by Kara Louise
After about a half an hour of sitting in silence, or talking of Anne, or of the weather, or of how much her father disliked London, the men finally joined them. Even Lady Catherine seemed pleased, a rare smile touching her lips.
“Ah! Finally you have returned! Mr. Bennet, please do come and sit beside me!”
Darcy and Elizabeth exchanged rather amused – but more surprised – glances with each other, and they watched as Mr. Bennet approached the woman with a wide grin.
“Now tell me, Mr. Bennet, what is this nonsense your daughter tells me about how much you despise going to town?” Lady Catherine asked.
He shook his head firmly. “Dislike the place! If I can find a way to avoid it, I do!”
“Heavens!” Lady Catherine’s eyes widened. “There are so many things to do there!”
“In addition to so many people, so many buildings, so much noise, so much frippery… shall I go on?”
“But, Mr. Bennet! The assemblies, the balls, the culture! You do not know what you have missed until you have seen a great play performed in the theatre!”
Mr. Bennet let out a humph. “Between my wife and my daughters, I have observed all the drama anyone could ask for – quite enough to last a lifetime!” He looked at Elizabeth and winked.
“Absurd!” exclaimed Lady Catherine, but with a slight laugh. “What about concerts?”
“They quite put me to sleep.” He pressed his fingertips together and brought them up under his chin. “Is this not true, Lizzy?”
“Only some concerts, Papa,” Elizabeth answered, thinking of a few of Mary’s performances.
Lady Catherine looked at him intently and raised her voice. “Mr. Bennet, this is not to be borne! I have never heard of such nonsense!”
Elizabeth thought her father was about to receive one of Lady Catherine’s infamous tirades.
But her voice suddenly softened. “But I admire your honesty.” She let out a brisk laugh. “And I thought I was celebrated for my frankness!” She tilted her head at the older gentleman. “And yes, sometimes there is too much frippery!
The two continued to talk amongst themselves, and both Darcy and Elizabeth marvelled at how much they seemed to enjoy each other’s company, whether they were in fervent disagreement with each other or wholehearted accord.
At length, Elizabeth grew weary and was actually reluctant to bid her guests goodnight, but she felt she could no longer fight the weight of fatigue that suddenly pressed down on her. After expressing to both her father and Lady Catherine how much she had enjoyed the evening, she bid them all a good night. Her husband escorted her to her room, with a promise to his aunt and Mr. Bennet that he would soon return.
As they walked upstairs, their first time to be alone since Mr. Bennet’s arrival, Elizabeth said, “What a surprising day this has been!”
“Yes,” Darcy answered slowly, as he put his arm about his wife. “And what are your thoughts on our journey to Stratford now that your father is here?”
Elizabeth leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “Would you be terribly disappointed if we did not go?”
Darcy kissed the top of her head. “I had already decided that if you were still stubbornly determined to go, I would have to put my foot down and insist we stay.” He stopped and turned to look at her. “It is not just your father’s being here; I can see you do not feel completely yourself.”
Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. “It is not very reassuring to me that I cannot hide anything from you!”
“And exactly what would you wish to hide from me?” Darcy asked in a teasing voice.
“Well, I cannot think of anything now, but I am sure someday I shall.”
“And I hope you shall not!”
When they reached their room Elizabeth said, “Were you as surprised as I was tonight how much your aunt and my father seemed to enjoy each other’s company?” She pinched her brows together. “I would never have imagined it!”
“There seemed to be enjoyment even in their disagreements!” Darcy said with a laugh. “It reminds me a little bit of us when we first met and had our share of sparring and bantering.” His voice grew serious. “But unfortunately, I was the only one who took any delight in it!”
“On the contrary, Mr. Darcy!” Elizabeth’s eyes lit with mirth. “I took great delight in vexing you, having no idea that you found me to be so charming when I countered any of your opinions!”
They entered their room, and Elizabeth rang the bell for her maid. She sat down on the bed, and her husband sat down next to her. He cupped her face with his hand. “You have no idea how true that was,” he said warmly. “The more you disagreed with me, the more alive I was to your eyes, your figure, your voice, your intelligence, and your wit!” He gently kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. “Good night, my love. Rest well.”
Once Elizabeth was alone in the sanctuary of her room, she pulled out the letter from Jane. She let out a long sigh as she read her sister’s words.
My Dearest Sister,
How I envy Father that he is able at a moment’s notice to decide to pay you a visit. I hope his arrival was not terribly inconvenient and that you will be able to enjoy his visit. I know he was looking forward to it. I do hope you are feeling better than when you last wrote.
Oh, Lizzy, how I wish you were here and that I could console myself by talking to you face to face. I had not wished to mention it, but I know Father would tell you anyway. About two weeks ago, Charles and I lost a child in the early months of my pregnancy. I had only just suspected that I was carrying a child when the loss occurred. I did not want to burden you with my woes, but I fear you are the only one I would wish to have by my side at this time, and yet I know that is impossible. Rest assured that Charles has been very good to me, and I do want you to know that we both rejoice with you in your pregnancy. We know there will be another time for us.
