by Lauren King
“I also feel that he is true to his word. He is a genuine, responsible, intelligent gentleman. I am thoroughly joyous for you, my dear. If you are content with your decision, then I am even more pleased. You are a good girl, Lizzy. I could not have asked for a better daughter; I know there is not a better daughter to be found. Mr. Darcy is lucky to have you as his wife. You both will be good for each other. Congratulations, my dear.” Mr. Bennet states warmheartedly as he goes to hug his favorite daughter.
“Thank you, Papa. Thank you for loving me and raising me the way you did. I am proud that my knowledge has come from you.” Elizabeth becomes teary because she knows that her Mother has always been disappointed that there is no Bennet heir so that Longbourn could not be entailed away from them when her Father passes. Her Mother seems to have assigned that responsibility to Elizabeth; Elizabeth guesses that it is because she was taught so much by her Father.
“Come now, Lizzy. No tears, my dear daughter; this is a happy time for you. Now, dry up those tears and let me give Mr. Darcy my answer. I am positive that he is on pins and needles.” Mr. Bennet gives his favorite daughter another warm hug and a tender kiss on her forehead while he lightly chuckles. “Fetch Mr. Darcy for me, Lizzy.”
“Well, Mr. Darcy, I trust Lizzy’s judgement, and from what I have seen of you, I trust that you are sincere and honest with your intentions towards my daughter. Lizzy is intelligent, caring, responsible, loving, and considerate; no one could have a better daughter. I will say that I wish for her future not to be adversely affected if she is not able to give you an heir, Mr. Darcy. I will not see her cast aside or disrespected for any reason because I know that she will not ever do anything to garner that horrid future. However, not being able to give you an heir cannot be predicted; therefore, I will not idly standby to see her slighted in any way for it. She will always be my daughter who I will protect to my last breath whether she is your wife or not.” Mr. Bennet states firmly and straightforwardly.
“I completely agree with you, sir. I assure you that I respect and esteem Miss Elizabeth because I could not have a wife in any less standing. I do not allow or tolerate such insolence from anyone around me, and definitely, insolence will not be allowed to permeate to my wife. As for my family’s estates and fortune, they are not entailed away due to a lack of a male heir. None of my children will ever have to worry for their financial welfare. I say that with the utmost respect, sir. I know different families have different constraints. I am blessed with my family’s fortune.” Darcy says humbly yet candidly with compassion.
“I see that you understand my wishes and my constraints, Mr. Darcy. I am very happy that Lizzy will have such a good husband to share her life. She deserves it; she is most precious. I know she will devote her entirety to her husband and family if she is truly loved. That is the type of person that she is. I, wholeheartedly, give you my consent to Lizzy’s hand in marriage. Congratulations to you on achieving such an admirable and praiseworthy wife.” Mr. Bennet says proudly and contentedly.
“I thank you very much, Mr. Bennet. I am blessed to have found such a good wife to share my future. I will treasure her.” Both gentlemen reach out to heartily shake each other’s hand. “Sir, I will have the marriage settlement drawn up as soon as I am back in town. It will be delivered to you as soon as possible for your signature.”
“That will be fine, Mr. Darcy. Well then, let me go announce this happy news to everyone.” Mr. Bennet is filled with joy for his favorite daughter in the midst of a family catastrophe.
Mr. Bennet and Darcy go to the drawing room where Mr. Bennet announces the engagement of his beloved daughter to Mr. Darcy. Genuine happiness and exhilaration fill the room. Blissful cheers are abounded, and all the young ladies are already asking about a wedding date. Elizabeth laughs and enjoys all the exuberance. Mr. Bennet leaves the room, after giving Elizabeth a heartfelt hug, so the young people can relish in the excitement. He asks Darcy to come back into his bookroom with Elizabeth and Jane when they have a break from the merriment.
Mr. Bennet explains to Elizabeth and Jane about what he and Mr. Darcy have been doing and what they are thinking of doing in regards to Lydia’s situation.
