Falling for Mr. Darcy (24 page)

“Jane, Lizzy, I see you are awake. I thought I would see you at breakfast this morning, but instead I find you hiding yourselves in your room.” She glanced at the empty breakfast trays that indicated they had broken their fast in private.

“Aunt Gardiner!” Elizabeth exclaimed, as she went to her aunt and enveloped her in a warm embrace. “Was your journey very bad? You arrived quite late.”

“It was perfectly fine, Lizzy. Your uncle had some business matters to finish, so our departure was later than I had hoped.” She turned to Jane to receive a hug and then grasped Jane’s arms. “Jane, I have heard of nothing else this morning but weddings. Your mother is in fine form for Mary’s wedding, but she also has spoken of another wedding in the future.” Madeline Gardiner pinched her lips into a smirk and raised her eyebrow.

Jane smiled radiantly. “Yes, Aunt, I am also to be married soon.”

“I am glad to hear it. Your mother has made much mention of the groom, but since I had received Lizzy’s letter regarding your courtship, I could easily determine which of my nieces this Mr. Bingley was likely to marry.”

They all laughed and sat down together to catch up. Jane again expressed her delight in her engagement to Mr. Bingley and, as her aunt asked many questions about the proposal, courtship and, of course, the gentleman, the ladies were engaged in discussion for much of the morning. Elizabeth prided herself in her relative composure during the course of the conversation. However, as she had detected more than one interested glance from her aunt, she knew that her deception might not be entirely effective in the eyes of the lady who knew her best.

Before long, the time to leave for the church was at hand, and with less fanfare than Elizabeth would have expected, the entire population of Longbourn exited the house into carriages and rode to the church.

As Elizabeth settled herself in the pew to wait for the services to start, she had to marvel at the simplicity of the wedding arrangements. It was clear that time had been a major factor in putting limits on her mother’s arrangements, but Elizabeth also knew that Mary had insisted on a simple wedding and, to the astonishment of all, was able to carry her point all the way towards convincing their mother. Elizabeth smiled in amazement at the way her sister had stood up to her mother, and she admitted she was impressed with Mary in this regard.

Elizabeth looked around at the assembled group. A few of their neighbors were in attendance, including Mr. Bingley, who sat with Jane and the Gardiners in conversation. Elizabeth turned her gaze to watch Mr. Collins speaking to the Reverend Watkins. It was obvious that Mr. Collins was attempting to counsel the more experienced man in regards to the wedding ceremony. She bit her lip in an attempt to quell her laughter as she watched the scene. It appeared Mr. Collins was expressing his wish for Reverend Watkins to recognize Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s approval of the wedding in his opening statements, but it seemed to Elizabeth that her parson of fifteen years was not inclined to do so.

“Mr. Collins, I understand your wishes in this matter, but as her ladyship is not present, I do not feel it necessary to speak of her in my chapel.”

“I respectfully disagree, sir. As she is my noble patroness, I feel it is important that those of my acquaintance recognize the significance of her ladyship’s great condescension.”

The reverend decided to try another angle. After politely accepting Mr. Collins’s statement about his benefactor, Reverend Watkins remarked, “It appears her ladyship must be very selective in her choice of whom she deems to acknowledge in society, is that not so?”

“Oh, yes, Lady Catherine de Bourgh is most cognizant of her sphere,” Mr. Collins replied with inflated self-importance.

“Well then, sir, correct me if I am wrong, for surely you know her ladyship better than I, but do you not think she would not wish to include in her
sphere
some of those in attendance today, and that my acknowledgement of her ladyship would grant those persons a claim to this acknowledgement?”

“I had not thought of that reverend, but of course, you are correct. Continue with the services as you see fit without any mention of her ladyship’s condescension.”

“Thank you, sir, for your solicitous advice. I believe we are ready to begin now if you will take your place.”

Mr. Collins gave the reverend a gracious smile and bowed squeakily before resuming his spot just as the processional music began.

