by Sarah Brown
“Where were Jane and Lydia?”
“Oh, Lydia was always with Mama. Jane would come along sometimes, but she was never very interested in fencing or any of the other things that I did. She and I are very close and I love her dearly, but we have very few activities really as common interest. For instance, she loves to embroider and draw, while I cannot stand either activity.”
“Too idle?”
She chuckled again. “Yes, by far.”
“I expected as much,” I replied. “But why did you pretend that you did not know how to fence when I offered you a lesson at Netherfield?”
I felt, more than saw, her blush as she turned her face into my chest. “I—I was still so unsure of you then. John had tried to tell you that day I saw the two of you fencing on the garden wall at Longbourn.”
“Yes, I remember. He offered you a lesson and then tried to say something more, but you cut him off. I remember wondering what it was about, but I never dreamed that he was going to tell me you could wield a sword with the amount of skill you showed yesterday.”
She was still hiding her face against my chest, and her words were muffled as she continued, “Yes. I did not—that is, I knew I liked you then, but I—I did not know what you thought of me. I had no hopes that you would come to love me, but I did want to be your friend at least. I did not want you to think less of me for partaking in such an unladylike pursuit. So, when you offered me a lesson, I pretended to less skill than I posses. No one outside of Papa, John, and Jane know that I can fence.” She laughed but winced again. “The look of wonder on your face last night as you asked me ‘Where on earth did you learn to fence like that?’ was priceless.”
I tilted her chin up so that I could see her eyes. “You were magnificent. I think I fell in love with you all over again as I watched you confidently outmaneuver your opponent in a situation when most women would have cowered in a corner or run from the room. I think that you and all your myriad talents, from frog catching to fencing, are incredible. And I love you all the more for each one.” She looked up at me, her own eyes reflecting a wonder equal to my own. I leaned down to kiss her slowly, lovingly. We broke apart after just a moment, and I kissed the tip of her nose. She smiled up at me before settling against my chest again. In a very few minutes, we were both sound asleep.
Epilogue
As it turned out, John and Jane were correct in assuming that we would not be able to keep Elizabeth in bed for very long. She was an awful patient and required constant supervision to ensure that she rested.
For two weeks, we settled into a kind of routine. Elizabeth and I would breakfast together in the mornings before Jane came in to keep her company until luncheon. John and Mr. Bennet would eat the midday meal with her. Then Georgiana and Lydia would take tea with her in the afternoon—Mrs. Bennet was kept out of the room as much as possible to avoid agitating Elizabeth.
After tea, I would spend some time with her again, reading to her or just talking with her, before supper, when she absolutely insisted she be allowed downstairs to partake of the meal with the rest of us. Then one or the other of us would take her back upstairs and spend the evening with her. Once everyone retired for the night, I would quickly go about my evening routine before joining Elizabeth in her room where I would fall asleep with her in my arms—a circumstance of which only Jane was aware and inclined to be tolerant.
Christmas and the New Year celebrations were spent happily together along with my aunt and uncle Matlock and Fitzwilliam. As I knew she would, Elizabeth charmed her way into my aunt and uncle’s hearts, and they declared her a very fine choice in a bride. My aunt even gave Elizabeth permission to call her Aunt Susie—a great gesture of approval as only a very select few people were allowed to address Lady Susan in anything but the most formal of manners.
Elizabeth’s shoulder was healing nicely, and Doctor Smythe had great hopes that she would regain full use of her arm. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was only inclined to allow such coddling for a fortnight. When Doctor Smythe allowed her arm to be unbound from her body and kept only in a sling so that she might begin using it a little, she insisted she was well enough to return to a daily routine and to Hertfordshire. And so it was that our convoy, plus Georgiana, returned to the country.
The wedding was postponed until April so that Elizabeth’s shoulder could have a chance to heal fully. Mrs. Bennet was not amused when we announced that we would be sharing our wedding with Jane and Charles. She felt that two such gentlemen should have separate and excessively grand functions—she was overruled.
Those months of engagement were quite an interesting time. Elizabeth and I spent every available moment together. As the weather turned warmer, we took long rambles through the countryside together. We read together and talked with each other, each learning more about the other and very much liking what we learned. I even managed to get Elizabeth onto a horse a few times, with a promise from her that she would allow me to teach her to ride properly when we reached Pemberley.
In mid-February, I received an express stating that Billings and his men had been convicted of kidnapping and extortion. The lot of them had been shipped to Australia. They was gone forever, as was Mrs. Younge who had been shipped to the America’s with enough money to start over as I had promised. The relief that we all felt was great.
Georgiana and Lydia struck up a great friendship, much to the benefit of both. Lydia helped dispel some of Georgiana’s shyness, and Georgiana helped subdue some of Lydia’s wilder behavior. She even undertook to teach Lydia the pianoforte, for which she was found to have a natural talent.
When Georgiana was not with Lydia, she was with John. At first I was a little concerned about the apparent attachment that was growing between the two. But when I saw the happy sparks that shone in her eyes when she was with him, I could not object. So, I was not too surprised when John came to see me at Netherfield a few weeks before the wedding—however that did not mean I had to make it easy for him.
