty?” Lydia had spent the last two hours travelling home with Kitty and Mr. Bennet. She had been thoroughly briefed on everything, from Darcy’s decision to end the visits to Longbourn, to Elizabeth’s decision to end her relationship with her mother all together. She was disgusted. “You mean your cruelty to Lizzy?”
“No!” Mrs. Bennet sat up and sniffed. “I said nothing wrong!”
“You wished her a miscarriage!”
“I only said that one was possible.”
“You called her husband a servant?” Lydia walked around the room. “You treated her like dirt! You always have. It is not funny Mama! What did she ever do to you?”
“Well … she …”
“She was born, yes, I know. She is a girl. Well so am I, so is Kitty!” Lydia looked at the clothes strewn around and moving a gown from a chair, she sat down. “What is the difference between your second girl and your fifth? Should you not hate me?” Hearing no answer, she sighed. “I suppose that you spent the time that Papa and Kitty were away trying on gowns for the assembly?”
“Yes, look at that one, is it not lovely? The lace …”
“Mama, do you realize that nobody there is going to care what you look like? They are going to talk about how you have been claiming such false love for Lizzy and all of her accomplishments and that they dislike you so much that you are not welcome in their homes! All of the people who heard you bragging over the beauty of your daughters are going to remember every slight you ever spoke about Lizzy and Mary, and who knows, maybe Kitty and me. Everybody will remember how bitter you were about Mr. Stewart leaving and not marrying Lizzy, and how Mr. Harwick and Mr. Bingley did not marry Jane; and that Robert is not good enough for Jane, and Lizzy was not good enough for Mr. Darcy. All of those little things are going to be talked about over and over, Mama. You are going to be a laughing stock!”
“You are too young to know what you are talking about.” She sniffed. “I am the mistress of Longbourn.”
“And nobody cares.” Lydia sighed. “Too young, I am the same age as Jane and Lizzy when you put them out to marry. I have learned a lot over the past few years. I know what it is like to be ridiculed for stupidity, Mama.”
“This is Lizzy’s fault.”
“Go ahead and think that if it makes you feel better. Nobody else will agree.” She stood and started to leave the room.
“Where are you going? Attend me!”
“You are not ill.” Lydia looked at her. “Get up, nobody feels sorry for you.”
Mrs. Bennet stared after her. “How
can you speak to me that way? I am your mother!”
“You are mother to five girls, Mama, not just the ones that you like.” Lydia walked out of the room and met Mr. Bennet in the hallway.
“That was quite a set down, Lydia.”
“I apologize, Papa. I guess that I know what I was and now I see girls coming into the school, and I just have no patience for that sort of behaviour anymore.” She sighed. “I will go back and sit with her.”
“No, child.” Mr. Bennet smiled. “You are, I think, the only one who might get through to her, but you are home to be with your sisters. She will have a rough time tomorrow. She has no idea.”
“I know.” Lydia looked back to the room. “Well, I cannot dance so I will stay with her.”
“I am proud of you.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “But you misunderstand, she will have a rough time because she is not going to the assembly, I have not told her yet, but I will in a moment. I am glad to have you home for this event, but I will be gladder still to send you back to school. You are not your mother’s keeper, that is my responsibility and I have shirked it for far too long. Now, go see Kitty, I think that she has a gown you might like to borrow for tomorrow.” He smiled and watched her go.
“Hill! Hill!”
Mr. Bennet’s smile fell away and he walking into the bedchamber, closed the door. “Mrs. Hill is occupied, Mrs. Bennet. Now, get out of bed, I have some news for you.”
“AHA!” Rosalie cried and watched the pins topple over when Robinson rolled the ball for Wallace.
“What are we supposed to be playing?” Bingley laughed and hurried down to set them back up.
“Ninepins.” Darcy smiled, holding her back from helping. “No love, you stay here.”
“Ball!”
“Not yet.”
“Not yeeeet.” She sang. “More!”
“Patience, little love.” Darcy sat with her between his legs and watched. When the pins were in place, he got on his knees behind her and kissed her cheek. Bingley rolled the ball and Robinson stopped it, and handed it over. “Now,” Darcy helped her to bend and give the ball a push. “Roll.” She did and the ball went a foot and stopped. “Try again, dear.”
Rosalie ran up and bent over, holding onto the ball and looking through her legs to her upside-down father. “Papa.”
“Yes, love.” He chuckled and the rest of the men laughed. “Go on.”
“Ball.” She continued staring at his unique position.
“Yes.”
“Whee.”
“Rosalie.” He said sternly. “Your turn.”
She sighed and looking forward, rolled the ball, watching it move slowly to just tap a pin. “Wheee!”
“Not quite.” Darcy smiled, and waited for Bingley to roll it back. “Try again.”
Wallace broke loose from Robinson and rolled over, reaching for the ball. “Papapapapapa.”
“He said Papa.” He cheered and looked to see Darcy’s understanding smile. “I am an easy mark. What has become of me?”
“It is not so bad, is it? To care for someone.”
Robinson smiled and looked to his son. They laughed to see that Wallace had managed to grab the ball and was curled around it, his head tucked and mouthing the wood. Rosalie was trying her hardest to grab it away, and both were squealing loudly.
“What are they doing? Rosalie!” Elizabeth cried from the doorway. Instantly the she let go of the ball, sending Wallace to topple backwards, still clutching his prize. “You must share.”
“I do not believe she likes that idea.” Mary came in and joined Elizabeth on the floor, and smiled at Louisa, who took a more dignified and far more comfortable seat on a sofa. “She wants that ball.”
