by Wynne Mabry
“You promised that I did not have to do that nasty thing,” she said to Mr. Darcy.
The vicar answered for him by declaring, “There is no validity to any promise which contravenes the purpose of marriage.”
“Mrs. Jenkinson said that she would make certain he kept his promise,” was Anne’s illogical response.
“You mean your companion?”
“Yes. She sleeps in my chamber to protect me.”
The vicar looked at her with dismay. “The only protection which a married lady requires is that of her husband. She certainly does not need to be protected from him. Indeed, it is your obligation to make yourself readily available to him. His marital rights are not to be denied. Your companion must immediately cease to sleep in your chamber, and you must allow your husband to avail himself of your body whenever he chooses to do so.”
Seeing Anne shudder, Mr. Darcy felt uncomfortable. He did not care for this perspective, but in order to achieve his purpose, he had to allow the vicar free rein. If he gave in to his own discomfort, there would be no proof of her incapacity and no annulment.
At Mr. Perkins’s request, Mrs. Jenkinson was summoned. Mr. Darcy could not deny to himself that he took some satisfaction in seeing the look on her face when she was instructed to vacate her mistress’s bedchamber immediately and to cease interfering in the natural relations between husband and wife.
“But Mrs. Darcy finds that sort of thing distressing,” she protested.
“Mrs. Darcy must learn to adapt herself to it,” Mr. Perkins said firmly. “If you do not choose to respect her husband’s rights, then I would recommend to him that you be dismissed.”
Anne whimpered, and Mrs. Jenkinson turned to glare at Mr. Darcy. Although he wished that this could all be managed differently and without any distress for his wife, he had little compunction about upsetting her companion, who was a dreadfully irritating woman.
“We will do as you ask,” Anne said weakly. “I cannot lose Mrs. Jenkinson. She understands my health better than anybody, and she is the only person who is kind to me.”
“Nobody has been unkind,” Mr. Darcy said, trying to keep the aggravation out of his voice. “Georgiana and I have made a great effort to accommodate you, and so has Mrs. Annesley.”
“She is treated much better than Mrs. Jenkinson. I do not think it fair.”
“Mrs. Jenkinson need only be equally pleasant to be treated the same.”
“I shall leave you to sort out this matter,” the vicar said, rising hastily. “I will be visiting you again, Mrs. Darcy, and I hope you will be able to tell me that you have fully settled into your wifely role.”
Anne’s look of shock put an end to any discussion about the comparative treatment of companions. “Must you come again?” she asked.
“I must indeed. The bishop desires me to ascertain that you are able to fulfill your proper duty.”
Although Anne was very cold with Mr. Darcy at dinner, he went into her room that very night. If he held back, as he was inclined to do, then they would probably continue to go on in the same way. Something had to change, although he fervently hoped that it would not be Anne’s attitude toward marital relations.
Feeling averse to suffering any further humiliation, he had not given any instruction for the removal of the bed which Mrs. Jenkinson had been using. It was still there, and in a position so close to the connecting door that he almost walked into it upon entering the room. He looked down and ascertained that it was vacant.
“We have complied with your wishes.” Once again, his candle was the only light, and Anne’s bitter voice came out of the darkness on the other side of the room. “I think you are very mean though. And so is the vicar. You would not be breaking your promise if he had not taken your side.”
“It was not a matter of taking sides. He has only asked you to do what is usual in a marriage.”
“He did not care at all about my feelings, and neither do you.”
“You may not believe me, but I do. I can see that you and I are not suited to each other, and I do regret having put you into an unhappy situation.”
“I am not unhappy,” she cried in surprise. “I like being in London. I like visiting people, and going to all the shops, and I have the two best friends in the world. I am very content.”
“You are not content with me. Indeed, you seem to dislike me.”
“I do not. I wish that you would not disagree with me so much, but I am glad that you do not tell me what to do all the time. And I like it that you are not always around when I am doing things.”
“You prefer us not to be together? That is your idea of a good marriage?”
“Well, naturally we must be together at appropriate times, but other than that, there is really no reason for husbands and wives to have much to do with each other. We have different interests and activities. You like your books and your club, and I like visiting and shopping.”
“You do not think you would be happier not married to me?”
“I do not mind being married. It is just this nasty thing that I hate.” He was standing beside the bed now, and she inched away from him.
“It may comfort you to know that I am not intending to do anything of that sort tonight,” he said. “I have only come to sit on the end of your bed and talk to you for a few minutes, so that you can become used to my presence in your chamber. Perhaps you might tell me something about your day.”
She eyed him warily as he perched himself rather uncomfortably upon a corner of the bed, but then she complied with his request by telling him that one of the dishes at dinner had not been prepared as well as the chef at Rosings made it. This was followed by a complaint about one of the housemaids. Mr. Darcy listened with weariness. They could not even have something resembling an interesting conversation.
Once she was done with the housemaid, he jumped at the chance to change the subject. Since shopping was a topic which should appeal to her, he asked if she had lately bought anything interesting. It was a somewhat successful diversion. She was happy to describe her latest purchases, which was better than hearing her gripe, even though Mr. Darcy could not share her enthusiasm for bonnets and bracelets.
