The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy (21 page)

Lord Fitzwilliam poked his head into the breakfast room and asked, “What are you all doing in here?”

“We are having breakfast, Antony,” Anne answered, gesturing for her cousin to join them. “Would you like Jackson to prepare a plate for you?”

“Just ham and a piece of bread will do. I rarely eat at this hour. By the way, what hour is it?”

“It is 9:00.”

“Good grief! What are you all doing out of bed? And where are my relations?”

“Will, Georgiana, Richard, and Mr. Bingley are riding on this beautiful morning. Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, and I do not ride, and Mr. Hurst is under the weather.”

“Where is that lovely creature with the black eyes? I didn’t run her off, did I?” Lord Fitzwilliam asked while taking the chair next to Mrs. Hurst.

“Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner have returned to Hertfordshire, and their departure had nothing to do with you,” Anne reassured him.

“Well, that is a relief. It is too bad she has departed as I am very partial to dark-eyed women. I think my wife has brown eyes. I shall have to look next time I see her.”

“Antony, Lady Fitzwilliam has beautiful blue eyes, just like your daughters,” and with a puzzled expression she asked, “Do you know that your hair is standing straight up?”

“It always does,” he said, running his fingers through his blonde mane. “My man has invented some concoction that gets it to lie down. Hopefully, he will arrive today with my baggage.” Turning to Mrs. Hurst, he said, “You see, my brother, Colonel Fitzwilliam, inherited the good looks and the hair, and I got everything else.”

When Louisa started giggling, Lord Fitzwilliam knew he had found his audience.

“I know it sounds unfair, but Richard had to get something since he did not get any of the money.”

Louisa tried not to laugh, but the earl
was
funny. It had been such a long while since a man, including her husband, had paid her any notice. But her sister was looking at her from across the table, and she was anything but amused because today was to be her day.

This morning, Caroline had awoke with a smile on her face because, at long last, she would have an opportunity to spend time with Mr. Darcy. She anticipated long walks by the lake and private conversations about their future, and she took great pains with her toilette. Unlike her dark-haired rival, who could barely keep her curls in place, Caroline had long silky blond hair, which she wore with one long curl falling over her shoulder so that everyone could truly appreciate how beautiful her hair was. Unlike Miss Elizabeth’s two lumps of coal, she had crystal blue eyes, and before going downstairs, she had taken one last look in the mirror and liked what she saw. The equestrians came in shortly thereafter.

“What a morning!” Charles said. “Absolutely perfect for riding, and Miss Darcy is one of the few women who can give me a run for my money.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bingley. I learned from my brother, who would not allow me to use my sex as an excuse, and because of that, I had to work very hard,” and turning to her cousin, she asked, “Will you ride with us tomorrow, Lord Fitzwilliam? I know you are a fine horseman.”

“Past tense, my dear. I
was
a fine horseman. These days the only riding I do is in a carriage,” he said with real regret because there was nothing like a fine mount to make you feel as if you could conquer the world. However, when you were never completely sober, the last place you wanted to be was on a spirited animal, unforgiving of error. But there had been a time when he had ridden like the wind, and even his brother and cousin could not catch him. “What have you done with Darcy? Hopefully, you have not left him lying at the bottom of some chasm in his nice riding clothes.”

“My brother had business in Lambton, Milord, but he will be with us for dinner.”

“Well, I am not waiting for dinner,” Richard said, patting his stomach. “I am starving and Bingley has done nothing but talk of food since we got in sight of Pemberley.”

Lord Fitzwilliam pushed his plate away from him untouched. The thought of eating before noon disgusted him. “Richard, you may have my chair. Mrs. Hurst and I were about to go into the gardens when you arrived, so if you will excuse us,” and Antony stood up and extended his arm to Louisa.

Louisa and Lord Fitzwilliam’s departure was as surprising as the sight of a nun strolling through St. James’s Park with the Prince of Wales would have been, and no one was more surprised than Louisa Hurst. After finding a seat on the bench nearest to the maze, Lord Fitzwilliam told her, “Since I am an earl, I may say things that other people cannot, and you must listen. You are a delightful young woman, but I am afraid, my dear, your sister quite overpowers you, and you defer to her in everything. Last night, you told me you are rarely separated. May I suggest that you go away for a month or two, so that she might have an opportunity to miss you and thus recognize your value?”

