| The Other Bingley, Conclusion |
| Darcy did not arrive the next day as he had hoped to do; the day after, however, saw him at the door of Netherfield as quickly as his horse could carry him. As it was still too early for a proper visit, he bathed and dressed with particular care in preparation of seeing Elizabeth again. The thought of speaking to Mr. Bennet again did not unnerve him as it otherwise may have, since their conversation before Kent had almost been an implicit approval of his petition; he wasn't quite as sure that Mr. Bennet would agree to as short of an engagement as Darcy wanted, though even Darcy had to admit that later that afternoon would be a bit sudden. When Mr. Bennet heard the news about Darcy returning to Netherfield, he expected to see the man at his door at the earliest possible moment, and he was not disappointed. They shook hands in greeting and spoke briefly of the state of roads until Darcy grew impatient. "Mr. Bennet, I hope Miss Elizabeth arrived safely yesterday evening." "She did, and I thank you for your consideration. She was most appreciative of your help." "And did she speak to you about Kent?" Darcy inquired carefully. "So she did. I cannot say I was satisfied by her tale." Darcy frowned, wondering if perhaps Elizabeth had not discussed their engagement. "Yes, yes, she told me all about your formal proposal, but I was told very little about her argument with Lady Catherine De Bourgh! Give me details my boy, and then we can discuss this marriage business." Darcy gave as much information as he saw fit, which was not much more than Elizabeth's account. "Very well, very well, I see you are both intent on being discreet rather than allowing an old man to have his amusement. Then let us move on to your reason for coming." Darcy nodded and said nothing. "Well?" prompted Mr. Bennet. "Ah! Yes, I am here to formally ask for Miss Elizabeth's hand in marriage, as I told you that I intended to do several weeks ago. I have a generous settlement here, and�" "Do you truly love her?" "Sorry?" "I don't care about your financial settlement. My wife has told me all about your 10,000 a year and country estate and house in town and all of that. You've proven that your intentions are honorable, and you have spoken to me of your regard. What I wish to know is, do you deserve my Lizzy?" Darcy sat up straighter and looked Mr. Bennet in the eye. "I will never deserve her, but I will love her and strive to be worthy of her love every day of our lives." Such a heartfelt reply was just what Mr. Bennet hoped to hear. He rose and extended his hand. "Very well Mr. Darcy. You have my blessing. Take care of her." Darcy beamed, and shook Mr. Bennet's hand excitedly. "Thank you sir. I shall, I swear it." Feeling his eyes misting, Mr. Bennet waved Darcy away. "Get on with you now. I'm sure by know Lizzy knows you're here and is outside waiting for you or some such nonsense." This was correct. Elizabeth was hovering at the door of the next room, ready to accidentally run into Darcy when he exited into the hallway. Her plan worked perfectly, right down to the look of pleased surprise on her face when she saw him. "Mr. Darcy! I was beginning to think you would never come," she teased. Darcy smiled widely and swept her up in his arms. "Hello to you too!" she said laughingly as he showered her face with kisses. "Your father has given his consent for our marriage. How does tomorrow sound?" he asked, pulling her into the empty sitting room and kissing her before she could reply. "Tomorrow may be a bit soon, sir," she replied when she had extricated herself from his possessive lips. "But I did have a thought� perhaps we could marry with Jane and Mr. Bingley." "And what is that precise date again, my dear?" his voice muffled as his lips assaulted her neck. "The 19th of May," she informed him somewhat breathlessly. He pulled away abruptly. "But� but that is over a month away!" he stuttered. "Have you any idea the sort of strain I am under already?" Elizabeth frowned, thinking of all the preparations he would have to make to accommodate a new wife; if anything, she figured, he would need more time. "What sort of strain?" "The sort of strain a man feels when he cannot� fulfill his desires," he replied, not sure how frank to be with her. "I must warn you that I cannot be content for long with only kisses," he continued huskily, his fingers tentatively stroking her hip. "That does seem to be a good reason, sir. But it wouldn't do for us to marry before Jane and Mr. Bingley." "Then let us speak to them about it," he pleaded. "Perhaps they will move the date forward. Perhaps by the end of this month we can be married." "You do recall that Mr. Bingley changed the date for you before?" she reminded him, amused. "Then I see no reason for him to object to it happening again!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "But you forget that plans have already been settled now, William. We cannot just ask them to change it again. 