Chapter 32

The Great North Road

Heading South

The land rolling past outside the carriage window was lush with green grass turned purple with flowers. Herds of sheep ambled across the countryside, with working dogs darting around them and the shepherds following at their heels. Scotch Corner with its ivy-covered inn vanished into the distance behind them, as the carriage rolled south.

It was somewhat wearisome to rise so early and spend so many hours on the road each day, going as quickly as the horses could comfortably go, and changing horses every twenty miles, but it was a weariness they all bore with good cheer, encouraged by the excitement of returning to their homes. Lydia, of course, wished to introduce her new husband to all her sisters and her mother and to be vaunted as Lady Harding, wife of a baronet. Mr. Bennet was eager to return to his library with its books and brandy and undisturbed peace. And Elizabeth's heart thrilled at the idea of seeing Mr. Darcy again; she hoped he would already be installed at Netherfield, with his overbearing aunt firmly dealt with in London.

The party had agreed that morning that they would attempt to reach Doncaster by the evening and spend the night there. Sir Christopher and his bride had taken the primary coach, with Mrs. Greenfield riding along with the newlyweds. She would stay on with them for a time, teaching and instructing Lydia in her new duties as the wife of a baronet and the mistress of an estate. Elizabeth had cheerfully acquiesced to riding in the second carriage with her father and Captain Scofield, who proved a quiet companion.

"Would you care to play another game of chess, Lizzy?" Mr. Bennet asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Of course, Father," Elizabeth agreed and watched as he set up the set which Darcy had left for them.

As the game commenced between father and daughter, Elizabeth found herself contemplating her sire and the differences between that gentleman and Darcy, whom she would soon marry.

She was aware of a lingering, and uncharitable, amazement that Mr. Bennet had exerted himself so greatly as to travel all the way to Scotland, and that after spending time in London looking for his wayward youngest. There had never been much love lost there, and now there was perhaps even less. She wondered uneasily if their father would have bothered seeking Lydia at all had her disappearance not affected the rest of the family, or if he would simply have been glad to be rid of her.

But he had put himself out, at least somewhat, and through the kindly machinations of Mr. Darcy, Lydia was well married to a member of the minor nobility. Lady Lucas and old Mrs. Long and their friends would never quite forget Wickham or the scandal that had gripped Longbourn for a time, but none of them truly wished the Bennet girls ill. Doubtless, all of them would be pleased enough that one of their own had married a baronet, as it provided a luster to the four and twenty families of the area.

Elizabeth worried more for her unmarried younger sisters. They no longer had the taint of ruin hanging above their heads, but she was under no illusion that Mr. Bennet would take any more interest in or care for them than he had for Lydia. With that crisis averted, he appeared to consider his part entirely done. Still, they were in a better situation than previously. Lydia would likely have Kitty, at least, come stay with her at times, introducing her favorite elder sister to a wider society. Even a month ago, that would not have seemed a positive event, but Lydia had improved, and with Mrs. Greenfield overseeing her, Kitty would come to no harm spending time away from Longbourn with the Hardings.

Moreover, Elizabeth herself would presently be married to a good man of high standing, and she had every intention of inviting Mary and Kitty to stay with her for months at a time. If Mr. Bennet would not exert himself for his daughters, she, Elizabeth Bennet, soon to be Elizabeth Darcy, would do her best to aid her sisters.

/

Drawing Room

Longbourn

The window towards the fields had been opened, letting in a balmy breeze heavy with the scents of late flowers and cut hay. The farmers were calling and laughing to one another as they did their work, and mother cows were bellowing for calves nearing weaning. It was an idyllic scene, entirely spoiled by Mrs. Bennet's ranting. Jane gritted her teeth and stared out at the sun-dappled landscape below, watching a cloud shadow scooting across the ground and trying in vain to ignore her mother's petulant, strident voice.

"How could I possibly have birthed such selfish daughters?" Mrs. Bennet demanded, walking back and forth on the polished wooden floor. "First Elizabeth refused to marry Mr. Collins, and now you refuse to marry Mr. Bingley. When your father dies, we will be cast into the hedgerows, and you will not care in the least!"

