Page 33 of Brighton Rescue (Pride and Prejudice Variation #23)
“Good night, Mr. Darcy, good night!” Mrs. Bennet cried out hospitably. “You are welcome at Longbourn any time!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Bennet,” Darcy replied with weary courtesy.
Dinner at Longbourn had been a mixture of pleasure and frustration; on the one hand, he always enjoyed his time with Elizabeth.
On the other, Mrs. Bennet, while not at her most garrulous, was overly fulsome toward him, which he found tedious.
“Jane and I will walk the gentlemen out,” Elizabeth said and Darcy eagerly took her arm and stepped out into the relative cool of the August evening.
As soon as the foursome were comfortably out of earshot of anyone within, Elizabeth said quietly, “I fear Mother desires a very elaborate wedding breakfast, which I find a fatiguing prospect. What would you think of being married by common license, and soon?”
“I can think of nothing more wonderful,” Darcy said fervently. “Mr. Bennet has given his blessing of our marriage at whatever time we find convenient, though I must go to London for a few days to prepare the marriage settlements.”
“Wonderful. How about two weeks from today? ”
Darcy felt as if his chest would explode with happiness. “That is perfect, Elizabeth, though if I could marry you this very moment, I would not hesitate!”
/
“Jane!” Mrs. Bennet screeched as soon as her two eldest daughters stepped into the parlor where her mother and sisters were sitting. “What did you say to Mr. Bingley after he returned with your father and Mary? He was supposed to come to dinner tonight!”
Jane arched one blond eyebrow and said, “I said nothing to Mr. Bingley beyond the conventional courtesies today, but when I saw him a few days ago in Sussex, I made it clear that I no longer desire his attentions. I want nothing more to do with Mr. Bingley, Mother. He left me last December without so much as a word of farewell, and I have no intention of renewing our friendship.”
The matron stared at her generally tractable eldest with incredulity. “But ... but Jane! He is master of Netherfield and has at least four thousand pounds a year! Surely you would not be so unkind as to – Jane, I insist that you accept Mr. Bingley’s attentions!”
“I will not, Mother,” Jane said calmly, sitting down next to Mary and accepting a cup of tea from her hand. “I am more than halfway in love with another gentleman and expect that I will marry him within a few months.”
Mrs. Bennet froze at these astonishing words, “Another gentleman? Of whom are you speaking, my love?”
“Mr. Hartford, of course. Why did you imagine he journeyed from Brighton to Meryton, Mama? We are courting!”
The hopeful look on her mother’s face faded away, to be replaced by distaste. “Mr. Hartford?! He is missing an arm!”
“Yes, he is,” Jane snapped, her face suffused pink with indignation. “He lost that arm while serving as an officer at Corunna. He is one of the many heroes who have sacrificed to keep us safe. There is no shame in his disability!”
“But how can he possibly care for you and your children with only one arm!”
To everyone’s surprise, Lydia piped up, “You need not be concerned about that, Mama. I saw him handling a team of horses with only one arm. He is extraordinarily adept.”
Mrs. Bennet shook her head in confusion. “How do you know Mr. Hartford, Lydia? ”
“I stayed with his mother, Lady Amelia, after I hurt myself, and Mr. Harford was also in residence,” Lydia explained patiently.
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes brightened. “His mother was born into the nobility? Is he an eldest son?”
“No, but he is master of his own estate fifteen miles from Brighton,” Jane said. “The income from Beehaven is about 1500 pounds a year now, and he has many ideas for improvements to the land which should lead to increased funds over time.”
Mrs. Bennet scrunched her face as she cogitated over this information. Mr. Hartford had noble relations, which was pleasing, but he was a younger son and not physically whole. Surely her beautiful, eldest daughter was meant for someone better?
“Now Jane,” she pleaded, doing her best to look piteous, “you know that Mr. Bingley is such a kind, handsome gentleman, and he is wealthier than Mr. Hartford. Furthermore, he has leased Netherfield, which is close to Longbourn, and I long to have you live near me when you wed. It is a great pity that Mr. Bingley was called away by business for so many months, but he has returned now...”
“No,” Jane interrupted, rising to her feet.
“Mr. Bingley is, without a doubt, a pleasant young man, but I am quite determined to marry a man who knows his own mind. Mr. Hartford is brave, intelligent, kind, diligent and hardworking, and he has pursued me with ardent dedication. If he asked me to marry him tomorrow, I would almost certainly accept!”
She stalked out of the room, leaving her three youngest sisters wide eyed in wonder.
