by APRIL FLOYD
Chapter 24
Within moments of their arrival to Elizabeth’s home, Mr. Bennet’s study was far more crowded than he particularly liked. Mr. Collins had come in with Mrs. Bennet, Lydia, Mary, and Elizabeth behind him and now the man stood with hat in hand glancing cautiously about the room.
“Mr. Bennet, might I speak with you alone sir? I have a terrible confession to make and do not wish to reveal my weakness of character before all the ladies of your family.”
Mr. Bennet knew the man was foolish and had not yet forgiven him for aiming to ruin two of his daughters and their future happiness. “Mr. Collins, I believe that whatever it is you wish to say may be said before the ladies. Lydia tis the only one not involved in your madness but I believe she might learn something of the character of a man if she remains. Please speak your piece, sir.”
The parson gave a long sigh as one finally resigned to their fate and began to pace the room. “I have attempted yet again to compromise Miss Elizabeth in the gardens at Netherfield.”
Mary gasped and turned to run from the room but Elizabeth caught her by the shoulders. “I know it must seem quite cruel of me to ask it but you must hear him out Mary, for there is some sort of twisted logic at work.”
Mrs. Bennet waved her handkerchief to and fro, her own voice rising and falling as she tried to work out what Mr. Collins was about. “Why, we all know that Mr. Darcy shall soon ask for our Lizzy! What have you done? Was it not enough for you to shame our Mary so?”
Mr. Bennet glared at his wife and spoke sharply to gain her attention. To Elizabeth’s great shock, her mother quieted. Lydia smirked as she moved to stand beside her mother’s chair but wisely kept quiet for the moment.
Mr. Collins turned his attention to Mary once Mrs. Bennet fell silent and began to plead with her. “Miss Mary, I have done you a disservice that cannot be mended by words but I beg you to hear me. When I saw Cousin Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy together, I feared what has now come to pass. I proposed to her and meant to compromise her to keep my living at Hunsford. I have failed and lost all this day by interfering where I should not. Though my heart is yours, truly it is my dearest, I could not ask your father to give you to me without a means to support you. Surely you understand?”
Mary had buried her head against Elizabeth’s chest when Mr. Collins admitted his feelings for her and she would not look at him now. Her mind was a tangle of pain and confusion but her heart held a small spark of hope.
Lydia let out a silly laugh and taunted the mightily embarrassed parson. “La, Cousin Collins! You have lost your living and your true love in an afternoon. Why would you think Father might give you Mary’s hand now?”
Mr. Bennet ignored his youngest daughter, for Mr. Collins deserved the censure from the least mature lady in the room, and turned to Elizabeth.
“What have you to say Lizzy? You’ve brought him here and there must be a reason.”
“Father, Miss Anne and her mother plotted that I would be compromised in the garden at Netherfield but I met Mr. Darcy along the way. We entered the gardens and I called out for Miss de Bourgh for she had sent word through Mr. Collins for me to come to her there. She pretended to be injured as a distraction but Mr. Darcy went to her and ruined her plan. It was at this moment that Mr. Collins clumsily lunged from behind a statue, his aim to finally succeed in my compromise. He was no more successful than the night of the ball.”
Mr. Bennet moved slowly from behind his desk to stand before his cousin. His face had grown a dark shade of red during Elizabeth’s speech and now he barely maintained his composure. “You, sir, are a fool and an ingrate! You shall leave Longbourn and never return until such time as my body is in the ground! You may not marry a one of my daughters, not even one so foolish as my Lydia deserves such a sorry excuse for a gentleman.”
Mary lifted her head as Mr. Collins nodded to her father. The man had hurt her deeply time and time again throwing away the love and devotion she held for him. But he had done it to retain his living. Surely her father ought to understand that! Pushing away from Elizabeth she flew to Mr. Collins’s side.
Mr. Bennet caught her by the arm. “Elizabeth, take her upstairs!”
Mary fixed Mr. Bennet with a wintry gaze. “Father, you know I love him! Allow me to have a word with him before he is gone forever.”
