by Lauren King
“Well, I will find out tomorrow what has been decided on his case and make my recommendations for deportation; he does not look like someone that can survive the very harsh conditions of deportation and labor over in the new lands. He has been a menace to society all of his life, so now, he can pay for it. We do not need any more men of his ilk in England; we have too many of them already.” Morgan volunteers his services gladly.
“Luckily your servants are good at their jobs and kept your house tightly locked up. Do you think he has tried to rob you before while you were not in town?” Richard asks frankly.
“I would not doubt it. He must have been desperate in order to try it while we are still in town. What a waste of my Father’s goodness that was bestowed upon him. Wickham’s Father must be turning in his grave, now.” Everyone breathes easier and sighs with relief to know such a bad person will not be able to do harm anyone anymore.
When Elizabeth and Darcy retire for the night, she sits in front of the fireplace in her bedroom chambers to speak to Darcy. She cannot let these feelings fester; resentment will set in, and then they will drift apart.
“William, once again, I am very sorry that I caused harm to Georgie by not listening to you today. Do not worry; I will not take it upon myself to make anymore decisions for Georgie. I am sorry I had the presumption to do so and put her in danger. You are her older brother and you know what is best for her. If you feel that you cannot risk her to be around me, then I can remain here when you both go back to Pemberley, and when you both are here then I can go to Pemberley if you wish. I will not complain; I promise.” Elizabeth feels such gloom that William may not trust her decisions. Will he think the same when they have children? Will she not be able to make decisions regarding their children? Well…she will have to live with that; she would not want to make any bad decisions for their children, anyways.
“What, Lizzy?” Darcy is in shock as to what Elizabeth is speaking of. He frowns directly at her and looks bewildered at her statements. She wants to live separately from now on? “I do not understand what you want and why. Please, explain it to me, plainly.” He cannot believe his ears. What has happened? Is Elizabeth upset that he could not protect her and subjected her to having to protect herself against such a horrid person as Wickham? No, Elizabeth is not like that. Then why does she want to live separately?
“I know you are unhappy with me for placing Georgie in harm’s way.”
“When did I say that?” Darcy is baffled as to where Elizabeth is getting this from.
“During dinner – but I do not blame you for protecting your sister. I wanted to protect her too; I just accidentally made a bad decision.” Elizabeth dreads being wrong; she prides herself on being able to assess situations and then make good decisions. Well, she made the wrong one when it was most crucial. No wonder William does not trust her.
“Lizzy, what did I say at dinner to make you think that I was blaming you or disparaging your actions?” Darcy is sincerely puzzled at Elizabeth’s conclusion of his actions.
“I know you were just upset with the whole situation this morning; it was fair that you conveyed your disapproval of my actions; that is your right.” Elizabeth did not want to say that it was his right as her husband because she does not think that a caring husband should sarcastically criticize his wife like that. Her Mother comes to mind; well, with her Mother – she deserves her Father’s reproofs. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is not foolish or senseless; she does not deserve William’s condemnation. She tried her best to help Georgiana at the time. She did not know that Wickham was as bad as the devil and would try to abduct Georgiana with a pistol.
“How did I criticize you so severely to cause you such great distress that you would want us to live separately, now? I do not remember saying anything bad about you. Just tell me what I said exactly, Lizzy.” Darcy is frustrated that Elizabeth could think him so mean towards her as to reproach her in front of family or guests. He gets up to pace because he is genuinely perturbed by Elizabeth’s words.
“After you explained everything, you said ‘this is all thanks to Lizzy’ and then you stared straight at me in all seriousness. Your grave expression and tone told me that you were unhappy with me. I understand I made a bad decision regarding Georgie; again, I am sorry for it.” Elizabeth responds forthrightly.
“Oh my God, Lizzy! What I meant by that comment was that it was thanks to you recognizing Wickham at the corner of the street that we were able come back and protect our home, and now, he will be in prison for a very long time. Why would I ever reprimand you in front of others? You have done nothing wrong in this entire situation. Do you think I am so mean or callous to act that way towards you? Is that what you think of me all this time?” Darcy does not understand why Elizabeth thinks this way. Was his voice and demeanor that unkind towards her at dinner?
