Chapter 24 #2
“She must have changed, considering the ordeal she has been through, watching her husband dying slowly, day by day,” Darcy replied.
“I have great admiration for Lady Kendal—just imagine how difficult it must have been for her to helplessly witness her daughter and her grandson perish from such a terrible illness. Such strength of character is extraordinary.”
“Indeed. As soon as Lady Alveston completes her mourning, she will become one of the most desirable women in town, and she will be surrounded by plenty of suitors. I wonder if Lady Kendal will have a say in the choice of her next husband.”
Darcy glared at him and frowned with displeasure. “We should not discuss such frivolous subjects in regard to two ladies that are still in mourning. It is as impolite as it is improper.”
“Come now, Darcy, do not be so bad-tempered. We should be able to discuss anything between ourselves. And I only spoke the truth. Lady Alveston will be the centre of attention. Her wealth, her connections through Lady Kendal, as well as her beauty and wit, make her most desirable, even for men of the highest rank. Do you disagree?”
“I do not, but I am not comfortable carrying on such a conversation,” Darcy concluded, grateful and relieved to have arrived at his destination.
The colonel left and Darcy knocked on the door with a sharp grip in his heart. Yes, he was painfully aware that Elizabeth would be one of the most desirable women in London, and hearing his cousin voicing the obvious only increased the sharp jealousy that grew inside him.
The servant who opened the door welcomed him with polite familiarity, and he briefly wondered when he had last been there. He was invited into the library, where Elizabeth and Lady Kendal were talking to Mr Gardiner and their solicitor.
The first thing he noticed was Elizabeth dressed less formally than usual, wearing a grey dress and her hair caught in only a few pins. She saw him too and blushed with apparent embarrassment.
“Mr Darcy! What a pleasant surprise, sir!” Lady Kendal exclaimed. “Please come in.”
“Lady Kendal, Lady Alveston…I apologise for my impromptu visit. I shall not bother you long. I have just come to offer you my services if they are needed.”
“My dear sir, please enter and have a drink with us,” Lady Kendal insisted. “We were in the middle of a discussion. We wish to find the most efficient way to finance an orphanage in Surrey. Have I mentioned it to you?”
“Yes, you have. Does the estate have tenants at present?” Darcy enquired, taking a seat.
Soon, he was engaged in discussion, his interest entirely caught.
Lady Kendal sat near him and so did Elizabeth, providing him with the details.
He forgot that he had intended to stay only a few minutes, and time passed unnoticed, but not for an instant did he remain oblivious to Elizabeth’s closeness.
Her scent made him dizzy, and her voice startled him with every sound.
Only the second glass of brandy calmed him slightly and allowed him to express himself intelligibly and coherently, and made the warmth within him bearable until the end of his visit.
“Mr Darcy, we intend to host a dinner party soon, just for family and close friends. You and Miss Darcy are both family and friends to us, so we are counting on your presence,” Lady Kendal said.
“I would by no means refuse any request you or Lady Alveston may make. I would be delighted to accept your invitation.” So he was, more than his statement could express and more than his glances towards Elizabeth dared to reveal.
In the following week, Darcy visited Lady Kendal three more times.
Twice for the purpose of business affairs, and once together with his sister and his cousins, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne.
With them came the youngest Miss Bennets, Kitty and Mary, who had grown very close to Georgiana.
He knew such frequent visits were improper, but neither the lady—nor Elizabeth—seemed displeased.
He did feel that he could add some valuable suggestions to their new charity.
What impressed him the most in Lady Kendal—and in Elizabeth, who had learned to follow in her footsteps—was her total involvement in the causes she believed in.
She was not only providing her financial support, but she also took care of all the details to ensure the full support of those under her care and protection.
Even without his attachment to Elizabeth it would have been an honour to help with everything he could, and he felt privileged to have helped Lady Kendal.
He only worried about her reaction when she finally discovered his long-lasting relationship with Elizabeth.
She might consider it disloyalty, even a betrayal, and it could harm her affection for Elizabeth and banish him from her presence.
If that was the case, how would Elizabeth respond?
Would she fight with someone so close to her, for him?
Would she jeopardise her past and her present for their future?
