Font Size
Line Height

Page 28 of Mission to Meryton (Pride and Prejudice Variation #25)

Jane had captured Mr. Bingley when he and Mr. Darcy came to visit Longbourn in the morning. Now the couple was ensconced in the south parlor with the door closed, and Jane was determined to get to the bottom of her suitor’s intentions.

“I love you with all my heart,” Mr. Bingley insisted, his eyes wild with dismay. “Yes, it is true that I came here to Netherfield to support Darcy, but I promise you that I was not trifling with your affections. Please, Miss Bennet, please tell me that you believe me!”

Jane stared into her suitor’s face intently and felt her entire body relax in relief. “I do believe you, Mr. Bingley. I hope you will forgive me my doubts ...”

“No, no, do not apologize! I am the one who must beg your pardon, as it is entirely my fault. It should have occurred to me that you would be legitimately alarmed, and for this I am truly sorry. I do not have leave to discuss any details of Darcy’s purpose, but I assure you that I was only marginally involved in all that has occurred.

It was the blessing of the Lord that brought me here to meet you, and the details of my sojourn here have seemed insignificant compared to finding you, my great love.

I assure you, Miss Bennet, that I am utterly devoted to you, and would marry you tomorrow if I could! ”

Jane Bennet considered her hapless admirer thoughtfully and allowed a sly smirk to light up her handsome visage. “I daresay tomorrow will not work, but I believe I am available the morning after.”

Charles Bingley gazed at her with a mixture of confusion and hope. “Do you ... do you mean ...?”

“Yes, I accept your offer, and if you are serious, I would be pleased to marry you on Friday morning. Mr. Collins and Miss Lucas are marrying that day by common license, and I am quite certain they would be happy to share their ceremony.”

The gentleman’s face split wide with a smile for the ages. “Yes, Miss Bennet, yes! I am entirely serious. May I speak with your father now and ask his blessing?”

“You may, Mr. Bingley,” Jane replied, and blushed pink with delight at the adoration in her new fiancé’s eyes.

/

“Mr. Wickham and four stout army men have escorted the prisoners to London,” Mr. Darcy explained to Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth, both of whom were leaning forward to better hear every one of his words.

“Colonel Forster is cooperating completely, and Wickham believes we will be able to track down more spies given time. Of course, some agents may flee England’s shores for France as soon as possible. ”

“I find it quite horrific that Colonel Forster was involved!” Elizabeth exclaimed in dismay. “He seemed such a gentleman, and he paid an alarming amount of attention to Kitty!”

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” Mr. Bennet began quoting, his eyes troubled.

“You are like whitewashed tombs,which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Darcy nodded respectfully. “From the book of Matthew, Chapter twenty-seven. You are entirely correct, sir; many a man looks good on the outside but is harboring great transgressions on the inside. I do hope that Miss Kitty was not ...”

“Attached?” Elizabeth asked. “No, she was not. He was too old for her. I am merely shocked, well, by it all I suppose. How will his sudden departure be explained?”

“The story will be that he and Pratt were recalled suddenly to London on urgent army business, which is true enough, as it happens.”

“What will happen to them both?” Elizabeth asked softly.

Darcy straightened his body and gazed directly into her fine eyes. “They will hang, Miss Elizabeth.”

A knock on the door interrupted the silence, followed by the appearance of Mr. Bingley, who looked both flustered and happy. “Mr. Bennet, might I have a few minutes of your time?”

Elizabeth, who had been feeling slightly queasy, leaped to her feet with delight. “Come, Mr. Darcy, I believe we must vacate the library immediately!”

/

“You must be mad, Charles!” Caroline Bingley shrieked. “To marry Jane Bennet at all is ludicrous, but on such short notice? Please, Mr. Darcy, you must speak to my brother!”

“I already did on the carriage ride back to Netherfield, but I am glad to do so again.” He cleared his throat, turned to his friend and continued, “Bingley, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your engagement. Miss Bennet is a charming woman. Furthermore, I am thankful that you are marrying soon, as Georgiana and Mrs. Younge and I must return to Pemberley in the next week and I would not wish to miss your wedding.”

“You will stand up with me, then?”

“I would be honored, my friend.”

