by Robin Helm
“The dower house at Pemberley,” said Mrs. Bennet on a sigh. “I would never have thought things could end in this happy way.”
Mr. Bennet grimaced. “The date, my dear. Please, try to attend. The date for the wedding must be agreed upon.”
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes gleamed. “A special license? How well that sounds. Yes, Mr. Darcy. Two weeks from today will do very well. I shall write immediately to my brother Gardiner in London to inform him of our plans. After I run an errand or two in Meryton, of course.”
Mr. Bennet winked at Elizabeth. “Shall I send for the carriage?”
“Oh, yes, my dear, at once!” answered his wife. “There is no time to waste. I shall be back in time for dinner. Mr. Darcy, you and Mr. Bingley must stay and eat with us. Mary, please advise Mrs. Bailey there will be guests.”
Mr. Bingley stood. “Mr. Bennet, may I request an audience with you?”
The elder gentleman chuckled. “Of course. My library has been quite well-used as of late. Perhaps I should install a door which does not lock. A simple push would be so much quicker.”
Elizabeth looked at Jane, very happy to acknowledge her with a small inclination of her head.
When Mr. Bingley and Mr. Bennet left the room, Elizabeth took advantage of the chattering between her mother and two youngest sisters, standing on her tiptoes to whisper into her fiancé’s ear.
“Double wedding?”
“Shall your mother survive it?” he asked in an undertone.
“She has lived for this since we were born, you know.”
“Then Bingley shall have to go with me to London.”
Elizabeth giggled. “Two special licenses? She may die of happiness.”
“Ah! Two weddings and a funeral,” he deadpanned. “Better than two special licenses.”
Jane and Mary joined in the laughter until the three elder sisters were crying, hugging one another.
He watched their display of familial joy and grinned. “Georgiana shall have a sister in two weeks. She will be overjoyed.”
Elizabeth glanced back at him. “She will have five sisters, and we will love her.”
Darcy’s smile suddenly melted from his face.
She looked up at him. “Whatever is the matter?”
He shook his head. “We must talk.”
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:3-5
Darcy followed Elizabeth to the small wilderness just beyond the gardens of Longbourn. She sat on a stone bench and gestured for him to join her.
He sat beside her, his stiff posture revealing his agitation.
“You wished to speak privately?” she asked.
“I would rather not talk of these matters, but it must be done.”
How shall I do this without offending her? he pondered. Perhaps ’tis better to start with the log in my own family’s eye rather than the mote in hers.
He stood and began to pace, hands clasped behind his back.
After a few moments, he stopped to face her.
“The better I know your sister Jane, the more I like her.”
Elizabeth’s confusion was apparent. “I cannot imagine anyone would dislike Jane.”
“She puts me in mind of my own sister, Georgiana, though Miss Bennet is her elder by six or seven years.”
“Miss Darcy is reserved?”
“Yes,” answered Darcy, pleased by her response. “She is quiet – even shy.”
Elizabeth waited in silence.
How can I say this without portraying Georgiana in a very poor light? Elizabeth has yet to meet her. I would not prejudice her before she can form her own opinion.
She stood and placed her hand on his arm. “Something troubles you, my love. Share the burden with me.”
He swallowed. “I told you earlier that I recognized George Wickham in Meryton with the other officers, and I said he cannot be trusted. After observing the friendliness of your younger sisters, I am convinced I must lay a most distressing story before you to make you understand what a libertine and wastrel he truly is.
“I have known him all my life. His father, an excellent man, was my father’s estate manager. He married a good woman soon after my father wed my mother. Wickham and I were born within months of each other. He was my father’s godson, and we were inseparable for many years. In fact, my father, in order to secure a good future for his godson, paid for his studies in college and at Cambridge. He was given every opportunity to do well. His education provided him with the ability to enter religious orders, and my father granted him the living at Kympton.
“After my father died, Wickham informed me he had no desire to take orders. He was no saint, but I had no idea he had sunk so low. He asked for a final settlement of ₤3,000. I gladly gave him the money, for he had changed so much I felt he was not fit for the clergy. Sadly, he squandered the money, living a life of dissolution.”
Elizabeth gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, how beastly! He has ruined his chances of a good life.”
Darcy continued. “Exactly so, and it appears he plans to take as many people down with him as possible. He hates me and does all that he can to thwart me.”
“Why would he hate you? You gave him the money he wanted.”
“Once he had spent all he had, he came to me again, but I refused to continue to fund his debauchery. Wickham seemed almost wild when I denied his plea, then sought to retaliate against my family by destroying my sister’s reputation.”
“Such wickedness,” she muttered, gaping at him.
He resumed his story. “Last year, Georgiana and her companion, Mrs. Younge, went to stay in Ramsgate for the summer. Wickham, now known to be friends with Mrs. Younge, followed them there to seduce my sister, hoping to elope with her, thereby gaining control of her ₤30,000 dowry. She was but fifteen years old at that time. Even I would never have thought him capable of such wickedness. I wondered if he had lost his mind entirely.”
