“Lizzy!” exclaimed Lydia. “I never expected trimming a doll’s hat would be so challenging. Everything is so tiny! Look here! What do you think of this ribbon? It is rather pretty, and these small pink rosebuds will match her dress perfectly.”
“I like them very much, Lydia. Your attention to detail serves you well, and yes, the bonnet matches Janie’s ball gown perfectly. Little Miss Darcy is sure to be pleased. Sisters, I cannot begin to tell all of you how proud I am of your efforts.” Looking over to where Kitty was working she added, “Kitty, how are the illustrations coming along for our story?”
“I just finished the last picture and it only needs to dry.” Holding up another picture she proudly said, “This first one looks like our Patches when she was but a kitten.”
Patches, having been a family favourite, had lived on the Bennet Estate for much of the girls’ lives. In this story Elizabeth had decided to write a tale about a little girl named Janie who lived in the country and had befriended a similar calico cat living in the barn. The cat was very affectionate, and each day Janie would bring her little scraps of food from the kitchen and a small dish of fresh water or a tiny bit of cream for the animal to enjoy. In the cat’s favourite corner, Janie had spread out an old woollen blanket which the housekeeper had given her for that purpose. Janie took great pride in arranging it on the straw, for it proved to be the perfect place for Patches to curl up and nurse her new-born kittens.
“Why, Kitty, these pictures are wonderful! The markings and colours look exactly like our old Patches, and the little ones are adorable. My, you have done an exceptional job. Sisters, come take a look.”
Kitty had carefully arranged each of the pictures on the table while the watercolours were drying and was very pleased with the praise her sisters had for her work. It warmed Elizabeth’s heart to see how much effort her sisters had put forth in helping her prepare to meet William’s daughter. After another hour or so, they stopped for the day since the sewing was finished and the pictures were dry. William had told Elizabeth he was teaching Anna to read, and therefore she carefully notated the text with words which would be easy for the child to sound out as they read the story together. All that was left for Elizabeth to do was to assemble the pages and bind them with some colourful ribbons.
The Bennet sisters chattered merrily as they packed everything away and continued to speculate about little MissDarcy. While William had mentioned Anna on several occasions, the most Elizabeth could relate was that her intended was completely devoted to the child’s well-being. Elizabeth hoped that he would be able to eventually accept all of her sisters, for even the younger ones were looking forward to being called aunt and to embracing Georgiana as one of their own.
A little later when Mrs. Bennet joined them, she hurriedly said, “Girls, it is time you get ready for Mr. Darcy. We have no idea precisely what time he will be here this afternoon, but I want all of you to look your best.
To Elizabeth’s surprise, Mrs. Bennet purposely singled her out, saying, “Lizzy, I know it has not been easy because of what I did at the ball. Today, however, I promise you I shall do whatever it takes to make amends. We shall all be on our best behaviour, shall we not, girls?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“This is a very special day for all of us, and we do not want to disappoint Lizzy’s young man. It will be good to celebrate her engagement this evening, even if it is only a small gathering.”
“Thank you, Mama.” Elizabeth smiled in appreciation, kissing her mother on the cheek. She knew it would be difficult for her mother to change her ways, but nevertheless she was trying, and Elizabeth was proud of her efforts. Mrs. Bennet was known in the neighbourhood for putting out a good table at her dinner parties, and Elizabeth was sure that tonight’s dinner would be lovely.
Of course, she would not actually call the dinner party small for Mrs. Bennet had invited twenty-three of their neighbours including the Lucas family, her Aunt and Uncle Phillips and Mary’s intended. In addition, with her immediate family and William, that would make more than thirty people in all. Knowing that William was not particularly fond of large groups, Elizabeth prayed that he would not mind her mother’s efforts.Mrs. Bennet had insisted that a man of Mr. Darcy’s standing should be given his due, no matter what circumstances brought him to their house. Thus, the matron had forged ahead with her invitations. Assuming her family adhered to proper decorum, it would be a chance for William to see them in a better light.
Meryton
It seemed like an entire week had passed since William left Rosings Park, yet it had only been two days. Not to mention, his time away from Elizabeth seemed far longer. They had known each other such a short time, yet he missed her deeply, for she had claimed his heart. How was it that he could still feel the sensation of holding her in his arms as she clung to him at the foot of the stairs? It had nearly been his undoing when the Gardiners arrived and she could no longer hold back her tears. Wanting to protect Elizabeth at all costs had left him with such overpowering emotions. It was something he had never experienced with a woman, not even poor Anne. But then again, he had never been in love.
