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EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER
Lizzy waited impatiently for the barouche box bearing the de Bourgh family crest to arrive at the end of the Longbourn drive. It had been a long visit, and she’d missed Lottie terribly during the six weeks her daughter had been gone. It was all she could do not to call out to the driver impatiently to speed up as he crossed the last hundred meters between the road and her.
She didn’t even wait for the driver to get down. She burst forward and opened the door, allowing her daughter to step out before she embraced her. Lizzy took a step back, admiring her pretty features and naturally curly hair. Fortunately for Lottie, she’d inherited nothing from Mr. Collins save for the light color of his eyes and the slightly large shape of his ears.
That was easily hidden with hair, and she never failed to think how beautiful her daughter was and how lucky she was to have been blessed with Lottie. That and saving Longbourn had been the only two true good things that came out of her short marriage to Mr. Collins.
She almost laughed at herself. Even all these years later, she could barely bring herself to think of him as William, and she didn’t think she’d ever called him William during the brief duration of their marriage. Even in the marriage bed, if she had addressed him at all, she was certain she’d used Mr. Collins.
She shook her head as she had the thought, realizing it was out of place under the circumstances. “You look beautiful, my dear. How was your visit with Lady Catherine?”
“She is a dear old thing, and I had a wonderful time, but best of all, William was visiting.”
Lizzy’s mouth became dry at the thought. “William Darcy?” It must be him, the son of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Anne de Bourgh. Having lost his mother at birth, he often spent time at Rosings Park among his other relations though often without his father. Lizzy wasn’t certain she approved of that, but it wasn’t her place to approve or disapprove of Mr. Darcy’s raising of his only son.
“He was visiting before going to Cambridge this autumn. He shall live in London in a fine apartment, and it is the very one his father lived in along with a Mr. Wickham. I do not know the man, but his name came up a couple of times when William was speaking of Cambridge. William said his father does not seem to like mentioning Mr. Wickham.”
“I can hardly be surprised at that. Mr. Wickham was not of good moral character.”
That had been well-proven when the scoundrel had inadvertently ruined Charlotte after hearing a rumor Sir Lucas was quite wealthy. He’d gone after Charlotte relentlessly, but her friend was too practical to fall for the man’s schemes and lies, so Wickham had orchestrated to be caught alone with her, forcing a marriage. It was only upon learning he’d been misinformed of her fortune that he had departed in the middle of the night before the wedding could take place.
After the scoundrel had absconded from Meryton, Charlotte’s reputation had been ruined, and any faint remaining prospects of marriage had faded entirely. It had been more than poor Charlotte could stand, and she’d faded away and died within half a year. Ostensibly it had been from pneumonia, but Lizzy couldn’t help thinking it had more to do with a broken heart at her tarnished reputation.
“It is most exciting, Mama.” Lottie looked like she could barely contain herself. “Oh, I suppose I should not tell you yet, but I cannot wait.” With a squeal of excitement, she said, “William is coming to visit us at Longbourn, and while he is here, he will ask for my hand in marriage.”
Lizzy’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in shock. “You are but seventeen.”
“It does not matter. I know I love him. Aunt Lydia married the brother of Harriet Forster when she was but sixteen. Kitty was only seventeen when she married Uncle Fields. They are both still happy, are they not?”
Lizzy could hardly deny that. Her younger sisters had been luckier in marriage than Lizzy had been, both still happily married to this day. Even Mary had spent a few happy years with her law clerk before he died suddenly, and she’d returned to living at Longbourn.
Jane was perhaps the happiest of all the sisters and had been for many years. When Mr. Bingley had returned the next spring for hunting after his hasty departure the autumn before, he had renewed his romance with Jane, having previously believed she had no interest in him. He hadn’t known their father had died, and there had been no chance to travel or even write letters for a time.
His offer of marriage had been well timed for Jane, but it had been poor timing for Lizzy, for she’d already been married to Mr. Collins for two weeks by then. Had she known there was an option or a possibility of something else, she never would’ve accepted the proposal.
At least she’d had the good fortune for him to get himself killed in a plowing accident shortly after his takeover of Longbourn. She felt a small pang of sadness for his ill fate, because he hadn’t been a cruel man. He’d just been oafish and obsequious, and there had been absolutely nothing about him that she loved. Lizzy had tried, but she hadn’t been able to get past her repugnance of his character, and their blatant mismatch as a couple.
They had spent four months living at the rectory first before returning to Longbourn, because it had taken that long to settle his affairs and to find his replacement. During that time, Lizzy had met the infamous Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She’d fully anticipated disliking the woman, having heard so much about her from Mr. Collins. To her surprise, Lady Catherine had been loud and a bit overbearing, but she’d also shown hints of kindness.