It was true that Louisa deferred to Caroline. Because of her sister’s strong personality, she usually found it best to agree with her, even when she really disagreed, as was the case with Jane and Charles. After so many years of bending to Caroline’s will, was change really possible?

“Is there someone you may visit?”

“I have a sister in Ireland, Milord.”

“My dear, it is not necessary to leave the country. Is there no one nearer?”

“My sister Diana lives near the Welsh border.”

“But not in Wales, I hope. The Celtic race was pushed into the corners, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and in the case of the Irish, onto their own island. People who live in corners are always odd and should be avoided.”

“She lives in Herefordshire, sir.”

“Herefordshire will do. As for your husband, ordinarily, I am not a believer in reforming others as change comes from within. However, Mr. Hurst is a young man and of an age when reform is possible. So what can you do to help him? I suspect your husband is a younger son, so you might begin by approaching whoever provides his allowance. Bad habits require money. Or you may dilute the port as Jackson is doing on Mr. Darcy’s orders for me. A bucket of cold water is also known to work. Temporarily. But it did get my attention.”

Lord Fitzwilliam stood up and taking Louisa by the hand suggested that they attempt to navigate the maze.

“Milord, I get lost every time.”

“So do I. But it is a beautiful morning, and we have all day. Although I doubt Darcy would send a search party to find me, I am sure he would send one out for you.”

When Elizabeth had said the name “Wickham,” it had the same effect on Darcy as a punch to the gut. He had no doubt his intended target was not Lydia but him. Whether he had figured out that Bingley was in love with Jane Bennet or that he had feelings for Elizabeth, Wickham had decided to strike at Darcy through a Bennet sister. The urgency of finding Lydia was such that he had left the woman he loved to be comforted by others, but knowing the bastard had no intention of marrying a young girl with no fortune, he believed he had no choice. Once Wickham had his way with Lydia, he would leave her and never look back.

After seeing the Gardiners’ carriage depart, he sent a rider to Pemberley with a note instructing Mercer to come to the inn immediately and to be prepared to set out for London. By the time his manservant arrived, he had written a letter to George Bingley explaining what had happened and relating everything that was known concerning the couple’s whereabouts. Because George’s investments were so extensive, he had men in London and throughout the country looking after the interests of the Bingley family. If Wickham and Lydia were in London, George Bingley would find them.

In order not to arouse suspicion among his guests, Darcy had to delay his own departure until the following day. He would use his time to acquaint Richard, Georgiana, and Anne with the drama unfolding in London, and he would need their help to entertain their guests and to keep speculation as to the reasons for his departure to a minimum. The fewer people who knew of these events the better, and he most particularly did not want Caroline Bingley to know. He would deny her the pleasure of finding out that the Bennets had once again fallen short, and, in this case, tragically so. Darcy regretted the necessity of this action as Anne had told him the previous evening that the steady drip of venom from Caroline’s tongue had worn her down, and she was beginning to feel the fatigue that plagued her when she was with her mother. After speaking with Richard and asking him to keep his brother under control, Darcy returned to his guests, only to find Caroline venting her intense dislike of Elizabeth Bennet.

“I must confess I never could see any
beauty in her. Her face is too thin, her complexion has no brilliancy, and as for her fine eyes, I never could perceive anything extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all,” and turning to Mr. Darcy, she said, “I remember, when we first knew her
in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty, and I particularly recollect you saying, ‘She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit.’”

“I did make that comment regarding Mrs. Bennet,” Darcy responded, “and it was a demonstration of how ill-mannered I can be when I am out of sorts. As for Miss Elizabeth, for these many months, I have considered her to b
e one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.”

This brusque response to one of his guests put Georgiana on alert. She had earlier noticed Jackson speaking to Anne and her departure shortly thereafter, and five minutes after Anne’s return, Richard had left the room. Had something gone wrong when Will went to Lambton to say good-bye to Elizabeth? That didn’t seem likely because it was as clear as day that Elizabeth and her brother were in love. But something must have happened at the inn because it was obvious he wanted to be gone—but why and to where?

