Chapter 7

At the Parsonage, Elizabeth could feel the tension and agitation. Charlotte and Maria went to Hunsford; Elizabeth was invited too, but when she refused, nobody insisted. Mr Collins hurried off to Rosings, so Elizabeth remained at in the house alone to comfort her own turmoil. She admitted that she expected Mr Darcy to finally speak his mind. She hoped that the unthinkable would happen and he would propose. She had prayed for that before, and then something horrible had happened to overshadow what could have been a beautiful moment.

She was torn between disappointment that he had not finished his confession and gratitude that he had postponed it. But what other moment could he find to complete their discussion? Surely they would need to wait till they were both in London. She quivered, imagining what Lady Catherine would do when she found out that the Gilroys would all move to Pemberley. She would certainly be furious in a dangerous way.

But then, what would she say when she heard about her engagement to Mr Darcy — if such an astonishing event did take place? Her mother and father would be shocked too, but Elizabeth was not worried about them. Lady Catherine, however, had the determination, the means, and the hateful nature to control people and hurt those who had upset her. Apparently, Mr Darcy was not impressed by her regardless of what schemes she used.

A while later — perhaps an hour or two — the doorbell rang, and the servant announced Mr Darcy. With her heart beating wildly and her cheeks burning, she greeted him. He looked agitated, and his clothes were in some disorder.

“Miss Bennet, I shall only stay an instant. I know Mr Collins is at Rosings and Mrs Collins at Hunsford, and I hoped to find you alone for a minute.”

“I am glad you came,” she said, stepping towards him.

“I apologise for this unusual turn of events, which is certainly not how I imagined this moment and not what you deserve.”

“I am just glad you came,” she continued, and he ceased talking, looking at her.

“We only have a moment. Please just say what you wish to. Anything else can wait till London.”

He nodded and suddenly looked shy as he cleared his throat and said, “Miss Bennet, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I love and admire you. It took me some time to admit the depth of my love and to accept that my life cannot be happy or complete without it. I do not expect your feelings to be the same as only a short time ago you considered me to be your enemy. Nor do expect a hasty answer.”

He paused and breathed, and she took another step forwards. Her knees were weak, her feet unsteady, and chills ran all over her body.

“I am only begging you to reflect upon my words with consideration for your sentiments, not mine. To ask yourself whether your feelings are of such a nature as to allow you to accept my marriage proposal one day. But most importantly, to ask your heart if you could be happy with me. As I told you once, there is nothing sadder for both spouses than a marriage in which one cannot return the other’s affection.”

When he had finished, she was only inches away from him.

“Mr Darcy, you have offered me time to reflect and ask my heart, but I have already done that, every day since I saw you with the children and the puppies and with leaves in your hair.”

He looked puzzled and she added, her fingers touching his hair timidly, “I want to pick off the leaves in your hair that day, but I could never have imagined I might be allowed to do just that only a fortnight later. I was stunned to hear that you admired me at times when I believed you despised me.”

She was emotional, and he took her hands, holding them in his.

“We were both wrong in many ways,” he said.

“Yes. What matters is that we seem to be right now, would you not agree?”

“Completely,” he said, placing gentle kisses on both her hands. She felt dizzy and wondered whether she could stand long enough to complete her response.

“So, you must allow me to tell you this very moment that I do not need any more time to consider my answer. I have never felt how I feel when I am with you, and I have never wished for anyone’s presence as much as I long for yours.” She lowered her eyes and added, “My hands and yours are already entwined.”

“So they are… Then…are you saying yes to everything I asked?” he enquired, incredulous.

“I already said yes, did I not? As for your fear that I cannot return your affection, allow me to dissipate your concern.”

With that, she lifted up onto her toes, entwined her hands in his hair, and shyly pressed her lips to his — the first kiss of her life.

An instant later, his arms closed around her, and she leant against him while his lips captured hers for the second kiss of her life — still timid, still gentle, but incredible.

He stepped back, looking at her adoringly, and said, “I must leave now. I shall call on you in London.”

“Very well.”

“I would suggest we do not announce our engagement before we have your father’s blessing.”

“Of course.”

“Besides, I would not leave you here knowing Lady Catherine had heard about our engagement.”

“I understand, but surely you know I am not afraid of her.”

“Not in wit and verbal confrontation,” he replied. “I shall tell you more soon so you may understand my concerns.”

“We shall have enough time to talk in two days’ time. Is the family ready to leave?”

“Yes. Mrs Gilroy is distraught, as you can imagine. I do not think she knows of her husband’s true situation, and she cannot understand what she has done wrong and why Lady Catherine despises her and her children. At first, she refused my offer — as you surely guessed. I needed all my powers of persuasion to convince her that it is for the benefit of her children.”

“She will soon understand how fortunate and blessed she will be to have your protection.”

“You will have the chance to meet her again at Pemberley soon,” he said, still holding her hands. “You will decide what assignment you have for her employment and how you wish to help the children. You will be the mistress. Of Pemberley and of my heart,” he ended, with a smile that melted her heart.