Elizabeth backed away and crossed her arms. She would not tear her sister away from Mr. Collins knowing that Mr. Darcy would provide the man a living and a home. “Father, let her have her say. I believe that Mr. Collins shall not remain without a means to support a wife. Mr. Darcy has said he will provide a home and living for Mr. Collins if Mary wishes to forgive him and become his wife.”
At this news, Mrs. Bennet left her seat and took hold of her husband. “Mr. Bennet, you must relent and allow poor Mary to say whether she wishes to forgive the man and make a life with him!”
Mr. Bennet shook his head. “She has no need to forgive him when I have said he must go! He has made grave mistakes in the treatment of my daughters and I would not place Mary in his care even with the charity of Mr. Darcy.”
Mary began to plead with her father but Mr. Bennet let go his grasp of her arm and ordered her to quit his study. “Go, Mary. I am sorry you have been so abused by this man. I will not entertain further disagreement in my home.”
Instead of walking away with her head down, Miss Mary Bennet turned to Mr. Collins and launched herself into his arms. The man was taken aback and unable to guard against the kiss that sealed their fate. While the study at Longbourn erupted in shouting, Mr. William Collins pulled his love closer and held her gently as his lips returned her kiss.
Mary Bennet had achieved the compromise her beloved could not in her father’s study not an hour after her sister had received such a kiss from Mr. Darcy in the gardens of Netherfield Park.
A fortnight later, Charles and Jane Bingley returned to Netherfield from their wedding trip in time to find Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Miss Anne being escorted to their carriage by footmen. Before Mr. Bingley might speak to his friend’s aunt and cousin, Lady Catherine closed the shades of her carriage with an irritated sniff and called out for her driver to make haste to Kent.
Mr. Darcy stepped away from the front door of Netherfield as the de Bourgh equipage rolled away down the long drive. He was pleased the Bingleys had come but dreaded the explanation he would have to give regarding the state of their home.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bingley! How lovely you have finally come home. You must not be alarmed at the departure of my family for they arrived unannounced more than a month ago. I could not persuade my aunt to remain a moment longer.
The smile at the corner of Mr. Darcy’s mouth made Bingley know his friend had not made a serious attempt to keep the de Bourghs in residence at Netherfield and he could not contain his curiosity.
“Darcy, it seems you have been quite busy since last we met. Lizzy has written my dear Jane about double weddings and compromises. Whatever happened to your assertion that you must not expose my sister nor your own to the tongues of the Ton?”
At the mention of her dearest sister, Jane called to the footman who was carrying the last of their trunks. “Leave that trunk for Greaves and run to Longbourn and see that my family comes for dinner this evening, please.”
She turned to her husband with a blush creeping slowly into her cheeks. “You do not mind do you Mr. Bingley?”
It was clear to Mr. Darcy that there was nothing Jane Bingley might ask of her husband that would upset the man. He hoped very soon that his Elizabeth might gaze into his eyes with such adoration as Mrs. Bingley presently displayed for his friend.
Pulling his wife closer, Mr. Bingley kissed her forehead gently. “You may have your heart’s desire, Mrs. Bingley, for Netherfield is your home and you are its mistress. I am but your humble servant.”
Jane rose on her tiptoes to brush his lips with hers before escaping the circle of his arms. “I must speak with Cook and have it arranged. Mr. Darcy has muc
h to share if my sister’s letters are to be believed.”
Mr. Darcy received Jane Bingley’s happy hug as she stopped to greet him before proceeding inside Netherfield. Keeping her voice low, she confided her faith in his love for her sister. “I told Lizzy you loved her the day Mr. Collins arrived to Longbourn but she did not believe me. I take it she believes now?”
Kissing his best friend’s wife on the cheek she offered, Mr. Darcy chuckled. “I should hope so as we are to marry this coming Sunday here in your ballroom.”
Jane gave a small squeal that had both men laughing as she hurried inside her new home.
Mr. Bingley clapped his friend’s back enthusiastically and led the way inside Netherfield and to his library where he might sit and give Mr. Darcy his full attention. “I am almost sad to have missed the excitement my home has seen these past weeks. What has happened?”