After supper, they all adjourned to the drawing room, but before going in, Charles warned his sister, “Lord Fitzwilliam is known to have a razor tongue. Say nothing that will make him turn it on you.”

But because little had gone Caroline’s way since her arrival in Derbyshire, her patience had worn thin. When Anne, now with Mrs. Jenkinson sitting beside her, asked to be excused from playing cards because she was overly tired, Caroline asked her, “Exactly what is your complaint, Miss de Bourgh?”

Mrs. Jenkinson gave Caroline a look that could have melted stone, and Louisa let out a quiet gasp and then whispered, “Caroline, you should not have asked such a question.”

“It is quite all right, Mrs. Hurst. Why should Miss Bingley not inquire? When I was about fourteen, I became very ill, and although I recovered, my lungs were impaired. I no longer have the capacity to breathe deeply, and I find that I fatigue easily.”

Darcy, who had been pacing the room, came over to talk to Anne. “What are you discussing?”

“My illness as a child. Miss Bingley was inquiring after my health.”

“Surely, there are subjects other than Anne’s illness to talk about. We very nearly lost her, and I do not like to speak of it,” and he walked away. Fortunately, for Caroline, Darcy had not heard her comment, but, unfortunately, Lord Fitzwilliam had.

“Miss Bingley, when we are in London, I should like to introduce you to Lord David Upton. He sits on the backbench in the House of Lords and dissects everyone’s speeches, chopping them into little bits, and throwing them back at the speaker with vicious retorts. I think you two would get along famously, and he is a bachelor in need of a rich wife.”

***

As soon as the last of their guests retired, Georgiana immediately went to her brother. “Will, what is the matter? I know something is wrong.”

“I shall be leaving for London in the morning,” and he explained the events prompting his departure. “I am relying on you to see to our guests. You will have your hands full with Miss Bingley, who seems to have annoyed Antony. Keep them apart whenever possible. Mercer will see you safely back to London, and I shall arrange for Madame Delaine to come to the townhouse to prepare you for your debut. Nothing will affect that, Georgiana. No matter what. I shall be there.”

“I do not care about that anymore. Will, what is going to happen?”

“I don’t know. It’s an ugly business, and no matter the outcome, I am sorry to say Lydia Bennet will pay for her lack of judgment for the rest of her life.” He started to stand up, but then sat down. “There is another matter. I wish for you to write to Mr. Stone, our solicitor. Have him contact Christie’s and put a hold on anything that Antony is trying to sell. Tell him I shall settle with him as soon as possible.”

“But what about Miss Elizabeth and you?” Georgiana asked with tears in her eyes.

“One thing at a time, Georgiana. All my thoughts must now be directed to the recovery of Lydia Bennet. I can think of nothing else.”

A dead calm settled over Longbourn. Everything that there was to say about Lydia’s elopement had been said, and since any resolution was out of the hands of its inhabitants, silence now prevailed. It was very different from the bedlam that had been loosed once Mr. Bennet had shared with his family the contents of Colonel Forster’s letter. Mrs. Bennet let out a shrill cry that got the dogs barking, Kitty cried, Mary preached, the Gardiner children fretted, and the servants ran around in circles, not knowing what to do. Without a word of comment to anyone, Mr. Bennet had returned to his study, and Jane had heard the sound of a key being turned in its lock. Without instructions from the head of the family, Jane assumed control and brought some semblance of order out of the chaos.

Now that there was nothing to do but wait for news from London, Jane made good on a promise she had made to herself. After reading to the children her favorite fairy tale about a princess who went into a deep sleep and could only be awakened by her true love, she went to talk to Mary. As usual, her sister was in her room reading, but she put her book aside when she saw Jane. The two had barely had time to speak about anything that didn’t concern Lydia, Mama, or the Gardiner children.

“Mary, I know you think that I am not sensible of Mr. Nesbitt’s many attributes, but I truly am. He is very kind and attentive, and works hard at his profession, which is why I have continued to encourage him.”

“But you do not love him, Jane.”

“No, I do not. But I do hold him in high regard.”

“But, Jane, do you think it is right to contemplate marriage with a man whom you do not love nor have any prospect of loving?”

