Because Mrs. Bennet lived life large, all Lizzy and Darcy’s plans for a modest-sized wedding went out the window the day after their engagement was announced. The bride’s mother did everything except hire the town crier to proclaim the couple’s betrothal. As a result, the wedding breakfast that was to be held for “family and a few friends” ended up including everyone from the village and those who lived on nearby farms and estates. With the size of the wedding growing exponentially, Darcy sent for Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Bradshaw. With plans for the reception left in their capable hands, Lizzy departed with Mr. Darcy and Georgiana to visit Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and she would buy her wedding clothes and accessories in town.
Before leaving, Lizzy reminded her mother that although Lydia was welcome to come to her wedding, Wickham was not. When Mrs. Bennet started to protest, Lizzy cut off any further discussion by saying, “Mr. Darcy would be displeased.” Mama would never want to say or do anything that would “displease” a man who had ten thousand a year.
During the ride to London, Lizzy had another opportunity to see brother and sister interact, and it was quickly apparent that Georgiana considered her dear William to be her ideal for a man, and Darcy did not disagree with that assessment. He held himself to a high standard, and he expected no less from anyone who hoped to approach his sister when the season began in May. No mention was made of the difficulties involved in bringing someone into the family who would not be privy to Darcy’s unique situation.
It was already dark when the carriage arrived at the Gardiner townhouse. Darcy was disappointed that he would be unable to visit with the couple, not only because he enjoyed their company but also because he was grateful to them for bringing Elizabeth into Derbyshire. If not for that holiday to the Peak, it was unlikely that he would now be holding Elizabeth’s hand.
“Georgie, close your eyes,” Darcy told his sister.
“Why should I close my eyes?” When Darcy gave her a knowing look, she shut them tight. Even so, he put his hat in front of his face as he kissed Elizabeth good-bye. After he had assisted her out of the carriage, he whispered that he loved her and that he would see her in three weeks, and after that separation, nothing would keep them apart.
Aunt Gardiner was disappointed that Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy could not visit. Little did she know that the next day she would have a member of the extended Darcy family sitting in her front parlor.
***
Mrs. Gardiner was enjoying her afternoon tea with her niece when her butler informed her that, “Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam, has presented his card and wishes to pay a call on you.” After taking the card from Rothwell’s hand, Aunt Gardiner took a quick glance at it before handing it to Elizabeth.
“His Lordship must have learned of your engagement to Mr. Darcy.”
“Good gracious! Lord Fitzwilliam has come to pay a call on me? But how did he know where to find me?” Lizzy asked as she continued to stare at his card. “I can’t imagine what I will say to him. Although I have never met him, I have certainly heard about him.”
Any reader of The Insider or any of the pamphlets and gossip sheets sold on the streets of London knew of Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam. He had been married to Lady Eleanor, the daughter of the second Earl of Henley, for about a dozen years, and had been estranged from his wife for nine of them. But according to the newspapers, he did not lack for companionship. He was known to have had numerous affairs with married ladies of the ton, and rumor had it that he was currently having a robust romance with Lady Hillary Donwell, whose husband, Colonel Adam Donwell, was in Nova Scotia. While the colonel was in service to the Crown, his wife was servicing Lord Fitzwilliam. What could Lizzy possibly say to a known seducer and reprobate?
“Rothwell, please show Lord Fitzwilliam in,” Mrs. Gardiner said, and after checking their dresses for wrinkles and their hair for stray tresses, both ladies stood up. And then came the grand entrance of the noble one. His Lordship handed his gold-tipped cane to Rothwell and held out his arms so that the butler might take off his coat. Not until he had removed his top hat and placed his gloves in it was he ready for introductions.
Although there was only a four-year age difference between Lord Fitzwilliam and his brother, Colonel Fitzwilliam, His Lordship looked older than his thirty-two years. The impeccably attired earl in his dark coat, tan breeches, and silk neckcloth showed the effects of the many late nights he spent gambling and carousing. However, with his blond hair, cornflower blue eyes, and mischievous smile, Lizzy understood why so many women fell for this devilish rake.
