Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

M onday morning and the wedding arrived quickly, and Elizabeth dressed in the wedding gown she had chosen at the modiste a little over four months before, even before Darcy had proposed. While she had not thought she would need it so quickly, she was thrilled that it had been ready in time, despite the change in their wedding date.

"Aunt Maddie, thank you so much for all that you and Uncle Edward have done for me. If you had not taken me in when you did, I am uncertain where I would be today without your love and your guidance."

"Hush, Elizabeth, we have adored having you with us. You have been a tremendous help to us, a big sister to your cousins, and we will all miss you dreadfully when your new husband takes you away. Of course, we adore him too, and we will still see you often. I am only sorry that we have had to rush this day due to your father's sudden insistence that you visit him."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "While I prefer not to think of the Bennet family too much today, I cannot complain that his interference means that I will marry my Fitzwilliam that much sooner."

Her aunt pulled her into a hug. "You are loved, Elizabeth, very much, by so many. Do not worry about what the Bennets may say to you when you go to Longbourn. Rely on Fitzwilliam to support you through this and everything else you will face in your married life. He is a very good man and will do right by you."

"I know, Aunt. Now, let us finish getting ready so I might finally be wed to him. I feel that I have waited years for this moment," she said with a grin.

Laughing, her aunt moved to help finish arranging her hair before assisting her with the jewellery Fitzwilliam had given her to wear for their wedding. It was a lovely pearl necklace, interspersed with emeralds, with a matching bracelet and earbobs. She had exclaimed over the set when he had given it to her Saturday evening and had reprimanded him for spoiling her with his purchase.

"Not at all," had been his reply. "I was not the one who purchased it, but my father. He had it commissioned the last winter he was in town, and told me to give it to my bride. Recall that he hoped my bride would be you, and know that it was chosen specifically for you."

Elizabeth had been uncertain how to respond to that, and so had only pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Then I thank your father," she finally managed, tears pooling in her eyes. She had not seen her intended again since Uncle Gardiner had decreed that he could not visit on Sunday, allowing the Gardiner family one final day with her before he carried her off. He had laughingly agreed, for after this day, she would never be parted from him again.

The wedding went off without a hitch. A handful of close friends and family gathered to watch the nuptials take place. Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, acted as Darcy's witness, and Mrs. Gardiner signed as Elizabeth's. Georgiana stood up with her, delighted to be gaining a sister, but she was too young to sign the register as a witness.

As soon as the couple signed the register affirming their marriage, they quickly departed the church, with Darcy assisting his new bride into the waiting carriage. Few words were exchanged as the carriage made its way to the Matlock home near Grosvenor Square, and half an hour later, a slightly dishevelled pair laughingly excited the carriage.

After enduring the wedding breakfast, the newly married couple were finally free to return to their home and to finish what they had begun on the earlier carriage ride. Likewise, they took advantage of their week of solitude at home, rarely venturing from their apartments, although they did make a couple of trips to visit the library to find something to read to each other. Several books from the top shelf of the library were relocated to a locked bookcase in their private sitting room, and the couple were occasionally found studying them intently.

While they ignored most correspondence during this time, they did spend a bit of time in the study, discussing where they could stay for a few nights when they went to see Mr. Bennet. Uncle Gardiner had sent a letter to his brother Phillips, asking him about lodging in the area and he highly recommended a dower house near Longbourn that was available to be let for a few nights. Uncle Gardiner put Darcy in touch with Mr. Phillips and Darcy had been communicating with him almost daily to make the necessary arrangements for the house to be ready.

The dower house was on a nearby estate, located on the other side of Meryton from Longbourn. Fortunately, it was far enough away that no gossip had reached the town of its expected inhabitants. Darcy's servants had already been dispatched to begin preparing it for the couple's arrival. It would be ready to be occupied on the Monday following the wedding .

So it was, that exactly a week after their wedding, the couple boarded a coach to head north into Hertfordshire. Neither was particularly looking forward to the visit; Elizabeth dreaded meeting with her parents, and both were feeling a little anxious about their reception by Elizabeth’s family.

