| Colonel Fitzwilliam Interferes - Chapters 5&6 |
| Chapter 5 �Are you quite alright my dear? You seem a bit flustered,� Colonel Fitzwilliam asked Elizabeth once they had exited the house. Elizabeth blushed and shook her head. �No, I am fine. I am just surprised at the events of the last hour. It was most unexpected to open the door and see Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy there! I believe I am also a bit embarrassed, for Mr. Darcy revealed to me that he overheard our conversation at his house the other night. Fortunately he was kind enough to take them in a way I never intended.� �I�m afraid I don�t follow you Elizabeth� I thought your feelings were made very clear,� Fitzwilliam replied. �Yes, indeed they were. But Mr. Darcy is a peculiar sort of man, and instead of hating me as any sensible man would do, he saw the merit of my arguments and has resolved to make amends; he began by bringing Mr. Bingley to see Jane, and apologized to me directly. I was not expecting such behavior at all!� Fitzwilliam frowned slightly; he knew Darcy was honorable, but this was beyond anything he had ever seen in his cousin. It was admirable, yet worrisome at the same time. �I am glad to hear it. It was about time Darcy heard that he is not all that is wonderful and good,� he joked. �You, however,� he continued, kissing one of her hands, �are all that is wonderful and good.� She smiled up at him with an affectionate gaze that eradicated all his fears. �Oh my love, if only we were not in public!� he whispered, lightly brushing her cheek with his lips as he did so. �Now sir, don�t be greedy� we cannot have all our wishes come true at once,� she teased. �Indeed. My dearest wish was already granted when you agreed to be my wife.� She blushed sweetly. �Now what are these particular things you wished to speak to me about Richard?� �Mmm, I love you when you say my name. Oh, yes, um, well, there is one very important detail that we forgot to settle when we spoke with my parents.� �What is that?� �Where we are to spend the wedding night.� Elizabeth�s blush deepened. �No offense to your family darling, but I would rather not stay at Longbourn.� �Oh heavens! No, of course not!� she agreed. �Our other options are my parents� townhouse, Darcy�s townhouse, or an inn.� Elizabeth frowned with displeasure. �I wish we did not have to be guests of anyone on our wedding night.� Fitzwilliam�s heart tightened. �I am so sorry my dear, that I cannot provide a proper home for you yet,� he replied gravely. �It tears me apart that I cannot give you all that you deserve.� �Richard, don�t do this,� Elizabeth said soothingly, placing her hand on his. �I don�t need nearly half of the things you wish you could give me,� she teased. �Perhaps we could ask Mr. Bingley to open Netherfield for us. I have a feeling that he may soon wish to return to Hertfordshire anyway.� Fitzwilliam smiled with relief. �That is a capital idea! Let us return to your uncle�s and speak to him about it immediately!� �You do realize that we have only been gone a few minutes. They may think we only left to steal some time alone,� she winked. �Hmm� what a brilliant idea Lizzy! Come with me!� He grabbed her hand, leading her on a wild run through the small park, the two of them laughing like children. This is why I am marrying this man, Elizabeth said to herself. We are of such like mind! At last he stopped under a little copse with a stone bench surrounded by rose bushes. The relative seclusion of this seat from the rest of the park made it particularly attractive to young lovers, and Elizabeth and the Colonel were but one couple in a long line of sweethearts to sit on this bench with amorous intentions. They sat side by side, Fitzwilliam immediately claiming her hands with his own and covering them with fervent kisses. �I have longed to be alone with you again.� �And I you,� she replied softly. �I can scarcely believe that in only a few weeks we shall be married! It seems so soon!� Her statement would have worried him except that she smiled as she spoke, indicating happiness rather than fear. �But to me it seems still too far away.� His fingers brushed against her cheek as he tucked a curl behind her ear, causing her to shiver. Thinking that she was cold, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Just before leaning in for a kiss, he reminded her, �I love you so very dearly.