Chapter Thirty-nine
The weddings went off without a hitch. Ethan stood up with his friend.
John and Charlotte left for their honeymoon right after the wedding breakfast. They would stay at Darcy House that night and then travel on to Ramsgate.
Charlotte had never been there, and John was happy to show her the cottage Miss Darcy had stayed in and take her on the walks he had become familiar with.
The weather would be chilly, but it would be warmer than Derbyshire.
After Thomas and Mamie’s small ceremony, the new Bennet couple was happy to wave everyone off.
The rest of the party would leave for Pemberley the next day.
All except the Hursts. They would leave the end of the week.
Bingley was still locked in his room and would not be let out until all the cousins were gone.
Mr. Darcy included Miss Bingley in the party going to Pemberley.
Mr. Phillips drew up papers that gave Darcy control of Miss Bingley’s dowry and authority to sign any engagement or marital agreements.
Although Miss Bingley was of age, because of how her father’s will had been written, she needed to become the ward of someone.
Darcy agreed to look after her interests.
Bingley looked at it completely the wrong way and thought it might get him back into the Darcy’s good graces someday, so he signed the papers without a single argument.
He just knew this was one of Caroline’s schemes.
She had been invited to go to Pemberley, after all!
Caroline did not know quite how to feel.
On the one hand, she felt free for the first time in her life!
On the other, she was completely lost. She had no direction.
She did not know what she wanted from her life.
Beth had confused her thinking completely.
Her twenty-thousand-pound dowry would be enough to live on.
Maybe not in London, but in a modest community in a modest home.
She did not need to marry, but did she want to?
She had finally accepted she was the daughter of a tradesman.
No earl or baron would want her unless they needed her dowry.
Mr. Darcy was a very rich farmer, as Beth had told her.
He hated London. He loved the land. Caroline had never lived in the country for more than a few weeks.
Would she like it? She had been happy enough at Netherfield.
Would she miss the London season? She could not say. She felt…misplaced.
~~~~~
Ethan was getting to know his cousins. It felt like there were so many of them!
It had been just him and Beth and their father for so long.
When Beth left to come to England, the house had felt like a tomb.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were there every day, but the halls echoed and he had never felt so completely alone.
The servants even tiptoed and whispered.
Now it seemed like there was nowhere to go that did not have people around.
He wasn’t sure how to feel about it. His cousins wanted to get to know him, but he only felt really comfortable around his sister and William.
Will could sit quietly in a room with him for hours without it feeling uncomfortable.
Beth could chatter on with no response from him.
He was listening, but she did not get upset if he didn’t respond.
Beth said Pemberley House was twice the size of Rolling Meadows.
Maybe he could find a quiet place to hide there.
Theo knew, without a doubt, he wanted to marry Jane Bennet.
He had intended to ask her at the ball, but things went awry, and he did not get a chance.
They would be stopping at Rosemont on the way to Pemberley.
He would get her alone and ask her there.
‘Please Lord, let her say yes. I do not deserve it. I will do anything to make her happy though, Lord. Please let me try.’ He said that prayer at least ten times a day.
Richard really liked Mary Bennet, but she was so very young!
Not half his age, but close! She was so very calming though.
He felt…well he was not sure how he felt.
They would be spending a great deal of time together over Christmastide.
Maybe he would gain some clarity. As far as he knew, she had very little dowry, but could they make it on what he earned?
Other colonels had wives. No sense in worrying over it now.
Life was too short, as he had seen firsthand.
This time at Pemberley would decide him.
He had a full two months of leave built up.
Surely, he could decide before he returned to duty.
Fitzwilliam Darcy had never felt for any woman like he was feeling for Elizabeth Bennet.
He was so glad his cousin had stopped him from insulting her at the assembly nearly three months ago.
The little spitfire would have held a grudge.
He knew her well enough now to recognize that!
She would forgive the people she loved for nearly anything, but a stranger?
No, he would have been paying for that insult still.
She was not who he had expected to fall in love with.
Yes, he knew it was love. He thought he would find an earl’s or a duke’s daughter to wed, with a large dowry and many connections in the ton.
His father had married and earl’s daughter after all!
The thing he had not considered, is that they had fallen in love and married.
His father might not have married so high if they had not had deep feelings for each other.
Beth was right. He was just a very wealthy farmer.
He had many high connections, but that did not make him a peer of the realm.
He was a gentleman; Elizabeth Bennet was a gentleman’s daughter.
They were equal. They were also equal in intellect.
She was his perfect match. He had already spoken to Mr. Bennet to get his consent and blessing.
They would enjoy their Christmas, and he would ask for her hand on New Year’s Eve. He was decided.
Beth was happy and sad. Her brother was here!
She had so much more family than she every had dreamed of.
She had new friends. John had found a wife who was perfect for him, and Mamie was happy.
Those things made her very happy. That her father was not here with them was almost tragic.
He thought he had time to reconcile with his brother and the family, but he did not.
She missed him so. When Ethan and she went back to Virginia, she would not only be leaving her new friends and family behind, but she would also be leaving Mamie, who had been like a mother to her.
It would almost be like she had died too.
Well, at least Charlotte would be returning with them.
She would take one new friend home. Maybe she could find a wife for Ethan while they were here!
Would that not be ideal! What do you think?
~The end for now~