Page 33

Darcy House

London

A month later, Darcy and Elizabeth were back in town and the knocker was on the door. The earl and countess hosted a ball to introduce Elizabeth to their society the day after their nephew and his wife returned.

The day following the ball, the newlyweds were inundated with callers, as had been expected.

Though Elizabeth was largely unimpressed with the members of high society she was meeting, they were clearly equally unimpressed with her, and she did not repine the loss of their good opinions.

She did, however, find two or three other young wives she felt she could be friends with.

It was a relief, for she was a lady who enjoyed the society of others and she had not been looking forward to pretending enjoyment at events where she had no one to confide in.

After the day of visits, Elizabeth joined her husband in his study, where he was enjoying a glass of port with his cousin.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Darcy.” Richard bowed to her. “How are you enjoying being tied to my stuffy cousin?”

Elizabeth laughed. “I like it very much.” She raised a brow. “Should I not? After all, he is the exact gentleman to bring out my best qualities.”

Fitzwilliam shook his head. “I can see that you do, indeed, suit him well.” He seated himself and picked up his glass. “I am very happy to hear it.” He lifted the drink in salute. “To Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. May your love always blind you to each other’s faults.”

“Hear, hear!” Darcy lifted his glass, as well. He took a swallow and then chuckled. “You need a wife, Richard, to soften your rough edges.”

The colonel smirked. “Indeed.” He turned to Elizabeth. “How is your family? Have you heard from them?”

“I have.” Elizabeth bit her lip for a moment and tilted her head. “My sister Jane marries in a fortnight. We will, of course, attend. We will be staying at Netherfield, as I understand it. Will we not, Husband?” She arched her brow as she turned her attention to her spouse.

Darcy felt his heart rate increase at her impertinent look. He swallowed but gathered his wits so he could form a reply. “We will. Bingley has more room and very little family. He will not mind us occupying a chamber and will appreciate the support.”

“Excellent!” Fitzwilliam smiled and then looked back at Elizabeth. “And, the rest of your family?”

“I have only heard from Mary. My mother seems to be so wholly focused on Jane’s wedding that she does not have time to write, and my father is a dilatory correspondent at best. My two youngest sisters simply asked Mary and Jane to add notes to their letters.”

“I see.” Fitzwilliam hesitated. “How is Miss Mary?”

A look of dawning understanding crossed Elizabeth’s features. “She is very well. She is looking forward to coming to London to stay with the Gardiners for a few weeks following the wedding.”

Darcy almost laughed at the relief that spread across his cousin’s mien.

“I see.” Fitzwilliam looked into his glass. “That is good.” He paused again. “Has she found any beaus in the last few weeks?”

Elizabeth’s lips twitched, but she answered his question with solemnity.

“She has not mentioned any. There are few gentlemen of marriageable age in the area around Meryton. I hope she will meet someone when she is in town. She deserves a good husband who will love her above all others.” She looked at Darcy and smiled. “As I have done.”

Darcy smiled back as he gazed into her eyes. The sound of the colonel clearing his throat brought him out of his haze, and he turned his attention toward his cousin.

“Have you heard anything more about Wickham?” He turned to his wife. “I had asked Richard before our wedding to look into a post for him that was far from society.”

The colonel nodded. “I do have news. As you know, Wickham was in the militia and I am in the regulars, but I do have connections in that branch of the army. I found him a position in a unit in Northumbria, serving under a colonel who is known to be strict. It seems our old friend did not like the discipline required and disappeared. He had convinced the daughter of a local estate owner to elope with him. They married in Gretna Green and came back to her parents’ home.

The family was unhappy but agreed to the union, as long as they had a settlement in place.

” Fitzwilliam chuckled. “It seems that the father had it written into the settlement that both the dowry and the inheritance … she is an heiress … are to remain in a trust of some sort, controlled, as I understand it, by her father for now and a set of trustees after his death. Wickham gets a yearly stipend and that is it.”

Darcy laughed. “I could not have arranged it better! Good for the father!”

The colonel laughed. “Oh, there is more. My contact tells me that the young lady has turned into quite the shrew. She keeps him tightly under her thumb, and Wickham cannot make a move without her permission. Word has it, he is miserable and spends most of his evenings in a drunken stupor.”