“Well she will have to learn to share. Soon enough she will have a sibling, and very likely many more.” Elizabeth smiled to Darcy who was grinning from ear to ear. “NOT fourteen, Mr. Darcy.”
He laughed and watched Wallace roll across the floor to knock the pins over himself. “You will have to remind me of that when the thirteenth is born.”
“I do not think this is working too well.” Bingley sighed and reset the pins. Robinson tried not to laugh when Wallace again merrily knocked the pins down with his hands and Rosalie rolled the ball straight at him.
“Let us try this again. Set up the pins.” Bingley saluted the captain’s order and got to work. De Bourgh called, “Rosa!”
“Whoa!”
“Yes, dear. Please bring Uncle Peter the ball.”
“Ball.” She bent down and picked it up, looking at him uncertainly.
“Come on,” He smiled and knelt, holding out his hands. “Bring me the ball.”
Everyone watched as she looked from him to Darcy and back again. She started to run straight for de Bourgh and then veered to her father, giving Darcy the ball and a kiss on the cheek. “Papa, ball!”
“Good girl.” He laughed and smirked at de Bourgh, who sighed and sank down to sit. “Brilliant girl.”
“I tried.”
“It is their game.” Elizabeth smiled.
“Their rules.” Louisa agreed. “Ohhhh.” Everyone laughed when Rosalie ran over to hug de Bourgh and kiss his cheek.
“Are you blushing, Peter?” Mary laughed and watched him staring after the little girl when she ran off to help Wallace as once again he knocked down the pins. “Someday that will be us.”
Groaning, Bingley bent to set the game once again. “I am doing all the work, why have I not been kissed?” Feeling a tug on the back of his coat he turned around and was kissed square on his lips. Rosalie giggled and ran off again. Bingley blushed as brightly as de Bourgh had. He looked up to see Darcy staring at him with raised brows and his most intimidating glare. “I … I … She kissed me!”
“Stay away from my daughter, Bingley.”
“Darcy! She is not even two! She started it!” He continued to stutter as Darcy glowered. “Darcy!”
“I challenge you to a duel.”
“DARCY!”
“Weapons?” Hurst asked.
“Tops of course.” De Bourgh winked. Bingley closed his eyes and sank down to the floor to hold his head in his hands.
“I think he really believed he was going to die.” Robinson snorted.
“Feel better?” Darcy laughed.
Rosalie and Wallace sat on either side of him and rested their heads on his chest. Bingley started to laugh and hugged them both. “I pity the man who courts your daughter one day, Darcy.”
Chapter 27
“Thank you, Mrs. Annesley.” Mr. Bennet indicated the chair before his desk and waited for her to be seated. “No doubt you are fully aware of the activities of the last few days.”
“I could not help but overhear, sir.” She said diplomatically.
“Hmm, yes, it seems that no amount of warning can bring silence.” Mr. Bennet mused.
“If I might speak sir, I believe that there is nothing like the chastisement of one’s peers to bring about self-awareness.”
“Or increased petulance, or is it anger at this point?” He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I dragged her to church and that seemed to go well, but we returned from our journey to find her in bed again. My wife has felt the sting of her peers at the dinner, and her daughter in our home.”
Mrs. Annesley nodded. “I have found with my charges that it is the wider population expressing the same dismay as their inner circle that eventually breaks through, at least to the most difficult cases that truly require a …”
“Hammer strike to the head?” Mr. Bennet wearily sank back into his chair.
“Forgive me sir, for speaking plainly.”
“I do not mind, Mrs. Annesley. I admire any woman who displays sense, it is a quality sadly lacking in this house since my eldest children married and my younger ones departed for new adventures. I am impressed that my son Darcy chose you for my daughter and his sister.” They sat in silence for several moments while Mrs. Annesley waited for him to continue. “I have told my wife that sh
e may not attend the assembly tonight, I will remain here as well. I ask that you accompany Kitty and Lydia and look after them so that their elder sisters may enjoy the evening with their husbands.”
“I will be glad to do that …” She paused. “Sir, I am not in your employ so I will dare to speak my mind again. I think that leaving Mrs. Bennet at home is a mistake, and that you remaining here is a greater one.”
“Why?” He sat up and frowned.
“She is still protected here, she should face her neighbours. And you sir, should demonstrate that you are the master of this home.”
“I thought that I was by keeping her here. I do not wish to embarrass the other girls.”
“Sir, I was not a witness to the dinner at Lucas Lodge, but I do know Mrs. Darcy. She will not allow anyone to embarrass her. Most of the neighbourhood has yet to see her or her husband, and Mrs. de Bourgh, she is practically unknown as well. I say let them be admired and let your wife see that. The neighbours will take care of the rest.”
“You mean they will praise the girls and round on my wife if she claims any credit?”
“Yes, sir.” She studied him staring down at his folded hands. “Forgive me sir, I have overstepped my place.”
“No, no not at all. Mrs. Annesley.” He looked up to the younger woman. “You are a widow, I understand.”
“Yes, sir. My husband was a gentleman not unlike yourself.” Her face was blank but her eyes betrayed her feelings. “I was left to make my way upon his death.”
“I am sorry to know that.” He felt the years of neglect over his family weigh him down again. “And that is proof enough that you are no mere servant, I take your advice with the sincerity that it is offered. Thank you.”
“You are welcome, sir.” She stood and started to leave, and Mr. Bennet stood as well.
“Mrs. Annesley, I would appreciate your still attending tonight. I will look after my wife, but the girls still need you.” He smiled a little. “You will have the far more enjoyable task, I think.”
“The evening will be what you make of it, sir.” She nodded. “Perhaps you might dance with your daughters?”
“Oh.” His eyes grew wide. “I … I am not …accomplished.”