Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley (36 page)

As they assisted each other to
disrobe conversation continued about their double wedding. ‘It is going to be
most unusual to have two brides walk down the aisle with the same gentleman,
don’t you think, Lizzy?’

‘Unless one of us is prepared to be
given away by Uncle Gardiner, or I wait my turn, there is no other way. I told
you I would be quite happy to be escorted second but you would have none of
it.’

‘I should think not, we have always
shared everything and it shall be the same on our wedding day.’

Jane was snuggling into her side of
the bed when her sister giggled.

‘I do hope you are not intending to
share my husband as well.’

 
* * * *

‘I am not certain you shall enjoy
traipsing all over London with Elizabeth and Jane, Darcy. You have never been
one for shopping of any sort, but for feminine fallalls?’

‘I have absolutely no intention of
entering any such emporiums, I would rather have my teeth pulled. What I am
going to do is have the Darcy diamonds reset for my future wife, and also
escort her to the theatre and the opera in the evenings.’

Charles was somewhat disappointed,
he had been looking forward to suffering alongside his friend. ‘Then I must
endure it alone, I have given my word that I shall help Jane choose materials
for her trousseau.’

Darcy chuckled. ‘You do realize
that you will be accompanied by Mrs Bennet, and be the only man in the
warehouse apart from those that are serving?’

‘Good grief! In which case I shall
cry of and restrict my shopping expeditions to those that I can do with Jane
alone. There must be something is she would like to add to the furnishings at
Netherfield.’

The carriage arrived. ‘I am
actually looking forward to the journey to town, it will be amusing travelling
with our future wives. I hope this is the first of many such outings, Lizzy and
I wish you and Jane to spend time with us at Pemberley.’

‘We are all coming to stay with you
this weekend, are we not, to meet Georgiana?’

‘I was referring to visiting
without Mr and Mrs Bennet in tow, Bingley, as well you know.’ They were still
laughing when they arrived at Longbourn. Not waiting for the steps to be set
out Charles jumped down to greet Jane.

‘Did the baggage cart leave first
thing with our trunks, my love?’

‘It did, it set off several hours
ago. It is so kind of you to ask my family to stay at your London house. It
will be so much easier to visit the emporiums and warehouses from such a
prestigious address. Cheapside is rather far out for such excursions.’

He glanced across and saw that
Darcy and Elizabeth were deep in conversation and then he heard the
unmistakable tones of Mrs Bennet approaching from inside. ‘Come, sweetheart,
let us get back into the coach before we are waylaid.’ He was amused to see
that the other couple also moved with alacrity and they were all safely
installed and the door firmly shut before his future mother-in-law arrived.

 
* * * *

For Jane the journey to London was
a revelation. She saw Mr Darcy in a new light, he was amusing and as full of
fun and teasing as Lizzy; between them they filled the miles with entertainment
and much hilarity. When the carriage halted outside an imposing three-storey
house in the best part of town she was almost sorry to have arrived.

Two footmen had the door open and
the steps let down before she and Lizzy had time to draw breath. She had no
time to be nervous, and resting her hand on her beloved's arm entered what was
to be her own house in a few short weeks. She was delighted to see several
familiar faces standing in the group of servants waiting to be been made known
to her.

After the introductions Charles
handed her over to Nicholls who escorted her upstairs to the chamber she was to
share with her sister during their three night stay. ‘I am so pleased you are
to be mistress here and at Netherfield, Miss Bennet, if you will permit me to
say so.’

‘Thank you, Nicholls. I shall be
relying on you to help me in domestic matters when we return from our wedding
tour in the middle of December.’

Sarah was waiting to curtsy in the
delightful sitting room that led from their chamber. ‘Good afternoon, Miss
Bennet, Miss Elizabeth. I have everything ready for you.’ She pointed out two
girls, as like as two peas in a pod, who were standing nervously behind her.
‘These are Emma and Jenny and they are to help in any way they can.’ She
lowered her voice and whispered to Jane. ‘I’ve no idea which is which, miss,
but they’re good girls and ever so willing. This is a grand house, I can tell
you, I’ve never seen the like before.’

