Chapter 39
Their departure for Kent was arranged for the day after Kitty moved to Darcy House, much to Mrs Gardiner’s satisfaction, for she hoped Kitty’s presence there would make Lydia easier to endure.
Lydia’s insolence kept Kitty in a continual state of distress.
She attacked her relentlessly, blaming her for her own unhappiness, whilst Lydia answered with the impudence she wielded so well.
Everyone in the Gardiner household awaited her departure with impatience, but they were happiest of all for Kitty.
The division of the party between the carriages had proved difficult, for it was impossible to separate Kitty and Georgiana.
When Mrs Annesley, Georgiana’s companion, proposed accompanying Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mrs Cooper, leaving the girls to travel with Elizabeth and Darcy, satisfaction became complete.
In both carriages, however, such merriment prevailed that one might have imagined they were setting off upon a grand adventure rather than travelling a mere thirty miles to visit Lady Catherine.
Even Mrs Annesley, usually so reserved and respectful, was drawn into the colonel’s infectious good humour.
He attempted to enlist her as an ally to secure their marriage at least a week earlier.
Still, in a season crowded with weddings, it had become difficult to arrange their own.
“They ought at least to respect the order in which the ladies were proposed to,” he declared.
Mrs Cooper immediately hid behind her fan to conceal her blushes, for the proposal itself had in truth been rendered almost unnecessary by a night of such happiness that marriage had seemed inevitable long before the words were spoken.
Yet the proposal had come all the same, because the colonel proved unexpectedly traditional and wished their story to include every one of those cherished stages.
It had been decided that they would escort Kitty home themselves, whilst Elizabeth would remain in London until Lydia’s wedding, after which she would travel to Netherfield accompanied by Mr and Miss Darcy.
“Could I go to Netherfield as well, with Kitty and the colonel?” asked Georgiana.
Elizabeth and Darcy exchanged a glance. Wickham and Lydia were expected to pass through Netherfield, and it was not such a good idea to put Georgiana in the same house with those two. However, Darcy remained silent, suddenly relieved that certain decisions no longer rested entirely with him.
“What if Kitty remained in London until…after Lydia’s wedding?”
Georgiana looked gratefully at Elizabeth, though a slight blush soon rose to her cheeks, a sign that she had finally understood the delicacy behind the suggestion.
“But it depends upon Kitty,” Elizabeth continued, wondering whether Kitty had been more delighted by the prospect of marriage and removal to Longbourn than by the bridegroom himself.
Kitty, however, took Georgiana’s hand and whispered, “I should still like to return home.”
Georgiana attempted to conceal her disappointment behind a brave smile.
“Certainly. It is understandable.”
Yet she longed for the happiness of the past weeks to continue. She wished to be included in the preparations for the weddings and, more than anything, to belong to that large, noisy, affectionate family.
“Georgiana, let us be honest. We all wish Lydia to marry and depart for the north. Afterwards, we shall arrange our lives, our weddings, our homes, and you will be a part of all this. Do not forget, you have four sisters now. And you have not yet properly come to know Mary.”
Darcy looked at Elizabeth with gratitude. If Kitty married, it was unlikely that the friendship Georgiana imagined could continue exactly as before. But their lives were changing so greatly that his sister would undoubtedly find a place where she could be far happier than she had ever been.
“Did you tell Lady Catherine who is coming with you and the colonel?” asked Elizabeth, changing the subject.
He saw at once the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. His future wife had some small wicked design behind the organisation of this excursion, and when she met his gaze, she made no effort to conceal it. On the contrary, she faced him with a smile that challenged him to discover it.
Day by day, Darcy discovered new things about Elizabeth.
He knew the responsible young lady who would defend her family under any circumstances, the generous woman who thought of everyone around her, and the spirited lady who met every challenge with intelligence and occasional sarcasm.
He remembered her arriving at Netherfield, wonderfully flushed, her hem covered in mud and entirely indifferent to the opinions of others.
Yet only now was he discovering how completely happy she could be and how naturally she shared that happiness with everyone around her.
This woman, who also loved him, he was only beginning to know.
He would gladly have taken her into his arms. Indeed, scarcely a moment passed without his wishing to be close to her, alone with her. During those days, any presence between them felt, at the very least, an annoyance.
