At Netherfield, the quiet that had descended upon Caroline Bingley Meade’s marriage and return to town had been replaced by the liveliness of the Bennet sisters. Bingley, amiable chap that he was, revelled in the noise and chatter. Darcy strove, for Elizabeth’s sake, to endure, though he often required long rides in silence to calm his stretched nerves.
There had been some consternation at first as to Jane and Bingley’s wedding, both the planning of it and the date. However, Mr. Bennet, on one of his daily visits, had urged his eldest and her betrothed to get on with it. The date had been set upon receiving that gentleman’s approval of the marriage, and that highly anticipated day was quickly approaching. Jane reluctantly agreed with her father: the wedding would go on, even if Mrs. Bennet did not participate.
Everyone in the house threw themselves into preparation. Even Darcy, who intimidated most of his new sisters, was called upon to give an opinion or be of assistance to one or another of them. The servants from both Netherfield and Longbourn ran to and fro from one estate to the other, or into Meryton delivering things and picking them up, or searching for other items that were considered essential to a wedding and breakfast.
~~~***~~~
Mr. and Mrs. Collins arrived at Longbourn a se’ennight before the wedding. Mr. Collins, being Mr. Collins, fell all over himself fawning over Mr. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet remained above-stairs; her injured vanity was still in such a precarious state that she could not bear to listen to her husband’s heir and his sly comments about becoming master.
The newly arrived couple borrowed Mr. Bennet’s carriage the next day to go visiting, first to Netherfield and then to Haye Park, so Mrs. Collins could visit her parents. Mr. Collins insisted on the visit to his cousins. His purpose was twofold: to discover why the young ladies were not at home, and to make certain they each understood how happy he was and how unfortunate it was for them that he had not proposed to them. He had no reason for his vengeful thoughts. Indeed, he was not really aware that he felt the anger that fueled them. He simply had the thoughts and let them have free reign in his mind.
For all his previous thoughts, before his marriage, of ruining Miss Elizabeth and hurting her, and for all his propensity towards violence, Mr. Collins was much less inclined nowadays to using force to get what he wanted. For, as it turned out, Mrs. Collins was not about to let pain go unrewarded.
The first time her husband slapped her, Mrs. Collins struck back. The second and final time, she had taken after him with one of the skillets from the kitchen. Made of cast iron and at least a foot in diameter, the pan, when applied to his head with force, had knocked Mr. Collins unconscious. He had awakened a short while later to that self-same pan waving at him. In no uncertain terms, Mrs. Collins informed her husband that further abuse would not be tolerated and that if he chose to disbelieve her, she would do more than knock him unconscious. Seeing the glint in her eye and the ease with which she hefted her weapon, combined with the splitting headache they had left him with, Mr. Collins chose to believe his wife.
Now, as the footman announced them to the party at Netherfield, Mr. Collins was eager to display his felicity to those within. No one need know that he was just a little afraid of his wife.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Collins. How good it is to see you.” Bingley, ever the gregarious gentleman, greeted his visitors with a bow and performed introductions where necessary.
As usual, Mr. Collins felt it necessary to flatter the Darcys. After all, should something happen to Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy had much more to offer him than anyone else of his acquaintance. It never hurt to place oneself in good standing with such a powerful gentleman. It was possible for Darcy to give him a living. Then, he might be able to hire a curate to serve the Hunsford church while Collins himself could serve the Darcys.
Once everyone was seated, they spent time catching up with each other’s news. Inquiries were made and replied to in regards to the felicity of the new couples and the progress of the wedding plans. Mr. Collins offered to assist Meryton’s rector with the ceremony, an offer that was graciously declined. Eventually, having sat listening for a few minutes as his wife relayed news about her parents’ plans to travel to Kent for a visit, he thought of his patroness and the news there, and decided to share it with Mr. Darcy.
“Your aunt and cousin are well, Mr. Darcy. I visited Rosings yesterday morning, before my dear Penelope and I began our trip here.”
Darcy did not wish to encourage the obsequious man, and so merely nodded. His lack of response, of course, did not deter his wife’s cousin.
“Miss de Bourgh has a new companion; you know this, of course.”
