Chapter 35
Almost as soon as they had arrived at Pemberley, Elizabeth received word from her mother that she was needed urgently at Longbourn immediately after the New Year.
“What now?” Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “She knows we are in Derbyshire. I think she wishes to see whether she can make me run to her.”
“What if it is your father?” Darcy asked.
“If it were my father, she would already be asking how much she could spend redecorating the dower house here,” Elizabeth replied. “Trust me, this is nothing. Do not think of it.”
But strangely, Darcy insisted that she should go. “I really think it necessary,” he said. “She would not summon you otherwise.”
“Yes,” Elizabeth said, “she positively would.”
Darcy also claimed he could not attend her the entire way to Longbourn. “I shall set you as far as Harpenden and hire a coach for the last leg to London. I have some business that will not wait. You spend your time with your family and follow behind me.”
“Your business cannot wait a few days? It is the festive season, no one in London is doing anything of consequence.”
“Forgive me, darling, I must insist we abide by the plan.”
She believed she knew what it was about. Relations remained strained between the Bennets and her husband. Darcy had done all he could to heal the breach, but her father responded to him but rarely, and her mother considered herself too busy to write letters.
Elizabeth fought the impulse to cry as she watched her husband board his arranged carriage at the small station nearest Meryton. She and Bennet continued on to Longbourn.
Why her mother had summoned her remained a mystery.
Mr and Mrs Bennet had no true interest in their grandson, no one was ill, no one was getting engaged, and if anything, her mother seemed vexed to have her least favourite daughter lingering about.
Her father was more amenable to her presence, though not so much that he was bestirred from his book room.
On the eve of her departure, Mrs Bennet said, “There is a gown upstairs you will need to take for Kitty.”
“A gown for Kitty? But Kitty is yet with Lydia and Mr Rollings.”
Elizabeth caught her father sending her mother a stern look that sent Mrs Bennet into querulous rambling about how, in her day, a young lady did not go here and there and all about the countryside such that their relations had no notion of where they were.
In the midst of her effusions, another declaration was made—she would attend Lizzy to London.
“Well, if you will go, then I shall too,” said Mr Bennet, to Elizabeth’s utter shock.
“What? But, Papa, you despise London.”
“Oh, not all of it. January is a dreadfully dull place in the country. A man needs a change of scene and society.”
Before she knew it, she, her parents, and her son were in the Darcy carriage, headed back to London. Her parents refused to stay in Darcy House, preferring the Gardiners’ home. She thought it odd, when leaving her parents with her aunt and uncle, how unsurprised the Gardiners appeared to see them.
Darcy House was deathly quiet and nearly deserted when she arrived, with Mrs Hobbs seeming rushed and perfunctory in her duties to her mistress.
When Elizabeth asked after Darcy, Mrs Hobbs flushed, saying, “I believe he has gone out, madam.” Elizabeth frowned, wondering why he had not made the effort to be there to see her.
She went immediately to her bedchamber, trying to be unconcerned.
Blake had already prepared her bath and had laid out a brand-new light blue gown that was more suited for a soiree at St James than a simple dinner with her husband.
“Well, this turned out very well, but I think it is a bit much for dinner at home.”
Blake blushed. “Beg your pardon, ma’am, but the master had instructed me specifically.”
“Darcy told you what I should wear?”
“He did.” Blake smiled ruefully. “Let us get you bathed, shall we?”
Elizabeth entered her bath more than a little annoyed. Darcy could not be bothered to greet her yet had chosen her gown for dinner? How absurd! She resolved that when she saw him, she immediately would demand an explanation for this behaviour.
She was silent as her hair was arranged, the coiffure an elaborate one.
When she was finished, Elizabeth looked as pretty as ever she had.
She complimented her maid’s efforts, though she had to remark with more than a hint of sarcasm, “I am surprised Mr Darcy has not selected jewellery for me as well.”
“I believe he has, in fact.” At the sound of her husband’s voice, Elizabeth looked up in surprise, seeing him leaning against the door frame. He looked so handsome, her breath caught despite her vexation with him and the worry he was causing her.