“No, you are not mean or callous to me but…I…I put your sister in harm’s way…I did not listen to you, and she got hurt. I am sorry. I…I thought you…blamed me.” Elizabeth answers hesitantly.
Darcy stops pacing as he hears the guilt that she has placed upon herself. He comes back to sit right next to her and holds both of her hands while intently peering at her. “I am sorry that comment sounded blameful towards you, but I never blamed you, dearest. You did what you thought was best at the time. You did not knowingly cause her harm with your decision. Let me say this, again. I am not upset or angry at you for what you did; I never was, at all. I do not blame you for anything. You were in danger, too; therefore, you made a decision that was best for the two of you at that specific moment. I do not doubt it. I fully trust that you will always do your absolute best for me and Georgie; I will never be so ungrateful as to blame you afterwards if things do not turn out well. You care for us, and you love us; I will not regret or resent your decisions for us when you have to make them. Please, tell me you believe me when I say that I do not blame you, for any of this; not at all. Am I so ridiculous and cruel to treat you that way?”
“No, of course not! I am just sorry that I made a bad decision today that caused Georgie harm.”
“I also made the decision for Hughes to go get you and Georgie away from the carriage while I distracted Wickham. You see; we made the same decision. Hughes just did not get to you before Wickham did; it is the same thing. I do not blame you. I do not want you to dwell on this anymore and keep blaming yourself for anything about this ordeal, or continue to be troubled by it. The horror is over; we are safe, now. I am very serious about you not blaming yourself, alright, sweetheart? Do you believe all I have said, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth nods as she looks up at William. She is tremendously relieved that he honestly does not blame her. Darcy hugs Elizabeth tightly and kisses the top of her head as he caresses her back to show her his love. Darcy leads his wife to their bed and shows her just how intensely and how deeply he loves her. He thanks God that she and Georgiana were not hurt.
The next day, Darcy fortifies and emphasizes to Mr. Brooks about the security of the house whether the Darcys are present or not. He stresses that any thief could try to sweet talk the maids into giving out personal information about the Darcys; therefore, it needs to be emphasized that the Darcys will not tolerate any information about them to be spread outside of this house by anyone. He stresses that it is all the servants’ responsibility to secure this house and its properties. The message is passed on to every single one of the servants so everyone understands the importance of their responsibilities.
Elizabeth and Georgiana go shopping with Jane and Mrs. Gardiner to finalize Jane’s wedding trousseau and wedding gown. Jane and Mrs. Gardiner are shocked when they hear about what happened with Wickham. They are relieved that both ladies are not hurt badly and that Wickham will not be around to hurt anyone for a very long time, if at all.
The shopping trip is fun because Jane is truly excited for her marriage to Mr. Morgan. Elizabeth remembers her feelings during this time when she was getting ready to marry Willia
m; she was plainly and thoroughly ecstatic. In her mind, it was a natural transition for her to become Mrs. Darcy because she had already thought of William as her husband every day they were engaged. However, on her first day that she spent with William, she felt the full effect of being his wife in every way. It was thrilling to be his wife, in every sense of the word. She wishes Jane to have the same marvelous joy that she has being married to a loving man.
Elizabeth and Jane know that their Uncle and Aunt have forbidden their Mother and the Dennys into their house again, thus Jane wrote to her Father for his advice on what to do in regards to her wedding being held in town and including her Mother. Jane will not include the Dennys in her wedding celebration. Where will her family stay if not at her Uncle’s? She does not want to impose upon William to allow her Mother to stay at Darcy House, but she does not want to impose upon her Uncle and Aunt any more than she has to, either. They have been more than kind in dealing with her entire family; therefore, she agreed to have the wedding breakfast at Morgan House when Albert offered it.
