Chapter 1.11
The day after the ball, Netherfield stood empty and silent, as the entire family had left Hertfordshire. The Bingleys, the Hursts and Mr. Darcy returned to London, leaving no details about their plan to return, allowing much room for speculation and rumours for the next three weeks.
Mrs. Bennet had the satisfaction of receiving the news of Jane’s engagement to Mr. Bingley immediately after the ball. Of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bennet claimed there was nothing to discuss and forbade any debate within the family until the gentleman returned.
Mrs. Bennet listened to her husband, but she scolded her second daughter quite often, reproaching her for her arrogance in rejecting a man so tall and handsome that surely any woman would want.
In vain did Elizabeth try to explain to her that it had not been a true marriage proposal, only a conversation of principles between him and Mr. Bennet.
Mrs. Bennet accepted no explanation and promised Elizabeth she would die in poverty when they were thrown out of Longbourn — an event very likely to happen after Mr. Collins became engaged to Charlotte Lucas.
Mr. Wickham was also taken away from Meryton and very little about his fate was revealed, except that he had been discharged from the militia.
In the middle of December, the Gardiners arrived at Longbourn for Christmas, as they did every year.
Two days after that, Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield and his first visit was to Longbourn, to see his betrothed.
His sisters did not accompany him but he was not alone.
With him came Mr. Darcy — more handsome, taller and more elegant than Mrs. Bennet remembered him.
This time, Elizabeth agreed with her mother in every aspect.
Along with the two gentlemen was Miss Georgiana Darcy and her companion, Mrs. Annesley, eager to spend Christmas at Netherfield and to meet a certain lady about whom her brother spoke very highly.
Unlike her brother, who kept up his habit of staring, aloof and haughty, from the corner of the room, Miss Darcy was beautiful in the sweetest way — elegant but friendly.
Although a little timid, her smile charmed everyone immediately.
It took Mrs. Gardiner only a few minutes to reveal her connection with Pemberley and her knowledge of the Darcy family, to capture Miss Darcy and her brother’s attention and to dissipate their usual restraint.
By Christmas Eve, the residents of Longbourn and Netherfield were equally familiar with each other and with each estate. Dinners were held either at one property or the other and Mr. Bingley had established the day of his wedding to Jane for the end of February.
Mr. Collins married Charlotte Lucas and they moved to Hunsford together.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh disapproved of everything related to the Bennet family — for reasons that remained undisclosed — but her opinion was the letter of the law for Mr. Collins, so his relationship with the Bennets grew colder.
Elizabeth and Darcy spent time together every day, but rarely privately.
However, they became more and more familiar with each other’s preferences and dislikes and grew fonder of each other’s families.
While Darcy learned to bear Mrs. Bennet well enough and she toned down her admiration for him, his friendship with Mr. Bennet and with Mr. Gardiner deepened.
Elizabeth, for her part, became very close to Georgiana Darcy — who was quickly adopted by all the Bennet girls.
On one sunny, yet freezing day at the end of January, Darcy and his sister, as well as Elizabeth, Jane and Bingley took a carriage to the cottage.
They walked from the main road to the bridge and spent a little time inside.
For the others, it was a lovely place filled with memories and amusing stories; for Elizabeth and Darcy, it was the heartwarming turning point that had changed their lives and the inducement for Darcy to ask Elizabeth to remain a little behind after the others returned to the carriage.
It was the moment and the place where Mr. Darcy finally proposed to Elizabeth Bennet and was heartily accepted and where the two exchanged their first passionate kiss, for which both had been yearning for a long while.