‘Thank you, Sarah; have tea brought
up directly, please. And we wish to change and refresh ourselves before we go down.’

Jane was surprised that she had
been able to take charge so easily, she was more used to letting Lizzy give
directions to the staff. This was to be her home, so it was incumbent on her to
take on the duties of hostess whilst she was under its roof. It would be
Lizzy’s turn when they removed to Pemberley at the end of the week.

‘This is a splendid house, Jane.
Darcy does not have a house in town, he always stays here with Bingley.’

‘I hope that you will continue to
do so, my dearest Lizzy, the only thing that is marring my happiness is the
knowledge that you will be so far away in Derbyshire. I am going to miss you
dreadfully.’

‘We shall both be so busy learning
how to be wives that we will not have time to be sad. Do not you remember how
Lydia said married women are too busy to write letters?’

This sally made her smile and
restored her composure. She heard the noise of her parents being escorted along
the wide corridor to their own apartments and wished that Mama had rather less
to say about everything she saw.

The visit to Pemberley was
everything it should be and she thought the Derbyshire countryside quite
splendid. Her father made himself at home in the library and her mother
wandered from room to room exclaiming loudly on the fineness of the furniture.
She knew exactly why Mr Darcy had told her sister he would not visit
Netherfield once he was married.

When they returned to Longbourn it
was to find Charlotte and Mr Collins had returned from Hunsford for an extended
stay. She had barely been back in residence an hour when Charlotte arrived to
offer her congratulations to them both.

‘Lizzy, Jane, I cannot tell you how
pleased I am that you are to be married and to such handsome gentlemen. Lady
Catherine is not at all pleased, so Mr Collins has decided it best that we
remain away until after the wedding.’

Jane turned to her sister. ‘Shall
Lady Catherine and her daughter be attending the wedding, Lizzy?’

‘They have been invited, but whether
they attend is another matter. For my part I shall not be sorry if they do not
come. Colonel Fitzwilliam will be there, but I am afraid the church will be
filled with Bennet relatives.’

‘Do Lydia and her new husband come,
Lizzy?’

‘Fortunately he is unable to get
leave, Charlotte, it would be intolerable for Papa to have them here.’

‘I have exciting news to tell you,
it is another reason we have come home. Can you guess what it is?’

Jane looked at Charlotte and could
see a new bloom to her countenance, a sparkle in her eyes. ‘Are you increasing,
Charlotte? When is the baby due?’

‘Next spring, and we are both so
excited. Mama cannot believe she is to be a grandparent, but I should have been
disappointed if this was not the case. After all, for what other reason would I
have wished to marry Mr Collins?’

‘You look radiant, impending
motherhood obviously agrees with you. I am so pleased for you.’

‘It is strange to think that this
time last year our lives were so different, Lizzy. I had no thought of ever
being married and you thoroughly disliked Mr Darcy. But you Jane, you were
already in love with Bingley were you not?’

‘Indeed I was, Charlotte, but it
has taken a year for us to find each other again. I can hardly believe that in
less than three weeks I shall be Mrs Bingley and Lizzy shall be Mrs Darcy.’ She
glanced around the pretty sitting room she had shared with her sister these
past five years and her eyes filled. ‘I shall miss Longbourn, and all the happy
times we have had together. Being apart from Lizzy is going to be like leaving
an arm behind.’

‘Fustian! You will be so busy you
shall scarcely have time to write a letter let alone pine away for Lizzy.’
Charlotte looked at Jane in bewilderment as she and her sister dissolved into
peals of laughter.

The day for Jane and Elizabeth’s
nuptials dawned fair and bright. Jane was up first, she had hardly slept all
night, knowing this would be the last time she shared a bed with her sister or
slept under her father’s roof.

She walked across to the curtains and
drew him back, the sun was creeping over the horizon bathing the park in
crimson glory. It was a good omen. Her movements caused her sister to stir.

‘I am sorry, Lizzy, I did not mean
to disturb you so early. I have been awake so long I could not remain in bed
another minute. I will be a little sad to leave Longbourn, but miserable to be
parted from you.’

