Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Darcy glanced back towards Elizabeth and saw that she was being embraced by Georgiana. “Oh, Elizabeth, I am so sorry that you had to face such abuse on your very first day at Darcy House. This was not how we had hoped to welcome you to your new home.”
Darcy’s lips tightened as he heard his sister make the apology he should have been making to Elizabeth.
I shall do so as soon as I discover what Richard and Aunt Susan are hiding from me. He turned to his cousin and asked abruptly, “So, who was the woman with you at Gardiners’ warehouse?”
Colonel Fitzwilliam decided it was best to pretend ignorance. “Gardiners’ warehouse? I am not sure what you are…”
Darcy interrupted him grimly. “I believe you also heard Elizabeth seek Georgie’s confirmation about the soldier in the warehouse. I could have easily asked Georgie to tell me the truth, and you know she would have, but I do not want to go down that path, so…”
Colonel Fitzwilliam sighed, realising that dissembling was no longer an option. “Mother and I went to the warehouse on that particular day.”
“May I ask what the purpose of your visit was, and why the secrecy?”
“Well, you as good as forbade Mother from contacting your intended in your absence! So… this was the only way she could get a glimpse of the future Mrs Darcy before you wed without openly defying you.”
“But what was the need? I told her I would bring Elizabeth to see her and my uncle at the first possible opportunity,” Darcy protested irritably.
“She was concerned for you, for heaven’s sake! Truth be told, so was I. Can you not see how out of character you have behaved in this matter? Although I would not have dreamt of interfering had Mother not pressed me. So, if you have any further queries, you will have to speak to her.”
Darcy knew in his heart that his aunt and cousin had acted to safeguard his interests, yet a sense of ill-usage and betrayal persisted. After all, he had trusted his aunt enough to tell her the whole truth behind his sudden marriage to Elizabeth.
“I believe I will do just that,” he said stiffly. “I would have accompanied you now if it had not been more important for me to apologise to my wife for the fracas Aunt Catherine created. Could you please tell your mother from me that I will call on her tomorrow morning?”
“As you wish, Darcy,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said as he took his leave of his cousin.
It will be an interesting conversation tomorrow, and I would not miss it for the world, he reflected with a sudden spurt of amusement. His mother and Darcy were both strong-willed, stubborn individuals, but if he had to wager on who would win tomorrow’s argument, he would put his money on his mother every time.
Life has certainly become more entertaining ever since Darcy announced his intention to marry. He smiled as he recalled Elizabeth Darcy’s sally to his aunt. It is difficult to really blame Darcy for ignoring the ton’s eligibility criteria while choosing his wife. His grin widened at the thought.
∞∞∞
“Where are Miss Darcy and Mrs Darcy?” Darcy enquired of the footman in the hallway once he had bid farewell to his cousin.
“They are in Lady Anne’s parlour, Mr Darcy.”
Darcy nodded his thanks and made his way to the parlour, which had been his mother’s favourite and was still referred to as hers by the staff.
He saw his wife and sister sitting side by side on a sofa and talking. They were speaking very softly, and he could not distinctly hear anything from where he was standing at the entrance of the parlour.
“Would you like to go to your chamber and refresh yourself?” he asked Elizabeth, who rose from her seat with a grateful nod.
“Oh, how remiss of me! I apologise, Elizabeth; I totally forgot to offer even the most basic courtesy. All the unpleasantness with Aunt Catherine seems to have made me forget my manners!” Georgiana exclaimed, looking mortified.
“There is no need to apologise, Georgie. If I had needed to, I could have easily asked you myself.”
Darcy approached Elizabeth. “Is your foot in any pain after the journey? I believe I should carry you…” he began worriedly, only to be interrupted by his wife.
“Mr Darcy, I feel perfectly fine. All I need right now is for you to offer me your arm and escort me to this chamber that you mentioned.”
Darcy offered her his arm with alacrity, even as Georgiana enquired in concern, “What is the matter with your foot?”
“I had sprained my foot a few weeks ago. I thought it had healed, but in Great Amwell, I discovered that the appendage is not yet ready for me to begin climbing hills and mountains. But please, do not worry; Mrs Higgins prepared a very effective medicine, and I now feel much recovered.”
“Oh, I am very glad to know that. Between them, Mrs Reynolds and Mrs Higgins ensure that we call the apothecary only if one of us is suffering from some serious malady.”
“I can very well believe it.”
“We will be back in a while, Georgie,” Darcy said in the lull in the conversation.
