Chapter 41
Hurst House
The Next Day
Caroline broke the wax of the letter and spread it out to read.
Darcy House
Saturday, 21st December, 1811
Caroline and Louisa,
Darcy asked for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage yesterday and was accepted.
Sincerely,
Your brother, Charles
Caroline read it once, twice, thrice, and then lifted her head and howled, “No! No! No!!!!”
Her sister, who had been adjusting figurines on the mantle, was so startled that she dropped a ceramic eagle onto the hearth, where it shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Caroline,” she cried out, “whatever is the matter?”
“I just received a note from Charles. Oh, Louisa, Darcy is engaged to Elizabeth Bennet! It cannot be!”
***
Darcy House
Saturday, 21st December, 1811
Sir Thomas,
I had the profound honor of asking for the hand of your daughter, Elizabeth Bennet, in marriage yesterday, and she made me the happiest man in all of England by accepting me.
I intend to journey to Longbourn in the next few days to ask your permission formally, but at the advice of Mr. Gardiner, I will consult with my solicitor about the marriage settlements so that I can produce a rough draft for when we meet.
Sincerely,
Fitzwilliam Darcy
***
Saturday, 21st December, 1811
Dear Father,
You will find in this packet of mail a letter from my betrothed, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.
Yes, we are engaged. I am so happy, Father! Truly, I never imagined that there could be such a man for me.
We were engaged only yesterday, and thus have not had a great deal of time to discuss our plans, but if we purchase a license, we can easily wed at the same time as Jane and Charles Bingley. That would allow Mamma to arrange for a joint wedding breakfast.
We have spoken briefly of Emerald Island. Fitzwilliam understands that the island is set aside for astronomical work, and the protection of your scientific sanctuary will be carefully laid out in the marriage settlements.
I am so happy, Father!
With love,
Elizabeth
***
Monday, 23rd December, 1811
Dear Catherine,
Darcy visited me this morning and informed me that he is engaged to Elizabeth Bennet.
I know this will upset you profoundly. Do not come to Town, Sister. Do not.
Anne is a wealthy heiress, and will have no shortage of suitors.
Sincerely,
Jonathon, Earl of Matlock
P.S. Do not come to Town, Catherine!
***
Lucas Lodge
Christmas, 25th December, 1811
Dear Elizabeth,
I am so very happy that you are engaged to Mr. Darcy of Pemberley!
I know that Lady Catherine, and by extension, Mr. Collins, are not pleased, but from my interactions with Mr. Darcy, I am confident he is the perfect man for you.
I am aware that you find my decision to marry Mr. Collins to be a most peculiar one, but I have never been a romantic like you. I wish only for a comfortable home, and the hope of children, and in Mr. Collins, I will achieve both.
Eventually, God willing, I will be mistress of Longbourn. I will be within easy distance of Lucas Lodge, and believe I have the skills to oversee the estate well.
In any case, Mr. Collins and I will be marrying on 3rd January, and then will proceed that very day to Kent, so I likely will not see you before your marriage.
But you have my congratulations, and I hope we can continue our correspondence.
With love,
Charlotte Lucas
***
Rosings
Kent
27th December, 1811
Dear Aunt Matlock,
I know we do not know one another particularly well, but I remember, long ago, that you mentioned your willingness to host me if I wished to spend some time in London. I hope that now would be a good time for me to do exactly that.
My mother has been in a thoroughly foul mood ever since she returned from Town, and she has been worse still since the news came that my cousin Darcy is engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
I do not mind that Darcy is marrying another woman, not at all. That is part of the problem, truly, as Lady Catherine is indignant that I am not indignant.
In any case, I would very much like to get away from Rosings, and my mother, and spend a few weeks at Matlock House.
But only if it is convenient, of course.
Sincerely,
Anne de Bourgh
***
Keaton House
London
27th December, 1812
Dear Charlotte,
We will just miss you, dear friend, as we will all be returning to Hertfordshire on 4th January.
Many congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Mr. Collins does not suit me at all, but you will, without a doubt, be an excellent mistress of the parsonage at Hunsford, and eventually a marvelous overseer of Longbourn. I cannot imagine leaving the estate in better hands than yours!
I wish you all imaginable happiness, health, and children, my friend.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Bennet
***
Matlock House
30th December, 1811
Dear Niece,
Lord Matlock and Richard will arrive in two days to fetch you from Rosings. You can stay here at Matlock House for as long as you like.
With love,
Lady Matlock
***
Rosings
30th December, 1811
Darcy,
I am most seriously displeased at the news of your engagement. When I think of your dear mother – well, she must be turning in her grave!
And to think that you have chosen, instead of my dear Anne, a woman who, while a friend to the Countess of Keaton, is nonetheless the granddaughter of a solicitor. Well, it is most disturbing.
I will never forgive you!
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
***
Meryton Church
Thursday, 16th January, 1812
The small vestibule of the small Meryton church currently held a small but beautiful party within its chilly stone walls. Ribbons festooned the doors to the sanctuary, indicating the joyous event about to begin. Waiting before those closed doors were two brides and their father.
