Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
February 1814, Hertfordshire
E lizabeth took a long sip of tea as the lively chatter of her family filled Longbourn’s parlour. Mrs Bennet, in her usual fashion, was fretting over Mr Darcy’s extended stay in London for business. He was expected to return tomorrow, and remain at Netherfield until their wedding, which was now just a se’nnight away.
“I cannot understand it. Three weeks away and so close to the wedding seems quite excessive!” Mrs Bennet complained as she placed her cup back on its saucer. “I hope he has not changed his mind about the wedding. Mr Bennet, what will we do if he does not return? It is unlikely that we could ever find another suitor for Lizzy…”
Elizabeth held back a sigh. She knew this was far from the truth, but even so, it did little to soothe the ache she felt for her loved one’s absence.
“Mama.” Jane, who was visiting from Netherfield for the day, sighed gently from her seat beside Elizabeth on the sofa. “Mr Darcy is attending to important business matters. He would not delay his return without good reason.”
Mr Bennet, lounging in an armchair by the fire, did not look up from his paper as he said drily, “If he does not return, fret not, my dear. After Bingley first came with five thousand a year, and then Darcy with ten thousand, I daresay another eligible gentleman with fifteen thousand a year will ride into the neighbourhood. We seem to be on an upwards course, after all.” He shook out his paper and gave Elizabeth a wink.
Mary responded stoically, “Papa, it would not be wise to count on such an event. It seems highly unlikely.”
Giggling at her father’s joke, Kitty stole a look at the seat Lydia used to frequently occupy. “At least if one did, Lydia would not be in the competition for his heart now that she is married and gone off with Mr Andrews.”
Elizabeth nodded absently, her gaze drifting back towards the window as the conversation carried on without her. Then, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. There, in front of the house, sitting atop a horse and dressed far too fine for a day of travel, was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Darcy must have just returned to Netherfield, and ridden directly to Longbourn, arriving a day earlier than expected too!
Eyes wide with excitement, she glanced at Jane and tilted her head towards the window. Jane followed her sister’s gaze before she understood the unspoken message, and without hesitation, she rose from her chair.
“Mama, I believe you had said you desired to have another look at Kitty’s and Mary’s new gowns for the wedding. Let us have them laid out in their chambers, so we can be assured the lace and beading are as you hoped.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Mrs Bennet said. “We must make sure everything is acceptable. Mr Darcy’s relations will expect nothing short of perfection! Kitty, Mary, come!”
As her sisters followed Mrs Bennet out of the parlour, Elizabeth sat still, her hands quietly folded in her lap, as her father read his paper.
Mr Bennet shifted a little, glancing out the window beside him, where he surely caught sight of Darcy’s figure, before settling back into his chair with a sigh. After a moment, he folded his paper and stood up slowly. As if reading Elizabeth’s mind that she desired some time alone with her husband-to-be after their separation, he cleared his throat. “And now, I believe I shall retreat to my library,” he said as he gave Elizabeth a knowing look. “Please let it be known that I do not wish to be disturbed until dinner, unless of course that gentleman of fifteen thousand a year arrives.”
Once he was out of the room, Elizabeth wasted no time. She rose from her seat, hurried through the front hall, grabbed her cloak and bonnet, and opened the front door. The cool February air brushed against her face as her boots trod the gravel, but her eyes never left Darcy, who had his back turned towards her. With each step, she found herself almost gliding towards him in eager anticipation.
He had handed his horse to the stableboy, who led the creature away, and Elizabeth soon realised Darcy had disappeared behind a hedge where he could no longer be seen from the house. Hastening her steps towards it, she called his name. He turned just in time to catch her in his arms as she embraced him with all the joy she felt at his return. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, though his voice took on a teasing reprimand. “Elizabeth…What if somebody sees?” Yet, even as he glanced over his shoulder, a smile played on his lips, and he held her tightly, seemingly determined to not let her go after their time apart.
“I suppose you would be forced to marry me,” she said in a playful tone as she looked up at him. “But as fortune would have it, this spot behind the shrubbery is quite concealed, and I assure you, no one is watching. My family is on the other side of the house.”
“Well, if that is the case.” He quickly bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. He took a deep breath as he pulled away. “How I have missed you, my dear,” he said as he drew her back into his arms.
“And I as well. Now that you have returned, I forbid us to ever be apart again.”
“I believe we can arrange that,” Darcy responded with a charming smile, still holding her close.
She shifted out of his embrace, and pulled his hand in the direction away from Longbourn. “Come, sir, before someone sees you,” she said, glancing back over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “Let us go to the stream behind Longbourn. I have been with my family all morning, and I wish to be alone with you before returning to the chaos of the wedding preparations that shall consume us for the next week.”