“Yes, of course. I suspect there are more marriages made due to financial considerations than to love. When one does not have a fortune, one cannot marry where one wishes. I did so want to marry for love, but it has eluded me. Now I must face the reality of marrying for security and to ease the burden on our family because once Papa dies, our future will largely be in the hands of Mr. Collins. We can only hope he will permit us to continue to live at Longbourn, but even if he does allow it, we must have additional protection.”

There had always been an expectation in the family that because Jane was so beautiful she would be the one who would make the most advantageous marriage, and in doing so, she would be able to introduce her sisters to men who would make good husbands for them. Once Mr. Bingley had stepped into the picture, everyone’s hopes had risen, and when he had returned to London, they had just as quickly fallen. Mr. Nesbitt was not perfect, but if the union was viewed exclusively from a financial point of view, it would be a good match.

Standing behind Mary, Jane pulled the hairpins out of her sister’s hair and began brushing her long brown tresses. If only Mary spent a little more time on her appearance, she would be attractive. It was not that she was so very plain; it was just that she was the plainest of the Bennet sisters and suffered in comparison. Jane asked her for more information on amber, and Mary, who was knowledgeable on more subjects than anyone else in the family, explained how the bee had come to be in Mr. Nesbitt’s specimen. Neither had anything additional to say about marriage, each accepting the reality of Jane’s situation.

“I am sorry for what I said about Mr. Bingley,” Mary said as Jane was leaving. “I was angry at him for making you so unhappy. He is a good man, but he should have been strong enough to bear up under the pressure from his sisters.”

“Nothing can be gained by speaking ill of Mr. Bingley, but I want you to know that I love you. If my actions with regard to Mr. Nesbitt have hurt you in any way, it was unintentional, and if we do marry, I shall do everything possible to make him a good wife. I promise you that. But there have already been so many turns in the road, who knows what lies ahead. I certainly do not.”

***

As soon as the Gardiners and Lizzy arrived at Longbourn, Jane told them everything she knew of the events in Brighton and updated them as to what had come to light since Jane’s letter to Lizzy.

“Colonel Forster immediately dispatched an express rider as soon as it was discovered that Lydia had run away during the night. He came to Longbourn to meet Papa so they might go to London together. The poor man. He was very hard on himself, but when I had heard the whole of the story, short of posting a guard outside her door, I don’t know what he could have done differently.

“It had been discovered that Lydia had been meeting someone in secret, and she was to have been sent home. Apparently, Wickham’s identity was not immediately known, and by the time the colonel confirmed that it was he whom Lydia had been meeting, Wickham had gone into hiding. They have been traced as far as London, but in such a large city, they can remain hidden for however long they wish.”

“Jane, I must disagree with you,” Uncle Gardiner said. “A shortage of funds will force them out into the open. But I am hoping they may be discovered immediately, and to that end, I will join your father in London. In the meantime, we shall reunite with our children, and then Mrs. Gardiner and I shall visit with your mother to see if we can lift her spirits.”

When the sisters were alone, Lizzy wanted to know how Jane was faring. She looked very tired and had circles under her eyes.

“I am well enough considering all that has gone on. Kitty and Mary have been very helpful with Mama. When she ventures downstairs, Kitty reads to her, and the sound of her voice seems to calm her. Mary plays soothing tunes and lullabies, as her nerves are in such a state that they will not support anything more vigorous.”

“And how is Papa?”

“The only word that comes close to describing his present state is ‘devastated.’ Lizzy, do you think Wickham can be made to marry Lydia?”

“Why would he? She has no fortune and solves none of his problems. I don’t know how such a man is to be worked on.”

Mary, who had been listening from the foyer, came into the parlor. “I hope they do not marry. Everyone in Meryton already knows of her running away from Colonel Forster’s house with Wickham, and if the news had escaped anyone’s notice, the vicar preached a sermon about the fragility of a woman’s reputation and the necessity of guarding one’s virtue. Nothing can be done to restore her reputation whether she marries or not, so why are we encouraging our sixteen-year-old sister to marry her seducer? I think we should send a letter to Papa with our uncle urging that everything be done to prevent such a union and that Lydia be returned to Longbourn and her family. Hopefully, the news will not travel beyond Meryton and reach the ears of Mr. Nesbitt.”

“Who?”