After apologizing for not giving Mrs. Gardiner any notice that he would be calling, Lord Fitzwilliam justified his unexpected arrival by saying that he absolutely had to meet the lady who had won the heart of his cousin.
“Darcy is a most particular fellow, so I had no doubt that you would be a beauty, Miss Bennet, and I was not wrong. I had hoped that we would be introduced by the prospective bridegroom. I did leave my card with Rogers, his butler, but Darcy chose not to respond,” he said with a sigh before plopping down in a chair nearest to the fire as if he were in his own home, and who would have told him differently?
“Thank you, milord, for your compliment,” Lizzy responded, “but as far as your cousin is concerned, Mr. Darcy has gone to Kent to visit with Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh,” a statement that caused the earl to burst out laughing.
“I wish I had known that he was going to Rosings as I am in need of entertainment. One of my most intimate friends has chosen not to be so intimate, and it has saddened me.” Mrs. Gardiner let out a gasp at His Lordship’s comment, causing the earl to ask, “Mrs. Gardiner, what are you implying that I was implying?” his face a picture of innocence. But then he gave her such a smile that the lady blushed from head to toe. “Mrs. Gardiner, when I see beauty, I feel compelled to acknowledge it, and you are a very attractive lady, with such a rosy complexion. Is it always this rosy? By the way, is there a Mr. Gardiner?”
“Yes, milord. He is presently at his office,” she answered, her voice faltering, “which is nearby.”
“And what takes the nearby Mr. Gardiner away from his lovely wife?”
“He is a coffee broker, milord.”
“A coffee broker? Excellent. Then I should like to get to know him. Unlike many members of the aristocracy, I do not snub men who engage in commerce as they are the future of England and will eventually have all the money. Monsieur Napoleon has called England a nation of shopkeepers. I have no quarrel with that statement. Unfortunately, I currently do not have any friends who are merchants. I mean, I do know merchants. One is waiting for me outside my door almost every day, but since I do not owe Mr. Gardiner any money and I love coffee, Mr. Gardiner would be a good friend to have. Is he usually absent for most of the day?”
After seeing her aunt turn beet red again because of the earl’s suggestive question, Lizzy redirected the conversation. “Milord, as I said, Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy have gone into Kent for a visit. He wished to personally inform your aunt of our engagement.”
“It almost makes me want to rush to Rosings Park. I would pay good money to see how this scene plays out. You see, my aunt Catherine and I have a special relationship.”
“Are you very close?” Lizzy asked, thinking it unlikely.
“We could not be any closer. Because if we were, it would end in verbal fisticuffs. If you have met the esteemed lady, you will certainly understand.”
“I have met Lady Catherine,” Lizzy answered, suppressing a laugh. “I dined with her on at least three occasions while I was visiting with a dear friend, Mrs. Collins, who is married to the vicar at Hunsford Lodge.”
“I would be pleased to meet any acquaintance of yours, Miss Bennet. Unfortunately, since Mrs. Collins is married to a parson, it is most unlikely that we shall ever meet unless, of course, Aunt Catherine should go to her glory in the beyond. I would most certainly attend her funeral, but since I know her to be in excellent health, it is unlikely that I shall have the pleasure of meeting your friend. But that is neither here nor there. You say that you have dined with my dear aunt. How did you get on? Did she like you?”
It was obvious that His Lordship used his engaging personality to ask any question that popped into his head, no matter how personal, and that he expected it to be answered. Lizzy, however, was of a different mind. “You would have to ask your aunt, milord.”
“You are avoiding my question, Miss Bennet. Does my aunt like you?”
“She expressed her opinions, and I shared mine.”
“Aha!” the earl said, gleefully. “If you had the audacity to express your opinions, then I know she does not like you, but that should not bother you. In fact, I would take it as a compliment.”
Lizzy did not know how to respond, and thinking it best to ignore his statement, she asked if he frequently visited Rosings Park.
