Chapter 23

After returning from her walk, Elizabeth once again ensured her trunks were packed and ready. She was taking everything she owned since she did not anticipate returning to that house. She had no intention of ever stepping foot inside Longbourn again, at least not while her father was the master of the estate.

During their conversation on Sunday, all five girls had decided to tell their mother nothing about Elizabeth and Darcy's engagement. Lydia suggested that their mother would only upset the whole household if she knew, and she could not be trusted to keep matters from their father. And she was still upset about Wickham and his crimes. Privately, Elizabeth thought her mother had been more worried about realising the militia members were not necessarily good marriage prospects for her daughters than anything else.

Elizabeth could hear her going on about this when she returned downstairs before leaving to visit the tenants with Darcy. "I know that Mr. Wickham has not yet been caught, but you should remain at Longbourn, Lyddie. Jane must go, of course, because Mr. Bingley is going, and I have begun to suspect there might be something between Lizzy and that dour Mr. Darcy. He is proud and stern, though if he likes Lizzy, he would be an advantageous match. I am amazed that someone with ten thousand a year could like such an impertinent girl, though there is no accounting for taste."

"Mama, you should not speculate about such things," Jane attempted to soothe their mother. "I would like all my sisters to accompany us, and my uncles believe it is best that we all depart the area until Mr. Wickham is caught. Besides, there is no guarantee that Mr. Bingley will propose to me, and you should not speak of our marriage as though it were a fact."

"Nonsense, Jane, of course he will propose very soon. You must return to Longbourn for the wedding, though I suppose you will be able to shop for your trousseau in London."

Elizabeth looked at Jane, then rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. Jane struggled not to laugh. Mrs. Bennet did not know that they would all be going to Derbyshire, but thought they were going to London until their uncles could arrange for them to go somewhere safer.

"Mama, I am going to visit our tenants to let them know I will be gone for a time. The steward will have my direction if there are any questions or concerns that he cannot address himself. Our uncles feel it is best that we all depart so they can ensure our safety," Elizabeth told her, playing on her mother's fears in an effort to convince her mother of the necessity for all of the girls to depart.

"Oh, I suppose you are right, Lizzy, but I will miss my girls. I hope you will not be gone for long, though I do pray for you all to find husbands while you are away. Mr. Bingley must be convinced to propose to Jane, and you, Lizzy, appear to have attracted Mr. Darcy's attention. I did not get a good look at his cousin—he is a colonel in the regulars, is he not? Would he be a good match for one of your sisters? Lydia has always wanted to marry a man in a uniform."

"Mama, Colonel Fitzwilliam is twice Lydia's age and not presently looking for a wife. Allow Lydia a little time to grow up before she worries about finding a husband. I believe the incident with Mr. Wickham has quite persuaded her against members of the militia, at least."

"You must all find husbands before your father dies, or Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas will turn us all out," her mother cried. Jane came to sit beside her as she again called for the housekeeper to fetch her smelling salts.

They heard the distant sound of wheels on the gravel, and Elizabeth glanced out the window. She saw Darcy approaching and looked at Jane with a question in her eyes. Jane made a brief shooing motion as the housekeeper arrived. After quietly requesting her mother's "special calming tea" to be made, Elizabeth darted toward the door, grabbing her coat and bonnet as she went.

"Thank you, William, for taking me away from this house. I confess that for a moment, I thought Mama was demonstrating a modicum of sense the other day when she warned Kitty and Lydia that not all militia members are as honourable as they might think. However, today she has proven that wrong when she tried to convince Lydia to stay so she can continue meeting with the militia officers. She has accepted that we are leaving for now, though I dare say she will change her mind another dozen times between now and the morrow. Fortunately, she will not be awake when we depart from Longbourn." Elizabeth said this in a rush as she hurried toward the equipage, and Darcy helped her climb to the seat.

"Has your father said anything?" he asked once they were both settled onto the high perch.

"He has scarcely left his book room since my uncles spoke to him yesterday morning. Uncle Gardiner informed him of Mr. Wickham's attempt to steal Lydia away, and he had little to say other than he was certain he would not return again. He still tried to insist that we did not need to leave, but my uncle told him that no Bennet daughter will be safe until Mr. Wickham is arrested, tried, and convicted."

Darcy patted her hand on his arm. "I will keep you and all your sisters safe, dearest. Richard is determined to capture him, and he will not allow Wickham many more days on this earth. I am sorry for it because we were good friends at one point, but I do not want him to wreak havoc on the lives of any other young ladies, and certainly not the one I love."

She sighed heavily and leaned against him a little more. "Had he attacked another woman as he did me, in different circumstances, it could have ruined her and her entire family. Had others witnessed what he did to me, you would have been justified to depart and fly as far from me as possible. It is truly unfair how much damage he could cause so easily. I struggle with the idea of him losing his life, but he knew what he signed up for when he joined the militia."

Neither spoke for several minutes after that, lost in thought about the far-reaching consequences of such an action. Before either was ready, they arrived at the first tenant's house. Darcy hopped down first, then assisted Elizabeth down.

"I will remain here while you speak with the tenants," he whispered.

