Chapter 33
Elizabeth’s eyes flew open as the morning light hit her face. For a moment, she was confused as to why she would have left the curtains on both the windows and bed open, but then she remembered.
“Darcy!”
She sprang to her feet and hurried into the simple gown she had laid out the night before in anticipation of having to dress herself. Quickly pinning her hair back into a simple bun, she rushed down the stairs towards the breakfast room, hoping he was choosing to eat before leaving on his journey.
To her surprise, Elizabeth found Darcy already in the foyer beside the front door, dressed for traveling. “Are you already leaving? So early?”
He nodded. “Since Georgiana is not coming with me, I thought it best to make the journey as quickly as possible, so I decided to leave as soon as it was light enough to do so.”
“Without saying goodbye?”
He brushed an errant curl back from her face, placing it gently behind her ear. “No, I would have waited to see you. I knew you would be down soon.”
She leaned her cheek into his touch, then impulsively turned her head and kissed his palm. “I will miss you.”
“Not as much as I will miss you,” he said. “You will have a house full of people to take up your time and attention. I will be at Pemberley by myself.”
“But with so many tenants and such a large library at your disposal, I doubt you’ll have more than a few moments to spare to think of me,” she replied with a smile.
“Elizabeth, I always think of you,” he said seriously, refusing to rise to the bait. “You are the single most important thing to me in this world. Everything I do now, I do it for you.”
“Darcy,” she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness as she grasped his hand. “I cannot bear the thought of you being away for so long.”
His gaze softened as he gently squeezed her hand, his own emotions reflecting in his dark eyes. “I would stay by your side if I could, but I will return before you know it.”
Elizabeth nodded, her lips trembling as she fought to maintain her composure. “I understand,” she murmured. “But it does not make this farewell any easier.”
Darcy pulled her closer and used his other hand to cup her cheek. “I promise you, my love, I shall return as soon as I am able. And then we will marry.”
“And then we will marry,” she whispered, just as his mouth came down and met hers for a gentle kiss that ended all too soon.
When their lips at last broke apart, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close as if to imprint her warmth and scent upon his memory. “I love you, Elizabeth,” he whispered against her hair, his voice filled with emotion. “I will come back to you as soon as your mourning has ended. Then we will never be separated again.”
Elizabeth buried her face against his chest, her heart aching with longing. “And I love you, Fitzwilliam,” she replied, her words muffled against his coat. “Always and forever.”
Reluctantly, Darcy released her from his embrace, his gaze lingering on her tearstained face. With a final kiss upon her brow, he turned to depart. His footsteps echoed against the cobblestones as he made his way towards his waiting carriage.
As Darcy disappeared from view, Elizabeth’s heart was heavy with sorrow. How long she would have remained gazing after him she did not know, but she was pulled from her musings after several minutes when Louisa called to her, having just come down to break her fast.
Allowing herself to be distracted by her friend, Elizabeth gave the front entry one last look.
It was going to be a long three months.
∞∞∞
The next few days passed incredibly slowly, and it made Elizabeth grateful for Kitty and Wickham’s return to Meryton. Their week-long wedding trip to London meant they had missed Jane’s funeral, but they had been repeatedly reassured by both Bingley and Mr. Bennet that their absence wasn’t resented, but even encouraged.
“Jane would have been horrified to know that she had interrupted a romantic excursion,” Bingley had told them with a sad smile.
“If you marry and leave before she is gone, and we do not inform you of her passing until your return, then you can enjoy yourself without being forced into mourning,” Mr. Bennet said. “Begin your marriage with memories of gaiety and laughter, not of sorrow and darkness forced on you by society.”
With both Jane’s husband and father encouraging them—as well as Elizabeth, who had known Jane best—Kitty and Wickham finally acquiesced. They returned in high spirits, which soon spread throughout Netherfield and infected its residents with lighter hearts and cheerful faces.
Wickham was required to return immediately to his duties, which gave Elizabeth ample time to spend with both Kitty and Georgiana, along with Louisa. The four ladies spent many hours listening to Kitty’s recounting of her wedding trip, along with Louisa’s own experiences in London.
Mrs. Annesley joined in on occasion. With so many other women available as chaperones, Darcy had given her permission to be at her leisure as much as she wished.
Kitty, her eyes sparkling with delight, regaled her audience with stories of their adventures in town. “Oh, you simply must hear about our time in Covent Garden!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. She leaned forward, her hands animated as she described the vibrant energy of the bustling streets where vendors hawked their wares and performers entertained the crowds with acrobatics and music.
She next described how she and Wickham had attended a lively comedy at one of the fashionable theaters, laughing uproariously at the witty dialogue and comical antics of the actors. “It was such a delightful evening,” she declared, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in all my life! I never knew Shakespeare could be so humorous!”
“Yes, I have often enjoyed reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream when we’ve been cooped up too long at Longbourn during a harsh winter storm,” Elizabeth said. “There’s nothing like a mischievous Puck to give me more patience with Lydia and her shenanigans!”