I was sitting in the library awaiting the arrival of Elizabeth for afternoon tea when John appeared looking unaccountably edgy. “Might I have a word, Darcy?”
I eyed him closely as he shifted from foot to foot. “Of course, John. Have a seat.” He sat down on the settee across from my chair and shifted about nervously. After several moments of silence, I prompted, “Well, what can I do for you, John?”
“Well, you see, it is about Georgiana.” I raised a disapproving eyebrow at him, and he amended, “Uh—Miss Darcy that is.”
“Yes, what about her?” I laid aside my book and crossed my arms.
John shifted again, then leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Apparently deciding that was an unsuitable position, he sat up straight again and crossed his legs. “Well, I—uh.” I simply stared at him. Finally he burst from his seat and cried, “Oh stop it with your exasperating mask of inscrutability, Will. You are my friend. You know what I want. I want your permission to court your sister!”
Only a very many years of self-discipline allowed me to keep a straight face. “Sit down, John.” He sat, looking for all the world like an errant child. “I have noticed that you and Georgiana have been spending a good deal of time together and that she seems happy when she is in your presence. But, why should I allow you to court her?”
A dance of emotions played across his face before he settled for something between dubious and annoyed. “Because I love her.”
I nodded. “All right, but she is only sixteen. She will also be returning to London with Mrs. Annesley after the wedding and then joining Elizabeth and I at Pemberley this summer.”
John sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair. “I realize that, and I am willing to wait for her. And when she leaves Hertfordshire, I will be able to write to her if you give your permission for the courtship.”
I nodded again. I already loved John as a brother, and I would be very happy if he and Georgiana were to marry. Longbourn may not be the grand, titled estate the rest of my f
amily had in mind for Georgiana’s future, but I thought its more intimate size would suit her reserved personality. Besides, I could hardly object to Georgiana marrying a Bennet when I was to marry one as well. However, I was not wiling to let them rush in to anything. Georgiana was far too young, in my opinion, to marry just yet. “Would you be willing to wait until she is eighteen?”
John sighed again. “Yes, if you insist.”
“And have you asked her?
Now John rolled his eyes. “Of course I asked her. I would not be asking you if I had not first secured her consent. Why on earth would I go through this without being sure of her feelings on the matter?”
I allowed myself a small smirk. “Indeed.” John rolled his eyes again, and I smiled in full. “Look, John. I appreciate that you love her, and I would be glad to be your brother twice over. I also recognize that Georgiana most likely returns your feelings. So, I will give my consent to the courtship. But due to her youth, I must insist that you wait at least a year before moving on to an engagement. And I insist that Georgiana have a season in town next spring. After her coming out, we can reevaluate the situation.”
John beamed at me. Honestly, he looked like a little boy who had just been given his first pony. I wondered if I had looked so ridiculous when Mr. Bennet had given me permission to court Elizabeth. John jumped from his chair and stuck out his hand. I rose and shook it. “Thank you, Will. You will not regret it. And I agree that she should have a season if she wants it. I love her though, and I will wait until she is ready.”
I nodded, and then smiled again. “As her brother, I am required to warn you as you once did me that if you hurt her, I will have no choice but to call you out over it regardless of being your friend. You know how much Georgiana means to me. And you know that it’s not certain which of us would be the victor if such a thing came about.”
John grinned broadly in recognition of the same words he had said to me back in November. “I understand your warning, Will, and I understand why you had to issue it. I promise I will not hurt her.”
--- --- ---
Fitzwilliam arrived in Hertfordshire a week before the wedding. He claimed that it was to see me and my fiancé as well as Georgiana, John, and Charles, but we all knew that he really wanted to see Miss Lucas. Apparently, he had written to Sir William shortly after we left Hertfordshire in search of the Misses Bennet and their abductors and obtained his permission to write to Miss Lucas in his absence. They had been exchanging letters ever since, as he had not been able to take leave from his regiment after his earlier extended absence.
After seeing them in company once or twice that week, an idea that had begun forming the night Charles and Jane had announced their engagement took a firm hold, and I decided to put it into action. An opportunity presented itself when Fitzwilliam and I took an early ride two days before the wedding. As we slowed our mounts after a good gallop, I asked, “So Fitz, when do you plan to propose to your Miss Lucas?”
Fitzwilliam reigned in his mount, and I drew Strider up beside him. He looked at me with a pained expression and said, “I want to propose, more than anything, but I am not sure I can ask her to take on the lifestyle of a soldiers wife. I do not even want to be a soldier anymore. I have grown tired of it, and I don’t want her subjected to that. I don’t want to leave her for months on end the next time I am called to the continent.” He passed a weary hand over his eyes.
I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled. “I think I may have a solution to your problem if you are willing to hear it.”
He eyed me curiously. “What do you suggest?”
“Well, as you know, I have an estate just over the border in Scotland called Eldersdale, which provides an income of five thousand pounds per annum.” We dismounted at the top of Oakham Mount and left our horses to graze as we strolled along. “I have been having some problems with it in the past few years, and with all my other responsibilities, I rarely have time to go to visit so far north more than once a year. The steward is very competent, but I am afraid that the lack of the of a proper master for the estate has allowed some of the tenants to become a bit lax.”