“Lizzy, I will announce your engagement immediately and say that your Aunt Madeline wants to help you with your wedding trousseau in London; therefore, you and Jane will spend the holidays with them. That should quiet the neighbors from asking why you two are not at home while your Mother and Lydia are away. As far as Lydia’s situation is concerned, we all will continue to keep it to ourselves until further notice from me. I believe I will follow Mr. Darcy’s advice and somehow discreetly approach Sergeant Denny to see about him marrying Lydia, immediately. Once I approach him, there is no ‘putting the cat back in the bag’ so-to-speak. We all will be at his mercy to do the honorable thing by Lydia. We will all have to brace for the potential devastating outcome. I am very sorry for all of you girls. I am very disappointed at myself in regards to Lydia’s upbringing, so now I will have to share in the blame and disgrace of it all.” Mr. Bennet sighs and then continues. “All right then…you plan to leave tomorrow; is that correct Mr. Darcy?”
“Yes, sir, but we can stay longer if need be. I have no pressing business engagements currently.” Darcy volunteers openly.
“Well, I would like to have a little more time with my two eldest daughters.” Mr. Bennet states warmly.
Elizabeth is glad to hear William offer for them to stay. Elizabeth looks back at Darcy for affirmation which he gives to her by his smile. “Papa, certainly we will stay. There is not a rush for us to leave.”
“That is right, Papa. We just did not know how long we should stay in case the neighbors start to ask questions about Mama and Lydia.” Jane interjects warmheartedly.
“All right then; I think if you stay two more days, then it will be understandable for you to leave afterwards to enjoy the holidays in London without the neighbors’ suspicions.” Mr. Bennet is pleased to have some time with his two most sensible daughters. He is truly very happy for Elizabeth; he hopes that Jane will have someone just as admirable as Mr. Darcy for a husband; that would be ideal.
Everyone is in higher spirits after that candid talk with Mr. Bennet; hence, they decide to have a quick luncheon, and then Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana will go into Meryton to browse at the bookstore. Jane, Mary, and Kitty have decided to stay home.
Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana arrive at the bookstore in Meryton so Elizabeth can show William the books that he could buy for a cheaper price here than in London. They are cheerfully greeted by the proprietor of the shop, Mr. Bernard Miller. Elizabeth visits this shop every few weeks to browse and sometimes they would enjoy discussing certain books. Mr. Miller has a son that has worked in London and has recently moved back to Meryton since June. Benjamin Miller is three and twenty years old. He has always been cheerful, and has spoken with Elizabeth each time she came into the shop. Elizabeth has attended an assembly where he was also present, and they had danced one dance with each other. It was fun, and they had a fun time talking when they had a chance.
Mr. Bernard Miller asks if Elizabeth has read the latest book on the accounts in Europe. She amiably replies that she has not. He says that he has read some of it, and it is very interesting. He tells her to browse around and fetch him if she needs him. William stands right next to Elizabeth while she speaks with Mr. Miller, thus she makes the introductions.
Elizabeth smiles lovingly at William and then says, “Mr. Darcy, I would like to introduce to you Mr. Bernard Miller, proprietor of this shop. Mr. Miller this is Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, my betrothed.”
Both men bow and relay their standard pleasantries. Elizabeth can tell that Mr. Miller is in wonderment of William because anyone observing William can tell from his demeanor, his attire, and his speech that he is from the highest echelons of society. Afterwards, Mr. Miller excuses himself to the back room. A short while later, Mr. Benjamin Miller comes into the shop from the front entrance and
cheerfully greets Elizabeth while she stands with Georgiana; William is about twenty feet away browsing at a different section of books.
“Miss Elizabeth! What a delight to see you in the shop again. How are you?” Mr. Benjamin Miller bows in greeting; he is very amiable and is clearly delighted to see Elizabeth.
Elizabeth curtsies while saying, “Mr. Miller, I am well, thank you. How are you and your sisters, sir?” Elizabeth replies affably. She can see from her peripheral view that William is observing her. At this point, Georgiana walks over to stand near William.
“My two sisters and I are all doing well. We have not seen you in the shop for over two months, now. I hope you are not bored with our store.” Mr. Benjamin Miller smiles widely with joy unmistakably expressed on his face.
“No, Mr. Miller. I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle in London.”