� With a smile, she surrendered to the infinite delights of his soft lips. After a respectable period of absence, followed by a short time to defluster from their interlude in the park, the happy couple returned to Gracechurch Street to speak to Mr. Bingley. They found him speaking in hushed tones with Jane, and the two seemed very pleased with each other. Darcy was chatting amiably with Mrs. Gardiner while, much to Elizabeth�s surprise, holding the youngest Gardiner child on his lap. Fitzwilliam had to call her name several times to avert her attention from gaping at Darcy. �Ah, welcome back Lizzy,Colonel Fitzwilliam,� Mrs. Gardiner greeted. �Would you like some tea?� �No thank you Mrs. Gardiner. I would like to speak to Mr. Bingley for a moment, though.� Upon hearing his name, Bingley turned towards him confusedly. �Hmm? Oh, hello again Colonel. How was your walk? Er� you did go for a walk, yes?� he stammered. �Yes we did Bingley. I am sorry to tear you away from Miss Bennet�s delightful conversation, but I have a favor to ask of you. Miss Elizabeth and I were wondering if you would let us rent Netherfield from the fortnight before the wedding until we leave for the Lakes. I shall need a place to stay, of course, and we need a place to spend the wedding night as well.� Elizabeth blushed; Fitzwilliam smiled; Darcy felt nauseous. The wedding night. Their wedding night. Elizabeth Bennet will become Mrs. Fitzwilliam� oh God, I�m going to be ill. �Abigail, would you like to step outside for a moment?� he asked the child on his lap. �I believe I need some air.� Little Abby nodded, and he declared their intention to stretch their legs outside. Elizabeth snuck a glance at them as they walked out hand in hand, he so tall and dignified, holding the tiny fingers of a little girl barely three feet tall. It was an endearing picture, and Elizabeth began to wonder just how deeply she had misjudged this man. Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped outside. �You�re nice Mr. Darcy,� Abigail declared. �You�re my friend.� He smiled widely at the girl. �Thank you Abigail. You are very nice as well, and I�m happy to be your friend.� �Did you know that Lizzy is getting married?� she asked as they strolled down the street. �She�s gonna marry Mr. Colonel Fizz� Fizzli� Fizzmillion,� she stuttered. �His name is hard. I like yours better.� �Thank you. But my first name is also Fitzwilliam,� he informed her, at which she frowned. �That�s silly. You�re really pretty. Mr. Fizz� Lizzy�s gonna be hubsband man is pretty too, but I think you�re prettier.� He laughed aloud at this judgment. �Thank you Abby! I think so too,� he winked. �But don�t tell him, he likes to think he�s prettier.� She giggled conspiratorially. �I won�t tell. Do you feel better now? You looked sad before.� He forced a smile. �Oh yes, I just needed some fresh air and exercise. But now I am much better. Perhaps we should go back now?� Abby nodded, and they walked the short distance back up the street. Though she could not hear their words, Lizzy had discreetly watched their interaction from the window while Fitzwilliam spoke with Bingley, and marveled at Darcy�s sweetness and mild manner with her young cousin. This was a side of him she had never seen, and she realized that she found it most attractive. We would certainly have beautiful children� HE! He would have beautiful children� she corrected herself, horrified with the direction her thoughts had taken. Come on Lizzy, don�t be stupid� you love Richard. He�s a wonderful man who will make you very happy. With a sigh, she returned to her fianc�s side to hear the rest of his conversation with Bingley, doing her best to ignore the rather adorable reentrance of Darcy carrying little Abigail on his shoulders. Meanwhile, on the other couch� �Miss Bennet, I must tell you again how very glad I am to see you, and how very sorry I am to have run into you in such an ungentlemanly way. I fear that my behavior towards you has been ungentlemanly in many ways. Please forgive me.� �Truly, Mr. Bingley, I know not of what you speak. You have not offended me in any way I know.� Bingley gripped her hand tightly and spoke in soft but earnest tones. �Oh, but I have wronged you Miss Bennet. In Hertfordshire I singled you out in such a way as to make you believe I had intentions towards you, and then I left without a word.� Jane struggled to hold back her tears. So he is confessing that he does not love me. He is apologizing for making me believe that he was serious in his attentions. Oh God, must I suffer through this? �The truth is, Miss Bennet� Miss Bennet, are you unwell?� �No, no, please, continue,� she choked out, unwilling to be impolite by interrupting him with her tears. �Ahem.. well, as I was saying� truly you look very ill. Can I not get you something for your present relief? A glass of wine?� �No, no, I am well. Please, go on.