Chapter 11
The night passed as hastily as Elizabeth desired; she did not know how long she slept, but she woke up rested and light-hearted.
The house was silent when Elizabeth left, so silent that she could hear her heart pounding.
She walked along the familiar path, her legs unsteady yet strong enough to carry her to the desired destination.
She did not have to walk far, though, as Mr. Darcy waited for her at the first turn of the road.
Emotions overwhelmed her, and the bright smile on his face stirred her senses even more.
“Miss Bennet…”
“Mr. Darcy…”
“I am not even sure what to say… I am very happy to see you again, Miss Bennet.”
“And I am happy to see you, Mr. Darcy. Very happy indeed. May I ask what news you have? About Miss de Bourgh? Lady Catherine? Dr Rease? Colonel Fitzwiliam?”
“I do have news, and it is mostly good. Anne has improved tremendously — one would hardly recognise her. Staying with Lady Matlock has benefitted her greatly. She will spend a month in Brighton this summer with Lady Matlock, and Georgiana will join them.”
“Oh no!” she exclaimed, causing the gentleman to frown. “You cannot allow Miss Darcy to go to Brighton! Mr. Wickham is there, with the regiment.”
Surprisingly, Mr. Darcy replied with another smile.
“He is not. You must not concern yourself. Wickham was asked to repay some old debts, which he was unable to do and so faced a spell in prison. Instead, he wisely chose to leave the regiment and begin a new life abroad.”
“Oh…” she gasped in puzzlement, until she finally understood his meaning.
“Yes,” Mr. Darcy repeated. “He left the country a week ago. I pray that he will not do more wrongs abroad than he did in England, or his life will be at stake. Regardless, he is not my concern any longer.”
“I am so relieved to hear that… That man has caused enough damage.”
“Yes. I heard he left some debts in Meryton too. I shall take care of them… Now let us please not speak of George Wickham any longer but of more pleasant subjects.”
“I agree… How is Dr Rease? Will he travel to Brighton to look after Miss de Bourgh?”
“Probably not. Do you remember me saying that Anne owns a second house in London where nobody currently lives?”
“Yes.”
“Well, she has given it to Dr Rease and provided all the necessary funds to turn it into a hospital for poor people. Dr Rease will run the place, so he is busy renovating it.”
“How astonishing! And how kind of Miss de Bourgh!”
“Once my cousin escaped Lady Catherine’s grasp, she was ready to reveal her true character. She is kind, indeed.”
“Lady Catherine must be furious!” Elizabeth said.
“She is…she was, until I sent her a note warning her that Anne might sell Rosings and any other property whenever she pleases. Since then, Lady Catherine has remained in Kent, and no further reports have arrived from her.”
“Oh dear… So many things have happened since we last spoke… Life-changing things…” Elizabeth whispered.
“True,” Mr. Darcy replied, his voice suddenly altered.
“Miss Bennet, speaking of changes, I was thinking…I am sorry if this seems abrupt, and I assure you I expect no answer at this moment… I just wish to know…I need to know… You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are the same as they were last April, I shall not ever…”
His countenance was so troubled that Elizabeth could not control herself. She took a step forward and pressed her fingers over his lips, silencing him. His dark eyes widened, and he gazed at her, his eyes asking what his lips could not.
“My feelings have changed, as have all the other important things… They have changed so utterly and completely that they are just the opposite of what they were last April.”
She removed her hand, but he entwined her fingers with his and brought them back to his lips, placing a tender kiss on her palm. His gentle touch spread chills throughout her entire body, and her knees weakened.
“I do not expect a certain question from you this very moment, Mr. Darcy,” she managed to say quietly. “But if you care to ask, I am ready to answer you.”
“Are you? Could it be true? Am I understanding you correctly?” he asked, still incredulous. Before she had time to reply, he pulled something from his pocket with his free hand, while the other one was still holding hers.
“I had so many things to tell you, and I feared I might not find the right words, so I wrote you a letter last night… Perhaps it is not needed any longer. Perhaps I shall be able to express myself as my feelings require and as you deserve. But here it is, nevertheless.”
Elizabeth began to laugh through tears that burned her eyes. She freed her hand and opened her reticule, pulling out her own letter.
“I have one for you too… I wrote it last night for the same reason. If you would care to read it…”
“I would, most ardently,” he said. “But a little later. Now, I must ask, since you have allowed me to. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”
“I have prayed for this moment but never believed it would come, not after everything that—”
He leant closer, interrupting her, his lips almost touching hers as he asked again.
“Would you, Miss Bennet?”
“Most ardently, Mr. Darcy,” she replied, repeating his words; then their lips finally touched in a clear and eloquent understanding. They were still holding the letters, though there was not much need for them any longer.
***
Before the joyful union of Mr. Bingley and Jane, the neighbourhood of Longbourn was destined for yet further astonishment.
Elizabeth’s engagement to Mr. Darcy was the most astonishing event that Meryton had ever witnessed.
his offence at the Meryton assembly the previous autumn, their mutual dislike, Elizabeth’s joyful and witty temper, and Mr. Darcy’s proud and arrogant nature made them the most unlikely couple in the world.