“Despite my deep attachment for my dear cousin, the lovely Miss Anne de Bourgh, I go but rarely because my aunt lives there as well. However, I do see Anne every time she comes to London, and she is an excellent correspondent who keeps me informed of family news, which is how I learned of your romance with my cousin.”
“But that does not explain how you knew where to find me in town. I only came to London yesterday.”
“My house is across the square from the Darcy townhouse, and my manservant saw the Darcy carriage. Gregg, whose charms are second only to my own, has been flirting with a housemaid in Darcy’s employ, who spoke with a groom, who overheard a conversation between Darcy and his butler about seeing to the wishes of a certain Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who was staying with the Gardiners in Gracechurch Street. This should be a lesson to us all that we should never say anything in front of the servants that we do not want repeated. On the other hand, if one wishes to spread a rumor that is the most efficient way of going about it.”
Lizzy now understood why Fitzwilliam Darcy became exasperated whenever he spoke about the head of the Fitzwilliam family. Darcy, through a clenched jaw, would express his frustration with a man whom he knew to have a fine mind and a caring spirit but who was completely undisciplined and denied himself nothing.
“Allow me to give you an example,” Darcy had said during one of their conversations about the earl. “Antony was one of the few members of the House of Lords to voice his opposition to confronting the Americans on the high seas. I was in the visitors’ gallery when he gave a speech warning that boarding American vessels and taking sailors off their ships would lead to war with the United States, and it might yet happen. It was an act of parliamentary courage, but did he remain in the House to discuss the matter with other members of the Lords? No! He went straight to his club, where he gambled the night away. Damn frustrating man!”
His frustration with his cousin was the reason Darcy had not mentioned Lord Fitzwilliam when discussing their wedding plans, but how could she not invite His Lordship to their wedding? The two were first cousins, and so Lizzy informed the earl of the date and place for the nuptials.
“You obviously have not consulted Darcy. He would not want me there,” he said, pouting.
“If you wish to attend, you are welcome.” Even though Lizzy knew that His Lordship was reeling her in, she was finding it hard to resist.
“Thank you so much, but it would probably be best…” But after pausing for a moment, he asked, “Do you know if the Granyards will be there?”
“No, milord. It is Mr. Darcy’s wish that the reception be limited to immediate friends and family.” Lizzy was content to remain ignorant of how large the wedding list had grown since she had departed Longbourn. “We shall have a reception for our friends and family in the spring at my parents’ home in Hertfordshire.”
“It is just as well then that I cannot go because if Lady Granyard is not going to the reception, there really isn’t any point. Unless, of course, you are going,” he said, turning to Mrs. Gardiner.
“Yes, my husband and I will definitely be going—together,” she answered with a flutter. She had been relieved when Lizzy had taken over the conversation, but now he was speaking to her once again in a highly suggestive manner. “I do not think I mentioned earlier that I am the mother of four—two boys and two girls.”
“Oh, I just adore children,” Fitzwilliam said, cooing. “I have two little jewels of my own. Sophie is nine, and Emmy is eight. I do not see them as often as I would like because…” He sat up straight in his chair. “…because they live in a dark castle with a drawbridge guarded by dragons, and in the center of the castle is a throne where their mother, the Queen of Darkness, reigns. The castle is surrounded by a moat filled with crocodiles, which Lady Eleanor hand-feeds the pieces and parts of anyone who has ever crossed her. But, occasionally, I don my suit of armor and charge the castle. After rescuing my children, I take them to Briarwood, my country estate. For a few peaceful days, we have the best time until their mother, riding in her black chariot with her hair on fire, comes for them. But children must have their mothers.” After letting out a long sigh, he added, “Eleanor and I just don’t get on.”
Lizzy and her aunt looked at each other. They don’t get on? Who would have guessed?
“But, Miss Elizabeth, I am sure you have much to do to prepare for your wedding,” he said, rising, “and so I shall leave you. Hopefully, after you have married, you will invite me to your townhouse. I am sure Darcy pays his coal bills, so it will be a lot warmer in your home than it is in mine.”
