Mr. Darcy's Proposal (47 page)

“This is a dilemma then. You would like her to pursue her interests, but also stay at Pemberley with us for a little longer.” Elizabeth let her words hang in the air for a few minutes. She took the opportunity to place a few kisses strategically on his throat and face as she waited.

“You are distracting me, my love.”

“Oh, I am so sorry!” Elizabeth said with a giggle, but she did not stop.

***

Later as they lay together in mutual contentment, Elizabeth realized she was becoming accustomed to her husband’s protracted periods of silence. She was learning it did not necessarily mean that something was wrong. It just took him time—sometimes a long time—to think things through before he spoke.

“I have been considering Georgiana’s request.”

“Do you mean that while we were making love, you were thinking about something else?” Elizabeth could not resist teasing him.

“I did not hear you complain!” he said, feigning indignation.

“Very well, so you began thinking about Georgiana’s request after we…” she stopped, completing the rest of the sentence with a flourish of her hand.

“Seriously, Elizabeth, I think I have reached a solution that will solve the problem quite nicely.”

“Ah, a solution?”

“I shall offer to engage a music tutor to come here to Pemberley at least until spring. Then we can reevaluate if she should move back into town. What do you think?”

Elizabeth had already concluded that this would be the best solution but had been hoping he would think of it himself. “It is a splendid idea. We could suggest it to her and see what she thinks. I believe it is also her desire to stay here with us,” she said. Elizabeth rose up on one elbow and kissed him lightly.

“What was that for?” he inquired.

“Do I need a reason to kiss you?”

“Of course not. I suppose I am just not yet accustomed to having you at my side all the time.”

“I am not going anywhere,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek again.

“I have also been giving some thought to what you said about Georgiana not feeling ready for her coming out,” he said.

“You have been very busy thinking. Are you quite certain you were giving me your undivided attention earlier?”

“Of course, I was!”

“I believe I have need of further assurances,” Elizabeth suggested coyly, and he readily complied, making sure to overlook no detail until he was certain she could have no further complaints.

Sixty Three

Very soon their idyllic existence was interrupted, as it was time to leave for London to prepare for Jane and Mr. Bingley’s wedding. As much as Elizabeth wanted to give her sister the very best wedding day possible, she was loathe to do anything that might disturb the delicious harmony she and Darcy seemed to have achieved. At Pemberley, there was so much time for them to be together. They took rides, went for walks, and lingered in bed sometimes into late morning. This was a very special time, and she wanted to savor every moment. Reluctantly, she acknowledged that if they did not leave for London soon, she would never have time to make all the preparations for the wedding.

***

Once in London, planning for Jane’s wedding occupied nearly every moment of Elizabeth’s waking hours. She was almost obsessed with making everything perfect. Arranging the food, the church, the flowers—those were the easy things. What was difficult was balancing all of the diverse personalities involved in the event.

Shopping for the last few items of Jane’s trousseau had been the subject of much interest to all of the Bennet ladies. Before they even reached London, Mrs. Bennet had spent hours instructing Jane what to buy and where to find it. Unfortunately, Caroline Bingley believed that everything related to style fell in her province, as she and only she knew all the best places in town to shop. Of course, not wishing to offend anyone, Jane invited everyone to go on the shopping excursions.

Elizabeth convinced her mother that in order to be polite to Jane’s new family, they should go first to all the places Miss Bingley recommended, and then Mrs. Bennet could arrange additional trips if they did not find everything on their list. Reluctantly, Mrs. Bennet agreed. It was a tenuous compromise held together with not much more than pretty ribbons.

***

When Darcy arrived home on the afternoon of the ladies’ shopping trip, he met Jane just coming out of the parlor. “Hello, Miss Bennet. May I enquire how your…” he stopped mid-sentence when he saw the look on her face.

“What is wrong? Has something happened?” he asked.

Jane, who always had a sweet smile on her face, looked distressed. “Do not worry, Mr. Darcy. All is well. Lizzy and I were just talking about Caroline Bingley’s rather unpleasant behavior while we were shopping. I was trying to tell Lizzy not to let it bother her.”

“What did Miss Bingley say?”

“I think you should ask Lizzy about it yourself,” Jane told him. “Now if you will excuse me, I will retire to my room.”

As she started to walk away, he inquired, “If I may ask, what are Miss Bingley’s plans for after you are married?”

Jane smiled sweetly and paused on the stairs. “Charles and I have agreed it is time for Caroline to spend more time with the Hursts—and less with us.”

Darcy smiled as she walked away. Perhaps he had underestimated the quiet Miss Bennet.

***

When Darcy entered the sitting room, Elizabeth was standing at the window. Crossing the room in a few quick steps, he put his arms around his wife. It was something he was learning to do when she was out of sorts. At first, he had tried offering solutions to her problem and he could not understand why this sometimes made her even more upset. Finally, he discovered quite by accident that simply putting his arms around her and listening was all that was generally required.

“What has happened, my love? What has upset you so?” he asked, already knowing full well at least part of what was causing her discomfort.

Elizabeth buried her face against his chest and mumbled two words, “Caroline Bingley.”

“Oh, I see,” he said, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap.

“She is so insufferable!”

“You sound as if you have only just discovered this.”

Elizabeth scowled at him. “She insisted our family knew nothing about where to find the best fabrics and the most fashionable dressmakers in London—as if we had never shopped in the big city before. She treated us like country bumpkins—as if she were the queen of style.”