And besides their personal traits, the difference in their situations in life separated them even further.
While Jane and Mr. Bingley seemed perfectly suited to each other, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy seemed, to anyone acquainted with them, to be complete opposites.
But they knew differently themselves. Long before he proposed, Elizabeth had known that Mr. Darcy was the man perfectly suited to her.
As for him, all those months of struggle had proved his love was not just ardent but also deep and strong, ready to overcome any opposition, including his own.
But all those details that made their union a blissful one remained unknown to everyone else.
When she returned from her meeting with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth waited eagerly for him to speak to her father, who granted his blessing immediately. It was then Elizabeth’s turn to inform her mother and sisters, which she did in the privacy of her room.
Mrs. Bennet listened with indifference and complete puzzlement at first, gazing at Elizabeth incredulously.
A proposal from Mr. Darcy sounded like a proposal from the Prince Regent himself, and she immediately dismissed it.
But moments later, when Elizabeth insisted and mentioned her father had already granted his blessing, Mrs. Bennet collapsed on the bed, breathless, then jumped to her feet.
Her cries of joy and disbelief shook the entire house, and she kept embracing and kissing Elizabeth, who was torn between laughter and mortification.
“Oh, my dear girl! Mr. Darcy! Who would believe it? But are you sure? Are you certain that he actually proposed? He wishes to marry you? Why would he? Oh no, do not ask him that! Engaged to Mr. Darcy? How is it possible? He is so tall and handsome and rich! I am sorry to say so, but Mr. Bingley is nothing to him, though Mr. Bingley is by far the best man who ever married a woman from Meryton!”
“I am quite sure, Mama. I believe Mr. Darcy is now with Papa and Uncle Gardiner.”
“Oh, do not let your father scare him away with his teasing! Mr. Darcy is not to be teased! Go and save him! Engaged to Mr. Darcy? That cannot be!”
Mrs. Bennet continued in the same manner for a long time, and Elizabeth only allowed her to join the gentlemen when she had calmed somewhat. Fortunately, as soon as she saw Mr. Darcy in person, Mrs. Bennet became shy, quiet, and perfectly behaved, at least for the rest of the day.
The news spread through Meryton with the speed of wildfire, shocking the entire neighbourhood, as well as the Netherfield party. For weeks, until that shocking engagement was sealed by a wedding, it was the main subject of conversation.
Georgiana Darcy was thrilled beyond measure by her brother’s engagement, embracing Elizabeth as a sister with all the affection of her gentle heart, forming a bond that promised to be heartfelt and lasting.
Mr. Bingley’s joy was doubled by the pride that he could now call his best friend — the man whom he admired the most — his brother.
Mr. Bingley’s sisters hardly said a word that day and those that followed, until they returned to London.
Mr. Bennet received a long letter from Mr. Collins, sharing the news of his expected heir, then expressing his and Lady Catherine’s disapproval of the outrageous engagement of Elizabeth to the illustrious Mr. Darcy, who they deemed to be too far above her.
Mr. Bennet joyfully shared the letter with his future son-in-law; Mr. Darcy’s embarrassment and mumbled excuses on behalf of his aunt diverted Mr. Bennet exceedingly and provided the elder gentleman with reason to tease him for quite some time.
Mr. Bingley and Jane’s wedding was as beautiful as the two of them, as everybody agreed.
And a month later, in the same church, Elizabeth Bennet became Mrs. Darcy, surrounded by her family and friends.
Mrs. Bennet threatened to faint several times, but she gathered her strength to avoid upsetting Mr. Darcy.
The ceremony was marked by quiet elegance and deep emotion, and when the couple emerged as husband and wife, the looks they exchanged spoke more eloquently than any words.
On Mr. Darcy’s side, Colonel Fitzwilliam attended the wedding, together with Georgiana.
After the ceremony, the Darcys removed to London for a fortnight, where they hoped to enjoy some privacy before settling at Pemberley. Georgiana, with thoughtful consideration, stayed with Lady Matlock and Miss de Bourgh so that the newly married couple might have the house to themselves.
On their wedding night, as they stood together in the mistress’s candlelit chamber, Mr. Darcy drew from a velvet case a set of exquisite jewels that had belonged to his mother.
“These jewels and many others are yours now, my dearest Elizabeth,” he said. “But there is something else I wish to give you — not as elegant but equally eloquent in describing my ardent love.”
Inside the box, was also a piece of paper — a letter to her, which said:
To my dearest, loveliest Elizabeth.
She touched it with trembling hands, looking at him adoringly, then from under the pillow she pulled out another piece of paper.
“And this is for you, my dearest Mr. Darcy. Written last night, the last letter produced by Elizabeth Bennet. From now on, all letters to you will come from Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.”
As on the day of their engagement, neither of them read the letters at that very moment, as they knew their contents quite well.
Instead, he blew out all the candles in the room, then returned to her, his arms closing around his beloved wife. Elizabeth closed her eyes, holding her husband tightly and allowing her ardent love to finally overwhelm her.