Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (21 page)

Father and son stared at each other and Richard watched with great interest as Samuel’s increasing uneasiness in the face of his father’s anger became more apparent.  He had nearly forgotten his aunt and cousin until she struck her walking stick onto the floor.  Everyone startled. 

“Well?”

Samuel saw his father lift his hand dismissively and turned quickly away from him.  “I will speak to Mr. Easterly Monday morning, Richard.  Shall we plan to leave by noon?”

“Excellent.”  He looked out at the sky.  “Hopefully the rain will have ended by then.”

“I will hire you a carriage.”  Judge Darcy growled and looked at his son.  “I hope that you take note of this woman Darcy has chosen, and understand the importance of choosing your bride properly.  Opportunities such as the one offered with Anne are few and far between.  Darcy is not thinking.”

“I hope to be pleasantly surprised with my cousin’s choice, sir.”  Samuel spoke softly to his hands. “And I believe there is more to finding one’s mate than examining the balance of their bank deposit.  As I am sure you would agree from your own experience.” 

Judge Darcy opened his mouth and catching Lady Catherine’s sharp attention, moderated his tone.  “I only wish for you to save me from . . . seeing the family hurt.”  He looked up when the housekeeper entered with a maid bearing a large silver tray.

“Well then.”  Richard broke the silence in the thickened air and rubbed his hands together.  “Tea?”

“LOOK!”  Maria nudged Charlotte and giggled.  “Look at Mr. Darcy!” 

“Shhh.”  Charlotte looked at her sternly but when she turned her head back to Darcy, a mixture of pleasure and resignation crossed her face.  She was happy for her friend, but could not help but wonder if a man would ever wait for her.

Darcy stood just inside the church door, stiff as a board, his face a blank, and the only visible sign of movement was his thumb and forefinger rubbing the glove over his ring finger, and his eyes, searching down the muddy road for the first sign of the Bennet carriage.  If it were not for the lightly falling rain he would have much preferred to be outdoors and waiting for Elizabeth.  Instead he was stuck in the vulnerable and very uncomfortable position of being easily observed, and just as able to overhear the comments thrown his way.

“He is searching for her!”  Maria said with a sigh.  “See!  It is not a forced marriage.  He wants Eliza!”

“Quiet, Maria!”  Charlotte said again.  “Of course it was not forced; Mr. Darcy has always liked Eliza.”  Darcy closed his eyes for a moment and wondered what he had displayed that Miss Lucas saw but Elizabeth did not.

“Did you hear Mrs. Cavendish?  She said that he and Eliza were conducting some clandestine conversation in the dress shop!”  Mrs. Long whispered loudly.   “She was practically naked behind the curtain . . .” Darcy started and looking behind him with wide eyes stared at the woman.  Her mouth snapped shut and she hurried down the aisle. 

“Good Lord.”  He whispered, and swore to himself that if there was time he would send for a modiste to come from London to make Elizabeth’s wedding gown rather than buy from that gossip.  “Never will she get a shilling from me again.”  He said fervently.

Bingley appeared at his shoulder.  “Darcy, come and sit down.  You are miserable and I know how you hate being stared at this way.” 

“No, I will wait for Elizabeth.” He smiled slightly. “I promised.”

“Caroline is becoming restive; she keeps looking to you and saying it is unseemly for a man of your eminence to be left waiting like this.” Bingley grinned when he heard Darcy’s sigh.  “Sorry, I should not provoke you somewhere that you cannot speak your mind.  But I should point out that I am appeasing her fury by staying with her instead of joining you here.”

“You are here now, Bingley, are you not?”  Darcy glanced at him and saw his shrug as he looked out the door.  “I am just grateful that I will not be spending the afternoon at Netherfield.”

“You are grateful to be spending it at Longbourn?”  Bingley laughed and hearing Darcy’s sigh again, gripped his shoulder lightly and walked back down the aisle to join his sisters and brother. 

At last the Bennet carriage arrived with the family tightly wedged inside.  The addition of Mr. Collins to the party did not make anything easier.  The door practically burst open when it came to a stop, and first out was Lydia.

“At last I can breathe!”  She exclaimed dramatically.  “Look at my dress!  Oh, it is wrinkled!”  She pressed down on the creases and glared at Mr. Collins.  “Why did he have to ride inside?”

“Lydia, hush.”  Jane admonished and stepped out carefully.  She looked behind her and smiled at Elizabeth.  “Lizzy, look!”

