Page 134

Darcy could not remember a Christmas where he had felt as happy as he did at the one being celebrated at Snowhaven, and if he had it certainly was not since his dear father had been taken from them.

He was listening to his family regale him with tales of their sojourn in Hertfordshire with their Graces and family.

He was jealous of the time that they had all spent with the Bennet’s, especially of one Bennet with fine eyes.

He was sure that he had made the correct decision.

If he had returned to Lady Elizabeth’s company too soon before he felt that most of the areas, he needed to address for his quest for betterment was done, it could have been more detrimental to his case than not.

The difference in his baby sister was nearly indescribable.

She had regained her self-confidence, and, if the recounting could be believed, she was no longer shy in company.

She would still be quiet with people unknown to her, but she would no longer sit with her head down hoping to not take part in a conversation without being directly addressed.

Even when she was, one had been lucky to receive a monosyllable as an answer.

And his aunt Catherine could not stop singing the Bennet’s praises.

She extolled their breeding, rank, and wealth, although the others in the family knew those were not the attributes that they truly admired in the family.

It was true Lady Catherine was a softer version of herself, but sometimes, most especially when she was not thinking about it, her beliefs on the distinction of rank being preserved came to the fore.

His mother seated herself beside him on the settee and squeezed his hand, “William, I hope that you know how proud I am, all of the family is, at the changes that you have made in your behaviour.” She looked into the distance, thinking about her late husband, the love of her life.

She missed him all the time, but more so at Christmas, as it was one of his favourite holidays.

“Thank you, Mama,” he answered, and in recognizing the look from Christmases past he added, “I too wish that Papa was still with us.”

Lady Anne wiped a single tear as she again looked at her son, “You know, William, that if it will be too hard for you to not be at your cousin’s weddings there will not be one who will not want you to attend.”

“I appreciate that Mama, but I will stand by my decision. I refuse to allow any chance of distracting from the day that is all about my cousins and their brides,” he answered resolutely.

“My one regret is that I will not get to stand up with Richard. We spoke in Town, and he understands why I feel that this is the only course of action for me to follow at this time.” he added wistfully.

Lady Anne knew not to importune him on that particular subject any longer.

“I understand that you have offered the boys the use of Seaview Cottage and the Lakeview House, near Lake Windermere, for their wedding trips,” his mother glowed at the generosity of her son, especially as he had self-exiled himself from their wedding.

“It was not a hard decision, mother. As you know, Richard and I are like brothers and Andrew has always been a good friend and cousin to me, so it was the very least that I could do after potentially jeopardising things for them with my behaviour.” Darcy blushed as he gave a nonchalant shrug, trying to convey it was the least he could do.

“William, my son, I love you, but you need to learn a philosophy that Lady Elizabeth has adopted. ‘Think only of the past as the remembrance gives you pleasure.’” She offered gently.

“Are we talking about the lady for who once her good opinion is lost, it is lost forever?” he asked, not able to reconcile the philosophy with what he knew of Lady Elizabeth.

“Do you think that you are the only one who has learnt and grown after she confronted you?” she raised an eyebrow in question.

“That would be an arrogant assumption, would it not be?” he offered with a half-smile, his arrogance again checked, and his mother nodded her head, “I am interested to know what had changed with the lady.”

“Elizabeth understands now that she was too quick to anger and judge. She acknowledges that if she does not allow that people can change and earn her forgiveness then that is not following the precepts of Christianity.” Lady Anne paused, “His Grace told you about his entrapment, did he not? Of course, he did as that is what led to the settlement that all fortune hunters and dishonourable members of society now hate with a passion.” The last elicited a dimple revealing smile from her son.

“The story of Lord Thomas’s entrapment and the year that he was forced to be separated from Lady Sarah was told to all of the Bennet children, but Elizabeth used it as a cautionary tale that imbued her with suspicion and led to her propensity to judge and not forgive.

She sees that is not the best way and like you has changed and will continue to do so.