Georgiana nodded at her brother. “I will call for some tea and refreshments for you. I can get them sent up to your chamber if you would prefer that.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “What I would prefer is to have my tea with you here in this very charming room,” she averred with a smile, and received a pleased one in return.
∞∞∞
“Elizabeth?” Darcy began as soon as they started ascending the stairs.
“Hmm?”
“I-I would like to apologise for…”
“For what? For standing up to your aunt or for standing up for your wife?”
Darcy glanced sideways at her and was astonished to observe the faint smile that graced her lips. And here he had been worried that, despite her courageous handling of the situation, she would be distressed by all the ugliness his aunt had spouted.
His wife seemed to have handled the unpleasantness far better than he had, because he could not keep his rage and annoyance at his aunt”s antics from spilling out.
“For being unable to prevent my aunt from ruining your homecoming to Darcy House! This is not how I had hoped to welcome you here!”
“To be honest, sir, even I had not imagined that my arrival at my new home would be accompanied by such… ahem… contretemps. While I did not want unpleasantness to mar my first steps into Darcy House, I hope you would not think me an unnatural sort of female when I confess that I am rather glad at how things turned out.”
“G… glad?” Darcy’s jaw dropped open in astonishment.
“Yes, glad.” Elizabeth could not help but smile at his befuddled expression.
“Before you start thinking that I am not quite right in the head, let me explain why. I would not have admitted it in ordinary circumstances, but after what took place just now, I can confess that I came to London with some trepidation.”
She noticed the troubled look he gave her and pressed his arm comfortingly. “This was despite how welcome you, Georgie, and the colonel have made me feel. I was disturbed by the notion that Lady Catherine despised our marriage so much that you were actually afraid of her retaliation. But more importantly, I was concerned that the earl, whom you hold in such high regard, was also unhappy with your decision to wed me. I do not want you to endure your uncle’s disapprobation just because you have been a gentleman in every sense of the word.”
“Oh, but…” Darcy began to protest even as he brought them to a halt in front of a closed door.
Elizabeth interrupted him with a gentle shake of her head. “But… Lady Catherine’s unpleasant actions have had some very beneficial consequences.”
She grinned at her husband’s expression and continued, “For one thing, they inadvertently provided me with an opportunity to… uh… break the ice with Lord Matlock. From what I could hear, he is no longer upset with you for marrying me.”
“Hmm. He did convey his approval of our marriage quite ungrudgingly just now.”
“Exactly. I was also gratified to discover that, with the exception of Lady Catherine, for obvious reasons, my new family, contrary to my fears, is very willing to accept me in its folds. Finally, the way the events unfolded made me realise that I am capable ofovercoming my fears and… and standing up for myself. Oh, I know that this was family and… except for Lady Catherine, everyone else was sympathetic to me… but…”
“But you were magnificent,” Darcy murmured. He lifted her hand to plant a soft kiss on her palm. When his lips brushed over it, he was as fascinated by the tremor in her hand as he was by the realisation that he was getting increasingly attuned to her in a manner he had not imagined possible.
He cleared his throat to remove a sudden constriction. “This, Mrs Darcy, is your chamber,” he said as he pushed open the door in front of them and led her inside a luxurious room decorated in soothing shades of teal and cream.
Elizabeth took a moment to take in her surroundings before saying, “It is lovely like everything else I have seen in Darcy House, but more importantly it has an aura that is warm and welcoming.” She smiled, even as she pondered how Mrs Higgins had found the time to arrange for the delightful pink and cream roses that adorned both tables in the room.
“I am glad you think so, Elizabeth, and although you almost had me convinced that Lady Catherine did us a favour by coming here and abusing us.…” He paused for effect and was pleased when she obliged him by letting out a chuckle. “However, I could not help but wish that I had welcomed you to your home and this chamber under more conducive circumstances. I am sorry I could not prevent my aunt’s offensive outburst,” he added wistfully.
“Mr Darcy, in the last month I have come to know something about you that, I must confess, bothers me greatly.”
Darcy’s brow furrowed. “And what is that, if I may enquire?”
“It is this very foolish tendency of yours to assume responsibility for things that have nothing to do with you and are beyond your control.” She shook her head at him ruefully. “I do wish you would remember that you are responsible only for your actions and not those of others, including your aunt. You did everything you could to avoid any unpleasantness, but Lady Catherine was determined to force a confrontation. Pray tell me how you could have prevented her outburst save by physically restraining her.”
Darcy could not help but smile at the comical expression on her face, even as he was struck by Elizabeth’s declaration that he was accountable only for his conduct. He had been more than eager to judge her for the faults of others, even if they were her family. I shall thank the good Lord every day of my life that I saw her worth early enough not to allow society’s probable disapprobation to lead me astray.
