Reunited at Rosings (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #5)

Chapter 14

December 25, 1812, Christmas Day

Christmas Day was surely a time when dreams came true. Anne got her wish that the snow would come in time for the holiday and Darcy had what he wanted most: Elizabeth’s promise to be his bride. Though they had decided to wait for a little while before telling the family, he would not be surprised if the fancy overtook him while they were singing carols that evening.

“What has got into you, brother? You keep looking out the window as if you were expecting someone. You must know the others will not be here for another hour at least,” Georgiana said, looking up from her sheet music for just long enough to make her observations.

Darcy let out a frustrated sigh and tried to calm his impatience and sit still for a little while. The first-floor window was the perfect place to look out over the green toward the cottage. Soon, he would be reunited with his love. It had been many a long year since there had been so merry a Christmas.

He spent the rest of the hour counting down the minutes. Finally, the carriage arrived bearing their guests, and he and Georgiana hurried downstairs to greet them. Elizabeth looked as ravishing as ever, dressed in an emerald green gown that complimented her complexion and eyes.

Whether by accident or design, Anne had been kind to his feelings, and had arranged the table to seat him next to Elizabeth. They were all busy taking their seats when the door opened.

The Bath chair had arrived just in time. A strong footman wheeled Lady Catherine to the table, her lady’s maid walking by her side, ready to attend her. Everyone stilled, looking at her in wonder. “Mama! I am so glad you decided to join us!” Anne said. She walked over to greet her mother with a kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, tosh. Do not make a fuss, Anne,” Lady Catherine said. “I am sure our guests are not interested if an old woman can join them,” she said gruffly. Darcy could see through her apparent displeasure. It was insecurity that made her snap, not annoyance.

Lady Catherine took her usual seat at the head of the table. The Bath chair worked admirably, for it was small enough to push up to the table. With Lady Catherine in place, they were all seated.

“I should like to thank you, Miss Bennet, for coming up with such a splendid idea.” Lady Catherine said, her voice low. Perhaps she did not wish the rest of the table to hear her humble herself to say such a thing. Darcy nodded in pride at his aunt. Perhaps there was hope for her yet, hope that she might let go of some of the control she had exerted for what seemed like an eternity.

“You look well, Lady Catherine. There is a lovely glow to your cheeks. I think it will do you a world of good to be up and about again,” Elizabeth said.

Lady Catherine gave a nondescript grunt, then turned to Fitzwilliam on the opposite side of the table. Darcy gave Elizabeth an encouraging nod. She might not be able to tell, but he was sure Lady Catherine’s opinion of her was slowly thawing from jealous suspicion to grudging respect. Perhaps by the time they were married, things would be on an amicable footing.

The luncheon passed with much gaiety and warmth. Miss Lucas and Georgiana planned the carolling that would take place around the piano later that evening, and Darcy had Elizabeth by his side. What more could he want? Better still, Lady Catherine, while starting out the luncheon shifting nervously and keeping a sharp eye on everyone in attendance, soon settled into her new role, and seemed to enjoy herself.

When it came time for toasts and speeches, Colonel Fitzwilliam was the first to rise. “Let me be the first to cheer this wonderful season and all the happiness it brings.” He looked over at Anne, who sat beside him. She nodded as if to answer a silent question. “Which brings me to the most joyful news I have to share with you all.”

Lady Catherine looked alarmed, and the rest of the company exchanged confused glances. “What is this?” Lady Catherine asked.

Colonel Fitzwilliam took Miss de Bourgh’s hand and held fast. “It is my pleasure to announce to all of you, our esteemed friends and family, that Anne and I are engaged!”

Darcy could not have been more shocked if he had announced he was planning a trip to the centre of the Earth. Though, thinking of the respect and liking the two had always shared, and particularly the glances he had seen between them on this visit, he was still more pleased than surprised.

“Engaged? By whose permission?” Lady Catherine baulked.

Anne leaned over and took her mother’s hand. “By our own choice, Mama. I am of age, and I love him,” she said gently.

Lady Catherine pulled her hand away, looking appalled. “Marriage has nothing to do with love.”

Anne looked hurt for a moment, but raised her chin. “Perhaps it should.”

“Indeed, it should,” Fitzwilliam agreed.

Darcy stood and was the first to congratulate the couple. “I will drink to that! To the happy couple!” he said and raised his glass. He sipped his watered wine and waited for the rest of the people seated around the table to finish giving their congratulations.

Lady Catherine said nothing, remaining ominously silent. When the others at last stopped their congratulations and excited comments, she looked up at him, craning her neck to meet his eyes. “I hope you will not be too disappointed, Darcy,” Lady Catherine said, her voice pitched to be audible throughout the room. “I know that you have long held to the idea that you and my daughter would marry when the time came.”

Darcy had never held such sentiments, but now was not the time to point that out. Now was the time to make an announcement of his own. “I am not disappointed in the slightest, Aunt Catherine. Anne, Fitzwilliam, I am very happy for you both. And in fact, we have some news as well.” He reached for Elizabeth’s hand. She took it and rose to stand beside him.

Lady Catherine could have caught an entire colony of flies in her mouth, so wide did it drop open.

Darcy rushed ahead before she had a chance to interrupt him. “Miss Bennet has graciously agreed to become my wife.”

Georgiana was on her feet in an instant, coming around from the far end of the table and wrapping her delicate arms around his neck. “I knew it! When you came in from your walk yesterday, I just knew you had asked her.”

