Had she found a way to free their lives of Mr. Wickham, only to learn the cost was Mr. Darcy’s respect for her?
Disguise of every sort is my abhorrence.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself, deaf to the conversations going on around her. She would not give in to panic. True, Mr. Darcy had not looked at all pleased as she had outlined her alternative, but it did not follow that she had lost his respect. He had often looked displeased to her when his thoughts about her were anything but.
Despite her vow not to panic, Elizabeth’s heart began to pound. She knew her suggestion was duplicitous even as she offered it. With all she knew of Mr. Darcy, how could she expect him to rejoice in becoming entangled in such a lie? She suddenly needed air and excused herself to go outside.
If she had lost him, she would still count the cost as worthwhile to spare Mr. Darcy being associated with the man who had done him so much wrong. She could not marry Mr. Darcy and tie him forever to his nemesis, not if she could prevent it. Even if Mr. Darcy was lost, he would still be rid of Mr. Wickham once he was punished for his crimes. She did not know the punishment he would receive, but thought it likely he would be sent to a penal colony, far enough away that they need never see him again.
Elizabeth sat on a stone bench in the garden behind the house. She would focus on the flowers and trees until she could bring her emotions back under control.
Had she lost Mr. Darcy’s admiration, she would content herself in the knowledge that she had acted for his benefit. She was still willing to trust him if Wickham married Lydia, she had only thought to offer an alternative. How had she not considered that Mr. Darcy might find such an alternative to be repugnant?
Elizabeth closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She must not give in to despair just yet. She could be mistaken in her assignment of such thoughts to Mr. Darcy when he had not actually said anything. Her history in recognizing his feelings based solely on his expression was not a good one, so she would have to hope she was equally mistaken this time.
She would hold on to hope.
CHAPTER 42
“Well, Mr. Bennet. Though I have always known it, I must point out that you have raised a most intelligent young woman,” Mr. Gardiner stated with an ironic smile as he sat behind his desk.
“So I have, it seems. So I have.” Mr. Bennet looked around the room in some confusion before pouring himself a brandy.
“And are you feeling as mutton-headed as I am that we did not come up with such a solution? One far preferable, I must say, to what we managed on our own?”
“Yes, brother. I must admit I do feel mutton-headed at the moment.” Mr. Bennet shook his head and took a drink. “Leave it to my Lizzy to solve the worst of our problems.”
“I do not doubt she had assistance. The ladies in that room are all very clever.”
“True, true. Now we are left to find some alteration we can make so as to still appear necessary to the design, lest the ladies cast us into irrelevance. What say you, Mr. Darcy?” Mr. Bennet called.
Darcy stood in the corner, considering all he had heard. He abhorred deception of any type, yet he understood the need to be practical when dealing with a master trickster.
He had resigned himself to much in the past few months. He had accepted that he loved Elizabeth, that he must offer for her, regardless of her relations, and that she did not love him. He had accepted that his own faults were to blame for his loss, that he must take action, whether or not she would ever know, and that he had been given an unexpected second chance with her that must not be wasted. He would tolerate much for Elizabeth. He had been more than willing to pay Wickham to marry Lydia, knowing full well that if he did achieve his ultimate goal of marrying Elizabeth, he would be forever tied to a man he loathed.
He understood Elizabeth’s discomfort to have him deal with Wickham, and thought all the more of her for her consideration. He had assumed he had work to do to help her accept that she was worth any cost to him, even being straddled with Wickham for life.
Yes, Darcy despised deception, but he would gladly embrace any plan that removed obstacles to Elizabeth. He could accept those obstacles if he had to, though he would obviously rather not. If she could not accept them, then they would take the steps she had outlined.
The marriage he had tried to bribe Wickham into was little more than a socially acceptable deception. Their vows before God would be a lie and he had loathed being a part of the creation of that lie. Finding Lydia a different husband would enable a different type of marriage, one where the vows had a chance of being kept. Much as he despised any form of deceit, Mr. Darcy could stomach the subterfuge better if it brought about a worthier marriage than the one he had championed, one more honest in the eyes of God.
Darcy had never expected Elizabeth to find a means to achieve all their desires simultaneously. He had truly found his match in Elizabeth.
“Mr. Darcy?”
“We must send for Colonel Fitzwilliam immediately,” he responded, snapping out of his daze. “I have no doubt he will find us a substitute groom, possibly multiple ones from which we may choose. I will write to him now if you can send a servant to deliver it.”
Mr. Gardiner found pen and paper, then left to fetch a servant as Darcy used his desk to quickly write a note.
Mr. Gardiner returned shortly. “James will take the message. He is readying a horse now.”
“I will take it to the stable then. I find myself in need of some air just now.” Darcy folded his letter and sealed it, then carried it out of the house himself.
Once the message was on its way to Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy turned and headed to the garden in the back. He needed some time away from the other gentlemen just now to consider all that had happened.
As he turned the corner, he was shocked to discover Elizabeth sitting on a bench, obviously distraught, and rushed to her.
“Elizabeth, what is the matter now?”