19 May is our wedding day." Darcy pouted but could not argue with her logic. He would have to wait� but he would not have to be happy about it. Darcy returned to Netherfield to allow the Bennets to prepare to go the Phillips' in Meryton for tea with the officers. He was a bit squeamish about allowing Elizabeth anywhere near Wickham, but she assured him that she could manage herself perfectly well. Still a bit sulky upon entering the hall, he was nearly run over by two young Westlings who were running away from their mother's and nanny's attempts to dress them. They tried hiding behind Darcy's legs, but they had sought the wrong ally; he picked up one with each arm and calmly walked over to their vexed mother as they squirmed. "Robert! William! Leave Mr. Darcy be and let me dress you! We need to leave in a few minutes. Hello Mr. Darcy. I'm so sorry about the boys. Are you going with us?" "Where are we going?" he asked, helping her force a little jacket onto young Robert's struggling arms. "Why, to Meryton. We were invited to tea by Mrs. Phillips." Darcy smiled widely. "I will most certainly be going. I will be but a moment." With all members of the party fully dressed, they departed for Meryton, Darcy eager to surprise Elizabeth and perhaps persuade Mr. Bennet to announce their engagement this very day. Knowing that Wickham was to be there would only make the feeling sweeter. In her usual intuitive way, Mrs. Westling sensed a change in Darcy since his sudden return from Kent. They had not had time to speak, but she saw a more serene, assured man than the one who had left a few weeks before. While the nanny and Mr. Westling ran after the boys to try getting them into the carriage, she pulled Darcy aside for a moment. "Mr. Darcy, should I offer you my congratulations yet?" she teased. "You seem more content since returning from your aunt's estate." Darcy's smile could not be contained. "I hope that you will be able to officially congratulate me this afternoon; for now you can congratulate me privately, as only her family knows it at the moment." She squeezed his hand affectionately. "I do offer my sincerest congratulations then; I am so glad that you came to an understanding at last. She is a fortunate lady." He smiled dreamily. "I am the fortunate one." Mrs. Westling merely smiled and accepted her husband's hand to step into the carriage, trying vainly not to praise herself too highly for her prodigious matchmaking skills. From the moment she stepped into her Aunt Phillips' house, Elizabeth felt apprehensive. Though she had told Darcy that Wickham did not bother her in the least, seeing him coming towards her from across the room sent an unpleasant queasiness to her stomach. Their contact had been very limited since Darcy's letter, so Wickham had little idea that Elizabeth's feelings towards him had chilled considerably. He greeted her in his usual gallant manner and immediately inquired about her trip. "Miss Bennet, this is a pleasant surprise. I did not expect you for several more days, but yesterday I heard that you had arrived home quite late the evening before, and in a private carriage. I hope there was nothing amiss at Hunsford to force you to flee so quickly." His tone was jovial, but his look implied great curiosity; she was certain that if he had heard so much, he would know that the carriage was Darcy's, and he thought she was going to provide him with details. "No, everything was quite pleasant. I just found that I had a greater desire to help Jane with the wedding than make conversation with Mr. Collins, so I returned a few days early." "And how did you find Lady Catherine?" he asked with a knowing grin. "Formidable," she replied simply. He laughed congenially, intent on smothering her with charm. "Indeed. And Miss De Bourgh? What of her? Do you think she will make a good wife for Mr. Darcy? They are intended for each other you know," he said conspiratorially. Elizabeth tried to quell the feelings of anger and amusement that jointly sprang up. "She is very quiet. I saw no signs of an attachment between them." He looked confused. "Oh, did I not mention that Mr. Darcy was there with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam?" Wickham smiled weakly. "No, you had not. Were they well?" "Quite well. Colonel Fitzwilliam is a most affable man." "His manners are very different from his cousin's." "Yes� but of late, I have been unable to complain of Mr. Darcy's comportment. I believe I may have been too hasty in my initial judgment of his manners." "Indeed? I am surprised," Wickham said smoothly. "But I had forgotten that you and Mr. Darcy have been such good friends since the most recent ball at Netherfield. If I recall correctly, he showed you very pointed attentions." Elizabeth's anger began to overcome her amusement now, unsure to where his statements would tend. "I did tell you once that he could please where he chose, and it appears he has chosen to please you. Knowing Darcy as I do, I cannot believe that his intentions� well, I dare not say a word." He took her hand concernedly and pressed it. "I hope you will take care." Wickham was spared Elizabeth's fury only by the timely entrance of the man himself, accompanied by the entire Netherfield party. His eyes sought her out, but when he saw her standing with Wickham, he altered his intended path and walked to Mr. Bennet instead. The two men exchanged a few hushed words, after which Mr. Bennet raised his arms and called for the attention of the entire room. "Friends and neighbors! It is fortuitous that we have all met here today, for I have a very exciting piece of news to deliver, and this will save everyone a good deal of time in passing it about! Lizzy, will you come