Love Unsought

by Kay Bea

  Darcy chuckled and cast a warm look Elizabeth’s direction. “My dearest, I do not believe there exists a morning cool enough to keep you indoors.”

  Elizabeth laughed at this depiction of herself. She was delighting in the ease of his company. “I am sure I do not know, sir, but I readily admit I have not yet encountered such a day.” She returned her attention to Miss Darcy and said, “Come, we shall ramble until our cheeks are red!”

  Jane and Darcy admonished her in unison: “You shall catch cold!”

  This only served to cause Elizabeth and Miss Darcy to dissolve into fits of laughter.

  Darcy left for Longbourn almost as soon as Elizabeth and Georgiana quit the room and, as had Bingley before him, arrived at an hour only just suitable for calling. He was greeted by Mrs Hill and then waited while she inquired after her master. Darcy thought the process was taking an uncommonly long time and was fighting the urge not to pace. He could not recall ever having been this nervous. If Mr Bennet would not see him, Darcy did not know what he would do. He was left in this state of agony for ten full minutes before the housekeeper returned and said, “Mr Bennet will see you now. This way, if you please.”

  Darcy thought it silly to require the housekeeper to provide an escort. He had, after all, been several times to Mr Bennet’s study and was unlikely to become lost. He could see she was scarcely managing to suppress a smile and hoped that meant Mr Bennet was having a little amusement at Darcy’s expense. “Thank you, Mrs Hill,” he nodded, then followed the housekeeper through various rooms until they reached their destination. Mrs Hill knocked on the study door and announced Darcy.

  “Ah, Mr Darcy. Come in, come in.”

  Darcy nodded his acknowledgement. “Thank you.”

  Mr Bennet waved Darcy to a chair and the younger man sat. “Tell me, what brings you to my study on this chilly morning? Surely you have not tired of the company at Netherfield since last we spoke?”

  “I have not. I always find the company at Netherfield to be to my liking, and this visit it has been even more so.” Darcy smiled.

  Mr Bennet regarded him for a long moment before saying, “Is that so, Mr Darcy? And why is that? Surely it is not the addition of Miss Bingley to the party that has increased your enjoyment.”

  Darcy blanched. “Heavens no!” he blurted without thought. “That is to say, while Miss Bingley has certainly provided a change in the routine of my visit, her presence is not responsible for any change to my feelings.”

  There was a barely discernible twinkle in Mr Bennet’s eye. “Oh? Then pray tell me, why do you find Netherfield suddenly so attractive?”

  “My attraction is not one of a sudden nature, Mr Bennet. It is of longstanding and has recently been reaffirmed.”

  “Is that so? And you know this for certain?”

  “I do. My interest has not wavered these many months.”

  “I see.” Mr Bennet nodded for Darcy to continue.

  “And I believe you are aware, as I now am, that her interest has also remained steady.” Again, Mr Bennet nodded his agreement. “We have much to discuss still. There are a number of things that remain unspoken between us, but I would like to think we have the rest of our lives to sort it all.”

  “The rest of your life? Are you come to the point at last, Mr Darcy?”

  “Yes, sir. You once gave me your blessing to marry Elizabeth. I wish to know if I still have it.”

  “Have you already proposed?”

  “I have.”

  “And she has accepted?”

  Darcy could not help the smile that graced his countenance. “She has.”

  “What of the next time you feel the need to ride off into the unknown to right a wrong? What will become of my Lizzy then?” Mr Bennet’s eyes were hard and his voice firm.

  “I will take her with me. I wish never again to be parted from her,” Darcy said earnestly.

  Mr Bennet said softly, “Very well then, Mr Darcy—”

  “Just Darcy, sir.”

  Mr Bennet chuckled. “Very well then just Darcy, you have my blessing. Although as she is now under the roof of your friend, perhaps I should require that you apply to him as well.”

  “Mr Bennet, I have already faced your daughter. Surely you do not think Bingley to be more frightening than Elizabeth when she is angry?” At that, both men burst into laughter. Darcy spent another quarter hour with Mr Bennet before returning to Netherfield.