“My sister Lydia’s age.”
“Exactly so,” he answered, watching her closely. “Young ladies are easily influenced by his handsome face and deviously charming ways.”
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. “How was Wickham thwarted?”
“I went to visit Georgiana in Ramsgate and, by chance, happened upon them together. She confessed the entire scheme to me. When next I saw Wickham, he was crazed. Though he threatened me with violence, I immediately dismissed Mrs. Younge and took my sister back to Pemberley. I have told no one, except you and my cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, for fear of damaging her reputation irreparably. I trust you will guard this information.”
“You may be assured of my secrecy,” she answered. “I am honoured to be in your confidence, but I wonder, why tell me about this right now? Could it not have waited until tomorrow?”
Darcy took her hand in his. “In two weeks, your sisters will be my sisters. Wickham resents me, and he may seek to hurt me by ruining one of them. Miss Bennet will be soon married, and Miss Mary would not be taken in by a rogue. However –”
She interrupted him. “You think Wickham will seek to despoil Kitty or Lydia? My father has no money to give him, so Wickham would attempt to blackmail you?”
“He would. Wickham has sunk to the depths of depravity. I have never seen anything else like it. He lost all sense of propriety. Nothing is beneath him; he would stoop to the lowest acts to hurt me. His revenge would be complete. Apart from that, I would be most unhappy to be the cause of suffering befalling any member of our families.”
She nodded soberly. “I shall speak with Papa and Jane of your concerns. My father will make certain Mr. Wickham will not be welcomed at Longbourn.”
“That may not be enough, my love
,” he said, releasing her hand, lifting his fingers to her cheeks. “Your sisters might still meet with the scoundrel in Meryton. You and I will be gone in a fortnight. Miss Bennet probably will remove to Netherfield at the same time, for I would not be surprised to hear of her betrothal to my friend when we return to the house, and I suspect they will wed when we do. Who will go to the village with your youngest sisters? Who will protect them?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I do not know.”
“Shall we take them with us to Pemberley until the militia leaves Meryton?”
“You would do that for me?”
He gently wiped her tears with his thumbs. “Do you not understand? I love and adore you with all my heart. I would do anything to spare you pain.”
Her gaze softened. “I love you, too. While I am pleased that you would welcome my sisters, we will be newly married, and I wish to have you to myself for a few weeks, at least.” She blushed and lowered her eyes.
She desires to be alone with me? Darcy was a happy man. “I am glad to hear you say that, for to confess the truth, I would rather not share you with others for a good while after we wed. We could take a wedding trip after I finish my business on the estate. Would you like that?”
“Very much,” she answered, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. “Perhaps we can take them to London to visit with my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. Mary could stay here so Mama would not be deprived of all her daughters at one time.”
Her face was so close to his. Before he could weigh his actions, he moved his hands to the back of her head, drawing her even closer. Her eyes drifted shut, and he forced himself to be as gentle as a whisper.
Darcy’s lips barely touched hers. He tilted his head, delighted to breathe in her scent and feel her hair under his fingers. When he sensed her arms reaching around him, her small hands moving against his shoulder blades pulling him closer, his control began to slip.
This must stop. Anyone could walk by and see us. Darcy, summoning all his willpower, broke the kiss, leaning his forehead to hers.
“I must apologize,” she said quietly, stepping back, lifting her palms to her cheeks, closing her eyes.
“You are sorry? For what?”
“I touched you, and I should not have. I shall be more careful in the future.” She blushed deeply in mortification.
His voice was low. “Elizabeth, look at me. Are you under the impression that what you did was improper? Did I seem displeased to you?”
“You stopped when I did not wish to do so. I must have done something wrong.” Her green eyes glistened with tears.
Darcy shook his head. “Impossible. You responded to me exactly as I have dreamed you would. Pray, do not distress yourself.”
“Then why did you stop?” Her lips trembled. “Did you not like it? Surely, I shall improve with practice.”
He raised both eyebrows, chuckling. “What a marvelous idea, my darling girl. We shall practice a great deal – after we are married. I stopped because I truly did not want to do so.”
She widened her eyes. “So, I did not do it badly? I have never before kissed a man in such a way. I do not know how to do it well.”
His heart seemed to swell within his chest. Beckett did not kiss her. “You have bestowed on me a wonderful gift, for you will never compare my kisses to those of another man, and we can show each other what we enjoy.”
Elizabeth beamed at him. “You have given me so much already. I am quite happy that I am able to gratify you with my lack of experience. Shocked, really. I thought I would disappoint you, and you might turn away. Mama said we must please our husbands, or they would look elsewhere for their pleasure. I have been anxious about it.”
Darcy could not help himself. He was beyond curious, and it seemed to him that she was not uncomfortable talking about it. “I worried that I would frighten you. Did you like it?”
She laughed. “Could you not tell? I embarrassed myself by trying to draw you closer.” She paused. “What did you mean that you stopped because you did not want to? You wanted to continue to kiss me?”
“You are so delightfully curious. I wondered if you heard that.”
