Darcy, Knight Errant (Elizabeth and Darcy True Love Multiverse)

30. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It was fascinating to Georgianna to watch her brother with Elizabeth. Georgianna hadn’t laid eyes on them in a week, as they had confined themselves to Darcy House after their wedding. It wasn’t until they arrived to collect her and Mrs. Annesley for their trip to Netherfield that she finally saw them again.

Somehow, the newlyweds found a way to always stay in contact with one another. Oh, it was nothing indecent, rather it was cute. From start to finish, they never let go of each other, constantly holding hands or leaning into one another, or even doing both simultaneously.

When they stopped to water the horses, her brother had even kept his hand on the small of Elizabeth’s back as they walked into the back room and were served tea. Their constant care for each other’s needs made her smile, appreciating the depth of their bond. Still, she felt a need for conversation as they sipped their tea, so she said, “It will be good to see your sisters again, Elizabeth. What time is Jane’s wedding going to be tomorrow?”

Seeming to draw her gaze away from William’s eyes with difficulty, Elizabeth looked at Georgianna and said, “The wedding will be held at ten tomorrow with the wedding breakfast held at Longbourn shortly thereafter.” Looking back at William, who rubbed her back and nod in an encouraging fashion, she continued, saying, “But we will not be going to the wedding breakfast at Longbourn.”

Georgianna could understand why she would not want to return to her home after what she had endured at the hands of her parents. It was probably a good thing that they would not be attending the wedding breakfast because she would certainly be tempted to say something to Elizabeth’s parents, and if she didn’t, then her brother would, and a wedding breakfast would not be the time or place to do so. She liked Jane too much to want her wedding breakfast to be ruined in such a way.

It galled her that Elizabeth’s parents were getting away with being so horrible to her closest of friends. Possibly seeing her expression, William spoke up, saying, “Once Bingley and his new wife leave on their wedding trip, Elizabeth and I will be going over to Longbourn to confront her parents together. Actually, we may be here a few days after the wedding while we handle matters, but Bingley has said that we may stay at Longbourn as long as we need.”

Nodding, Georgianna was glad that Mrs. Annesley was able to change the conversation to something lighter, because her mind was focused on what her brother meant by handling matters. Curiosity consumed her as she wondered what plans William had in store for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, but she knew she would have to wait patiently for a few days to find out. Before she knew it, her tea was gone, and Georgianna found herself back in the carriage, on her way to Netherfield, and she was one step closer to seeing how her brother would handle things.

Sitting with Bingley the night before his friend’s wedding, Darcy couldn’t help but feel a touch of irony about the situation. Just a week or so previously their situations had been reversed, but he was still the distracted one of the two of them. Luckily, Bingley did not seem to be upset by his continued distraction.

The last week spent primarily in Elizabeth’s company and even spending a few hours with his friend made him miss her presence at his side. It did not help matters that Elizabeth was becoming more and anxious about the upcoming confrontation. He just hoped that he could make it through the ceremony in the morning without punching his father-in-law.

“You know,” Bingley drawled, “He had asked for money.”

Focusing back on his friend, Darcy asked, “Who asked you for money?”

Shaking his head, Bingley took a sip of his coffee with a grin saying, “You might just be worse than before you got married.” Chuckling, he pushed a lock of hair off his forehead before answering, “Mr. Bennet asked me for a thousand pounds yesterday.”

Leaning forward in his chair, Darcy stared at his friend in shock before saying, “I did not expect that of him. Though I know that the man he borrowed from was going to come to Meryton so he could confront Mr. Bennet soon after the wedding, maybe Mr. Bennet heard he was here and realized that he was running out of time. What did you tell him?”

Running his hand through his reddish locks, Bingley said, “I asked him what the money was for, and he became uncooperative. He ended up complaining that he was giving me his daughter to marry, and I should be grateful he was not standing in my way. I pointed out that most daughters of Jane’s station would have a dowry of at least five thousand pounds and yet I had not asked him for anything, and he had already signed the marriage settlements. He demanded I leave his study after that.”

“He must be more desperate than I thought,” Darcy exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Do you think he will make a scene during the wedding?”

Bingley frowned down into his coffee cup, before looking back up and saying, “No, and even if he does, Jane is of age, and he has signed the settlement papers. There is nothing he can do to stop it. If he tries, he will just make the town dislike him even more. If I have to, I will lay his issues bare to the whole town.”