Elizabeth looked up from the letter, tears pooling in her eyes. “Oh, Jane! How I wish I could be there for you!” She wiped her eyes and continued reading.
I must confess, Lizzy, that as much as Charles and I consider ourselves to be very even-tempered people, it is even more difficult to bear our loss with Mother’s effusions and intrusions in our life at this time. While she means well, her visits only serve to make us both feel worse. She feels the need to stop by even more often now to try to bolster our spirits, yet it usually ends up with us having to bolster hers. How Charles and I hope that a home can be found for us nearer to you! I know that he and Fitzwilliam have corresponded about it.
Please be assured Lizzy that we will somehow make it through this difficult time. Just the thought of being near you cheers me greatly!
With great love,
Jane
When Elizabeth finally closed her teary eyes that night, her thoughts whirled with all the events of the day, from the frustration of dealing with Lady Catherine, to the joy she felt in her father’s arrival, and finally to the grief that encompassed her in reading Jane’s letter. When sleep finally came, she was relieved from all the burdens that had come upon her in the last few days and had dreams of holding a precious little baby.
*~*~*
The next morning, Elizabeth cried on her husband’s shoulder as she told him all that Jane had revealed concerning the loss of the child she and Charles had been expecting. He held her in his arms, surprised at the feeling of loss he felt for his friend and sister-in-law. They did not dare mention it to Lady Catherine, knowing she would likely attribute it to something Jane had done.
When they finally arrived downstairs, the house was quiet. They stopped by the library, expecting to find Mr. Bennet in there reading, but he was not. Both he and Lady Catherine were early risers, so this was unusual.
Darcy and Elizabeth entered the dining room, where the aromas from the kitchen teased them. Darcy inquired of the maid who was setting out some breads if she had seen his aunt or Mr. Bennet.
“Yes, sir,” she answered. “They enjoyed some tea and coffee in
here about an hour ago, and then I believe they went outside for a stroll.”
Elizabeth darted a glance at her husband, who thanked the young lady.
“Out for a walk together?” whispered Elizabeth when the servant stepped out of the room. She walked over to the window. “I cannot believe my eyes!”
“What is it?” Darcy asked as he came toward her.
Elizabeth pointed toward the couple walking along one of the paths in the garden. Lady Catherine had her hand tucked securely in Mr. Bennet’s arm, and they appeared to be laughing. They watched as Mr. Bennet reached down and picked a flower, placing it carefully into Lady Catherine’s hair at the edge of her cap. Elizabeth gasped.
“It appears, my dear, that we had no need to worry about how your father and my aunt would get along. They seem perfectly content in each other’s company!”
“This is peculiar, indeed!”
When they saw the couple had turned to walk back to the house, Darcy and Elizabeth went to the front hallway to greet them.
As the door opened, the sounds of great mirth could be heard.
“Heavens, Mr. Bennet! You cannot be serious!” Lady Catherine said, following it with a click of her tongue. “She actually sent your daughter out on a horse in the rain!”
“She did!” Mr. Bennet answered with a laugh. “All in the hopes of marrying her off to this gentleman. And she was successful!”
When they stepped in, they both looked up. Seeing his daughter, Mr. Bennet exclaimed, “Lizzy! Are you feeling better this morning?”
“Yes, Papa, I am.”
“Good! I must tell you how beautiful these gardens are with all their flowers in bloom! We have been thoroughly enjoying them.”
Both Elizabeth and Darcy unwittingly looked to the flower in Lady Catherine’s hair.
She raised a single brow as she noticed their scrutiny. “Yes, a delightful morning for a stroll. We had such a pleasant time.” Her gaze turned to Mr. Bennet, and she gave him a smile. Her fingers went up and touched the flower. “I shall treasure it always.”
Darcy clapped his hands, really not knowing how to respond to this odd couple. “Well, let us proceed to the dining room. I believe breakfast is ready.”
Lady Catherine took Mr. Bennet’s arm again and walked ahead of Darcy and Elizabeth who exchanged looks of complete amazement.
Later, Elizabeth spoke with her father about Jane’s loss and asked him not to mention it to Lady Catherine. He promised her that he would not and reassured her that Jane was doing as well as could be expected.
The day passed uneventfully, apart from Lady Catherine and Mr. Bennet continuing to enjoy each other’s company, having lively conversations, and sharing laughter together, all of which did not cease to amaze Darcy and Elizabeth.
The following morning – the day they would have departed for Stratford – Darcy and Elizabeth enjoyed a leisurely walk. The air was cool and the sky blue, and they felt just a little regret that they would miss such a pleasant diversion as the Midsummer Festival. But later in the day, storm clouds rolled in, and a violent rain began pelting the ground. The winds howled and the air chilled considerably.
Lady Catherine, who had remained quiet on the subject of their journey since they had decided to forego it, could not now resist gloating that she had been right in her warnings. While she did not explicitly say it, her words conveyed the assurance that something dreadful would have occurred had they indeed ventured out.
The older couple continued to enjoy each other’s company, going for short walks around the grounds of Pemberley, or if it was too muddy, through the house itself, sitting together in the parlour, reading in the library, and having lively conversations.