“George was so good as to purchase me my own copy of some of his plays,” Kitty said. “I look forward to reading them once we go to Brighton. I imagine I’ll be on my own quite a bit once he’s begun training an entire camp full of soldiers.”
“Vat else did oo do in London?” Georgiana asked eagerly. “I’ve lived there for a foo years now, vut nyvhereever veen anyvere vut Darcy House.”
“We shall have to change that, then,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “I foresee a good number of excursions ahead of us!”
“So long as you do not take her to Covent Garden until she is married,” Louisa said primly. “It is not the sort of place for a young maiden.”
“If my vrother has his vay, the only vay I’ll see it is ven I die and come vack as a ghost to haunt it,” Georgiana said with mock petulance, followed by a giggle.
The women joined her merriment, acknowledging that Darcy was more fastidious than most when it came to protecting the women in his life.
Kitty described the grandeur of the opera house, with its opulent chandeliers and gilded balconies, and the thrill of seeing the performers take the stage in their elaborate costumes. “It was like stepping into a fairy tale,” she whispered, her voice filled with awe.
Amidst all the glamor and excitement, Kitty couldn’t resist sharing a funny anecdote from their time in London. “You’ll never believe what happened at one of the society gatherings we attended,” she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
“Aunt and Uncle Gardiner invited us to a ball that was hosted by one of his business associates. Now, you must understand that this particular host has a penchant for exotic pets, and he had recently acquired a magnificent parrot.”
She described how the parrot, with its brilliant plumage and piercing gaze, had been perched in a gilded cage near the entrance of the ballroom, adding a touch of exotic charm to the festivities.
“But as the evening wore on,” Kitty recounted with a sly grin, “the parrot grew restless. And before we knew it, it had managed to unlatch the door of its cage and take flight!”
Gasps of astonishment filled the room as Kitty painted a vivid picture of the chaos that ensued. “There we were, in the midst of the grand ball—and everyone in their finery, of course—when suddenly, the parrot swooped down from above!”
Elizabeth burst into laughter as Kitty described how the startled guests had scattered in all directions, their elegant gowns and coattails in disarray as they sought refuge from the unexpected intruder. “One large woman attempted to shelter behind a narrow column, but it would have barely hidden me!”
Georgiana’s chuckle turned into a snort, and she blushed red and covered her mouth to keep from doing it again. No one paid her unladylike behavior any mind—not even Mrs. Annesley—as they were too wrapped up in the story to do anything but listen with rapt attention.
“And poor George,” Kitty exclaimed, her laughter bubbling up once more, “he nearly jumped out of his skin when the parrot landed on his shoulder and squawked right into his ear!”
The room erupted into laughter at the image of Wickham’s startled reaction, and Kitty could hardly contain her amusement as she recounted the scene. “Oh, it was simply too funny for words!” she declared, wiping away tears of mirth.
“So it sounds as though you enjoyed yourselves, then,” Elizabeth said. “I’m relieved to hear that you discovered nothing horrible about him in your time alone together.”
“Oh, no, not at all. If anything, George is more perfect than ever.” Kitty’s gaze softened as she spoke of the quiet moments she had shared with Wickham, the stolen glances and tender words exchanged between them.
“It was the most magical time of my life,” she confessed, her voice tinged with emotion. “And I am so grateful to have shared it with George.”
Elizabeth and Georgiana both sighed softly at this clear evidence of true love. For her part, Elizabeth could not help but feel jealous of her younger sister’s good fortune. She was married to the man she loved, and she could spend time with him without violating any rules of propriety or good behavior.
It was most unfair, considering the fact that Elizabeth was a good three years older than Kitty. Why should Kitty suddenly be allowed entry into the secretive group of matrons and hear the gossip that was considered too unfitting for a maiden’s ears? After all, until six months ago, Kitty was just as vain, ignorant, idle, and uncontrolled as Lydia was now.
It simply wasn’t fair.
The only thing that kept Elizabeth from falling into too much despair was the regular letters she received from Darcy and the ones she wrote to him in return. She could share with him all her deepest emotions without fear of how they would be received. In turn, he was beginning to write more about sentiment and not just the events of the day.
Letters were exchanged between Netherfield and Pemberley nearly every single day. Rather than waiting for a letter to arrive and responding to it directly, Elizabeth and Darcy simply wrote to one another about what had occurred in their various lives. They answered one another’s questions—and asked several questions of the other—but not necessarily in sequential, linear order.
Their correspondence made the separation bearable. Being in mourning meant that they were unable to socialize as usual. Kitty, being a new bride, should have been making calls with her mother and receiving calls at her own home to display her new status as a married woman.
Instead, she and Elizabeth went to Longbourn every few days and received the occasional call from the Phillips and Lucas Lodge. As close friends and family, these sorts of visits were allowed, but no more.
It would have been sufficient had it not been for Lydia’s uncontrolled outbursts whenever she saw her next elder sister.
“Mrs. Wickham and Miss Bennet,” Hill announced to Mrs. Bennet and Lydia in the small drawing room, whose windows were full west and therefore perfect for morning visits.
Lydia’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Kitty, and her lips curled into a sneer. “Well, well, if it isn’t Kitty Wickham,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Back to grace us with your presence, I see.”
