Chapter 23
After some discussion, interspersed with a few more kisses and caresses, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy settled on Mr. Darcy asking Mr. Bennet’s permission shortly after Elizabeth and Jane went home. Until then, they would keep their understanding quiet.
Their plan did not work in the slightest.
Somehow, when they walked into the drawing room together, Jane, Mr. Bingley, and Miss Bingley all seemed to immediately comprehend that something momentous had taken place.
Jane greeted them with a knowing smile. Miss Bingley responded with a grimace just before sweeping out of the room. Mr. Bingley looked thoughtfully back and forth from Elizabeth to Jane.
After only a few moments, Mr. Bingley turned to Jane and said, “I don’t believe you have had the opportunity to visit any of the other rooms on the main floor. Shall I give you a short tour?”
Elizabeth was nearly certain that he simply wanted some time to talk to Jane alone, but she was also concerned that Jane might catch a chill from the rooms which were not heated.
“Perhaps, you should limit your tour to the library for now,” she said. “Since it is already warm, there would be no risk to Jane’s recovery.”
Mr. Bingley looked suddenly abashed that he had completely forgotten Jane’s recent illness. Elizabeth didn’t know whether to be exasperated with him or to be pleased that he was so happy with her presence that he had forgotten why she was there in the first place.
Jane smoothed it all over by saying, “I would love to see the library, if you don’t mind.” She stood and picked up her shawl from nearby. It had not been necessary while she was so close to the fire, but she would want it out in the chilly hallway.
“Of course,” said Mr. Bingley. He gently pulled the shawl from her hands and wrapped it around her shoulders.
As the two of them left the room, Mr. Darcy bent down and said softly in Elizabeth’s ear, “Perhaps Bingley and I will both be visiting your father this afternoon.”
“I do hope so,” said Elizabeth. “Jane deserves every ounce of happiness that life can give her.”
“As do you, my dear Elizabeth,” he said.
Less than two hours later, Mrs. Bennet was squealing in high delight that she would have three daughters married by the end of the year.
~~~~~
Elizabeth had hoped to have some time after dinner to speak with Mary, to learn more of the details of her engagement and her future plans, but before she could, she was approached by Kitty.
“Lizzy, can I ask you a few questions?”
Kitty seemed uncharacteristically serious, and Elizabeth truly wished to encourage such a thing, so she said, “Of course.”
The two sisters sat on the sofa while the rest of the family gathered around a table to play cards.
“I wanted to know why you are marrying Mr. Darcy when everyone knows he is such a proud, disagreeable sort of man. I thought perhaps it was because of his wealth, but you have so much already. Why would you throw your life away for more?”
Elizabeth sighed. She was likely to encounter this sort of question more than she would like. Even those who did not voice the question aloud would be thinking it.
“Mr. Darcy is not particularly sociable,” she said.
“I can freely admit that. However, when he is speaking with just one person, especially one he is comfortable with, he is quite pleasant. He is surprisingly knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, which gives us much to talk about. Additionally, it is quite admirable how well he watches over and protects those he cares for.”
“Do you think he loves you?” asked Kitty. “In addition to being worried about your feelings for him, I also feared that he is only marrying you for your money.”
Elizabeth chuckled briefly. “Have no fear, Kitty. I am quite certain he loves me. In fact, I am more certain of that than of my own feelings.”
“You mean you don’t know if you love him?” asked Kitty. “Why did you accept him, then?”
“I do love him,” said Elizabeth, “though I only realized it just before he proposed, so it hasn’t had enough time to truly sink in. However, I have been certain of Mr. Darcy’s feelings for two days now.”
A few moments passed as Kitty seemed to think over what Elizabeth said. Then she asked, “How can I get someone to fall in love with me the way Mr. Darcy did with you or the way Mr. Bingley did with Jane.”
“Is there someone in particular whose attention you wish for?” asked Elizabeth.
“Not really,” said Kitty. “It is only that you, Jane, and Mary all seem so incredibly happy. I just want to know if it’s even possible that I will feel that way someday.”
