Page 82 of Compromise & Consequence
“Not at the time, however, she also hoisted me on my own petard. The day following our disaster of a wedding, at least eight trunks and some personal furniture were delivered to my front door. She informed me quite succinctly that while I had said she could notbringanything, I had not stipulated her belongings could not follow.”
“Darcy, I am so glad she is an ally to our family.”
“My sentiments exactly.” Darcy rose to his feet. “I will call up the carriage. The ladies should be ready to depart soon.”
Chapter Twenty
Elizabeth experienced a tingle of anticipation as their carriage rolled through the gates onto the gravel drive of Longbourn Manor. Quick tears sprang up in her eyes when she spotted most of the family gathered on the front portico to greet the prodigal niece and her husband. Her heart fairly burst when the carriage pulled to a stop and a footman opened the door.
Mr. Darcy exited, then turned around to help her disembark. She’d barely made it two paces before she was enveloped in a hug from Mary, of all people.
“Lizzy!” she exclaimed and burrowed her head into her shoulder, sobbing with great gulps of air between hiccupping sniffles. “I have missed you soooo much!”
“Mary, dearest. I have missed you as well.”
She looked over her cousin’s shoulder toward her uncle and lifted a brow in question. He gave a small shrug and then held out his arms. After disentangling herself from Mary, with a promise to talk with her further, she moved into her uncle’s warm embrace.
“Mary has the right of it. We have missed you, oh so very much.”
Knowing Mr. Darcy was witnessing an emotional reunification of her family, torn apart by his demands, she regretfully separated from her uncle and turned to her aunt.
“Aunt Frances, it is so good to see you.” She looked past her presence and spied their faithful retainers hovering near the entrance. “And you as well, Hill and Griggs. Please convey my greetings to Cook as I am sure she is busy in the kitchen preparing a feast.”
“That she is, Miss Lizzy… I mean, Mrs. Darcy.” Hill looked at Griggs who merely nodded his head in a fashion that told her it was an honest mistake to call her by her former, more familiar moniker.
“Come into the house, everyone. ‘Tis not the middle of summer, you know, and we may as well continue this visit in front of a nice fire with a cup of tea,” Aunt Frances said and quickly began to herd everyone into the manor.
Once everyone was in the front parlor, her aunt turned to Mr. Darcy and greeted him with a bit more warmth than Elizabeth expected. Her husband had begun mending fences with her family when he visited to amend the settlement. However, upon seeing Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had followed in his carriage in case he was called back to London for an emergency, Mrs. Bennet’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Colonel, what brings you to Longbourn?”
“I wished to accompany my cousin.”
“Your cousin? Who is your cousin?”
“Darcy, ma’am.”
“Mr. Darcy! Lizzy’s husband is your cousin?”
“He is, Mrs. Bennet.”
“And why did you not share this information when you were last here?”
“I did with your husband, but did not see the need to share further, at the time.”
“That still does not explain why you choose to attend the wedding of Miss Charlotte Lucas when you have not been introduced.”
Elizabeth hid a grin by turning her head. Richard had insisted on accompanying them, which she and Jane knew full wellwould set the matrimonial antennas twitching on Mrs. Bennet. After this week, the secret courtship between her two favorite people would very likely come to an end, which she suspected was the real reason Richard insisted on joining them. He wanted everyone to know he was courting Miss Jane Bennet, and if Mr. Bingley ever returned to Netherfield Park, the news would reach his ears upon his first visit to any of the prominent families he’d befriended.
A very good strategy, which Elizabeth fully endorsed. At one time she’d been very angry with her husband for not revealing his intent to marry her, an action which had ultimately chased Mr. Bingley away from Meryton and Jane. However, as soon as her anger had receded, she realized no one had forced the amiable man to tuck his tail between his legs and hie off to London. Jane needed a man who would stand with her, no matter what came their way – and the colonel was that man.
“Auntie,” Elizabeth soothed, “the colonel is part of our family and is a great friend to my husband. He is a welcome addition to our party.”
“Well, any friend and family member of Mr. Darcy’s will always be welcome here, to be sure; although I must say that I hate the very sight of him,” Mrs. Bennet said in a surprisingly low voice so none but Elizabeth could hear, for which she was grateful. Jane did not need the added burden of disappointing her mother at this tender juncture of their courtship.
The next morning, the ladies were enjoying a moment of quiet in the front parlor. Mr. Darcy and Richard had gone riding and it was the first time the three women were alone. Upon spying the two men returning from their ride through one of the windows, it did not take long for Aunt Frances to give vent to her ill-concealed dislike of Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“Good gracious!” cried Mrs. Bennet. “If that disagreeablecolonel is not hanging about again with our dear Mr. Darcy! What can he mean by being so tiresome as to come with you to Miss Lucas’s wedding? What shall we do with him? Jane, you must walk out with him when they return so that he may not upset dear Lydia again.”
