Chapter
15
The residents of Hunsford’s
parsonage –which had seen their number considerably increased because of
the latest circumstances-, did not emerge from their rooms until very late in the
day. Nonetheless, the housekeeper received dozens of callers, neighbours and
villagers who, informed of what had occurred at the mansion, had approached the
house to offer their help in anything that the Rosings family might be in want.
The first ones to come downstairs
were Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. It was past teatime, neither had had
breakfast or lunch so they asked a servant to send them a light meal to Mr.
Collins’ study, where Fitzwilliam informed his cousin of the latest news
concerning Rosings.
“Most of the upper floors of
the eastern wing are now a pile of stone, but fortunately the ground floor and
everything beneath it still stands. I am not sure if they represent any danger
or not, so I will not send anyone to inspect them yet; I would rather wait a
few days, in case the structure collapses.”
“I would not worry about the
kitchen and the cellars,” Darcy lay back on the armchair, still feeling
very tired in spite of the few hours of rest he had. “They do not have
many things of importance, save, perhaps, for the wine and stored goods. My
concern is for the ball room and the library, which contain many valuable objects.”
“Those are locked now. I
inspected the rest of the house and ordered the servants to move most of the
furniture and silverware to the west sitting room. It is large enough to be
used as storage room and the farthest away from danger.”
“And the servants? Where are
they going to stay?”
“I requested that they all
move to the barn and the stables until we are certain that there is no danger
for them. Only a few of them will remain at Rosings, guarding what is still
there. Though I fear that we’ll have to dismiss most of them from service
in a few days time, they are not needed anymore. I will speak to Ann when she
is recovered enough and ask her what is that she wants to do and which servants
she would like to keep under her employment.”
Darcy assented. “The
housekeeper will be of help in this case. Some of them might be of need in case
Ann remains in the island. If she does not mind, I would like to take Fergusson
with me. In the days he has served me he has shown great loyalty and
efficiency. I can certainly find him a place at Pemberley or at the
Townhouse.”
“He is very good, yes.” Fitzwilliam
looked down at himself. “If we are now wearing our own cleaned and ironed
clothes instead of Collins’ it is because he was clever enough to rescue
what was still at Rosings’ laundry rooms. And this woman he brought to
see your hand, was she of use?”
“I must confess that I thought
her a charlatan when she first arrived. I cannot complain about her medical
abilities, though, I am healing much faster than I thought.” Darcy turned
his hand over and inspected his fingers, only the part the bandage allowed him
to see.
The Colonel took a look at them. Indeed,
the cuts were healing and showed no signs of swollenness or infection. “I
have seen wounds of every kind and very few have healed this quickly. Perhaps I
should introduce her to the Regiment’s doctor,” he spoke in jest,
“for some reason the wounds he cures end in amputations.”
Darcy smiled, though found little humour in
his cousin’s joke. “We now have to decide what we are to do,
Richard. Rosings is destroyed and we cannot stay at Hunsford forever.”
Fitzwilliam began to walk around the
room. “I have a few ideas; I would like to know what you think of
them.”
“Tell me.”
“I do not think Ann would wish
to leave Rosings. She hates Town and I doubt that she would want to reside at
Matlock or Pemberley. I think –if she agrees- that the best thing to do
is to move into the beach house. It is large and very comfortable; we can stay
there until the new manor is built.”
“We?” Darcy arched an
eyebrow. “So you two are to be married.”
“Yes. I sent a boat to the
mainland instructing the captain to fetch the bailiff and a vicar. I do not
wish to postpone this any longer. I want to marry Ann as soon as may be.”
“The bailiff.” Darcy
stated pensively. “With the fire I almost forgot that we still have to
inform him of Lady Catherine’s murder.”
“There is not much to say on
that account. The crime is resolved”
“Is it?” the gentleman
rubbed his chin. “Are we completely certain that Collins is the
murderer?”
Fitzwilliam seemed surprised.