Miss Bingley squealed in frustration and departed the sitting room in haste. Darcy could only be thankful that Georgiana and Mrs. Younge were busy in the music room; his young sister would be uncomfortable in the presence of her whining hostess.

“Darcy, I plan to officially take on the lease for Netherfield,” Charles Bingley continued happily. “I never could have imagined that I would find my partner in life in Hertfordshire and am enormously grateful that you invited me here.”

“I am thankful as well,” Darcy said softly, aware of an odd twinge of envy.

Bingley would no doubt be very happy with Miss Bennet, who combined beauty, grace, and reasonable riches.

Darcy himself, as the heir to Pemberley, was expected to marry a woman of great connections and fortune; indeed, much of the family assumed that he would marry his cousin, Anne de Bourgh, who was heiress to the great estate of Rosings in Kent.

Abruptly, the vivid and lovely face of Elizabeth Bennet appeared in his mind’s eye.

Darcy dwelled on the vision with pleasure for a full minute before resolutely turning his thoughts to more practical matters.

He would need to find a replacement for Mrs. Younge, who was fully recovered from an injury some months earlier and was prepared to return to working for the British government.

Christmas, January, and February would be spent at Pemberley in Derbyshire, and in the spring Darcy and his sister would return to London.

Georgiana was not yet out, but Darcy would no doubt participate in at least some of the social events of the season.

He was briefly reminded that Elizabeth and Mary Bennet were to be presented during the next season, but surely once he left Hertfordshire, his strange fascination with the second Miss Bennet would fade completely away.

/

The wedding breakfast was surprisingly sumptuous given that Lady Lucas and Mrs. Bennet had been forced to pull it together in only two short days. The two matrons had chosen to hold the breakfast at Longbourn, which was more elegant than Lucas Lodge.

The dining space at Longbourn had been enlarged by judiciously throwing open doors which led to other rooms, one of which held a buffet groaning with a variety of meats, pastries, toast, eggs, pound cakes, and even some oranges.

The double wedding had taken place an hour before noon, and Darcy was a little surprised to realize that he felt very hungry.

As soon as Darcy and his sister entered the main dining room they encountered the new Mr. and Mrs. Collins, who were beaming happily at all and sundry.

“Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, my congratulations on your marriage,” Darcy declared genuinely.

“Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy, thank you,” Mr. Collins replied, his eyes resting adoringly on his new wife. “I feel truly blessed, thank you.”

Lady Lucas bustled up to capture her newly married daughter and her husband, and the Darcys turned at the sound of the familiar voice of Elizabeth Bennet.

“Mr. Darcy! Miss Darcy! Thank you for coming to celebrate this wonderful occasion.”

Darcy took in a hasty breath at the radiant sight before him.

Elizabeth was dressed in a green dress which accented her chestnut hair, and a comb decorated with pearls was fitted into her dark locks.

She was incredibly lovely. His breath was quite taken away, and he found that he could not speak immediately.

As her brother had not responded, Miss Darcy replied cheerfully, “Thank you for allowing us to come, Miss Elizabeth ... oh, excuse me, it is Miss Bennet now.”

Darcy was startled and pleased. It was incredible how well his shy sister dealt with Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

It was almost enough to make Darcy think that perhaps he should .

.. But no, he owed it to Georgie, if no one else, to marry a well-connected woman who could take his diffident sister under her wing, to guide the wealthy and uncertain Miss Darcy through the minefield of England’s highest society.

His eyes wandered the room as Georgiana and Elizabeth chatted happily, and his gaze fell on the Mr. Bingley and his new bride. The happiness, the joy, the ecstasy on both handsome faces was enough to strike Darcy in the very heart. Oh, to experience such delight in marriage!

“Of course, Miss Darcy, I would be honored to correspond with you,” Elizabeth said, breaking into his thoughts. “Thank you!”

“No, I must thank you!” her young companion replied. “I have very few friends with whom I can exchange letters.”

Elizabeth looked up into Darcy’s eyes, her own gaze clear. “I do thank you for all you have done for us, Mr. Darcy. You have our eternal gratitude.”

Darcy stared down at her, only able to disguise his affection for her as courtesy. “It was entirely my honor, Miss Bennet.”

Ad If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.