Elizabeth wanted to cheer her sister up, but she did not wish to be untruthful, nor did she wish to encourage too much flirting in an effort to attract attention.
“I cannot promise that you will ever have such a thing,” she said. When Kitty’s expression immediately fell, Elizabeth hastened to add, “however, there are some things you can do to make it more likely.”
A little bit of hope returned to Kitty’s eyes, though she still seemed downhearted.
Elizabeth said, “First, you need to understand that, while a man’s affections can sometimes be secured by a pretty face or figure, very few gentlemen choose who to marry based solely on such features.
Gentlemen, at least those who can afford to give you a comfortable life, wish for a wife who is pleasant to be around and who can make his home a haven of peace and happiness. ”
“But I am pleasant to be around,” said Kitty defensively. “Lydia always demands my company, and we have many friends in the neighborhood. How could that be, if I wasn’t pleasant company.”
“Ah, but what is pleasant to a young lady isn’t always pleasant to a young man,” said Elizabeth. “Think about Jane’s manners as opposed to Lydia’s manners. You must admit that Lydia is far better at gaining attention. However, it is Jane who is the one who is getting married.”
“Are you saying I should learn to act like Jane?” asked Kitty.
“Not at all,” said Elizabeth. “That would be impossible to maintain. You should act like Kitty, the sweet, adorable, supportive sister I know you can be. I would only caution you against trying to imitate Lydia. Her boisterous, overly flirtatious manner will not do her any good in the long run, and it may cause her great harm.”
Kitty looked thoughtful, though her frown gradually returned. Elizabeth wondered if perhaps she had been too critical.
“Kitty,” she said gently. “You will never truly improve while trying to imitate someone else, no matter who they are. Do your best to improve those qualities in you that are most pleasant and to reduce those qualities that are least pleasant. By doing so, you will gradually become the best version of yourself.”
“But I don’t know what my good qualities are,” cried Kitty, loud enough to attract attention from the card players. Fortunately, they turned back to their cards quickly, and Kitty added, “I don’t know what my bad qualities are either.”
“Do you want to know?” asked Elizabeth. “I only ask, because any time either Jane or I have tried to tell you before, you have ignored us.”
Kitty’s expression quickly shifted from sullen frustration to surprise to guilt. “I’m sorry, Lizzy. I thought you were only trying to take away my fun.”
“I would never deliberately do such a thing,” said Elizabeth. “Nor would Jane. We were trying to give you advice to help you improve yourself, so that your manners can show to the world that you are as kind and loyal as I know you to be.”
“Very well, then,” said Kitty, her expression firm and resolved. “I can’t change everything at once, so just tell me one thing I can work on. Just one.”
“You should reduce the amount of complaining you do,” said Elizabeth. “While it is important to tell others when there is a genuine problem, endlessly complaining about things that can’t be changed does no one any good.”
“I suppose I do complain a great deal,” said Kitty. “It is just that there is so seldom anything else to talk about.” She paused and put a hand up to her mouth. “I just did it again, didn’t I?”
Elizabeth smiled. “You did, but I am extremely pleased to see that you noticed it yourself. As for finding things to talk about, it would help if you read more, especially the newspaper, since it provides something new to talk about every single day.”
“But it’s so boring!” said Kitty.
Elizabeth just gave her a meaningful look.
“I did it again, didn’t I?” said Kitty. “This may be more difficult than I expected.”
“Keep trying,” said Elizabeth. “You won’t be perfect right away, but the fact that you are trying is simply wonderful to see.”
“Thank you, Lizzy,” said Kitty as she gave her a hug. Then she looked concerned once again. “Are you certain you can be happy with Mr. Darcy?” she asked.
“I am quite certain,” said Elizabeth. “I feel more at home with him already than I do with almost anyone else in the world. He is a very good man, and I am very much looking forward to marrying him.”
“If you are certain, then I will be happy for you,” said Kitty.
Elizabeth expected Kitty to get up and join the rest of the family, but she still sat there twisting her hands in nervousness.
“Is there something else you wish to discuss?” asked Elizabeth.