Elizabeth turned to watch her father walk Mary to the altar. She was inclined to look at the wedding as an opportunity for amusement, until her eyes rested on her father’s face. She could see that, although he was keeping his face expressionless, his eyes were sad. Elizabeth’s own heart became full as she remembered the tender talk she had with him over a week ago about love and the promise he compelled her to make that day only to marry for love. She had not considered how Mary’s wedding would bother her father. She chastised herself for having only thought of herself that week, between her eagerness to see Mr. Darcy again and then her bitter disappointment upon learning of his return to London.

With these and many other disturbing reflections, Elizabeth spent the entirety of the wedding ceremony and much of the wedding breakfast in thought. Her subdued mood attracted the notice of her aunt. As Mr. and Mrs. Collins departed Longbourn for their journey to Kent, Elizabeth startled at the feel of her aunt’s arm encircling hers and leading her towards the garden.

“Come, Lizzy, let us take a stroll in the garden.”

* * *

Mr. Wickham reclined lazily in a corner booth at the back of Wilson’s Pub in Meryton. He had ducked the morning’s training maneuvers and was already well in his cups. He angrily swallowed the last of his ale and waved his hand to signal for another.
This venture is proving to be most encroaching on my free time.
He enrolled in the militia only as a means of temporary financial support, but it was not long after that he found Colonel Forster breathing down his neck at every turn. He felt eyes on the back of his neck and it irritated him. The other officers used to be fun to stir up a bit of trouble with, but as his gambling debts began to mount, they were starting to turn on him and report some insignificant infraction or other to the colonel, making his plans to secure a wealthy bride even more difficult.

Wickham kicked the chair next to him, causing it to slide across the wood floor. It was all Darcy’s fault, and he knew it. All his troubles with Forster and the village of Meryton started when that man came into the county.
He is so damned selfish that he cannot allow me to be happy
, he thought bitterly. The more he thought about his current situation, the angrier he became, and it could all be laid at the feet of one man: Fitzwilliam Darcy.
He could never accept that his father loved me better. He refused to acknowledge me at every turn. If it were not for his selfish ways, I would be married to Georgiana right now and living the life I deserve instead of sitting in a dirty pub where everyone is looking at me with suspicious eyes.

A barmaid approached with his requested pint of ale, and Wickham watched her figure as she walked uneasily towards him. He grinned wickedly as she came close enough for him to reach. With a quick motion, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap.

“Hello, miss,” Wickham sneered as she struggled to free herself. “Oh, you’re feisty. That is all right; I like a little fight in a woman sometimes.”

“I’ll ’ave none of dis, Mr. Wickham.” The owner of the bar marched up and pulled his niece free of the man. “The likes of yous no welcome no more, sir.”

Wickham spit angrily to the side as he said, “Your wench fell on me! I suggest that, if you do not approve of such behavior, you speak with the trollop and leave me be.”

The man stood taller and lifted his chin. “I says yous not welcome, sir. Kin’ly leave m’ pub.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Wickham stood and raked his eyes up and down the scared barmaid’s body before saying, with disgust in his voice, “She isn’t much of a temptation anyway. Flat as a board and plain as the day is long.”

The few patrons of the pub began to voice their approvals of the owner’s eviction of Wickham as he passed by them to leave. Wickham’s ire rose significantly at the disrespectful way he was being treated and determined to find a way to humiliate and ruin Darcy once and for all. He left with a slam of the pub’s door and walked towards his barracks. He had never been treated with such malice, and he was sure Darcy was behind it. He nearly had at the altar that Mary King girl with the recently inherited fortune when suddenly her uncle whisked her off to Bath. Then the father of those Bennet chits, who were always good for a little flirtation, refused his admittance into their home.

