“We have been hoping to meet you all your life, young man.” She kissed the top of his head and pulled back, asking about Georgiana. Darcy, initially caught off guard, had to wonder how much more happiness in his and Georgiana’s life there could have been had he met the Bennets sooner.
“She is well, Mrs. Bennet, thank you for asking.” Darcy bowed his head in her direction. “And as much as I would be happy to continue talking about Georgie, we have a more immediate matter to address, if that is acceptable,” he asked, smiling at the silent communication between her and Bennet that ended with Mrs. Bennet nodding.
Fanny was apprised of the plan, agreed, and returned to the drawing room. After the door closed once his wife exited, Bennet wrote the express inviting the Fitzwilliams to join them at Longbourn.
Darcy was, for the first time in too long, looking forward to something with the expectation of pleasure, not only seeing his closest relations himself, but his knowledge of how much his family loved the Bennets and the way acceptance was extended to him made him very grateful to now be included in the warmth he felt at Longbourn.
Once the missive was completed, Bennet rang for Hill and asked him to send one of his grooms to Matlock house in Town, then to await any reply. After the door closed, Bennet told the friends he was going to collect his sons from Eton on Thursday as the school year was ending.
He would be departing that afternoon and returning on Friday morning. He knew his boys would be overjoyed if the Fitzwilliams responded in the affirmative, especially with Richard in residence at Netherfield Park.
It was hard to believe in the next school year come August that his little boys, both already taller than him, would then begin their studies at Cambridge. Bennet suggested that they adjourn to the drawing room to meet the rest of the family that was in residence.
The two men agreed, and they all made for the drawing room. Bennet grinned to himself when he noted the same look on the faces of the two gentlemen, he had seen many times before when others beheld the sight of his daughters.
The two friends were frozen before they had fully stepped in. Darcy knew he, and he was certain he could speak for Bingley, had never before seen so much beauty and genuine gentility before. They had heard from the other callers the Bennet daughters were beauties, but the vision before them was far and away above what they had expected.
Bingley saw a blonde, blue-eyed beauty who was standing and waiting for the introductions and was transfixed by her. She appeared as if she was serene, but he could see a steely resolve in her countenance as she assessed him, and Darcy suspected anyone trifling with her or any of her sisters would do so at their peril.
Darcy was struck dumb by a raven-haired beauty with sparkling hazel eyes that even from this distance he could spy flecks of gold and green; her amused smile exuding wit and intelligence. He, who had on many occasions derided those talking of love at first sight, was mesmerised and shocked to understand it would not take very long before he would be well on his way to his heart being irrevocably lost.
Lizzy, who until now had never been seriously attracted to any particular man, was frozen when the most handsome man she had ever before seen was now in front of her in her own home. A quick appraisal meant she could surmise he had recently lost too much weight too fast, and instinctively felt he had been, or was now, troubled and knew she wanted to help him ease his cares away, was in fact, determined to.
Jolted back to reality, she rebuked herself for getting carried away until she again met his eyes and saw his perfect deep blue eyes looking at her with what could only be described as esteem. ‘He is so much more than tolerable, and more than handsome enough to tempt me,’ she admitted, if only to herself.
The ladies had all risen from their seats, so Bennet took pity on the thunderstruck men, and equally amusing two awed daughters and made the introductions. “My wife Fanny Bennet, who you just saw in the study, my eldest daughter, Miss Jane Bennet, followed by Elizabeth, Mary, and last but not at all least, Catherine Bennet, who we call Kitty and is not yet out.”
As he named them, each lady gave a curtsey and the gentlemen bowed. “The lady you see standing behind Kitty is her companion, Mrs. Henrietta Chandler.” The lady stood and curtsied as she was introduced. “Ladies, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Charles Bingley of Scarborough, who is our tenant at Netherfield, and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire.”
On seeing the looks from his daughters, he chuckled and nodded. “Yes, he is Reggie and Elaine’s nephew, the one we always miss seeing by a day or even hours. Kitty, you especially will be happy to hear his sister will arrive on Monday. She is almost the same age as you and also not yet out.”