  In Brighton, Mrs Brooks was completing a final cleaning of Penwood before Colonel and Mrs Forster removed with the regiment to Newcastle. She was not looking forward to spending the winter so far to the North but was too good natured to complain. The house was nearly ready for the move, and she had only to clean the entry before all was in order. Caught up in thoughts of the cold winter ahead, Mrs Brooks inadvertently knocked the outgoing post from a table near the door. Cursing her clumsiness, the woman dropped to her knees to retrieve the post, then stood and began sorting the pile before returning it to the table. When she came to the last letter her hands trembled. It was damaged, as though the table had been moved across it a number of times. She took in the delicate, feminine penmanship, the direction on the letter, and the date. Mrs Brooks forgot all about her mission to clean the entry and ran straight to Colonel Forster’s office.

  The morning after the Netherfield dinner party, Anne was reading with Mrs Jenkinson in a sitting room at Darcy House when Mrs Allen burst in the room. “Oh, goodness. Lord bless me. There you are, Miss de Bourgh. I have looked the house over in search of you!”

  Anne set her novel aside. “You have found me, Mrs Allen. What seems to be the trouble?”

  “An express has come for the master.” She put a missive into Anne’s waiting hand. “And being as he is away, I do not know what to do. Mr Thompson says as we should wait for the master’s return, but I cannot agree.”

  Anne stopped her. “You have done well, Mrs Allen. I shall take care of it from here. If Mr Thompson raises a question, you may tell him that I have intervened, and he may discuss it with Mr Darcy on his return from Hertfordshire.” The housekeeper bobbed a curtsey and left.

  Anne opened the letter and found it to be from Colonel Forster. In his express, he told how his own housekeeper had found the note enclosed behind a piece of furniture and brought it to him. He then sent it to Darcy as soon as was practicable. He offered no explanation as to how the letter became lost in the first place, but Anne supposed it must have fallen. As Anne turned the older letter over, the pages fell open in her hand. She would not, of course, have opened the letter herself. But as the opportunity presented, she saw no harm in glancing at the contents. She skimmed down the page, allowing only a few phrases to catch her eye. She dropped the pages as she instantly recognised the significance of the letter. To the empty room, she said, “I must go to Hertfordshire at once!”

  She bent to retrieve the pages and two more lines came to her notice, these from yet another letter: ‘My dearest Fitzwilliam’ and ‘please…say you were not leaving me.’

  “Mrs Allen!” Anne shouted even as she rang the bell.

  In less time than she thought possible, Anne had dashed off a note to Colonel Fitzwilliam, whom she knew to be staying with his parents, had her trunks packed, bade Mrs Jenkinson to hurry, and was waiting impatiently in the hall when her cousin arrived. “You are late, Richard!”

  Her cousin replied, “You sent a note to my parents’ home where they had just received a frantic message from your mother demanding your immediate return. I had a bit of explaining to do before I could run off!”

  “Goodness! I had not considered mother. Well, it is done now, and I shall not be here in any case.”

  Richard stood opposite Anne as the rest of the trunks were packed. “Now tell me. Where are we going and why does”—he looked at the note in his hand, though Anne knew he did not need to—“Darcy’s future happiness depend upon our haste?”

  “We are going to Hertfordshire. Netherfield Park, to be precise.”
/>
  “Why would we do that? Is Darcy not already there?”

  “He is.”

  “So, they are together, but we need to, what? Go to them?” The good colonel’s confusion showed in his voice.

  “Yes, yes. Do try and keep up.”

  “An easier task if you would not speak in circles and mysteries,” Richard groused.

  “Do you recall Darcy and Georgiana saying there had been no letters from Miss Bennet after the unfortunate affair in Brighton?” Richard nodded his head. “There was. A letter that is. There was a letter. It was somehow misplaced and arrived only this morning under cover of a letter from Colonel Forster.”

  “And naturally, you read it.” Richard smirked.

  Anne rapped his arm lightly with her fan. “I did not. Well, not all of it. Only enough to know that, as usual, our cousin has been operating under a misapprehension. Miss Bennet did not stop writing because she was angry with him, but because she thought he was angry with her!”