Elizabeth saw Darcy, who had advanced out of the church.  His steady gaze reached her even though she was still hidden away behind sisters.  Somehow she felt that he could see through anything that blocked an ordinary man’s vision. 

“There, Lizzy!”  Mrs. Bennet leaned forward and began pinching her cheeks.  “He is waiting!  Smooth your dress, oh and your hair!”  She began fussing with it and frowned.  “What happened here?  You did not cut it did you?”  Hurriedly she arranged the cut lock into a curl and then stuffed it into her bonnet.  “You are not married to him yet, you must look your best!” 

“Mama stop; you are delaying us further!”  Elizabeth looked at him apologetically and received his slight smile in return.  At last she escaped her mother’s clutches and arm in arm with Jane; she walked up the church steps.  “Mr. Darcy.”

“Miss Elizabeth.”  He bowed, and stepping back to allow the Bennet family to pass before them, he finally offered his arm to her and drawing a breath, looked inside of the church.  “Shall we?” 

DARCY SAT POKER STRAIGHT while Reverend Pierson delivered his message of the day.  He felt a slight movement at his side and looked down at Elizabeth, her face was obscured by her bonnet and he made a mental note to take her to a millinery shop in London.  Glancing across the aisle, he noticed Bingley’s smile and Caroline’s glare, and the continued attention that was fixed upon their pew by the congregation.  Breathing out a frustrated sigh, he began rubbing the ring under his glove.

Elizabeth noticed his nervous movement.  She knew they were under intense scrutiny, she knew that her youngest sisters were giggling and her mother was looking around triumphantly while her father sat beside her reading his Bible, and she certainly could hear the whispers around them.  “I am sorry.”  She said softly.

Darcy’s movement stopped instantly.  He glanced over to the bonnet, it remained still and directed forward.  “Do not apologize.  It is not your doing.  It is entirely mine.” 

“I will not allow you to take responsibility for the behaviour of others.”  Elizabeth spoke to a knothole in the pew. 

“I will not allow you to take responsibility either.”  Darcy saw her head incline slightly.  “Speculation is caused by misinformation.”

“Speculation is caused by jealousy.” 

Darcy felt his pulse increase; once again, Elizabeth had defended him but simultaneously challenged.  He willed her head to turn, and was caught by surprise when the congregation rose for the benediction.  “Elizabeth.”  He murmured.

“Hush.”  She admonished.  His brow wrinkled and he looked down.  At last able to catch sight of her lips, he spotted the smile that was playing over them.  “We are supposed to be praying.”

Bending slightly he spoke towards her ear.  “I have been fervently in prayer since I arrived.”  Hearing a soft laugh, the corners of his mouth lifted and he felt a sense of relief wash over him.  At last Darcy saw Elizabeth’s gently sparkling eyes looking up at him.  The minister walked down the aisle and paused at the Bennets’ pew.

“I learned of this great news too late to announce last week, but today, I am pleased to state publicly that this Saturday I will have the privilege to marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”  The elder man smiled and nodded his head at the couple.  “I always enjoy seeing the children I have watched grow take their place as the adults in our world.  The circle goes on.”  Smiling to them both, the reverend nodded as Darcy bowed his head, and he winked at Elizabeth.  “It is good to see that Miss Elizabeth has found her match.  I know that the congregation will join me in bestowing our best wishes upon them.” 

Elizabeth sighed and Darcy turned to see her face as the pastor moved on.  “I think there was more to that statement than good wishes.”

“He has known me all of my life, as he said.”  She caught the little twinkle appearing in his eye and felt a nervous shiver pass through her.  Covering up the emotion, she glanced around the church as the congregation gathered their things and began to move towards the door. The volume of conversation had increased, as did the comments that surrounded them. 

Darcy’s amusement disappeared.  “Do you hear them?”

“I have excellent hearing, sir.” 

“You are not upset?”  He demanded.

“Of course I am upset.  I am hurt, I am angry, I am . . . amused . . .” She smiled to see his surprise.  “I can laugh or I can cry.  It is far easier to cry, so I will take the more difficult path.  They fall over themselves trying to determine a reason for our engagement, but they cannot deny the fact that you waited for me on the church steps and sat by my side.  I thank you for that, sir.  That gesture has done more to restore me than any grand speech you could make.”