She looked up at him and tears began to fall from her eyes.
“I am so sorry. I know how you despise cunning, but I could not bear for that man to benefit after all the pain he has caused and would continue to cause you. Such actions are beneath us.” Elizabeth stood to face him.
“You must know, if my father insists upon Lydia marrying Mr. Wickham, I will not allow that man to come between us.” She looked him in the eye. “I will trust you. I do trust you.” She looked away in agitation. “But I will not have him continue to be a millstone around your neck if it can be helped.”
Darcy stepped back, confused. “Are you angry with me for agreeing with you?”
“For agreeing with me?” she asked as she turned back. “Then you are not disgusted by the farce I have suggested?”
Darcy breathed a little easier and stepped closer, taking her hands in his own.
“Elizabeth, I am so far from disgusted right now that I may have to laugh at your inference. I have never been so amazed by you as I am right now. Not for your misunderstanding,” he quickly clarified, lest she take offense in error again. “I am amazed that you would develop a plan to keep Wickham out of our lives.”
He watched as Elizabeth visibly relaxed and began to tremble. He had her sit and joined her on the bench.
“I was afraid I had lost your respect for even suggesting such a scheme,” she admitted, eyes downcast.
“Never. I hope as we spend more time together you will learn not to read nefarious thoughts into my every expression.”
Elizabeth smiled. “And I hope you learn to show your delight more often so I need not interpret your glares.”
“I do not glare.”
Elizabeth looked up at last to see Darcy smiling at her. “We must agree to disagree on this subject, Sir.”
“I fear we will disagree on many subjects, but do not think my respect or admiration for you are so weak as to be at risk. I have told you my feelings will not be repressed.”
Elizabeth colored slightly and looked away. “I would not wish to be th
e means of linking you forever to Wickham.”
“You do not seem to understand Elizabeth, you are worth any price.” She looked back to him at last, unspent tears shining in her eyes. “I was willing to deal with Wickham to prevent you further pain when I thought all hope was lost. I would welcome him to Pemberley as a brother if doing so meant you would be there at my side. Believe me, I am glad it will not come to that, but I would do it for you.”
“While I do trust that you would, I would not want you to pay such a price.”
“Then we are fortunate I have found such a clever lady to deliver us both from such a fate.”
“Tis a shame Charlotte is already married,” she teased.
“She may have assisted, but I am certain the idea originated with you.” Darcy gently squeezed Elizabeth’s hands. “Now I have told you my feelings, yet you have made no reply. If you need more time I shall not pressure you. If your feelings are still what they were in Kent, one word on the subject will silence me forever.”
“My feelings,” she began, before needing to pause and collect herself. “My feelings are quite the opposite.”
Darcy felt a light go on inside himself, illuminating his very being. He had suspected as much, but feared that hope had him reading more into her responses than she felt. He reached over and stroked her cheek. When she leaned her face into his hand, Darcy leaned over and kissed her.
“Forgive me,” he said pulling back, “I fear I may assume too much without having heard a clear declaration.”
“Then let me be clear so we have no misunderstanding between us on this point. I love you, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, with all my heart.”
“Then will you consent to be my wife?”
“I will.”
CHAPTER 43
Colonel Fitzwilliam read the letter from Darcy once again, trying to make out any more information he may have missed the first half dozen times he read it.
Fitzwilliam,
Come to Mr. Gardiner’s house as soon as you can. We have a plan that could solve our Wickham problem permanently if we can find a workable substitute to marry Miss Lydia.
Darcy
The colonel had no idea what they had planned, but was eager to assist in any endeavor that would be to Wickham’s detriment.
He arrived and was shown to the study where he was greeted by Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Bennet.
“Let us move to the parlor so we may include the ladies. They were the source of this idea and would not take kindly to being excluded now,” Mr. Gardiner stated, gesturing for his guests to precede him.
Colonel Fitzwilliam was introduced to the ladies and took a seat, wondering where his cousin might be. Hopefully the man was with Miss Elizabeth as she was also absent.
The missing couple soon joined them, having been shepherded in by Mr. Gardiner. While they both made every effort to appear proper in company, he could see they had resolved their differences. Miss Elizabeth beamed, and based on the assessing looks she received from her sister and step-mother, the resolution was a recent one. Darcy looked much the same to one who did not know him well, but Fitzwilliam could see the tension he typically carried around his eyes had eased. The man was perfectly comfortable, which could not occur unless he had secured the affections of his lady.
“Darcy, your message was rather cryptic, but I must admit I am very much looking forward to hearing how you mean to replace Wickham. Everyone seems to be in much better spirits today than I would have expected after our adventure last evening. Have you been planning?” he asked with a smirk.
“Any plans I may have made are obsolete. Miss Elizabeth has taken over that role.”
“Has she now?” Fitzwilliam looked to see the lady still smiling.
“Indeed,” Darcy replied with a knowing smile. Darcy turned to Elizabeth and the look they briefly sent each other should have informed everyone in the room of just what they had planned.
“Miss Elizabeth, do enlighten me,” Fitzwilliam requested, making himself comfortable for what promised to be a most entertaining afternoon.
