Chapter 31
Study
Darcy House
“I suspect Lady Catherine will wash up on the doorstep of Matlock House in the next two or three days,” Richard said.
“I think that is likely,” Darcy agreed. “I am grateful to your father and mother for providing a safe haven for Anne.”
Richard nodded vigorously. “Yes, my mother has taken our cousin under her wing. The poor girl has been so browbeaten her whole life that she seems genuinely surprised to be asked what she wants to eat and wear and when she wishes to go to bed.”
Darcy sighed. “Lady Catherine has always been determined to rule Rosings with an iron fist. Perhaps I should have done more to assist Anne in escaping.”
“I think Pemberley and Georgiana are, and were, enough responsibility for you,” Richard said. “Speaking of my ward, how is she?”
Darcy smiled. “She is well, and certainly far cheerier than she was last summer.”
Richard grimaced and said, “I only wish I had been at Ramsgate with you. I would have stabbed Wickham through the heart!”
Darcy sighed. “The last thing Georgiana needed was for her favorite cousin to be locked up for murder.”
“Yes, and I would not have actually killed him,” Richard admitted. “I would merely have found great pleasure in breaking his nose and knocking out a few of his precious teeth. He would be far less successful in charming those around him if his looks matched his character a bit better.”
“True enough,” Darcy said. He was briefly tempted to inform Richard of Wickham’s current whereabouts, but he decided against it. Richard had his own responsibilities with the military, and Darcy had warned Miss Elizabeth and Lieutenant Smythe about Wickham’s predilections.
The door opened, and Darcy’s butler entered with a letter on a silver tray. “An express for you, sir.”
Darcy was on his feet in a moment. He grasped the missive, nodded at his butler, who withdrew, and quickly broke the seal.
Netherfield Hall
Mr. Darcy,
My father, Mr. Bennet, died two days ago. Mary and I have returned to Hertfordshire.
I would very much like to have you here with me.
With affection,
Elizabeth Bennet
Darcy felt his knees give way, and he found himself, more by accident than design, on his chair.
“Darcy, what is it?”
He looked at Richard, who was obviously genuinely alarmed, and lifted a hand. “Do not worry, Cousin. Mr. Bennet, father of Elizabeth Bennet and Mary Collins, has died.”
The colonel leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed. “Mr. Bennet has died? Erm, I am sorry for the ladies. Mr. Collins is the heir to their father’s estate, I believe?”
“Yes.”
“Is that letter from Lady Catherine? I daresay she is most annoyed that her parson will be leaving along with her daughter.”
Darcy hesitated for a moment, and then said, “No, it is from Miss Bennet. I asked her to marry me, you see.”
Richard’s eyes flared wide. “You asked Miss Bennet to…”
“To marry me, yes,” Darcy repeated, rising to his feet and starting to pace.
“We had a rather difficult beginning to our relationship, and she has not accepted me yet, but she asked for time to consider my offer. Her letter says that she wishes me to be in Hertfordshire. That sounds hopeful, does it not?”
Richard stood up as well and stared into his cousin’s eyes. “You, Fitzwilliam Darcy, wish to marry Miss Bennet, the daughter of a country squire.”
“I do,” Darcy said, his eyes narrowing, “and if you intend to speak of her poor connections or lack of fortune, I insist that you stay silent. I am well aware…”
“Calm down, Darcy,” Richard said and then grinned. “I am delighted for you, truly. Miss Bennet is a charming young woman, along with being lively and intelligent. Anne considers her a great friend. I am merely surprised. I thought you too ruled by duty to choose a love match.”
Darcy nodded ruefully. “A year ago, that was true enough. I thank God that I had the good fortune to meet a lady who helped me see that marriage is more than money and connections.”
He looked at the letter again and shook his head. “For all that I am overjoyed that she has asked me to come, my heart hurts for her. It is a difficult thing to lose a parent.”
“Yes,” Richard agreed.
“I will ride for Hertfordshire tonight,” he said, taking a step toward the door. “I hope you will excuse me, Richard.”
“Darcy, wait.”
He turned, irritated. “Why?”
Richard hesitated for a moment and then said, “Two things. One, I would like to come with you. Two, ought you to consult with your man of business before you ride north? It would make your upcoming marriage easier if you had settlement papers already arranged.”
