Mary Simonsen - A Wife for Mr Darcy

Turning his full attention to Lizzy, Mr. Bennet continued, “I believe the family owes you a debt of gratitude, my dear.” Lizzy’s heart started racing at the thought of what Mr. Darcy might have shared. “Mr. Darcy said that because you have been such a good friend to his sister, he felt obligated to do all he could to prevent Wickham from succeeding.”

“Is that the only reason he gave?”

“Yes, what other reason could there be?”

“I can’t think of any,” and Lizzy felt her eyes filling up with tears.

Her father came over and hugged her. “I know why you are crying. But no harm has been done, and in a week or two, I will have forgiven Lydia, as well as myself. And all will be as it was.”

Lizzy nodded, “Yes, all will be as it was.”

Despite her grief, Lydia’s appetite remained unaffected, and Mrs. Hill received word that a tray should be prepared for her and brought up to her room. When Lizzy saw how her sister’s inexcusable actions were being rewarded, instead of punished, she went to her room and shut the door. She did not want to speak to anyone—not even Jane.

When Jane checked on her an hour later, she found Lizzy sitting in the window seat reading a novel. Jane knew that her sister could be brought low by events, but she always got up, dusted herself off, and moved forward.

“While you were sleeping, an express rider came from London with a letter for you.” Because the expensive stationery had a D stamped into the seal, there was no doubt that the letter was from Mr. Darcy.

After taking the post from Jane, Lizzy sat with it on her lap unopened. “If this is another letter from F. Darcy, I think I shall scream,” and she broke through the seal.

When Lizzy had finished the letter, she started crying in big heartfelt sobs, and tears poured down her face. Jane had to think that Mr. Darcy had changed his mind, and his courtship with Miss Montford would go forward. But when Jane read the contents of the letter, she realized that Lizzy was crying as a means of releasing all the emotions she had kept in check for so long. Mr. Darcy had declared in simple, but elegant, language that he loved her, and because of that, everything that lay hidden had burst out into the open. Her tears flowed in happiness and relief. When she had composed herself, Lizzy read aloud the closing lines of Mr. Darcy’s letter:

The hours go slowly, but soon I shall be in Hertfordshire. Once we are together, it will require an act of God to separate us.

Love, Will

“Jane, he loves me, and there is nothing to keep him from me.” After wiping her tears, she continued, “We are not anticipating any volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, are we?”

Jane smiled at her sister. “No, Lizzy, there will be no acts of God to keep Mr. Darcy from you, and since Gaius and Lucius are in Scotland, there will be no local calamities, either.”

John Lucas came by early in the afternoon to say that the wedding of Charlotte and Mr. Collins would take place in the village church on Friday at 10:00.

“I hope Charlotte knows what she is doing,” he said in a voice that showed how unhappy he was with his sister’s choice of husband. “Mr. Collins is driving everyone at Lucas Lodge to distraction. He is always going on about something that is of no interest to anyone but himself. At least I can get up and leave, but Charlotte can’t. And once she gets to Kent, she will not have any place to hide to get away from him.”

“Charlotte will be fine,” Jane reassured him. “Since Mr. Collins rarely requires a response, she may choose to ignore him if she is so inclined.”

“I hope you are right because, excuse me for being so blunt, he is a pompous arse,” and he took his leave.

John Lucas’s departure was quickly followed by the arrival of Tom Smart, one of Mr. Bingley’s servants at Netherfield. “Miss Bennet, I’ve come to tell you that Mr. Bingley’s back, so I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of you at Netherfield ”

“Most definitely,” she said, and she could not suppress a smile. “How do things go with Mr. Collins and Mrs. Crenshaw?”

“I never seen anything like it. Mr. Collins will say something about Lady Catherine, which will cause Mrs. Crenshaw to remember something what Lady So and So said, and so it goes. And when Mr. Collins ain’t talking, he’s humming. It is irritating, but it does give us fair warning that he’s coming, and we make ourselves scarce.”

Before leaving, Tom asked if he might say hello to Mrs. Hill in the kitchen, and the sisters exchanged glances, knowing that the person he really wanted to say hello to was Betsy, their kitchen maid.

