The Darcys of Pemberley (10 page)

Despite any such bittersweet reflections,
Miss Bingley made the most of the opportunity. She wore a
particularly dazzling smile, spoke attentively to her partner, and
danced with a style to show off her figure to best advantage,
making quite a favorable impression on more than one man’s mind.
Her efforts were completely thrown away on Mr. Darcy, however, who
had long since become immune to her wiles. By dancing with Miss
Bingley, he performed a duty in which he took no pleasure. The
chore completed, he excused himself with a curt bow and swiftly
returned to his wife.

Elizabeth could not resist having a little
sport at his expense. “How well you looked dancing with Caroline,
my dear,” she said, her eyes twinkling with fun. “It was quite a
pretty picture, I must say. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I
did.”

“You know perfectly well that I did not,” he
muttered, “but I am gratified that I could once again be a source
of amusement to you. That is always my first object.”

“As indeed it should be.”

“Still, it does put me in mind of another
time, when our situations were more or less reversed. I recall a
different ball where I had the very great pleasure of seeing you
dance with Mr. Collins. Then I was the one amused by
your
discomfort. Perhaps the remembrance of that occasion will give you
more sympathy for me now,” Darcy suggested.

With a hearty laugh, Elizabeth acknowledged
that her husband’s shot had hit its mark. He had bested her wit,
and not for the first time.

Aftermath

The Darcys’ guests began to take to their
leave after the fireworks display that capped off the night, but it
was not until nearly dawn that the last of the company had boarded
their carriages and gone. Those who lived nearby departed under a
full moon for the comfort their own beds, and others, such as the
Applewhites and Williamses, went to lodgings in Lambton and
Kympton. The Heywoods, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Miss de Bourgh, and the
entire Bingley party were to be housed overnight at Pemberley. None
of these lingered long downstairs after the others had gone, and
Georgiana shortly said goodnight as well.

Darcy and Elizabeth were the last to retire.
With the party not finishing until the wee hours, no one would
expect them to make another appearance before midday. Still they
did not tarry unnecessarily. They retreated upstairs, exhausted and
quietly content, agreeing that despite Wickham’s interruption the
evening had been an unqualified success. When they finally awoke
and came downstairs again, they found Mr. and Mrs. Bingley in the
breakfast room ahead of them.

“Darcy, Elizabeth, I congratulate you both,”
said Mr. Bingley. “What a capital ball – good company, spirited
dancing, excellent food. I must say, I enjoyed myself immensely.
The only imperfection was not being allowed to dance with my
beautiful wife,” he said turning to Jane.

“I wish I could have joined in, and yet it
was very agreeable just to watch,” she replied. “With people
dressed in their finery and Pemberley looking its best, it was a
beautiful sight to behold.”

“I am very glad that you both enjoyed it,”
said Elizabeth. “All things considered, I think it went off pretty
well. I am especially pleased for Georgiana; she was definitely the
belle of the ball. Ah, here comes our birthday girl now. I was just
saying what a success you were last evening, dear. How are you
feeling after your big night?”

“I never danced so much in my life! I am
thoroughly exhausted, and it may take me a week to recover, but I
could not have asked for a better birthday. It was altogether
wonderful, was it not?”

Gradually, the others drifted in and helped
themselves from the tempting variety of dishes set out on the
sideboard. A great deal of wine had been consumed during the ball,
and a couple of the men were clearly suffering the consequences of
their overindulgence. With that notable exception, everybody
appeared in good spirits. They casually collected, ate, and talked
amongst themselves, mostly about the particulars of the night
before.

The Bingley contingent prepared to depart
shortly thereafter. Mr. Bingley’s sisters had long cherished a
darling wish that there would one day be a family estate to lend
distinction to the Bingley name. Now that the dream had been
realized, they were extremely keen to see the place. As soon as the
whole party could be made ready, they set off for Heatheridge,
surreptitiously going by way of the stables in order to collect Mr.
Wickham. Mr. Darcy, being careful to conceal the transaction from
his sister, had privately informed Mr. Bingley of the whereabouts
of his brother-in-law and assigned the rogue over to his
supervision.

