Chapter XV #3
“Remember, Mama,” said Miss Elizabeth before her mother could erupt into cries of pleasure, “until Papa gives his approval, there is no engagement.”
“Oh, nonsense, child!” cried Mrs. Bennet. “You are of age and may do as you please. I am so happy! A daughter engaged to such a . . . a man as Mr. Darcy! You must stay for dinner, for I shall tell cook to prepare a stupendous meal in honor of your engagement.”
It was all Darcy could do to keep his countenance—Mrs. Bennet had traversed despair at losing her youngest daughter, to the heights of pleasure at the engagement of another. Mr. Gardiner, however, was not amused.
“No, Maggie, we must away to London. There is still the business of Lydia to handle.”
It appeared Mrs. Bennet had forgotten, for she paled. To the good fortune of them all, she nodded but did not speak.
“Mama, I shall not consider the engagement binding until Papa gives his approval,” said Miss Elizabeth. “It is a formality—Papa will never deny me what I wish. But it is important to me nonetheless.”
“Then I suppose that is how it must be,” said Mrs. Bennet, though at first she frowned, no doubt recalling the result of Mr. Collins’s proposal.
“They must depart,” said Mrs. Gardiner, giving her sister a sly look, “but that does not mean you must remain idle. The engagement exists, and only needs to be ratified by Mr. Bennet. The details must still be considered.”
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes widened, then she nodded vigorously. “How very practical of you, Madeleine dear. Yes, I shall begin planning at once.”
Again she turned to Darcy. “Do you have any preferences, Mr. Darcy?”
“I am indifferent to the trappings, Mrs. Bennet,” replied Darcy, his gaze finding Miss Elizabeth. “That I shall have your daughter for a wife is the important point—everything else matters little.”
“But you must refrain from spreading it around Meryton, Mama,” said Miss Elizabeth sternly. “Until Papa gives his approval, nothing is settled, and I will not have the matter made public before he has consented.”
“You would not wish anything to interfere with the engagement, Maggie,” said Mrs. Gardiner.
“Oh, very well,” said Mrs. Bennet, appearing annoyed at being denied something she felt was hers. “If you put it that way. But we must begin at once, Lizzy.”
“You must begin without me,” replied Miss Elizabeth. “I shall go to London with Mr. Darcy and my uncle, and before you protest, you know that someone must be there to deal with Lydia when the gentlemen find her.”
A protest rose to Mrs. Bennet’s lips, but she gave a grudging nod. “Do not stay away long, for there is much to do.”
HAVING SATISFIED MRS. Bennet for the moment, the time came for the travelers to depart.
Though she wondered if her mother would possess the self-control to keep the engagement to herself, Elizabeth knew she could do nothing about it, and opted to hope rather than make herself unhappy.
Within a few moments, the travelers who were to continue stood to make their way from the room.
There was a temporary delay as the Gardiner children, impatient to see their father, gathered around him chattering while he greeted them.
Elizabeth caught Mr. Darcy watching the scene, his expression unreadable.
Then when he caught Elizabeth’s eye, she understood at once.
Though the notion was still new, she understood what such a scene implied.
For the first time, she considered the reality that Mr. Darcy might one day be the father of her children. The notion was not at all displeasing.
“Lizzy,” whispered Jane, approaching as they readied themselves to depart. “Do not suppose you have escaped the necessity of relating the entire story to me. What you have told me is nothing compared to what I suspect happened.”
With a smile, Elizabeth grasped her sister’s hand as they made their way out to the hall and then to the carriage waiting outside.
“If you cannot restrain yourself, Aunt can explain much of what happened these past few days.”
Still unsatisfied, Jane nodded. “I shall ask Aunt to explain, but I expect you to do more than just that.”
“Then I suppose you must wait,” replied Elizabeth. “But not all is lost, for you will be distracted before long.”
“What do you mean?” asked Jane.
Elizabeth embraced her sister. “Only that Mr. Darcy was not the only man known to me in Derbyshire. Mr. Bingley departed when we came south, but he went north to take his sisters to visit family. Given how eager he was to be in your company again, it would surprise me very much if he did not arrive within ten days—more like a week, I should think.”
Jane stopped, her mouth open wide with shock. Elizabeth affected nonchalance as she embraced her sister again.
“I doubt you need to do anything but appear before Mr. Bingley—he will propose the moment he sees you.”
Elizabeth patted her sister’s cheek. “Do be gentle with him, Jane. His absence these past months was not entirely his fault. From what I could see, he is as much in love with you as he ever was.”
Then Elizabeth disengaged and stepped into the carriage, leaving Jane standing beside the drive.
Just before the carriage pulled away, Jane’s shock gave way to an expression that both promised revenge and demanded answers.
Elizabeth did nothing more than wave to her, then they turned from the drive and began the final leg of their journey to London.