Elizabeth was immediately beside
her, offering comfort and reassurance. ‘Derbyshire is not so very far from
Hertfordshire, my dear. You must come and visit often, Pemberley is a vast
place, it needs to be filled with friends and family.’

It had already been discussed
between them that Elizabeth and her new husband would not visit Netherfield; it
would have to be they that went to Pemberley. Mr Darcy found his new relatives
difficult to be with, especially Aunt Philips and their mother.

‘I am so glad that the Gardiners
are here to celebrate our marriages, Lizzy, and relieved that Lydia and Wickham
could not come down from Newcastle. With Georgiana here as well it would have
been impossible.’ Jane had been deeply shocked when her sister had told her
exactly why Mr Darcy held Lydia’s husband in such dislike.

‘I can hear movement downstairs,
Jane. I believe that our wedding day has now officially begun. To think, in a
few hours time I shall be Mrs Darcy and you Mrs Bingley! My only regret is that
poor Papa shall be deprived of both his favourite daughters on the same day.
Darcy and I have decided to invite him to visit Pemberley whenever he should
wish to come. Although he does not like to travel much, I believe he will come
to us sometimes, if only to get away from Longbourn.’

Laughing, Jane ran to her sister
and they embraced fondly. ‘He shall always be welcome at Netherfield, but I
expect he will often be accompanied by our mother. I am not sure whether living
so close will be an advantage or disadvantage. But I shall not think of that
today, I am too happy to consider anything else apart from what will take place
at the church this morning.’

Downstairs they were to eat their
final breakfast as a family, even their father was there. Kitty and Mary were
almost more excited than Jane was herself. They both had new gowns and bonnets
and were looking forward to being the only Bennet girls in residence.

‘My dear girls, Lizzy, Jane, are
you both absolutely certain that you wish to go ahead with the ceremony this
morning? It is not too late to call the whole thing off.’

‘My dear Mr Bennet, how can you say
such a thing on the morning of their wedding? Of course they do not wish to
call it off, they have their bride clothes sewn and the wedding breakfast is
being made ready even as we speak. I do not understand why you should wish to
have them cancel the ceremony.’

‘Mama, of course we do not wish to
cancel, do we Lizzy? We are both eager to become married women, to have own
establishments, to marry the men we love.’

Her father answered. ‘In which case
I shall say no more on the subject, I shall be sad to see you go, but happy
that you marry such sensible men. I shall be visiting you both frequently, so
be prepared for it.’

‘You will be most welcome at
Pemberley, Papa, but remember we shall not be there until the spring. We do not
return from our trip until the middle of April.‘

‘Mr Bennet will not be travelling
about the countryside, Lizzy, even to visit you and Mr Darcy at Pemberley. He
does not like to travel you know, and certainly not when the roads are bad and
the weather inclement. Do not expect to see him before the summer.’

Jane saw her father wink at Lizzy
and was astonished at it. She rather thought her mother was going to discover
that her husband developed a decided interest in travel, especially to
Derbyshire.

She noticed that Lizzy ate as
little as she did, and was glad when Mama declared it was time they go upstairs
to get ready. ‘I shall be along very shortly to oversee your preparations, I
cannot understand why you should have chosen such plain dresses both of you, I
saw fabric that would have done better than the silk that you both selected.’

‘It is our wedding day, Mama, and
God will bless our union. Neither Lizzy, nor I, wished to wear anything
elaborate. Your ensemble is splendid enough for both of us.’

A strange noise coming from her sister
made her glance in that direction and she wished she had not. Now was not the
time to succumb to a fit of giggles. ‘Shall we go upstairs, Lizzy, Hill said
the hot water would be in the bath at this time.’

* * * *

When the carriage containing the
wedding party arrived outside the church it was greeted by cheers and applause
from the assembled villagers. Jane in her gown of cream silk, her sash of
emerald green, her bonnet trimmed to match, looked even more beautiful than
usual, if that were possible. Her sister was wearing a matching gown, but her
sash was gold and her bonnet ribbons also.