Regardless of what they might suffer on this visit, Darcy was thrilled to have Elizabeth by his side on the journey. She was sleeping, snuggled against him, with his arm draped across her shoulders and her hand resting on his chest. Darcy smiled, kissed her forehead, and fell asleep himself, realising they both needed to catch up on some of the sleep they had lost over the last week.

They arrived at the dower house shortly after two in the afternoon. It was on the small side, though the manor house was significantly large and well maintained. Darcy had a passing acquaintance with the family who resided there, but they were away from the house at present, visiting their primary estate near Northampton.

For the first day of their visit, the couple spent their time acquainting themselves with the house and peeking into rooms. The largest suite was prepared for the two of them to occupy, though, as a dower cottage, it had only one bed chamber. This suited the couple well, for they had decided immediately after their wedding to share one bedchamber, shocking the housekeeper of the manor house who had come to greet the couple. That lady apologised for the lack of separate bedrooms and had been scandalised when they told her it was unnecessary.

Laughing, after being shown into the primary rooms of the house, they took up residence on a comfortable sofa in the well-stocked library and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other’s company.

The following morning, the Darcys rose late, or at least late for them, and requested breakfast delivered to their shared sitting room. Just after eleven, the couple mounted the horses that had been sent ahead of them and travelled the countryside. After their engagement, they had explored much of Pemberley together on horseback, accompanied by a groom for propriety. As with so many other things, Darcy was thrilled to be able to go for a ride without the chaperone and took advantage of his wife’s sole company.

After a brisk ride and a picnic atop the highest spot they could find, they returned to their leased home where they readied themselves for a visit to the Bennet family.

“Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to call on Mr. Bennet,” Darcy said to the housekeeper when she answered the door.

“Miss Lizzy?” the lady asked, staring at the young lady on the gentleman’s arm.

“Yes, Mrs. Hill. But I am Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy now. This is my husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire.”

Mrs. Hill shut the door with the three of them on the outside. “You shouldn’t have come, miss.” She looked between the couple momentarily, finally seeming to have understood what had been said. “You are married?”

Elizabeth nodded, surprised at the mode of greeting clearly shown on her face.

“Then perhaps it will be well. The master will not be pleased, but at least you are already married.”

“Why did Mr. Bennet summon me here?”

“He intends for you to marry his cousin and Longbourn’s heir to ensure your mother never has to leave the house. Jane is ‘too beautiful,’ and her mother claims she is being courted by someone, so she decided that you must come home and do your duty to the family. The man has a son older than you already, but his wife died a little more than a year ago, and now he wants another. He decided one of you girls would suit and figured Mr. Bennet could not turn him down.”

Elizabeth should have been surprised, but but sadly, she was not, not since her father had cast her from the house so long ago without care. She turned to look at her husband, and when he nodded, she spoke again. “Well, that is quite impossible since I am already married. Please show us into the drawing room, Mrs. Hill, but do not announce my married name or that of my husband.”

Darcy was proud of his wife. He had always known she was strong, especially after the incident that first summer at Pemberley. What would have been a fatal blow to most women seemed only to glance off Elizabeth. He knew she would need comfort later, but at the moment, she was strong. He was there to offer support, but she was there to confront her parents.

Mrs. Hill showed the pair into the drawing room where the ladies of the family were gathered. “Miss Elizabeth is here, madam,” Mrs. Hill said, curtseying to her mistress before hurrying from the room to let Mr. Bennet know of the arrival.

“Lizzy Bennet, you were expected home days ago. Why have you waited so long to arrive?” Mrs Bennet demanded, her tone shrill and grating. Elizabeth remained standing, just inside the door, her husband behind her and shadowed. Those in the room could not see him, and he deliberately held back, as he and Elizabeth had discussed before arriving.

“I have not been Lizzy Bennet in some years, madam,” Elizabeth said. “When I was cast from my childhood home and disowned by my family, I became Elizabeth Gardiner.”

“There is no need for you to act all high and mighty now, Lizzy. You have finally come home to your family, and you will do your duty to save us from the hedgerows. I suppose your uncle has given you some money for you to be dressed as well as you are. When your trunks are unpacked, you will have to allow your sisters to look at what you brought, for you will not need all those fine things when you are wed,” Mrs. Bennet began.

