CHAPTER 44 Ceremony and Honeymoon #2
Elizabeth chuckled. “He must have been surprised at your sudden resolve.”
“He was taken aback, I assure you.”
Elizabeth could just imagine her uncle’s surprise at having Jane speak to him in that manner. “And how was your journey to Kent?” she asked at length.
“Honestly, Lizzy, I was so worried about you that I barely paid any attention to Mr. Bingley. I looked out the window, mostly, not really knowing what to say to him.” Jane smiled.
“But he remained kind throughout, not even calling attention to the fact I never spoke.
I suppose he could tell how worried I was.
He reminded me of how strong you were and how you had walked three miles to Netherfield just to care for me.
And it made sense that I would now be able to care for you and eventually see you better.
“At some point, not wishing to appear rude, I inquired after his sisters and Mr. Darcy. He told me that his sisters were well but that he had not seen Darcy in over a month, as he and Miss Darcy had spent most of the winter at Pemberley. It was then that I knew Caroline had lied to me, that Charles was never interested in Mr. Darcy’s sister.
And it was a shock to discover that Caroline was actually not the friend I’d thought her to be.
I told him that I called on his sisters and he said he never even knew I was in town.
He was mortified and apologised on behalf of them. ”
Both were silent for a while.
Eventually Elizabeth said, “Are you pleased that Bingley has finally cut all ties with Caroline?”
“No, not really. It makes me sad that Charles had to choose between his family and ours. It would have been nice to have a sister like Georgie…instead of Caroline.”
Elizabeth smiled sympathetically. “But Georgie will now also be your sister.”
“Yes, I suppose she will.”
“And, given how cruel Caroline was when we last saw her at Rosings, do you not think it is better not to see her again?”
Jane looked at her in understanding, then said, “I suppose it is the best way to look at it.”
They were interrupted by the entrance of the gentlemen who each immediately went to his wife.
“So what were you ladies discussing?” asked Bingley, sitting beside Jane. “You seemed quite enthralled over it.”
Elizabeth stayed silent, not wishing to embarrass Jane, but Jane appeared to have no such qualms and answered, “We were speaking of how kind it was of you to bring me to Lizzy last spring.”
Bingley appeared to think about this for a moment and then frowned. “I never even knew until that evening that you were in London. Otherwise I would have called much sooner.”
“Yes, I know,” said Jane with a smile, “for you informed me of it several times that evening.” She turned to Darcy. “However, I do wonder how you came to know of my feelings…for Mr. Bingley.”
“Oh! Ahh…it was Elizabeth who told me.”
“I apologise, Jane,” said Elizabeth, “I was so angry when I found out about his interference that I accused him of separating my sister from the man she loved.”
Jane gasped. “But what if Mr. Bingley did not care for me, Lizzy? It would have been quite mortifying if he came to find out about it.”
“But I did love you,” said Bingley with a grin, “so you need not feel mortified.”
“Besides,” said Elizabeth, “I told Darcy about it, not Bingley.”
“True,” said Jane with a chuckle, “but he told Bingley about it anyway.”
“Yes, I suppose I did,” said Darcy. He grinned. “But, though your separation was my fault, at least I also provided the remedy…despite the fact that it was a little risky.”
Eventually Jane said, “All in all, I believe we each have something which we would have liked to do differently. However, as we are all happy - now - shall we not simply dwell on that?”
“You are right, dearest,” said Bingley, “let us simply dwell on our happiness.” He looked pointedly at Jane and added, “With that in mind, shall we retire now?”
Jane blushed but only nodded. Bingley assisted her to stand, then the pair walked out of the room together.
“Shall we too retire for the night?” asked Elizabeth, turning to Darcy with a smile.
“We could,” he said, walking to the window and looking out. “But I confess, I do not wish for this day to end just yet. Would you care to take a stroll in the rose garden? There is a full moon, you see.”
Elizabeth stood up and joined him at the window. She looked up at the cloudless sky and saw that there was, indeed, a full moon hanging just over the wooded hills. “Yes, I think it a brilliant idea.”
A quarter hour later, clad in her warmest cloak, Elizabeth walked arm in arm with Darcy through the rose gardens at Pemberley.
The night was cool, but there was no wind.
Thus they felt quite comfortable as they walked along, staring at the eerily beautiful blooms on which dew had already begun to form.
The petals glowed in the moonlight, creating a symphony of colours that was almost magical in its beauty.
They paused in the midst of it and looked around.
“I am so happy to be here,” she said with no little amount of wonder. She touched a fingertip to one of the roses then bent down to sniff its scent.
When she looked up again, Elizabeth noticed that he was looking at her with an expression of...
"I adore you," he said suddenly, breaking into her thoughts.
She stared into his face and wondered what she had ever done to deserve such love. Perhaps it would always be a mystery.
Elizabeth gave him a tender smile then ran a finger across his lips. "Kiss me, then."
The two weeks of their honeymoon passed quickly.
Soon the Bennets, Philipses and Gardiners returned to Pemberley and spent another few weeks there.
They played games on the lawn and had picnics by the lake, when the weather was fine.
Mrs. Bennet’s spirits became lighter and everyone seemed to breathe a little easier.
Mary and Georgie played duets in the evenings and Mrs. Bennet began to spend more time in the library, “In honour of your father,” she would tell them.
But she herself had developed a love of books, albeit mostly romance novels.
And they often found her there, cup of chocolate by her side, sitting by the fire and completely engrossed by what she was reading.
“The library at Purvis Lodge does not have many books in it,” commented Darcy to Elizabeth one day. “Shall we go into Lambton and buy some for your mother and sisters?”
Elizabeth was again taken aback by his thoughtfulness but, knowing how little he liked to be thanked, only said, “Yes, let us go into Lambton today in the phaeton, and buy books for my mother.”
He gave her a wide smile and they went into the village that very afternoon, enjoying themselves immensely as they selected books for Mrs. Bennet.
Eventually the Bingleys went on to Scarborough to visit some of Bingley’s relations in the area, while the others returned to their respective homes in the south. Mary stayed at Pemberley and eventually caught the eye of the vicar from Kympton and became engaged to him.
The following winter, Georgie had her come out and was immediately approached by Sir Edward Pennington who had never forgotten her from the time he heard her playing the instrument at the Matlock’s.
He courted her, proposed a few months later, and was accepted.
Diana Fitzwilliam eventually met a naval sea captain and married him.
And Kitty, who continued to live at Purvis Lodge, became engaged to Sir William Lucas’s eldest son.