Chapter 17 #2
Once they returned home, Jane and Bingley separated in haste—he towards the library and she to her chamber.
Elizabeth was astonished for a moment. She looked at Mr Wilson, who only shrugged, so she followed her sister.
Inside their chamber, Jane was at the window, sobbing.
Elizabeth quickly embraced her without saying anything.
Jane’s tears of joy were vastly different from those of the sorrow she had struggled to hide for many months.
“Dear Lizzy, he proposed! Can you believe it? He said he must take the first opportunity to propose and that, if I was not decided, he was willing to wait as long as I needed. But he said he did not want to delay a single moment in declaring his love for me. Oh, Lizzy, I was so happy that I could sing and cry, but I had to remain calm and listen to his whispers as we were in the middle of the park. And I barely heard some of his words, but he proposed! I accepted—that was all I could say, and now he has gone to speak to Papa. How fortunate that Papa is here, is it not? Oh dear Lord, how shall I bear so much happiness? Lizzy, my heart will burst into pieces. Have you ever felt that?”
Jane’s tears fell freely, washing a face that glowed with bliss. Elizabeth wiped her face with a handkerchief then caressed her hair and took her to sit on the bed.
“Dearest, your joy is so great that it fills my heart too. You deserve it, and Bingley is the luckiest man alive to be the recipient of your affection. What a blessed day this has been. And what a decided man Mr Bingley has become after being so severely rebuked by Mr Wilson,” Elizabeth said teasingly, both laughing as they cried.
“He has loved me all this time, Lizzy. He said he left because he was not sure of my affection. It might have been my fault that I did not let him see it more clearly.”
“Jane, never say that again. You were the only one faultless in that unhappy decision. The blame belongs to him and to others, but let us forget that forever. Who would benefit from discussing a matter that is best buried? So, when do you think you will marry?”
Jane’s mind immediately turned to the more pleasant subject.
“When? Oh, Lizzy, how can I know that? He just proposed, and he must speak to Papa…and then perhaps we shall talk more. If Papa gives us his blessing, we shall be engaged. Then we can speak privately, can we not? Oh dear, how happy Mama will be! Poor dear, she was so distressed. Just think of the happiness this will bring to her and to my entire family.”
“Jane—think of your own happiness for now! We shall all dance and sing for joy around you, but your felicity is what matters. And Mr Bingley’s of course since he had the good luck to be accepted by the most beautiful woman in Town.
I am certain you could have received a marriage proposal from an earl if you waited a little longer,” Elizabeth teased her again.
Jane stared at her with such an appalled expression that Elizabeth laughed even harder.
“Lizzy!” Jane scolded her before allowing herself to be infected by her sister’s good humour.
When Jane’s tears had dried, Elizabeth’s distress finally ceased.
All the fears and concerns about her sister’s future had ended on the green paths of Hyde Park amid the scent of flowers.
That Darcy knew of the proposal and perhaps even approved it, she had little doubt.
Of Bingley’s sisters, she thought little and cared even less.
Almost as strong as the joy the news brought was the certainty that this marriage would also provide countless opportunities to be in Darcy’s presence. She had considered that possibility before, but it had finally become fact.
Mr Bennet gladly gave his blessing, and in the afternoon, the entire family was informed of the sudden—although not unexpected—engagement.
Cries of joy, chatting, an express to Mrs Bennet, plans for the future, and speculation about the reaction from the people of Meryton turned the house into a din and banished the men of the house to the library.
Bingley went home to change but soon returned for dinner and did not leave his betrothed’s side the entire evening.
“Well, what a fortunate turn of events,” Mr Wilson declared. “The ball I am giving could easily be considered the celebration of your engagement. If one needed a reason for it, this is the best that I could have.
Lydia and Kitty demanded to be present due to the new meaning of the event, but Mr Bennet remained unmoved. The only consolation he could offer his youngest daughter was Bingley’s promise that he soon planned to host another ball at Netherfield.
The subject of the ball slowly took on a heavier importance for Elizabeth as she remembered the last one hosted by Mr Bingley. After that, other recollections filled her mind, now free from any concern about Jane. She wondered about the events of Darcy’s day and with whom he had dinner.
Then her eyes fell upon Mr Wilson. Without his presence to keep her company during the walk, Mr Bingley probably would not have had the chance to propose.
He would have been forced to wait until Lord knows when.
So that joyful evening was due to Mr Bingley as well as Mr Wilson, she thought, amused by fate’s frequent role in their hopes.
∞∞∞
Lady Catherine asked that dinner be served directly. Around the table were gathered her daughter and her companion, the Matlocks with both their sons, and Darcy. The first course was served, and as soon as the servers left, Lord Matlock began.
“So, Bingley is about to marry soon. When is the date set?”
“In about a month,” Darcy responded.
“Well, considering his family is of little consequence, he should be content to marry a gentleman’s daughter. Even one with a small dowry,” Lady Catherine interjected.
“I heard his future wife is a true beauty,” the viscount said.