“Who exactly am I to wed, madam? I know of no engagement that has been entered into on my behalf. Why should others claim the dresses that were purchased for me? What right do they have to what my uncle gave me?” Elizabeth asked, maintaining a calm and cool demeanour despite her rising anger. Knowing that her husband was behind her, silently lending his support, did much to cool her frustration; that and knowing that none of the plans the Bennets had for her would come to fruition.

All four of Elizabeth’s sisters were surprised by her sudden appearance in front of them and were shocked at her defiant words and stance. While Jane and Mary remembered their sister, Kitty barely recalled that she had another sister. Lydia was the least surprised since she had been privy to her mother’s plans for Elizabeth though she was a little surprised that this sister actually arrived. For most of her life, she had heard her mother only complain about her second daughter and knew her mother planned to force her to marry Longbourn’s heir as a way to ‘save the family from the hedgerows.’

For the last several months, after intercepting a letter meant for her husband, Mrs. Bennet had corresponded with the future heir of Longbourn. Through these letters, she hatched a plan meant to ensure her status as Mistress of Longbourn even after her husband’s eventual death. But it was necessary for the man to marry one of her daughters, and she had determined that Elizabeth was to be the sacrificial lamb.

"You shall marry the heir to Longbourn, your father's cousin, Mr. Patrick Collins. He is a little older than you, but I am certain he will make you a good husband. I will train you to be a good wife and the mistress of this estate in the month before your wedding, and you and your husband will live in the dower house. We have already begun refurbishing the cottage; it is a little small, but it will do for you. The estate will pay for you to have a few servants, but you and your husband will likely spend a great deal of time here since Mr. Collins wants to begin learning how to manage the estate," Mrs. Bennet explained.

"Unsurprisingly, your plan is illogical. Is not Mr. Collins nearly as old as Mr. Bennet?" Without waiting for a response, Elizabeth asked. “Why in heaven’s name do you believe he will live longer than Mr. Bennet? What will happen to you should Mr. Collins die before Mr. Bennet or only survive him by a few years? You will still be homeless.” Mrs. Bennet gasped and prepared to rebuke her daughter, but Elizabeth merely shook her head and waved her hand as though it did not matter. It did not. "It is irrelevant. Nothing you say or do can make me marry this man."

Mrs. Bennet stood, her anger rising toward her second eldest child. “You will do as you are told, Lizzy. You will not defy your mother in this way.”

Elizabeth’s eyes snapped; her anger and frustration at the way her mother had always dismissed her coming to the fore. “My name is Elizabeth, madam. I have not been Lizzy since I left here. When you cast me aside, I chose to take a different name since I no longer wanted any part of the person I was before.”

“That is absurd, Lizzy; you are my daughter, and nothing will ever change that. It is about time you and your uncle came to your senses, but I am thoroughly vexed that you did not come home sooner. I gave you a fortnight, yet you had the audacity to wait until the very last moment to show yourself,” Mrs. Bennet snapped, waving her hand dismissively.

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief, and the movement prompted Darcy to step forward. Feeling his presence behind her, she took a deep breath. "Mrs. Bennet, you are the one being ridiculous if you think I owe you anything or can be forced to do your bidding. I will not lift a finger for your comfort, and marrying the man you suggest is out of the question. "

She was cut off before she could introduce Darcy. Mrs. Bennet spied him standing behind her and began shrieking. "Lizzy Bennet, you travelled from London alone with this man? Has my brother reduced you to a common trollop or allowed you to become some man's mistress? You will ruin yourself and your sisters by gallivanting around in this way. How dare you show up here with your, your, paramour?"

“Madam, cease this caterwauling at once,” Darcy commanded, his deep baritone catching the attention of everyone in the room. “Had you allowed your daughter to finish the introductions, you would have heard who I was and my connection to her. Instead, you choose to cast aspersions without thought?—”

Again, Mrs. Bennet was not listening and cut him off. “That girl is no child of mine. I would never allow such a girl in my home. I insist you leave at once. Lizzy Bennet is dead to me and is never again welcome in my home.”

"Then it is a good thing I have not been Lizzy Bennet for a decade, madam. My name is Elizabeth Darcy. I married the man standing beside me several weeks ago. And I can promise you that I will never step foot in this house again, so long as you are the mistress here."