Chapter Ninety-Two
Wedding breakfasts in Meryton were generally rather understated affairs, but this was no ordinary wedding, and thus could not be followed by an ordinary wedding breakfast. Foodstuffs of every kind graced the long table in the dining room at Lucas Lodge, and every one of the four and twenty families that constituted Meryton society had been invited.
A good many of the merchants in town came as well, knowing that no one would be turned away.
Mrs. Alcott caught Anne de Bourgh’s eye and smiled to see how well the hastily made-over gown fit her.
Anne, heedless of the propriety of the situation, immediately rushed to Mrs. Alcott and thanked her profusely, only to be dragged away by a frowning Lady Catherine.
“Whatever can you be about, Anne, speaking to a common woman like that?!”
“Why, she is the woman who made this dress! I had to thank her, did I not?”
“Quite right, too; Anne looks like a lovely young lady today, rather than – well, a sofa.” The Countess had come up behind Lady Catherine.
Lady Catherine turned to her sister by marriage and shook her head. “Do not put ideas into the girl’s head, Eleanor!”
Anne replied at once, “Oh, yes, Aunt Eleanor, please do put ideas into my head, for I wish very much to go to Matlock House in London with you and go to tea parties and balls, and buy lovely gowns, and – well, everything that I should be doing!”
Lady Catherine immediately said, “Absolutely not!”
And at the same moment, the Countess said, “Of course, my dear!” Then she turned to Lady Catherine and said, gently, “Come, Catherine, you have had her entirely to yourself all these years, but surely you can see that she needs to acquire some town polish and marry. Or did you intend her to die an old maid?”
Lady Catherine closed her eyes and shook her head, mutely.
Anne hugged her mother hard. “Oh, Mama, I will be back. Surely you know that I will always come back to Rosings!”
“Do not make a scene, Anne,” Lady Catherine said, sniffling back her tears. “Very well, you shall go.”
“You are doing the right thing, Catherine,” the Countess said, mildly. “And I will see to it that she writes you regularly.”
Elizabeth found a moment to sidle up to Charlotte, now the Viscountess Worthing, and murmur, “Tell me, Charlotte, do you now believe in romantic fancies? For I recall you saying that I was too intelligent for such beliefs.”
Charlotte blushed. “I suppose I refused to believe in them because I thought they could not happen to me, but I was entirely mistaken, and I do not mind admitting it.”
Elizabeth laughed and hugged her friend. “I shall miss you so, Charlotte!”
And Jane found a moment to whisper into Charlotte’s ear, “Oh, I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you spoke to Mr. Bingley!”
Charlotte whispered back, “And I am so glad that he acted quickly! Be happy, dearest Jane!”
***
Georgiana had eaten very little. She was more interested in finding the young woman in the pale green dress. Ah, there she was, standing beside the bride, both of them laughing. Her Cousin Reggie stood beside his new wife, beaming widely. The trio were surrounded by guests.
Georgiana caught her cousin’s eye, and he beckoned her forward. “My dear Charlotte, allow me to present my young cousin, Miss Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana, this is Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and this is her dear friend, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
“Oh, well done, Reggie! A very perfect introduction!” the new Mrs. Fitzwilliam laughed up at him. She turned, then, to Georgiana. “You must be Mr. Darcy’s sister; welcome to Meryton! I am so glad you could attend.”
Georgiana said all that was proper, but her eyes kept returning to Miss Bennet’s face. Her eyes were green; how very lovely they were.
Elizabeth, seeing the girl’s interest, spoke kindly to her. “Miss Darcy, your brother speaks of you a good deal. He is obviously very, very fond of you.”
“More so than I deserve, I fear,” Georgiana replied.
“Not possible,” Elizabeth replied at once. “We all deserve love, I think.”
“That is what I tell him as well!” Georgiana replied, eagerly. “Miss Bennet, might I speak with you?”
“Of course.” Elizabeth turned to Charlotte, kissed her cheek, and promised to return.
“Come, Miss Darcy; let us find a quiet corner, if that is at all possible.” Elizabeth knew Lucas Lodge well, and she found the quiet corner she sought in the library. “There is no fire here, sadly, but that is common enough in this room,” she said.
“Is the library not much used?”
“Not unless I come here to find a book,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “But let us be grateful for the quiet, in any case.”
“My brother is in love with you,” Georgiana blurted.
Elizabeth’s mouth fell open in shock.
Georgiana immediately burst into tears. “Oh, I should not have said that!! I am so sorry! He will be so angry!”
Elizabeth calmed the girl down, her mind whirling. Mr. Darcy in love with her? Was it possible? When Georgiana’s tears finally stopped, Elizabeth said, softly, “Why do you think so?”
“Oh! He wrote a letter to me, which apparently he never meant to send, telling me how he felt, but then when I wrote back and said that I was so very happy and would have a sister at last! Then he wrote back and said it was a mistake, and he was not someone who would ever give in to such romantic nonsense. So I came to this wedding determined to make certain that – that – well, that he would do the right thing!”
“The right thing being…?”
“Why, to marry you, of course.”
Elizabeth knew naught how she managed to return to Charlotte’s side after this stunning disclosure, but she did so. She lost the thread of the conversation around her more than once, as she was searching through the crowd for Mr. Darcy’s elegant figure.
***
Anne, having obtained permission to go to London with the Earl and Countess, turned then to her next order of business.
She found her cousin Darcy standing with an unknown gentleman and the eldest Miss Bennet.
The unknown gentleman was likely Mr. Bingley, and equally likely, they were discussing the next upcoming wedding, that of Miss Bennet to Mr. Bingley.
Anne approached the little group and was immediately introduced to the unknown gentleman who was, indeed, Mr. Bingley.
After all the usual courtesies, she asked her cousin if she might have a word with him.
He led her off to a somewhat quieter space near the stairs.
“Do you know Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” she asked at once.
He coloured and stared at her. “I do; why?”
Aha, she thought; he is very much aware of her! Anne shrugged, casually. “I just wondered. I like her very much; she is my first friend.”
“Your first friend?” He sounded disbelieving.
“Darcy, do you truly not understand? I go nowhere, I know no one. Elizabeth – Lizzy – has changed my life entirely! Look at this dress!” She twirled around in front of him.
“It does look rather different to your usual style,” he allowed.
“My usual style? You mean the dreadful draperies that my mother forces upon me? Yes, very different!” She rolled her eyes. Were all gentlemen this obtuse? “In any case, I just wanted you to know how very remarkable she is.”
“I am sensible of it,” he replied, his voice clipped.
“Oh, good! Because she thinks very highly of you, you know.”
“She – what? Anne, whatever are you saying?”
“Why, only that she blushes when your name is mentioned. That is all I meant.” With that, she smiled at him and walked away, leaving him standing there and staring after her, mouth open.
She suddenly found herself quite hungry and made her way to the dining room to fill her plate.