“Do not misunderstand me, William. Your behaviour in Hertfordshire warranted the severest of reproofs. I believe with all of my heart that had you merely received a ‘slap on the wrist’ that it would not have been the impetus for you to change as Lady Elizabeth’s set down and subsequent punishment has been.

” She took her son’s hand again as she wanted to make sure that what she was saying would not be seen as a censure of him.

“Look at how much happier you are now. Thanks to the settlement, you can go out in society without feeling like a fox surrounded by hounds and hunters. And I will tell you this, William. If you were not an innately good person, you would not have made any changes. You would have blamed anyone but yourself. You know one who is like that.” She stated, tensing at the very thought of the man she suspected of the most horrible of crimes.

“Wickham.” he spat the name out. “That is one thing I am very sorry I did not witness. To see Lady Elizabeth, humble that dastard. He did the right thing to preserve his life by slinking away to lick his wounds before Richard returned. My cousin would not have shown restraint if he had seen the blackguard again.”

“I cannot disagree with you, William. Do you think that his exposure and punishment made that that, oh I do not want to use unladylike language, that man,” both mother and son smiled at her regulating her speech instead of saying what she truly wanted to.

“Not for one moment do I believe that he became introspective and asked what he had done wrong. Like he always has, he will blame everyone except himself. I loved, I still love my George and will never understand why he had such a blind spot for so long.”

“I know not, Mama.” Darcy admitted, long having felt his father preferred his godson’s company to his own.

“Did your father tell you that he was going to break with the man before his accident?”

“No, he did not.” Darcy frowned.

“He received proof that Wickham had meddled with some of the maids. I do not know if my George confronted the seducer before he was taken, but I do know that he intended to.” Lady Anne always got maudlin thoughts when she talked about her beloved husband’s passing.

“As father left no notes about a meeting, we will never know,” Darcy replied quietly as he processed the information and wishing his father would have talked with him about this and many other things before he had ridden that day.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

After Christmas dinner, the men were sitting in Longbourn’s library indulging in tobacco and libations. Bingley approached Mr. Phillips to ask him if they could talk.

“As your sister will hopefully soon be my daughter, it is a request that I happily grant,” said Phillips senior as he tossed the contents of his snifter back and placed the empty glass on the nearby side table. The two men then found two armchairs out of earshot of the rest of the men.

“Mr. Phillips, it cannot have escaped your notice that I have been paying Miss Phillips a good amount of attention,” Bingley started tentatively.

“Yes, neither my wife nor I have missed that, Bingley. What are your intentions toward my daughter?” Phillips asked, adopting his best prosecutor’s attitude.

“My intentions are entirely honourable, sir. I care deeply for your daughter,” Bingley stated emphatically.

“I expected no less my boy. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” his beloved’s father cut right to the issue.

“If you allow me, I would like a private interview with Miss Phillips and request a courtship from her.” Although Bingley was nervous with anticipation, he managed to make the request calmly.

“You know that I want Franny to have at least part of a season before you, or anyone else, declares for her, do you not?” Mr. Phillips senior asked, his brow arched in question.

“Yes, sir, I do. But I wanted you to know that I am in earnest. I love your daughter, and if my fondest wish is granted, I will make it my life’s work to make her happy.” Bingley spoke, his voice almost trembling with the depth of his emotions.

“There is no doubt in my mind that you are sincere, nor am I insensitive to the fact that my wife and I have not missed that Franny holds you in tender regard.” Phillips thought for a little while, “Here is what I will agree to. We will be in Town after Jane and Marie marry. If you still feel as you do, you may declare yourself in early March.” Phillips saw Bingley cogitating and pre-empted him, “No, my boy, not at the Netherfield ball but at the end of that month. That way my girl will have part of a season before she is officially courting.” Bingley could see that there would be no additional flexibility.

“You have my gratitude, sir. Thank you.” Bingley felt immense relief as the wait would be less than he had originally thought, if not as short as he had hoped.