After being assisted by Rothwell with his overcoat and after putting on his top hat and placing his cane under his arm, he again addressed Elizabeth. “I shall conclude by saying that your soon-to-be husband is a royal pain, a stick in the mud, an enemy of fun, and the most decent man I know. However, on more than one occasion, he has pulled my derrière out of the fire, for which I am most grateful, and I ask that you be good to him because he deserves it and because he will always be good to you. He takes care of those he loves.”
“I am in complete agreement with the part of your statement that mentioned Mr. Darcy’s goodness, decency, and his attention to those he cares about, but as for being an enemy of fun, Mr. Darcy and you probably have very different definitions of the word.”
“No doubt about that, Miss Bennet,” he said chuckling, and after a quick kiss of Elizabeth’s hand and a prolonged kiss of Mrs. Gardiner’s, Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam, departed.
After collapsing into a chair, and with a sigh of relief, Mrs. Gardiner commented on their extraordinary visitor. “I have never met anyone like him.”
“I don’t think there is another like him,” Lizzy said, amazed at His Lordship’s performance.
“Elizabeth, I do believe he was flirting with us.”
“Oh, he wasn’t flirting with me, Aunt Gardiner. He was flirting with you. Apparently, he only seduces married women. I am sure he has justified their seduction because they are not maidens.”
“I can hardly believe that an earl was in my home, flirting with me, the mother of four children,” Mrs. Gardiner said, giggling. “It really is too bad that Mr. Gardiner was not here to see it. However, I shall make up for his absence by providing him with every last detail of our afternoon.” A dreamy smile appeared on her face, and while her aunt was thinking about their unique visitor, Lizzy was wondering how Mr. Darcy was faring in Kent.
***
“I forbid it!” an outraged Lady Catherine said. “You will never have my consent to marry that unfeeling, selfish girl. She will be the ruin of you in the opinion of all your friends, and she will make you the contempt of the world.”
Darcy and Georgiana had been at Rosings Park for three days before any mention was made of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and when her earlier visit to Kent was discussed during the evening meal, Lady Catherine had nothing good to say about such a headstrong young lady who dared to answer her questions truthfully. But on the fourth day, all was revealed, and the storm rolled in.
“Aunt, that is your opinion, and one I do not share,” Darcy said in a calm voice. His aunt could go on as long as it pleased her. Since nothing she said would change his mind, he was determined not to become angry. She was his mother’s sister, and as such, deserved his respect.
“Fitzwilliam, I am almost your nearest relation, and I can assure you that your mother would be opposed to this match.”
“I disagree,” Georgiana said in a soft voice as she came to her brother’s defense. “I do not remember very much about my mother, and most of my knowledge of her comes to me by way of my father and brother, but this I do know. My mother and father were in love, and Mama would want for her son to be in love with his wife.”
“Nonsense! Your mother’s marriage to your father was arranged between the Fitzwilliam and Darcy families, one noble and the other with ancient ties to the monarchy. It had nothing to do with love. In your conversations with Anne, I have made note of your ridiculous romantic notions of men and women falling in love, but the reality is that only peasants marry for love, as they have nothing else to offer.”
“You say that my parents’ marriage was arranged, and I believe you, but the fact is that they did fall in love and that is what they would want for Will,” Georgiana quickly rebutted, her voice growing stronger.
Darcy admired his sister’s attempt to change the mind of their aunt Catherine, but she was up against a woman who had no experience with disappointment, except in her own marriage.
“Aunt Catherine, the thought of being estranged from you is painful to me,” Darcy began, “however, if you will not receive Elizabeth at Rosings, then I shall not come here until you do. It is your choice.”
“Fitzwilliam, I see that you have been taken in by Miss Bennet’s arts and allurements, and in a moment of infatuation, you have forgotten what you owe to your family. She has drawn you in.”
