Assumed Engagement (21 page)

*~*~*

Yes, Darcy knew he had done the right thing. He could not allow his aunt to remain in his house and lay scathing censure on him and Georgiana as she did. So now he was standing in a receiving line, welcoming people from neighbouring towns and villages into his elegant house. Darcy had to chuckle to himself that his proclamation that the wedding breakfast was being held at
Pemberley
had the desired effect. His aunt stormed out, not even accepting his generous offer to feed her first.

The first guests were now arriving, and Georgiana turned to her brother whispering, "You do not have to stand so stiff. You can be formal if you wish, but relax. And try to smile; it does wonders for your countenance. These people are not going to bite you!"

Darcy took in a deep breath to compensate for the long one he had been holding. He relaxed his shoulders as Georgiana slipped her arm through his. She looked at him and a warm, encouraging smile spread across her face. Darcy reciprocated, but Georgiana shook her head.

She fervently whispered, "Do not coerce it! It must be more natural! Think of that one thing, perhaps that one
person
that makes you happy."

Georgiana turned away to greet the first of the arriving guests. As she turned back to Darcy for the introduction, she was surprised to actually see him smile; a thoughtful, genuine smile.
He needs to do that more often!
she thought to herself. When the party left them to move into the house, she commented, "Now, that was not difficult, was it?" The smile on her face gave him even more reason to smile, and he felt so proud of his sister who was such an endearing hostess.

Darcy thought back to the previous day, after his aunt thundered out. He ran upstairs to Georgiana's room, finding her terribly distraught. She tried to apologize to him for this oversight of not informing their aunt of his accident, thinking he was upset by it. Darcy shook his head, reassuring her that he was actually grateful she had not notified her. That was not the reason he sent her out of the room. He wanted to spare her their aunt's callous remarks. She was thankful, for she had intentionally not informed their aunt of his condition.

He then told Georgiana of his decision to allow the wedding breakfast to be held at
Pemberley
, and at once, preparations began. The servants used their expertise to begin working even before those who were already involved in the plans arrived from Lambton. Darcy was amazed at how well they all worked together and brought it to pass.

He looked back down to Georgiana at his side. Having her there to give him words of encouragement and downright practical advice helped him immensely. So far, it had really not been terribly difficult. At least
this
part. He knew that once the introductions were over, he would have to socialize, and more would be required of him. It would require more of an effort
.

As the last of the wedding guests were welcomed, Georgiana and Darcy turned and walked together into the large dining hall at
Pemberley
. It had been set up and beautifully decorated for the meal. Most people stood around, visiting. Georgiana could not get over how beautiful things looked, how everything had been transformed in less than twenty-four hours.

Georgiana quietly observed her brother tense again, and she tightened her grip on his arm as he escorted her into the room. He looked down and felt strengthened by her smile. There were small pockets of people conversing. Darcy looked for a group that looked "safe" to him. He saw the parents of the groom, Mr. and Mrs.
Bostwick
, in a small tête-à-tête with two other couples whose names he could not remember. He walked over to join them, as Georgiana found her way to some young girls her age.

Darcy walked towards them and noticed their lively conversation with one another. As they saw him approach, they stopped and became more reserved in their manner. Darcy sensed that they were as uncomfortable as he himself was, and would have given anything to walk past them and bolster himself against the mantel or at a window. But he would not do that, and proceeded towards them.

He knew he had to break down his barrier so they would break down theirs. "That was a splendid wedding,
Bostwick
. You son appears to be very happy. She looks to be a very fine girl."

"Thank you, Sir. We are most pleased with his choice. And I cannot thank you enough for your generous hospitality in allowing us to come to
Pemberley
for the breakfast. We are most grateful." The conversation continued; they spoke of the estate and he spoke of their families.

He occasionally made eye contact with Georgiana, who appeared pleased with the way he handled himself. She smiled an exaggerated smile to remind him to do the same if she thought he was looking too severe, but that was needed less and less as the day progressed. He found it easier, by the end of the celebration, to move and talk more willingly and comfortably with those he previously would have considered himself too superior to intimately associate.

He learned a great deal that night. As Georgiana said on their very first
caring call
, these people had the same hopes, dreams, fears, and desires that he did. They lived simply; he was amazed at how it took very little to make them happy. They stood in awe of his great estate, but he knew that they would return to their homes and still be as happy in them as he might be here. In fact, he felt some of them could be happier than he, depending whether or not one certain lady would show any inclination of returning his regard when he saw her again in less than two weeks.

Chapter 14

     D
arcy helped Georgiana into their carriage as their luggage was loaded. Each had been secretly counting down the days before their departure, and felt such nervous anticipation, that the last few nights had granted them very little sleep.