Jane, who had written nothing of her admirer to her sister, remained silent, but Mary said, “I shall leave you now. Jane has some good news to share.”

“Are we speaking of Mr. Dalton Nesbitt, Aunt Susan’s friend?”

Jane nodded.

“What has he to do with us?”

“I told you there were changes while you were gone, and one of them is that Mr. Nesbitt has been calling on me.”

Lizzy laughed and then gave a sigh of relief. “For a second, you had me worried. Mr. Nesbitt! I can still picture him at Aunt Susan’s house hopping up and down at his mother’s every request.”

“Lizzy, I am not in jest.”

From her sister’s tone, Lizzy understood that Jane truly was being courted by a very tall man of some thirty-odd years, who was still tied to his mother’s apron strings.

“Lizzy, do not look at me like that. You know I had always hoped to marry for love, but since I now know that will not happen, I am doing the very best I can to secure my future as well as my family’s.”

“But, Jane, I have good news for you, and there has been precious little of it of late. While at Pemberley, I had an opportunity to speak briefly with Mr. Bingley, and I can say with certainty that he intends to renew his attentions to you as soon as he returns to Hertfordshire.”

“You wrote that Mr. Bingley was well and in good spirits, and I was happy to hear it. But as for any courtship, I already have a suitor.”

“I understand it will be a delicate matter to inform Mr. Nesbitt that you love another, but it must be done,” Lizzy said emphatically. Jane shook her head, and Lizzy looked at her with growing alarm.

“I know what you are thinking, Lizzy. Mr. Nesbitt is not overly attractive, and as you say, he is excessively attentive to his mother. However, he visits with her permission, and so she is not an obstacle to the marriage.”

“Marriage? To Mr. Nesbitt? Never! I know how hurt you were by what Mr. Bingley did, but the reasons you were separated no longer exist. He intends to proceed without his sisters’ approval, and I know Mr. Darcy has withdrawn all objections to the match. But even if Mr. Darcy was still in opposition, Mr. Bingley no longer finds it necessary to obtain that gentleman’s consent.”

If Lizzy had imagined her sister would be jumping for joy over this piece of good news, she was disappointed. Jane sat in the window seat with her hands folded in her lap with a look of resolution. She had made her decision regarding Mr. Nesbitt, and she was holding firm.

“Jane, you cannot do this.”

“We must be realistic. Mr. Bingley’s change of heart happened before Lydia’s misadventure. If his sisters were able to persuade him to go away from me before this unhappy event, imagine what they will do as soon as they find out about Lydia. And they will because Mrs. Morris writes her husband’s business letters, and it is she who writes to Miss Bingley for instructions regarding the estate. You know her as well as I do, and she will be unable to resist sharing what she knows of Lydia’s escapade. I am sure she has already shared with Caroline the sordid tale of Mr. Wickham successfully seducing Betsy Egger, who believed she was with child and told her brother. He has gone to Brighton to make Wickham marry her. Of course, he will be disappointed.”

“Oh God! It’s worse than I thought. Mary is right. We should be doing everything we can to prevent such a marriage.”

“It is my opinion that Wickham can only be made to marry Lydia under the greatest inducements, and we are in no position to make them.”

Lizzy was terribly upset by what Lydia had done. Whether they married or not, her young sister’s future would be sown with unhappiness and regret, but at the moment, it was Jane’s situation that demanded her attention.

“What happens to Lydia is beyond our control, but what is within our control is your future happiness with Mr. Bingley.”

Jane stood up and told Lizzy she needed to see to their mother’s dinner because she still preferred to take most of her meals in her room.

“Lizzy, Mr. Nesbitt may not be the ideal, but the one thing that you could never accuse him of is inconstancy. After Mr. Bingley left, I waited every day for the post to come. I was so sure there would be a letter for me explaining his absence. I even swallowed my pride and went into the village to Mr. Morris’s office, so I might learn of any news regarding Netherfield. I have been hurt beyond what words can express, and I shall never put myself in a position to have that happen again.” Jane, with tears in her eyes, continued. “And as for Mr. Bingley being independent of Mr. Darcy, I would more readily believe it if he had come directly to Longbourn. But he did not. Instead, he went to Pemberley. You must accept that that chapter on my life is closed, and there is nothing more to be said.”