  “So, they have been in misery because neither would ask the other why they were being silent.” It was not a question. “They deserve each other.”

  “Richard!”

  “Well, they do.” He shook his head in consternation.

  The pair spent the journey imagining all the ways the meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth could have gone wrong and what might be done to correct the situation. It was finally determined that on their arrival at Netherfield Park—after they apologised for arriving uninvited—Anne would take the letter directly to Elizabeth, and Richard would go to Darcy.

  Elizabeth entered the music room to discover Mr Darcy at the piano singing what she recognised as an Italian love song. She stopped inside the door to take in the sight before her, then walked quietly to his side and let the lyrics of Caro Mio Ben wash over her.

  “I did not know you played,” she murmured as she stood before him, “or that you have such a lovely voice.”

  “I could not tell you all my secrets.” He stopped playing and moved with her to a nearby settee.

  “I missed you today. How was your visit with my father?”

  “He was kinder than I expected. Miss Mary is recovered from her headache, so I believe he and your sisters will be here soon to offer their congratulations in person.”

  They remained in comfortable silence for several minutes before he said, “I wish to give you something while we are yet alone.”

  “What is it, my love?”

  He reached into his pocket and withdrew an object she could not see. Then he held out his open palm saying softly, “This.”

  She picked up the ring from his outstretched hand. “Oh, Fitzwilliam! ’Tis beautiful! I have never seen anything so lovely.” She held the ring between her thumb and forefinger as she admired the candlelight dancing and skipping across the stones.

  “The stones belonged to my grandmother Darcy. My father put them in a ring for my mother, who left it for me. I have never known another woman to whom I would give this ring.”

  “Then I shall treasure it all the more” She slid the ring on and admired the gems as they sparkled in the candlelight.

  He drew her to his side and turned her face to meet his in a long and tender kiss. When they parted, she lay her head on his shoulder and thought how pleasant it was to be in his arms. They were drawn from their cocoon by the sound of raised voices.

  “What do you suppose has happened?”

  “I could not say, but that sounds like my cousin Richard.”

  Elizabeth cocked her head as if to hear more clearly “I do not know the colonel’s voice well enough to say, but the other voices sound much like my family. I wonder what could have them in such an uproar?”

  “I am sure I do not know, but perhaps we should see for ourselves.”

  “Or we could remain here where there are no raised voices and no urgent troubles.”

  Elizabeth gave him a sly look and Darcy grinned when he answered. “We could. But from the tone of his voice, I would wager Richard is on the verge of losing his temper. I would not wish Bingley to witness such a display.”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I suppose it would not do for our families to regret their first impressions.”

  The couple moved quickly from the warm silence of the music room. From there, they followed the sound of raised voices to the hall. The scene there might have inspired concern or shock to any other couple. But Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged bemused glances and barely restrained themselves from laughing aloud. While the servants strove mightily to make themselves invisible, the residents of Netherfield stood in a loose line facing a clearly agitated Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss de Bourgh. Behind the colonel and Miss de Bourgh stood Mr Bennet, Mary, and Kitty. The overall effect was that Darcy’s cousins were surrounded. They could neither move forward into the house, nor retreat from it to the relative safety of their carriage.

  As Darcy and Elizabeth neared the party, the cacophony of sound gave way to individual voices. “Really, Georgiana! We must speak with your brother and Miss Elizabeth! They have each been terribly misinformed,” Miss de Bourgh pleaded.

  “Now, if you would just listen! All is—” Bingley was trying to make himself heard.

  “Truly, if you will only listen to us—” Jane spoke into the fray.

  As each person in the room attempted to speak over the other, Darcy and Elizabeth slipped unnoticed into their midst. Mr Bennet chuckled as he spied Elizabeth.

  Still holding hands, they observed their friends and relations a few moments more before Darcy leaned to whisper in Elizabeth’s ear, “How shall we surprise them?” His lady turned scarlet but nodded her agreement as she faced him. Darcy placed a gentle hand beneath Elizabeth’s chin, tilted her head to his and kissed her soundly on the lips. As Darcy’s lips lingered on Elizabeth’s, the room gradually fell silent.