Despite himself, Darcy’s interest was piqued. While he was in frequent contact with both Lady Catherine and Lord Matlock, his aunt and uncle, only so much could be conveyed in a letter. With Mr. Collins’ propensity to gossip, Darcy might get a clearer picture of what was really happening with his cousin on a day to day basis. This did not prevent him from speaking in monosyllables. He still did not like the cleric. “I do.”
“Miss de Bourgh is given a special tea to keep her calm, and it has been a great success. She has, however, had one or two instances where she has become … belligerent … and her companion has had to step in. The woman is magnificent! She immediately speaks to Miss de Bourgh in a firm tone of voice and reminds her of some agreement they have, and there is an immediate cessation of the behavior. It is amazing to watch.”
Darcy nodded. He had suspected that this herbal tonic his uncle said Anne was getting might not be as efficacious as they had all hoped. “Have they considered changing the dosage in the tea?”
“Lady Catherine did say, just a few days before I left, that her daughter had required a larger dose.’
“When Miss de Bourgh has become recalcitrant, has she made threats to her mother or anyone else?”
“Not when I have witnessed it, and Lady Catherine has not shared with me if she has.”
“No,” Darcy murmured, “I expect not.” He took a moment to reflect and then continued his questioning. “Has my cousin spoken to you directly, about … anything?”
“No, Mr. Darcy. I have found it both strange and relieving that she seems to not see me, or recognize me. I could be mistaken; I only know that she does not speak to either my wife or me, and says very little to her mother.”
Darcy nodded again. “Thank you.” He lapsed once more into contemplation, and Collins, seeing that he had lost the gentleman’s attention, turned his own toward the rest of the party.
~~~***~~~
After the rector and his wife left Netherfield, Darcy took his wife to their chambers for a nap. He insisted she was tired and Elizabeth was too enamored of what she suspected would happen to object overmuch.
Once they had undressed and settled under the covers, Darcy asked her opinion of Mr. Collins’ news regarding Anne.
“I am happy she is subdued. It sounded to me as though your uncle’s letters, as well of those from Lady Catherine, were reasonably accurate.”
“It does seem as though they had the right of it. I had been concerned that my uncle and cousins were hiding the facts, but if Collins is correct, he provides evidence to support their claims.”
“Will you still avoid Rosings?”
“Until I am assured that Anne has let go of her obsession, yes. I have no wish to stir whatever fantasies she may still have, nor do I wish to rile her temper towards you.”
“I understand; to be honest, I am glad to hear it. I feel an uneasiness about the situation myself. I will not rule out a visit in the future, though.”
“No, nor I.” Darcy shifted his position, rising up on his elbow to look down at his wife. “Enough conversation, Mrs. Darcy. I have a better use for your lips.”
With those words, Darcy captured her mouth with his. The couple was not seen by the rest of the party before dinner was announced.
~~~***~~~
The day of the wedding finally arrived, sunny and warm with a delightful breeze to keep it from becoming too hot. Through the herculean efforts of Elizabeth and her younger sisters, Bingley had been kept away from Jane the entirety of the day before. Now he stood at the altar, Darcy by his side, as he waited for Jane and her father to appear in the back of the church. He allowed himself a moment of distraction, watching his sister Louisa and her husband, Reginal Hurst, find seats. The Hursts had arrived two days ago, and for the first time in their three-year marriage, he had enjoyed their visit. How different everything is with Caroline married and gone!
Bingley knew Caroline would not be in attendance today. While it saddened him, he understood the Meades’ reasoning. Caroline could not bring herself to be in the presence of the Darcys just yet, and Meade had hopes that keeping her away from them would expedite Caroline’s recovery from her disappointment.
A brief stir in the crowd and a change in the cadence of conversation turned Bingley’s attention back to the end of the aisle. There stood his beloved, one hand on her father’s arm and the other holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers. Though it was not the right time of year for them, Darcy’s conservatory at Pemberley had an abundance of the blooms, and he had sent for them as a gift to the bride.
Not soon enough for Bingley’s liking, Jane was at his side. Unable to tear his eyes away from her, he went through the entire ceremony with his gaze riveted on the bride, though he repeated his vows and followed the ceremony without a mistake.