“I suppose you are right, Elizabeth, but I am human enough to wish your homecoming had happened differently. Frankly, had it not been for Anne, I would have been very tempted to cut my ties with my aunt for what she did today.”
“Well, I am rather glad that you did not. I would not want that on my conscience. I assure you that I would quite easily manage to tolerate Lady Catherine for a greater cause.” Elizabeth paused to give him a wry smile before continuing, “And I can do nothing else when you have been tolerating my mother and younger sisters with utmost patience ever since we became engaged.”
Darcy flushed. “Lydia and Catherine are now my sisters… and… there is no question of tolerating them. I hope you would not take it amiss if occasionally I try to correct them as an elder brother would.”
“Well, why would I? As you said, you are now their brother.” Elizabeth gave him a pleased smile. “But... what about Mama?” Some imp of mischief prompted her to ask.
Darcy’s expression immediately became stern. “I would have more than tolerated her if it was only the happiness of this odious man that did not concern her. However, I find that I cannot forgive her for the callous way she was willing to sacrifice you and your happiness at the altar of your family without even a twinge of remorse,” he said grimly.
On observing that she looked rather dazed at his pronouncement, he caught hold of her hand and said remorsefully, “Forgive me, Elizabeth; I did not mean to distress you.”
“I… I am not distressed,” Elizabeth muttered, quite incapable and unwilling to give words to the emotions coursing through her. He looked at her searchingly for a moment. Satisfied that she was indeed telling him the truth, he bent his head to place a kiss on her hand. Giving her a quick glance under his lashes, he placed his lips exactly at the same place as before and gave an inward smile as he felt the tremor once again.
“I will leave you now to refresh yourself. When you are ready to go downstairs knock at this door,” he said as he strolled out of a connecting door she had not noticed until now, into what she assumed was his own bedchamber.
∞∞∞
After a leisurely breakfast the next morning, Darcy left Elizabeth and Georgiana gossiping together to visit his aunt at Matlock House. As he exchanged pleasantries with Waverly, the Matlocks’ butler, he was pleased to learn that his cousin Emmaline had gone to visit with her elder sister and that his uncle was busy with his man of business. Darcy had hoped for a quiet discussion with his aunt, and it appeared he was going to get his wish. However, when he entered the parlour after Waverly announced him, he was annoyed to see Richard in the room with his mother.
“Why do you not sit down, Darcy?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked when Darcy continued to remain standing.
“I would prefer to stand.”
Lady Matlock had been concerned when she learned that Darcy had become aware of their clandestine visit to the warehouse that day. However, after some ruminations she came to the conclusion that it would not do to be defensive in front of her nephew. Especially since she was certain that she had acted in a manner that her sister Anne would have wholeheartedly approved.
“Richard informed me that you are unhappy with our visit to the Gardiners’ warehouse, Fitzwilliam.”
“Should I not be, madam? If I recall correctly, I wrote to you, promising to introduce Elizabeth to you as soon as I was able.”
“Yes, my dear, but that would have been after your wedding, and I found that I could not wait until after your nuptials to see for myself what manner of a girl you had chosen.”
Darcy’s eyes widened at his aunt’s resolute manner. “But I told you everything there was to tell, Aunt Susan! Do you not trust my words, or do you not consider me capable of making decisions for myself?”
“Well, if we are talking of trust, my dear Fitzwilliam, it was implicit from your letter that we were not to try and meet your betrothed in your absence. Why was that, Fitzwilliam? Did you not trust me to be kind to Elizabeth, or did you not consider me capable of shielding her from your uncle’s disapprobation if that was what you feared?” Lady Matlock rose from her seat and went to stand in front of Darcy.
Darcy’s mouth dropped open at the unexpected counterattack, and he stared at his waiting aunt in some consternation. Colonel Fitzwilliam hid a grin behind his hand, ruing the fact that there was no one with whom he could have wagered for the outcome of this particular altercation.
After a moment of awkward silence in which his aunt continued to stand before him, Darcy attempted to respond. “Er… no… no.… Of course, it was no such thing; it is just that…”
“It is just that the protective lover in you did not want Elizabeth to face even a moment’s anxiety because of you or your relatives. I am willing to concede that it does not mean that you did not trust me, but rather that you were unwilling to risk her comfort.”
“Y-yes, yes…”
“Similarly, Fitzwilliam, while my mind told me that I could trust you to make the right decisions, it was a mother’s heart that would not allow me to sit quietly without trying to at least ascertain if you were making a mistake. A mistake that could not be corrected. Anne is not here with us any longer, but the last promise I made to her will be there with me always.”