This morning they both were quiet and reflective. The day had finally arrived. They settled themselves in the carriage; Darcy with a book in hand and Georgiana with her needlework. As he looked over at her laboriously working on each stitch, he thought of the handkerchief, which he had so painstakingly kept from everyone, save Georgiana, these two months. He patted his pocket absent-mindedly to reassure himself that it rested in its safe abode.

Occasionally Georgiana would speak out a thought of hers; about the wedding, wondering what Jane’s dress looked like, or how everyone was doing. She smiled as she thought of the letter she had sent off to
Elizabeth
after receiving hers. Her brother told her to send his greeting. She sent his warmest greeting, along with some flattering information about him which might sway her feelings to his favour. Her smile was also indicative of her longing to speak with
Elizabeth
. She had so much she would like to talk with her about.

Georgiana looked over at her brother, who appeared calm save for the nervous rubbing together of his thumb and index finger. It was a habit she had come to recognize as meaning that although he appeared calm on the outside, on the inside he was quite anxious. Oh how she hoped and prayed he would be able to right things between himself and Elizabeth. He had been rather silent on that subject lately and she wondered whether she should broach it.

"William?"

He looked up from his book. "
Mmm
?"

"I am so looking forward to seeing the
Bennet
sisters again, especially
Elizabeth
. Do you believe we will be able to spend much time with them before the wedding?"

Darcy shifted his position and looked back down. Georgiana continued. "I know how much you want her to know that you have changed. I can testify myself that you are a different man than you were six months ago, even two months ago. I just hope she has the opportunity to take notice of it."

Yes, that was true. When he had been in Hertfordshire more than six months earlier, he thought he had his life together. He thought he knew exactly what he wanted and how to attain it. How wrong he was! His heart began pounding at the thought of seeing her again. The woman who had so thrown his life into turmoil!
This time it will be different,
he told himself. If only he could believe that!

"I am not certain what our schedule will be," he answered all too calmly. "I assume we will pay a call at Longbourn, but I must confess I am not totally confident that she will take the time to notice any change in me." 

"Oh, I am sure she will."

"On that we shall see, but there is one thing I
am
concerned about that I had a very difficult time with before."

"What was that?"

"Tell me, Georgiana, how do I handle her mother?"

"Her mother?"

"Yes, she is truly quite annoying; practically uncivilized. She proved to be quite exasperating to me, actually."

"I doubt that she can be as bad as you say."

"Just you wait."

"Perhaps you could take a clue from how others respond to her. You may just have to politely… quietly and graciously endure her. Just do not put up that wall of yours. She is, after all,
Elizabeth
's mother."

He took in a quiet, deep breath. Georgiana noticed that his shoulders raised as he inhaled, and it seemed an eternity before he released it. He tilted his head at her and smiled. "You have grown up so much these past few months. I can scarce believe that you are not a little girl anymore; you have turned into quite the young lady."

Georgiana looked down, slightly embarrassed by her brother's words, but so very appreciative of them. Did he really know how much of what she had become these last few months was the direct result of
Elizabeth
? As she looked up and met his eyes, she felt sure he did. There was both admiration in them for her and a reflective faraway look that made her wonder if he was thinking of
Elizabeth
.

"William, the things Aunt Catherine said whilst she was here. About me not being raised properly…"

"She should have never said such things!" he responded harshly. He softened as he continued, "Yet, the truth is, I have often wondered that myself."

"No! You could not have done a better job, along with Cousin Richard, in providing guidance and direction for me… love and support. Please do not ever doubt that."

"Thank you, Georgiana. I have often wondered, though, the loss you must have felt in not having a mother. I had hoped that Miss Annesley would prove to be something akin to that for you."

"She is very good, very kind. But a mother, no. Maybe more like a great aunt, although very different from our own Aunt Catherine." She softly laughed. "I have often wished that I did have someone I could feel comfortable enough to confide in."

That reflective look crossed Darcy's face again. "I had hoped by now…" The silence that filled the carriage was very heavy. Georgiana knew he was thinking of
Elizabeth
and that he was just as aware that she was thinking of her, also.

"Yes," Georgiana replied softly.

They arrived at
Netherfield
just before the evening meal. As Darcy entered the large estate, he could not help but recall each room and the moments he had shared with
Elizabeth
, although they often resulted in a misunderstanding between the two of them. There was the dining room, the sitting room, the billiard room, the ballroom…

His reverie was short lived as Miss Bingley greeted them with her officious courtesy. "Why, Mr. Darcy, we almost gave up on your arrival! It has been absolutely dreadful here. And Georgiana, why how you have grown since last I saw you! Indeed, the very presence of you both shall bring much needed consequence here!"

"Miss Bingley," was his only reply.