� �Miss Bennet, the truth is, that I had every intention of returning to Hertfordshire within the week. Unfortunately, I was detained by�� �Hello Bingley, Miss Bennet!� a jovial voice boomed to them. The two lovers tore their eyes away from each other to see who had addressed them. �Hello Colonel Fitzwilliam, it is lovely to see you.� �Fitzwilliam! How do you do? Er� have you been here long?� Bingley asked with embarrassment. �No, not at all� certainly no more than half an hour,� he teased. �No, no, I have only just arrived. I was hoping to claim my lovely fianc�e for a walk in the park on this lovely day, as I have a few particular things to speak to her about. What do you say my dear?� Bingley did not wait for her reply before he spoke to Jane again. �As I was saying� I was detained by the unexpected arrival of my sisters, brother, and Darcy. I declared to them my intentions, and they immediately cautioned me against it. They first said you were not worthy of me, which I immediately refuted, as the exact opposite is true. Then� they said you did not love me. This was a blow I did not expect. Caroline, as your close friend, I could not doubt, and Darcy, whose judgment I trust far beyond my own, was convinced that you were indifferent. I myself could not believe that I was worthy of you, but thought you had at least some affection for me. Upon hearing their firm assurances to the contrary, I lost the heart to return, and have been in town ever since. I have barely done anything but sit in my drawing room, or my club, or wherever Darcy or Caroline were able to drag me, but all the while I pined for you.� His voice was fervent now, and Jane could feel the passion emanating from his eyes; it took her breath away. �I� but what of Miss Darcy?� she asked shyly, hoping against hope for a disavowal of Caroline�s assertions. �What of her? She has no role in this that I know of,� he replied innocently. �Miss Bingley led me to believe that� that you were to be married to her.� �Married to little Georgiana? That is absurd! She is barely older than your youngest sister, and not yet out. Where would she get such a notion?� Jane smiled demurely and shrugged slightly. �I cannot guess. She must have thought there was some affection for she specifically wrote to me about her.� Bingley grunted. �If I know Caroline, it was only said as a stab to hurt you. I promise you, that you will not have to put up with it when we are� er, next in company with her,� he quickly corrected. He had nearly said when we are married, but remembered himself in time; he did not have her consent yet. �I am sure she meant well. I cannot imagine that she would be so cruel on purpose. No, it must be some terrible misunderstanding.� Bingley kissed her hand again. �Miss Bennet, you are too good to be of this earth. You are truly an angel among us.� Jane blushed prettily, bestowing her most affectionate smile on her suitor. �Now� why do we not get reacquainted with one another? We have much to catch up on�� * * * * * * * * * * * * Soon after Bingley�s approval was granted to use Netherfield and Bingley himself had admitted to hoping that he would soon be in Hertfordshire as well (with a glance at Jane as he said this of course), Bingley and Darcy took their leave of the party. Before parting, each took the opportunity for a last private word. �Miss Bennet, if it is not asking too much� may I ask for a private audience with you� perhaps tomorrow?� Bingley whispered eagerly to Jane. �I will be here tomorrow, sir, if you were to call,� she replied hopefully. He kissed her hand and bowed smartly, then with a tip of his top hat, �Till tomorrow then!� and went out to the waiting carriage. �Miss Bennet, I do hope you have taken my apologies to heart. I truly cannot bear to think that you are alive in the world and thinking ill of me,� Darcy said earnestly to Elizabeth in the few moments that his cousin spoke to Mrs. Gardiner. �I beg you sir, do not make yourself uneasy. You are forgiven, and indeed, I thank you for calling with Mr. Bingley today.� She curtseyed to him, lowering her eyes so as not to meet his penetrating gaze. He took her hand and kissed it as he bowed. �Thank you Miss Bennet. Good day. Mrs. Gardiner, thank you for your hospitality. Fitzwilliam,� with a final bow, he joined Bingley outside. �Darce, she is just as I remembered her� such an angel! She has consented to a private audience tomorrow!� Darcy chuckled at his friend�s giddiness. �What, propose already?� he teased. �Are you sure you aren�t being too hasty?� Bingley looked at him in all seriousness. �I have already wasted too much time Darcy. I must make her mine as soon as I am able. When you love someone as I love Jane, you will understand.