The next day she did not go shopping, but she went for a drive in the park, so when he went to her room that night, he was able to ask who she had seen. The following night, he listened patiently as she related some gossip which engrossed her, although it bored him.
The days went by with him encouraging her to talk of anything that interested her instead of complaining, and he listened with an appearance of interest. His wife was almost welcoming his visits, although she still eyed him nervously when he came into the room, and she shrank back if he did not sit at the very end of her bed. At least it was a bit of progress, as he told the vicar when that gentleman came to call again.
The only problem was that Mr. Darcy was not keen on progress. He was making an honest effort to put his wife at ease because he felt that it behooved him to deal fairly with her. It would have been more to his favor to increase her fear of him, but he could not bring himself to use such deceitful methods, however much he wanted this effort to fail.
He was losing hope of that annulment though. Indeed, it was feeling more and more like he was building up to eventually consummating his marriage. He felt dismal about the possibility of that outcome, but if it came to be, then he would have to accept it. He had once thought that she would be just as happy for them to part, which had lessened his guilt, but now that he knew she considered herself to be content with her marriage, he had to admit to himself that he was obliged to respect their union.
The matter must be decided one way or another, but he was determined not to proceed any further with his sister in the house. Another screaming incident would be too unsettling for her, as well as mortifying for him. It was bad enough that the servants and Mrs. Jenkinson were bound to hear.
It was a though fate was determined to push him on. A few days later, Georgiana receive
d an invitation to spend a week with a former schoolmate. The family was quite well known to Mr. Darcy, and very respectable. There was no reason to fear any dispute if Anne wanted to question this friendship. She did, but she was satisfied to learn that these people were desirable to know.
“It is a connection worth cultivating,” she said.
The visit was thus approved by her, which was irrelevant since Mr. Darcy had already given permission, and he would not have been guided by any of his wife’s objections anyway. But at least they had not quarrelled, although he was irritated by her emphasis on connections. His priority was for Georgiana to enjoy the company of friends, and to get away from the all-too-frequent strife at home. He only wished that he could get away from it too. Instead, her absence, and Mrs. Annesley’s, must be used for practical purposes, which weighed upon his mind.
On the day of their departure, Mr. Darcy endured a dull time at dinner, but at least nobody was glaring at him. Mrs. Jenkinson must be aware that his nighttime activities were limited to conversation, for her manner toward him had been softening. His wife seemed quite content with the current state of affairs, but that would only make the next step even worse for her. Being an honorable man, he tried not to think of this as a good thing.
After dinner, he went out and spent some time with a few acquaintances, but without finding much pleasure in their company. Anticipation of the ordeal which was ahead of him weighed heavily upon his mind. Even though he was not especially enjoying himself, there was a temptation to stay out late and avoid the issues at home. He succumbed to this, returning home so late that it would be unkind to wake Anne. He went to bed without even going into her room to ascertain that she was in fact asleep.
The next evening, he resisted the appeal of going out and stayed at home, spending a dreary evening with his wife and her companion. That night, he went into Anne’s room with the full intention of progressing to the next stage in his efforts, but now that the moment had arrived, he could not bring himself to attempt the necessary deed. It felt too sordid that he was trying to bed his wife primarily for the purpose of proving her incapable of intimacy. Once again, he sat at the end of the bed, but on this occasion, he took command of the conversation by telling her an interesting story he had heard at the club.
On the next evening, they had guests for dinner, and on the following one, they dined out. These entertainments gave them plenty to talk about, and he sat on her bed longer than usual, all the while thinking that he must get to the purpose, but in the end he only wished her good night and went to bed without even going so far as to touch her arm.
By the time that Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley returned, he had done nothing more, and he was not going to attempt it now. His problem would have to wait until a later date. At least Anne was being less disagreeable at the moment, which made her easier to live with, and Georgiana was in excellent spirits after the visit to her friend.
With Christmas nearly upon them, he turned his mind toward making certain that his sister enjoyed the festivities. With a resolution of facilitating agreement between them all, he managed to find some pleasure in the season as well. Although he could not quite feel joy, the year ended with a facade of peace and harmony in his household. But how long would it last?
PART THREE
A Very Convenient Situation
After enjoying a pleasant Christmas in Hertfordshire, Elizabeth and the Bingleys travelled to London at the beginning of January. Mr. Bingley had described the house which he had taken, and it sounded both elegant and comfortable, but there was one detail which stood out to Elizabeth. It was directly across the street from Mr. Darcy’s house.
When their carriage drew up in front of their new residence, she looked toward his home. There was no sign of its inhabitants, but a short time later, when she was looking at the view of the street from the window of her new room, her attention was caught by a motion at the edge of vision. She looked upward and saw that Georgiana was leaning out of an opposite window and waving enthusiastically. She waved back, amused by this opportunity which was presented by the closeness of the houses. Her friend then vanished, but a few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, followed by the sound of voices, and footsteps on the stairs.