The Applewhites and Williamses drove back to
Pemberley to spend the day. They, along with the Heywoods, took
advantage of the opportunity to sojourn a little longer with their
friends before starting back to London. With Colonel Fitzwilliam,
Anne de Bourgh, and Kitty Bennet included, they made a party of
fourteen in a comfortable gathering, with none of the pomp and
ceremony of the previous night.

That evening, those who remained moved to the
music room. Miss Heywood was desirous of exhibiting her talent,
and, at Henry Heywood’s particular request, Georgiana agreed to
play as well. Although the young man apparently found his sister’s
performance not to be worth listening to, he attended with uncommon
interest and admiration whilst Miss Darcy played. When she
finished, Henry responded enthusiastically and rose to escort the
self-conscious young lady back to her seat.

That night, Elizabeth could not resist
commenting to her husband about the episode. “Young Mr. Heywood
seems to be taking a serious interest in our dear Georgiana.”

“Yes, I think that fact could hardly have
escaped the notice of anybody in the room this evening. Although
they have known each other for years, this is the first occasion
that I have seen him so determined to please her and to be pleased
by her.”

“He undoubtedly likes her very much.
Georgiana’s feelings are more difficult to judge. She seems glad
enough for his attentions, but rather guarded in her own response.
What would you think of such a match for your sister, Darcy?”

He considered the question a moment. “Henry
is an impressive young man – well-mannered, intelligent, ambitious
– and I have a very good opinion of his family, which is another
circumstance in his favor. It would certainly be an eligible match
as to fortune, and I would not quibble over any class distinctions
if Georgiana set her heart on having him. Still, I question the
suitability of the match as to temperament and habit. From what I
have observed, Henry Heywood values the pace and prestige of
fashionable society a great deal more than does my sister. And
London must be his home because of the bank. I doubt that Georgiana
could permanently surrender herself to that style of life unless
she was totally besotted, and I see no symptoms of that sort of
intoxication yet.”

“True. When you put it like that, the match
hardly seems to make sense, does it? However, rational thought
often goes out the window where love is concerned, and then
anything can happen.”

In the morning, immediately after breakfast,
the Heywoods prepared to depart for London. With regret, Darcy and
Elizabeth made their farewells to these good friends, walking out
to the carriage to see them off. Henry Heywood lingered behind the
others with some parting words for Georgiana.

“I hope I shall see you in town before long,
Miss Darcy.”

“As I said before, our plans are not yet
fixed. I think it unlikely, though, that we shall come before April
or May.”

“That seems an age from now. Will you not
write to my sister so that I may have some news of you before
then?” he asked.

“If she wishes me to.”

“I am certain she does wish it. The two of
you are just the same age, and I should be pleased for you to
become better acquainted. There can be no objection to it on either
side, surely.”

“I shall wait to hear from her then.
Good-bye, Mr. Heywood,” said Georgiana, offering her hand.

He took it, pressed it tenderly, and gave her
an earnest look. “Good-bye, Miss Darcy.”

~*~

With only family remaining at Pemberley,
Colonel Fitzwilliam called them all together, announcing that he
had some news to share. The tremor in his voice hinted at some
uneasiness. Anne’s eyes darted from face to face as she took a seat
beside him. Darcy and Elizabeth sat opposite and exchanged looks of
dire concern. Kitty and Georgiana took their places with the most
composure, neither being aware of the charged atmosphere in the
room nor suspecting what lay ahead.

“Dear friends,” the colonel began when they
were settled. “I am glad you are all here, for I have something
very important to say. I know that some of you may have already
guessed what it is,” he said with a nod to Darcy and Elizabeth.
“For the rest, it will probably come as quite a surprise.
Regardless, I hope you will share my joy at my good fortune.”
Taking Anne’s hand, he revealed, “Anne and I are engaged to be
married.”