� �Perhaps I shall, Bingley. Perhaps I shall.� �Oh Lizzy! Lizzy! He loves me Lizzy, he as well as said it! He has requested a private audience with me tomorrow! Do you think� oh Lizzy, do you think he will propose?� Jane gushed between laughs and tears. Elizabeth hugged her tightly, feeling the joy almost as deeply as Jane herself. �I am sure he will Jane. He obviously loves you as much as ever. You will be so happy!� �So shall we both be, with wonderful, loving husbands,� Jane replied warmly. �Yes� exactly. We shall both be perfectly content.� Chapter 6 The wedding day was approaching. Darcy had kept himself in London even after Bingley�s post-engagement removal to Netherfield with Colonel Fitzwilliam. He wanted to stay as far away from wedding planning as possible, in the hopes of keeping the depressing truth away from his mind. It was bad enough that in two days time, just three days before the wedding, he would have to go; he would much have preferred to arrive that day and leave right after. Of course that would not do, but he would certainly not remain at Netherfield for the wedding night. The very thought of his cousin and his Elizabeth� no, it would not do at all. He would go before, but there was no way he would stay after. His solitary reverie was interrupted when Baines walked into the library holding a letter. �Here you are sir. I believe it is from your solicitor.� �Thank you Baines. You may go.� The butler bowed and left his master alone to read. Mr. Darcy, I have found an excellent prospect for what you are seeking. It is just outside the town of ____, which you specified, is just the right size for a young family starting out, and has a lovely garden with a prettyish little wilderness in the back lawn. If you wish to settle on it, the price is __ pounds. Please write me immediately with instructions. Yours, G. Markby Darcy sighed, and with heavy heart, penned his brief reply. Markby, Purchase it at once and send me the deed express as soon as you are able. FD Two days later, Netherfield� �Darcy, at last! We�d quite despaired of you!� cried Fitzwilliam. �Is that Darcy? Where have you been?� Bingley yelled out from the drawing room. Darcy rolled his eyes, not quite ready to face his friend�s enthusiasm. �I was detained by some business� anyway, I am not that late, only half a day. Who are you, my mothers?� Fitzwilliam laughed. �I am glad you are here Darce. Come, will you to the drawing room? Our lovely fianc�s are here, and Bingley and I hate to be separated from them for even a moment.� �No, I hope you will excuse me,� he replied wearily. �But if you will attend me for a moment in the library, I have a matter of business to discuss with you.� The gentlemen entered the library and Darcy handed Fitzwilliam a portfolio. �What is this?� �The deed to your new home,� Darcy answered nonchalantly. �Consider it my wedding gift to you.� Fitzwilliam leafed quickly through the portfolio and stared at his cousin in wide-eyed shock. �Darcy, you cannot give me a house as a wedding gift!� he replied, handing the papers back. �Why not?� �Don�t be ridiculous! It is far too much! How can I ever accept it?� Darcy shoved the papers back into his cousin�s hand. �For God�s sake, Fitz, just take it,� he spat out. �It is already bought.� �At least let me pay you� you shall own it, and I will let it from you.� �Dammit Richard, why can you not just accept this?� Darcy yelled with frustration. Richard pounded his fist on the desk. �Because Fitzwilliam�� he boomed, then finished softly, �I do have some pride. I don�t want your charity.� Darcy sighed and bowed his head. �Very well� 100 pounds per annum, not a farthing more. You will need to pay for your servants, after all. I have already had the house furnished.� �Darcy, I� thank you. I shall be forever in your debt.� �You owe me no debt Richard. Just take good care of your� house,� he stuttered, his hand extended. His cousin shook it gratefully. �I shall take good care of her Darcy� She will be very happy.� Darcy tried his hardest to smile. �I am sure she will Fitz, she obviously loves you well. But come, show me to my room. I need to refresh myself and go to bed. I am sure that I have three long days ahead of me.