Jane turned her attention back to the scarf she was knitting for the Gardiners' elder daughter, tightened her lips and steamed inwardly. It was not Jane's fault that her parents, blessed with a large income, had chosen to spend every penny without saving for the future, nor was it her fault that Longbourn was entailed away from the female line.

Even two months earlier, she would have accepted Mr. Bingley's offer with delight. Even now, there were times when guilt, and familial responsibility, and the memory of her former attachment to the master of Netherfield caused her to waver inwardly. Mr. Bingley would be a kind husband, and she did like him very much...

But no. There was an excellent reason to reject his offer for now, anyway, and that was that Mr. Bingley wished for a marriage of mutual affection and respect. At the moment, while she liked him, she did not respect him. Perhaps, in time, he would win her respect again. Or not. In any case, she knew that Elizabeth was in love with Mr. Darcy, and he with her, and if they married one another, the Bennets would never suffer starvation and homelessness regardless of the future of Longbourn. Not that she would tell her mother of the relationship between her second daughter and Darcy. Mrs. Bennet had a long memory for those who insulted her family, and she well remembered Mr. Darcy's initial, unfortunate insult of Elizabeth's beauty at the assembly in Meryton.

The door opened, and Mr. Stewart entered and announced, "Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley."

Mrs. Bennet, who had opened her mouth to begin another diatribe, closed it and surged forward, her eyes crinkled with delight. "Mr. Bingley! And oh, Mr. Darcy, this is quite a shock. Do come in, do!"

The gentlemen did so, though Darcy sat down on the chair nearest to Jane's, while Bingley sat a little farther away, to the matron's surprise and displeasure.

"Mrs. Bennet," Darcy said before she could suggest that he switch his position with Bingley, "I have some news of great import which I would like to share."

The lady's blue eyes widened in confusion, and she asked, "News, Mr. Darcy? What news?"

Jane, watching Darcy, was startled to see a smile fill his handsome face, and she found herself leaning forward with anticipation.

"I have the great honor and pleasure of informing you that last Wednesday, on the 19th of August, I asked your daughter Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, and she accepted."

Mrs. Bennet's mouth dropped open, revealing a set of white, straight teeth, and Jane hastily said, "Mr. Darcy, I am so very happy to hear that! I know that you and Elizabeth have long admired each other."

"Indeed, it is wonderful news!" Bingley chimed in, doubtless eager to allow Mrs. Bennet time to recover some semblance of equanimity.

This was, as Jane knew well, quite unlikely. Fortunately, the lady did not shriek or scream, but instead she said, "Mr. Darcy, are you truly – you would not be teasing me, would you? But you must be, for you said Lizzy was not handsome enough..."

"To dance with," he finished and shook his head. "I was a rude fool to say such a thing, Mrs. Bennet. In the intervening months, my admiration for Elizabeth has grown and grown, and now I consider her the most handsome lady of my acquaintance, and I am, moreover, very much in love with her."

"You are ... you are..."

"Congratulations!" Jane said warmly, turning toward the man who would soon be her brother by marriage. "I know that Elizabeth loves you in return and am confident you will be very happy together."

"I know we will," Darcy agreed, and Jane found her own chest easing. Elizabeth would be happy, so very happy, and the Bennets were saved.

/

Drawing Room

Pemberley

"Oh!" Georgiana cried out.

Richard Fitzwilliam quickly looked up from his newspaper to watch his cousin, who was staring down at a letter from her brother, her countenance lit up by a smile of delight.

"What is it, Gosling?" he asked affectionately.

She turned to him, her eyes bright, and said, "Such wonderful news, Richard! Fitzwilliam is engaged to Elizabeth Bennet!"

There were simultaneous gasps from the other inhabitants of the room, and Richard looked toward Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, who sat side by side on a couch, the former playing with her bracelets, the latter reading a book about, of all things, crop rotations.

Georgiana's smile dimmed immediately, and she turned to look at a random wall, while Richard said, rather menacingly, "That is wonderful news, is it not, ladies?"

Mrs. Hurst's brown eyes were whirling balls of dismay and confusion, but Miss Bingley managed, "Yes, it is wonderful news. I am so happy for your brother, Miss Darcy, and for you as well. Do you look forward to having a new sister?"