“Where else would I have been?  I am keenly aware of my mistakes of the past week, but I do learn from them.  However, amusement is not the emotion I would choose at this moment.  Annoyance seems more appropriate.  How can you be easy with this?”  He glanced around and picked up the sound of the dressmaker whispering and glared at her.  “People marry every day, why is our union such cause for comment?”  Elizabeth said nothing and he looked down at her.  “Elizabeth?”

“Because you are Fitzwilliam Darcy and I am Elizabeth Bennet.”  By her stiff posture, he realized that she appreciated all too well the difference between them.  “As you say, it has been a week, and I have been forced to come to peace with it where to you this is all new.  Beyond that, I have far more difficult things to worry about.”

“Because of me.”  His head bowed.  “If there was any other way . . .”

“Mr. Darcy, it seems that the aisle is clear?”  Mr. Bennet spoke from behind Elizabeth.  Darcy started and saw that he was delaying their exit, and stepped out into the aisle, standing back so that Elizabeth could join him.  Taking her hand, he placed it on his arm and moved as rapidly as he could towards the door.  Elizabeth pasted on a smile and received the well-wishes of the neighbours as they walked, glancing up occasionally to his face and continuing forward.

“Can you not pretend complacency for a few moments?”  She whispered when they reached the queue at the door.  “Must you wear that thunderous frown?”

He started.  “I was not aware that I was.”  Seeing the hurt in her eyes he bent to speak softly.  “I am not comfortable being the object of attention amongst friends, let alone with people I do not know at all.”  Straightening he looked out at the freedom beckoning from the door.

Elizabeth studied him and realized that he had been gripping her hand on his arm the entire time, and that her fingers had nearly lost all feeling.  She sighed and closed her eyes.  “Perhaps sir, with someone at your side now, you will be able to be more welcoming, regardless of the company.”

Again his eyes cast back to hers.  “You will help me in this?”

“I certainly have no intention of spending my life next to a statue.”  Regaining her spirit she lifted one brow.  “You need practice.”

“And you are to be my taskmaster, why do I feel that this is only the beginning of my lessons?”  The little smile appeared and he relaxed his grip slightly, and startled at the relief he saw in her eyes until he noticed her fingers flexing.  “I am sorry.”

“You are forgiven.”  She grimaced at the pins and needles of her circulation returning.  “Clearly this will be an enormous task.”

“I have faith that you are the one person who might instruct me.”  Darcy was gratified to see the satisfaction that brought to her.  “Do I have your permission to present the settlement to your father today?”

“I thought that I gave it?”  Her head tilted as they walked, leading the rest of the Bennets to the waiting carriages. 

“I spoke of waiting for word of your welcome, you laughed.  It seems that you laugh at everything that is difficult.”  Darcy studied her.  “Is this your method of addressing stressful situations?” 

“Did I not state one evening at Netherfield that I love a laugh? “

“As I recall the subject of your laughter was me.”

“No, the subject of my laughter was recognizing the foibles in people of my acquaintance.  And I believe I have been corrected of my opinion of some people.  You see, I too am capable of learning from my mistakes, sir.”  Elizabeth’s cheeks coloured just as his did.  “I am ashamed of myself.”

“As am I.”  He looked around at the people of the church.  “I do not hate everybody.  But I also do not like conversing with people I do not know.”

“You fail to remember that it is by your doing that they remain unknown to you.” 

“Why must I know everyone, I am not Bingley, nor do I care to be.”  He sighed in frustration and demanded, “Why are we fighting?  I have no desire to be at odds with you, of all people.”

“We are not fighting.”  Darcy’s brow creased and she smiled.  “Look, we are arrived.”  She pointed at the carriage and saw his lips lift in the slight smile. 

“You were distracting me.”

“I was.  And it seems that it worked wonders.”  Laughing, she stepped to the carriage and waited for the others.  They looked around to where Mrs. Bennet stood arguing with Lydia and Kitty about who would ride with them. 

Darcy leaned forward to her.  “You distracted me at the dress shop, I was full of anger for Wickham when I entered, and then I was entranced by the shadow of you behind the curtain.”

“Mr. Darcy!”  Elizabeth’s face coloured and he smiled, and leaned closer. 

“It was not as revealing as your wet gown, but my imagination was fully engaged, and has remained so ever since.  It is similar to the sight of your figure displayed so beautifully as you walked about the parlour at Netherfield with Miss Bingley.  My eyes were only for you that evening.”  She looked down at her hands and he reached to take one.  “Bewitching.”