When Miss Elizabeth finished describing what they hoped to achieve, Fitzwilliam had to stand up and bow to the ladies.
“I must commend you all. If half of our officers could strategize so well, England could be at peace in a month.”
“But is it a feasible plan?” Miss Elizabeth asked. “Do you know of any officers who may fit our needs?”
“Let us lay out all of our requirements first. What exactly did Miss Lydia’s letter say? Do we need a lieutenant or will any officer do?”
“She only referred to coming home as Mrs. Wickham. She made no other mention of the man. Here is the letter if it will help.” Miss Elizabeth brought him the letter and he quickly scanned the contents. Based upon what he had seen of Miss Lydia the night before, he was not surprised by what she had written.
“Let me check with my contacts to confirm, but I agree that Colonel Forster’s regiment returning to Meryton is unlikely. That does not mean that another regiment may not pass through. How widely was she seen with Wickham? Do we need a man who physically resembles him?”
“We cannot say for certain without applying to Kitty,” Miss Elizabeth replied, now the speaker for the group, “but based on our knowledge of Lydia I think we must assume she made a spectacle of herself and sought all the attention she could get while on his arm.”
“Then a man of his build and coloring would be preferable,” Fitzwilliam concluded as he considered other areas of concern. “We also need someone within a day’s travel of here as I expect you want the wedding to occur as soon as possible and before Wickham could suspect anything had changed.”
“I agree,” Mr. Bennet replied. “I would also add that I want a man who will not mistreat my daughter. She is foolish, but I would not want her tied to a man who will treat her no better than Wickham. I will not trade one scoundrel for another.”
“Of course, Mr. Bennet. I would not suggest any man I did not trust to be a respectable husband.”
Fitzwilliam was glad to see Mr. Bennet still cared enough to add such a requirement. Many fathers in his place would be indifferent to what Miss Lydia’s married life would be like, so long as she did marry.
“Forgive me, but I must ask: Will Miss Lydia willingly part with Wickham? She still seemed quite attached to him last night. Her attitude towards the marriage will play a great role in who I may convince to take the part of bridegroom. I will agree that she is better off with almost anyone else, but if she does not believe that, then we are wasting our time.”
“We have not yet spoken to her as we wanted to see if a substitute was even possible,” Miss Elizabeth responded before looking to her sister.
“She has begun to undergo a change of heart,” Miss Bennet offered. “Lydia has been informed what kind of man Mr. Wickham is and has begun to express regret for her actions. I cannot say for certain, but I believe she would prefer a different husband.”
“Excellent,” Fitzwilliam replied. Based on Darcy’s description of his first interaction with the girl as well as her behavior in the tavern, Fitzwilliam expected Miss Elizabeth had taken her to task over Wickham once she arrived home. Miss Bennet may have soothed and coddled, but she would not have forced Miss Lydia to acknowledge the truth. If Miss Elizabeth had actually succeeded, then Fitzwilliam’s respected her abilities all the more.
“I know of another Lieutenant Wickham, but he is on the continent at present. There is a Lieutenant Vickers who is in London. He has not Wickham’s height, but his build and coloring are close enough. He may be persuaded. Winterbottom would be willing, but the name may be a bit of a stretch. I can think of a few others with near-enough names, but not the right appearance if we are trying to match up to Wickham. Let me make some discreet inquiries among a few other officers I trust. I will speak to them today and see what we can come up with.”
“We will go and speak to Lydia,” Miss Elizabeth said, and looked to her sister. Miss Bennet nodded in response.
>
“Very good. Gentlemen, may we adjourn to discuss some other specifics?”
The gentlemen agreed and Colonel Fitzwilliam took his leave of the ladies. As they left the room, he walked next to Darcy.
“I am assuming, since you are no longer glowering, that the lady has come around?”
“I do not glower, but yes, she has.”
“And she thought of a way to get rid of Wickham as well.” Fitzwilliam clucked his tongue as he shook his head. “Are you certain you can handle such a lady? She will be managing you in no time and you will not even realize you have lost control. I had not thought to find your match when it comes to planning, but Miss Elizabeth may just surpass you.”
“I am well content to be managed by my wife, so long as that wife is Elizabeth.”
Fitzwilliam chuckled as he slapped Darcy on the back.
He envied his cousin’s good luck. Perhaps once Darcy wed, Anne would finally be free to consider other matches. Her health was not nearly as frail as Aunt Catherine made it out to be. She would always be delicate, but had a much stronger personality than she typically let on. Perhaps a visit to Rosings, after the wedding and after Aunt Catherine’s ire had waned a bit, would be in order.
~ ~ ~
Elizabeth and Jane went to the nursery and found Lydia sitting by herself near a window while the Gardiner children played nearby. Elizabeth could not remember the last time she had come upon her sister sitting quietly of her own volition.
Lydia looked up at them, but said nothing.
“Lydia, why do you not join us in our bedchamber so we may speak.” Lydia silently nodded and followed them to the room.
Folly and Forgiveness: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 29