Such concerns added to his previous ones, since he had still not found the right moment nor the boldness to initiate a private conversation with Elizabeth, and such a discussion might not occur until her mourning period was over. But he was prepared to wait and to act cautiously.
He would do anything for her and fight anyone for her. For them.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth was enjoying a cup of tea with Lady Kendal when Jane was announced. The moment her sister entered, Elizabeth guessed the distress she struggled to conceal, and her first fear was in regard to their parents.
“Lizzy, dearest, I have news… I just received a letter from Lydia. Apparently, Mr Wickham has some business in town and they will arrive at the end of this week. But I suspect Kitty has written to her about the theatre and Lydia wishes to join us,” Jane explained.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. “Very likely. So, I shall expect to receive a letter with the same news at any time. Mr Wickham has been quiet and obedient for too long,” she said sarcastically.
“My dear, you cannot expect a young couple like Lydia and her husband to remain secluded in the country,” Lady Kendal interjected. “We should appreciate that they have been trying to perform their duties for more than a year.”
“Lydia is still very young, but I cannot be so sympathetic to him. I know enough details about his past misdemeanours, so he has to work harder to prove that he has improved his behaviour before I change my opinion. Neither of them have worked hard in Oxfordshire, as we both know. They have been mostly forced to learn something about managing a household—and not very successfully.”
“But Lizzy, I cannot forbid Lydia to come to London. She sounded so enthusiastic and so were Kitty and Mary…and Charles agreed they could stay at our house.”
“I cannot and I do not want to forbid Lydia from coming to London either, Jane. I miss her dearly,” Elizabeth answered.
“But as much as I love Lydia, I cannot accept Mr Wickham’s company near Mr Darcy, Miss Darcy, or Colonel Fitzwilliam!
And I suspect he has no intention of being close to any of them, either. ”
“So, you mean we should not allow Mr Wickham to join us in our box at the theatre?” Jane enquired anxiously.
“Colonel Fitzwilliam would not allow him in their box and neither would Mr Darcy. And, if I was allowed to make the decision, I would not allow him in Lady Kendal’s either, unless we want to push away the entire Darcy and Fitzwilliam families,” Elizabeth declared severely.
She knew she was being selfish as her main concern was Darcy’s reaction to Wickham’s presence.
She could not find a place in her heart for complete forgiveness or generosity for the man who had shamelessly deceived her.
“Elizabeth, it is our box, not mine, and the decision, in this case, is entirely yours,” Lady Kendal assured her.
“Lizzy darling, how can I tell Mr Wickham he cannot attend the theatre?” Jane insisted. “Lydia will not easily accept such a notion!”
“You will not have to, my dear. Just send Lydia and her husband here. I wish to speak to them regardless, and I will explain the rules too.”
“Lizzy dearest, think of Lydia.”
“I am thinking of Lydia, Jane. That is why I offered them the privilege of a comfortable life with no effort from them. Very few people are so fortunate.”
Jane said nothing, only watched her sister with pleading eyes.
“Please do not look at me so reproachfully, Jane. I know I sound harsh and cruel and unkind and even worse, but my mind is set and will not change. I look forward to finding out what unexpected circumstances have brought Mr Wickham to London so suddenly.”
∞∞∞
Elizabeth’s curiosity was satisfied several days later when the couple arrived. Prior to their appearance, she took the opportunity to mention the fact to Darcy. She hoped he would be able to warn his sister and to avoid any distress to Georgiana should she find out by accident.
On his second day in town, Mr Wickham alone asked for a private conference with Elizabeth.
Surprised, she accepted, but only agreed to meet him in the presence of Lady Kendal.
It was not the fear that she could not confront Wickham, but the concern that she might become so angry with him that she would be unable to temper her resentment.
“Lady Alveston, Lady Kendal, I thank you for receiving me,” Wickham said, with a perfect bow and a smile she had once considered charming.
“I hope we shall always have reason to welcome you, Mr Wickham, since we are now family,” Elizabeth answered severely. “However, we are a little surprised that Lydia is not with you.”
“I chose to apply for a private meeting, but I assure you my wife is no stranger to my reason for doing so. However, being a business matter, I did not wish to trouble her.”