by Kate Barton
Elizabeth’s heart started to beat harder in her chest. She knew that man. She recognised his posture and his walk. As he got closer, she picked out all the minute details of him that she had forgotten: his patrician nose, the high planes of his face, and then, his dark eyes. Boring into her own.
Mr Darcy.
The wildflower that she had just picked fluttered to the ground, her fingers splayed outwards. Her feet had a mind of their own, and walked to meet him.
Until they were face to face.
“Miss Bennet,” he breathed, his eyes raking over her face, as if memorising it. “I was just on my way to Longbourn to see you.”
“You are staying at Netherfield?” Her voice sounded high and breathless to her own ears.
“I am,” he replied. “I was unable to stay any longer at Rosings…for obvious reasons.”
So, he knew that she knew about the cancelled wedding. Perhaps Lady Catherine had told him of her plans to visit Longbourn before he had departed.
“Yes,” she said. “I can see why it would be difficult for you. Pray, how is Miss de Bourgh?”
Mr Darcy smiled. “She is extremely well,” he said. “She and Colonel Fitzwilliam left Rosings and are now in London. I have just ridden from there myself where I attended their wedding. They are now man and wife.”
Elizabeth clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh, I am so thrilled to hear this news! I had hoped and prayed, but did not believe that it would happen.”
Mr Darcy gazed at her, his eyes shining. “My cousin told me how you were instrumental in giving her the courage to break the engagement.”
Elizabeth glowed. “I simply tried to help her,” she replied. “Were you very shocked when she told you that the wedding must be cancelled?”
Mr Darcy took a deep breath. “It was a curious moment,” he said. “You see, I had requested that I talk to her, to tell her the exact same thing.”
Elizabeth gasped. “You wanted to cancel the wedding, too?”
He nodded. “I could not go on with it,” he said, staring straight at her. “I had realised by that point what the truth was; I could no longer deny it.”
Their eyes locked, and Elizabeth felt a warmth spread over her, invading her flesh.
“Mr Darcy,” she said. “I know what you have done for my family. Somehow, you procured the marriage of my youngest sister to Mr Wickham. And I believe that you also encouraged Mr Bingley to propose to my elder sister.”
Mr Darcy coloured. “You weren’t supposed to know about my role in your youngest sister’s affair,” he said. “I didn’t want you to feel obligated towards me. I simply wanted to resolve the situation – for your sake.”
Elizabeth smiled, slowly. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she whispered. “To have done such a thing…and when it involved a man who you despise, for such good reason. I can never repay you.”
His lips trembled. “Repayment is not necessary,” he said. “To see you happy was the only reward that I ever wanted.” He gazed at the horizon. “I am happy, also, that your elder sister has found her happiness with my friend.”
“But why do you want to see me happy, Mr Darcy?” she whispered. “I have treated you abominably, through my own misjudgement! I am so very sorry, for having got everything wrong…”
He gazed back at her. “You didn’t get everything wrong,” he said. “I did separate your elder sister from Bingley. I was proud and thought that your family was inferior. I must apologise also, Miss Bennet.”
“I think that we both were at fault, in our different ways,” Elizabeth continued. “Can we be friends, now?”
Mr Darcy stared at her. “No, I do not think so,” he said.
Elizabeth gasped, feeling as though she had been slapped in the face. She turned to walk away, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
“Friendship is not what I want,” he breathed, urgently. “Not from you. It has never been friendship that I have wanted, with you. Miss Bennet, I know that I reach for the stars. But I must tell you how much I love you.”
“You love me?” she whispered. Her feet felt like they were rooted to the ground.
“I love you,” he repeated. “I tried to fight it, which was wrong. I was proud, and I was trying to do my duty. But it was all for naught. I might as well have tried to get the sun to stop rising in the east.”
Elizabeth stared at him in wonder. “Mr Darcy, my feelings towards you have changed so much over the last few days, I hardly know what to think. It must be true, I think. I love you, too.”
He smiled, then, a smile so wide and full of joy it almost eclipsed his face.
“My prayers have been answered,” he breathed. “I hardly dared hope.” He took a deep breath, then bent down on one knee. Elizabeth gasped.
“Miss Bennet,” he said, solemnly, gazing up at her. “Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
“Oh, yes,” she whispered, her heart banging with joy. “Yes, yes, yes!”
His eyes glowed. “Shall we walk to Longbourn,” he said, “so that I may ask your father’s permission? I cannot delay. You have made me the happiest man in the world.”
“And I am the happiest woman in the world,” she replied.
The world had tilted on its axis. It would simply never be the same again.