This same pattern occurred at each of the tenant farms. Elizabeth spoke to the tenants while Darcy waited, though she did introduce him each time as she prepared to leave. They first looked at him a bit askance until Elizabeth explained that he was the best of men, but she told the tenants, or rather their wives, of her planned marriage, how happy she was to be marrying him, the reason for secrecy until it could be announced publicly, and how she and Darcy would continue to be involved in estate matters. Each woman expressed their happiness for her and vowed to keep her secret until either the steward or the Hills informed them they could openly talk about it. Of course, neither of her parents had much involvement with the tenants, so even if they openly discussed it, they would still be unlikely to hear of it.

Their last stop was to visit the steward, Mr. Johnson, who already knew their plans. Mr. Phillips had spoken to him not long after Mr. Bennet signed the paperwork granting control of the estate to Darcy and Elizabeth. Mr. Johnson was a little concerned about how matters would be handled via the post, but the couple reassured him that Darcy managed several small estates this way. Once married, they would annually visit on their way to and from London, and maintain regular correspondence to prevent any issues. Mr. Phillips was also nearby to provide support if required, and he was authorised to act on Elizabeth's behalf as necessary. Somewhat reassured, the steward also wished the young couple well, promising to write frequently.

As they drove back to Longbourn, Elizabeth made a confession she had withheld until now. "It was good to see how you interact with the tenants, my love. I must say that I was uncertain what to think of you in the early part of our acquaintance. After insulting me at the assembly, I was convinced you only looked at me to find fault. When I noticed you listening to my conversations one evening at Lucas Lodge, I thought you were bored and were seeking some sort of … entertainment, I supposed, by listening to me. I had convinced myself that you only viewed me with disdain. You appeared to look down at everyone around you whenever you were in society, yet you were always kind to the servants at those entertainments.

"At Netherfield, I saw you speak to servants kindly and respectfully. It was not just your own servants but all of them, from the housekeeper to the stable boy. You knew their names, asked them questions about themselves, and treated them well, if not quite as equals, but with care. It was surprising, given what I thought about you."

For a moment, she hung her head. "I apologise for being so easily persuaded by Mr. Wickham to think you the worst sort of man. I … I admit, I was injured by what you said about me at the assembly, partly because I had never seen such a"— here she stopped and blushed brightly —"such a handsome man as you were when you entered that night. I was immediately attracted to you, and your… or rather, what I perceived as your rejection of me only confirmed what Mama has always said about me, that I was nothing compared to Jane."

He pulled the horses to a halt and took a moment to embrace her tightly. "Elizabeth, you are all I have ever wanted in a wife. Not only are you beautiful, but you are so much more than that. I had only dreamed of finding a woman who would be interested in estate matters and who would share my burdens with me. I did not believe such a woman existed. Truly, I had not even looked at you properly when I said those words at the assembly, and that night I would have found fault with Aphrodite herself. I allowed your sister to be pretty because she had attracted Bingley's interest, and it is always easier if I agree with him in complementing his ‘angels.'"

"His angels?"

"It is what he uses to describe the women he meets who interest him. It seemed he was constantly meeting new angels at every ball and party we attended. However,"—he seemed to realise his words had concerned her—"he appears to be far more attached to your sister than he did with these others, and his interest has not waned after a few weeks. She is the first woman with whom he has ever expressed an interest in pursuing something deeper, so you should not be alarmed."

She considered this. "Jane cares for him, but I would not want to encourage her if he is not serious in his intentions. It is a little late for her to guard her heart, but should I warn her to be cautious?"

He hesitated a moment before speaking. "I am uncertain of his intentions. As you well know, I accompanied him in order to remain close to you and to speak to your father to obtain his permission. I am still stunned by how quickly matters were resolved between us. I still struggle to understand how we both had similar dreams—perhaps Providence wanted to save us from the suffering we would have undergone otherwise."

She laughed. "Us? William, I was shocked by my dream as I had no idea you cared for me. It took days of contemplation to view them as anything other than fanciful imaginations since I believed you disdained me when you left. The repetition of the dreams forced me to reconsider our earlier interactions and I came to view you and your actions very differently the more I thought about them."

He grabbed her waist and hugged her tightly. "I was a fool, Elizabeth. I am incredibly fortunate to have gained your heart and your hand."

Elizabeth rose on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Yes, you were, but as I was no better …"

He captured her lips in a passionate kiss, and they remained that way for several minutes.

Before long, Elizabeth found herself obliged to return to Longbourn. Darcy accompanied her until they reached the drive, and just as he had done at the farms, he gracefully descended before assisting Elizabeth. With no one in sight, he seized the moment to share a fleeting kiss and expressed his eager anticipation for their departure to his estate the next morning.

Elizabeth and her sisters sat together and talked for the rest of the evening. Once again, their mother remained in her rooms, her nerves overcome at the prospect of being thrown to the hedgerows by Charlotte Lucas. Mrs. Hill had brought her some tea, again spiking it heavily with brandy, allowing everyone to get the rest they required. Their father remained ensconced in his study, not joining the family for dinner that night.