If Only In His Dreams (9 page)

Georgiana embraced her brother as she giggled.  “William, you are a silly man.  We had a wonderful trip here, and Mamma was so excited to arrive that we started out this morning much earlier than usual.  The scenery on the trip was beautiful.”

“My goodness, I do not believe I have ever heard so much come from you at one time.” Darcy hugged his sister tighter and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  “And how do you find Hertfordshire?  I know it is not the rugged terrain of Derbyshire, but it has several wonderful places to explore.  And I am quite sure that we could persuade Miss Elizabeth in showing us some of them, as she is quite an explorer of the great outdoors.”  He looked at Elizabeth carefully, afraid of seeing pain in her eyes in case his mother had been harsh to her.  Finding only a kind and loving smile gracing her face brought her favorite dimpled smile from Darcy.

Seeing for herself the way her son reacted with this young lady, Anne Darcy had no further reservations towards the young lady who had stolen her beloved William’s heart.  “Miss Elizabeth, I know it is far too soon for you to refer to me as Mother, but I would be honored if you were to call me Anne or Mother Darcy.”

Elizabeth blushed as she took hold of
Lady Anne
’s outreached hand.  “It will be an honor for me, Mother Darcy.  And I wish for you and Miss Darcy to use my name.  My family refers to me as Lizzy, or my Christian name is Elizabeth.
”

“Lizzy, I am truly honored that my son has found you.  And I ask your forgiveness to our initial moments in the study.  It was done with the best intentions.”

Nodding her head, Elizabeth agreed.  “Mother Darcy, there is nothing to forgive.  You only knew that your son had declared his desire to marry me.  It is natural for you to defend your child.”

Darcy was confused at the conversation, though neither of the ladies wish
ed
to discuss it at the moment.

The ladies returned to the
ir seats as the men joined them;
Darcy sat in a chair next to Elizabeth, while Bingley sat on the sofa next to Jane.  The hour which followed was quite pleasant and enjoyed by all who were in the room
.  Though reluctant to leave Elizabeth, Darcy knew that it was time to make their way to Netherfield.

“Mother, I am sure that you and Georgiana must be weary from your travels.  Perhaps it would be best for us to travel to Netherfield so that you might refresh yourself and rest before dinner.”

“Alas, I do find myself fatigued.”
Lady Anne
stated.  “I do so hope to have more time with you soon, Lizzy.”

Jane stepped to her sister’s side.  “
Lady Anne
, I would like to invite all of you to dine with us tomorrow night.  The Darcys and the Bingleys are all welcome.”

Anne Darcy looked first to her son and then to Bingley.  Both men nodded their agreement, allowing
Lady Anne
to accept the invitation.  She leaned in and gave Elizabeth a slight embrace.  “Thank you
, Lizzy, for your kindness to me today; you are a remarkable young lady.”

“I am pleased that we have
had the chance to know one another better.  And I look forward to spending more time with you as well.” Elizabeth returned the embrace.  Darcy watched the two most important ladies in his life becoming close friends, smiling at them as he felt the bond that was beginning to grow.

As the carriage arrived at Netherfield, Darcy and Bingley dismounted the horses that they had ridden to Longbourn.  Darcy handed down his mother while Bingley assisted Georgiana and the other ladies.  Caroline Bingley approached the ladies, welcoming them to Netherfield.

“
Lady Anne
, it is such a pleasure to have you stay with us.  And Miss Darcy, I believe you have grown a foot since the last time I saw you.  What a handsome young lady you are.”  Caroline stated with a
voice which made Darcy cringe.  It was quite obvious that she was fawning over his sister and mother in an attempt to garner their favor.

“I thank you Miss Bingley for allowing us to stay here.” 
Lady Anne
stated.  “As we have had a long day, would it be asking too much to be shown to our rooms?  A hot bath and some tea would go a long way towards rejuvenating me.”

“Of course,
allow me to show you to the rooms we had prepared and then I will have the staff draw you a bath.”

As Caroline led the Darcy ladies upstairs, Darcy turned to his mother.  “When you have refreshed yourself, send word and I will join you for a talk.”

