CHAPTER 27 An Express from Hertfordshire
The following evening, the party from the parsonage sat in Lady Catherine's drawing room, talking animately in small groups.
Elizabeth purposely sat beside Lady Matlock in order to gauge her reaction to the courtship and see if she harboured any resentment towards her.
But that lady remained as gracious as ever and only repeated her congratulations, stating how she knew that Elizabeth would make Darcy happy.
It was during dinner that an express rider was shown into the room and presented Mrs. Bennet with a letter. Not wishing to wait, she opened it in front of the entire company.
When Elizabeth would think about that moment days later, she realised how composed her mother had been.
And she doubted that she herself could have done a better job of hiding her acute and utter devastation.
For Mrs. Bennet only gave a gasp, looked briefly round the room and stated, “I am afraid we must leave.”
“What is it, Mamma?” asked Jane, now rising and going to their mother.
“Your father has suffered an apoplexy,” she answered, with more composure than Elizabeth had ever thought was in her, “because Lydia…has eloped.”
Mrs. Bennet strode from the room in a fit of tears and was followed by Jane, and then Elizabeth.
She went directly to the drawing room and stood at the center of it, before being guided into a chair by Jane.
Darcy followed not long after that, bearing a glass of sherry and offering it to Mrs. Bennet.
She took a tentative sip while the others followed behind him.
“We apologise for ruining your dinner, Lady Catherine…” said Elizabeth.
Lady Catherine sailed in and surprisingly sat next to her mother. “Please, Miss Elizabeth, now is not the time.” She then turned her attention to Mrs. Bennet. “Will you not share the rest of the letter with us and tell us how we may be of service?”
She looked around, still clutching the letter, and her eyes alighted on Mr. Darcy. And it was yet another source of puzzlement to Elizabeth as to why she chose that gentlemen to give the letter to.
“Please read that aloud, Mr. Darcy,” she said. “Everyone may as well hear the truth. For I am afraid it cannot be long contained.”
He nodded briefly, glanced at the letter, and began to speak. “It is from Miss Mary Bennet and addressed from Longbourn…”
Dear Mamma,
I must ask for your return to Longbourn as several dreadful things have recently happened that require your immediate presence.
It seems that Lydia has been in the habit of sneaking out and meeting with Mr. Wickham.
And today, Kitty received a note from her that she has eloped with him.
Unfortunately, Maria Lucas was with Kitty when she opened the note and now everyone in the neighbourhood is aware of it.
Colonel Forster undertook to find them and was shocked to discover that they headed for London instead of Scotland.
Papa was beside himself, and had been about to go in search of them when he was taken by a sudden apoplexy.
He now lies in his bed and has not spoken a word since.
I have tried to keep the family together as best I can, with the assistance of Aunt Philips. Our uncle has, in turn, ridden to London to request help from the Gardiners.
I am not certain what more can be done, however, because our father may not have long to live, and our family’s reputation is in ruins…
Darcy stopped abruptly and no one spoke. Elizabeth wondered briefly what he was thinking, but then she realised that there was no time for that. She needed to get Jane and her mother to Hertfordshire and nothing else mattered.
“My mother is right,” said Elizabeth, breaking the silence. “I am afraid we must leave you now.”
She went to her mother and was about to assist her to stand but was forestalled by Lady Catherine.
“I do not think your mother is in any state to leave just yet, Miss Elizabeth,” she said gently.
“Pray, allow her a moment or two while we consider the situation.” She stood up and looked quizzically at Lord Matlock who only gave her a slight nod.
She turned to Elizabeth. “I would like to offer my carriage for your trip home. My coachman will drive, and two footmen will accompany you. But I am afraid it is too dark to leave now. So you had best leave first thing in the morning.”
“I thank you for offering your carriage, Aunt,” said Darcy, “but I feel it would be more efficacious if they went in mine. For I too will be leaving tomorrow.”
Elizabeth was just trying to puzzle out the meaning of his words, when Mr. Collins suddenly spoke.
“I suppose that I too had better go with you. For who would be in a better position to offer solace at such a time than a close relative and parson? And perhaps, while there, I may also see how things stand…at Longbourn.”
He was just holding his hand out to Mrs. Bennet when Lady Catherine suddenly addressed him.
“Mr. Collins!” she cried. “Do you realise how unnecessary - nay, distressing - your presence would be in Longbourn at such a time? Pray, stay and assist your parishioners but leave the Bennets to themselves.”
