Darcy in Want of a Wife

Chapter 15

En Route to Meryton

One Day Later

It was cold outside the carriage, with a mild wind and flurries of snowflakes twirling gracefully in the air, while a few flakes hit the carriage windows and melted.

Inside it was cozy and pleasant, with the travelers well-wrapped in rugs, and with hot bricks at their feet. Elizabeth, regarding the two gentlemen across from her, felt a rush of joy that in a short time she would be home at Longbourn. The initial plan had been for her father to send his carriage for her to bear her home, but then Bingley, who had hurried to Town to deal with last-minute business, had spoken with Darcy, and Darcy had in turn offered the use of his carriage for the journey to Meryton. Given that there were two gentlemen, and one would soon be Elizabeth’s brother by marriage, it was entirely appropriate for the party to travel together.

The most anxious of the travelers was Mr. Bingley, who looked frequently out the windows, looking for landmarks. Elizabeth, watching him, found Bingley’s obvious eagerness to see Jane again to be endearing.

“I do hope the weather does not worsen,” Bingley fretted aloud, and Darcy chuckled and said, “Bingley, my butler, who has a rare weather sense, assured me that there will be no snowstorm today. Moreover, Netherfield is not far away.”

“Thank you, Darcy,” Bingley replied, grinning at his closest friend. “I realize I am acting absurdly, but I had a dream last night, or rather, a nightmare, in which I forgot to pack, and then Caroline broke her ankle, and then the horses were lame, and a wheel on the carriage failed, and I missed my wedding. It was dreadful!”

“I have had dreams like that,” Elizabeth remarked from her backward facing position. “Not exactly that, but dreams about everything going awry.”

“Well, I assure you that the carriage is in excellent condition,” Darcy declared, “and the horses are well rested. As for Miss Bingley breaking her ankle – well, I hope she does not, but she is at Hurst House in any case and not your concern.”

Bingley laughed and said, “I am well aware that my dream was a wearisome collection of absurdities. I am incredibly eager to wed my Jane, and every hour seems like a day, and every day a year, until the wedding.”

“I am very happy for you and Miss Bennet,” Darcy said, “and for you too, Miss Elizabeth, though I wonder if there is, perhaps, a little sorrow mixed with joy? I know that you and your sister are very close.”

Elizabeth looked at Darcy and was surprised to observe him staring intently at her.

“That is an insightful question,” she mused. “I will miss Jane, but we have often been apart for weeks and months in the past, you know, when one or the other of us was visiting our relations. Moreover, I love Jane with all my heart, and I want nothing more than for her to be happy. I am confident she will be happy with Charles.”

“If I have anything to do with it, she will be,” Bingley said fervently.

“Since you will have everything to do with it, I am confident in her joy,” Elizabeth replied, smiling.

/

Meryton Church

Jane’s Wedding Day

A Week Later

The rain pattered against the church windows at the far end of the foyer, the overcast weather sending a gray and dismal light through the windows, but the inside was bright and cheery, lit with an array of flickering candles. Elizabeth stood beside her sister Jane, who was holding Mr. Bennet’s arm, as they waited for their cue to enter the sanctuary.

Jane was a breathtaking sight in her wedding gown, the pale blue fabric and white lace setting off her blue eyes and blonde hair, but above all else, Jane was glowing with joy. Her skin was flushed with excitement and nerves, and her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths as she focused on the chapel doors.

Elizabeth was dressed in soft yellow, her hands clasped at her waist as she gazed at her older sister. Her finest gown paled in comparison to her sister's beauty, but she did not mind that in the least. It was not her wedding, after all.

From within the chapel, the organ began to play, and a servant pushed open the doors to admit the soon-to-be bride.

Jane and Mr. Bennet went first, and Elizabeth followed behind as they made their way down the center aisle. Soft, colored light filtered through the stained-glass windows on either side of the large room, lighting up the pews in which sat Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Sir William and Lady Lucas along with their youngest daughter Maria, and the rest of the Bennet ladies save for Lydia.

At the front of the chapel stood the rector, Mr. Allen, alongside Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, the latter serving as the groom’s attendant. They were both dressed in evening attire, and Elizabeth’s gaze lingered momentarily on Mr. Darcy; he looked far more attractive when his expression was cheerful. Bingley gazed at his bride as she approached him, a look of awe on his countenance.