“You astonish me, Darcy, this woman’s medicine must have affected
your wits. Collins killed Lady Catherine and then went after Ann. She told you
so when you rescued her.”
“Yes, that is what she
said.” Darcy did not seem convinced.
“Good Lord, Darcy!” The
Colonel began to pace the room. “What is wrong with you? First you
accused me and now you doubt Ann. Collins tried to strangle her! She has
bruises around her neck. What other proof do you need?”
Darcy frowned, trying to recall that
frantic night at Rosings more precisely. Everything happened so fast in
Ann’s room that if someone would ask him to describe exactly what he saw,
he wouldn’t be able to do it. Perhaps his cousin was right and he doubted
those he should trust.
“I am sorry, you are
right.” he sighed. “Collins’ words were so confusing
…”
Now Darcy had his cousin’s
full attention. “I thought he was unconscious when you found him. You
said that he fell from the cliff when you tried to take him out of the house. You
never mentioned that you were able to speak to him.”
“We did. He recovered
consciousness as soon as I entered the room.”
“Pray, what did he say?”
“This is the most outrageous
part. We could not escape through the dressing room, the ceiling was
collapsing, so I helped him out to the terrace with the hope that we could jump
from one balcony to another. But when Collins saw the gap, he accused me of
wanting to kill him.”
“You entered a room in flames
to rescue him at the risk of your own life. He should not be threatened by your
presence, quite the contrary.”
“I know, but he kept repeating
that someone wanted to get rid of him. He said that Ann was possessed by her
mother’s malice and that she should be stopped.”
“That is why he tried to kill
her,” Fitzwilliam stated pensively. “In his insanity he imagined
that she was as evil as her mother and that she had to be stopped before she
transformed into the monster Lady Catherine was.”
“I inquired the same thing. He
did not deny my accusation and looked very disturbed. He seemed afraid of
something and at that moment I thought he was afraid of me. He stepped back and
leaned on the railing … it broke and he fell back ... I tried to save
him, Richard, truly, I tried. ” Darcy shuddered at the unpleasant memory.
“I held his hand and tried to lift him but he was not strong enough to
hold on.”
“What I do not understand is
why he thought you were there to harm him. Unless he believed that you had come
to take him to the bailiff to make him pay for Lady Catherine’s murder.”
“That could be a
possibility.” Darcy assented.
Fitzwilliam resumed his slow walk
around the room. “Only God knows
what was in his mind. After all the abuse he suffered from our aunt, I would
not be surprised if he attempted to kill all those related to her. You and I
included.”
“Perhaps. Though I cannot
believe that would be reason enough to stab someone to death. He was a parson,
for heaven’s sake. He could have left Rosings, found another living, live
a happy life elsewhere.”
“The man was mad, Darcy. We
cannot expect him to act rationally. Ann told me that Collins was completely
out of his wits when he attacked her.”
Darcy had to admit that Collins was
not in full possession of his sanity when he last saw him. “Mrs. Collins
also thinks he is the murderer. She said she found a shirt stained with blood
among his clothes the morning after Lady Catherine’s death.”
“Do you not consider that
enough to prove his guilt?”
Though not completely convinced of
this, Darcy nodded slowly. “I guess it is.”
“So this is what we are going
to tell the bailiff.” Fitzwilliam stated.
“I do not see what else can be
said. We only need to know what happened to Mrs. Jenkinson.”
“We do not have much to say
aside from what we already know. Part of the service corridor has collapsed and
any proof that lay on those stairs is now gone.”
“Then it is the
bailiff’s duty to determine what happened.”
“I think it is time to tell
Ann of this. She will enquire after her as soon as she wakes up. I do not wish
to lie to her any longer.”
“Yes, you are right.”
Darcy sighed. “We must tell her. There is no point to hide this from
her.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam walked towards
the door. “I will see if she is awake.”
“Yes, go. That would be
best.”