Elizabeth looked at her lovely older sister.
Jane was breathtaking, her silk gown, sky blue like her eyes, falling in graceful folds down her slender figure to the pearl-embroidered slippers peeping from beneath the hem.
An alabaster lace overdress, itself embroidered with knots of posies in pale ice blue and azure and every hue in between, cast a dreamlike haze over the soft silk.
Jane’s soft blonde hair was braided up and wrapped around her head in a glorious crown of pale wheat gold, pinned in place with more pearls.
A dainty little confection of lace and silk ribbons, trailing a delicate veil, crowned her as she deserved.
Elizabeth herself was dressed equally finely.
She too wore silk, of a soft green, and ivory lace over, with a topaz necklace around her neck, a gift from her dear Fitzwilliam as an engagement present.
The genius of the same milliner who had made Jane’s bridal hat had produced its sibling for Elizabeth, green ribbon rosettes nestled into lace and pinned in place with winking golden pins.
Elizabeth, caught in a blissful dream and in charity with all the world, had allowed Lady Bennet, beside herself with joy at the addition of the wealthy, handsome Mr. Darcy to the family, to design the green wedding dress.
Elizabeth had needed only to draw one line, at lace made from thread of gold, but had otherwise allowed her mother carte blanche, and the results were, she had to admit, nothing short of spectacular.
Elizabeth herself would have been content to marry her beloved dressed in nothing but a potato sack, but not only were her husband-to-be and Jane’s both very wealthy men, but the Bennet finances were in good order and shortly about to be even better.
Longbourn was solvent, Emerald Island was bringing in a good income, and the marriage settlements were more than generous.
Elizabeth herself had, according to convention, not been in the room with her uncles Gardiner and Phillips, her father, and Darcy, when the settlements had been finalized.
She had been perfectly content to leave the arrangements to those who loved her and wait for them to tell her what had been decided.
Sir Thomas had said merely, “Well, Lizzy, all has been settled very well, to my way of thinking,” but both her Uncle Gardiner and her dear Fitzwilliam had been more forthcoming.
Emerald Island remained in her possession, of course, and the income belonged solely to Elizabeth, with the Bennets taking second precedence, while Darcy had yielded up all claim to it.
Furthermore, he was fulfilling Lady Bennet’s shrill predictions of expansive amounts of pin money, pledging for his wife’s provision what Elizabeth thought to be rather princely sums. Bingley, likewise, though without the added complication of an estate to forgo, had provided bountifully for his bride.
In tandem with her happiness, the music beyond the door swelled. She glanced at her father, who, most unusually, was currently focusing his full attention on his family, his eyes brimming with pride and joy as they rested on his two eldest daughters.
“I am so very happy for you both,” he said huskily, and offered them each an arm. Servants inside the sanctuary swung the doors open, and the bridal party stepped through.
Friends and relations filled the pews at the front of the church, and Elizabeth took a moment, as she glided down the aisle, to look at all of them.
The Earl and Countess of Keaton were seated side by side with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, with the four small Gardiners at Longbourn awaiting the wedding breakfast. Mrs. Phillips dabbed at her eyes in the next pew, her husband beaming.
Across the aisle from them, Sir William and Lady Lucas sat with their sons and Maria, all looking very pleased for their long-time friends.
Charlotte, already quietly married to Mr. Collins, had gone on with her new husband to Kent and the charming little parsonage at Hunsford.
Elizabeth took a moment to silently wish Charlotte very happy.
Charlotte was a woman of great good sense, and had understood the depth of the foolishness of her new husband, and the autocratic personality of his patroness, very well.
Elizabeth knew that Charlotte had despaired of marrying and setting up an establishment of her own.
She had obviously considered having Mr. Collins as a husband and Lady Catherine de Bourgh as a patroness to be an acceptable price to pay to one day be mistress of Longbourn.
Elizabeth wished her entirely well, but her own heart was too full of happiness this day to spend overlong worrying about Charlotte’s potential second-guessing of her decisions.
Her eyes slid on from the Lucases back to where her own family sat, Lady Bennet glowing with joy, with Mary and Lydia and Kitty and Miss Fairchild all seated in a row down from her.
The last pew was rather crowded. Georgiana, her face bright, was seated beside Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, who was looking entirely satisfied.
Mrs. Annesley sat on his other side, acting as a buffer, with Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, and Mr. Hurst to her other side.
Elizabeth did not pay much heed to Jane’s new sisters; she was well aware of their displeasure that she was marrying Darcy, and did not care.
Her attention was now focused on the very end of the aisle, where another small party waited in the nave. Her Fitzwilliam was waiting there for her, and suddenly there was no one else in the world. Beside him, both Bingley and the rector faded away. She had eyes only for her bridegroom.
And then they were there. Elizabeth vaguely noticed her father patting her hand and Jane’s as he released them, but her eyes were fastened on Fitzwilliam as she took his arm.
She knew, in a distant and unimportant sort of way, that Sir Thomas had retreated to sit beside his wife.
Then both couples turned, radiant with happiness, to old Mr. Allen.
“Dearly beloved,” the silver-haired parson said, “we are gathered together…”