“Of course, I heard it. I always listen to you. Answer the question, sir,” she teased.
“I wanted to keep kissing you, and I knew we might be seen,” he answered, taking both her hands in his. “I would not wish our display of tenderness to be fodder for gossip. Evidence of our devotion for one another is too precious to display before people who would demean you. In addition, kissing you makes me want to be even more affectionate, and that must wait until after our vows.”
“More affectionate?”
He rubbed his thumbs lightly over the backs of her hands. She is an innocent, but I will not discourage her from talking to me. I will always answer her questions. Heaven knows I would rather educate her on such matters rather than allowing her mother to frighten her further.
“Yes, my love. Why did you pull me to yourself?” he asked.
“I have never had such strong feelings for a man before, and I did not know how to properly express my love for you.”
Darcy smiled. “And I have loved no other woman in the way I love you. There are many ways to show our love, and we will explore those together, after we wed.”
“No more kisses for a fortnight?” she pouted.
“I cannot promise that, but I will do my best. Perhaps we should try not to be alone in such a private place again until the conclusion of the ceremony.”
Elizabeth sighed. “The next two weeks shall seem very long indeed.”
With a special license, we can wed whenever we choose. He tried to clear his mind of the thought. Her mother would never forgive me, and Elizabeth deserves a wedding day. If I stay very busy, the time shall pass more quickly.
With a smile, he released her hands and offered her his arm. As they began to walk to the house, he patted her fingers, tucked in the crook of his elbow.
“We shall be quite occupied, sweetling, preparing for our wedding. I must go to London tomorrow to complete several items of business, and you should begin packing a trunk of what you shall need as we travel after we wed. I shall arrange to have the rest of your belongings collected and taken to Pemberley. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey can make their journey in that carriage with your trunks. They shall likely arrive at Pemberley before us.”
She sighed. “I suppose you are right, dearest, though I shall miss you most dreadfully until you return. I fear you have become necessary to my happiness.”
“Then, as your mother invited me, I shall dine at Longbourn this evening to see you one last time before I leave. Doing so will lessen the time we spend apart. However, if you need me, you have only to send an express to our home in Town. ’Tis not that far away. I shall write down the direction for you before I leave.”
“Now, if I can simply arrange an emergency of some sort to bring you back to me,” she chuckled, looking up at him.
You have no idea of the depth of my feelings. Nothing could keep me away a minute longer than absolutely necessary.
Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
II Corinthians 11:14
Elizabeth was quite pleased to be distracted from the melancholy she felt due to Darcy’s absence when her elder sister and Mr. Bingley announced their engagement a quarter hour later.
Amidst the confusion of congratulations, she pulled Jane aside, drawing her into an embrace. “Fitzwilliam told me before he left that he expected an agreement between the two of you. I am beyond pleased for you, Jane, for I think you both shall be very happy.”
Jane smiled, blushing prettily and stepping back to reply. “I am truly overjoyed. I only wish everyone could be as fortunate as we are.”
“When do you plan to wed? Have you spoken of it with Mr. Bingley?”
“Charles hopes that you and Mr. Darcy will agree to a double wedding. He will leave for Netherfield within the hour to speak with your betrothed, hoping that the two of th
em will journey to London together and secure special licenses.”
Elizabeth hugged her. “Rest assured, there shall be no objections on our part, for we have already spoken of sharing our wedding day with you. How wonderful to know that we shall be giving great pleasure to all our relations! Sisters and best friends marrying in the same ceremony must be agreeable to everyone.”
As soon as Mr. Bingley left Longbourn, Mr. Bennet retired to his library, citing extreme fatigue.
Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by four of her daughters, set off for Meryton to spread the joyful news and commission wedding dresses for Jane and Elizabeth.
As Mary had several gowns she had yet to wear, she elected to remain at home, pleading a headache.
Kitty and Lydia had groused the entire time they were in the carriage, insisting they needed new gowns for the wedding as much as the brides did. Mrs. Bennet agreed, for she never denied them anything, so the two youngest Bennets fled the carriage as soon as they arrived at the dressmaker’s shop, stating their determination to be assisted before the brides.
Their underlying strategy soon became evident, for immediately after the two of them had selected their fabrics and chosen designs for their dresses, they left the shop, saying they were going to visit the millinery to choose matching bonnets and ribbons.
Elizabeth was unconvinced their actions were innocent.
Where have Lydia and Kitty truly gone? They cannot buy anything until we join them, for they have no money.
While Mrs. Simpson, the modiste, and her assistant measured Jane, Elizabeth stepped to the window, curious to see what her youngest sisters were doing, for she knew Lydia and Kitty usually had a secret plan.
Her curiosity was soon satisfied, though not to her satisfaction. Instead, her cheeks burned in embarrassment.
Lydia and Kitty stood in the street, laughing and talking with several officers, on display for the gossips of Meryton.
Absolutely no sense of propriety. No sense of any sort! Elizabeth frowned as she noticed Lydia had her hand on the arm of George Wickham, looking up at him in blatant adoration.