After he left, Lizzy said, “Love is in the air. Tom and Betsy, Mr. Collins and Charlotte, Mr. Bingley and you.”

“And Lizzy and Mr. Darcy,” Jane said, completing the list. After reading Mr. Bingley’s note and tucking it in her pocket, she told Lizzy that they had been invited to dine at Netherfield Park. “Mr. Bingley is to send his carriage at 3:00. I think I shall put on one of my better frocks. Will you do the same?”

“There is no need for that. Once Mr. Bingley sets eyes on you, he will not see anyone else. It will be as if I am not there at all.”

“Well, let us dress up anyway.”

“Whatever you say, as I am in a most agreeable mood.”

As soon as Bingley and the Darcys entered the foyer of Netherfield Park, the now voluminous Mrs. Crenshaw attempted to embrace her brother. Also there to greet the party from London was Athena. Although the little imp made a perfect curtsey and welcomed Miss Darcy to Netherfield Park, Georgiana would trust her only as far as she could throw her.

When Charles informed his sister that Jane and Elizabeth would be dining with them, Mrs. Crenshaw could barely contain her enthusiasm.

“Oh, that is such good news, brother. Mr. Collins has gone to Lucas Lodge to visit Miss Lucas, who has completely recovered from her illness. I must confess I am glad that he will not be at table with us. He talks a good deal and rarely gives the other party a chance to say anything, but he is a pleasant man and, for the most part, has been good company.”

Georgiana and Will looked at each other. This was a complication they did not need. Once Mr. Collins realized he was under the same roof as the nephew and niece of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, they would become a captive audience. That was not going to happen if Georgiana had anything to say about it.

As soon as the carriage conveying Jane and Lizzy pulled up in front of the manor house, Mr. Bingley was out the door and whispered in Jane’s ear. It was obviously something very special as Jane nodded her head in approval. After greeting Mrs. Crenshaw, Charles suggested they go into the drawing room, but told Lizzy that a friend of hers from town had asked that he deliver a letter to her and that he had placed it on the desk in the library.

When Lizzy went into the library, it was very dark, with only the glow of embers in the fireplace providing any light, so she was startled when a man stepped out of the shadows.

“Hello, Elizabeth.”

“Mr. Darcy!” and she placed her hand over her chest to calm her heart. “You are not in London?” And she could hear the quaver in her voice.

“No, I am not in London. Do you not know why I am here?”

“I would rather not guess. Can’t you just tell me?”

Darcy stepped forward and traced the outline of Elizabeth’s face with his fingers. “I am here so that I might tell you how much I love you—unconditionally, with no restraints, and with all my heart.” And then he kissed her, and all the passion of their first kiss at Pemberley returned, and she felt drawn into his very being, that is, until she heard someone coming down the hall, and that someone was humming.

“Mr. Darcy, quickly,” and she took him by the hand and led him to a space between two bookshelves, and she put her finger to her lips and whispered, “It is Mr. Collins.”

As the reverend went in search of a book, the lovers remained stranded. For fear that she would break out laughing at the absurdity of their situation, Lizzy buried her head in Mr. Darcy’s chest.

Mr. Darcy reacted differently. He gathered Lizzy in a tight embrace and ran his hands down her back until they rested on her waist, and then he pulled her hips toward him. Without hesitation, she moved against him, and she felt a warmth in every part of her body. After pulling her sleeve down her arm, he kissed her shoulder with his lips and tongue, and she thought that there was nothing as wonderful as this. When they finally heard the door close behind the humming parson, Lizzy pulled up the sleeve of her dress and stepped away from Mr. Darcy. As he moved toward her, she placed her hands upon his chest and said, “Please, sir. We are not married, and I fear if we continue, we will be acting as if we were.”

“You are right,” he said, half laughing and half in agony. “Why is Mr. Collins at Netherfield?” he asked and shifted his weight to deal with his discomfort. After Lizzy explained about the postponed wedding, he inquired, “Do you think he will come back to the library?”

“It is possible. When he stayed at Longbourn, to my father’s great distress, he was in and out of his library all day long.”