The Colonel closed the door behind him and
Darcy laid his head back on the armchair. His eyelids were heavy and his mind
foggy. He glanced at his hand and wondered if Mrs. Smith’s medicine could
be the cause of his present fatigue. Probably not. Five or six hours of rest
were not enough to compensate three days of sleeplessness and the extreme
effort to which his aching body had been put through. Perhaps he should have
another of those teas made of willow crust and get some more sleep. It had served
to ease the pain that morning and surely it would make him feel better now.
He went to the kitchen and asked a
servant to take his tea to his room. He slowly climbed the stairs and without any
other ceremony than taking his shoes off, he let his body fall back on his bed
and fell fast asleep.
“Lizzy?” Maria knocked
the door, “are you awake?”
Elizabeth opened the door a moment later. Her
eyes were sleepy and her hair dishevelled. “Maria, is anything the
matter?
Miss Lucas looked concerned.
“Tis Charlotte,
she has been crying for more than an hour. I know not what to do. She will not speak
to me. Perhaps she will talk to you.”
There was no time for dressing up or
doing her toilette so Elizabeth
just washed her face and put some order in her hair before heading towards her
friend’s room. She found Charlotte
lying on her bed, sobbing.
“Charlotte,”
Elizabeth said
kindly, “are you unwell?”
The young widow did not reply. Her
friend sat on the bed and addressed her in a soft voice. “I can imagine
the pain you feel, Charlotte, but you must be strong.”
“Oh, Lizzy,” Mrs.
Collins broke in sobs. “What will become of me? What am I to do? My
husband is dead, I have no home, my life is ruined!”
Elizabeth bit her lip. Indeed Charlotte’s future
could not be darker and less promising. “You must allow some time to
pass, to forget. Surely you will feel much better once you return to your
family. You are still young, you have an entire life ahead of you.”
“Life? Pray tell me, what sort
of life will I have? My husband murdered his patroness and attempted to kill
her daughter. No other man will have me, no one will employ me. At least, had I
been with child, I would have had the chance to inherit Longbourn, but even
that was denied to me.”
“You are not to blame for your
husband’s sins, Charlotte.
You must have faith that things will change.”
“I cannot see how this can be
reversed. I have disgraced my family;
returning home will only bring shame to them. All Meryton will point at
me as the widow of a murderer. And to think that there was a moment in which I
thought I might have been mistaken, that he was innocent!” Mrs. Collins
broke in sobs once again.
“What do you mean?”
“The reason why I thought he
could be the murderer was the bloody shirt I found in our room.” Elizabeth assented
quietly. “A maid told me how it
happened. Last night, while we were watching the house burn, she told me that
Mr. Collins had gone to the kitchen during the night before to see the injured
servant and that he stayed with him for a time. The cook had slaughtered four
chickens earlier, for the following day’s meal, which he hung not far
away to bleed dry. I was told that when Mr. Collins returned to the kitchen, he
slipped on the wet floor and hit the basin on which the blood was being
collected, staining his shirt and coat. You know not the relief I felt at the
moment. Albeit he had been acting strangely since Lady Catherine’s death,
there was a chance that he was innocent and that no shame would befall us. But
then I heard Miss de Bourgh tell the Colonel that Mr. Collins confessed being
Lady Catherine’s murderer; of his attempt to kill her too and I realized
that all that hope had been for naught and that my life was indeed
cursed.”
Elizabeth was speechless. She thought of Mr.
Darcy’s doubts on the same matter, of Mrs. Smith’s words and how
all the evidence conveniently pointed at Mr. Collins when, with the exception
of the relief that Lady Catherine’s death would bring to him, he was,
perhaps, the one who would obtain the least benefit with her demise. Albeit he
was not there anymore to defend himself of her ladyship’s murder, Miss de
Bourgh was the living proof of his criminal propensity. Unless …
“Charlotte,”
Elizabeth
enquired. “Did you see marks around Miss de Bourgh’s neck when she
came out of the house?”
“I cannot recall. It was dark
and I was too concerned about my husband to notice. Why do you ask? Did you not see them?”