Lady Anne
turned her gaze back to her son and smiled.  “I will meet with you in an hour.  Thank you for sending for Georgiana and me.  I believe I will enjoy this holiday greatly.
” 

An hour later found Darcy knocking on the door to his mother’s suite of rooms.  He entered after hearing his mother’s voice call to him to come in.

“Mother, it is so good to see you. I am pleased to have you here.” Darcy stated as he placed a kiss on his mother’s cheek.  “Are you well?  I know that travel causes you to be weary, do you have any ill effects from the trip?”

“William, do not fuss over me.  I am quite well.  And I was pleased to have some time to speak with Lizzy before you were there.”
Lady Anne
smiled at her son.

“Yes, I was planning to speak with you
in regards to that very subject.  Why did you stop at Longbourn before coming to Netherfield?”

A laugh from his mother surprised him.  “My dear boy, I wished to know what sort of lady you had attached your feelings to.  I was concerned that she was a fortune hunter.  And I was able to see for myself that Lizzy is not.  She told me I could verify her statements, though I do not see the reason to bother.  I am certain that all reports I find throughout the neighborhood will confirm what I already know of her.  Miss Elizabeth Bennet is
exactly what she appears to be. T
here is not artifice about her, and it is quite refreshing to know that there are still people like her in the world.”

“
It pleases me to know that you and Miss Elizabeth can be on good terms.  I was worried that perhaps you would not be able to, due to her lack of connections and not being of the same level of society as us.”

“I admit that at first I was greatly concerned.  I feared that you had been taken in by her arts and allurement.  Now I see what attracted you to her, she is so different from the ladies of the Ton.  Does she truly visit the tenants and aid those who are in need?”

“I have seen her do so myself.  And the people all seem to favor her efforts.  They were ever so grateful for her personal touches.  One elderly woman, who I later learned was recently widowed.  Miss Elizabeth had taken some gingerbread to the woman, which was the widow’s favorite.  The lady was ever grateful for Miss Elizabeth having remembered.”

“She will do the same at Pemberley, as I have done for years.  I will be proud to have her as my daughter.  And I am so very pleased that you have found her.  William, I have feared for many years that you would never find someone due to your dream lady.  Now I see that it was worth the wait.”

“Mother,
did you tell Lord Matlock why you were coming?” Darcy was nervous.

“I thought it wisest to inform my brother that we were traveling to spend a holiday with you, nothing more.  If he had known the true reason, he would have come here and insisted that you break the agreement.”

“Why does he demand that I marry my cousin?  Anne does not wish to be married to me, and even Aunt Catherine has accepted this.  And it is not even his daughter that Uncle Henry wishes an attachment with me.  Anne told me in her latest letter that she has been enjoying her visits from a Mr Collins, the new clergyman at Hunsford.  At first, Anne thought he was a fool.  But she came to know that it was an act that he puts forward when necessary.  He is kind to her, sees to Aunt Catherine and Anne, as well as the needs of the congregation.”

“I am pleased to learn this.  Though Anne has been ill since she had scarlet fever as a babe, she is quite intelligent and is nearly as wonderful a musician as our Georgiana.”

“I know it is wrong to say such things, but Uncle Lewis dying so many years ago was the best thing that he could have done.  Since his death, Aunt Catherine has been a completely different person.  And sending for masters to instruct Anne was such a blessing to my dear cousin.  Even though it would be too much for Anne to endure to spend a great deal of time in Town, she at least was not lacking in her education.”

“Catherine is much calmer now. 
Henry was wrong in forcing Catherine to marry Lewis; and Catherine paid the price for that marriage with every injury she sustained.
  I must say that my sister has never forgiven our brother for his behavior.”

“I wondered for years why Aunt Catherine never remarried, though now that I know what she endured, I understand the reasoning.  She never wished to give another man control over her life.”

“Yes.  Catherine told me once that she refuses any of Henry’s demands.  She did as she was told when she was younger and Henry had the right to make an arrangement for her, but now she is able to tell him to go fly a kite.  He may be the head of the Fitzwilliam family, but he is not head of the de Bourgh or Darcy families.”