“‘Drawn me in.’” Darcy said, smiling. She most certainly had drawn him in. “If that is how you wish to phrase it, I shall not quarrel with you. But I know this. I love Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and it is the kind of love that is strong and good and will weather all storms. I am less than a perfect man, but she has accepted me, with all my faults.”
“Your faults? What nonsense. You have none. But Miss Bennet does. Not only is she presuming to quit the sphere into which she was born, she is dragging you into a family tainted by scandal. Do not think I do not know of her sister’s patched-up marriage to the son of your father’s steward. Of what are you thinking?”
Darcy was about to bring this conversation to a close when he saw Anne rise from her chair near the fire. “Stop! Mama, I insist that you stop!”
Anne had remained silent throughout the exchange. While watching the drama unfold, she had hoped that her dear cousins would be able to convince her mother to recognize the marriage without her becoming involved, but this had gone on long enough.
“Anne, please…” Darcy said, concerned for his cousin. After such an angry exchange of words, he would have to leave Rosings, but Anne would be left behind to deal with her enraged mother. He did not want that.
“No, William, I have something to say, and I mean to say it.” Then she turned her attention to her mother. “Mama, I love you, and I loved Papa. But you did not love each other, and I can assure you that it was painful for me to have my father living most of the year in London while you and I remained here in the country. I do not want that for William.
“As for Miss Bennet, she is a warm, charming, gracious, and giving woman, and she loves William—deeply—and is committed to him with all of her heart and soul. She asks nothing of him, except his love. Now, you say that such an emotion exists only in the lower classes, but you are wrong because I have seen it with my own eyes.”
For the whole of Anne’s speech, Lady Catherine remained quiet. She loved her daughter more than anyone or anything, and she lived in fear of losing her at any moment to illness or disease. It was not her intention to upset her, but she was unalterably opposed to the mingling of classes and said as much.
“Mama, you do not go up to town as often as I do because if you did, you would see that trying to prevent the ‘mingling of classes’ would be like attempting to hold back the tide. Impoverished aristocrats are marrying their sons to the daughters of merchants every day. When I was in town on my return from Derbyshire, I learned of Lord Corman’s engagement to a Miss Abernathy, whose father made his fortune in herring! Now, if the son of a duke can marry the daughter of a purveyor of fish, you certainly cannot object to the marriage of a gentleman’s son to the daughter of a gentleman.
“And I have one more thing to add. William is not asking for your permission to marry. He is here as a courtesy to you. With or without your blessing, Elizabeth and he will marry on December 24th. I, for one, shall wish them joy, and if you wish to see Georgie and William again, you should do the same. Do you really want to be estranged from yet another family member? Is it not enough that Antony and you do not talk or that his sisters rarely visit because they are afraid of you? Think of the consequences before you say another word.”
With that, Anne sat down, and the only sound was the clock ticking away the minutes. After an uncomfortably long silence, Darcy went over and took hold of his aunt’s hand, but she would not look at him.
“I hope you will take Anne’s advice because nothing will change my mind about marrying Elizabeth. However, I do not wish to impose upon your hospitality, so Georgiana and I will leave in the morning as there is much to do. Elizabeth and I will have a reception at Longbourn in the spring, and I hope you will attend.” Darcy then signaled to his sister that they should retire.
The next morning, with her mother still in her bedchamber, Anne was the only one to see her cousins on their way.
“Oh, William, I wish I could be there for your wedding, but as you know, I do not travel well in the winter. By the way, when is the next full moon?”
“On the twenty-eighth. But you need not worry as Elizabeth borrowed a book on astronomy from the circulating library in Meryton and wrote down all the dates for the full moon for the next two years.”
“Then you are obviously in good hands.”
“Anne, you seem quite chipper this morning. Considering that things did not go well last night, I find your good cheer puzzling.”
“Oh, I disagree. I think things went very well. You managed to have the last word with Mama. Can you ever remember that happening before? And because of that, I am hopeful that we shall see you in the spring.”
Darcy nodded his head in agreement as well as in admiration of his fragile cousin who had taken the field and won the battle, if not the war.