Darcy blinked, considered, and reluctantly nodded. Every cell of his body longed to ride for Hertfordshire within the hour, but if he was right, Elizabeth was ready to be his bride, and it would make everything easier if he had already spoken to his man of business about wedding settlements.
“That is sensible, Richard,” he said. “And of course you are welcome to come along. I will send a letter to Netherfield Hall, the Bingley’s house, and inform them that we will arrive in two days.”
“Thank you,” Richard said, and then grinned. “And to your question, old chap. Yes, her request that you join her sounds very hopeful indeed.”
***
Drawing Room
Longbourn
Morning
Two Days Later
Elizabeth took a sip of tea and carefully lowered her cup to the saucer on her knees.
The tea was warm and soothing, a comfort to her chilled body and her hurting heart alike.
Jane, seated adjacent to her, was likewise a comfort, as was Charlotte Lucas, perched on the chair nearby.
It was only the three of them, for now; Kitty and Lydia preferred to remain upstairs, mostly, and Mary was sitting with their mother upstairs.
Mrs. Bennet had now isolated herself in her bedchamber and refused to come downstairs at all.
This was no bad thing in Elizabeth’s pragmatic viewpoint, for Mrs. Bennet was not helpful in any capacity in her current state.
The entire household was tense and grieving and worried, and outbreaks of vapors only made an difficult situation even worse.
Kitty had already been rendered hysterical by her mother’s wailings the previous day and had taken to her bed early.
So Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary took turns sitting with their mother.
Lydia would be of no use at all for such comfort; while Mrs. Hill, devoted retainer that she was, had her own responsibilities in keeping the house in order.
Mary was upstairs now, ensconced in Mrs. Bennet’s room, and had been for a few hours.
Elizabeth would go up to relieve her in just a short while, and in the meantime she would draw comfort and strength from her steady elder sister and dear friend.
The odd thing was that the house was not really quieter without Mr. Bennet in it. He had never been the one to make the rafters ring with noise, the way his wife and youngest two daughters did.
Elizabeth shook herself, winked away tears, and looked out the window to the lawn, incongruously bright with sunshine.
In the Meryton churchyard, a small group of gentlemen was currently gathered.
The parson, Mr. Allen was intoning a solemn service over Mr. Bennet to the dead man’s heir, and Sir William Lucas, and Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Phillips, and a few other of the local men who had come out to pay their final respects to their neighbor.
Mr. Collins had been the very picture of graciousness and support since his arrival two days previously.
He had been unfailingly patient with Mrs. Bennet and her histrionics, kind to his cousins, and courteous to his new staff.
Elizabeth was grateful for his steadiness in the midst of a storm of sorrow and anxiety.
Even as her heart was wrung with grief for her father, she felt the heaviness of the burden which had been laid on her shoulders; and not only her shoulders, but those of Jane and Mary as well.
The care of Longbourn, at least, would not be her responsibility.
Elizabeth would see it yielded up to William and Mary without a single qualm.
Both were proving themselves capable and conscientious with their new responsibilities, and Elizabeth had every faith that they would prove to be a far better master and mistress than their predecessors.
Much of her concern lay with Kitty and Lydia and with handling Mrs. Bennet.
The erstwhile mistress of Longbourn would not be willing to easily give up the role of which she had been so proud her entire married life.
Elizabeth viewed with apprehension the unpleasantness her mother was almost certain to make over being ousted in favor of the Collinses.
Yet even in the midst of all this grief and care, a flutter of excitement filled her heart.
Mr. Darcy had responded to her express and was coming to Hertfordshire.
He would arrive that very afternoon, according to his message to Bingley.
Jane had duly passed this along to Elizabeth when it had arrived, the unknowing messenger of a beacon of hope.
The thought of him lifted Elizabeth’s heart.
In but a few hours, she would see him again, tall and strong and kind, and could draw comfort from his mere presence.
How stunned she had been at his sudden, impulsive proposal so few days ago.
Only a few days! It felt like it had been an entire lifetime since then; her comfortable and happy world rocked by the tragic news that had arrived soon after Mr. Darcy’s declaration.
Shock upon shock, learning that the taciturn gentleman she had come to admire and regard with friendship harbored for her a deeper passion, then learning that her father had passed.