Miss Bennet shook her head. “No,
though I cannot say they were not there either. As you said, it was dark and I
did not pay much attention. Like you, I was also preoccupied about
…”
“Mr. Darcy.” In spite of
her tears, there was a small smile in Charlotte’s
face.
“And all those who were still
inside.” Elizabeth
smiled, too.
“You cannot fool me, Lizzy. Your
concerns were centred on one person only: the man whose lips sought yours when
he exited the house.”
Elizabeth looked away. “It is not what
it seems, Charlotte.”
“I saw it with my own eyes. I
know he extracted himself from a near death, that he was injured and perhaps
his distress must have driven him to act so recklessly but you cannot deny that
the ardour of his kiss and your response to it has put your reputation at stake. If your father learns of this
incident, he would demand an engagement.”
“I understand what you mean. If
it serves you as a consolation, he apologized for his forwardness.”
Charlotte’s voice acquired a less
amiable tone. “Apologized? I do not think that that could be resolved
with a mere apology, Lizzy. An honourable man would have proposed to you after
such an exhibition.”
“Please, do not mistake him. He
… we …” Elizabeth sighed, not able to explain a matter of
which she was not even certain. “Our circumstances are too different.
Even if he were in love with me, he unfortunately suffers the limitations that
society establishes on persons of his rank.
But I am certain that if the matter arises, he will do everything that
is needed to rectify my situation.”
Miss Collins observed her friend
carefully and saw tears brightening Elizabeth’s
eyes. “You love him.”
Elizabeth assented quietly.
“Oh, Lizzy, what are you going
to do?”
“I don’t know. If he
loves me enough to overcome his scruples and propose to me despite my
limitations, then I will be the happiest woman on earth. But if he does not, I
will understand. I will not use that incident as an instrument to force him
into an unwanted obligation. I would rather live with the memory of the kiss we
once shared than to have him against his will.”
“Then your family will never
learn of this incident from my lips or Maria’s, I assure you.”
“Thank you.” Elizabeth smiled.
“You must be hungry. You have not eaten since yesterday.”
“I don’t want to leave
my rooms, Lizzy, I do not wish to see anyone yet.”
“Your guests are still
resting, I assure you. But if you prefer to stay here, I will ring for a maid
and ask her to bring us some tea.”
“You are right. Ask Maria to
join us. My poor sister is beside herself in concern.”
Elizabeth went for Miss Lucas and the two
ladies crawled in Charlotte’s
bed. The rest of the evening was spent in conversation.
The bailiff called on the parsonage
early in the morning. His first hours were spent in conference with the
gentlemen, first with Mr. Darcy and then with Colonel Fitzwilliam with the
intention of collecting as much information he could about Lady
Catherine’s death. He then requested an audience with Miss de Bourgh. In
this case, so Ann would not be left alone with him, Elizabeth was asked to keep her company.
“You say that he went to your
rooms and confessed being your mother’s killer?”
“Yes, sir.” She pressed
her handkerchief to her nose. The recapitulation of the hours that followed the
announcement of Lady Catherine’s death had left Ann extremely disturbed
and she was having difficulty controlling her tears. “He spoke of heaven
and hell, he said that the devil had taken possession of the house and the only
way to stop him was killing those who had invoked him. He believed my mother to
be the incarnation of evil and that Rosings was cursed. Then he approached me
while reciting a strange prayer. In another language, I believe; I could not
recognize the words. I was terrified,” she rested her palm on her chest,
securing the shawl she was using to cover the marks. “I could not move.
He …” her voice faltered, “he put his hands around my neck
… he was choking me. I tried to fight him but he was too strong. Somehow
I reached the oil lamp on the table and was able to hit him on the head. I
cannot recall exactly what happened immediately after, I believe I was in shock
for a moment, and by the time I realized where I was, the room was in flames
and my cousin was calling my name.”
Ann made a pause and the bailiff
allowed her some time to compose herself. “I suppose his attack left
marks on your neck.”
She nodded quietly.