Bingley entered the room as jubilantly as one would have expected, being just three days to his wedding. "Darcy! How good it is to see you again! I am so glad you are here at last! Come; let us go into the dining room for something to eat. I have so much to tell you!"

They were joined by the
Hursts
and departed to the dining room where a meal awaited them. Mr. Hurst displayed his usual self-indulgent manners, and the two Bingley sisters chatted incessantly of the pleasing prospect that their
superior
family and friends would soon be arriving for the wedding.

Darcy turned to Bingley and asked how plans for the wedding were coming. "Oh, just fine. I try to stay out of it as much as possible. Leave the decisions for the wedding to Jane and her mother; whatever she wants is fine with me."

"That is probably the most prudent course of action."

"Darcy, tomorrow I do need you to go into town with me for a few things."

"I see no problem with that."

"Good! And then tomorrow night we are all invited to the
Bennets
’ home for dinner."

Bingley looked at Darcy for a reaction, but was interrupted from his scrutiny by Georgiana. "Oh, that sounds lovely. I look so forward to seeing them again."

Bingley's sisters looked at each other with raised eyebrows and a mocking sneer. With the engagement of their brother to the eldest
Bennet
daughter, their retorts concerning any of the
Bennets
could no longer be verbal in his presence. They had mastered their looks of disgust and condescension very well.

It did not escape Darcy's or Georgiana's notice. Bingley was too jovial and in high spirits to recognize that his sisters thought too well of themselves to sincerely approve of this match. Brother and sister looked at each other with concurring looks of displeasure at the ladies' response.

Bingley continued in his oblivious state, "Unfortunately, Miss
Bennet
was not able to join us this evening, as they expect the arrival of their aunt and uncle from
London
. How I wish she could have been here to join me in welcoming you." He turned to Georgiana and winked, "And I am privy to the knowledge that Miss Elizabeth is greatly looking forward to seeing you again, Georgiana."

Again there was a look exchanged between the sisters, and Darcy caught himself nervously tapping his fingers. Georgiana felt a very taut tension in the air at the mention of
Elizabeth
. She finally turned to Bingley and answered quietly, "I have long desired her company, as well."

Bingley looked at Darcy, searching his face for some sort of clue as to what the state of his feelings was toward his soon to be sister-in-law. He saw a particularly masked expression on his friend's face. Darcy either still had very strong feelings for her that he did not want anyone to see, or he had sorted through his feelings and they came up wanting. He wondered if his friend would confide what his feelings were for her now, after two months.

*~*~*

At the
Bennet
household, the Gardiners arrived in the middle of the evening meal, causing everyone to rise and leave the food on their plates, while the kitchen help quickly set more place settings for the couple and their children.
Elizabeth
was delighted to finally have her aunt and uncle here, whom she loved and admired deeply.

She felt that her aunt had always been her model of the mother and wife
Elizabeth
would want to be. The love and respect the Gardiners had for each other was very evident; very unlike the relationship between Mr. and Mrs.
Bennet
. For that reason,
Elizabeth
took every advantage of sitting, talking, watching, and learning from both of them. It would be good to have them in their home for these next few days. With Jane spending so much time recently with Charles, it left
Elizabeth
confined to the company of her mother and three younger sisters, which left her feeling much more alone.

They returned to the dining room, and were now joined at the table by the Gardiners. They talked of their travels that day and of such pleasantries as the weather, the wedding, and soon talked of the dinner that would be held there the following evening.

"Oh, how I hope our kitchen staff will get everything right!" lamented Mrs.
Bennet
. "You know how I would hate to have some major disaster with the food that is prepared."

"Do not you worry, Mrs.
Bennet
," said her husband quite unsympathetically. "Leave it to them. You have enough worries in these next few days; I should think you would have no room for more."

"And who all is invited tomorrow night?" asked Mrs. Gardiner to Jane.

"It shall be all of us, yourselves, Aunt and Uncle Phillips, the
Bingleys
and
Hursts
, the
Lucases
, and the
Collinses
."

"Oh, do not forget that Darcy fellow," chimed in Mrs.
Bennet
. "He and his sister, I suppose are coming too."

Elizabeth quickly looked down, hoping no one would notice her flushed face as she was struck by merely the mention of his name, but was also appalled that her mother still held such a contemptible view of him. It was probably due to the fact that Jane had returned from
Pemberley
engaged but she did not.

"He is the one from
Pemberley
, is he not?" asked Mrs. Gardiner.

Mrs.
Bennet
nodded. "Yes, he is that proud, disagreeable man whose accident took Jane and Elizabeth to
Pemberley
. I cannot say, though, that I am altogether displeased with their having to travel there. Look what it meant for our Jane. Because of it she will soon be married!"