� Long indeed� long days of watching Elizabeth become someone else�s wife� * * * * * * * * * * * * Unfortunately for Darcy, the three days did not go quite so slowly as he would have wished. In fact, he found that when the wedding day arrived, he could barely remember them having passed at all. He recalled calling on Longbourn and seeing her there, looking radiant, stunning, more beautiful than in all his fantasies. She had smiled at him when she said hello, a truly friendly smile, and his heart had melted. For that smile he endured the ridiculous antics of Mrs. Bennet, who tried to throw her other daughters in his path, and the equal silliness of said daughters. Kitty and Lydia still stared lustily at their future brother, almost as if hoping that he would switch sisters at the last minute. Oh I wish he would� Mr. Bennet�s dry humor, which he would normally have found amusing, grated on him nearly as much as Mrs. Bennet�s screeching, and Bingley�s constant mooning over Jane made him just as nauseous as it did the first time round. But what really irked him was the obvious affection between Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth. If he didn�t know better, he would almost have thought that his cousin was flaunting his good fortune and mocking him with it. Look what I have won, Darcy! You shall never have her! This wasn�t entirely true. In actuality, Fitzwilliam was more defending his territory than showing it off. He had noticed an inordinate amount of blushing on Elizabeth�s cheeks when Darcy first called on Longbourn, and he didn�t like it one bit. She had later explained that she was still embarrassed over their previous meeting, but just to be sure, he increased his attentions to her and barely let her near his cousin. It was not so much that he didn�t trust her fidelity, but that he himself was insecure; he knew he could not give her half, nay, one-tenth of what Darcy could, and the thought of him stealing her away was unbearable� he was taking no chances. But nothing out of the ordinary did occur in those few days, and the day itself arrived with blue skies and fine weather. To Darcy it was the blackest of days, no matter the weather, but he knew his duty. He dressed smartly, pocketed the rings with which he had been entrusted, and successfully evaded all company until they all left for the church together. Elizabeth arrived at the church on time, taking her future husband�s arm at the altar. Her veil was much thicker than she remembered, and it hindered her view. She said her vows, and turned to her new husband; but when he lifted her veil, she saw not Colonel Fitzwilliam, but Mr. Darcy. Suddenly the church doors burst open, and Fitzwilliam came running up the aisle. �Elizabeth! How could you betray me?� He fell to his knees and wept as Darcy picked Elizabeth up and carried her off to the waiting carriage. �I am sorry Richard� but it wasn�t right� it just wasn�t right!� she called behind her before looking into the face of Fitzwilliam Darcy, her new husband� Elizabeth practically jumped out of bed as she awoke. Oh Lord, what a nightmare� what a terrible nightmare. Me, marry Mr. Darcy? Impossible! Why should I wish such a thing? I don�t! I don�t wish it at all! I wish to marry Richard, and I shall! Today! With much more courage than she felt, Elizabeth called for her maid to draw her bath. After all, she had to look perfect on her wedding day. * * * * * * * * * * * * It was all a blur. He stood to the side, but not really knowing what was happening around him. It was as if he was in a fog, a dream, or a nightmare more like. He did his duty, handing Fitzwilliam the rings, signing the books as witness� Then the priest said, �I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Fitzwilliam.� The crowd had erupted in cheers, and he, suddenly realizing where he was, stood gaping at their backs as they walked down the aisle. Perhaps he had expected to wake up all the while, or for someone to call out an objection. He obviously could not, as best man. And what would he say? You cannot marry this couple� they love each other, but I love her. Stop at once! Of course not. Still, he had hoped for something� something that never came. He left the church with the rest of the party, but unlike them, who went on to the wedding breakfast, Darcy mounted his horse and rode hard to London. It was fortunate that he knew the way well and the roads were good, for the tears that clouded his vision fell along the whole path. It was now Darcy�s turn to awake with a start. He was in his London townhouse, half-dressed upon his bed. He sat up quickly, ignoring the throbbing in his head caused by far too much wine the night before; he looked around, thinking, praying, hoping to any God that would listen that it had all been a nightmare. He had almost made himself believe it� until he looked on the floor and saw his crumpled wedding attire and the trampled flower that had been his boutonni�re. It had been real. Elizabeth was Mrs. Fitzwilliam, and he was alone. Next section... |