“How nice.” Mr. Benjamin Miller continues to gaze delightedly at Elizabeth.
“Pardon me, Mr. Miller.” Elizabeth walks towards Georgiana to hand her the book of flower and says, “Georgie, here is the book with all the flowers.”
“Thank you, Lizzy.” Georgiana smiles nicely.
“You are welcome.” Elizabeth touches her arm, affectionately.
“Mr. Darcy, over here is where the books on the Americas are.” Elizabeth points to a section near where William is standing and then smiles most warmly at him.
“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth.” Darcy smiles handsomely back at Elizabeth.
Right before Elizabeth could make the introductions, Mr. Benjamin Miller comes over to ask if he could help her find any books. Elizabeth says that she already found her book, and then he asks to speak to her privately.
Quickly, Elizabeth says, “Please, excuse my manners. Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy I would like to introduce to you both, Mr. Benjamin Miller – Mr. Bernard Miller’s son. Mr. Miller, this is my betrothed, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his sister Miss Georgiana Darcy.”
Everyone bows, curtsies, and conveys all the normal courtesies. Elizabeth has the feeling that Mr. Benjamin Miller was interested in her right before she left for London, but he did not have a chance to express himself. Today, she can tell that he might have wanted to ask to call upon her. She did not want anyone to be in an awkward position; therefore, she made the introductions so Mr. Benjamin Miller would be indirectly told of her status.
With hidden surprise and disappointment, Mr. Benjamin Miller says, “Oh, congratulations to you, Miss Elizabeth. Congratulations, Mr. Darcy.” This news brings such tremendous disappointment. He honestly likes her and was waiting for an appropriate time to ask her for a courtship, but she had left town in October. Now, she has come back engaged. What a significant loss for him; she is a gentleman’s daughter who is proper, intelligent, kind, responsible, and beautiful. He is most disappointed and upset at himself for waiting.
“Thank you, Mr. Miller,” responds Elizabeth genially. Elizabeth could detect that Mr. Benjamin Miller was surprised and disappointed at her introduction of William as her betrothed.
“Thank you, Mr. Miller.” Darcy responds proudly. It is obvious that Mr. Benjamin Miller admires Lizzy. It is also apparent that Mr. Benjamin Miller was surprised at Elizabeth being engaged. Darcy should not be surprised to detect this kind of reaction when he is introduced as Elizabeth’s betrothed.
“Miss Elizabeth, do you have the book that you want?” Darcy asks caringly.
Elizabeth answers tenderly. “I do, Mr. Darcy. Are you and Georgiana ready to go?”
Darcy answers warmly, “Yes, we are.” Then he turns to Mr. Benjamin Miller. “Mr. Miller, we would like to purchase these three books.”
“Certainly, sir.” Mr. Benjamin Miller takes the three books to wrap up and takes care of the bill with Mr. Darcy.
Afterwards, farewells are expressed and the three leave the shop. Elizabeth happily leaves on the arm of her loving betrothed. It feels so natural to be guided by William; she cannot imagine being beside any other gentleman. Her life seems brighter when she is with him; it is as it should be. She remembers the gloom, the misery, and the despair during those three weeks they were apart. Now, she can see a better tomorrow. As long as William loves her and cares for her genuinely then she can weather Lydia’s problem which will surely taint her reputation. She will endure it all.
Elizabeth really hopes this Sergeant Denny is a decent person and will marry Lydia without so much trouble for everyone. Her wish is for Georgiana not to be affected by this. She would rather take the bad reputation than have any little bit pass to an innocent girl like Georgiana; Elizabeth would feel guilty for the rest of her life should Georgiana be negatively affected by her family.
After supper, Darcy has a drink with Mr. Bennet. They decide that once Elizabeth and Jane are back at their Uncle’s home, Darcy will make a trip to Reading to investigate about Sergeant Denny’s family. With that information, then Mr. Bennet will approach Sergeant Denny.
Darcy explains to Elizabeth what will occur the next few days. Elizabeth is uncomfortable with how much William has to do. She is afraid that he may resent that her Father has troubled him so much with this situation which does not even involve his own family. She wants to talk to her Father about asking her Uncle Edward to go investigate instead of having William do this task; it is unfair and not right especially when William is not yet married to Elizabeth. He should not be obligated to do such things.