“Yes, Mr Collins told me the same,” Lady Catherine replied. “She is one of his five Bennet cousins. Mr Collins will inherit their estate as soon as their father is dead.”
“Well, they will have less to worry about now that the eldest has secured herself a husband with the means to support them all,” the earl added.
Lady Catherine nodded. “They are fortunate that someone in their neighbourhood had the means to rent an estate and happened to fall for the charms of the eldest daughter. The other four have nothing to recommend them, and their chances to marry at all are rather limited. They have average beauty, average education, and average manners, Mr Collins told me. And I have had the chance to judge for myself as the second Miss Bennet spent some time in Hunsford a month ago.”
“I am well acquainted with the Bennet family,” Darcy interjected, “and I may testify that Bingley was fortunate to make a marriage based on affection with a young lady of not only beauty but also praiseworthy character. I also found the second sister, Miss Elizabeth, a confident and resolved young lady with remarkable wit, excellent knowledge, and a great passion for reading. There are not many young women of which I can say the same.”
“True. Not to mention very handsome too. Miss Elizabeth, I mean,” the colonel added. “I admit I was charmed by her, and if my situation in life did not require me to choose prudently and advantageously, she would have been an excellent choice.”
“Richard!” Lady Matlock cried to stop his improper confession.
“Do not worry, Mother, there is no danger. Miss Elizabeth and I are only friends, and I am certain you will like her when you met her. But it must be enchanting to marry a woman with not only beauty but wit enough to keep your mind entertained, to carry out challenging conversations, and to rely on her sound opinions. Miss Elizabeth has all these, and the man who is smart enough to marry her will surely have no reason to repine.”
“I completely agree with you,” Darcy interrupted again, much to his relatives’ astonishment.
“Well, I am curious to meet this special young lady,” the earl declared.
“You should not be,” Lady Catherine responded sharply. “She is a headstrong, obstinate, and impertinent country girl with nothing to recommend her.”
“Well, now I am even more curious to meet her,” the earl said in complete seriousness. “Maybe it will happen at that ball hosted by her strange uncle.”
“Yes, what is that nonsense?” Lady Catherine spoke spitefully.
“The brother of the Bennet uncle’s wife who lived near Cheapside until recently had the insolence to send us an invitation to a private ball?
And how on earth did he have the means to rent a house in Park Lane?
It is outrageous, and his invitation is an insult. ”
“The Duke of York will attend,” Darcy pointed out. “So he must have done something to receive such extraordinary recognition. Also, the Countess of Jersey and Countess of Sefton have accepted the invitation as I learned a couple of days ago.”
“What? Have they lost their minds? If they are received at Almack’s, our social world will collapse!” Lady Catherine cried.
“He would certainly not be allowed at Almack’s, despite the fortune he made in such a questionable manner,” Lord Matlock replied. “But the list of guests is as bold as it is impressive. The men at the club are talking about it.”
“But who is this man?” Lady Catherine continued.
“His sister, Mrs Gardiner, grew up in Lambton many years ago, and they still have relatives there. Perhaps you have met them…” the colonel attempted to explain.
“You speak nonsense, Richard. I barely spent a few weeks in Derbyshire in my youth, and I certainly had no interaction with anyone in Lambton. Our knowing them? That is the joke of the evening,” Lady Catherine interrupted again.
The earl agreed. “That is true; I have not the smallest idea who this family might be, and to be honest, I care little about their history. The present is more interesting.”
“If only out of curiosity, I would go to his ball,” Lady Matlock said. “There is much secrecy around this man, and our questions might be answered during the ball.”
“But how can someone of uncertain parentage dare to host a ball with such illustrious persons?” Lady Catherine continued. “It is appalling; it is just not done! Will the Cheapside neighbours be there too?”
“I feel a ball would be amusing,” Anne said suddenly, and all eyes turned to her.
“A ball? You? My dear, it is out of the question,” Lady Catherine cried.
“Why?” Lady Matlock asked. “Since you happen to be in Town and such an opportunity has arisen, considering we all shall be there, why should Anne not attend?”
“But you never dance in public!” Lady Catherine cried. “And you do not have ball gowns! Neither do I. And…and…”
“Come, Catherine, the problem of gowns can be solved tomorrow; I shall take you to my modiste. If Anne wishes to attend, she should. Besides, she is of an age now that she does not need your approval. She is allowed to do what amuses her,” Lady Matlock said, gently touching Anne’s arm.
“I do wish to attend, and I am not sure when I shall be in Town again. I am sure it will be entertaining even if I do not dance.”
“You may dance if you like, Anne. All three of us are at your disposal,” the colonel declared, and Darcy and the viscount quickly nodded in approval.
“We shall see about dancing. But if all of you attend, I should like to be presented too,” Anne concluded.
Lady Catherine continued to introduce further arguments in an attempt to change her daughter’s mind, but Miss de Bourgh kept decidedly to her unexpected decision, astonishing all her relatives.