On the morning Lady Catherine was leaving, Elizabeth and Darcy stood outside with Mr. Bennet to bid her farewell. “I am so grieved to leave Pemberley,” she lamented. “I came prepared to stay on and assist you, but I see you are doing… you… you have all the help you need.”
She gave her niece and nephew a hug, and then approached Mr. Bennet, stretching out her hand. He took it in his. “It has been a great pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Mr. Bennet, and I look forward to seeing you again sometime… soon!”
“It was my pleasure,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, and then leaned down to kiss the lady’s hand.
She responded with a look of complete gratification, and Mr. Bennet took her arm to walk with her to the carriage.
As Elizabeth watched the couple, she could not help but wonder how different things would have been growing up if her father had respected his wife as much as he respected Lady Catherine. Quickly, she shook her head. There were other things about Lady Catherine that would have likely caused her father to lose respect, but those things did not have occasion to show themselves in the week they were here in each other’s company.
The carriage pulled away, and the three continued to watch in silence. Mr. Bennet let out a deep sigh when the carriage was finally out of sight.
“So! What a week this has been, eh?” he said with a laugh.
“We truly enjoyed it, Father. I hope you did, as well.” Elizabeth stole a glance up at him and saw a wry smile on his face.
“I most certainly did.” As they walked back to the house, he suddenly stopped and turned to the two. “I am sorry you were not able to go on your journey. Lady Catherine told me how strongly she had advised you not to travel in your condition, Lizzy.”
“She most certainly did,” Elizabeth agreed.
“Well, it was all for the good, you know, as the weather did not cooperate.” He paused for a moment. “But I fear there was another, stronger reason behind her insistence. She confided in me something that I thought you should know.”
“What was that?” asked Elizabeth.
“She blames herself – very deeply, I fear – for her daughter’s weakly constitution. She was in a carriage accident, not a serious one, but an accident, when she was carrying her. There was nothing I could say to reassure her that she was not to be blamed and she could not know for a certainty that the accident was the cause of her daughter’s condition.”
“This is the first I have ever heard of this!” exclaimed Darcy, bringing a hand up to rub his chin. “So this explains why she was so strongly against us travelling!”
“It is hard to believe she has borne this blame for all these years!” Elizabeth added. She reached out and took her father’s arm. “Thank you for telling us.”
“I thought it might help you understand.” Mr. Bennet clasped his hands together. “Now, I have about four hours before I take my leave. Do you mind, Son, if I spend some time in your library?”
“Do go right ahead, sir,” Darcy answered.
As Mr. Bennet briskly walked away, Darcy and Elizabeth took slow steps to the house. “It is sad, Fitzwilliam, that your aunt has carried such a burden all these years. I wonder if there is any way to relieve her of at least some of it.”
“I think not, but this likely explains why she has always been so protective of Anne. She may have feared that allowing her to do something might result in some other calamity happening to her. She would likely not be able to handle that additional guilt.”
When they reached the steps, Darcy turned and put both his hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders. “I do feel regret for you, Elizabeth, knowing that you were so looking forward to going to Stratford for the Midsummer Festival, and instead, having to deal with my aunt and your good father, all while feeling so poorly.”
Elizabeth rewarded him with a satisfied smile and took a step up. “My dear husband, you have no need to feel anything of the sort, for do you not realize that we had our own Midsummer’s Eve right here this week at Pemberley?”
Darcy drew his brows together, a confused look aimed at his wife. “Would you care to explain how this could be?”
“I would be most happy to!” Elizabeth laughed. “When your aunt arrived, Mrs. Reynolds came to me after taking her to her room and asked if there was anything
she could do for me.”
“She is very good in that way.”
“Yes, I agree.” Elizabeth’s eyes grew merry. “In the spirit of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, I asked her to come up with some potion or find some fairies that might whisk us away, or at least change your aunt into a kind-hearted woman for the duration of her stay.”
Darcy stepped back and folded his arms in front of him, still looking confused. “And?”
“The next day my father arrived!” Elizabeth leaned over and pressed her lips to her husband’s. “He seemed to have cast some magical spell over her, do you not think?” She laughed. “Or perhaps some fairies put a spell on the two of them! There can be no other explanation!”
Darcy wrapped his arms about her and drew her close. Letting out a light chuckle he added, “No, my dear, you are correct! It seems as though we did have our own version of a Midsummer Festival right here at Pemberley!”
Michaelmas
Elizabeth was strolling about Pemberley’s courtyard enjoying two of her favourite diversions: walking and reading. One hand rested on her belly, and she never ceased to be enthralled when she felt the baby move or kick inside of her. The first time it happened, she was not even sure if that was what it was. But now, in her seventh month, she was certain that with each kick, the baby was letting her know that he or she was very much ready to be welcomed into the world. And by the strength of some of those kicks, she was fairly certain it was a boy. Her husband particularly enjoyed it when he rested his hand across her bare belly in the privacy of their bedchambers at night and he could discern the poke of a hand or leg. He told her it made his heart swell with love for this child neither had yet seen.
Elizabeth had just closed the book and prepared to return indoors when one of the gardeners walked by carrying a large basket. She walked over to see what he was bringing in.