Mr. Darcy paced before the fireplace for many minutes before finding the words to begin his tale. “It seems there are to be two weddings in a few days’ time, Bingley, and you must host. My aunt and cousin did quite a bit of damage to the rooms they occupied during their stay.”
Mr. Bingley’s mouth fell open and he looked as if he could not think of which question he must ask first. Mr. Darcy held up a hand and shook his head.
“Let me begin by saying there are men coming from Meryton as we speak to repair the furniture that is broken. I expect the maids are busy now cleaning the mess my family left in their wake. I am deeply sorry for the trouble Bingley.”
Mr. Bingley stood and joined his friend at the fireplace. “I must say I did not expect such upheaval with the master of Pemberley in charge of my home.”
Mr. Darcy gave his friend a wry sort of smile. “It was never my intention to entertain such madness in your home my friend, but there was nothing to be done once my Aunt Catherine arrived from Kent as you will come to understand once I have explained the details.”
The gentlemen remained in the parlor for the better part of an hour as Mr. Darcy relayed the story of how he saved Miss Elizabeth from Mr. Collins and how Miss Mary compromised the parson in her father’s study.
When at last the story was told, Mr. Bingley sat heavily in one of the chairs with frayed upholstery he meant to replace as he and Jane made Netherfield their home. He fingered a loose thread of the old brocade and finally a smile lit his face. “I find it highly amusing that you imagined you might enjoy a bit of peace here in the country, Darcy. It seems the Bennet family and your own were set upon shattering those hopes. Still, you are engaged to Lizzy and the story of Mary and Mr. Collins is one I must hear again.”
Mr. Darcy allowed himself to share in his friend’s amusement and found he quite liked having caused Bingley a bit of surprise. “Oh, I am certain you shall hear it told at dinner when the Bennets arrive unless Mr. Collins finds us first.”
Mr. Bingley’s brows shot up at this bit of news and Mr. Darcy soon explained. “You cannot think he might remain under the same roof as his betrothed? It would not be proper. He has come to Netherfield and I suspect he is quite happy to escape his rooms. He could not roam freely when my aunt was in residence, poor foolish chap.”
“He must not have known Lizzy well, nor yourself, to think he might compromise her and force a marriage. I cannot think of a more unsuitable match. He’s lost his living, as you said, but gained a loving bride in the bargain. Who would think such a thing to be advantageous? How shall he provide for Mary?”
Knowing he must tell his friend of the offer he made to Collins when the man returned to Netherfield with his hat in hand, Mr. Darcy took a moment to rub his forehead as the excitement of the day wore on him. “I have made provision for the happy couple, Bingley. I could not leave the man destitute, though he deserves it for his misdeeds. Miss Mary is an innocent party who has amazingly found the man she loves in the person of William Collins. For my Elizabeth’s sake, I found it in my heart to forgive him and provide a way for the man to wed her sister. They will dwell in Derbyshire not a stone’s throw from Pemberley and I shall see that he is kept far too busy to darken my doorstep often.”
Bingley rose from his shabby chair and proceeded to pour a generous amount of port first for his friend and then for himself in celebration of calamity circumvented. “You say the men from Meryton shall arrive soon? I expect we’ll need all the help we can muster to make right the rooms your kin misused before the wedding guests arrive. I take it you expect the Matlocks and Miss Georgiana any day now?”
“Indeed, and the Gardiners as well. I believe they will shelter at Longbourn. That’s three rooms to be made ready here as Richard and young Emily shall come along with Aunt Margaret and Uncle Henry. I suppose Em and Georgie could share a room if the need arises. They have grown closer since the incident in Ramsgate.”
Mr. Bingley kept silent about Mr. Wickham and Ramsgate. He did not wish to sour his friend’s happy mood by pursuing that line of conversation. At the knock upon his library door, Mr. Bingley regretfully placed his glass upon the mantle. “That must be the men to repair my meager furnishings. Let us see them to their work.”
The Bennet family descended upon Netherfield a half hour before dinner that evening and Mr. Darcy was grateful he’d gone riding whilst the workmen made the necessary repairs to ready the rooms for the more pleasant members of his family. By the time he returned to the home, the men had made their exit and he was able to enjoy the quiet that had returned to Netherfield. His headache was gone and he hoped after dinner was done, he might walk Miss Elizabeth home. His spirits lifted to think of strolling the lane to Longbourn in the darkness alone with her.