“I would like to see them, if
you do not find it inconvenient.” The bailiff requested.
Though visibly uncomfortable with
his petition, Ann moved aside the shawl that was wrapped around her neck. Even
from a distance, Elizabeth
could see the rosary of purple marks imprinted on Miss de Bourgh’s skin.
“Poor child,” the
bailiff whispered. “I have one
more question, Miss de Bourgh, and you will be free to go,” said he. “What
do you know of Mrs. Jenkinson’s death?”
“Not much,” Ann’s
eyes clouded with tears. “My cousins informed me of the news only last
night. They wanted to spare me the pain for a little longer. I was told that
she fell from the stairs.”
“Yes.” He offered
gently. “When was the time you last saw her?”
“The night that followed my
mother’s death. She brought my tea to my rooms soon after suppertime. That
was the last I saw her. She was so caring, so solicitous,” Miss de Bourgh
sniffed. “I miss her so much.”
“Thank you, Miss de Bourgh,
you have been very helpful.” The bailiff condoled with her. “I will
not disturb you any longer.”
The bailiff then asked Elizabeth a few more
questions, mostly concerning Mr. Collins’ behaviour in the hours that
preceded and followed Lady Catherine’s death. She told him everything she
knew and having nothing else to enquire, he expressed that they were free to
go.
After nearly a week of bad weather,
Rosings was finally blessed with a clear day. Spring had reached the island at
last.
Once she was certain that Charlotte was resting peacefully after her interview with
the bailiff, Elizabeth
changed into a comfortable frock and her walking boots and headed for the
pebbled path that bordered the coastline.
It was indeed a beautiful day. The
skies were blue, the breeze was soft and fresh and the seagulls tracked the
coast, grazing the sand in search of whatever the storm had thrown over the
shore. Invigorated by the sun and the marine breeze, Elizabeth forgot the tension, the fear suffered during the past days. She
took her bonnet off, lifted her face to the sun and allowed the wind to caress
her skin.
The path split into two and
Elizabeth was tempted to take the wider one, the one that led towards the rock
on which she used to sit and watch the sea during her first days at Rosings but
then she reconsidered knowing that that road would put her face to face with
the mansion, a sight that she was not willing to see again. So the other one
she took, heading towards the shore, with the hope that the low tide would
allow her a long walk on the beach.
After overcoming the more irregular
part, she finally reached the sand, and turning to the right, she continued her
walk facing the sun. She knew she should shelter her face before she would
become too tanned but the sensation was too pleasant to detain it.
She walked a considerable distance
until she noticed that she was not alone on the beach. Appearing from the
curve, coming toward her, not far away, a manly figure appeared. Her heart
skipped a beat when she recognized the man was no other than Mr. Darcy. He
approached her, and after bowing, said,
“Miss Bennet, I see you have
returned to your old habits. It is a very pleasant day for a walk.”
She dropped a quick courtesy. “Good
afternoon, Mr. Darcy. I hope you are well. You look much improved.”
Darcy smiled and accepted the
compliment with a short bow. “I am, thank you. You too look much
rested.”
“I thank you, sir.” She
returned his smile.
“May I accompany on your
walk?”
“Yes, of course, sir.”
As she took her place by his arm, Elizabeth
chastised herself for her choice of attire. Her frock was plain and her hair,
which she had so carefully arranged that morning, was blown about by the wind. Surely
the gentleman thought she was a wretched sight.
But little did she know that her
dishevelled appearance excited exactly the opposite impression on the
gentleman, who now thought her a most delightful image. To him, the pink blush
of her cheeks made her eyes shine even brighter and her loose locks framed her
face beautifully.
The couple continued their walk in
silence. Even though they had so much to say to each other, neither could find
the appropriate words to start. Darcy spoke a moment later, saying something
about the brightness of the day and the lack of humidity, comments to which
Elizabeth replied with a simple, ‘oh, yes, indeed,’ before they
fell silent again.
