Darcy and Elizabeth What If? Collection 3 (18 page)

Sure enough, Mr Wickham was at the concert that evening. As soon as he saw her he walked towards her with a smile on his face.

‘I must apologise for my absence this afternoon,’ he said. ‘I am afraid I had —’

‘A sore head?’ asked Elizabeth.

He looked surprised, but he brazened it out.

‘Ah, you are teasing me,’ he said with a laugh.

He kissed her hand but she drew it away.

He looked a little uneasy but said, ‘Mr Walker was not well and I was called to see him. His servant thought it was very serious and I sent for the physician. I had to stay until he arrived and that is why I missed our appointment. I am afraid I had no one with me and so I could not send you a message. My friend’s health had to come first, as I am sure you will understand.’

‘Indeed I do,’ said Elizabeth.

She did not for one moment believe him but she could not prove that he was lying and so she let it pass.

‘I hope your day was more agreeable,’ he said.

‘It was certainly interesting. I went out early this morning to buy some ribbon for my bonnet.’

‘I look forward to seeing it,’ he said.

He gave a smile which Elizabeth would have taken for charming a day before, but now found ingratiating.

‘I do not believe that will be possible,’ she said. ‘You see, as I was about to enter the shop, a dog ran away from its mistress and I gave chase, since she and her companion were unable to catch it. The dog ran down some alleyways and I found myself in a less fashionable part of the town.’

She saw his expression waver for an instant, but then he plastered his smile back on his face.

‘I think you can guess what I saw, Mr Wickham.’

He looked rather ill now, but the smile was still on his face.

‘I saw a gentleman of my acquaintance,’ she continued. ‘He was emerging from a sick room, or so I imagine, since the woman who followed him was dressed only in her nightgown. It seems that this is a day for visiting the sick, is it not?’

Mr Wickham was by now looking very foolish.

‘Goodbye, Mr Wickham,’ she said with a note of finality.

He looked as if he might try to make some excuse, but Elizabeth’s face was determined. A look of resignation crossed his face, then he bowed and hurried away.

Elizabeth laughed to see him go.

‘Well done, my dear,’ said Mrs Gardiner, who joined Elizabeth when Mr Wickham left. ‘He will not be bothering you again. Now I think we had better take our places. The concert is about to begin.’

Elizabeth looked about her. The concert hall was filling up. Almost all the seats were taken. She had thought she might see Mr Darcy there, but he was not in attendance.

However, she saw a familiar face, that of the young woman she had comforted in the cloakroom some days before. The young woman looked up and smiled. Elizabeth was pleased. She thought the young lady might have been too embarrassed to speak to her after their earlier encounter. In Elizabeth’s experience, people did not always like to be reminded of their moments of weakness. But the young lady indicated that the seats next to her were available and so Elizabeth’s party settled themselves there.

Elizabeth did not have a programme so the young lady lent Elizabeth hers.

‘It is the least I can do, after you were so kind to me the other day,’ she said.

‘I was glad to help,’ said Elizabeth, taking the proffered programme.

‘It made all the difference,’ said the young lady. ‘You were right, all I needed was a friend and luckily I have found one. My friend and I spent this afternoon together and all my problems seem to be melting away. It has changed everything for me. It is wonderful to have someone who is interested in me and cares about me.’

‘I am very pleased to hear it,’ said Elizabeth sincerely.

She knew how important it was to have a confidante. She was lucky in that she had a sensible aunt she could talk to, and even more lucky that she had a most beloved sister. She could say many things to her aunt, but she could say absolutely anything to her sister. She knew what a relief it was to be able to unburden herself if she was worried about anything, and she knew what a joy it was to share good news and happiness. So she was very glad the young lady had found this at last.

A hush was starting to settle over the room. The audience had taken their places and the musicians were picking up their instruments.

‘Tomorrow you shall know all,’ whispered the young lady. ‘Thank you again, Miss —’

‘Bennet,’ said Elizabeth. ‘You are very welcome, Miss —’

‘Bent,’ said the young woman.

Elizabeth was startled. So this was Miss Bent, the woman who was betrothed to Mr Darcy.

How terrible it was that two people who did not love each other should be bound together. Mr Darcy did not wish it, Miss Bent did not wish it, but they were both forced to honour the arrangement because it had been made by their parents at the Pemberley ball.

Elizabeth spent the following morning writing letters. She missed her family, particularly her father and her sister Jane, and she did not want to neglect them. She wrote one general letter for her whole family to read and another, more detailed letter, for Jane.

She told Jane all about Mr Darcy and Miss Bent, and she finished by saying, ‘How lucky we are, Jane, not to be burdened with a fortune, for it brings as many problems as it solves. I am looking forward to seeing you again. I miss you.’