“I have been looking out for you on and off all morning,” Georgiana cried. “I did not see your carriage arrive. That must have been when Anne asked me to go into the drawing room. She and Mrs. Jenkinson kept me talking for a while, and then when I went back into the other room, I saw you at your window. Is it not delightful that we can wave to each other from our homes?”
“Very delightful,” Elizabeth replied with a smile.
“I knew that you would not mind my being so informal.”
“Not at all. I think it great fun to have a friend across the street. Another time, we might even open our windows and call out to each other.”
“I think my brother might object to that,” Georgiana said with an amused sparkle in her eye. “You could try asking him at dinner tonight though. If anybody could persuade him, it is you.”
“Are we to dine with you tonight? I was not aware of it.”
“Yes, you are. My brother is looking forward to it.”
Elizabeth noted that Georgiana did not mention Mrs. Darcy, but that was hardly surprising. She was not at all likely to be happy to see them. Her dislike had been plainly displayed at Netherfield.
“We should pay a call upon Mrs. Darcy now,” Jane suggested. “I would not like to be remiss in any attention toward her.”
Elizabeth saw that Georgiana looked dubious, which matched her own feelings, but they all went across the street together. Georgiana’s enthusiastic mood had vanished, and she gloomily conducted her friends into the drawing room.
Their reception was much as Elizabeth had expected. Mrs. Darcy was very reserved in her manner, and she said more to Mrs. Jenkinson than to either of her visitors, especially Elizabeth, who noted a particular coldness to herself. Jane was only marginally preferred, and even Georgiana did not seem to be much in favour.
“I am sorry about Anne,” she said to Jane and Elizabeth afterwards. “She is not very nice to anybody except her particular friends. But my brother has told her that she must be polite to you. She will not dare to be rude this evening.”
“I hope our presence will not be too inconvenient,” Jane said. “I do not want to cause Mrs. Darcy discomfort.”
“I would not worry about it,” Georgiana said frankly. “She never worries about making people uncomfortable, which she is very good at doing.”
This was the first time she had been so honest about her sister-in-law, but it only confirmed what Elizabeth had already perceived for herself. She hoped that their dinner would not be too awkward, but at least the cheerful people would significantly outnumber the miserable ones. And apparently Mr. Darcy had issued some dictate. She did wonder what circumstance had caused him to do that. It seemed that they had been the subject of some discussion.
She hoped that Mrs. Darcy’s unpleasant attitude would not affect Mr. Bingley’s satisfaction with his new home. He was almost as excited as Georgiana about their situation.
“I have already been to see Darcy as well,” he said to Jane and Elizabeth after they returned from paying their call. “I am so glad this house was available. It will be so easy for us to pop in and out visiting each other. I hope you are pleased about being so close to Georgiana.”
“Very pleased indeed,” Jane said. “She is a delightful girl, and Lizzy and I are both very fond of her. I am glad we will be able to see her often.”
“We are to wave to each other from the windows,” Elizabeth said. “It is a novel experience, and a most agreeable one. I look forward to walking only a few yards when we go to dine with them this evening. Nothing could be more convenient. I begin to see the great attraction of London.”
At dinner she said the same to Mr. Darcy, who assured her that London had a great many more attractions. “You must try to see as mu
ch as possible,” he advised her.
“We must take her to see some of the sights,” Georgiana cried.
“We should,” her brother agreed. “And the entertainments. How about the theatre tomorrow? What do you say to that, Bingley?”
“I would never say no to an evening at theatre.”
Mr. Darcy smiled at his friend. “Do you not even want to know the play first?”
“It does not matter. I like all plays, and I am sure Jane and Lizzy will as well.”
Jane nodded in agreement. Mr. Darcy looked at Elizabeth, who said, “I am happy to experience anything. In fact, I am tasked with persuading you that shouting back and forth through the windows would be the height of pleasure.”
She heard Mrs. Darcy make a noise of disgust, but Mr. Darcy laughed. “I will by no means deny any pleasure of yours,” he replied in an amused voice. “But perhaps you could try not to shout too loudly.”
“I said she could convince you,” Georgiana declared triumphantly. “Of course, I do not really mean to disgrace you, although it would be fun to call out good morning to each other.”
“You could just rush across the street like you did today,” he said smiling at her.
She blushed. “I could not wait to see Jane and Lizzy,” she said. “It was all too exciting. Anyway, Mr. Bingley rushed over here to see you.”
“I was as excited as you were,” Mr. Bingley said, and they all laughed except for Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Jenkinson.
They carried on with the same sort of banter after dinner. Mrs. Darcy wanted to play cards, in which Jane and Mr. Bingley obliged her, along with Mrs. Jenkinson, but the other four preferred conversation and music. Elizabeth had learned at Netherfield that Georgiana’s musical abilities were far superior to her own, but her performances had always met with a pleasing approval, just as they did tonight. She feared that there was more admiration than there ought to be in Mr. Darcy’s smile of appreciation, but fortunately, his wife was not looking his way at the time. In fact, Elizabeth did not once see her pay any attention to him.