The Portrait of Elizabeth

by Jane Angwin

  "Thank you, William. I must admit that we have come to feel quite at home here, and I so appreciate you allowing me to bring Father here to recuperate as if we were part of your family, and then helping Janine and Nicolas reunite with us. This has been a safe respite for all of us, however, my brother and sister have expressed a great desire to return to France, and I know that my father wishes to return home before he dies. In due time, when he has recovered sufficiently to make the journey by ship, we will all go together."

  "I assumed as much, Frederick. Will Angelique go too?"

  "Yes, of course. In fact, I want you to be the first to know that Angelique has agreed to become my wife. She has captured my heart, and I know that Father already considers her to be like another daughter."

  "Well, well, Frederick! May I be the first to wish you both much happiness." He reached out and shook hands with his friend. "When do you plan to wed?" he asked.

  "We haven't set a date as yet, but soon, I hope. I wanted to wait for you to return to ask if we could be married in the Pemberley chapel with you and Georgiana there to witness our marriage. I would like to return to France as husband and wife."

  "Yes, by all means! It would be our pleasure to have you marry here at Pemberley. Can you legally marry here in England?"

  "Yes, we can marry as long as we obey the laws of England. My only concern is that I will have to disclose the use of a false name all these years, and the artist Frederick Charron will no longer exist. I do not care any longer, however, as it is time that I lead an authentic existence, and I wish for Angelique to take my true name. Father has also lived this lie for much too long, and we all need to start anew together as the Chastain family back in France."

  "I do understand," Darcy said. "Although it will be difficult for a time, I shall do my best to refer to you now as Francois, but it would be best if we first explain all this to Georgiana."

  "I must admit, William, that I have already taken Georgiana into my confidence, and she is now aware of why Father's and my last name is different than that of Janine and Nicolas. She is a very intelligent girl, William, and she appeared to have no problem with the deception. I apologized to her for breaking the law, but she said that if you were fine with it, so was she. She greatly admires you, my friend."

  "I think the truth is that she admires you, Frederick," He paused, "excuse me, I mean Francois." The two men shook hands again, and Darcy escorted Francois out into the hall, where they parted for the night.

  Darcy took the stairs back up to the family wing, and as he passed by Elizabeth's room, he heard voices, so he took the liberty of knocking. He heard a small voice say "Enter", and he poked his head into the room. There sitting on the bed next to Elizabeth was his sister, and she was crying.

  "What is the matter, my dear?" he said as he walked to her side.

  "Oh, brother, Elizabeth and I were just sharing our experiences with Mr. Wickham, and I cannot hide my shame. If I had somehow let people know about his wickedness, he would have been punished and would not be out spreading evil in the world. If I had somehow let Elizabeth know about what he did to me, she might never have gone out alone. She would have known that he was an evil man and that she was in danger."

  Elizabeth placed her hand on Georgiana's arm and said "That is not at all the case, Georgiana. You could not share your secret with the world. The scandal would have ruined your reputation. And I had no idea whatsoever that Wickham was in Derbyshire! I was simply doing what I do best, going off alone without considering the consequences. I have been warned about my foolish behavior many times, but I am quite stubborn and definitely a bit headstrong." She looked at Darcy, and instead of a frown, he smiled at her, acknowledging what she said to be true, but not disapproving of her impish streak.

  Darcy felt that he needed to end their morose conversation. "Let us just put all this behind us and be grateful that he will no longer be able to hurt anyone. The Constable will arrive in the morning, and Wickham will undoubtedly be charged with many crimes. I suspect he will receive harsh punishment, although I am sure you ladies would not want him to be hanged, so I will suggest transportation to a penal colony in Australia instead where he will live, perhaps for the rest of his life."

  Darcy took Georgiana's hand and helped her to stand from the bed. "Come, Georgie. We must allow Miss Elizabeth to rest now. She has had a long and difficult day."

  Elizabeth looked at Darcy and nodded. "Yes, I am quite tired, and I would like to try to sleep, but I would appreciate having my Aunt Madeline here with me tonight, if you do not mind. She indicated that she would do so if I requested it."