here please?" Elizabeth gave Wickham a brief parting nod and walked towards her father and Darcy, a questioning look on her face. Darcy leaned over and whispered their plans in her ear when she arrived, causing a wave of murmurs to pass through the crowd. "Today I am very pleased to announce," continued Mr. Bennet, "the engagement of my daughter, Elizabeth, to Mr. Darcy." Cheers and congratulations abounded; one man, however, stood stock still as the room around him celebrated. Wickham was most seriously displeased. Engaged to Mr. Darcy! To his surprise, Elizabeth approached him once more as he began walking towards the door. "Mr. Wickham! I thank you for your advice; I will take care� of my future husband and sister-in-law." He could not miss her pointed statement. "I wish you every joy Miss Bennet." With a quick bow, he left her. His last sight before quitting the house was Mrs. Westling's triumphant smirk. * * * * * * The following days were turbulent ones at Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet's nerves could hardly handle the delightful shock of discovering that her least favorite daughter was to become the highest of the five in wealth and position. Her frenzied exclamations of joy could be heard throughout the house, much to Elizabeth's chagrin. Thus, Elizabeth took full advantage of every opportunity to go to Netherfield with Jane under the guise of helping her with decorating decisions for when Jane became mistress of the house; more often than not, however, it was Bingley who accompanied Jane on her tours of the various rooms that required remodeling, while Elizabeth would frequently just happen to find Darcy in the library and keep him company there. Mrs. Westling proved to be a chaperone of the best kind; that is, the kind that leaves betrothed couples alone for just the appropriate amount of time, and then coughs loudly and waits a minute or two before entering any room occupied by young lovers. She could not be in two places at once, however, and when faced with the choice of regulating her brother's behavior or Mr. Darcy's, she felt that she had more right and duty to interrupt her brother in any amorous activities he may or may not have been partaking in. Besides, she reasoned, Bingley and Jane were off in remote areas of the house, looking at bedchambers and other dangerous rooms, while Darcy and Elizabeth stayed primarily in the library; what could possibly happen in a library? "Oh Lizzy," Darcy moaned as Elizabeth wrapped her legs around him. A few minutes before, Darcy had placed her atop the secretary upon which she had been writing a letter and begun kissing her ardently. Now Elizabeth was repaying the favor by pressing her breasts against his chest and running her fingers through his hair. "William," she murmured into his ear, "we should stop. We have only so long before someone comes looking for us." "Mrs. Westling is too busy looking after Bingley," he protested, running his tongue along the side of her neck. "We have plenty of time." Elizabeth felt herself being lifted from the desk and tightened the grip of her legs around his waist. Darcy carried her to the settee and was about to lie down on top of her when he heard what sounded like� giggling? "Robert! William!" Darcy roared, seeing the two little faces peeking in from around the door just before they ran off down the hall. "I'm sorry love. I'll be right back." Elizabeth rolled over and laughed after him as he ran down the hall after the boys. He returned soon after with the offenders in his arms. "What have you got there Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked teasingly. "Two very naughty boys Miss Bennet." He turned his attention to Robert and William. "Has your mother been training you?" "Training them to do what?" came Mrs. Westling's voice from the door. Before Darcy could reply, Robert escaped his clutches and began tugging on his mother's skirt. "Mama! Mama! Mr. Darcy was�" Darcy swept the boy up again, clamping one hand over his mouth and tickling him with the other. "Nobody likes a tattle-tale, Robert," he said with mock sternness. "He was playing with Miss Lizzy like Mama plays with Papa!" came little William's helpful addition. Elizabeth's eyes widened and she blushed deeply; Darcy nearly dropped Robert. Mrs. Westling was nearly doubled over with laughter. "I believe what my son means is that you and Miss Bennet were sharing a chaste kiss, Mr. Darcy," she whispered into Darcy's ear. "I'm afraid they've caught Mama and Papa in that situation more times than would be proper to admit." With a wink, she picked up her children and began leaving the library. "I do hope you will join us in the drawing room. Charles and Miss Bennet have finished their tour today." Her pointed invitation was understood, and Darcy and Elizabeth followed her out of the library feeling only slightly abashed at having been caught. * * * * * * In such a way did April end and May begin. Now the loudest sounds heard at Longbourn were the cries of Kitty and Lydia upon learning that the militia was to leave Meryton and be stationed at Brighton for the summer. Elizabeth for one was relieved that they were to be separated from the regiment. She had no desire to be thrown into company with Mr. Wickham ever again, though of late he had done his utmost to avoid her. More importantly, her