Arriving in Meryton, William went directly to the village inn to take a room and change out of his traveling clothes. In addition, he was able to secure rooms for the following Monday and Tuesday. As it turned out, not only did he need accommodations for Richard, Bingley and Lady Gwendolyn, but also for the countess and Mrs. Walden, who would be attending the wedding along with Lady Deming and her two children Eleanor and Lord Nicholas. Because of her conduct at the ball, Eliza would remain behind.
Normally the Gardiners would stay with the Bennets, but with so many out-of-town guests, they had told him that they would arrange to stay with the Phillips family, thus leaving morebedrooms available for some of the other guests at Longbourn Manor. The four rooms he reserved at the inn would be enough to accommodate the gentlemen. Once he arrived at Elizabeth’s home, he would need to speak with Mrs. Bennet about arranging accommodations for all of the women.
With his business at the inn finished, William began the final leg of his journey to the Bennet estate which, according to the inn keeper, was but a mile away. Unable to relax, his breathing was a bit shallow as he absentmindedly tapped his fingers on his thigh. His thoughts quickly turned to Elizabeth and what he might say when he was given the chance to formally propose. Would she be reserved after so much discord, or would she welcome his addresses? William prayed it would be the latter.
According to Gardiner, the uncertainty of their situation had weighed heavily on Elizabeth’s mind, especially after her confrontation with Lady Catherine. He could understand how Elizabeth longed to be in the company of her father and why arrangements had been made for all of the Bennet women to return home. He hoped the letter he sent to her father had been enough to alleviate her apprehensions.
William also wondered how Elizabeth would react to so many decisions being made about her future without her direct input. From the first, she impressed him as a woman who knew her own mind. After all, she had been attending Lady Gwendolyn’s bluestocking functions, and the women in that circle certainly did not hold back their opinions. He was sure Elizabeth would have preferred some say in the matter, and it grieved him that she was being forced to marry without a proper courtship, let alone a proper proposal.
Over the years William had known of several matchmaking mamas who willingly participated in compromises for their unmarried daughters. Still, it was beyond his comprehension why Mrs. Bennet and Eliza had instigated such a ruse when hethought he had made his intentions towards Elizabeth perfectly clear. Perhaps, as Richard suggested, they had mistaken his reserve for indifference. Overlooking what happened, William loved Elizabeth, and he lamented that they would be entering into marriage under such strained conditions. She was the one woman he dearly wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he prayed that the two of them would be able to make their way without resentment or regrets. Elizabeth deserved much more than she had been given, and William silently vowed to do his best in making it up to her once they were married.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
REUNITED
Longbourn
The Manor House
The Same Day
All of the Bennet women were in the parlour awaiting William’s arrival. Mrs. Bennet had insisted that her daughters sit quietly with their needlework or a book while she kept track of the time. In anticipation, she had sent one of the young grooms into the village to watch for the Darcy carriage. William’s large vehicle was spotted when it stopped in front of the Meryton Inn, allowing the master to disembark and go inside. This delay made it possible for the Bennets’ groom to get back to the manor house with enough time to alert the family of William’s arrival in the village. That same groom was now standing porter at the end of the drive, and as soon as the Darcy carriage turned off of the main road, he was to report back to the house.
“Gracious, what is taking the man so long?” Mrs. Bennet nervously twittered. “It would have been so much easier if Mr. Darcy had simply stopped in the village for directions and camedirectly to the house. He should have realised that we would be delighted to house him in one of our guest rooms.”
“Mama, I am sure Mr. Darcy did not want to take too much for granted,” Elizabeth said in his defence. “We should allow him his privacy. After all, the last time we saw Mr. Darcy, things were strained. Aside from the letter he sent to Uncle Gardiner, thus far our only direct communication from him has been to Papa.”
“That may be, but nevertheless, I shall offer him our accommodations. Certainly staying here will be preferable to the Meryton Inn. Not to mention it will give you another chance to see him in the morning before he returns to Town. As for what happened at the ball, well, that is in the past and we all must put it aside, for we have your wedding to look forward to. Your father said Mr. Darcy is coming here today to formally ask for your hand, and that is all that matters.”