Chapter Seventeen
Anne walked slowly to the window, staring out. From here she could see the Tower of London, as well as Buckingham Palace. The streets of London sprawled out as far as the eye could see. She had always dreamed of coming here, but her mother had never allowed it.
The Colonel approached, staring out as well. “Happy, darling?”
Anne turned to him. “I am so happy,” she said. “I can scarcely believe that a heart can contain so much happiness.”
It seemed like a dream, now. She and Darcy approaching her mother and telling Lady Catherine that they must break the engagement. Her mother’s furious anger, which had lasted so long Anne had been scared that she might have a stroke. But even the thought of that had not bent her will. She had always known that her mother would react this way; it was like a storm, which one must endure. But storms ended.
Lady Catherine had banished her, of course. And cut her off. But she hardly cared by that point. All that she desired was her freedom. The freedom to live her own life and marry the man that she had always loved.
When Lady Catherine had screeched at them to leave her, they had both retreated. As they walked down the hallway, Darcy had turned to her.
“She might cut you off,” he said. “But do not worry. I will make sure that you and the Colonel are provided for, cousin. It is the least that I can do.”
And he had. He had taken care of their wedding and set up an income for them to live on, until Richard could support them. The Colonel had talked about an overseas posting, perhaps to India. They could start again and they could live well.
The future unravelled before Anne like a silk ribbon. It was a gift, something that she had never imagined was possible.
When she had rushed to Richard, to tell him the good news, he had looked at her as if she had gone mad. He simply could not believe that she had stood up to Lady Catherine, and that they were free.
“And Darcy was about to break the engagement, as well?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “But why?”
“He has his reasons,” Anne replied, smiling. “And they have something to do with very fond feelings towards Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Miss Bennet?” Richard had shaken his head, again. “Well, I am amazed. Darcy never once hinted that he loved Miss Bennet.”
“We all hide things,” Anne had replied. “He never suspected that we were in love.”
“That is true,” Richard replied. He turned to her, taking her hand. “My love. My one and true love. We will be together, at last.”
The wedding had been simple, but perfect. Anne had to pinch herself, that if she hadn’t finally found the courage she would have bee
n walking down a far longer aisle with many more people watching. A far grander wedding, for certain. She knew that most people wouldn’t understand; they only saw wealth and privilege. For them, they would never understand why someone would sacrifice all of that.
But wealth and privilege had never made her happy. It had imprisoned her, and she would always have the marks of the shackles on her wrists. Better to live an honest life, with love at the centre of it. Much better.
“We have Miss Bennet to thank for this, as well,” Anne said now. “If it hadn’t been for her, I would never have had the courage to stand up to Mama. She gave me the strength.”
“And if it hadn’t been for Miss Bennet,” continued Richard, “Darcy would never have broken off the engagement, either. She has been a guardian angel.”
They both gazed through the window again at the streets of London. And they both thanked Elizabeth Bennet in their hearts.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth walked the hallway toward the drawing room. Her mother and sisters were gathered in there. She could already hear their breathless chatter. Mr Darcy was ensconced with her father in his study. Mr Bennet had looked astounded when she had knocked on the study door and seen who she was with. And then, when Mr Darcy had requested a private word with him, his eyes had widened to the size of saucers.
Elizabeth opened the drawing room door. Her mother and sisters turned toward her, all chatter ceased.
“Lizzy,” her mother said. “What on earth is going on? Mary says that you walked into the house with Mr Darcy, of all people!”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. This was going to take a lot of explaining. She had never hidden her acrimony toward Mr Darcy; her whole family knew of it. She had not even confided in Jane that her feelings towards him had been changing, and her suspicions of what his role was in the Lydia and Wickham affair.
As far as her family were concerned, Mr Darcy was a proud, snobbish man who never failed to insult them. Her mother, especially, despised the man.
Elizabeth squared her shoulders. “Mr Darcy is asking my father for my hand in marriage,” she announced.
A pin could have dropped in the room and been heard distinctly.
Kitty and Mary both looked at her, astonished. Jane frowned, not believing. Mrs Bennet stared at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head.
“Mr Darcy?” Mrs Bennet gasped. “Asking for your hand? I simply cannot believe it!”
Elizabeth gulped. “And yet,” she said. “It is true. I know that you all believe that I despise him, but it is simply not true. My feelings have undergone such a transformation, they are barely recognisable.” She took a deep breath. “I love him.”
Jane’s frown deepened. “Lizzy, we have all heard you. Please, do not do this. Do not pretend that you love him simply to have an advantageous marriage.”
“I am not pretending,” Elizabeth replied, feeling tears glint behind her eyes. Why had she been so loud in her objections towards him? No one would believe her, now.