Mrs. Bennet was dabbing at her eyes in the front row, gazing at Jane affectionately. Kitty’s eyes were wide, and even Mary had an uncharacteristically bright smile on her face.

They reached the front of the nave, and Mr. Bennet lifted Jane’s hand from his arm and placed it on Mr. Bingley’s. As the couple gazed at each other, Mr. Bennet slipped away, retreating to sit by his wife. Though he might not be as vocal about it as Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth knew that her father was thrilled that Jane was marrying a good man.

She turned her attention to Mr. Allen, the rector, who looked down at the Book of Common Prayer before him, cleared his throat, and began, “ Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony… ”

/

Wedding Breakfast

Longbourn

Later

Longbourn was alight with a gaiety and merriness beyond what had been seen in many years. Nearly every gentle family in Meryton and its environs had come to join in the Bennet family’s celebration, and despite the chill and rain outside, Longbourn was filled with light and laughter.

The dining room table was spread with the finest food and drink that could be attained at this time of year. A fine roasted ham sat in the center of the table, surrounded by partridge and quail, sweet potatoes, spiced jellies, and pickled vegetables. The ends of the table had platters piled with oranges arranged in pyramids, along with puddings and cakes that filled the air with a pleasing aroma.

Smaller dining tables had been erected throughout the main floor, and the guests were spread between them as they talked and laughed and enjoyed one another’s company. Mrs. Bennet never lingered at any table for long, so joyful was she over the marriage of her firstborn daughter. Jane, on the other hand, while she was happy to converse with any well-wishers who approached the newlyweds’ table, had eyes only for her new husband.

Elizabeth walked swiftly from room to room, ensuring that all the guests were content. Kitty, she knew, was still forlorn over the loss of Lydia to boarding school, though a quick peek through the door of the east sitting room showed that the fourth Miss Bennet was currently chattering happily with Maria Lucas.

With all well, Elizabeth made her way back to the dining room, where she hastily covered a plate with truly luscious food, filled a goblet full of wine, and carried them down the corridor toward the library. Yes, today, even this inner sanctum of Mr. Bennet had been thrown open to the guests, though Elizabeth discovered, when she stopped in the doorway, that there were only two occupants of the table set up in the middle of the room.

“A remarkable man, Nathaniel Bowditch,” Mr. Bennet remarked. “He more or less taught himself Latin and French, and while, of course, I am no sailor, I understand his The American Practical Navigator is an absolutely brilliant book. Not that I have read it; bibliophile I may be, but reading about tides and the movements of the stars is not of great interest to me.”

“I have heard the same about Bowditch,” Mr. Darcy said. “I consider myself an intelligent man, but Bowditch must be on another level, a genius, a once in a generation mind.”

“He is an American, is he not?” Elizabeth asked, proceeding into the room.

Her father smiled at her and said, “Indeed he is. Sit down, my dear. I know you have been rushing around for the last few days helping prepare for the wedding breakfast. It is only fitting that you should also enjoy it.”

She took a seat next to her father and nibbled a delicious roll, and when she looked up, it was to see Mr. Darcy staring at her. He often did look at her, and she was beginning to think it was more absence of mind than a desire to criticize her.

“Do you care for math and science, Miss Bennet?” he inquired.

She took a bite of ham, chewed, swallowed, and took a sip of wine before replying. “I like practical science. I find crop rotation interesting, and the works of Coke regarding animal husbandry are fascinating as well, but I have not studied physics or chemistry or astronomy.”

“Because they are dull?” Darcy inquired.

Elizabeth wrinkled her brow and said, “I know they are not dull, but I have so many interests that I am not inclined to spend time trying to understand something so … esoteric. So impractical.”

“Astronomy is not impractical for navigators,” Mr. Bennet remarked. “One of Bowditch’s achievements was that he determined a new and easier way to determine a ship’s position using the stars and the moon. That is very helpful.”

“I will not quarrel with you on that, Father,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle. “Indeed, if I ever become a navigator on a sailing ship, I will be certain to learn Mr. Bowditch’s techniques!”

Darcy laughed with her, and once again, his chest warmed with admiration. It was hardly the habit of a lady to confess to interest in sheep and crops, but Miss Bennet was no ordinary lady.

He would miss her desperately once he returned permanently to London and could only hope that his fascination would wane swiftly in the coming weeks.