  They were finally interrupted by Mr Bennet who said, “How good of you to join us.”

  Darcy and Elizabeth broke their kiss. Once again, chaos threatened. Formal introductions were made, refreshments ordered, and a semblance of calm was restored. The happy couple began accepting the well wishes of their families.

  Mr Bennet was first to offer his thoughts. “Congratulations, Lizzy. You have done well for yourself, my dear, and I believe you shall be happy together. He is a good man.”

  “Yes, he is, Papa. Thank you.”

  Mary was next to reach Elizabeth’s side. She hugged Elizabeth and said in her ear, “I knew how it would be. I am happy for you, Sister.” Elizabeth returned the embrace and thanked her.

  When Kitty’s turn came, she asked, “Have you decided on a date for your wedding?”

  The answer to her question was of interest to all, but before Elizabeth or Darcy could respond, the colonel said, “Darcy has a common licence. Do you not? They may marry at any time. They could marry tomorrow!”

  Elizabeth regarded her betrothed silently and awaited his reply. It was not long in coming.

  “No, I do not.”

  “But we told you specifically to return to Hertfordshire with a licence in hand!” Anne exclaimed.

  Darcy held up a hand to forestall further argument. “Though you insisted, it does not follow that I agreed.” He turned his face to Elizabeth before continuing. “I had thought to purchase it, but I decided some might find it officious.” She laughed up at him, and he said, “Besides, I have been given to believe it is the wish of many ladies to hear their names announced in church when the banns are read. I would not deprive Elizabeth of that experience if it is what she desires.”

  “Well said, Mr Darcy. I see you already begin to understand my Lizzy,” Mr Bennet said.

  “Yes, he does.” Elizabeth agreed. “We have not discussed a date for our nuptials, but we soon will, and we will not keep it secret from any of you.”

  Elizabeth was pleased to see Mary and Miss de Bourgh together. She did not know what they were discussing, but they seemed content. Kitty was with Miss Darcy, and the two girls appeared to be
well on their way to being friends. Elizabeth contemplated whether to ask Darcy if one of her sisters might join them at Pemberley after they wed. Eventually, Mary excused herself to speak with Mr Bennet, and Miss de Bourgh moved nearer to Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy and Elizabeth made their way to his cousins. Darcy asked mildly, “So tell us, what was so urgent that you felt compelled to rush here from London, invade Bingley’s home, and then harass him in front of his servants?”

  Miss de Bourgh answered. “It was my doing, really. You see, there was—”

  Colonel Fitzwilliam interrupted, “No, Anne, you cannot take the blame here. I insisted—”

  “Nonsense! You would have remained in ignorance had I not sent for you.”

  “Ahem. Are either of you going to explain what you are speaking of?” Darcy asked.

  Miss de Bourgh answered. “There was a letter for Georgiana. Well, really it was for you, but it was addressed to Georgie. The note was damaged, and the seal had broken. Though I did not intend to read it, I could not help—”

  “She did not read all of it, only enough to realise its importance.”

  “Once I apprehended the note’s significance, I sent for Richard, whom I knew to be at Matlock House visiting his parents.”

  The colonel added, “Anne thought we had best come to you together. I would speak with you, Darcy, whilst Anne visited with Miss Bennet.”

  Darcy had no more understanding of their purpose at the end of the speech than before it began. He turned his face to Elizabeth, expecting to see his own confusion mirrored there. To his unending surprise, he saw not confusion but shocked understanding and, if he was not mistaken, a little embarrassment.

  Elizabeth looked at Darcy, her eyes rapidly welling with tears. Her voice trembled when she said, “You never received it. That is why—I am such a fool. But still, you came.” She shook her head in disbelief. “I do not deserve you, Fitzwilliam Darcy. I truly do not.”

  “We shall have to disagree on that point, Elizabeth.” He pressed her hand with his. “I still feel as though I am an actor in a play, but no one has told me my lines. I have not the least understanding of any of this.”