This made Darcy think of his own engagement with Elizabeth.  Had her brother not done just the same thing that Lord Matlock had done for his sister?  Could Elizabeth harbor ill feelings towards both of the men who had made the decision for her to marry without consulting her opinion?  An ache began to grow inside his chest, his heart overwhelmed at the thought of his behavior
being anything at all like his uncle’s.  “Mother, I believe that it is important for me to speak with Miss Elizabeth immediately.  I will return in time for dinner.”

“Very well, William.  And tell Lizzy that I look forward to seeing her tomorrow.”

Placing a kiss on his mother’s hand, Darcy nodded.  “I will do so, Mother.”

Darcy quickly made his way on horseback to Longbourn.  Elizabeth was surprised to see him return so soon after he had left.  “Is all well with your family, Mr Darcy?”

“Indeed, Mother and Georgiana have refreshed and are now resting.  I needed to speak with you on a matter of extreme importance.  I was hoping that your brother would allow us a few moments of privacy.”

The two made their way down the hall to the study where Alex was working on his correspondence.  “Mr Bennet, I wish to have a few moments alone with your sister so that we might have a private conversation.  I promise you that I will behave myself in a proper manner, I only need to speak with her on an issue that I do not wish to speak of publically.”

Alex looked back and forth between the two before nodding his head in agreement.  “I will allow you to utilize my office, on the condition that each of you is on
opposite sides of my desk.”

Once they had agreed to this stipulation, Alex left the room.  Darcy took the seat that Alex had just vacated, while Elizabeth sat in the one directly in front of the desk.

“I made a startling revelation just a short time ago and realized that your brother and I have been cruel in a way to you.  I must begin with a tale that will explain why I came to this notion, if you will allow me to tell you.”

Elizabeth nodded her head and Darcy began his tale.  “My mother is the youngest of three children.  Eldest is my Aunt Catherine, then their brother, Lord Matlock, and my mother is the youngest.  Their father died quite young, and Lord Matlock, my Uncle Henry, became the head of the Fitzwilliam family.  My mother was fortunate that she had already become betrothed to my father, for the power Lord Matlock felt in his advancing to head of the family was unbearable for my Aunt Catherine.  She was forced into an arranged marriage to Sir Lewis de Bourgh, a man who had a sinister reputation and a large bank book.  My uncle has always been a bit of a gambler, losing far more than he can afford.  So he arranged the marriage of my aunt to de Bourgh.  My aunt suffered severely for the
marriage, for de Bourgh was heartless and abusive.  Aunt Catherine was wounded many times; broken bones, bruises, cuts, and even burns on her arms once.”

Elizabeth gasped at such information.  Though it was difficult to believe, it was not something a man such as Darcy would claim if it were false.  He was trusting Elizabeth with a family secret and she would respect the trust he was giving her.

“Fortunately for my aunt, Sir Lewis died not long before their fifth wedding anniversary.  He was well known at many of the brothels in Town and in Kent.  One night, a jealous man who thought himself in love with one of the harlots killed Sir Lewis, finding him with the harlot in a…well…um…”

“Relations?” Elizabeth interjected.

Coloring quite vividly, Darcy turned his face away from his fiancé.  “Yes, that would be a way to describe it.  Anyway, the man pulled a knife and stabbed Sir Lewis multiple times, then killed the woman as well.  Finally, he killed himself.  I am certain that you would understand when I tell you that my aunt was not heartbroken at the news of his death.  And fortunately, their only child, a daughter named Anne, for my mother, was near three at the time and does not remember her father at all.  All that my aunt endured was due to her brother making a decision for her to marry a man without her consent.  I realized that in the agreement I made with your brother, we acted similarly to what my uncle did to his sister.  Though you have my word of honor that I would never strike or harm you, you have been forced into the situation without being allowed to refuse.”

“We discussed this several days ago.  I am willing to abide by the agreement.”

“Miss Elizabeth, you were not given the option to refuse.  For that, I am ashamed of myself. You should have been consulted from the very start and allowed to
voice your opinions.  If for any reason, you feel that you would prefer to end this agreement, say the word and I will speak with your brother.  There will be no anger on my part, no demands for reparations on my behalf.”