“And I will support you, whatever happens. Though, I would hate for the man to detract from your wedding for his daughter’s sake.” Darcy sighed. There was just so much about Mr. Bennet that annoyed him. It would have been nice to have a father-in-law that he could respect, but he would have chosen no one besides Elizabeth.

As he leaned back in his chair, he couldn’t help but glance at the shadowed ceiling, pondering how Elizabeth’s remarkable qualities flourished despite Mr. Bennet’s dissipated nature. Was she so amazing because of or in spite of how she was raised? Whatever it was, he was glad that he had Elizabeth as his helpmate.

Wanting to focus back on his friend, Darcy asked, “So, are you ready to be forever bound to Miss Bennet?”

Grinning, Bingley exclaimed, “I was ready weeks ago but as you know, Jane wanted to wait until Elizabeth could come.”

“Well, your wait is almost over, my friend. Come morning, you will marry the woman you love and then flit off to spend weeks alone with her, enjoying each other’s company.” Pausing, Darcy’s smile turned wry before he said, “Though I warn you now, the wedding breakfast will seem interminable. I know mine was, and I did not have Mrs. Bennet’s bragging and effusions of delight.”

“I doubt I will pay Mrs. Bennet any mind. My attention will be solely on the loveliness that is my Jane.” Bingley took a swig of his coffee and, putting his cup down, said, “By the way, thank you for letting us stay at Darcy House before we continue on to Bath.”

“Do not worry about it. My staff knows to treat you well, not that they would do anything else. Besides, you are letting us stay here at Netherfield while I manage everything.”

“I know you want to go find your wife, but before you leave, I want you to know how grateful I am that you will stand up with me tomorrow.” Bingley expressed his gratitude with a genuine appreciation that touched Darcy’s heart.

Standing, he moved to clap his friend on the shoulder, saying, “I am glad that I will be there as well. I am relieved that we could find a solution that accommodates both the women in our lives, not to mention being there for you.”

“Go find your wife,” Bingley instructed, “and I’ll catch up with you in the morning, my friend.”

Nodding, Darcy left the room and went in search of Elizabeth. Although it wasn’t particularly late, he had a feeling she would be curled up with a book in the sitting room they shared. He didn’t rush to find her, but the urgency in his steps as he ascended the stairs hinted at his deep longing for his wife’s company.

He found Elizabeth as he thought he would, curled up in a chair by a crackling fire, a book in her hands that she was completely engrossed in. As she read, a single wayward curl danced against her cheek, adding a touch of drowsy beauty to her appearance. His fingers ached to play with the curl, but he hesitated to approach her. He watched her for a moment in silence, memorizing her beauty in that moment, wanting to remember it always.

Darcy must have made a sound or alerted her somehow because Elizabeth looked up, her attention diverted from her book as she slipped a finger into the pages to hold her place. Her smile was instant as she saw him at the door and she asked, “Did you enjoy your time with Mr. Bingley?”

With her awareness of his presence shattering the moment, Darcy felt compelled to close the distance between them. He moved towards her, his hand reaching out to capture the loose curl at Elizabeth’s cheek, relishing the way it wrapped itself around his finger. After only a short time enraptured by the curl, Darcy said, “Yes, I enjoyed talking with my friend, but I missed being with you.”

Elizabeth picked up the ribbon that she used to mark her page and placing it in her book, she said, “And I have missed you. What are you going to do about it?”

Elizabeth couldn’t shake the feeling that it was wrong for her to be sitting on Mr. Bingley’s side of the church, but she refused to move closer to her parents. Jane understood and had smiled brightly when she saw her sitting on the front row next to Georgianna. As she observed the joy radiating from her sister’s face, she pushed aside the strain she felt from being in such close proximity to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.

Something must have let Georgianna know she was struggling because she reached out and took Elizabeth’s hand in both of hers, offering strength in such a difficult time. Elizabeth would have liked to turn to William for support, but he was standing next to Mr. Bingley at the altar. It was odd seeing Mary standing next to Jane, but she did not begrudge her the honor. Mary had worked hard and grown closer to Jane in Elizabeth’s absence. Besides, it would have been a nightmare if Mrs. Bennet had discovered Jane was in contact with Elizabeth and wanted her to stand up with her.