  "Certainly, Elizabeth. I will see to it." Georgiana heard her brother use her new friend's Christian name, and she looked up at him and saw the look of deep caring written there. Elizabeth also noticed, but said nothing. She just smiled and hoped.

  The following morning, as Darcy had arranged, Constable Drummond arrived to question Elizabeth about what had occurred. She was much more descriptive about Wickham's assault than Drummond expected, and he was shocked at what he heard. He then spent almost two hours with Darcy, asking him questions about Wickham's mounting debts throughout the country, his depraved behavior with many ruined servant girls and shopkeeper's daughters, and his desertion from his militia group in Meryton. When he was finished, he asked to see Wickham himself. After only a short time alone with him, he left his room, shaking his head and declaring that the man had spewed obscenities at him and had declared complete innocence. "He is a mad man," he said. "I see no reason to subject Miss Bennett to any further interrogation or appearance in a courtroom facing him. I can arrest him for his unpaid debts and his desertion, and on those counts alone, he will be severely punished. There is no need to make his attempted assault on your guest public. I shall see to it that her reputation is not ruined by this man's wicked act."

  Mrs. Reynolds handed Drummond's hat and coat to him, and he bade Darcy goodbye. As he walked to the front door to depart, he turned to Darcy and said, "Please keep him under tight watch, and when he can be moved, I will send a carriage to put him under lock and key, and we can begin his trial as soon as possible. You will be required to attend the proceedings with proof of his debts that you have collected, and I will need your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam's testimony regarding his desertion. Good Day, Sir."

  Darcy was anxious to inform Elizabeth that she wouldn't be involved in Wickham's trial. He wanted her to put this bad memory behind her so that if she would have him, they could start their life together. He would do anything to make her his wife, and now the only hurdle he had to overcome was to declare his feelings and hope that she would accept his proposal.

  He started up the stairs to give her the news, but Edward Gardiner was coming down the stairs, followed by Madeline and then Elizabeth, who was dressed as if she was ready to travel. "Good afternoon, Mr. Darcy," Edward said as he met him on the stairs. "We were just coming to find you. As you can see, Elizabeth is feeling much more like herself today, and we are going to return to the Lambton Inn."

  Darcy looked at Elizabeth, and although she still looked tired, her dress had been repaired, and she had on shoes that Georgiana had probably given her to wear. "I am sorry to hear that you will be leaving us, Miss Elizabeth. I had hoped that you and your aunt and uncle would stay with us for a few more days to continue to rest and better acquaint you with my sister and our house guests. Will you join me for tea and some nourishment before you go?"

  Edward replied, "We thank you kindly for your offer, Mr. Darcy, but we have imposed on your hospitality far too long. We are still wearing the same clothing that we arrived in two days ago, and we really must return to the Inn. We are very much indebted to you for everything you have done for us, and particularly for my niece's safe return. I do not know how can we can ever repay you."

  "There is no need to repay me for anything at all, Mr. Gardiner. It was my pleasure to have you as my guests, and of course to be of service to Miss Elizabeth." He gazed at
her as he spoke, and no one missed the look he gave her. Darcy escorted them to the music room where Georgiana was playing the pianoforte while Anne turned the pages of her music and Angelique and Janine were doing needlework. "Please remain here while I go and fetch the gentleman to say their goodbyes to you." While he was gone, the ladies all expressed their concern for Elizabeth's wellbeing and said that they hoped to see her once again very soon, but certainly under different circumstances. When the men arrived, similar sentiments were expressed, and they all walked the Gardiners and Elizabeth out to their carriage that Mr. Raymond had waiting for them.

  "That is odd," Mr. Gardiner remarked. I did not call for our carriage yet.

  Darcy smiled and told him that his Stable master had an uncanny way of knowing these things. The Gardiners boarded the carriage first, allowing Elizabeth a few moments alone with Darcy, and he was grateful for the time to tell her that she would not be required to appear in Wickham's trial. "This event will stay within the walls of Pemberley, Miss Elizabeth, and I sincerely hope that given time you can forget that it ever happened."

  "Will you have to testify against him, Mr. Darcy?" she asked.