“Um, well, I hope you won’t take this as selfish,” said Kitty, “but I just wanted to know. Since you will be getting married soon, will you still arrange for us to go to London as you promised?”
Elizabeth chuckled. “The house will be available, and the money will be available. As for whether Papa will consent to go after all the changes that are taking place, only he can say. However, I will do what I can to ensure he keeps his promise.”
Kitty’s face lit up with a smile and she said, “Thank you so much, Lizzy! Thank you!”
With that, Kitty went to join the rest of the family at the card table. Elizabeth simply watched them and pondered her own thoughts for quite some time.
~~~~~
Mary and Jane shared a wedding date in the middle of December, but Elizabeth’s wedding was delayed until the end of the month due to the complexities of creating a suitable marriage contract regarding her vast and complex wealth.
The six weeks which passed between her engagement and her wedding were both beautiful and very trying for Elizabeth.
During that time, she learned how very flirtatious and affectionate Mr. Darcy could be, but such lessons created even more impatience for her wedding day.
Still, each meeting, each small kiss, each meaningful look, and each thoughtful gift he gave her showed her a little more of what her life would be like after their wedding.
After Jane and Mary were married and had departed on their wedding journeys, the wait became even more intolerable. Kitty was genuinely trying to become more sensible, but she was still young, and there was little the two sisters had in common.
Elizabeth’s focus was almost entirely on those times when she was in Mr. Darcy’s company. The rest of her time was spent preparing for her wedding and for her new life which would follow.
Finally, the day came. She stood at the altar and promised to love him and remain faithful to him for all her days, and he promised her the same.
The wedding breakfast which followed was a blur of conversations that didn’t matter and congratulations which were superfluous to her happiness. Still, she did her best to be kind and attentive, since it was the last time she would see many of these people.
When the newlywedded couple finally left Longbourn in Mr. Darcy’s carriage, heading for Netherfield, where they would spend the first two nights of their marriage, they both sighed in relief. Then, upon hearing the other do the same, they looked at each other and laughed.
Mr. Darcy pulled Elizabeth onto his lap, and she went willingly. He then kissed her. This kiss bore little resemblance to the gentle and occasional kisses they had shared over the last six weeks. This one was possessive and full of fire.
Eventually, he pulled away, but he still said nothing. He simply stared at her.
His expression was like nothing Elizabeth knew, and without thinking, she said, “I wish I knew what you were thinking.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up, and his eyes twinkled, though they didn’t lose the fire that was there due to their kiss. Altogether, it gave him a rather mischievous look.
“I can tell you, if you like,” he said. “They are thoughts not suitable for a maiden’s ears, but you will not be a maiden much longer. However, if it would make you uncomfortable, it can certainly wait.”
“As you say, I will not be a maiden much longer,” said Elizabeth, though she was rather nervous to say so aloud. “I truly would like to know your thoughts, since you are always so difficult to read.”
He then told her what he was thinking in enough detail that the conversation lasted until they reached Netherfield.
Elizabeth’s mind was opened to an entirely new world in those few minutes.
She realized that it was, in truth, a very good thing that Jeanie had not allowed Elizabeth to hear all of Mr. Darcy’s thoughts.
Ideas such as those she was now exposed to would have frightened her away early in their acquaintance.
Now, however, though new and a little strange, they were entirely appealing.
~~~~~
As the years passed, Elizabeth frequently repeated her wish to her husband that she knew what he was thinking. Gradually, she forgot that there was any significance to the request. She forgot that she had ever been able to hear his thoughts at all.
She learned that sometimes he was thinking something specific. If he was, he would share his thoughts with her, no matter what those thoughts were. Quite often, however, he wasn’t truly thinking anything at all. Elizabeth learned that his mind simply was not as busy as hers.
She came to realize that it was this quality, his ability to rest his mind, that she had always found so comforting and relaxing.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy shared many long years together, most of them very happy indeed. Through it all, Elizabeth never lost the feeling that, no matter where they were or what they were doing, Mr. Darcy’s side was always where she felt most at home.