They walked hand in hand through the fields until they reached a stream situated on Longbourn’s property, a spot that they had often visited since their engagement. Though it was cold outside, the water was not frozen over and offered a soothing babble as a backdrop to their conversation. They stood at the bank watching the water flow by, their fingers intertwined as they spoke of the wedding trip that would follow the ceremony and a brief stay in town. At Elizabeth’s request, their plans included a stop in Brighton so she could have her first glimpse of the sea.
“Are you certain you do not mind returning to a place you have already been?”
“It will be my first time seeing the sea with you , and that is all that matters to me.” He added softly, “I could have done something a hundred times before, but with you by my side, it would still feel as if I am experiencing it for the first time.”
As they spoke, Elizabeth’s heart swelled at the thought of their future together. Eventually, she leant against Darcy’s shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to the gentle flow of the water and feeling the crisp wind caress her face. When she opened them, she was surprised to find Darcy watching her with that familiar intensity she had come to recognise as a reflection of his deep feelings for her. It always made her feel shy to be admired so.
“I must ask you something,” she said softly.
“Go on,” he encouraged her. “You know I can deny you nothing.”
Elizabeth hesitated before finally asking, “Do you ever wonder how things might have been different if we had married three years earlier?”
His gaze grew distant as he appeared to ponder her question. He paused longer than she had anticipated before finally answering in a low voice, “Do you still have the letter I gave to you at Jane and Bingley’s wedding?”
Elizabeth, still nestled in his embrace, giggled softly. “Yes of course, I still read that letter almost every day because it has come to mean so much to me.” She continued as she added softly, “It changed the course of our history. ”
Darcy nodded. “I meant every word, especially that I became a better person because of our parting. I would not have been the husband I should have been—that I hope to be—if we had not gone through our trials. Our separation, having to live without you for three years, and your sharp rebukes, permitted me to grow in ways I did not know were possible.”
Elizabeth shifted to gain a better view of him as he continued, his voice becoming very serious. “I shudder when I think of my pride then, and that I believed you were beneath me or the Darcy name.”
He shook his head and after a deep breath, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer; he continued as his voice became softer again. “Except that you had to endure heartache, I am endlessly grateful for every moment that led us here. Instead of having a marriage that would have been fraught with tension, we will begin our marriage more in love than I could have ever imagined. I never thought I would experience such happiness and warmth in my life.”
Elizabeth laid her head on his chest as he drew her in even closer, his chin resting gently on the top of her head as he spoke again. “You are without a doubt the biggest blessing I have in this world. I will get to spend my days with a woman whom I respect, adore, and laugh with. If I had not had to spend three years apart from you, I might not have appreciated everything you are as deeply.” She felt her cheeks flush with such a compliment.
“Yes…” she said slowly, a pang of guilt still gnawing at her, “but I wish I had forgiven you more easily when you first arrived, or had been willing to hear what you were trying to tell me. I fear I made you suffer unduly.”
“I do not,” he said firmly. “I had treated you abysmally, and you needed time to regain trust in me to see that my character was truly amended.”
“But…” she continued, still unconvinced.
Interrupting her thought, he lifted her chin so that she was facing him as he continued, “Even though there was much pain in our journey, I could never wish it would be altered because of what it has led to. Because of everything we have endured, there will not be misunderstandings, or lack of trust, or pain in our future. And that is what matters most.”
She smiled gently and he looked on her warmly before placing a tender kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he tucked her hair behind her ear as he had done so many times before.
“Well, my soon-to-be Mrs Darcy,” he said with a sigh, as his voicing of her new title sent a thrill through Elizabeth. “I suppose we should return. Your family must be wondering where you are.”
“You are correct, sir. Let us be on our way,” she replied with a smile.
Before they left, she looked around at the idyllic stream and the surrounding natural beauty. “You know, this place reminds me a little of Lady Catherine.”
“Excuse me,” he said with a mock sharpness. “I do not wish to associate her with this peaceful place.”
Elizabeth laughed softly. “I only mean that the stream here reminds me a little of the river at Rosings, where you and the colonel used to swing on the rope as boys.”
He conceded with a nod as he gazed out and observed the landscape. “Yes, I agree.”
“And it reminds me of a certain rainstorm we got caught in… ”
“Oh?”
She held her hands out in the air, with her palm up as if she were detecting something in the air.
“What is it, dearest?”
“I daresay, I worry some rain might detain us, causing us to be delayed by at least a few more minutes.”
He glanced up at the clear blue sky, which showed no signs of an impending storm. When he looked back at her, she grinned at him impishly and arched an eyebrow.
“I fear we must take shelter over there,” she said, pointing to a large tree.
Now clearly understanding what she was about, Darcy’s face broke into a knowing smile. “I believe you are correct. It seems we have a few minutes to spare for an unexpected rainstorm,” he said with a chuckle.
Hand in hand, they walked towards the tree and settled into its wide roots. As Darcy sat beside her, Elizabeth gazed into his eyes and saw reflected there the depth of his love for her. Her heart was so full it felt as though it might burst.
She leant towards him and kissed him deeply. They carried on in that manner for quite some time.