She signed the letter with her love, then sanded it, folded it and addressed it.

She asked her aunt and uncle if they had any letters they wanted her to post and they each gave her several. Then she called for her aunt’s maid and she set out to post them.

She enjoyed the morning air, which was becoming warmer and warmer as the sun rose in the sky. There was a light breeze blowing, which fluttered the hem of her muslin gown, but it was not strong enough to make her hold her bonnet on with her hand. The new coral ribbons tying it beneath her chin were strong enough to keep it in place.

As she walked along, she became aware that a lot of people seemed to be out gossiping this morning. There was an unusual amount of activity, and people were talking together in small knots. When the knots broke up, each member hurried off to form another knot, and they were soon all huddled together and whispering.

‘Do you know what it is all about?’ asked Elizabeth.

Her aunt’s maid said, ‘Yes, Miss.’

She looked uncomfortable and did not say any more.

Elizabeth looked at her enquiringly.

‘It’s not for me to say, Miss,’ said the maid.

Elizabeth was surprised, for the maid was usually happy to talk. But one look at the maid’s face told her it was in some way connected with her.

‘I demand to know,’ said Elizabeth.

The maid looked uncomfortable but said, ‘They do say there’s been an elopement, Miss. They say Mr Wickham has run off with an heiress.’

Elizabeth’s eyebrows rose in surprise. How lucky it was that she had found him out before this moment, otherwise what a shock it would have been!’

‘Mr Wickham is nothing to me,’ she reassured the maid. ‘He was an entertaining companion but nothing more.’

‘Oh, I’m that glad, Miss,’ said the maid. ‘I didn’t like to think as how you’d been disappointed.’

‘But with whom has he eloped?’

Even as she spoke, she suddenly guessed.

The maid confirmed her suspicions. ‘Miss Bent.’

So that was why he had not kept his appointment the previous afternoon! He had not been visiting a sick friend at all, he had been courting Miss Bent!

Miss Bent’s words came back to her:
It is wonderful to have someone who is interested in me and cares about me and listens to me. We spent all the afternoon together and all my problems seem to be melting away.
What a different complexion those words took on now! The friend was not another young woman, as Elizabeth had supposed. The friend was Mr Wickham.
Tomorrow you shall know all
, Miss Bent had said. Little had Elizabeth guessed that she was talking about an elopement!

‘I don’t feel sorry for her,’ said the maid. ‘I think, Good luck to her! He’s a handsome fellow and she holds the purse strings so I dare say he’ll be good to her. The one I feel sorry for is Mr Darcy.’

Mr Darcy.

Elizabeth’s heart leapt.

Mr Darcy was now free to marry elsewhere.

But then her heart sank.

He would never marry her. His father would not allow it.

Mr Darcy was in his bedchamber that afternoon, changing out of his riding boots. He was looking forward to seeing Elizabeth again. It had been very clever of Georgiana to invite Elizabeth to tea that afternoon, since the Duchess of Livsy had also been invited, and his parents would not make a scene in front of their honoured guest. The Duchess was a friend of his grandfather, the Earl, and she was one of the most noble women in the land.

He hoped his sister and Miss Bennet became friends, then at least he would not be denied her company entirely.

He had just changed out of his boots when, through the window, he saw the Duchess’s carriage arriving. He went downstairs to find the Duchess in the hall, with her little dog in her arms, being welcomed by his father.

Mr Darcy looked at his father with a mixture of affection and exasperation. He thought how well he loved that noble profile and how he would do almost anything to make his father happy, and make his father proud of him.
Almost
anything. Because, glancing through the glass door leading to the drawing-room, he saw that Elizabeth had already arrived, and he knew that he could never marry anyone else. He had to marry Elizabeth. There were seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the way, but he must find a way to surmount them, or be miserable for the rest of his life.

As his eyes lingered on Elizabeth, his expression softened. Every line of her face was dear to him. Every lock of her hair was precious. He could not give her up.

The Duchess, following his gaze, looked at Elizabeth thoughtfully.

Mr Darcy’s father turned to look, too, but he only frowned.

‘Be thankful you have no children,’ he said to the Duchess testily. ‘My son is not content with the heiress I have found for him. He wants to marry a penniless nobody instead. As if a country squire’s daughter could ever be the mistress of Pemberley! No one would ever visit the estate again.’

‘I would,’ said the Duchess, shifting her little dog higher in her arms. ‘And not only that, I would persuade my good friend the Prince of Wales to visit, too. In fact, I would persuade him to attend the wedding.’

Mr Darcy and his father looked at her in astonishment.

‘But Miss Bent-—’ protested Mr Darcy’s father.