“William, are you sure your business affairs will allow you time to be involved in this? Please, I do not want you to neglect your own family or business to see to this. This is very unfair of Papa to ask you to do this.” Elizabeth is surprised that her Father would involve William to this extent.
“Lizzy, your Father did not ask me; I volunteered to help. I am not neglecting my family or my business, so please do not worry about that; I do appreciate very much your concern for me.” Darcy says warmly and contentedly. He feels a gush of love for her due to her care and consideration of his well being. Yes, he will have no one else as his wife other than Elizabeth.
“I do not want you to be troubled by all this. This is something my Father needs to get my Uncles involved in, not you. We are not even married, yet you are already taking on such a burden; on top of which, your reputation still may be adversely affected.” Elizabeth sighs before continuing. “I am so worried that Georgiana will be negatively affected by all this, too. I feel such guilt now. I feel selfish for having my happiness amidst all this trouble and shame.” Elizabeth’s eyes are kept on her hands at her lap.
“Lizzy, please do not be disturbed. You are not selfish, and you should not feel guilty. I will do all I can so Georgie will not be adversely affected. I do not mind helping your family because you are extremely special and important to me.” Darcy squeezes Elizabeth’s hand briefly to show her his sincerity. He wants to steer her away from this so she does not become upset. “We will become family soon. Are you happy, dearest?”
“Yes, I am.” Elizabeth smiles warmly and then says, “William?”
“Yes?”
Elizabeth’s feelings of guilt compel her to voice her thoughts on this subject again. William must know that he is not obligated to stay in their engagement. “I am sorry that you are drawn into this because of me. I sincerely hope you do not think that I expect for you to be mixed up in all of this. I understand completely if you should ever feel that you no longer can be involved with me. I would not blame you, at all. I would never think anything ill of you. Please, do not feel duty-bound to stay. Not everyone’s courtship or engagement works out. We can go our separate ways without anyone else knowing. Most likely, I will not be coming back to Longbourn to live permanently any time soon, so I will not care about any gossip. I do not know anyone in London, thus it will not harmfully affect me there either.” Elizabeth knows that William will oppose what she has just said, but those are her true feelings. She is a fair person; therefore, she will not blame William for wanting to remove himself from something this disgraceful.
“Li
zzy, you do not need to apologize to me; you did nothing wrong. I choose to be with you and to be involved in all of this. I know you do not expect anything from me, but I want to help, if I can. No one is forcing me to do anything I do not want. Do you understand?” Darcy says kindheartedly.
Elizabeth says softly, “I do understand, but I wish that you did not have to be involved. I wish that you did not know anything of this awful ordeal. I am fully embarrassed, but I am sincerely grateful for you, darling. Thank you for your assistance and advice.” Elizabeth becomes bold and reaches out to squeeze William’s hand quickly before she pulls it back on her lap.
Darcy is very pleased with Elizabeth’s endearment of him. It sounded natural and fitting coming from her. “I am overjoyed that you continue to be most considerate of me, but please do not be too concerned, all right, dearest?” Darcy states affectionately.
“I will always be concerned for you.” Elizabeth says fondly.
“But not overly concerned so that you are ill over it, all right?” Darcy says gently.
“I will try.” She smiles shyly and lovingly.
“And what I want the most is your love, not your gratefulness. I do not want you obligated to me out of duty or debt.” Darcy states gently.
“You have all my love – most willingly and free of any duty or debt.” Elizabeth’s heart is completely filled with love for William; she could not bear it if they were to part ways now.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18th
The next morning all five young ladies along with Darcy go into Meryton to look at all the new fabrics and laces Mrs. Garrett just received in her dress shop. William goes back into the bookstore two shops down from the dress shop to browse some more while waiting for the ladies. After a short while, Jane, Mary, and Kitty say that they will go to their Aunt Phillips’ house first; it is only down the side road. Elizabeth says that she and Georgiana will retrieve William, and will follow them there, right after.