Lizzy had stood up for herself on more than one occasion, such as resisting putting shelving in the rectory closets, which seemed to have impressed Catherine with her backbone rather than put her off. Oh, Catherine still chastised her about her impertinent opinions to this day, but they had gotten close during those four months, and it had been a surprising turn of events when Lady Catherine showed up and stayed as a guest for two months at Longbourn following Mr. Collins’ untimely death.
Lizzy had been pregnant with Lottie by then, and Catherine had been anticipating the arrival of her own grandchild. For Lizzy, her story had ended happily enough. Being married to Mr. Collins for five months and being courted for several months before that had been plenty of time spent in his company. She had Lottie and control of Longbourn to show for the experience, and that was certainly well worth everything she’d had to endure for less than a year. She’d also formed that surprising friendship with Lady Catherine, who was still somewhat like a grandmother to Lottie.
Oddly enough, Lizzy wondered for second what Lady Catherine would’ve thought of her if she had perceived her as a rival for Mr. Darcy’s affections back then. Of course, the near kiss had never been mentioned to anyone, and for all Lizzy knew, it was all in her mind. She was embarrassed to consider it again all these years later, but it was no mystery why she was thinking of Mr. Darcy today, since his son was due to arrive soon to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage.
Her first instinct was to protest and say an immediate no. “You are so young, daughter. I do not know that it is a good idea to marry so early in spite of Kitty and Lydia’s successes. I was nearly one-and-twenty when I got married, and I still did not feel completely prepared.” That had more to do with the identity of her groom than her age, but she wasn’t going to reveal that about her daughter’s father. She’d done her best to ensure Lottie had only good information about her father, feeling she owed Mr. Collins that, since he’d tried to be a good husband and probably could have been for the right wife. Lizzy just hadn’t been the right one.
“I am most sure that I love him, and I do ask for your blessing, Mama. Officially, I know Uncle Bingley will have to give his blessing, but I could never go through with it without your blessing as well.”
“If you are that certain, how can I deny you a chance at happiness?” She still had her reservations, chief among them her daughter’s age, but also the fact that she was about to tie herself to a Darcy. Lizzy wondered if Fitzwilliam Darcy had yet received the news that his son planned to marry so beneath him. Perhaps once Mr. Darcy discovered the plan, he would put quietus to it before William could ever appear to ask for Lottie’s hand.
She clung to that hope as she followed her daughter into the house. She didn’t want to deny her daughter a chance to follow her heart, but she seemed so young, and Lizzy didn’t even know the young man in question, not having seen him since he was four years old. It might be best if their fledgling romance died before it could develop any further.
Almost bouncing with excitement, it was obvious Lottie was anxious to greet the servants and Fanny after having been gone so long. They were dining with the Bingleys that evening, so Lottie would have a chance to catch up with her six cousins, and Lizzy could speak to Jane and Charles privately about the forthcoming proposal, if it actually occurred.
***
WHEN LIZZY MET WILLIAM Darcy the next day, he was far too much like his father for her comfort for a long instant. She stared at him, mouth agape, and it was almost like being eighteen years in the past, though William was younger than his father had been then. He had Mr. Darcy’s dark hair and brown eyes, though his lips were fuller than she recalled his father’s being. She blinked when she realized she had waited a half-second too long to respond to Lottie’s introductions. “Hello, Mr. Darcy. It is lovely to see you. I have heard much about you.” That was the truth, for Lottie could scarcely stop talking about her beau.
He kissed her glove and bent forward respectfully for a moment. “It is wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Collins.”
She smiled. “I have actually met you once before, Master...Mr. Darcy. I was visiting Lady Catherine at Rosings Park when you and Lottie were about four. I believe you were accompanying your Aunt Georgiana and her husband. You have changed quite a lot,” she added with a gentle smile.
He grinned. “I do not remember that, but one of my earliest memories is chasing Lottie among the roses at Lady Catherine’s home.” He looked at her daughter with open love and affection. Lottie stared back just as fervently, and it was as though the rest of the world ceased to exist for them, save for each other.
In that instant, Lizzy’s fears eased. She could see how much he loved Lottie, and how the love was reciprocated. They were so young, but she recognized love when she saw it, and they did as well. Other than mild concern about their age, her objections fell away.
She doubted it would be so easy to win over Mr. Darcy though. He would no doubt consider wealth and standing far more important than true, if young, love. Lizzy had no wish to set herself at odds against her daughter’s future father-in-law after they had clashed in the past, but she determined right then and there that she would help their children fight for happiness, even if it meant fighting Mr. Darcy himself.