Elizabeth knew it was her turn to say
something and too nervous to come up with neutral matter that could be of
mutual interest, she asked what first thing came to her mind, “Does it
hurt?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I am sorry. Your hand, does
it hurt?”
“No, not much. It is healing
very fast. I am very surprised, for I did not expect Mrs. Smith’s
medicine to be so effective.”
“I am glad it is. I was afraid
that you would become ill because of it. It was a very severe wound.”
He nodded, and a few minutes later, stated,
“You were accompanying my cousin during her conversation with the
bailiff. I hope you were not disturbed by what you heard.”
“Oh, no. Though I must admit
that I found her revelations quite shocking. I never thought that Mr. Collins
could be a madman.”
“I am of that impression, too.
The evidence against him seems irrefutable and the bailiff has already declared
him my aunt’s murderer. Any doubt he could have of his guilt had been
settled by my cousin’s declarations.”
“Then there is no danger that
someone would accuse you of your aunt’s crime.” Elizabeth declared with obvious relief.
“No, there is not, I
suppose.”
“I am happy to hear
that.”
He smiled at her. “So am
I.”
They continued their walk, Darcy
with his hands clasped behind his back, seeming increasingly uneasy with every
step he took. Elizabeth
was in no different state and could not utter a word for the next several
yards. Suddenly he stopped, and facing her, thus begun,
“Miss Bennet, in vain I have
struggled to repress my feelings, I have already forgotten myself once and I
fear I cannot go on without telling how ardently I admire and love you.”
Elizabeth listened in mute surprise. Though
puzzled by her silence, he continued.
“I am fully aware that your
opinion of me has not been favourable in the past; that, perhaps, you might
have found my impetuousness of the other night offensive, I can hardly forgive
myself for my conduct but it cannot be helped. Almost from the earliest days
our acquaintance I have come to feel for you the most passionate admiration and
regard¸ this is why I am begging you, to relieve my suffering and do me the
honour of becoming my wife.”
She knew that the gentleman’s
feelings were inclined in her favour; the kiss he gave her was a most tangible
proof of his affection for her but after learning of his limitations where
marriage was concerned, she had never aspired to be the recipient of such
declaration. And to learn that this has been occurring since they first met was
even more shocking.
If Darcy first found her silence
puzzling, now he thought it dreadful. He waited in agony for her reply and when
it finally came, her words did very little to appease him.
“I am sorry, sir, that I have
put you through such misery. It was most unconsciously done. I know your good
opinion to be rarely bestowed and therefore, in this case, I find it more worth
the earning. I am the one that should feel honoured by your proposal, for I do
not, given my past faults against you, consider myself deserving.”
He looked at her, utterly confused. Though
she was not rejecting him, he was not certain that she was accepting him
either. “You are too generous to trifle with me, madam,” Darcy said
as sensibly and warmly as a man as violently in love could be supposed to do,
“if my feelings are not corresponded, tell me so at once and I will be
silenced on the subject forever. But if there is a chance that in the future
they might be returned, that there is something I can do to lessen your ill
opinion of me, I must know. I promise I will spend the rest of my days showing
you, by every civility in my power, that I can become a better man for
you.”
Elizabeth never imagined she could be of such
importance to him. Just to know he could love her so intensely made his
affection every moment more valuable. “Sir, I … my feelings for you
have changed so much. In fact, they are the opposite of what they have once
been. I …” She looked away, unable to go on.
Darcy placed a finger under her chin
and lifted her face to his, “Pray, continue.”
“I cannot ask you to become a
better man because I already believe you the best man I have ever known. I love
you and nothing will make me happier than becoming your wife.”
An expression of such heartfelt
delight suddenly diffused over his features that Elizabeth, inundated by a similar emotion,
laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he embraced her tightly against
him.
“You have just made me a very
happy man, my dearest Elizabeth,” he whispered close to her ear.
“And you, sir, have just made
me a very happy woman.”
He lifted his head a bit and,
smilingly, said, “May I kiss you now?”