Mr. Bennet has informed Jane that Uncle Edward has consented for her Mother to stay at his house this time, but he will not tolerate more problems from her while she is present. Jane is relieved but is still worried about Elizabeth and their Mother seeing each other. Hopefully, it will be brief and she will make sure that both ladies are kept apart from each other so their Mother cannot cause any more trouble.
The excitement for Jane’s wedding is palpable throughout the Gardiner residence, just as it should be. The bride has three sisters, an aunt and a mother to help her transform into the prettiest bride possible. Everything related to the wedding and the wedding breakfast has been taken care of by Mrs. Morgan, Jane, Aunt Madeline, and Elizabeth. Jane wanted to avoid further embarrassment; hence, she did not include her Mother in the planning. Her Father, Mother, Mary, and Kitty arrive on Tuesday; they will stay with the Gardiners until a few days after the wedding.
For after the wedding, Elizabeth will invite Mary and Kitty to stay at Darcy House until they depart for Longbourn the following week. Their Father is also welcomed to stay at Darcy House or just visit its library as he wishes. Darcy and Elizabeth plan to escort Mary and Kitty to the theater to see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on Saturday. Elizabeth wants to spend a leisurely Sunday with Mary and Kitty to see how they are progressing and what their thoughts are thus far. On Monday, they will take the two sisters to the museum, Westminster Abbey, a bookstore, and the new acclaimed French pastry shop that has recently opened. Elizabeth wants to share these things with Mary and Kitty because they will experience such things while in Hertfordshire.
Jane has made some tough decisions about her relationship with her Mother; she has decided to keep their contact to a minimum. This will not be difficult for all involved because her Mother will not be coming to London often; hence, there is no fear that they will be in each other’s company much. Perhaps, once a year Jane and Morgan will travel to Hertfordshire for a very short visit. She has to admit that her Mother will not change her behavior; consequently, she will limit Morgan’s exposure to her, too. It is heart breaking for Jane to think and to admit to her family’s flaws, but they are too obvious even for her to be optimistic about. She will try to do her best to satisfy everyone.
CHAPTER 13
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THURSDAY, APRIL 30th – JANE’S WEDDING DAY
Elizabeth has been successful in avoiding her Mother the last two days, so she is not as tired as she could have been had there been arguments between them. She and Darcy arrive at the Gardiner residence two hours prior to the wedding so that Elizabeth could assist Jane if she needed it. Elizabeth is worried that their Mother may be nervous about the big event and may become flustered and disagreeable.
“Your hair looks very pretty in that style, Jane. You will look beautiful in your gown.” Elizabeth is very pleased to see Jane finally happy with the man that she loves; he loves her and is devoted to her in return.
“Lizzy, look what Albert gave me.” Jane opens a jewelry box and there sits a necklace, earrings, bracelet, brooch, two hair combs, and a ring of gold and yellow diamonds.
“They are beautiful, Jane. Their color will contrast with your light gown and stand out very prettily, indeed.” Elizabeth compliments genuinely.
“They are very pretty, Jane.” Mary praises happily.
“Yes, they are striking.” Kitty exclaims excitedly.
“I think they are lovely, Lizzy. I never thought I would own such fine, elegant jewelry.” Jane gushes. “I know they are not impressive like yours, but they are beautiful to me.”
“Jane, they are beautiful for you; that is what counts. Would you like me to help you put them on?” Elizabeth does not want anyone to start comparing Jane’s jewels to hers because it is evident that her jewels are more expensive and more extravagant than Jane’s. Everyone knows that William is much wealthier than the Morgans; consequently, she will have more than Jane. She does not want Jane to feel bad about it; she knows that Jane is happy for her, not jealous of her husband’s wealth.
“Yes, please.” Jane is purely elated to be where she is today; she will have a loving husband in a few hours.
Elizabeth remembers that she brought two of her necklaces for Mary and Kitty to wear for today. “Oh, Mary, Kitty, I thought you would like to wear these necklaces to complement your gowns – only if you want.” Elizabeth removes a black velvet pouch from her reticule and gives it to Mary.