The ceremony itself was over in a flash, and then Jane was at Elizabeth’s side hugging her tight. Eventually she managed a teary, “Thank you for coming, Lizzie. I know how hard it must be for you to be here.”

Hugging her back, Elizabeth said, “I was not about to let Mr. and Mrs. Bennet stop me from being here for you if I could help it.”

“I have to leave for the wedding breakfast soon and we are leaving for our wedding trip from there, but hopefully we can see you when we get back somehow.” Jane blinked tears out of her eyes as she looked at Elizabeth, saying, “Charles says that you will confront our parents after we leave. Promise me you will be all right.”

Kissing Jane’s cheek, Elizabeth wiped away a tear before she said, “William will be with me, so I will be fine. Do not worry about me. I want you to enjoy her time with Mr. Bingley.”

Laughing, Jane said, “You know he said that you can call him Charles.”

Shrugging, Elizabeth replied, “I will eventually, but it does not feel natural. Even William calls him Bingley.”

Having finished talking with William, Mr. Bingley came over to collect Jane so they could face the other well-wishers together and Elizabeth said, “Take good care of my sister Mr. Bingley, make sure that you enjoy yourselves and not worry about anything while you are away.”

With a brief hug and a nod to Elizabeth, they moved off into the crowd. Elizabeth felt relieved, knowing that William was right by her side as they walked away. She looked up at him and, in an attempt to stay positive, she said, “It was a beautiful ceremony.”

If they weren’t in public, William would have wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. Instead, he held her hand, squeezing it and offering silent support. Of all people, he knew how much she struggled. Grateful for his ever-present support, she smiled up at him. They had already decided to wait until everyone left before they made their exit.

Neither of them wanted Mr. or Mrs. Bennet to make a scene if they spotted her. So far, it had not been a problem, as Mrs. Bennet was completely oblivious to her presence thanks to the excellent selection of her large bonnet. Now Mrs. Bennet was rushing outside to crow about how marvelous it was to have her eldest daughter married to such a wealthy man. Elizabeth shook her head as she could hear the woman from all the way in the chapel.

Unexpectedly, Elizabeth was approached by Charlotte, who embraced her warmly. “I had hoped you would come.”

Blinking her eyes rapidly to stop her tears, Elizabeth hugged her good friend back. Then, leaning back, Elizabeth said, “I am glad to be here. I am glad to be able to see you. William and I are going to be staying at Netherfield for a short time.”

“William, is it?” Looking between her friend and the man standing next to her, Charlotte said, “I had wondered about the two of you. May I assume this is a recent development? You only just reach your majority.”

Nodding, Elizabeth said, “Yes, we married two days after my birthday.”

Looking back over her shoulder at the dispensing crowd, Charlotte said, “I will have to call on you before you leave. I want to know how you have been doing since you were forced to flee your home.”

Nodding, Elizabeth said, “I would love to spend time with you as well, but tomorrow we will be busy at Longbourn.”

A knowing look crossed Charlotte’s face as she exclaimed, “Bearding the lion in its lair, I see! I wish you every success.”

After she left, William looked down at Elizabeth and said, “Is the lion Mr. or Mrs. Bennet?”

Seeing the humor in his comment, Elizabeth managed a weak laugh. Shaking her head, she said, “I hear that a male lion in a rather lazy creature when compared to his female counterpart. He allows her to hunt for food while he defends the territory. It may be that they are both the lion in their own ways.”

Offering her his arm, William said, “It is a good thing then that you say I am a knight if we are going to confront a pair of lions tomorrow.”

“A good knight would never allow a pair of lions free to harm those he is determined to protect,” replied Elizabeth. She had become quite fond of their little game. His chivalrous nature had not gone unnoticed by her, and she felt the urge to give him a genuine compliment, carefully concealing it to avoid embarrassing him too much. Looking around, she realized no one was paying them any attention, so she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Gazing down at Elizabeth, William’s eyes seemed to smolder as he said, “How can a knight not protect his fair lady when she has given him such a token of her esteem?”

They hurried out of the chapel after that and made their way back to Netherfield. In such a religious location, she thought it was best not to linger on the thoughts that had been provoked by the power of William’s gaze.