Windswept: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

Chapter 24

As Darcy read Peregrine Pickle, using gestures and changing the pitch, pace, and tone of his voice to match the characters and events, Elizabeth’s mind wandered to what the future might hold. Would he gather his family in front of a warm fire to read adventure stories to their children, laughing and teasing as the tales progressed? With his performance today, there was no reason to expect otherwise, and she was grateful for it.

By the time the play came to an end, she was weary. From the looks of the others, they were as well. Retreating to the far wall where Darcy moved his chair, she sat next to him.

“Would that I could lean against you and rest for a while.” She tipped slightly in his direction, stopping herself before her arm touched his. “Instead, would you tell me about Miss Darcy? Is she like you in looks and personality traits? What are her interests? Does she have many friends? When she is in London, does she live with you or with your aunt and uncle?”

“I will.” He leaned his head back against the wall. “Georgiana has received a lady’s education and is a gifted musician. Her specialty is the pianoforte. Once she discovered the instrument was our mother’s favorite, Georgie devoted hours and hours each day practicing. She truly is a marvel.”

“How wonderful to hear. What of her character? Is she a great reader? You mentioned that you both already enjoyed Sense Sensibility, is there another author she prefers that might enlighten me to the sort of person she is?”

He stared at the far wall where his cousin still conversed with Jane. “My sister is close to your height, has light blonde hair, and warm brown eyes that easily draws a person to her. She is quite timid, being uncomfortable in society, which is why she is in no hurry to come out, much to the chagrin of Lady Matlock. Until this past summer she had a sparkling wit she routinely used against Richard and me. After certain events that took place in Ramsgate, where I set up a house for her, she is withdrawn. As you are aware, George Wickham was frequently at Pemberley, so Georgiana viewed him as a close and trusted friend. In July, while she was at the seaside, she learned that her trust was misplaced, causing disappointment of the acutest kind. I do not know if she will recover.”

“Oh, dear. Poor girl. My heart aches for you both since I can see how you carry her pain in your pocket. I hope it will comfort you to know that Jane was in that very exact situation when she was fifteen. A longtime friend of our uncle had an older son who was our playmate each time we went to London. Over the course of one summer to the next, the lad shot up in height, and my sister gained the form of a classic beauty. The young man and his father noticed. Like Mr. Wickham was to Miss Darcy, our old friend turned his attention to Jane. He wrote her bad poetry and sent her flowers. However, one day, his attention came to a halt without any explanation. It was only later we discovered that a girl with a hefty dowry stole his heart away from Jane. My sister was crushed, vowing never to love again until she met a man of sterling character. The next year, Jane’s broken heart healed to where she finally was restored to the girl she was before with the exception of one thing. Jane learned discernment. For this, I am grateful.”

“I see. Then you are suggesting that I need to wait for Georgiana to recover patiently.”

“I would not be at all surprised if it happened. A young girl’s heart is fragile. Even though this is so, we are not the weak creatures many men consider us to be. After all, which of the two sexes carry and bear children? Imagine if it was left up to the male sex? I suppose that humankind would have ended after Adam delivered his first son, do you not agree?”

He chuckled under his breath. “What I cannot believe is that I am discussing procreation with a lady.”

She started to laugh, then paused. Something was not adding up. Recalling Lydia’s comments about the similarity between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth wondered what the actual situation was within the family. For Mr. Wickham had light blond hair and warm brown eyes as did Miss Darcy. Were they distant family members? Were they not-so-distant-family? Although her curiosity was piqued, she did not yet feel it was her place to ask. She would wait for Mr. Darcy to reveal any pertinent details.

Despite Darcy trusting Elizabeth,he was not yet ready to speak of the disastrous, almost elopement between Wickham and Georgiana. He would do nothing to cloud the judgment of his future wife against his sister.

“Pardon me, sir.” Cook, surprisingly light on her feet, approached. “Your coachman is outside where the kitchen door used to be. He wants you to know your equipment and cattle made it safely through this last hard wind and hail. He wonders whether you will be needing to transport anyone to Meryton. An officer from the militia rode from the encampment, saying that there are no additional trees on the road. He also said the regiment is a man short. They are out looking for him.” She added, “Nightfall will be soon, sir.”

“Thank you for the information.” Darcy suspected that Elizabeth’s younger sisters might be ready to go home. But he did not want Elizabeth to leave. They had much more to say to each other. Yet, he understood her desire to tend to her family. Already, she was urging her mother to return to Longbourn.

“La’ yes, Mama,” Lydia said. “As lovely as my gown was at the ball, I am verily weary of wearing it. Do let us go to Longbourn so we can sleep in our own beds instead of the floor. As it is, I do not want to be seen by anyone, even kind Mr. Darcy.”

She considered him kind?It was not the sort of compliment he typically received, but he would accept it since it was uttered honestly.

Parker had provided him with a change of clothing, but the ladies had not his advantages. He was unsurprised when the matron bent her opinion to Miss Lydia’s will.

Mrs. Bennet perked up. “Yes, Lydia. What could I have been thinking? Mr. Darcy should always see you at your best. The same holds true for Jane and Mr. Bingley, although we have seen little of him since our distress began. Mary is walking with confidence, for whatever reason, and Kitty is almost as lovely as you are, dear girl. Why, I would not be surprised if I do not have at least four of my daughters engaged before spring.” She began gathering her chicks together, interrupting Miss Bennet and Richard’s discussion, completely oblivious to the growing attachment between the two. Even Darcy, who was usually blind as a bat when it came to romance, could not miss how closely they were seated together.

