Memory: Volume 3, How Far We Have Come, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (Memory: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice) (24 page)

Rosalie crowed and pointed at herself.  “Whoa!” 

Darcy and Elizabeth laughed and hugged each other.  He looked at Rosalie thoughtfully.  “I think that we will have to choose a name for this next baby that will be easily pronounced.  We cannot have another one who thinks she is a horse.”

“Well only if we have a boy and name him Richard.”  Darcy smiled when she kissed his nose.  “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, love.”  Darcy kissed her and closed his eyes while he hugged her again.  “You are welcome.”

“MR. BINGLEY!”  Martin bowed.  “So good to see you!  And you must be our host?  Mr. Hurst?  Mrs. Hurst?  A pleasure, a pleasure!” Turning he smiled at Abbey, drawing her forward.  “I know that you all know my dear Abbey!”

“Yes, we do.”  Louisa glanced at Hurst, who bit back a smile.  “We are so pleased to see you again.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst.”  She turned to Bingley.  “And good evening, sir.”

“Good evening.”  He grinned.  “You are looking quite lovely this evening.”  He tilted his head.  “Is that . . .”

“Bingley Mills, yes.”  She smiled and shrugged.  “I made this a few months ago.”

“Lovely.” 

“And accomplished!”  Mr. Martin stuck his head in.

“Papa!”  Abbey said unhappily. 

“Mr. Martin, you remind me of my mother.”  Elizabeth smiled when he bowed.  “What do you think, Jane?”

“In a way.”  Jane said carefully. 

Lucas laughed.  “Certainly he does.” 

“You must sing for the company tonight dear, and play and . . .”  Mr. Martin saw her unhappy expression and shut his mouth.  “Mr. Hurst!  Tell me of your home!”  He smiled and walked off with their host and began asking innumerable questions, moving amongst the other many friends the Hursts had invited.  Bingley smiled and shook his head.

“Will you not rescue your brother, Bingley?”  Darcy said with a slight lift to his mouth.

“Not a chance, he has his friends to do that.  But you are welcome?”

“No, I am a guest here.”

“Technically, so am I.”  His attention returned to Abbey.  “So we are equal in more ways than one.”

“Yes, but I suspect that your trunks have not been packed for many months, that makes you a resident, sir.”  Abbey noted.

“Hmm, I suppose, in the eyes of the church how long must one be a resident to marry in the parish?”

“Four weeks.”  Elizabeth and Darcy said simultaneously.

“Now that is a fascinating fact to have at the tip of one’s tongue.”  De Bourgh noted.  “How did that come to pass?”

“Perhaps they learned it for our benefit.”  Mary offered.

“No, I suspect it was for their own.”  Lucas smiled. 

“So it was.”  Darcy smiled at Elizabeth.  “Although it was unnecessary.”

“Why?”  Abbey asked in fascination.  “Where did you marry?”

“Oh, at our church here, but Mr. Darcy had a special license, so we could have married anywhere.”  Elizabeth smiled when he slipped his hand onto her back.  “It was quite a day.”

“One I will never forget.”

“Yes, it was my first sight of my future bride.”  De Bourgh took Mary’s hand and kissed it.  “Little did I know.”

“I knew.”  Mary said softly.  “I knew all along.”

“Oh how very sweet.”  Abbey said sincerely.  “Love at first sight?  At least for one of you.”

“Both actually.”  De Bourgh looked at Darcy, “But I suspect my future brother would have looked at me askance.”

“Very likely.” 

“Hypocrite.”  Elizabeth nudged him and he shrugged.

“I do not believe that you would have seen anything beyond your bride that day, Darcy.”  Bingley smiled.  “Focussed was the word.”

“Bingley.”

“Sir, there is no shame in being happy on your wedding day.”  Abbey smiled.  “In fact it is quite the opposite, so I would imagine.”

“Quite right, Miss Martin.”  Elizabeth looked up to Darcy who smiled down at her.  “I would say that the sentiment is preferable.”

“Are you waiting for someone, Mrs. Hurst?”  Jane asked and walked over to Louisa, who was standing by the window. 

“I invited the Simkins family.  I do hope that they have not had second thoughts.”  She looked to Elizabeth.  “Your sister thought it would be a good opportunity for them, they have been largely shunned since the news of their daughter’s disappearance went around.”

“Surely the true details . . .”

“Oh no, Mrs. Lucas, but enough.”  She glanced at Abbey.

“I see.”  Jane nodded and watched Bingley smiling and laughing with Abbey.  “She reminds me of someone.”