We stopped and sat together on a large boulder as we surveyed the scenery. After a moment, I turned to Fitzwilliam and continued, “So, here is what I propose. I will sign Eldersdale and all of its income and responsibilities over to you for you to oversee for the remainder of your life, at the end of which, it shall pass to my second son. Or, in the event that I do not have two sons, it shall pass to your son.”
Fitzwilliam blinked at me. “Do you mean that, Will?”
I smiled. “Of course I mean it, Fitz. I would not be marrying Elizabeth in two days time if it weren’t for your assistance. And, you will actually be doing me a favor in taking over the management of Eldersdale. It will allow you to retire from the army and marry your Miss Lucas as soon as you may.”
Fitzwilliam blinked at me some more. Then a slow smile began to spread across his face, and a sparkle lit up his eyes. Suddenly he was wringing my hand as if it were his lifeline and grinning from ear to ear. “That is the most generous and wonderful thing I have ever heard.”
I grinned back at him and carefully extricated my hand before placing it on his shoulder in a brotherly manner. “So you accept my offer?”
“Of course I accept!”
“Excellent! Then as soon as you and Miss Lucas are married you will come to stay at Pemberley for a few months so that I may teach you what you must know, and then you shall move to your new home in the north. I shall write to my solicitor this evening to begin the paperwork.”
“Will, you shall never know what this truly means to me. You know you have always been as a brother to me more than a cousin.” His eyes were just a little over bright as he smiled at me. “Thank you.”
“No, Fitz, thank you. You have been an ever-present source of support to me and I could not be more grateful that you are in my life. This is the least I can do for you.” We shook hands again, a little more sedately this time. Then I winked at him. “I think there is probably a young lady at Lucas Lodge who would very much like to know of this development.”
He grinned the same silly grin that John had given me a few weeks before. “I believe you are right. Excuse me.” He turned, whistled for his horse, and rode off toward the Lucas residence.
I watched him go, smiling and feeling that all was absolutely perfect with the world. I was just about to whistle for Strider, when someone spoke from behind me. “That was a wonderful thing you just did, Will.”
I turned to find Elizabeth with happy tears in her eyes, smiling at me with such love that I was nearly overwhelmed. I gathered her into my arms, still being a little bit gentle with her left shoulder. “How long have you been here?”
“A good while,” she responded, her head resting against my chest. “I did not mean to eavesdrop, but you seemed to be engrossed in conversation. I did not want to interrupt.” She pulled away enough to look into my eyes. “You truly are the best man I have ever known, Will. Thank you so much for seeing that my friend may have her happy ending and for being mine.”
I smiled. “Fitzwilliam and Miss Lucas deserve no less. And you have made me happier than I could ever have imagined possible.” I leaned down and kissed her.
--- --- ---
Two days later, my Lizzy and I were married. I cannot say I remember very much about the ceremony except for how ethereal Elizabeth’s beauty was. I know that Jane and Charles were there too. And I vaguely remember seeing John standing with Georgiana and Fitzwilliam with his fiancé, Miss Lucas. But, honestly, the rest escapes me, so focused was I on my bride.
The wedding breakfast, too, was something of a blur. Mrs. Bennet, much to my surprise, gave us a wonderfully elegant meal with a number of delicacies. But I hardly tasted any of it for the rather distracting smile on Elizabeth’s face. The usual sparks that shone in her eyes had grown to a stunning conflagration on that day.
I received hearty con
gratulations from my aunt and uncle Matlock and my cousins—Lady Catherine had declined to attend. Georgiana, who was to stay on at Longbourn as the particular friend of Lydia for another sennight, hugged both Elizabeth and I fiercely and rambled on about her happiness in our union with more animation than I had ever seen her possess.
At last, Elizabeth said slightly tearful goodbyes to all her family, who had been invited to spend the summer at Pemberley, and I promised Mr. Bennet and John once more that I would look after Elizabeth and love her always. Then we stepped into our carriage, and headed for London.
The carriage ride was an exercise in restraint, but we managed to pass the time with just a few kisses and much happy conversation. When we reached my townhouse, where we would spend a week before heading to Pemberley, Mrs. Glenn and all the staff warmly welcomed Elizabeth back, this time as their mistress.
After a light supper, I screwed up my courage and asked Elizabeth something I had been dying to ask her since her shoulder had stopped paining her constantly. “My Lizzy, would you do me the honor of engaging in a duel with me?”
Elizabeth started and blinked at me before bursting into her musical laughter. “Oh, Will,” she cried, when she had regained some control. “Forgive me, my love, but what would the servants think?”
“Honestly? I don’t care,” I smiled in reply.
She smirked at me. “Very well, I accept your challenge, sir.”
I am sure I grinned that same wide grin that I had seen on both John and Fitzwilliam, prompting a giggle from Elizabeth. We repaired to the ballroom, where I had ordered my foils set out. I removed my coat, and we each chose a foil. “This time, no holding back,” I told her.