This was exactly the right thing to say, and Georgiana turned back and said, "I am! I do not know Miss Bennet well, of course, but my brother has spoken of her so much, and with such fondness, that I am certain we will be great friends."

"I am confident as well," Miss Bingley replied, and to Richard's approval, sounded genuinely sincere. "Miss Bennet is a lively and charming young woman, along with being clever. I believe you will like her very much."

Georgiana beamed and said, "My brother wishes for me to travel to Hertfordshire for the wedding, and I am looking forward to that very much! Oh, I am so happy!"

/

Caroline Bingley's Sitting Room

Pemberley

Night Time

The night was a cool one, and Caroline, dressed in her warm nightgown and robe, turned the wingbacked chair a trifle to face the fire and then sank into it with a sigh. It had been a strange and difficult day, but also a freeing one in some ways. Fitzwilliam Darcy was engaged to another woman, and any hope of becoming Mrs. Darcy was entirely at an end.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Caroline called a welcome, though she did not bother to turn around. There was only one person it could be.

"Caroline!" Louisa Hurst hissed, even as the older woman, also clad in a dressing gown, sat down on the other chair near the fire. "Did you have any idea that Darcy was going to offer for Elizabeth Bennet?"

"I suspected that he might."

"I … I truly cannot believe it, Sister! The Bennets are nobodies. Indeed, Mr. Darcy agreed that Charles ought not to be permitted to marry Jane Bennet. How could he turn around and offer for a woman of little importance in the world, who is not accomplished, who is poor…"

"He loves her," Caroline said simply, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames dancing about the logs in the fire.

There was silence for a full minute, and then Louisa said, "What has gotten into you, Caroline? You have been acting oddly of late, and now you are talking about love! Love is for the lower classes, is it not?"

Caroline sighed deeply, wrinkled her nose, and then turned a solemn gaze on her sister. "Do you know what our mother asked me to do on her death bed?"

"Mother? No, what was it?"

"She asked me to do everything in my power to marry a highly connected gentleman of fortune in order to raise our family's place in society."

Louisa blinked. "Well, I … yes, of course she did! That has been both our goals for as long as we can remember. Charles is to purchase an estate, and you and I are to marry gentlemen."

Caroline turned back to stare at the fire. "I thought when we first met Mr. Darcy that he was the perfect man to give me the life that Mother wanted for me. He is tall, handsome, rich, and a good friend of our brother's, so I thought that Heaven itself destined us to be together."

"That was not unreasonable," Louisa replied, and some part of Caroline was warmed by the passion in her sister's tone. "You are beautiful, accomplished, a charming companion, and wealthy!"

"Yes, but I have had two weeks to consider Colonel Fitzwilliam's words about my lack of suitability for the role of mistress of Pemberley, and I am genuinely grateful. I have, for far too long, been carrying on based on our mother's desires. As much as I loved and respected her, she is gone, and it is foolish to attempt to fit into a mold created by another. The truth is that Darcy and I would not suit. He loves the country and dislikes parties and assemblies, and I love nothing more than attending multiple events a day during the Season. No, Darcy would never have offered for me regardless of his meeting Elizabeth Bennet, and if he had, neither of us would have been happy."

Louisa Hurst sighed deeply. "I know we spoke earlier of the colonel's assurance that Mr. Darcy would never marry you, and it seems he was correct. I find it astonishing that you are at peace with Darcy's decision, however. How could it be that hoydenish Eliza Bennet will be mistress of Pemberley?"

Caroline twisted her lips and said, "It does hurt my pride to think that Mr. Darcy despised me when I was ranting about the Bennets. I daresay I will never like the woman who will soon be Mrs. Darcy, but I have, at least, accepted that I misread the situation entirely. Furthermore, Elizabeth Bennet is a gentleman's daughter, and she is very clever. It is likely they will be happy together."

Her sister stared at her in wonder and then said, "It seems unlikely to me, but it does not matter much. Let us speak of you, Caroline; with Darcy definitely out of reach, you will need to find another gentleman to marry."

Miss Bingley's mind shifted instantly to Colonel Fitzwilliam, but she would not yet share her hopes of a union with the earl's son. It might come to nothing, after all, and she had been humiliated quite enough already.