Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
M r Bingley proposed to Jane early the following morning and spoke to Mr Bennet at once. Elizabeth and Jane approached Mrs Bennet together and, after her many exclamations of glee at Jane’s engagement and knowing both her girls would soon be married, the ladies negotiated what their combined wedding would be like and when. Her mother argued she needed three or four months to properly prepare them to become wives.
“Darcy and I have waited long enough, Mama,” Elizabeth said. “We shall not wait that long.” She doubted Jane and Mr Bingley would find the delay acceptable either, but Jane would be hesitant to say so.
It was Mr Bennet who settled the matter. Darcy had arrived for breakfast while the ladies were still in Mrs Bennet’s apartment. Their discussion was interrupted by a request that they join the others for the meal. Once the Bennets, Mr Bingley, and Darcy were assembled round the table, Mr Bennet announced the new engagement and offered his congratulations to Jane and Mr Bingley.
“I understand Jane and Lizzy wish to share a wedding day. Girls, when are you to abandon your dear old Papa?”
“March,” her mother stated.
Jane gave Mr Bingley an apologetic look. Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes while reaching for Darcy’s hand under the table. She looked between her parents, and said, “Mama would like us to wait, but Darcy and I would much, much prefer to marry before the end of the year.”
“As would Miss Bennet and I,” Mr Bingley said quickly. He then chuckled awkwardly. “What I mean is that I know the ladies would be sad not to share a wedding, and Darcy and I quite like the idea, and, well…”
Mrs Bennet protested, and Elizabeth’s younger sisters all commented. Eventually, her father loudly cleared his throat and called for everyone’s attention.
“If I were not so hungry, I might find it diverting to let you continue, but I am quite desperate to eat.” To Mrs Bennet, he said, “Let our girls have their way in this. You know your brother and his wife would like to see them married, and they will be here for Christmas. Now, no more wedding talk until I am gone from the room, if you please.”
Elizabeth believed it was the shortest breakfast ever consumed at Longbourn. Mr Bennet returned to his book-room, assuring them he had no opinion on anything to do with the wedding. The rest of them spent the morning together, talking amongst themselves and receiving callers, who were all told by Mrs Bennet of Jane and Mr Bingley’s engagement and her glee that soon her two eldest daughters would be married to very rich men.
Elizabeth wished they might take a long walk, even go into Meryton, but the weather was too damp to make it wise. Instead, she and Darcy had to be satisfied with speaking quietly together and sometimes with Jane and Mr Bingley or her other sisters.
When they were able to speak alone, she said, “Five weeks. It is even better than I hoped for!”
“It seems impossible to believe.”
She longed to embrace him, but there were other people in the parlour, where they had gone to escape the loud chatting of her mother and youngest sisters. Jane and Mr Bingley sat at one side of the fire, talking softly to each other, and Mary was at the other, reading a book Darcy had brought her. Moments such as this, when she knew how much he would benefit from the comfort of being held by her, added to her desire to be wed as soon as possible.
Darcy took her hands in his and rubbed them, murmuring, “They are cold.” He gave his attention to the task, a short while later breaking the silence and looking at her, his eyes, so warm and full of affection, on hers. “I am happy, Elizabeth. You know I am, do you not?”
“I do,” she assured him. “I know we both wish some things could be different, but we shall have our happily ever after regardless. Speaking of the chief issue that adds to our discontent, he has stayed away today? And where is your cousin? He would have been welcome here.”
“Fitzwilliam went to visit with the colonel of the militia and some of the officers. Wickham announced that he and Georgiana would stay at Netherfield. I have not informed my sister that you intend to spend tomorrow with her. She would tell Wickham, and he might order her to refuse to see you or say something to make her doubt you. It would be better if you just arrive, or I shall tell her if Wickham happens to go off somewhere in the morning, as he does at times. I have no notion where, but he always ensures Georgiana has gone to her apartment first, and, I assume, tells her not to speak to me and now Fitzwilliam.”
“That poor child, for such she seems to me—a child.”
“Yet she is a married one.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“I was heartened by her willingness to speak more at the assembly,” Elizabeth said, hoping it would encourage him. “I shall attempt to draw her out tomorrow and listen without criticising her or Mr Wickham.”
“Elizabeth, Darcy, come closer to the fire,” Mr Bingley called. “Jane and I were speaking of Christmas, and we require your opinions, along with Miss Mary’s.”
“I can have nothing to add,” Mary said. “I am only here because my mother said you ought not to be left on your own.”
Elizabeth laughed. “But I think you are absolutely necessary. I may not have Christmas in mind, but I have been meaning to talk to you about next spring.” She glanced at Darcy, who nodded, knowing she intended to raise the question of Mary spending the Season with her. Mr Wickham’s ongoing presence in their lives might create complications, and she would not want to do anything that would harm her or Darcy’s connexion to Georgiana, but they could not disregard their other relations just because of the couple. Mary required diversion and would do well to see more of the world than Longbourn and Meryton.
If only Wickham would disappear! She laughed to herself. I might as well wish he had never pursued Georgiana.