“The second is that you and your sane sister have three days to complete any business, withdraw your funds, and close your accounts in our bank. Yes, Mr Bingley, do not look so surprised that we have banking interests. On the third day, you will board a Dennington Line ship, yes also ours, in steerage to Liverpool. From there you will transfer to a ship for Halifax in the Canadas, and once there you will journey to the former colonies of the Americas. Your criminally insane sister will be on board in the brig waiting for you. You will be escorted and watched until you leave lands owned by the empire, and I will make sure that I am apprised of what you do once across the ocean. If you choose the second option, I would have your sister committed to an asylum for the insane if I were you. There is one condition. None of your family will ever return to England because if you do, you will be arrested and the charges filed that I outlined in the first choice. Now choose!” Bennet demanded loudly.
“B-b-but…” Bingley stammered.
“I said choose Mr Bingley. If I hear anything other than a choice from you, I will call for the runners and have you both in Newgate awaiting trial within the hour.” The resolute look in the Earl’s eyes was not lost on Bingley.
“We will be on the ship in three days,” Bingley answered. He was thoroughly dejected and defeated. The cost of his folly and his responsibility for it finally hit him. His aversion to confrontation and pathological desire for peace at any cost had brought him anything but. He left the study under the disdainful glare of all within and was returned to their squalid hotel. He informed his older sister what the appeasement of their younger sibling had purchased them.
It was not long after Bingley was led out of Bennet House that the Countess and the three remaining daughters were hugging and comforting Lizzy in the family sitting room. The four gentlemen had returned home, and when Darcy asked if he should delay his visit, Elizabeth had assured him that there was no cause to postpone. He happily told her that he would see her at eleven as planned and would bring Georgie to visit with her younger sisters. Once she assured her mother and sisters that she was completely recovered from the shock of the foiled attack, they all relaxed. It was not long after that the Bennets broke their fast in the breakfast room.
The perpetrator of the attack was seen by a physician who confirmed that the still shrieking woman had no life-threatening injuries. Not that anyone would have mourned her passing, but it was after all the Christian thing to tend to her injuries. To silence her vitriol, she had been given a sleeping draft, and no one would be much inclined to stop administering it to her until she was away from England’s shores. The heavily sedated woman was left chained to her bed, a gag unnecessary as no one could hear her besides the two footmen posted at the door and they had no care for anything that the vile woman said. Three days later the much-altered woman would be transferred to the brig on the ship that would start the journey of her removal from the shores of England for all time.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Anne de Bourgh, after placing one of the single largest orders at Chippendale’s in their storied history, left for Rosings Park once she had made sure that Elizabeth was well after surviving the attempted attack by the deranged woman. She visited the Bennets with her aunt and two female cousins, who remained at Bennet House to support the family. Before she departed, she issued an invitation for the Bennets to join the Fitzwilliams and Darcys at her estate the following Easter. The invitation was happily accepted. The return journey was the mirror image of the trip to London. She rode in her barouche box with Ian Ashby, her companion, and her lady’s maid.
Anne was feeling such emotions for a man; emotions she never expected to feel; never thought that her former mother would allow her to live to feel. She was in love with her Ian. She knew that she had fallen irrevocably when any thought of the future that didn’t include him made her heart twist with pain. She could not imagine the rest of her life without him, and was grateful he had promised she did not need to.
The more her health and appetite had improved, the more she was able to exercise, and the better that she looked and felt. She no longer dreaded the wedding night or believed that bearing a child would kill her as Lady Catherine had pontificated. After she had expressed doubts in her fitness to bear children, her Aunt Elaine had taken her to see the most sought after accoucheur, Sir Frederick Gillingham. After a long and complete examination that, although mortifying having a man see her in that state of undress, had filled her with joy when Sir Frederick had informed her that she was as healthy and as capable of bearing a child as any woman. That news was the final piece that allowed Anne to accept that she was as worthy of happiness as any other.
After these weeks with Anne, Ashby had also fallen deeply in love with the lady he was courting. When the Earl had returned from Bennet House, Ashby requested a short interview. He asked for and was granted the Earl’s blessing and consent to marry Anne if she accepted him when he intended to propose as planned the following week after the mandated four weeks for their courtship were complete. Matlock wrote a letter of congratulations bestowing his consent and blessing which he handed to Ashby requesting he give it to Anne if, as he fully expected, she accepted the young man’s proposals.
The moment in the park helped Ashby to not second guess her intentions, but he was looking forward to the day he could ask her the most important of questions as he wanted to claim his Anne and more, be claimed by only her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At a few minutes before eleven an immaculately dressed, nervous, cautiously hopeful Darcy and his sister were shown into the Bennet family’s sitting room where his aunt and two cousins were already ensconced. After greetings were exchanged, he excused himself to knock on the Earl’s study door. As he left the room, as if on cue, the four younger girls excused themselves to go sit and talk about the ball in Mary and Kitty’s shared sitting room. Kitty had returned home with the Fitzwilliam women.
Darcy was bid to enter and he greeted Bennet and sat in the chair in front of the impressively large desk. “Lord Longbourn, I request a private interview with your daughter, Lady Elizabeth,” he specified after being warned of the teasing that Richard had endured at the end of the rapier sharp sardonic wit the Earl possessed.
