Chapter 14 #2
“William,” Elizabeth said sharply, “you cannot think this way.
You take too much upon yourself. While yes, you could have behaved better last fall, once the rumours began, people would have still been inclined to believe the rumours, especially since you were not here to deny them.
Many of us, myself included, could have acted differently, but ultimately, those who behaved wrongly should bear the blame.
Wickham, Lydia, and my parents share the responsibility for these events.
If my parents had taken the trouble to check Lydia, she would not have found herself in the situation she is in.
If Papa had listened to me beg him not to allow Lydia to go to Brighton, she might not be in the position she is in.
If Mama had not constantly bemoaned the entail and done her duty to her children to teach them what was proper, Lydia would not have found eloping a ‘lark’ and behaved with more decorum.
Papa, however, would not act because it would have denied him the peace he craved above all else.
Mama does not think beyond the moment, and Papa has not acted as he should to correct her or my sisters.
“Wickham is a scoundrel and has been for many years and is not your responsibility, regardless of what you might believe. You are not his keeper and should not have to warn everyone in England about his potential for debasement. You acted to protect your sister in the best way you knew how. Do not blame yourself for this.”
He sighed deeply. “I feel responsible for him because my father made him what he is. My father gave him so much but expected so little from him.”
“But by granting him the living, he was attempting to expect something better from him,” Elizabeth argued. “And he refused it. You are not responsible for him, Will.”
“You may have to remind me of this frequently, my love,” he said, pulling her into his lap and kissing her forehead. “I am amazed you do not blame me for more of what has befallen your family.”
“I do not, William,” she said, “and you should not blame yourself either. We are only responsible for our own actions, not for the actions of others.”
“Yes, my dear,” he said, the corners of his lips turned up in a slight smile. “I love you so much, Elizabeth. I am a better man because of you. You make me better.”
She leaned down to kiss him. “You make me better as well, my love. We are two halves of a whole, and I needed you in my life. It just took us longer than it should have to figure that out.” She laughed and then kissed him again.
They kissed like that for several moments, sitting together in his desk chair, Elizabeth perched on his lap. When a knock sounded on the door, they started briefly. Elizabeth made to rise until William tightened his arms around her waist and called, “Come!”
The butler opened the door and averted his eyes when he saw them sitting together. “Lord and Lady Matlock have arrived, sir, madam, along with Miss Darcy. I have put them in the morning room, and Miss Darcy’s things are being delivered to her room.”
“We will be there in a moment,” William replied. Turning to his wife, he helped her to stand. “Well, I guess the honeymoon is officially over, once again,” he said. Laughing, she took his hand and drew him from the room to meet their guests.
“How was the wedding?” Lady Matlock asked as soon as they entered the room.
William and Elizabeth just looked at each other for a moment. It was William who finally responded. “We did not attend. We decided it was in everyone’s best interest not to attend and returned before the wedding.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” she commiserated. “Was it horrible?”
“My mother accused me of vile behaviour and was convinced that William was going to cast me aside once he had gotten what he wanted from me. They had believed the words of the rake who had attempted to run away with my youngest sister and who had used her in the way they accused William of using me. She said I was dead to her, and I agreed with her. I am not her daughter, and she is not my mother, and we are both content with that decision—or at least I am,” Elizabeth stated matter-of-factly.
“I will not return to Longbourn or Hertfordshire again, not after my family was so ready to believe the worst of me. With my father, we might be able to, in time, come to some reconciliation, but I will never again be close to him.”
“Good for you, Elizabeth,” Lady Matlock cried. “And I imagine you gave them all quite the set down.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “William delivered the blow to Mrs. Bennet, but I did set my father down for his stupidity. We have learned much since our return, and although we will not speak of it all, suffice it to say that one man who was determined to injure William used two or three, or perhaps several, fools to spread his lies and his vile words to keep us apart. He did his work, and he has injured us both, but we are determined to be happy and to cast aside those who would seek to injure us further.” She smiled brilliantly at her husband, who smiled his brilliant smile in return, showing his dimples to all in the room.
They deliberately turned the conversation to other topics, but both knew the Matlocks would insist on more details in private. Plans were made for the events that the Darcys would need to attend in the next two weeks as they introduced the new Mrs. Darcy around the ton.
Soon enough, Georgiana left to settle back into her bedroom, and the two couples discussed the details of their trip to Hertfordshire.
When William let it slip that they returned the previous Friday, Lady Matlock fixed him with a stern glare.
“You returned home Friday and only informed me of it today?”
“Yes,” he said, fixing her with his own glare. “We needed time to deal with what we learned, and we needed time together following it; we spent these days exactly as we should.”
They continued to glare at each other for several moments before, finally, Lady Matlock relented.
Returning to the conversation with the Bennets, they discussed a few more details from what they had learned—including what Collins had written to Mr. Bennet.
Lord Matlock decided he would go to Rosings to help Anne as she settled into her new role as mistress of the estate and to install Lady Catherine the dower house, which had already been opened and new staff hired to ensure she does not attempt anything.
While there, he would also address the parson, letting him know that his actions in spreading gossip were unconscionable.
He would likewise threaten him with the removal from his position if he attempted anything like that again, trusting that the man was foolish enough to know that could only be done in the case of an egregious wrong.
When Georgiana returned, they were discussing plans again, and it was decided that they would all attend the theatre later that week.
Lady Matlock also intended to take Georgiana and Elizabeth shopping, primarily to ensure that Elizabeth would have what she needed for the cold winter months in Derbyshire.
The next ten days passed similarly. Elizabeth spent several days shopping with her aunts, and the families frequently met for visits and dinner, interspersed with the social events Lady Matlock had determined were necessary.
Elizabeth won many admirers, some reluctantly, but most were forced to recognise that Elizabeth Darcy was a force to be reckoned with in society.
Few would slight her openly, given who her husband was, although several ladies remained jealous of her capture of the (former) most eligible bachelor from Derbyshire.
However, it was apparent to one and all at these events that Elizabeth and Darcy were well-matched.
Some were surprised to see the typically dour gentleman laugh and smile in his wife’s presence as her lightness had rubbed off on him.
He was also somewhat less reluctant to go out in society with Elizabeth on his arm and was slightly more willing to dance than he had been previously, particularly when he could dance with his wife.
He still preferred the theatre and musicals to balls and dinners, but he handled these better than he had in the past.
“Elizabeth,” Lady Matlock said as the ladies gathered in the drawing room at one of the dinners they had attended, “I am frankly amazed at the difference you have wrought in my nephew. I have never seen him more pleasant at a dinner nor smile as much as he did tonight.” Her words brought a chorus of agreement from several matrons surrounding her.
“Indeed,” said one. “You were exactly what he needed—not one of these simpering debutantes. A man like that would never have been happy with a woman who followed whatever he said and never dared to question one of his pronouncements. He needed a girl who could challenge him a little, and I think he has found an ideal match in you.”
Again, this met with agreement from most of the gathered ladies.
However, a few of those debutantes who had not managed to capture the elusive Mr. Darcy grimaced at the tone of the conversation, especially as they realised they were lumped into that group of “simpering debutantes” that had never honestly had a chance with him.
That night, Elizabeth told her husband about the conversation as they relaxed in bed.
He laughed. “I have heard the same from several gentlemen,” he told her.
“I did not realise that I had grown so miserable, but I do know I am much, much happier now that I am with you, dearest.” They lost themselves in each other after that, and he showed her exactly how much he needed her.