Then, before she had time to reply, he left in haste.

An hour later, the Collinses returned, and the scandal burst out that evening and increased the next day.

Carrying Darcy’s words in her heart and in her mind and the touch of his lips on hers, having felt the comfort of his arms, Elizabeth found the strength to bear the madness for two more nights and a day.

She was the only one who knew everything but chose to remain silent, without interfering in any discussion between the Collinses.

To Elizabeth’s astonishment, Lady Catherine herself came the next morning, looking transfigured, to take Mr Collins with her to a meeting with her solicitor. In the heat of her anger, she declared she would sever the connection with her nephews and would forbid their further involvement in her affairs. She declared she had been betrayed, cheated, robbed, and Mr Collins approved of her every word. Both Elizabeth and Charlotte kept silent, though for different reasons.

On a bright Sunday morning, the distress ended for Elizabeth. In Mr Gardiner’s carriage, together with Maria Lucas, she began her journey to London. She left all the chaos behind her and smiled at the future unfolding ahead of her. Soon enough, she would see Darcy again, the man responsible for her happiness as well as Jane’s; the man who, until recently, she had not truly known.

Longbourn, 1st June 1812

Such a large gathering had rarely been seen in front of Longbourn Church. From each family in the neighbourhood, there was at least one member present, as if people did not believe and wished to be convinced with their own eyes.

That Mr Bingley had returned to open Netherfield and was now marrying Jane Bennet was surprising but understandable; however, the announcement of Mr Darcy’s engagement to Elizabeth Bennet had fallen like a storm over the village. It came just after the news that Mr Wickham — everyone’s favourite — had left the regiment just before it was ready to move to Brighton for the summer. He left behind a series of debts which were later paid by Mr Darcy, a few broken hearts, and a large sum of money missing from Colonel Forster’s house.

It had been believed, however, that Mr Darcy would never set foot in their small town again, considering how much he had despised his previous visit. And the notion that he could marry Elizabeth Bennet — the young woman he had called tolerable and refused to dance with — was beyond imagination.

Elizabeth’s reasons for marrying such an arrogant, disagreeable man, people could only suspect. With his income of ten thousand a year, owning a most impressive estate in Derbyshire, and being so tall and handsome, no woman would refuse him.

The gentleman’s reasons for proposing to someone so below his situation in life remain a mystery, and until the wedding ceremony began, some people still believed it was a farce or a misunderstanding.

In truth, among those who feared that were both Mr and Mrs Bennet, who had hardly recovered from the shock that Mr Darcy would become their son-in-law — part of the family of which he was the severest critic.

Yet, the double wedding was completed, and Mrs Bennet mingled among those in attendance, moving from one son-in-law to another, her nerves bearing the situation remarkably well.

In the large crowd were the Gardiners, Miss Georgiana Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Mr Bingley’s sisters — the only ones who remained separate from everyone else.

Elizabeth watched the entire scene with a smile, her soul filled with pure happiness; not just for her but also for her dear sister Jane and her Mr Bingley, who were holding hands like they feared they might lose each other again. Elizabeth had no such fears, though she had needed some time to understand that Mr Darcy was the only man in the world who could be her perfect match.

She saw her father talking to her uncle Gardiner, while Mrs Gardiner approached her.

“My dear Lizzy, I confess I still do not believe it. You, the mistress of Pemberley? I would never have dreamed that. I barely dared to dream that I would visit Pemberley again one day, and now Mr Darcy has invited us all to spend the entire summer there.”

“Dearest aunt, you sound almost like Mama!” Elizabeth laughed.

“Well, this time I do feel like your mother. The thought that I shall take a ride around Pemberley Park in a phaeton with white horses is exhilarating.”

“You have an advantage over me, as I have not even seen Pemberley yet.”

“You will — and you will love it.”

“I would love it anyway because it is my husband’s home. My home.”

“You will go to London first, I hear?”

“Yes, Aunt. We shall leave immediately. Then we shall stay in London for a fortnight, to become acquainted with his family. I admit that, after the scandal aroused by Lady Catherine, I have some concerns in meeting Lord and Lady Matlock.”

“They will need some time to accept and love you, but they will, eventually.”

“I hope so. However, Fitzwilliam’s love and Georgiana’s affection are enough for me to be the happiest woman in the world.”

As they spoke, Darcy approached them, and he took his wife’s hand.

“I am sorry to interrupt you, but we should leave now. I would like to arrive in London before dinner. My sister and my cousin will come tomorrow.”

“Yes, we plan to travel all together,” Mrs Gardiner said.

“I look forward to having dinner together at the end of the week,” Darcy said, while the entire family came to take their farewell.

Half an hour later, while the rest of the guests travelled to Netherfield for a celebratory breakfast, Mr and Mrs Darcy began their journey to London together.

They sat together on the same bench, and as soon as they left Meryton behind, his arms closed around her, and her hands entwined in his hair while they enjoyed the first kiss of their marriage.