Page 43 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Pemberley

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam pulled his horse to a halt in front of the great stables of Pemberley and then swung himself down in one easy motion. A stable boy ran up and said, “Shall I take him, sir?”

“Yes,” Richard said. “My valet will be along shortly with the rest of my baggage.”

“Yes, sir,” the boy said smartly, and Richard turned and made his way to a side door, strode briskly inside, and marched down a side corridor and into Darcy’s office, where he found his cousin poring over documents.

“Richard!” Darcy exclaimed, rising to his feet and stepping forward to shake his hand. “This is a surprise. Whatever are you doing here?”

Richard shook his cousin’s hand briskly and said, “I am here on Father’s behalf, as he received an outraged letter from our mutual aunt a few days ago, and I offered to come up and find out what was going on.”

Darcy’s jaw clenched at these words, and he said, “You are certainly welcome here, but I will not permit anyone to interfere with my upcoming marriage.”

“You need not worry,” his cousin promised. “I have no intention of causing any problems for you. Father was a trifle disturbed about the matter, and I have not seen Georgiana in some time, so it seemed reasonable for me to ask for leave and ride north. I know you to be an intelligent, sensible, and, most of all, stubborn gentleman, and I have no desire to interfere with your private business.”

“Thank you,” Darcy said in a relieved tone, and then frowned as if only just noticing his cousin’s attire. “Did you ride north instead of coming in a carriage?”

“I did, and very pleasant it was given that spring is well and truly upon us. However, I confess that I wished to speak to you immediately before cleaning up, and thus you see me in all my dirt.”

“Well, you cannot be introduced to Elizabeth looking like that ,” Darcy said.

“Ah, am I to meet her, then?”

“Yes, she will be arriving in two hours for dinner, along with her relatives.”

“I had best get cleaned up then!”

***

Pemberley

Later

Richard looked up from his conversation with Georgiana as the butler opened the door and stepped inside, announcing, "Mr. and Mrs. Wickham and Miss Bennet."

Richard straightened, curious about the mysterious Miss Bennet, and did a quick assessment of her from head to toe. Her hair was pulled back simply on her head, with a few charming curls framing her face. A small gold cross hung at her throat above a tiny frill of white lace that decorated the neckline and sleeves of a gown of peach muslin with a white floral motif. Her attire and bearing were beautiful and modest, Richard thought with approval, and turned his attention to her companions.

Young Mrs. Wickham was plainly in the family way, her loose gown of dark green not entirely hiding her burgeoning pregnancy. She was almost as handsome as her elder sister, with a pretty face and dark curly locks under her cap. Her husband, on whose arm she leaned, was dressed correctly in a plain black coat, alleviated only by a dove gray waistcoat and a severely simple cravat – no pretensions to dandyism for this Wickham.

Darcy guided his fiancée into the room, with her relations behind her, and said, “May I please introduce you to my cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. Richard, allow me to introduce my fiancée, Elizabeth Bennet, her sister, Mrs. Wickham, and of course you know Mr. Wickham.”

Richard bowed and said, “It is truly an honor to meet you, Miss Bennet, Mrs. Wickham. And Mr. Wickham, congratulations on your marriage.”

“Good evening,” Elizabeth said as she and her sister curtsied, and Alexander said, “Thank you. It is a pleasure to see you again, Colonel Fitzwilliam.”

“Elizabeth, have you heard from your relations yet about when they will arrive in Kympton?” Georgiana asked eagerly, and Richard found himself regarding his young cousin in surprise. Miss Darcy had always been a shy and quiet creature, and it said much about Miss Bennet that she and his ward were already friends.

“They will be here in the next few days,” Miss Bennet said and turned to the colonel. “My elder sister and her husband, Mr. Bingley, are journeying north to take part in the wedding.”

“I have met Bingley a few times in Darcy’s company,” Richard said. “He is a friendly gentleman.”

“He is, and my eldest sister is a veritable angel, along with being the recognized beauty of the family.”