“Well?” Elizabeth interrupted his reverie. “Did you tell her?”
“I told her how many of us there would be, so she could prepare the necessary rooms. Was I also required to inform her that you were coming and that Miss Elizabeth Bennet happened to be my fiancée?” he asked, determined to discover what she was plotting.
“No, that was quite sufficient.”
“And yet, why are we going to Kent?”
Elizabeth smiled but offered no answer.
“Can it be that Miss Elizabeth intends to torment my elderly aunt with her betrothal, knowing well that the lady in question wanted a marriage between her nephew and her daughter?”
Kitty and Georgiana abandoned their whispering, for the conversation between Elizabeth and Darcy had become far more entertaining.
“Does your elderly aunt, as you call her, that is Lady Catherine as I know her, not deserve to see your betrothed in person?”
“And for you to see her face when she learns that you are engaged to me.”
“My dear Mr Darcy, what a dreadful opinion you have of me,” she exclaimed, though she laughed at the same time, almost as if she were pleased that he had discovered her intentions. “I do not know whether I can marry a gentleman who thinks such things of me.”
“That is something you ought to have considered before accepting me.”
“Mr Darcy, I accepted your sister.”
“Oh!” cried Georgiana in alarm.
But the other three immediately burst into laughter, and Kitty placed a hand over Georgiana’s, which rested quietly in her lap.
“Do not be alarmed. These are their games.”
“Their games?” Georgiana looked thoroughly bewildered.
“Yes, the games of people who…”
“Who?” asked Georgiana impatiently.
“Who love one another,” completed Elizabeth the sentence.
Kitty’s blush made Elizabeth suddenly wonder whether Kitty truly loved James, and whether such games were not entirely unfamiliar to her.
“You love James,” she said, serious once more, leaving both Darcy siblings rather uncomfortable, for they were not accustomed to discussing such matters openly and in company.
“Yes,” replied Kitty, her sincerity evident, while Elizabeth decided that the two of them would marry, regardless of whatever plans Sir William might possess.
∞∞∞
“Lady Catherine is in the drawing room with several friends and Mr Collins,” the butler announced, and Elizabeth could not help smiling.
“Lady Catherine, I have the honour to announce my engagement to Miss Bennet,” said Darcy as he entered with Elizabeth upon his arm.
In the complete silence that followed, Lady Catherine gave a most alarming sigh and carried a hand to her heart, whilst everyone else present, in greater or lesser degree, failed to conceal their astonishment, dismay, or even indignation, as in the case of Mr Collins.
Then Colonel Fitzwilliam entered and made the same announcement. However, it was unclear whether Lady Catherine understood anything after the first declaration, whilst Georgiana and Kitty passed entirely unnoticed.
The new arrivals stopped before her armchair whilst Anne de Bourgh, Lord and Lady Metcalfe, the Miss Webbs, and Mrs Jenkinson, Anne’s companion, rose to congratulate the two couples.
The only person who did not move towards them was Mr Collins, who remained standing beside Lady Catherine’s chair as though defending her, casting curious and angry glances towards Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.
“An engagement?” said Lady Catherine at last, in such a voice that everyone turned towards her, anticipating a furious scene.
“There can be no engagement. You have a duty. You and Anne were destined to marry from the moment you were born. Lady Anne and I determined it ourselves. I trust Miss Elizabeth understands that.”
Elizabeth, whose only intention had been to amuse herself, suddenly wondered whether she had made a mistake in coming to Kent. But, unexpectedly, Darcy and the colonel laughed so heartily that several of the guests smiled despite themselves.
“Lady Catherine,” said the colonel cheerfully, inviting everyone to sit down, “those are old family stories long since forgotten.”
“Forgotten? What are you talking about? Covenants are not forgotten. They are sacred!”
“Lady Catherine, there was no covenant involved,” continued the colonel in the same detached tone, “one cannot betroth two infants. Besides, Lady Anne desired nothing but Darcy’s happiness, and his happiness is next to Miss Elizabeth.”
“Happiness?” stammered Lady Catherine, so indignant that her face turned almost violet and she did not find her words in her usual fashion.
“Happiness is very important to the younger generation, and I entirely approve,” declared Lady Metcalfe.