Chapter 20 #3
Anne de Bourgh watched the carriage disappear into the distance with a smile upon her face. At last, she would no longer have to endure her mother's endless talk of their supposed engagement. Darcy would never again set foot in Rosings, and, for the first time in many years, Anne felt truly happy.
She was finally free.
◆◆◆
Elizabeth was considerably calmer. She was travelling back to London in the carriage with General Sinclair, whose presence made her feel safe and protected.
"Thank you, General. I cannot thank you enough for everything you did for me. That dreadful woman came shouting at me, and I did not know what to do. I never imagined she would dare strike me."
Elizabeth still felt shaken and could not keep back her tears.
Marcus immediately moved to sit beside her and gently wiped away her tears with his handkerchief.
"My dear girl, please do not think about it any longer. If that wretched woman has any sense at all, she will never dare come near you again."
He was deeply concerned for Elizabeth. From what he had gathered about the incident at the parsonage, Mr Darcy had given her a letter.
He remembered Claire telling him that she believed Darcy admired Elizabeth.
Yet, from his own dealings with the gentleman, Marcus had concluded that he had no intention of making his addresses to his daughter.
Moreover, Mr Darcy was apparently engaged to his cousin.
Marcus wondered what his intentions towards Elizabeth could possibly be, and why he had presumed to write to her.
He had no wish to distress his daughter further at that moment.
Still, he resolved that, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he would speak to Darcy and make it clear to him that Elizabeth was under his protection.
"General, you said you were my uncle. In her last letter, Aunt Eleanor told me she had a great surprise for me. I thought she meant Jane's engagement, but I see it was an even greater surprise. I am so sorry I missed the wedding."
Her voice faltered, and tears once again filled her eyes. Yet she smiled as she added, "I should have loved to be there with both of you."
"My dear girl, our wedding is tomorrow. In fact, we have been waiting for your return before we married. It meant a great deal to us that you should be there. I told that dreadful woman that I was your aunt's husband so that she would understand that you are now part of my family."
Marcus smiled warmly.
"I have only been guilty of lying for a single day. Tomorrow your... aunt will truly be my wife."
He took his daughter's hand and kissed it gently.
"Now, no more tears, my beautiful girl. Wonderful things await us in London, and your aunt is longing to see you."
"You are right, General. Or should I call you Uncle?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.
She felt wonderfully happy beside Marcus. She could not explain why, but whenever he called her my dear girl, she felt like a little girl again, cherished by a close relation who cared for her and spoke to her with genuine affection.
Marcus longed to tell her that he wished she would call him Father or Papa, but he simply replied, "You may call me whatever you like, my dear girl."
"Then I shall call you Uncle."
She reflected for a moment before adding, "Do you know?
Life can be very curious. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved reading the newspapers.
I think I was about ten years old when I first read about you.
Then, when I was about twelve, I read that the king himself had decorated you and that you were the bravest man in England.
That is why I was so delighted when I met you that day in the park.
I even wrote it in my journal so that I would never forget the exact day I met General Sinclair. And now... you are to be my uncle."
Elizabeth could not stop smiling as she spoke. The General looked at her with such affection, listening attentively to every word.
"My dear girl," Marcus said, scarcely able to contain his emotion, "when all those battles were fought, when I received those medals and was honoured by the King himself, I was dead inside.
At the time, I never truly understood the value of any of it.
But today, knowing that a little girl read about me and was proud of me has made me see those honours in an entirely different light. "
He paused, determined not to reveal more than he should.
"Thank you for telling me that. You cannot imagine how much it means to know that you are happy we are soon to become part of the same family."
Elizabeth was curious to know more about the General, but she felt it was not the right moment to ask why he had felt dead inside when the whole country admired him. Instead, she chose to guide the conversation towards happier subjects.
"Who would not be pleased to have a man like you in the family? Well... do not answer that; Lady Catherine certainly would not."
“Certainly not.”
They both laughed and continued talking for more than two hours. Elizabeth told him more about herself—how much she loved reading, walking, and exploring new places. Marcus, in turn, spoke of the many places he had travelled and of how deeply he loved Eleanor.
"Have you and my aunt known each other for a long time?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, we have. But I believe your aunt should be the one to tell you that story," Marcus replied.
Elizabeth could not suppress several yawns.
"I am sorry, Uncle, but I scarcely slept last night. Let us just say I had a dreadful day followed by an even worse night. I hope you will forgive me, but I think I ought to get some sleep."
"Of course, my dear girl. Rest your head on my shoulder."
Marcus took out a blanket and gently wrapped it around Elizabeth. Within minutes, she had fallen fast asleep.
"Sweet dreams, my beloved daughter," Marcus whispered.
Elizabeth slept peacefully and dreamed that her father was wishing her sweet dreams. Yet, in her dream, her father was not Thomas Bennet, but General Marcus Sinclair.