Seeing the tenseness of Elizabeth’s spine, Darcy momentarily wondered at the cause. Then, he knew. Mrs. Bennet mentioned the possibility of only four daughters being wed. She did not consider her second daughter worthy of attracting a potential husband. Her mother said nothing of Elizabeth’s many attractions despite the fact that Darcy and Elizabeth spent hours in private conversation. Was her mother blind? She must have been to imagine that Darcy would somehow be interested in Miss Lydia.

He barely kept from shuddering.

His overtures to Elizabeth should have been obvious. Yet, no one said anything. Why, he could not help but wonder. Why would a mother deliberately ignore a lovely child like her second daughter? Was it because her coloring was similar to the husband she despised? Was it because she could not intimidate Elizabeth?

Whatever the cause, it increased Darcy’s irritation tenfold.

“Come, Miss Elizabeth. Allow me to escort you to my carriage.” He extended his arm after she gathered her wrap. “Miss Elizabeth?”

When she turned toward him, he saw the transformation from hurt to resolved. “I suppose we must, sir.”

He arched his brow.

“My father needs to be reminded that he has a family and that whatever damage is at Longbourn will need to be repaired. Besides, he is surely tired of Mr. Collins’s company after several hours of the two of them being together—as would I be if the truth were told.”

He chuckled under his breath. “You are impertinent indeed, Elizabeth Bennet. Whatever am I to do with you?”

Her eyes twinkled in the candlelight. “You are an intelligent man, Fitzwilliam. I am certain that you have already considered several possibilities.”

Warmth surged through him, filling him with joy. They would be happy together.

The lanefrom Netherfield Park to the Longbourn turnoff was littered with debris from the stately oaks that used to line the road. Before the storm began, most of them had already dropped their leaves to the ground, leaving behind gnarly arms and fingers protruding from their trunks. Massive clumps of mistletoe used to cling to the upper branches. Now, they were all gone, leaving behind a line of lonely sentinels.

At Longbourn, the statue of Hebe, the goddess of youth, pouring water from a pitcher in one hand and holding a small bowl in the other, had tipped on its side, one arm broken off at the elbow. The roof of the portico over the front entrance was missing. The low boxwood shrubs looked like someone pulling a plow dug up the length of them. As at Netherfield Park, slate roofing and hailstones dotted the ground.

Longbourn was not at its most welcoming. There was no smoke rising from the chimneys, which, fortunately, remained intact. No one opened the door in welcome at the approach of Mr. Darcy’s fine carriage.

Elizabeth shivered. Even her mother ceased speaking.

“Mama, what has happened to Longbourn?” Kitty mused. “I have never seen it this quiet. It is almost as if it was abandoned.”

“I do not know.”

To Elizabeth’s relief, Darcy, who had ridden his horse alongside the carriage, dismounted.

“A moment, ladies.” He strode swiftly and with purpose to the door, lifted the knocker, and let it drop. Three times, he did the same before someone opened it from the inside.

“You are disturbing my quiet, young man. Is there a purpose for your being on my doorstep?”

Darcy swept his arm back toward his footman assisting the ladies from the carriage. Instead of her mother wailing and weeping over being ignored by her husband, she lifted her chin and walked past him into Longbourn without a word. Jane, Kitty, Mary, and Lydia followed her like goslings. They, too, refused to acknowledge Thomas Bennet.

Elizabeth was rewarded when Darcy returned to hand her out. Tucking her fingers around his arm, she strolled to her father, a candlestick in his hand.

“Papa, where are Hill and the others?”

He stepped back into the entrance hall. “They left at the first break in the storm to see to the needs of their own families. None have yet returned. Within minutes of discovering that I was still alive, my fool cousin hitched up the pony cart and, along with his belongings, returned to his beloved patroness. I have not been to Meryton to retrieve the animal or the cart. Perhaps now that you are home, you might see it returned on your next stroll to Mrs. Hammond’s. Before that, you might want to poke around to see what is in the kitchen. I have not been properly cared for since my return from the ball.”

Whose fault would that be? Frustrated, Elizabeth stood her ground.

Darcy spoke for them both.

“Where your priority is sustenance, mine is far more pressing. Earlier today, I offered Elizabeth my hand and my heart. She accepted. Do we have your blessing to marry, Mr. Bennet?”

He shrugged. “Elizabeth, you say? If you do not mind a silly girl for a wife, then I suppose so.”

Elizabeth stiffened her spine. Did he have to ridicule her in front of Fitzwilliam? Although she lost respect for the man, he was still her father. Since she would reside in his house until she wed, she would show him as much deference as she was able under the circumstances. Nonetheless, did he have to make it more challenging?

Darcy barely tipped his head in a bow. “As soon as I am able to travel to London safely I will have Elizabeth’s marriage contract drawn up. We would like to marry soon so we can journey together to Derbyshire to oversee any needed repairs to my estate. I will return as soon as I have the papers in my hand.”

To Elizabeth, he said, “While the wind has abated, I shall hurry to Mrs. Hammond’s house to determine whether or not it is safe enough for her to return.”

His attention to duty was admirable.

“Then know that I am already eager to again be in your company.”

Lifting her hand to his lips, his breath whispered over the back of her fingers. “I will stop after Mrs. Hammond is settled, no matter how late.”

Her father cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence. “You might want to be on the lookout for the missing officer since, according to Colonel Forster, who called here earlier, he has not been seen since he left the ball at Netherfield Park. His name is Wickham.”

They both gasped. All the color bled from Darcy’s face.

“Mr. Wickham?” Elizabeth could not stop herself from asking.

Her father shrugged. “Yes, I believe he was Lydia’s favorite, or was he yours?”

His tease fell flat.

Darcy’s grip on her hands tightened. The sheer desperation in his eyes alerted her that he was exceedingly affected by the news. “I need to find him.”

Kissing her cheek, he bolted from the house.

Feeling his desperation in her own heart, Elizabeth moved to the door, watching until he rode from sight.