‘Miss Bent ran away with George Wickham hours ago,’ said the Duchess. ‘It is all over the town. I am surprised you have not heard about it yet – although I suppose no one has been brave enough to tell you. You look astonished, and yet I cannot think why. George Wickham has been hanging out for an heiress for years and Miss Bent wanted to escape from her overbearing parents and an overbearing future husband. She and Wickham should deal well together!’

Mr Darcy looked even more astonished.

‘I am not overbearing —’ he began.

‘Oh, yes, you are, Fitzwilliam, I have known you since you were a little boy and you’re proud and haughty and you like to have your own way. But you have met your match in Miss Bennet. Anyone who can tame Napoleon can tame you.’ She did not explain this remark, but she chuckled to herself and tickled her little dog under the chin. ‘Besides, you are in love with her, and that makes all the difference. Well, go on, boy, what are you waiting for?’

Mr Darcy needed no more urging. He was already half way towards the drawing-room, striding towards Elizabeth. As soon as greetings had been exchanged he said, ‘Miss Bennet, I wonder if you would care to stroll in the garden? There are some very fine flowers I am sure you would like to see.’

‘Yes, indeed, Miss Bennet, allow us to show them to you,’ said Lady Anne, rising from her chair.

‘No need for that,’ said the Duchess, following Mr Darcy into the room. ‘I am in need of company and you must entertain me, Lady Anne. Let the young people look around the garden together.’

Now it was Lady Anne’s turn to look astonished, but she sat down again nevertheless.

‘Miss Bennet?’ said Mr Darcy, offering her his arm.

Elizabeth rose and took his arm.

Her aunt’s maid, who had accompanied her in the role of chaperon, rose from her chair.

The Duchess turned to her imperiously and said, ‘I left my gloves in the hall. Go and fetch them for me.’

‘I will do that,’ said the Duchess’s companion brightly.

‘You will do nothing of the sort,’ said the Duchess firmly. ‘I need you to take care of Napoleon.’

And so saying, she passed the little dog over to her companion.

Mr Darcy, meanwhile, led Elizabeth out into the garden.

‘I am not sure if you have heard the news,’ he said, as he and Elizabeth strolled along a pleasant gravel path towards the back of the garden, ‘but Miss Bent has eloped with Mr Wickham.’

‘Yes. I had heard,’ she replied.

‘That means I will not be able to marry her,’ he remarked with a smile.

‘I rather suspected as much,’ said Elizabeth with a sparkle in her eye. ‘When did you hear the news?’

‘Just now, from the Duchess. You seem to be a favourite of hers, though I cannot think why. Can you shed any light on the matter?’

She told him about Napoleon’s escapade, and the help she had rendered the Duchess.

‘Ah! So that is what she meant,’ said Mr Darcy.

‘About what?’

‘Oh, just a remark she made about Napoleon.’ They stopped at the end of the garden and admired a splendid rhododendron. Then Mr Darcy continued. ‘Now that Mr Wickham and Miss Bent have gone from our lives, I have something to ask you, Elizabeth. Will you do me the honour, the very great honour of becoming my wife?’

He sank to one knee as he said it.

‘Will your father not object?’ she asked him seriously.

‘Not any more. The Duchess approves the match, and that is enough to remove his doubts. You will be welcomed by my family, as well as adored by myself.’

She looked deeply into this eyes.

‘Then yes. Indeed I will,’ she said.

His whole being radiated his happiness. He rose to his feet and pulled her close, then kissed her on the lips.

Elizabeth gave a sigh of great happiness when at last they parted.

‘I will have to speak to your father and ask his permission,’ said Mr Darcy, looking at Elizabeth tenderly. ‘I am tempted to ride to Hertfordshire to see him at once, but I do not want to leave your side.’

‘We are returning there tomorrow. Will you not join us?’ she asked.

‘Thank you. That would give me very great pleasure. In the meantime, I will escort you back to your lodgings after tea and assure your uncle of my intentions.’

‘You will be very welcome there. My aunt and uncle like you very much – even though you are not a steward!’ she teased him.

He laughed.

‘I deserved that. I was wrong to deceive you, but it has all turned out well in the end.’

‘Yes,’ said Elizabeth. ‘It has.’

He kissed her again.

‘We had better go in,’ he said at last. ‘I am sure my family will like to hear the news.’

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at this.

‘You doubt me, but my sister loves you already, and my parents will come to love you in time, though none of them will ever love you as well as I do. It was a lucky day for me when you came to Pemberley.’

‘It was a lucky day for both of us,’ she said.

He took her arm in his and they walked back towards the house.

‘We will have many more lucky days,’ he said, ‘and many more balls at Pemberley.’