sisters were becoming more silly and absurd with each passing day, and it would do them good to be in calm, female company once again. Darcy and Bingley, unable to think up excuses for Elizabeth and Jane to come to Netherfield everyday, began spending more time visiting them at Longbourn. There were not as many opportunities to sneak off and neck as there were at Netherfield, but Darcy at least felt that this was for the best: the more Elizabeth allowed him liberties, the further he wanted to take them, and at the rate of three visits to Netherfield per week, they were well on their way to enjoying marital bliss just a bit too soon. He wouldn't exactly have minded this, but he had Elizabeth's honor to think of, and besides, he did not want the consummation of their relationship to take place on a desk, chair, floor, or any other item of furniture that wasn't a bed in some random room at Netherfield. On one of these typical May days just a fortnight before the wedding, the two gentlemen and all the Bennet ladies save Lydia (who was spending her last sad hours with her dear friend Mrs. Forster before her departure) sat placidly in the drawing room, the betrothed couples engaged in t�te-�- t�tes while Mary, Kitty, and Mrs. Bennet worked on their embroidery. Suddenly, Lydia burst into the room, waving a letter about quite excitedly. "What do you think has just happened? Mrs. Forster has invited me to go to Brighton with the regiment! This is her letter to Papa requesting his permission! Just think Mama� a whole campful of soldiers!" she swooned. Mrs. Bennet's raptures soon joined hers, while Kitty pouted over the slight to herself. "Oh Lydia! How fortunate for you! Of course you must go, and stay as long as you are able!" The two began giggling fiercely while Elizabeth looked on in horror. She looked first to her father, who looked as though he had no intention of interrupting the discussion, much less preventing Lydia from going. She then looked to Darcy, whose countenance showed as much concern as hers did. Their eyes met and she shook her head frantically to indicate that she was adamantly opposed to Lydia's scheme. Darcy nodded and cleared his throat. "Miss Lydia, I do hope you will reconsider. I had hoped to make this a surprise later, but I see that I must do it now, if only to keep you in Hertfordshire when the militia depart. You see, I had hoped to invite the whole of your family to spend a month with us at Pemberley in the summer." Mrs. Bennet's eyes grew as wide as saucers before she squealed her approval of the plan. Lydia was now torn; a whole campful of soldiers, or the rich mansion of Pemberley, where there would surely be balls and perhaps many eligible, wealthy gentlemen? "Do you intend to invite your cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, as well, sir?" Elizabeth asked pointedly, indicating to Darcy with her eyes that he would do well to say yes; the promise of at least one redcoat would seal the deal for Lydia. "Indeed, he will most likely spend a fortnight with us at least, when he is on leave from the regulars," he replied, catching her drift. Lydia's struggle was over. There would be a soldier, and of the regulars, and Darcy's cousin, so he was undoubtedly very rich. Suddenly Brighton lost all its charms. "Of course I will go to Pemberley Mr. Darcy! If I had known before, I would not have declared my intention to go to Brighton. What a good joke it would have been if I had been off to Brighton and then you had invited everyone else to Derbyshire!" With Lydia now determined, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, and looked on her future husband with even more admiration. For her peace of mind, he was willing to welcome her entire family to Pemberley for a month, so soon after their wedding. He had already done so much for her sake, and now this; she felt a rush of deep affection for him that quickly turned into warmth of another sort when he turned to her and smiled reassuringly. She felt a sudden need to take a walk and cool off, and once everyone had calmed down from the excitement of the invitation, she declared her need for fresh air. Darcy gallantly offered to escort her to the garden, and Bingley was quick to offer his and Jane's company as well. Once outside, Bingley practically dragged Jane to the garden while Elizabeth squeezed Darcy's hand and immediately ran off to the little wilderness on the side of the lawn, daring him to chase her. He did so gladly, and caught up with her by the time she had reached her favorite bench. Before he had a chance to catch his breath, Elizabeth pulled his head down by his cravat and passionately kissed him until he could hardly stand for lack of air. "To what do I owe this delightful show of affection?" he asked as she pulled him down to the bench and sat on his lap. Elizabeth nibbled on his earlobe and ran her tongue lightly along the side of his neck before replying. "You, sir, have made countless sacrifices for my happiness." She ran her hand daringly along the outside of his thigh. "Today you were especially generous. I know you value your privacy, particularly as it will be so soon after our wedding. So I want to show you how much I appreciate you." Their lips met again with increasing hunger. "Bewitching woman! Take care, or I will make many more sacrifices if this is the reward I