“Mrs. Darcy a little.”  Louisa smiled.  “I think that if Miss Martin relaxes, she will allow her wit to appear.”

“Mr. Bingley likes her.”  Jane said softly.  “It is good to see.  He needs someone.”

“Mrs. Hurst?”  The butler arrived.  “Mr. and Mrs. Simkins, Miss Simkins, and Miss Emily Simkins.”  The family nervously entered the room and the introductions were made all around. 

“Mrs. Simkins, I am happy to meet you.”  Elizabeth smiled.

“Mrs. Darcy, my daughter spoke to me of your,” she glanced around, “advice.  I am ashamed . . .”

“None of that, Mrs. Simkins, you are amongst friends here.”  Elizabeth nodded, and moved past her.  Darcy smiled to himself.  Elizabeth had no patience for Jessica’s parents, but she would never let that show.  She was a great woman from a great estate, and she was going to play the role that night.  “Now, please, Miss Simkins, and Miss Emily, tell me of your time in London.  My husband and I are always looking for new haunts.”

“Oh.”  Jill looked at her sister.  “We have not really been out . . .”

“What my sister means is that we have not been invited anywhere.”  Emily sighed and noticed the stares from the other guests.  “This is our first engagement; our friends have proven unreliable, just as we feared.”

“Not all of our friends, Emily.”  Jill said softly.

“Mr. Brown . . .” Emily began and Jill coloured.  Bingley saw Jill’s embarrassment and stepped across the room.  “Miss Simkins, may I compliment your gown?”  The young woman looked up to him and he drew in his breath as her wide blue eyes lifted to his.  “I . . . I . . .” He glanced at Jane and saw her smiling at him encouragingly.  “I noticed that . . .it is of silk.  Miss Martin . . .” Bingley turned to her and smiled.  “Her gown is cotton from my own mills.”  He swallowed as the ladies watched him. 

“And your point is what, sir?”  Emily asked.

“Perhaps his point is that he appreciates a woman who is well-dressed.”  Abbey suggested.

Jill studied Bingley’s blush.  “I thought that his point was that he thought we were both . . .”

“Lovely.”  He smiled and looked between them.  “That is all.”

“You certainly took the long path to that.”  Emily rolled her eyes and walked away to try and engage some people she did not know.

“Please forgive my sister, she is still . . .” Jill looked at Abbey and the others.  “Not herself.”

“Who is Mr. Brown?”  Abbey asked curiously.

“Nobody.”  Elizabeth said authoritatively and dismissed Emily’s sniping.  “That is a name to be cast into the heavens, one of no consequence or value.”  She smiled at Jill.  “Brown as the dirt under your feet.”

“I doubt that I would have thought of that, but . . . I appreciate you doing so, Mrs. Darcy.”  

Elizabeth patted her arm and smiled.  “No trouble at all.”  She glanced at Bingley, who seemed unsure of what to say.  “Miss Martin, have you heard from your aunt, Mrs. Long?”

“Oh, yes.”  She glanced at Bingley who smiled at her and gained confidence.  “She is well, as is Mrs. Wilcox.  She is quite settled at Langley.  You might say that she has taken to her position very nicely.”  She smiled.  “I suspect that her role as the vicar’s wife was not quite one that she expected, but she is gradually learning her duties.”

“She seemed very much in love when we met.”  Mary smiled.

“She certainly cares for her husband,” Abbey agreed.  “I think that there must be some felicity in a match or there is no point in marrying at all.  There must be more beyond the physical or even the financial attraction, do you not agree?  Something that makes the spark continue, shared interests at the least, something that makes you wish to spend your days with your spouse?”  She saw Bingley’s smile and nodding head and smiled in return.

“I wholeheartedly agree.”  Elizabeth looked up to Darcy who was just standing behind her and listening.  “I am a proponent of respecting each other.”

“As am I, Mrs. Darcy.”  He said softly with a twinkle in his eye.  “As well as having shared interests.”

“But should the couple resemble each other?”  De Bourgh tilted his head at Mary.  “As we do?”

“I hope so since we are barely engaged.”  Mary smiled and he laughed.

“You resemble each other, yet you are both strong characters on your own.  I think that will continue the interest as the years wear on.”  Darcy smiled at them both.  “Lucas and Jane, however . . .”

“What?”  Lucas laughed.  “We are not alike.”

“No, not at all.”  She smiled at him.

“Not in temperament, but in common goals, you certainly are.  Despite your enjoyment of the ball the other night, you both prefer your simple life at home in the country.”