  "Yes, I'm afraid so. I cannot say for sure when the trial will be held, but I must stay in Derbyshire until it is concluded. I must say that I am not looking forward to it."

  Elizabeth looked deeply into his eyes, and she said, "Please accept my sincere gratitude for everything you have done for me, Mr. Darcy." She held out her hand, and he assisted her into the carriage, neither of them wanting to let go. She reluctantly let go of his hand and turned and said "Goodbye Mr. Darcy." After settling in, the carriage rolled down the driveway, and Darcy stood watching it until he could no longer see it. Georgiana watched her brother, feeling sure that this was not the last time she would see Miss Elizabeth Bennett.

  When Elizabeth and the Gardiners returned to the Lambton Inn, there was a letter waiting for Elizabeth from her sister, Jane, extolling the many virtues of her betrothed, Mr. Bingley, "the most incredible gentleman in the entire world". She also wrote about her mother's frenetic wedding planning for their sister Mary, and she begged Elizabeth to come home to share all the wedding chaos with her. As much as Elizabeth did not want their trip to end, after the dramatic events at Pemberley, the Gardiners also felt that it was best to take her home.

  "I am sorry that we won't be able to see the Peaks and the Lakes this trip, my dear," Edward said. "Perhaps another time."

  "Yes," Elizabeth sighed. "Perhaps another time. I have grown quite fond of the beauty of Derbyshire, and I would very much like to return here someday." She glanced at her aunt, and they shared a knowing smile.

  "Elizabeth, my dear, something tells me that you will do just that."

  Chapter Forty Three

  At Last

  "Girls, hurry up and get down here immediately! We are ready to go to the church, and we do not want to be late!" Mrs. Bennett stood at the bottom of the staircase, yelling for Lydia and Kitty.

  Elizabeth had been dressed and ready for quite awhile, and she was putting the last of the pearl pins in Jane's hair to hold her lace veil. "Mr. Bingley will not be able to breathe when he sees you enter the church," she said. "I have never seen a man so in love before." She walked around and held out her hand to help Jane stand up. Together they stood in front of the full length mirror, and they hugged each other tightly. "I cannot tell you how much I will miss having you to share this room with me. I know you won't be far away, but we have shared a bedroom for as long as I can remember." She saw a serious look cross her sister's face. "Are you nervous, Jane?" she asked?

  "A little, I must admit. I was quite distraught after Mother gave me 'the talk' last night about my marital duties, as she put it, but then Aunt Madeline took me aside and assured me that her feelings on the subject were quite different. She explained that Mr. Bingley is a gentle and loving man, and I have nothing to fear." Jane blushed bright pink, and they both began to giggle.

  They heard their mother yelling for Lydia and Kitty again, and then they heard her coming up the stairs. She burst into their room without knocking, taking Elizabeth's arm and moving her away from her sister. "Elizabeth! I should have known you would be detaining your sister. Oh my poor nerves! Now you have made us late, and Mr. Bingley will think that Jane has changed her mind."

  She finally looked at Jane, and let out a squeal. "Oh, Jane. Just look at you. You are marrying the richest man in all of Hertfordshire, and I cannot wait to see Lady Lucas's face at the church. I always knew that you could not be so beautiful for nothing." She looked back at Elizabeth and said, "Where is the ribbon I told you to wear around your waist with your dress. You look entirely too plain. And where is your bonnet? Oh, never mind. Everyone will be looking at your sister, not you. Now hurry up, let us go." She grabbed Jane's hand and rushed her down the stairs.

  Elizabeth was used to her mother's rudeness, but her words today stung. She was losing her sister, her best friend and confidant, and she would now have to deal with her mother's unkindness alone. It made no difference to her mother that her sister Mary had married Mr. Collins and that Longbourn would definitely stay in the family. Elizabeth had turned down Mr. Collins' proposal, defying her mother's wishes, and she would never forgive her. She was also despondent because Mr. Bingley had received a letter from Mr. Darcy, and he did not think that he would be able to attend the wedding. The letter said that the trial for Wickham had been delayed due to the Constable falling from his horse and breaking his leg, and they had been waiting for the Constable from the neighboring village to return from Bristol to oversee the proceedings.