Her mother and sisters all looked at each other, not sure how to respond.
“I must go to my room,” Elizabeth said, rushing out.
In her room, she collapsed onto the bed. The tears that had been threatening spilled out. How was she going to convince her family that she desired to be married to Mr Darcy with all her heart?
She heard a noise and looked up. Jane was standing there, looking at her in concern.
“Lizzy,” she said gently. “If you say that you love Mr Darcy, and that you want to marry him, I will accept it. It was a shock. You have always been so forthcoming in your opinion of him, which wasn’t a good one.”
Elizabeth sat up, wiping the tears from her face. “I understand,” she said. “But you don’t understand, Jane. It was Mr Darcy who made it that Wickham married Lydia. He put up the money for it. It was all him.”
Jane gasped. “He arranged the marriage? We have so much to thank him for, then! Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I didn’t know for sure,” she said. “I suspected. But then, when Mr Bingley came and proposed to you, I knew that Mr Darcy had a hand in that, as well. He told Mr Bingley that he should do it.”
Jane slowly sank to the bed, sitting beside her sister. “We have so much to thank him for,” she repeated. “And he did all of this, out of love for you?”
Elizabeth nodded. “It would seem that way,” she said. “I had been wondering what his motivations were…and then, Lady Catherine came and told me that his wedding was cancelled. I hardly dared believe it, but it seemed that he couldn’t go through with it.” She looked at her sister, shyly. “It had taken him a while, too. To realise his feelings towards me.”
Jane smiled and picked up her sister’s hand. “I am so happy for you both, Lizzy,” she said. “I wish both you and Mr Darcy all the happiness in the world.”
Elizabeth squeezed her sister’s hand. “Thank you,” she said. “Your blessing means the world to me. Now, shall we go downstairs? My father must have finished his audience with Mr Darcy, and be full of questions, himself.”
∞∞∞
Once the furore had died down, Elizabeth walked with Mr Darcy to the end of the property on his way back to Netherfield.
“My father gave his consent?” she asked.
Mr Darcy laughed. “He did,” he said. “Although, I think he was as shocked as I have ever seen a man in my life! He kept glancing at me, as if I was about to reveal that it was all a joke.”
Elizabeth frowned. “I am sorry,” she said. “They all have a wrong opinion of you, and part of that is my fault. They will come around. It might just take a while.”
“I do not mind,” he said. “As long as you become my wife, I will endure anything.” He took a deep breath. “I doubt that my aunt will ever speak to me again.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “She is very angry,” she said. “I worry for poor Anne and the Colonel. I know that what Anne has done is not without great sacrifice. She has lost her relationship with her mother, and they must survive on a greatly reduced income.”
Mr Darcy looked at her. “No, they won’t,” he said. “I have made sure of it. They should start their married life as well as they can.”
Elizabeth smiled broadly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “It is what they deserve. They have loved each other, for so long, and endured so much.”
He reached out and took her hand, gazing into her face. “I never knew, you know,” he said gently. “That they loved each other. I was totally oblivious to it. I knew that something was bothering the Colonel, but I didn’t suspect that – not for a moment.”
“They hid it well,” said Elizabeth. “It took a while for me to get them to admit it. They didn’t want to anger everybody, and, of course, they have been brought up to do their duty.”
“We have Anne to thank for this, as well,” he said. “She persuaded me that I must approach you and declare my love. I thought that you would never change in your opinion of me, and that there was little use. But she said that I must try.”
Elizabeth sighed. “So, she helped me as much as I helped her,” she said. “I will be forever grateful to her, and I wish she and the Colonel a lifetime of happiness together.”
He raised her hand to his lips. “They are together, now,” he said. “And they will be forever. Just like we shall be, my sweet Elizabeth.”
Her heart soared at his words. It really was true. She could scarcely believe it; so much had happened, so quickly. She had never suspected that when she awoke this morning she would be an engaged woman by the end of the day.
“Shall we have a double wedding?” he smiled. “Jane and Bingley, alongside us, at the altar. What say you?”
“I say it sounds perfect,” she whispered. Her heart was overflowing; she could barely contain the joy.
Elizabeth looked back at the house. As she suspected, they were all at the windows, staring out at them. Mrs Bennet, Kitty and Mary were crammed into one
window enclosure, elbowing each other to get a better look. And even Mr Bennet and Jane were gazing out at them through another window, smiling.
“I should get back inside,” she said, smiling herself. “I am in for a long evening, I fear.”
He kissed her hand again and walked back over the hill. She watched him walking away, then slowly turned to the house.
Her future was just about here. THE END
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