Elizabeth smiled impertinently. “You
are all politeness, sir. I do not recall you voicing a similar petition the
first one you did it.”
Darcy lowered his face a bit, ready
to capture her lips with his. “I am not one to make the same mistake
twice.”
She lifted her chin, positioning her
mouth barely a breath from his. “I never said it was a mistake.”
The force of their desire pulled
them together and their lips touched in a kiss that began soft and tentative
but that soon increased in passion, where they unleashed the love that had so
steadily grown during the past few days and that they had struggled in vain to resist.
They parted some time later, and heading back to the parsonage, they spoke of
their wishes and expectations, of their plans and began to design their future
together.
“Engaged to Miss
Bennet?” The colonel raised an eyebrow. “When did this
happen?”
“This afternoon, during our walk
along the beach.”
Fitzwilliam smirked, “You
proposed on the beach? That is awfully romantic, Darcy.”
“This is not at all the reply
I would have expected. Why am I of the impression that you are not pleased with
my decision?” Darcy walked towards the decanter and served himself a
port.
“If it is your wish to marry a
dowry-less country girl, who am I to object?”
Darcy did not like his
cousin’s tone. “I am a gentleman and she is a gentleman’s
daughter, so far we are equal.”
“Yes, yes,” Fitzwilliam
dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. “And very pretty too, that
I concede you. But what else does she have to recommend her? She has no money,
connections. I know you are an honourable man, Darcy, and that, perhaps, you
feel obliged because of that stolen kiss, but there is no need to compromise
your future because of that. You only forgot yourself in a moment of
infatuation; it can happen to anyone.”
“I never thought you were so
simple minded, Richard.” Darcy chuckled and shook his head. It was not
his wish to start a fight with his cousin in what he considered the happiest
day of his life, but Fitzwilliam’s ironies were beginning to bore him. Still,
his tone, though amiable, left no room for objections. “It was not
infatuation what made me kiss her that night. I did it because I love her. As
for her connections, to which you so strongly reject, I can only add that that
is not a matter of concern for me. Unlike you, I am not obliged to evaluate my
intended’s fortune before proposing, I do fairly well with my own.”
“Touché.” The Colonel
bowed his head, though he did not seem offended by Darcy’s reply, simply
amused by his cousin’s directness. “Yet, I feel I should warn you
of this: there will be many among our circle that will oppose to your choice of
wife.”
“They are of little importance
to me.”
Fitzwilliam served himself a port
and rose his glass for a toast. “So it only rests on me to congratulate
you. I wish you and your Miss Bennet all the happiness in the world.”
Though Darcy did not think this was
a heartfelt congratulation, Darcy bowed his head nonetheless.
The gentlemen sat in opposite
armchairs and continued with their conversation.
“When are you going to ask for
her hand?
“Tomorrow morning I will
escort her, Mrs. Collins and Miss Lucas to Hertfordshire. I will speak with her
father as soon as we arrive.”
“That means that you will not
be here for my wedding with Ann. The vicar will arrive in a sennight.”
“I wish I could stay but Mrs.
Collins is desirous to leave the island and, speaking honestly, so am I. If it
serves you, I can write to my solicitor in London and ask him to obtain a special
license for you and Ann. That will validate the ceremony.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Darcy considered his words carefully
before voicing them. “You and Ann will stay at the parsonage for an
entire week, un-chaperoned. I trust that you will apply to your better judgement and behave like a gentleman while you two are
alone in the house.”
The colonel sipped his port and
looked at his cousin directly in the eye. “You must not worry, Darcy,
nothing will occur between us that did not happen already.”
The gentleman nodded quietly, in
full understanding of what that comment implied. It did not surprise him,
though, for he had suspected that the couple’s behaviour had crossed more
boundaries than it should during the past weeks. “Then I will do
everything within my power to speed things up, so there are no unnecessary
delays in your wedding.”
“That will be very much
appreciated.”
A servant knocked at the door and
announced that supper was being served at the dining room. The gentlemen left
the room and went to join their intendeds.