Mrs. Bennet dissolved into noisy tears and Elizabeth, with a roll of her eyes, gestured for Mary, Kitty, and Lydia to leave the room. The three girls did so with grateful alacrity, and once they had achieved the corridor outside, Kitty whispered, “Have you ever seen Jane like that?”
“No,” Lydia answered with a cheeky smile, “but I confess I am quite enjoying her spirit.”
/
Darcy stepped into the billiard room at Netherfield Hall with a bizarre sense of unreality.
It had been almost a full year since he had first come to Hertfordshire, to Meryton, to Netherfield, and he and Bingley had spent many hours in this room playing billiards and enjoying one another’s company .
It was incredible to think that in one short year, he had fallen in love with Elizabeth Bennet, been violently rejected, realized his own shortcomings, grabbed fiercely to an opportunity to make amends with his darling, and managed to win her heart and hand.
In less than two weeks, he and Elizabeth would be joined together before God and man until death parted them.
“Would you care for some Madeira, Darcy?” Bingley asked, lifting up a bottle.
Darcy said. “Yes, I would, and Bingley, thank you for being willing to host Mr. Hartford and me. I confess I was surprised to find you here at Netherfield again after what came to pass in Sussex.”
Bingley took his time about pouring the wine, and after handing his friend his glass, he took his own cup and sat down in a comfortable chair at the end of the room.
“I had quite an epiphany a few days ago, Darcy; I realized that for the last ten years, perhaps more, I have been drifting along in life aimlessly, with occasional alterations in course based on the whims and desires of my friends and family.”
Darcy winced at this. “I am sorry, Bingley. I know that it was I who discouraged you last December, and it burdens my soul that I falsely convinced you that Miss Bennet was not attached to you. ”
Bingley, who had been contemplating the amber liquid in his cup, lifted his eyes to stare directly into his friend’s.
“You were wrong in your estimation of the lady’s feelings, and it was disingenuous of you to conceal Miss Bennet’s presence in Town at the beginning of this year.
I was angry at you, but I have forgiven you. ”
“Thank you,” Darcy responded humbly. He was inclined to continue berating himself but that would be more for his own sake than Bingley’s.
“I am more angry at myself,” his friend continued.
“I knew in my heart of hearts that you were wrong about Miss Bennet’s feelings toward me, but I did not trust my own understanding of the matter.
Not only did I lose my chance with the lady, I disappointed her grievously and no doubt exposed her to the unkind gossip of her neighbors.
You were, I know, acting in what you believed to be my best interests.
My sisters Caroline and Louisa were being selfish, as usual; Caroline, in particular, wishes me to marry a woman of connections to pave her way into high society. ”
“That is true enough, I fear.”
Bingley nodded grimly, and for a few minutes, the two friends were lost in silent thought.
“May I ask why you have returned to Netherfield?” Darcy finally asked hesitantly. “It seems that it would be a painful place to dwell now. ”
Bingley shrugged. “It is, but if I cannot win the lady I love, I can at least prove faithful as the current landlord of this estate. The tenants here have been neglected for several years now, and they would benefit from a master who actually cares about their well-being.”
“That is true enough,” Darcy agreed. “I applaud you for your determination to do what is right, Bingley. I hope, in time, that you will find love with another.”
Bingley sighed and said, “It seems unlikely, my friend, but thank you.”
/
Mr. Darcy and Mr. Hartford called at Longbourn early the next morning.
Indeed, it was so early that Mrs. Bennet, who had worn herself out the previous night grieving the loss of Mr. Bingley as a potential son-in-law, had not yet descended from her bedroom.
Jane and Elizabeth promptly swept their gentlemen out of doors into the wilderness behind Longbourn, whereupon the two couples took slightly divergent paths in order to enjoy some privacy.
“I plan to return to London in two days, Elizabeth, if that is permissible,” Darcy said. “I will consult with my man of business and arrange for the marriage settlements, and when I return to Netherfield, I will bring my sister and Colonel Fitzwilliam.”
“I am looking forward very much to meeting Miss Darcy and seeing the colonel again,” Elizabeth said, “but I will miss you.”
“I will miss you too,” Darcy replied huskily, “but soon we will be together again forever.”
“Indeed, we will,” Elizabeth said, smiling with delight.
/
“This is a very pleasant wilderness,” Mr. Hartford mused, looking around with an expert eye. “Your gardener has incorporated a number of native plants into the landscape. The bees and butterflies are no doubt most appreciative.”