Darcy could only stare mutely at his aunt’s confession.
“If it is any comfort to you, then please know that had it been Richard instead of you, who had acted as precipitately, then also I would have gone to the warehouse that day. The only difference would have been that you would have accompanied me instead of him.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam watched as his cousin swallowed and then turned to stare out of the window. After a while, he faced his aunt again, smiled, and bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, my dearest Aunt.” His voice was thick with emotion.
Lady Matlock smiled and patted his cheek gently. “You know, I am rather glad that we went to the warehouse that day.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, when we left the warehouse that day, we knew that you were marrying a loyal, courageous, and intelligent woman.”
“Oh, but how… in so short a time…” Darcy’s voice petered off in confusion.
“Ah…yes. Mrs Darcy has a razor-sharp wit. To be honest, I would rather not be near her when she is annoyed with me,” Colonel Fitzwilliam remarked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “And I am still undecided which setdown I appreciate more, the one she delivered to Aunt Catherine or the one to Miss Bingley.”
“Miss Bingley! When did Elizabeth see Miss Bingley in London?”
“Well, both of Bingley’s sisters were present in the warehouse that day,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said and then proceeded to regale Darcy with the events that had transpired in the warehouse.
When he finished, Darcy was grinning from ear to ear, but all he said was, “She did not buy that red silk?”
“Nah… only the green one that Georgie said you would choose.”
“Hmm.” For a moment, Darcy looked out of the window with a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his lips. “I will take your leave now, Aunt, Richard, and we will see you in the evening,” he said when he came out of his reverie. He left with a lighter heart than when he arrived at Matlock House.
“That went much better than expected,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a relieved sigh.
“Hmm.” Lady Matlock nodded. “Darcy had been completely honest with me when he came to inform us of his impending nuptials, so when it came to confess my actions, I found I could do no less,” she added quietly.
∞∞∞
After Darcy left to visit Matlock House, Elizabeth and Georgiana retreated to Lady Anne’s parlour at Elizabeth’s suggestion. It was a charming room overlooking a pretty garden, but that was not the reason why Elizabeth had requested Georgiana to accompany her there. What had piqued her curiosity the day before was that one entire wall of the room was covered in wonderful paintings. From the miniatures of her parents that Georgiana had shown Elizabeth on her earlier visit to London, she knew that most of these were portraits of the Darcy family—Mr Darcy’s late parents and Georgiana. Additionally, there were some beautiful landscapes of what she assumed were scenic spots in and around Pemberley, including the grand house itself.
When they entered the room, Elizabeth headed straight to the paintings. What intrigued her was the impression she got that their subjects were unaware of being sketched. There was one of a young Georgiana riding a pony; another of Lady Anne sitting in a parlour and embroidering; and one of the senior Mr Darcy, working in what appeared to be his study. From her own knowledge of the art, she discerned that they were all painted by the same artist, except perhaps her favourite from the lot. Although it appeared a little raw, painted by someone still learning their craft, it exuded such a sense of contentment that it immediately drew her eyes. It showed Lady Anne laughing at her husband, who was standing with a squealing golden-haired toddler in his outstretched arms. Only one thing distracted her from the beautiful wall—there was not a single painting of her husband among the many lovely ones.
“I have been meaning to ask you about these delightful paintings, Georgiana. Who is the talented artist?”
Georgiana glanced at her sideways and gave a mischievous smile. “Would you like to take a guess, Elizabeth? I can give you a small hint—you have met him.”
“Oh! Is it… Mr Darcy?”
“You are right the very first time!” Georgiana applauded.
“Has he also painted the one in the middle—the one in which you are a toddler in your father’s arms?”
“Yes, that was the first of his paintings Fitzwilliam thought was good enough to be put on display. He painted it when he was my age.”
“So that is why there is no painting of him on the wall,” Elizabeth murmured, even as she felt a strange sense of melancholy that Mr Darcy was not part of any of these precious memories.
“Father very much wanted to get a portrait of Brother done for this wall to… umm… complete the family, so to speak. However, Brother was adamant that mother considered this as his wall, and he wanted it to remain that way,” Georgiana said softly as she too studied the various paintings on the wall.
“Both Father and I suggested that he try a self-portrait in that case. Well, as you can see, it is still awaited.”
“Hmm.” Although Elizabeth pretended nonchalance, she looked at the wall once more and hoped fervently that somehow, she could do something so that the wait could be over. It is not right that Fitzwilliam is not part of these memories.