“Did you or your mother have words with her?”

“Fortunately, my mother was too busy looking at fabrics and ribbons and instructing the modiste. She was not attending enough to understand all the implications of what Miss Bingley was saying. Jane tells me that worrying about Caroline Bingley is not worth my time, but I cannot let it go. How could she behave so meanly?”

“Elizabeth, this is not the first time she has done this sort of thing.”

“Yes, but it has been much worse recently. She seems to despise my family even more since you and I married.” He wrinkled his brow and looked at her questioningly. “You must know she has never forgiven me for becoming Mrs. Darcy. She believes I stole you away from her.”

“Stole me? But that is nonsense. I never gave Miss Bingley any reason to believe I held any special regard for her.”

“I do not doubt that, but nevertheless, she saw things quite differently. I am certain she expected your declaration every day. I know I should not repeat gossip, but Charles told Jane that his sister was so upset about our marriage that after we left Netherfield, she shut herself in her room for days afterwards. Then she went around slamming doors and berating the servants until Charles had to insist that she get hold of herself.”

“But Charles never mentioned this to me.”

“Can you really imagine dear, sweet Charles Bingley ever bringing up such an unpleasant subject with you?”

“I suppose not,” said Darcy thoughtfully. “Bingley has never liked conflict and almost always chooses to ignore anything unpleasant.”

Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder. After a while, he could feel her breathing even out and her agitation subside.

“Are you feeling better, my love?” he asked.

“Yes, but I have something to confess.”

“Confess?”

“It happened some time ago before we left Netherfield last spring.” Elizabeth sighed and slipped her arm around his shoulders snuggling closer. “Miss Bingley and I had a little conversation over the breakfast table. When everyone else had left the room and we were alone, she said some rather pointedly rude things to me. I knew she was suffering, and I did not want to be unkind to her, but it was almost impossible to resist!”

“Exactly what did she say?” Darcy asked.

“I do not want to repeat it as it may make you think less of her.”

“I believe it is already much too late for that,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Elizabeth smiled wryly. “If I tell you, you must promise never to repeat it.”

“I would never…” he began before she cut him off by kissing his cheek.

“You are so easy to tease,” she said with a laugh. “Very well, if you wish to know, Miss Bingley intimated that I must have known in advance you would be visiting Rosings over the Easter holidays. She truly believes I somehow set a trap for you.”

“If anything it was quite the other way around.” Darcy laughed and shook his head.

“Then she told me straight out she did not think I was capable of being Mistress of Pemberley.”

“Perhaps you misunderstood her,” suggested Darcy.

Elizabeth threw him a look. “I do not think so. She was very clear.”

“But that is not her business. I am the only one who has the right to make that judgment.”

“Still, that is what she said, and at the time her words stung me.”

Darcy pulled her to him again, and she buried her face against his chest. “Oh, my poor love. Surely, you do not believe everything Miss Bingley says?”

“Oh, but I do,” said Elizabeth with an edge in her voice. “She is an expert on every topic imaginable, especially fashion, beauty, and style.”

“And how do you know this?” he asked.

“Why she has told me so herself!” said Elizabeth.

At first, Darcy’s shoulders begin to shake, and finally, he burst out laughing. Elizabeth poked him in the arm.

“I know it is humorous in retrospect, but at the time, it was very hurtful.”

“So what did you say to her?”

“That I hoped some day when she visited Pemberley I would be able to return in equal measure the hospitality she had showed us at Netherfield.”

“And how did Miss Bingley respond?”

“That quieted her for the moment, but now clearly she has forgotten herself again.”

“My love, if you make it your mission to change Caroline Bingley, you are in for a big disappointment.”

Elizabeth answered by covering his face with kisses, and very quickly they both forgot about Miss Bingley.

Sixty Four

Elizabeth awoke on the morning of the wedding with anxious anticipation. With so much on her mind, she had barely slept and knew that only checking and rechecking her lists would provide her with any comfort. Just as she was starting to inch toward the side of the bed to arise, Darcy woke and pulled her back against him.

“Mmm, you feel wonderful this morning,” he murmured into her ear.

The feel of his body touching hers and his breath on her neck was almost enough to make her forget why she had been so anxious to be up and about.

“As much as I might wish it, I cannot linger in bed today. There is so much to do before we depart for the church,” she said although her will to rise was being seriously compromised by the exquisite sensations of her husband’s hands stroking her back.

“You and Mrs. Hawkins have been over every item at least a dozen times. I cannot believe there is any detail that you have missed.”

“You are very wicked tempting me this way,” she said as she tried to wriggle loose, but Darcy held her all the more tightly.

“You know Mrs. Hawkins is very capable of seeing to anything unexpected that arises. You should relax and enjoy yourself on your sister’s wedding day.” As he planted kisses down the back of her neck, Elizabeth felt her resolve weakening.

“I want everything to be perfect for Jane.”

“I think perhaps you want everything to be perfect for this wedding because it was not so for yours,” Darcy observed.

She frowned. “William, our wedding was lovely.”

“Oh, yes, everything was excellent except for the small matter of the bride wanting to be anywhere else in England other than in that church.”

Elizabeth turned in his arms and lightly ran her finger along his jaw. “That is not fair. You know my feelings are different now. I love you more than I can say,” she said, snuggling against him.

“I might need more convincing. Perhaps, if you stayed here just a little longer …”