Darcy laughed at that until tears ran down his face. “It could not have happened to a more deserving person,” he finally said. “Would that I could witness this with my own eyes.”

The laughter continued for a few more minutes before they trio calmed.

Fitzwilliam took a sip of his drink. “Has my father informed you about our aunt and cousin in Kent?”

“He mentioned that he had brokered a marriage for Anne.”

The colonel nodded. “Yes, she is now engaged to the son of her neighbor. She is happy, my mother tells me, and is planning her own wedding. She will not allow Aunt Catherine to have any say at all. It seems her intended takes no steps to mediate. He allows Anne to do and say what she will.”

Darcy’s brow creased. “That does not bode well for him.”

“Oh?” One of Elizabeth’s brows rose. “Are you saying you do not give me my way whenever I ask?”

Darcy felt himself flush. “I did not say that, my love.” He grew hotter when his cousin laughed at him.

“I suppose I will discover the truth of such things if I ever marry.” Richard hid his smirk behind his glass.

Darcy scowled. “I suppose you will.”

Elizabeth winked at her husband but asked a question of the colonel. “How are things with Lady Catherine?”

“As Father tells it, she is furious with him for following through with his censure. She constantly writes to him to ask for more funds, insisting that her allowance is inadequate. He is so tired of hearing her complaints that he has instructed his butler to forward all correspondence received from Rosings to his solicitor, and that gentleman has begun sending her a standard reply, stating that she has received her funds for the quarter and that there are no more available.”

Darcy shook his head. “I am glad he took over that responsibility. Elizabeth still urges me to reconcile, but it will be a long time before it happens. Hearing what you have just related tells me that I am correct to wait. I meant it when I said I needed to receive an apology and see improvement in her behavior before I can accept her back into my circle.”

“No one blames you for that.” Fitzwilliam’s countenance grew somber. “I think we have all tired of her nonsense.”

The three were quiet for a while as they pondered Lady Catherine. Finally, Darcy checked his watch and noted the time. “We should dress for dinner. Will you join us?”

The colonel’s face brightened. “I will. Why else would I come here but for a dinner invitation?”

“I do not know. Perhaps to drink more of my port?” Darcy raised a brow as he looked at his cousin with his lips turned down.

He could not maintain the look, though, and soon was grinning.

He stood, helped Elizabeth up, and slapped Fitzwilliam on the shoulder when the colonel rose.

“Come; Baxter will set you up in your usual room and assign you a man for the evening.” With that, he held his arm out for his wife to hold and led her out of the room and up the stairs.

~~~***~~~

Pemberley, Derbyshire

September 1812

“My love, you have a letter here from your father.” Darcy handed his wife the missive, leaning down to kiss her as he did so.

Elizabeth returned his kiss and then moved her feet off the settee so he could sit close to her. “Mama was due to deliver last week. I wonder if this is their announcement.” She snapped the seal, unfolded the note, and read it through.

“Oh,” she cried, her hand going to her mouth. “It is a boy! They had a boy!” She started to cry and Darcy pulled her into his arms.

“So the entailment is at an end.” He kissed her hair as her sobs began to subside. “If this had only happened years ago, how different your life might have been.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it into her hand.

“I know. That was all I could think of … it is such a relief to know that things will not end for the Bennet family as we all grew up thinking it would.”

“You were surprised when you received the news that your mother was increasing. You must have gotten your hopes up quite high.”

Elizabeth sniffed as she wiped her nose. “I suppose I did without realizing it.” She settled deeper into his arms and picked up the letter again. “I am sure my mother is ecstatic. As soon as she is churched, she will have that child carted all over Meryton, showing him off.”

Darcy chuckled. “Can you blame her?”

She shook her head. “No, not really.” She looked up at him. “Our children will have an uncle close in age to them. How strange that will be.”

Darcy hugged her. “Indeed.” He peeked over her shoulder. “Did your father tell you what they have named him?”

“Oh!” Elizabeth read it through again. “Here it is. Albert Thomas George Bennet. He is named after his father and his grandfathers.”

“Well, we must send a gift for Master Albert to welcome him to the family.” He squeezed her shoulder.

“We should.”

Elizabeth’s murmured response made Darcy tilt his head.

“What else does the letter say?”