“When we can be allowed to live it, yes.”  Lucas sighed.  “But ‘tis true; were it not for our connection to you and the opportunities it affords, we would be quite content to just be at home.”  He saw Jane nod.  “Unlike you, Bingley.  Your life must of necessity be one that will be like Darcy’s.”

“No, I truly enjoy town, and all it offers.  Darcy would be happy going to a concert or two, visiting his tailor and going back to Pemberley.  I love the whirl and dash of a ball, meeting new people, enjoying it all.”

“That sounds like you, Jill.”  Emily said from the periphery.  “You love to dance and you love to ride, and everyone you meet loves you instantly.”

“Emily, please.”

“Oh and you are modest to an annoying fault.”  Emily added.  “Please do not be fooled by my sister’s blushes.  She is the sweetest girl, always placing herself as the great mediator, and always smoothing the ruffled feathers of the family.  Why I think that she would have traded places with . . .” Jill stared at Emily expressively and she stopped.  “Well, besides all this, she is the sweetest girl and loves to dance.”

“You are fond of society, Miss Simkins?”

“I am fond the activities available but mostly I am fond of people, Mrs. Lucas, and enjoy the infinite variety I am allowed to meet here in London, which is why I will enjoy meeting all of you tonight.”  She bit her lip and smiled at them all.  “But I do wish that my sister would find some other subject besides me.  Perhaps you could choose something more interesting?  Miss Martin, what do you enjoy when you are in town?”

“I . . . I . . .”  Abbey shot a desperate look at Elizabeth.

“Mrs. Hurst, dinner is ready to be served.”  The butler announced. 

“Well, that is fortunate.”  Louisa looked at Elizabeth expressively.  “I do not wish to stand on ceremony, so please shall we forego the promenade and simply walk down to dine?”  She smiled and whispered to Elizabeth.  “What is happening?”

“I am not sure, but I think that a very subtle presentation of Miss Simkins is being made to your brother by her sister, and he is not disinterested.”

“I think that he might even be called intrigued.”  Louisa whispered.  “She could be your sister’s twin!”

“In looks and temperament, but the difference is that she was born to be comfortable with the society she once enjoyed.  I do not believe that she is in the least interested in pursuing a match right now.  Her sister, however . . .”   Elizabeth shook her head.

“Elizabeth.”  Darcy said softly.  “No matchmaking.”

“I am not matchmaking, Mr. Darcy.”  Elizabeth looked to Abbey standing near Bingley, and Emily urging Jill towards him.  “I do not have to.” 

“LADIES, SHALL WE LEAVE the gentlemen to their port?”  Louisa asked brightly and rose to her feet.  “This way, please.”  They filed out, each casting looks back at their particular gentleman as the door closed behind them. 

De Bourgh crossed his arms and leaned to whisper to Darcy as the bottles of port were delivered by the footmen and the low rumble of men’s voices filled the air.  A few made use of the chamber pots set out for the occasion.  “I am delighted to be engaged.”  He laughed at Bingley, now the subject of attention by Simkins and Martin.  “He is the most amiable fellow, but he cannot win!  I think that his only hope for this evening is to turn his attention to Miss Emily who is decidedly not interested in him any more than he cares for her.  Or perhaps one of the other young ladies who stare, but have not the courage to approach, despite his welcoming smile.”

“Miss Simkins is not pushing.”   Darcy murmured.  “She is, I believe, simply being herself; she is recovering from heartache, only she knows how deeply hurt she was by her suitor’s abandonment.  Miss Emily’s pushing might simply be an attempt to wake her from her depression, although I would say it is very badly done.  I believe that Miss Martin feels threatened and inadequate, and is trying hard to show herself to her best advantage.”

“And it comes off poorly.”  Hurst observed.  “She did so much better when we were at Pemberley and even before Miss Simkins arrived.”

“Strained, I think.  I agree, she feels her inferiority.”  Lucas said softly.  “Although the only difference is that she is not the daughter of a gentleman.” 

“That point does not matter to Bingley, but it cannot help to be something that Miss Martin feels keenly.   It is difficult to compete in conversations about subjects that you have never experienced, and trying to shine in other ways without appearing crass.  I feel for her, she is trying hard where Miss Simkins tries not at all.  I could not miss her awe of Pemberley.  Elizabeth and I both felt her struggling to temper her spirit in the face of it, just as she is doing tonight in the company of Mrs. Hurst’s guests.”

“Darcy, anyone who is not in awe of Pemberley is dead.”  Hurst chuckled.

“I really must see this oasis one day.”  De Bourgh rubbed his chin.

 Darcy ignored them and spoke quietly.  “I am sorry to see Bingley in this position.  We had no knowledge of Miss Simkins.”