Kitty’s brilliant smile brightened her face and she looked truly delighted. “Oh, how nice it will be to have another in the area besides myself and Maria Lucas that is close to our age,” she professed with affection and Darcy was taken aback, wondering if this band of beauties was the answer to almost all of his prayers.
Darcy knew, just as he had with Bennet earlier, that his sister’s cares would lighten when she met the friends, who had been part of their family for far too long to consider new. He was positive the Bennets would be very good for her and assist Georgie to recover her confidence.
He knew she would love to have a friend her own age, the elder sisters to guide her and help her with questions she probably would never ask him, and if it had the added benefit of keeping her away from the cloying and fake Caroline Bingley, so much the better.
Bennet informed his daughters he had extended an invitation to the Fitzwilliams to join them, surprising Darcy when he looked pointedly at his third daughter Mary as he revealed Richard would be arriving with Miss Georgiana and her companion to stay at Netherfield Park.
Mary, with heightened colour on her cheeks, seemed more than passingly pleased when she heard Richard would be one of the arriving individuals on Monday. On noting this, Darcy felt it was time to interrogate his playful cousin rather than the other way around, as was usually the case. That is, if he could stay away from the Bennet ladies long enough to allow for it.
With that thought, he was struck by what he hoped was a brilliant idea that would not only help Georgie recover but save her from having to hide from Caroline Bingley. “If I may, Georgiana, we call her Georgie, is very shy and I know she would love to be among other ladies close to her age and away from a certain lady at Netherfield Park,” he looked apologetically at Bingley who waved away his concern. “If I can impose on you after just being introduced, and if it is agreeable to you and she acquiesces, would you object to her staying here? Being among other genteel young ladies would do Georgie a world of good, and she too has heard our cousins speak of you often. She laments never having had the chance to meet you as have I over the years.”
“She would be most welcome, as any member of Reggie and Elaine’s family would be without question,” said Fanny. “I would love to have another girl here around the same age as Kitty, what could be better? What is the issue at Netherfield Park is there a problem with the house?” She looked to her husband, reading that there was much more to this.
Bennet and Darcy looked to Bingley, who glanced at Miss Bennet. On seeing her nod that she too was concerned, he in turn looked at Bennet and gave his approval, also having the grace to blush when he finally saw Bennet’s amused look. At his approval, Bennet, Darcy, and Bingley explained the Caroline Bingley problem and what steps were being taken to put her in her place, which included the invitation to the Fitzwilliams.
“Georgiana is shy, but around Miss Bingley she is ever more so and more withdrawn than normal. She knows that Miss Bingley offers her false friendship with the intent to induce me to offer for her, something that willneverhappen!” He met Elizabeth’s eyes and shook his head once. “She set her cap for me after seeing Pemberley, but I never considered her for the role of my wife for a moment. Not once, and Bingley supports me in this.”
After hearing Miss Bingley was continuing her ridiculous behaviour, even after Bennet’s warnings, Georgiana’s stay was reaffirmed by all the ladies individually and Darcy chuckled, wondering what would happen should someone even attempt to gainsay this decision now.
He would be most amused to watch someone try but was not himself so stupid as to go against the wishes of the collective Bennet ladies. With that settled, everyone agreed it was best to allow Miss Bingley to dig her own societal grave. If, as they expected, the invitation to the Fitzwilliams was accepted, the choice of what her future in society would be was to be hers, and hers alone.
“The audacity of the woman!” Lizzy spat out; her hands balled into fists. “She will experience my wrath if she tries to make trouble for Georgiana or any of my other sisters, or anyone else I love,” Elizabeth vowed as she looked at Darcy, the flashing of her eyes gave him an insight to the fire and passion within.
Then the words she had said struck him and he was lost to her. While amazed at how her eyes sparkled when angry, the love and protection of all he held most dear was more than he had ever before been gifted in his life by another save for Richard.
“Now Lizzy,” Bennet said with a look of pride on his face, “Miss Bingley will be the author of her own downfall. We will make sure we are not in her company before the assembly, then it is strictly her behaviour that will dictate what happens.”