“I find you the most handsome of all your sisters,” Darcy declared, and Miss Bennet laughed and said, “Ah, but you are in love with me, and therefore inclined to look on me with generous eyes. Now I promise that I am well satisfied with my looks, but Jane is something else entirely, as you will see soon enough. But enough of that for now. Fitzwilliam tells me that you have been sent overseas more than once as part of your military duties. I am curious about the Peninsula. What is it like?”

This provoked a discussion about his time in Spain, which lasted until the butler called them for dinner.

To Richard’s relief, Darcy had chosen a small dining parlor for the evening meal, which allowed easy discourse between all those present. While he did not, of course, stare openly at Miss Bennet, he paid attention to her every utterance and quickly came to the conclusion that Darcy had made an excellent choice for his bride. Miss Bennet was obviously quick witted and well read, along with being cheerful and outgoing, though always well within the bounds of propriety. Moreover, she had a remarkable ability to make those around her feel at ease.

After a dessert course of truly marvelous apple pie with whipped cream, Georgiana rose and led the ladies out of the dining room.

The colonel watched them go and then turned to find his cousin glowering at him with a dangerous expression. He chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Do not look that way, Darcy. Miss Bennet is all that is delightful, and I am confident will make you a wonderful wife. More to the point, perhaps, I believe that you will make her an excellent husband.”

Darcy’s scowl gave way to a reluctant grin, and he said, “I am glad that you approve, Cousin.”

“I know that it does not matter a great deal whether I approve or not, but I can assist you by sending a letter to my father with assurances as to Miss Bennet’s suitability for the position of mistress of Pemberley.”

“She is in every way wonderful,” Darcy agreed, and his eyes suddenly grew faraway. He lapsed into beatific silence and absently poured the rest of his wine down his throat.

Richard regarded his usually stoic cousin with astonished amusement and then turned his eyes on Alexander Wickham, whose own gaze was fixed on the wax candles flickering on the table.

“Wickham,” he said in a low tone, “I wish to thank you for your assistance with your brother. I know it was doubtless a difficult decision to make.”

Alexander turned to him and nodded. “It was difficult, but I have not learned to regret it. As the Good Book says, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? George is definitely on the road to perdition, and I can only hope that hard work and discipline and time on the battlefield will bring about needed change. At the very least, his removal from polite society will make it challenging for him to take advantage of young ladies and merchants and shopkeepers. I admit I have been wondering how he is doing. Have you had any word of George?”

“I received a note about a week ago from your brother’s colonel, who said that George is behaving himself. The regiment will board their ships for the Continent within the fortnight.”

The parson blew out a slow breath and said, “I will pray for both his body and his soul.”

Richard loathed George Wickham to the very depths of his being, but he also recognized that Alexander had sacrificed natural familial loyalty by contributing to his twin’s current plight. The rector was an honorable and kindly man, and it had doubtless been painful to send the elder Wickham to toil as a mere infantryman, subject to all the dangers therein.

“I will pray for him too,” Richard promised.

“And I will as well,” Darcy murmured and then set his empty glass down. “Shall we join the ladies?”

***

The Parsonage at Kympton

Two Days Later

The familiar carriage came to a halt in front of the parsonage, and Elizabeth, who had been watching through the window, hurried outside to greet the new arrivals.

“Jane!” she cried out, waving at the adored face inside the vehicle, and Jane waved back, her lovely countenance alight with pleasure.

A footman leaped off the back of the carriage and hurried over to open the door. Moments later, Charles Bingley stepped out, whereupon he handed out his bride.

“Lizzy!” Mrs. Bingley exclaimed, hurrying forward to embrace her sister.

“Jane, my dear sister,” Elizabeth replied, returning the gesture with fervor.

“Good morning, Jane and Charles,” a male voice said, and all turned as Alexander and Lydia Wickham descended the few steps to the road.

“Wickham, Lydia, good morning,” Charles said, and Jane hurried over to embrace her youngest sister.

“How are you feeling, dear one?” she asked when she had released the young matron, and Lydia said, “I am still a little tired, but so much better. But do come in, please, and we will enjoy a small nuncheon!”