get." "There is only one more sacrifice I ask you to make. My aunt and uncle Gardiner invited me to accompany them on a tour of the Lakes in July, but clearly I will not be able to go. If I could persuade them to alter their plans, may I invite them to Pemberley as well?" "Pemberley shall be as much yours as it is mine Elizabeth; you may invite whomever you wish. At this point I will gladly welcome Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, Napoleon, and the Devil as long as you continue to shower with me such affection." Elizabeth laughed heartily and replied, "Thank you sir, but the Bennets and the Gardiners will be quite enough guests for me. But pray tell, what sort of affection will grant me the most latitude?" Darcy gladly showed her, and she spent a most enjoyable half-hour extracting all sorts of sacrifices from her future husband before they returned to Longbourn for tea. * * * * * * The last days before the marriage were busy ones, and did not allow much private time for either couple, but the knowledge that they would soon be together always provided enough solace to get them through the night. At last the happy day arrived, and two nervous bridegrooms rose early by function of being utterly unable to stay in bed a moment longer. This edginess was aggravated by thoughts of the very different activities they would be enjoying in those very beds later that evening. Rather than lie around entertaining those thoughts and becoming unpresentable in company, they went downstairs to an early breakfast. To their surprise, Elinor was waiting for them. �Good morning Charles, Mr. Darcy. I thought you would be up early today,� she smiled affectionately. �I remember my wedding day; I was so nervous I could not sleep at all! I was afraid I would faint at the altar and start snoring. Fortunately Robert was able to keep me awake quite efficiently that night,� she said with a suggestive wink. Bingley nearly choked on the tea he had just poured while Darcy just blushed. �Elinor! There are things a man need not know about his sister!� Bingley chided teasingly. Elinor laughed and gave her brother a hug. �Forgive me Charles. With all this wedding business I�ve been reminiscing about my own marriage, and I wanted to make sure to give you both some particular advice before you enter that church today.� Darcy and Bingley both blanched and gave each other terrified looks. Elinor rolled her eyes. �Not that sort of advice gentlemen. My, my, aren�t we single-minded this morning?� The men blushed, but sighed with relief as well. �No, the advice I wish to give is of a different nature entirely, though theoretically I suppose it could easily be transferred to� other aspects of marriage.� �I am sure that I have a great need for good advice from you, Mrs. Westling, as the recent months have indisputably proven. Please do enlighten us.� The three of them gathered around the table and Elinor began. �There are four things a husband must do to assure the happiness of his wife, and thereby his own. First, you must respect her. You married her because she is your match in every way; treat her as such, for an equal partner in life is infinitely preferable to the opposite.� All three minds involuntarily pictured Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as examples of the opposite, and felt the relief of knowing that they had indeed chosen their partners wisely. �But respect is not simply about treating her like an equal. Be willing to defer to her judgment if your own is clouded or if her expertise in the subject exceeds your own. Be willing to admit that such subjects exist; do not assume that you know better in everything simply because you are a man. If you grant her this deference, she will naturally grant hers when the opposite is true. Of course, with some wives, the choice of deference may not be a luxury,� she added with a wink to Darcy, who smiled. �Second, you must listen to her, and I mean truly listen. There is much more to listening than just hearing the words and understanding their basic meanings. Learn to hear the words she does not say aloud, but which are conveyed by her posture, her hand motions, her tone, and her eyes. If she is crying but tells you nothing is wrong, do not just walk away and assume that nothing is wrong.� �Third, love her for who she is, and at times, in spite of who she is. Remember that you fell in love with her not because of one trait, but because they all come together to form the unique individual you adore. There are things about her that you will find irksome, but it may not be in her power to change those things anymore than it is in your power to change some of yours. You may not like her family, or the gown she most favors; you may find her emotional highs and lows silly or at least incomprehensible. But if she changed those things, she would no longer be the same woman, so remember that when you lose your head.� �Last, and perhaps most important of all� worship her. Make her feel your love each day, as many ways as you can, with every word and deed. Wake her with a kiss each morning, and let your kiss be the last thing she feels before she falls asleep each night. Never waste an opportunity to remind her what she means to you. Shower her with gifts, but I don�t mean diamonds or fine gowns; pick a flower from the garden, request her favorite dish to be cooked, read her a poem, take her on a picnic. Any number of small things can make her day brighter and will strengthen the love between you.