Ducking behind a wall as he spotted Colonel Forster and his young wife enter a shop across the road, Wickham decided it was time for a change as he was not about to suffer through more of that man’s tyranny for having skipped maneuvers. Upon reaching his chambers, he pulled out a paper and writing supplies from the desk and sat to write a letter that would be the beginning of his revenge on Darcy. When he completed the letter, he searched through the possessions of his bunk mate until he found his purse. Gathering his belongings and the sack of coins, Wickham left to frank his letter and catch a ride with the post to London.

* * *

Elizabeth happily walked around the garden with her aunt in silence for a few minutes before speaking. “Aunt, I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have you and Uncle here to visit us. With you here, we shall have a little more sense in the house.”

“We are glad to be here, as you know. So, Lizzy, what did you think of the service?”

“Mr. Collins is ridiculous, of course, but it is what Mary wants, so I suppose there is nothing more to say.”

Mrs. Gardiner leaned towards her niece as she enquired, “But what did you think about Reverend Watkins’ closing counsel?”

Elizabeth thought back to the ceremony and tried to recall what the reverend had said but could not find a single part that she could remember with clarity. She had been more engaged in her own thoughts at the time. She looked at her aunt and recognized that her relation had seen her distraction during the service. With contrition, she said, “I confess, Aunt, I was rather occupied in my thoughts and did not attend the reverend’s words.”

Her aunt smiled indulgently before giving her a look of concern. “I noticed, Lizzy. Will you not tell me what is bothering you?”

Elizabeth looked away from her aunt as she thought about whether or not to share the feelings in her heart. Her folly in allowing affection to develop for a man of Mr. Darcy’s station was great, but she also felt that it was materially lessened in its degree by not being generally known. She needed to put her feelings for Mr. Darcy aside, and that would be easier to do if they were not known to any beyond her own heart. Suddenly, she remembered her talk with her father and colored with embarrassment that he knew her feelings. It was definitely worse to have others know your mistakes, and so she decided she would not tell her aunt what was really troubling her.

“I suppose I am feeling a bit melancholy; that is all. Mary has made a foolish choice in her marriage, but that is done now. Jane will be married soon, and I suspect, with the wedding preparations that will begin now that Mary’s is over, I will see less of her than I am used to. All these changes” — she paused and turned her lips up in a forced smile — “are just causing me to be a bit more reflective. But you are here now, dear Aunt, and I am determined to be as happy as ever.”

Her aunt could tell she was being a little evasive but determined not to press the point. They continued their walk for a time, speaking of various and safer topics. After a while, they paused beneath a large oak tree and sat on a bench to listen to the birds.

Elizabeth’s thoughts returned, as they had frequently in the past few days, to Mr. Darcy. Her anger had begun to burn out, leaving only a few warm embers and pleasant memories of their time together. She accepted that the majority of her unhappiness could not be laid at Mr. Darcy’s feet as she was initially inclined to do when he first left the area. Since getting to know him better after her fall, she had found that he was generous and kind. She acknowledged that certain interludes in their acquaintance, especially during the ball at Netherfield, could not be explained as merely friendly but more on the level of romantic. This acceptance forced her to concede that Mr. Darcy probably did have feelings for her. Her heart spoke the truth of it even as she thought it. However, for whatever reason, his regard was not of a degree to keep him from leaving her, and for this she mourned.

With his removal to London, he would be amongst ladies of his own station and significance in the world and would soon forget her as she had nothing to entice him except a few lovely dances and memories. She looked up into the branches of the tree above her, and she was reminded of their day in the grove when she twisted her ankle. She blushed, remembering his tender touch and the deep timbre of his voice as he spoke.

With a touch of sadness, she realized that, with Bingley’s marriage to Jane, she would likely be often in his company in the future. Although the thought quickened her heart rate in anticipation, it also reminded her that, for his sake and her own, she should learn to live without him, as he would no doubt marry someday. Her presence might make him uneasy as a reminder of the few weeks he spent in her company in Hertfordshire. Just then, her aunt’s voice began to enter her consciousness.