A stunned silence fell over the room. For a
long moment, no one moved or breathed. Only Kitty Bennet looked
prepared to celebrate the happy tidings, but even she held back
sensing the hesitation of the others who knew the principals far
better. Miss Darcy suffered the most profound shock. All the color
drained from her face, and she hastily exited the room with her
eyes steadfastly focused on the floor in front of her feet. She
only just managed to mumble the obligatory words of congratulation
to her cousins as she fled.

Darcy and Elizabeth were more puzzled by
Georgiana’s reaction than surprised by the announcement itself,
having rather expected it ever since the pair arrived together for
the ball. They recovered quickly and moved to offer their best
wishes to Anne and Fitzwilliam, feigning more cheer than either of
them felt at the event. Kitty began to apprehend that she was an
outsider in the midst of an awkward situation. She wished the
couple joy and followed Georgiana from the room. The remaining four
studied each other in silence until the drawing room door closed
behind her.

Then the colonel began. “I apprised Anne of
your sentiments in the matter, and we discussed your counsel at
length. Darcy, Elizabeth, I know this course is not what you
recommended, but I hope you will try to be pleased for us
nonetheless.”

“I want it clearly understood that my
disapprobation is in no way meant as a slight to you, Anne,” Darcy
explained. “Quite the reverse. It is precisely because of my high
regard for you
both
that I opposed the idea. To me, such an
alliance seemed to hold so little chance of success.”

“It must be your decision,” added Elizabeth.
“We only wish you to act according to what will constitute your own
happiness, without reference to the ambitions of others.”

“Then let me set your minds at ease,” Ann
responded with quiet assurance. “Fitzwilliam and I have made our
decision without undue pressure or persuasion from anyone else. We
are satisfied that this will be for the best.”

“What Anne says is correct,” agreed Colonel
Fitzwilliam. “We have made our own choice for our own reasons. If
it pleases our families as well, is that not a good rather than an
evil?”

“Naturally; that goes without saying. Peace
in the family is to be maintained whenever possible,” replied
Darcy. “If this marriage is truly what you both want, we will
respect your decision and wish you joy.”

“Yes, of course. I will pray for your every
happiness,” promised Elizabeth.

~*~

Georgiana kept to her room all the next day,
sending word by her maid that she was indisposed. Elizabeth went up
twice to look in on her, but, finding her asleep both times, she
let her be. The next morning, when the girl still did not appear,
Elizabeth resolved to investigate as soon as their guests were
off.

“I am sorry not to see Georgiana again before
we go,” said Fitzwilliam as he and Miss de Bourgh were about to
depart. “She did look frightfully pale yesterday, poor thing, but I
trust she will soon recover. If you would be so kind as to give her
my warmest regards, Elizabeth, I would be much obliged. You know
how fond I am of her.”

Anne bid them farewell as Fitzwilliam handed
her into the carriage, where her maid was waiting for her. They
were on their way to Fitzwilliam’s family home to share their good
news. There, no doubt, it would be received with more enthusiasm
than it had been at Pemberley.

Elizabeth could well imagine how the groom’s
father and the bride’s mother would savor their triumph, and with
what exultation they would issue the formal announcement of the
union. She only wished the young couple could more whole-heartedly
share in that jubilation. Their reassuring words notwithstanding,
Elizabeth remained unconvinced that Anne and Fitzwilliam were as
confident of their decision as they professed to be. “Well,” she
thought, “I said I would pray for their happiness, and pray for it
I shall, for I fear nothing short of divine intervention will make
a success of this marriage.”

As soon as they were gone, Elizabeth followed
through on her intention to discover what ailed her sister-in-law.
Hearing no response to her knock, she entered the room and found
Georgiana curled up in bed, staring listlessly out the window with
an untouched breakfast tray on the table beside her. Elizabeth at
once perceived that she had been crying. “Oh, my darling girl, what
on earth is the matter?” she asked as she sat down on the bed.

Georgiana turned her face into the pillow and
began to sob.