� Elinor took both their hands and squeezed them affectionately. �You have both found wonderful ladies to be your wives. I know that you will be excellent husbands. But if you ever feel a bit lost, remember what I said today, and you will never stray far.� The gentlemen smiled, and hoped that their ladies had someone to provide them with equally helpful marital advice. Fortunately, Elinor had taken it upon herself to write to the Bennet women as well, just in case they had no one besides their mother to counsel them on entering the married state. In fact, Elizabeth and Jane had received said letter and were poring over it as Elinor spoke. My dear Misses Bennet, This will probably be the last letter you both receive with that name. Before you give it up, however, I wanted to impart a few pieces of advice that have helped me successfully navigate through the waters of married life smoothly and happily. First, you must be patient. Men can be trying creatures- yes, Miss Jane, even my dear brother- and they will test the very ends of your patience. At these times you must remind yourself why you love him, ignore his silliness, and at times even go so far as to indulge whatever whim he is going on about. Trust me, you will be grandly rewarded for your efforts. Second, make your needs known. Husbands are notoriously poor mind-readers, and to be honest, not terribly accomplished listeners either. Make your desires very clear to him, in all aspects of your life. Again, the rewards far exceed the exertion. Finally, I think we are all quite aware that women are the true rulers at home; alas, men like to think that they are in charge. It is very important to let him live with that delusion. If you have an idea he may find disagreeable, suggest it to him in such a way that he thinks it was his idea, and not only will he accede to your wishes much faster, he will be terribly proud of himself for being so clever. Run the household your way, let him make a few decisions, then praise him for being such an excellent administrator. He is happy because he did not have to actually do the work he is so poorly made for, and you are happy because he is happy and you still had your way. Now, I do not want you to think that I have a poor opinion of husbands in general. Quite the contrary: I find mine to be rather satisfactory indeed. It is just a fact that they need the support of a good woman to reach their full potential. I have seen love matches ruined because of struggles for control and fights over misunderstandings; one must learn to forget trivial matters and choose one�s battles- save your energy for things that are truly important. As for the other lovely elements of marriage� I will leave that to your mother to explain. Let us simply say that those elements are quite lovely indeed, and should be enjoyed by both you and your husband. Oh dear, I am blushing terribly now; I will stop this letter before I embarrass myself further! Good luck my dears. I wish you the greatest happiness. Yours, Elinor Westling. Elizabeth had a good laugh over Elinor�s advice and stored it away for future use; Jane could not imagine ever having problems with her intended, but wrote down a few tidbits, just in case. * * * * * * Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters. All agreed that the brides were unbelievably beautiful, the grooms were impeccably handsome, and the arrangements were absolute perfection. Even the heavens smiled down on the happy couples, providing a beautiful spring day full of sunshine and blooming flowers on which to seal their union. Not all were content: Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage of her nephew, and told him as much in a letter containing language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that Darcy decided to cut off all intercourse with his aunt. Her disapproval and absence, however, did not decrease their joy, and it was with the greatest of happiness that they said their vows alongside Jane and Bingley. After the wedding breakfast, the Bingleys and Darcys waved their goodbyes and boarded their carriages, one bound for Netherfield, the other for London. Elinor Westling stared thoughtfully in their direction, long after they had disappeared from sight. �Why are you standing there so pensively my dear?� she heard Robert�s voice say to her. She turned to him and smiled. �Did I just watch my baby brother get married?� she asked with a sigh. �I must be getting old.� Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Robert planted a quick kiss on his wife�s lips. �Nonsense! You grow younger and more beautiful daily,� he assured her, then whispered in her ear, �and seeing such a romantic wedding makes me think back to our own wedding� or more precisely, our wedding night.� �Robert!� she scolded, blushing furiously. �Do not talk about our wedding night in front of all these people.� He raised an eyebrow in challenge; she smiled mischievously in reply. When the Hursts and Miss Bingley were ready to depart and inquired after the Westlings, all anyone could tell was that they had last been seen making a mad dash for their carriage. The End |
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