Now, as the Bennets and Bingleys gathered in the parlor, Mr. Darcy could see that Miss Mary’s enthusiasm at the pianoforte with Mr. Collins might hasten the return of his headache. He could not help but smile at the pair, for it did seem they were made for one another as the parson warbled bravely to the tune his beloved played for him.
Elizabeth left her seat beside Jane and came to stand beside him. Her lips formed much the same smile as his own and her eyes twinkled with merriment. “They are well suited aren’t they, sir?”
“As are the Bingleys. As we shall be when joined as husband and wife. I cannot think of a happier and more fitting end to my time in Hertfordshire, my love. I had not thought to ever compromise a young lady to acquire my bride but I find I would do it again and again to have you as my own.”
Elizabeth blushed a deep pink delighting Mr. Darcy and he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. The desire blazing in his eyes caused the lady before him to look away for a moment to gather her racing thoughts. When she turned her eyes to him again, Mr. Darcy caught his breath. There was a softer curve to the smile she gave him and a longing in her eyes that made the fire in his heart and loins burn brighter.
She was his to love for a lifetime! And love her he would, with all that made him a man and the master of Pemberley. Elizabeth Bennet Darcy would want for nothing and that included his love and devotion. For her, the best parts of the man he was were revealed and encouraged to come forth.
As Miss Mary struck up a softer, slower tune on the pianoforte, Mr. Darcy swept Elizabeth into his arms and soon they were dancing along with the newly wed Bingleys and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Laughter bubbled from Elizabeth as Mary nudged Mr. Collins and sent him to dance with Lydia who was quite discontent to be without a partner as Kitty would not entertain her entreaties to dance. The wedding trip seemed to have wrought a change of some kind in Miss Catherine Bennet that her sister did not appreciate.
Mr. Darcy chuckled as his brows rose to see Lydia accept the man and take a turn about the room with the bumbling parson. “I believe my cousin Richard shall be kept quite busy when he arrives. He makes a much more dashing and capable dance partner than poor Collins.”
Elizabeth knew Lydia would be more than happy to capture Colonel Fitzwilliam’s attention if he was even half as handsome as Mr. Darcy. “Your cousin had best be prepared for the terrible twosome. Ev
en a military man might not be up to the test they present.”
Mr. Darcy surprised his beloved with a tender, brief kiss that stole away any further conversation of her sisters. As his lips left hers, Elizabeth wished she might always remember the feeling that settled in her heart. The proud Mr. Darcy who once found her unable to tempt him now loved her deeply and would carry her away to his estate in Derbyshire after a wedding trip to Scotland.
She could not have thought of a more fitting reply to his kiss than to rise on her tiptoes and return the favor. Ever so slowly she allowed her eyes to roam his face, to commit every line and plane to memory before she gently gave him the prize his heart had long awaited. Whispering softly as the music faded, Elizabeth declared her love and sealed it with the tenderest kiss that made Fitzwilliam Darcy weak in his knees for the very first time in his life.
Epilogue
Elizabeth Darcy sat in her salon at Pemberley watching her sisters Mary and Jane as they traded their first born children and exclaimed over bright eyes, chubby cheeks, and whether teeth were emerging in little gums. Both her sisters were glowing with the happiness of motherhood and Elizabeth could not wait until her own child was born.
Her hands fell to her middle and she caressed the growing bump and thought how happy she and Mr. Darcy had been since their arrival at Pemberley the year before following their wedding trip. The staff had greeted her with much enthusiasm and Mrs. Reynolds had taken her happily under her expansive wing.
Georgiana Darcy had come home shortly afterwards, with her cousin Emily Fitzwilliam in tow, eager to meet her new sister. When Elizabeth thought of the difference in the young lady who sat practicing at the pianoforte across the room, her heart filled with pride. Miss Darcy had recovered quite well from the scandal of Ramsgate with the help of the Matlocks and from her own patient presence as the new mistress of Pemberley.