Mr. Collins looked taken aback. But he only said, “Yes, of course, Lady Catherine. I apologise.”
Elizabeth gave Lady Catherine a grateful look and began to help her mother up once more.
She did not even look at Darcy, for fear of seeing the look of recrimination in his eyes which she knew must be there.
How could he feel otherwise after hearing of the calamitous downfall of her family and at the hands of his greatest enemy?
She could not bear that, on top of everything else.
He would have been better off, she thought bitterly, to have gotten engaged to Diana.
“Elizabeth.”
She turned to see that he was now standing beside her.
“Yes, Mr. Darcy?” she asked with as much dignity she could muster.
“May I speak to you for a moment?”
She turned back to her mother and noticed that Diana had now come to sit beside her after bringing her another glass of sherry.
“Go now, Elizabeth,” said Diana. “Speak to my cousin, while I sit with your mother for a while.”
Elizabeth nodded and began to walk towards the hallway, thinking that Darcy would follow her.
But instead, he took her hand and prevented her from leaving.
She turned and was suddenly enveloped in his embrace.
The whole world seemed to contract, then, leaving only the two of them.
She absently noted that Lord and Lady Matlock and Mrs. Jenkinson had quitted the room.
Taken by Darcy’s act of kindness, she found herself suddenly weeping.
She thought of her stupid, silly sister, and her dying father and wondered if the world would ever be the same again.
She knew she had to move, that there were many things she had to do between that moment and the following morning.
But for a few seconds she just stayed in his arms and allowed herself to be comforted.
He led her to a corner of the room and sat her down.
“Elizabeth,” he said, with infinite gentleness, “it is not my intention to pressure you at such a difficult time. But…” He took a deep calming breath and added, “I wish to ask you for your hand in marriage...if you will have me.”
She stared at him and began to cry even harder. He would have been well within his rights to call off their courtship, but instead he was proposing marriage. It was practically unthinkable.
“You do not have to do this,” she said. “It is not your responsibility.”
“But it is, Elizabeth,” he said more insistently. “Do you think that I could ever leave you, or allow you to leave me, without an understanding that we shall one day be together? I love you. That really is all that matters.”
Elizabeth frowned through her tears. “But how can you?”
“I just do.”
Elizabeth suddenly came to understand that she might lose her father, and Lydia and even the reputation of her family. But she knew she could not bear to lose Darcy.
And so she gave him a brief nod.
He kissed the side of her face and stood up.
“We shall leave just before daylight, and I shall accompany you as far as London. And then I shall begin my search for Wickham.”
“And I,” said Richard, “shall follow the next day and assist you.”
Darcy looked across the room where Bingley was speaking quietly with Jane.
“Bingley?”
“Yes, Darcy? Shall I also accompany you? I shall do anything that may be of service to Jane and…to her family.”
“Are you engaged to Jane?” asked Mrs. Bennet, suddenly looking up.
“I am, ma’am.”
She pressed her frilly handkerchief to her eyes - the one she often used when asking Hill to bring her salts - and said, “Thank you, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy. I apologise for the way I spoke to you not long ago. You are two very good men. Good men, indeed. And I shall be happy to call you my sons.”
Bingley smiled sorrowfully then helped her to stand, and she resumed her quiet weeping.
“Perhaps, Bingley,” said Darcy, “it would be best if you go to Hertfordshire with the ladies while I stay in London and proceed with the search. I would feel a great deal better knowing you are there with them.”
“Yes, of course,” said Bingley.
A few minutes later, Lady Catherine’s carriage arrived to take them to Hunsford. They all filed out to the front drive.
“I shall see you in the morning,” said Darcy, as he handed her in. “All will be well, Elizabeth. Trust me.”
She looked into his eyes and wondered how she ever lived before without him.
It seemed incomprehensible to her now, despite the fact that they had been engaged less than an hour.
For she had come to depend upon him, somehow feeling that, no matter what went wrong in the world, he would be there to help her through it.
She smiled at him, attempting to show him with the expression on her face, just how much she loved and appreciated him.
He returned her smile, squeezed her hand a final time, then stepped back and closed the door. The last thing she saw as the carriage drove off was Darcy, standing with Bingley at the front drive of Rosings - Richard, Anne and Diana standing at the portico behind them.