“I see that your cousin warned you to be specific. Two things, Darcy. Lizzy had a great shock this morning. Do you feel that she is open to a question of a serious nature today? In addition, it was not that long ago that she could not stand you and thought you as the worst kind of hypocrite,” the Earl challenged.
“Both are valid concerns, my Lord. To the first, before I returned home this morning, I asked Lady Elizabeth if she would prefer that I postpone my interview with her, but she indicated that she wanted me to keep the appointment.” Darcy thought for some seconds and then addressed the second point. “In the past, your assessment of your daughter’s feelings toward me would have been accurate. We agreed to start anew, and I do not believe that she would have agreed to my requesting this interview if she was not open to furthering our relationship in one form or another.”
“You do not need me to tell you, my Lord, that your second daughter will never do that which she does not want to. Her strong will, independence, wit that she inherited from her father, intelligence, kindness, care for others, and even her impertinence are all things that I fell in love with. I am not looking for anything short of a true partner in all facets of my life and I know that Lady Elizabeth is theonlywoman that I can love and fill the role of full partner for me. She is infinitely wise, kind, and fair. She gave me a clear signal that she was open to my addresses.” Darcy gave a slight nod when Bennet’s brow arched in question. “Before the ball, sir.”
“It did not slip my notice that you never mentioned her vast wealth, Darcy.” The Earl sat back in his chair; his concern for his Lizzy being mostly relieved.
“That, my Lord, is because, as I am sure you are aware, I have no need for more wealth. The ten thousand a year bandied about in society is less than the fifteen thousand that Pemberley actually earns. It does not include a further twelve thousand from my three additional estates. When you add the income from my interests and investments, my income is a little more than a clear five and thirty thousand pounds per annum. Even if Lady Elizabeth was penniless, as I believed she was when I first proposed, I would marry her if she would accept me.” Darcy wondered if his honour was being challenged, but the Earl was merely confirming what he believed of Darcy’s character and integrity.
“Relax Darcy, I have no question of your constancy, resolution, or that you want to marry my daughter for any nefarious reason. I am sure that you are not interested in her for the fortune she brings to the match. That being said, I have no objection to your private interview with my Lizzy and I will be here if you need to ask me anything at the end of said interview. Do you intend to ask for her hand or a courtship?” The Earl waited, knowing that by the way she held Darcy for support when her life was endangered that his second daughter was not indifferent to the man.
“Like my cousin Richard, when he proposed to Lady Jane, sir, I will offer the choice to Lady Elizabeth.” Darcy nodded at the supposition and received a nod that it was as he had expected.
“Good answer, son. Go to it.” The Earl sent him off to make his second daughter happy.
By the time Darcy returned to the family sitting room, it contained the two Countesses and soon to be sisters Jane and Marie. After a nod from Darcy, Lizzy informed her mother that her father had granted permission for her to talk to Mr Darcy in private. Fanny kissed her second daughter on the cheek then withdrew with the three other ladies, leaving the door cracked open for the sake of propriety. Once they were alone, Darcy sat next to Elizabeth on the settee and took her hands in his as they faced each other.
“Lady Elizabeth, Elizabeth, my wishes and dreams are unchanged from the sentiments I expressed at Hunsford, though spoken in the worst possible words.” Darcy started his second proposal with respect to them both for what had so been a turning point to him because she had shown him the path he must take in order that he could become the man that his parents had believed he would be.
“Do not remind me of what you, or for that matter, I said as it will do neither of us credit,” Lizzy responded softly.
“What did you say that I did not deserve? I was arrogant, prideful, and hypocritical. I will never forget as you said, ‘if you had been more gentleman like.’ My first emotion after the setdown that you delivered was anger. Once I calmed, the more I considered, truly assessed your words, even before my family pointed out my folly and bad behaviour; I had started to reluctantly admit that you were correct in your assessment of me.”
“I noted each of your reproofs, saw the justification in your words, and then went about the business of addressing each and every one. Before I ask the question that I would love to, bar none, I must ask another. Are we at the point where I may ask for your hand, or is it the request for a courtship that you prefer to hear?” He held his breath in anticipation as she thought for a minute or two. As excruciating as the wait was, he wanted to make sure that she answered as her heart and mind saw fit. Pushing too fast had greater consequences than proceeding slowly so that he could win her love and she accept his.
When she was ready and knew what she wanted to say in a way that would not hurt the man that she now both respected and esteemed, she nodded to appraise him and met his eyes. “Rather than keep you in suspense, I will let you know that I am not willing to accept more than a courtship now.” She saw his look of disappointment so she quickly clarified her meaning for him. “Do not think that I for one second doubt your love, resolution, or constancy. I do not,” she assured him with a hand on his arm. “Not very long ago, it was hard for me to be in your company, now I relish it. I did not respect you, and I most certainly do now. Lastly, there was neither esteem nor love for you, and now there is esteem. I do not think that I love you…today. I know that I am on my way to being in that state which is why I want to enter into a formal courtship with you. I believe as I get to know you better, I will be in love with you in the not too far distant future.” She blushed lightly as she admitted it aloud to the man who had gained her affections so rapidly since they had both returned to town from Kent.
The more that she spoke, the better he felt, and as she finished her speech he was as close to content as he could be without being able to ask for her hand. Elizabeth had indicated that she was on her way to being in love with him, and that coupled with the rest of what she had said about her feelings toward him was enough. For now.