Kitty opened her mouth to reply, but Elizabeth put a hand on her arm in warning and slightly shook her head. There would be no use in arguing with such an obstinate, headstrong girl. Instead, Kitty forced a smile. “Mama, Lydia, it’s good to see you.”
Lydia snorted. “Save your pleasantries, Kitty. I know why you’re here. You’ve come to rub your marriage with Wickham in my face again, haven’t you? I’ll have you know that he was in love with me until you stole him!”
“Lydia, I never meant to hurt you,” Kitty said, her voice breaking. “I love Wickham with all my heart, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you unhappy.”
“You stole my chance at happiness! But don’t worry, I’ve come up with a plan for you to make it up to me.”
Elizabeth watched the exchange with foreboding. She had tried to catch her mother’s eye for assistance, but Mrs. Bennet kept her gaze fixed firmly on the floor.
“How?” Kitty asked warily.
“By taking me to Brighton with you! You can introduce me to all the other officers and help me find a husband. I’m much prettier and livelier than you, so I will definitely catch the eye of someone far better than Wickham.”
Kitty was already shaking her head to deny the request before Lydia had even finished speaking. “I’m afraid my husband won’t allow that.”
“Oh, but he will,” Lydia smirked nastily. “Remember, I was his favorite first. Depend upon it, I will be going to Brighton.”
Gaping, Elizabeth searched for something she could say, but before she thought of the proper words, her father had entered the room.
“You go to Brighton? I would not trust you so near it as Eastbourne, not for fifty pounds! No, Lydia, it is clear you and your mother”—he gave Mrs. Bennet a hard look, and she blushed—“have not yet learned to be cautious, and you will once again feel the effects of it.”
The room fell deadly quiet; everyone was staring at Mr. Bennet, who had paused for effect.
Then he said, “As of this moment, you are not to be allowed out of the nursery. Not for meals, not for visitors, not even for church. You will remain there until I have secured a place for you in a boarding school.”
“Boarding school?” shrieked Mrs. Bennet, dropping her teacup. It shattered, and she collapsed over onto the settee, moaning for her smelling salts.
“I shan’t! You cannot make me!” screeched Lydia, coming to her feet and stamping them on the ground repeatedly. “You’ll have to take me in irons because I’ll never go! Nev—”
Mr. Bennet crossed the room and placed one large hand over her mouth, cutting off her tirade mid-word. “I can, and you shall. Irons can be arranged.”
With that, he picked her up and carried her kicking and screaming from the room. Her shrill howling could be heard all the way up the stairs and from the third story, where the nursery was located.
Elizabeth and Kitty looked at each other with wide eyes. Hill came bustling into the room with a vial of smelling salts and began waving them under Mrs. Bennet’s nose. The matron coughed, and Hill looked over at her mistress’s two daughters.
“Get out while you can, before she comes to!” she whispered.
Kitty and Elizabeth did not need to be told a second time. They quickly gathered their things and made their way to the door, the shrieks of Lydia and Mrs. Bennet echoing in their ears.
Once outside and in the carriage Bingley had graciously allowed them to use, they looked at one another and collapsed on each other in hysterical laughter.
“I have never felt so frightened in my life when Lydia said she wanted to come to Brighton,” Kitty said, gasping for breath.
Elizabeth nodded. “I daresay that was the first time in my life that I felt at a complete loss for words. I knew what I felt and what I wanted to say, but saying it in front of our mother without knowing if we had any support from our father…”
Her voice trailed off, and Kitty replied, “Precisely. Each time she says that Wickham preferred her first or was in love with her, I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. She doesn’t know how wrong she is. He might have thought her fun at the very beginning, but that was all. He could never confide in her the way he does with me.”
Kitty flushed at this last bit, and Elizabeth wondered exactly what sorts of things Wickham confided—or at least when and where he did so—to cause such embarrassment in her sister, but then she decided she preferred to not know.
“It is good you are confident in his esteem for you,” Elizabeth said. “For what it is worth, he told me the same thing at the assembly when he said he wished to marry you.”
“Yes, he told me that as well,” Kitty said with a smile. “I am so grateful to you for giving him the encouragement to propose. I had no idea that Papa had saved so much money for dowries for us! But I can see why he didn’t want us to know.”
“Can you imagine what sort of chaos Lydia would cause if the officers knew she had a fortune? I’m fairly certain that rumors of her poverty are the only thing that have kept her from ruining herself,” Elizabeth said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“At least the rest of us are married well, or at least about to be,” Kitty replied. “Your settlement papers have been signed, have they not?”
“Yes, and if Darcy were to throw me over for something Lydia did, then I wouldn’t wish to marry him anyway,” Elizabeth said hotly. “He has dealt with scandals far worse.”
The carriage slowed, signaling their arrival at Netherfield. Just before they exited the carriage, Kitty said, “Well, hopefully going away to school will sort her out, at least until Mr. Darcy can return. It’s only a few months, after all.”
Yes,thought Elizabeth, but as Shakespeare wrote in Henry IV, “How slow the time is till your sorrow cease.” What could be more appropriate?