As Mary removes two necklaces from the velvet pouch, both she and Kitty gasp with delight at the beauty of Elizabeth’s jewelry. They both settle who will wear which necklace, and then they help each other put it on. Afterwards, they admire themselves in the looking glass with pleasure.
“Thank you, Lizzy! These pearls and sapphires are exquisite.” Mary joyfully poses in front of Jane so she can see without turning around.
“Lizzy, oh my goodness, they are beautiful! Thank you, thank you! Do the pink diamonds become me, Lizzy?” Kitty animatedly asks with glee.
“Yes, they do. You both look beautiful today, and the necklaces only complement what you already have.” Elizabeth expresses her praises sincerely.
“Thank you, Lizzy.” Both Mary and Kitty say at the same time, coincidentally, as they hug her in appreciation.
“There you are, Jane. Your hair is done, the gown is set, and the jewels are in place. Everybody, look at how beautiful Jane is – even more than usual.” Elizabeth proclaims proudly. She is delighted for Jane to have her happy day and joyous life.
All four sisters go to the full looking glass to admire Jane. “Jane, it is true. You are even prettier than normal.” Kitty exclaims gleefully.
“I did not think you could look prettier, Jane.” Mary states honestly with appreciation. She and everyone else around them always thought Jane was one of the most beautiful young ladies around the vicinity of their town.
Mrs. Bennet comes in and flutters about while approaching Jane and admiring her; she ignores Elizabeth, completely. “You are the prettiest bride I have ever seen, Jane! Mr. Morgan is a lucky man, indeed. Do not let him forget it, Jane. He should give you anything you want given he is getting such a wonderful bride.”
Mrs. Gardiner enters the bedroom chambers and hears the last half of Mrs. Bennet’s comments, and she cringes but does not say a word about it. She is through trying to make things better for her sister-in-law. After Jane’s wedding, Mrs. Gardiner does not plan to visit Longbourn anymore. Too many unfortunate things have transpired and have displayed Mrs. Bennet’s bad side to such an appalling extent that Mrs. Gardiner does not want to associate with her anymore. Mrs. Gardiner has expressed her concerns to her husband, and he has said that his wife does not need to accommodate his youngest sister any longer.
“Ohh! You look beautiful as I knew you would, Jane. Mr. Morgan will not see anyone else except you.” Mrs. Gardiner praises cheerfully as all the ladies giggle.
Jane joyfully thanks all her famil
y. “Thank you, Mama, Aunt, Lizzy, Mary, Kitty. I am very happy that you all could be with me today. It is wonderful to have my family with me during such a special, joyous event.”
“I am very displeased that you did not include Lydia and Sergeant Denny, Jane. I know you are too kind to decide such a thing on your own. Did someone force you not to include them? They should be ashamed of themselves for coercing you to forget about your youngest sister who has never had any bad feelings towards you until someone dragged you into a bitter, unfair argument.” Mrs. Bennet states bitterly.
“Mama!” Jane cries exasperatingly; she refuses to have bad memories of her wedding day.
Elizabeth no longer has the patience for such drivel, and she will not tolerate it from her Mother, either. “Jane, you look beautiful; since you are done getting ready, I will wait for you in the drawing room. I will not tolerate listening to anyone’s foolishness and stupidity, ever again. It is too embarrassing and shameful to be connected to such appalling people.” Elizabeth does not even give Mrs. Bennet a glance before walking out of the room with Mrs. Gardiner following behind her.
“How dare you?!” Mrs. Bennet declares angrily.
Elizabeth stops abruptly. She will not back down and hold her tongue; this is too much. “Yes, I dare! I did not want to see you or speak one word to you but your spiteful, malicious comments targeting me cannot be ignored. I will not allow you to escape the consequences of uttering them. You think just because no one has pointed out your bad behavior and comportment to you in the past means that you are correct? NO! You have been wrong and you are still wrong! You are still an awful, unkind, insensitive mother. So, yes, I do dare defend myself!” Elizabeth is surprised by her own wounding words to her Mother, but should she keep letting her Mother insult her? These are her last words to her Mother; she will refuse to come into any kind of contact with her Mother again.