Elizabeth watched this man she was slowly coming to know as he made every attempt to be thoughtful and caring.  “Mr Darcy, perhaps the situation began in a manner which I did not like, but you have made me feel more comfortable in the past few days.  And you have honored my request to have a courtship before announcing our engagement.  Of that I am grateful.”

“Do you honestly feel that you can marry me?  Even with what little you know of me?”

Laughing, Elizabeth pleaded with Darcy to take the seat next to hers.  “If I did not know better, I would think that you were attempting to dissuade me from marrying you.  Mr Darcy, in the few days of our courtship, I have come to respect you.  I do not fear you, nor do I believe you will ever harm me.  And as I said, you have agreed to allow me time to know you before a wedding date is set.  So, I do not feel that there is a need to break the engagement agreement at this time.
  Now, if I later find that you have been murdered in a brothel or something equally offensive, I may find reason to be furious with you.”  She smiled wickedly at
the
solemn man.

A small smile began to grow on his lips.  “Miss Elizabeth, I am in awe of the woman I have before me.  You are a wonder and I will cherish each and every day that I am blessed to have you at my side.”

“I thank you for such kindness, Mr Darcy.  Now, as t
o your calling me Miss Elizabeth,
I believe that as we are betrothed, in private or around my family, you should refer to me as either Elizabeth or, as my family refers to me, Lizzy.”

“Only, Elizabeth, if you were to refer to me as William.  I cannot abide the thought of you calling me Fitzwilliam or Mr Darcy when we are not in the company of others, with the exception of our families.”  Darcy lifted her hand to his lips and placed kiss on the back of it.  “Now, before your brother returns and becomes angry over my being on this side of his desk, let us make our way to the
drawing room so I can take my leave properly.”

“Thank you, William.” Elizabeth said with a slight blush to her cheeks.  “That feels…sort of…silly in a way, but a good silly.”

“What is silly?” Darcy asked, his eyebrows rose as he looked at her.

“The feeling I
just had from saying your name,
almost as if it were a forbidden treat that I am savoring.”  Elizabeth said as she took hold of his arm, squeezing it slightly.

A tingle ran up Darcy’s arm at the intimacy in that touch.  “Thank you, Lizzy, for being such a delightful and amazing lady; you amaze me every time I see you.”

Chapter 9

Caroline thought she would have a chance to convince
Lady Anne
against Elizabeth, hoping to show herself as the better candidate to be the future Mistress of Pemberley.  She entered the drawing room just before dinner was announced.  Walking directly to where
Lady Anne
was seated, Caroline seated herself nearby and began
a conversation
with the woman she hoped to one day call her mother-in-law.

“It is such a pleasure to have you and Miss Darcy here with us.  The society here leaves a great deal to
be
desire
d
, as the residents in this neighborhood are very rustic and uncultured.  I have longed to have another woman of taste and style to be here, as I have only had my sister to converse with.”

“I would have thought you would have enjoyed your neighbors, the Bennet sisters.  They seem
to be quite genteel and well brought up.  And I understand that your brother is quite taken with the eldest Miss Bennet.”  Anne Darcy knew that Caroline Bingley was one of the fortune hunting vultures who always attempted to capture her son’s attention in hopes of snaring him for a husband.

“Well, yes, they are genteel for this neighborhood.  Compared to all of the other ladies, they would be considered the cream of the crop, but then again, that is not saying much.”  Caroline laughed at her little joke.

Lady Anne
smiled politely.  “Well, I found both young ladies to be of the utmost perfection and I am thrilled with knowing that Lizzy will be my daughter-in-law.  Such an incredible wit and well versed in many subjects.  And she is quite lovely, with those lovely brown eyes and her curls; my goodness, I can name many of the women from the Ton who would dearly love Lizzy’s curls.”

Hearing
Lady Anne
referring to Miss Elizabeth in such a familiar manner, Caroline Bingley knew that it would be difficult to change her mind against the country chit.  But Caroline Bingley was determined that she would make
Lady Anne
see that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was far from appropriate to be the next Mrs Darcy.

