Page 34 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)
“Oh yes, my dear, I feel very well indeed now!” Mrs. Bennet declared, looking down at her own pregnant form with satisfaction.
“Moreover, I am entirely at peace now; I hope that this little one is a son, but if I have another daughter – well, my dear, Mr. Darcy with his ten thousand pounds a year, and Mr. Bingley with his five thousand means we will be well cared for when your father dies. I am so happy!”
“We are, Mama,” Jane agreed. “We are.”
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Lydia’s Bedroom
Longbour n
“Oh Lizzy, do tell us about London!” Lydia exclaimed. “Have you been to many parties? What are they like? Are there many handsome, single men?”
“Your dress is beautiful,” Kitty chimed in. “How wonderful to have a rich husband to buy you such lovely gowns!”
Elizabeth suppressed a sigh of exasperation and said, “Fitzwilliam and I have been to a few gatherings, yes, but the Season does not start for a few months, as you know. We have visited museums and the opera, but we both find far more pleasure in reading books together in the library most nights than rushing around town.”
Lydia huffed in exasperation. “Yes, that does sound like you, Lizzy. You live in the most wonderful city in all of England and have more money than you can spend, and you sit in the library! When I visit, you simply must take me to the theater and parties and routs and assemblies. Do say I can come to London in the spring, Lizzy! There are rumors that the regiment will be leaving for Brighton and we will die of boredom if that comes to pass!”
Elizabeth shook her head and said, with commendable calm, “No, Lydia, Fitzwilliam and I will be traveling north to Pemberley after Jane’s wedding. I have not even seen the estate yet! I do not think we will be returning south until May when Mother’s baby is due. ”
“You wish to bury yourself in the country?” Lydia demanded incredulously.
“I suppose I do,” Elizabeth answered with a laugh. “Mary will be accompanying us to Derbyshire, by the way. She is far happier about visiting the country than you are.”
Kitty and Lydia exchanged surprised looks, and Lydia said, “I expect she will have a lovely time, since she is such a bluestocking. I certainly have heard all about Pemberley’s enormous library.
All the same, Elizabeth, you must promise to bring us to London someday so that we can find a husband, preferably an officer in a red coat! ”
Elizabeth considered her younger sisters thoughtfully before saying, “I am certain someday we will invite you to stay with us in London. But keep this in mind, dear sisters. Jane and I have been blessed to fall in love with godly, generous, wealthy men, which gives us confidence that we and our children will be cared for throughout our lives. Most officers are quite poor, and some must spend many months, even years, overseas. Colonel Fitzwilliam just sailed for the Peninsula last week, you know. I urge you to be at least a little sensible in your choice of husband.”
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Longbourn
Two days later
Longbourn’s main rooms were filled to the bursting as Mrs. Bennet, full of energy and enthusiasm, bustled about greeting visitors and urging them to eat and drink their fill.
Jane and Charles, the newlyweds, were seated at the head table eating a few bites of the feast in the midst of the swirling horde of enthusiastic well wishers.
The Lucases were present in force, and Elizabeth spent a few minutes chatting with her dear friend Charlotte, whom she had not seen since her marriage.
The eldest Miss Lucas was healthy and well, but Elizabeth saw in her friend’s eyes a wistful sadness at the sight of Jane with her new husband.
She resolved to invite Charlotte to Pemberley soon.
Darcy said that there were some fine gentlemen in Derbyshire who were in search of a sensible wife, perhaps especially if that wife was a close friend to the new mistress of Pemberley.
In a typical burst of extravagant hospitality, Mrs. Bennet had invited the entire Army regiment to Longbourn for the wedding breakfast, and thus the rooms were sprinkled with red coats.
Lydia and Kitty were, of course, ecstatic to be surrounded by officers, and Lydia was overly loud, but at least they were behaving with reasonable propriety.
Darcy appeared around a corner holding two plates of food, and she smiled, her heart leaping at the sight of his tall form, with his dark eyes and hair and handsome countenance. She still marveled at their marriage, of their love, which had come about so unconventionally.
“I think I see an empty table in the sitting room, Elizabeth,” he said, and she followed him obediently into the green room and sat down.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, looking down at the food. “I confess to being quite hungry, but I was not certain I wished to battle my way to the buffet.”
“It was my pleasure, of course,” her husband replied. Both fell to their meal with enthusiasm and did not speak for a few minutes, electing instead to enjoy the pleasure of peaceful companionship.
It was not until they were nearly finished with their meal that Darcy asked softly, “Do you regret that we missed having a wedding breakfast like this one, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth looked at him in surprise and immediately shook her head.
“Not at all, I assure you! In truth, I was thinking only moments ago about how thankful I am for our own wedding day, with Lady Catherine bobbing in and out, and Anne and George deciding to marry, and Lady Anne arriving unexpectedly, having escaped through her own intelligence and determination. I will remember every single wonderful moment of our wedding day. I would not change it for the world!”