  It had been two months since Elizabeth had seen him, and she had desperately hoped that he would come to Jane's wedding to stand up with Mr. Bingley. She knew that he couldn't leave Lambton until Wickham was sentenced and transported, but it was difficult trying to recall her visit and the subsequent events at Pemberley, and she needed to reassure herself that it wasn't all a dream. She knew that he had made sure that Georgiana found her in Lambton to invite her to their estate, and he had hurried there from London, hoping to find her there himself. He had made sure she was given the beautiful room in the family wing when the rain kept them overnight, and she had rebuffed him when she now realized that he had tried to tell her he wasn't married to his cousin. Then, after completely misunderstanding everything and foolishly wandering off alone, she had fallen victim to Wickham's evil plot, and Darcy had ridden out alone and searched for her for hours. All that might have just been out of friendship and being a gentleman, but what she could not get out of her mind was the feeling of waking up in the cottage with his arms around her, telling her that he was not married to Anne. The way he had looked at her, and the way it had felt when he held her felt like much more than friendship.

  And then there was the portrait. There in a remote cottage somewhere far off on the Pemberley land was a painting of her standing in her garden at Longbourn. How was that possible? He had not been home since he had been to Longbourn, and they had never met one another before that. She recalled him telling her about the strange occurrences he had experienced before he met her; candles lit in unused wings and rooms at Pemberley, the light breath of air on his face and the scent of lavender whenever he felt his mother was trying to communicate with him, and the painting of a woman that he did not know that seemed to almost paint itself. He had asked her if she believed in such things, and she had told him she did, but could this possibly be real?

  They arrived at the church, and it seemed that everyone in Meryton that could not fit in the church were all assembled outside, waiting to see the lovely eldest Bennett girl who was marrying the wealthy gentleman from Netherfield. It was the biggest event in Meryton in years, and Mrs. Bennett was basking in the glory of it all. As Jane and her father walked from the carriage to the church, a murmur from the crowd could be heard, and Mrs. Bennett stopped and curtsied, waving to the crowds as if she was visiting royalty. Elizabeth was embarrassed by her mother
's behavior, but no one in town was at all surprised.

  After her mother and Lydia and Kitty entered the church and took their seats in the church, the church doors opened and Elizabeth entered first, walking down the aisle before Jane and her father came in. She saw the faces of her neighbors and friends turn to wait for Jane, and she beamed with pride, so happy that her beloved sister was marrying a man for love and would be staying near the people that had known and loved her since she was a child. She then looked forward and saw Mr. Bingley at the front of the church, smiling so widely that she thought his face would break, but her attention was drawn to the tall and handsome man standing next to him. It was Mr. Darcy, and he had come. She felt her heart lurch, and she could not take her eyes off of him as she walked toward him. His eyes locked with hers, and they shared a moment of silent communication, both equally overcome with emotion to finally see each other at long last.

  The wedding ceremony was beautiful, of course, and one that everyone in the future would recall as being incredibly romantic and joyous, except sadly, Elizabeth, who could never admit to her sister that she remembered very little about it. She was indeed present, but her mind was on the man standing next to her new brother, and he was watching her too. It must have been obvious to others who were near, because she heard a few whispers in the crowd and she could swear she heard Miss Bingley muttering under her breath.

  Finally, the pastor pronounced Jane and Charles Bingley man and wife, and they kissed each other at last, provoking giggles from Lydia and Kitty and a loud admonishment and swats on their arms by their mother. Elizabeth blushed from embarrassment and looked at Mr. Darcy, who gave her a look of amusement, smiling and showing his deep dimples, causing yet another gasp from Miss Bingley. Elizabeth took his arm, and he walked her back down the aisle to the back of the church, where they waited for Jane and Charles to sign the marriage papers. They didn't speak, but Darcy continued staring at her with such a penetrating look, that Elizabeth felt a warmth travel through her whole body. It seemed like an eternity, but the formalities were finally complete, and they parted and returned to Longbourn for a lavish wedding breakfast.