Darcy entered Elizabeth’s bedchamber, pulling her from her seat at the table and into his arms for a passionate kiss. “I apologise for not greeting you when you arrived. I had some urgent matters of business that kept me occupied.”
Elizabeth returned his kiss, feeling somewhat relieved though still vexed. Before she could speak, however, he handed her a box.
“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,” he said. “And how grateful I am to you for marrying me, for giving me a son, and most of all, for allowing me your heart. You are too good for me, my darling.”
With that, he opened the box, revealing an exquisite and enormous necklace and bracelet set with sapphires and diamonds. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped, seeing they were certainly the most expensive pieces of jewellery in her collection, which included the Darcy heirlooms.
“Oh! But surely I cannot—”
He stopped her, reaching around her and placing the necklace on her neck and the bracelet on her wrist. “Will they do? I believe they are rather nice with this gown, though I cannot deny I had the assistance of both Jane and Saye in the matter.”
She was breathless with shock and amazement. “I…yes, they are perfect, but surely, just for dinner we need not—”
“Too true.” He looked into her eyes a moment. “As beautiful as you are this night, it is almost as though there should be a ball in your honour.”
So saying, he placed her hand on his arm, using his other hand to cover it, and then he began to stride rapidly out from their chambers and headed towards the front of the house.
“Where are we going?” As she was a good deal shorter than her husband, the effort of remaining at his side when he walked so quickly was not inconsiderable.
“Were you not listening? A ball!”
“Whose ball?” Then she heard it—strains of music in the air. “Here? We are having a ball?”
“I am having a ball,” Darcy said. “In honour of you. I wanted to surprise you, so you would have none of the work and all of the enjoyment.”
Elizabeth was filled with delight. The idea of a ball in and of itself was wonderful, and she was already anticipating an evening laden with enjoyments, not the least of which would be waltzing with her husband.
More so than the ball itself, however, was the notion that Darcy had done all of this for her.
He had planned and schemed and done so much, all for her benefit.
The ball was an undisputed crush. Elizabeth continually resisted the impulse to pinch herself to see whether she was dreaming as person after person came through the receiving line.
Jane and Bingley were there, as were the Gardiners, Lord and Lady Matlock, Colonel Fitzwilliam and his wife, and Viscount Saye, of course.
Lydia and Jolly had returned from their wedding trip, and they, with Georgiana and Kitty, were delighted to be among the group.
Even Mr and Mrs Collins, though they carried with them the air of disapproval for such frivolity, had come to London to attend.
Darcy House was filled to overflowing, and Elizabeth delighted in it.
Darcy and Elizabeth danced the first together, and from then, she was kept occupied by the gentlemen in her family: Saye, Jolly, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Bingley, Mr Gardiner—and her father even emerged from the card room to dance with his daughter.
However, by the supper dance, Darcy had once again claimed his bride, and they enjoyed a waltz together.
The supper was…different. The entire meal was planned around Elizabeth’s preferences.
This was most evident when the desserts came, for such a profusion of sweets had never been seen in one place altogether.
When she remarked on it to Darcy, he laughed, saying, “All of your favourites, my love. What else for an evening in your honour?”
Although Mrs Darcy’s illness was no longer spoken of, there were still some who, at times, wondered at the sudden emergence of Darcy’s heir.
Viscount Saye found himself engaged in one such conversation.
Being the gregarious person he always was, he found himself holding court in a large circle that included many noted gossips as well as Lord and Lady Carlisle.
Lord Carlisle, a genial and none-too-witty gentleman, mentioned he thought it odd that although Mrs Darcy’s illness had been reported, he had not heard word of Darcy’s son.
Saye raised an eyebrow, a deeper shade of hauteur coming over his face. “Never? That is peculiar.”
Carlisle looked unsure. “Tonight is the first I heard of the child, and he is already above two years old.”
With just the faintest touch of pity, Saye replied, “You see, that is why I do not like to stay off in the country too long. You miss all the news! And then, when you do come back to town, you must spend half your time learning what everyone else already knows.”
He watched Lady Carlisle flush. There was nothing worse than the suggestion that one did not know the town gossip.
It implied a lack of friendship—or a general sense of exclusion.
One had to exercise utmost caution in expressing what was known and not known, else appear to be out of the inner circle.