“I was reading the latest issues of the ladies magazines and they all claim that to have straight hair that can be styled easier is all the rage on the continent now.  And it also spoke of men preferring their ladies to be a little less…buxom… than the likes of Miss Elizabeth.  She has far too much curvature to her figure.”

“If I held to the gossips in those magazines I would never have married Gerald Darcy.  For I am here to tell you, most men prefer a woman with curves and a healthy helping of décolletage.  I believe that the writers of such rubbish are ladies who have no attributes to attract men, so they attempt to make all the other single ladies appear like them.  No, Lizzy has the sort of figure that pleases my son, and with the obvious attraction I have seen, I would not be surprised to have a grandchild coming within the first year of their marriage.”

“Oh, I had not heard that they had set a date for a wedding.  Is it for certain that they will be wed?”

“Yes, though Lizzy would like to have some time to court first, to allow them both to know the other bet
ter.  Such a smart young lady; it makes me respect her even more.  And I believe she will be a wonderful role model for Georgiana as well.  Georgie already adores Lizzy, after only one visit.  Our family will be quite joyous with Lizzy joining us.”

Fortunately for Caroline, dinner was announced.  As the ladies made their way down the hall, Darcy and Bingley were coming down the stairs.  “Mother, forgive me for being late in returning from Longbourn.”

This caught Caroline’s attention.  “I thought you had already visited Longbourn for the day.  Are you attempting to convince Miss Eliza to run away with you to Greta Green?”

“No, Miss Bingley, as Lizzy is a proper young lady and I respect her far too much to behave in such a manner.” Darcy stated.  He did not realize the slip of the tongue in using Elizabeth’s nickname.

“Lizzy, is it?  My, how soon will we be wishing you joy?” Caroline’s venom was dripping from her words.

“Forgive me, Miss Bingley, but as Lizzy is my betrothed, she and I have agreed upon using less formal names.  As I am amongst my family and my closest friend, I find that it is natural for me to be less formal.”

Lady Anne
was protective of her son.  “Of course, William, for if you cannot be yourself with us, who can you
be comfortable enough to be able to speak of your beloved so?”

“Thank you, Mother.  I agree, and it feels so natural to say her name in such a manner.  I am truly blessed with such a lady
to agree
to be my wife.”

 
“This is such happy news.” Caroline said as she tried to contain her fury.  “And when will the blessed event take place?”

“We have not set a date as yet, as we both wish to become more at ease with each other, though we have already made a wonderful beginning at it.” Darcy smiled at the memory of Elizabeth’s hand on his arm.

“I am pleased to see the difference in you already, William.”  Mrs Darcy said.  “You are more relaxed and smile so much easier than I can ever remember.  I am grateful to Lizzy for bringing out this joy in you.”

“As am I, Mother.  Now, where is Georgiana?” Darcy inquired.

“She has asked to dine in her room, as she is quite fatigued from the journey.”

Concerned, Darcy began to inquire of his sister’s health.  His mother gave him a look which he was quite familiar with.  It was an unspoken message that told him that he would learn more once they had privacy to speak openly.

“
It is a long journey from Pemberley to this neighborhood.” Caroline stated.  “
If Miss Darcy is in need of medical care, we should send to Town to have someone come, for I hold no faith in the apothecary in Meryton.  I would not find it difficult to believe that the man was centuries outdated in his practice.”

Darcy attempted to curb his disgust with Caroline’s obvious disdain.  “I have heard that Mr Jones is quite updated in his practice, as Mr Bennet told me of the man’s thirst for knowledge rivals that of Lizzy’s.”

Dinner was eaten in relative silence, and afterwards, Darcy requested time to spend with his mother and sister rather than the separation of men and ladies.  “As it has been nearly a month since I left Pemberley, I dearly wish to spend time with my mother, to learn more of the going
s on
there.  And I wish to speak with Georgiana to find out how she finds her lessons.”

“Of course, Darcy, It is understandable that you wish to be with them.  I find no offense at all.  Tomorrow, we will
visit Longbourn in the morning and dine there in the evening, correct?”