Darcy chuckled. “Did you? Why did you not say anything?”

“Well, I could not be sure, now could I? And I would have been mortified if I had ruined the surprise. But what a wonderful Christmas present!” Georgiana hugged Elizabeth, congratulated them once more, and then went to stand beside their aunt’s Bath chair. She bent down and kissed Lady Catherine on the cheek, which gave the older woman no little jolt, he was sure. “Isn’t it wonderful, Aunt Catherine? Three of the cousins happily engaged. And just think of the children that will fill these halls in Christmases to come!”

“Hush, child. It is improper for a young girl to speak of such things,” Lady Catherine scolded. When she looked up at Darcy and Elizabeth, her eyes were misted with tears. He could understand that letting go of thirty years of hopes and dreams would be difficult. But her daughter had ended up with one of the cousins, and the Rosings estate would stay in the family. Surely that was enough to please Lady Catherine.

“I offer my congratulations,” Lady Catherine said with a slight nod.

Elizabeth went and stooped where Georgiana had been a few moments before. She had the audacity to kiss her on the cheek as well. Lady Catherine had a sour expression for a moment, then her face softened and she let out a gentle laugh. “Miss Bennet, I must say, you are not what I had thought when we spoke in Hertfordshire.”

“And what did you think of me then?” Elizabeth asked with a smile. She glanced up at him and he went to join her near the Bath chair. Everyone was talking excitedly and had yet to return to their chairs.

Lady Catherine thought for a moment. “It has been a rare thing for anyone to stand up to me in my life. But you refused to answer my questions, and I must admit, I was annoyed by your —” she halted, then gave a wry smile. “By your refusal to be cowed.” She took Darcy’s hand and then Elizabeth’s, joining them between her wrinkled one. “I think you will do very well for Pemberley and for my nephew.”

It was one of the highest compliments Darcy had ever heard her express. “Now, everyone, sit back down!” Lady Catherine commanded, as though fearing she had betrayed too much softness.

When everyone was seated, she tapped on her glass with her butter knife and the table fell silent. “It is my turn to give a toast.” She tried to rise, but only fell back into the Bath chair, muttering under her breath. Darcy hoped Georgiana was not listening too closely, for some of their aunt’s expressions were not entirely suitable for a young woman’s ears. She gave a huff and scowled around the table. “Well, I suppose I shall have to wait until next Christmas to stand while I toast.” She waved her hand as if to shoo a fly. “I would like to raise a toast to my daughter and Fitzwilliam. May you have many happy years in this house when I am gone, and a household of children to fill your days. And Darcy and Miss Bennet —” She faltered for a moment. “I am genuinely pleased for you both. Despite everything, you have still found each other. I can see now that it was fate that the two of you should be together.”

They all sipped at their glasses and fell into conversation, relieved that Lady Catherine had favoured them with a blessing rather than an explosion of her fearful temper. But none could be more happy or surprised than Darcy and Anne. They exchanged a glance across the table, and she silently thanked him with a small nod. Darcy smiled and shook his head in return. He had her to thank as much as she did him. In all reality, as terrible as the thought was, he was glad that Lady Catherine had called for him. Darcy would not have wished the fit of apoplexy on his aunt for anything. But he marvelled at how beautifully things had turned out.

The festivities lasted well into the afternoon, and even after a light snow began to fall, they occupied themselves singing carols and chatting around the blazing hearth. Georgiana pulled out the presents she had worked so many laborious hours on and handed them out, each beautifully wrapped and tied with a dark crimson silk ribbon.

“I hope you all like them!” Georgiana said.

Each person had been given a watercolour painting, done by Georgiana’s hand. Darcy looked with awe at the estate that he had called home all his life. Except it was not the view that people usually gushed over, the front of the immense house and the lake at its feet. It was of the wood at the rear of the property, awash in the sunlight of a fine spring day.

Elizabeth leaned over and studied his painting. “Oh, how beautiful,” she breathed.

“It is Pemberley,” Darcy replied.

She frowned. “I do not remember seeing this when we visited.”

“It is a secret place,” Darcy whispered, leaning close to her ear. “One of the many places I look forward to showing you when I bring you home as my wife.”

She gasped, then looked up at him with such overflowing love that he felt the wedding could not come too soon. How people got through long engagements, he would never understand. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.

“What does yours depict?”

Elizabeth turned it so he could see. “It is the pianoforte at Pemberley, where your sister and I played when my aunt and uncle and I came to call.”

Darcy looked at the piece, surprised by the composition. It was indeed a painting of the pianoforte he had purchased for his sister almost two years ago. Elizabeth sat on the piano seat, while Georgiana stood by to turn the pages. Darcy stood near one of the windows in the background of the painting, watching with a smile on his face. Embarrassment filled him as he realised Georgiana had known he was in love with Elizabeth even then. And she had remembered the way he had looked at her. Perhaps she had always known that Elizabeth would someday be his wife.

“I shall never forget that day, for it was part of the road that led me to you,” he said. “There is one more thing I have for you. Come with me.”

Elizabeth nodded and smiled, taking the painting back from him and setting it securely on the end table next to his. Darcy offered her his hand, and they walked through the drawing room to the doors leading out to the patio. It was still snowing, but the tiny flakes only increased the magic of the moment. He opened the door for her and led her out. She shivered as they stepped out into the chill air, and he took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“What are we doing out here?” she asked.

“I wanted to have some privacy when I gave this to you,” he said. He pulled a velvet ring box out of his waistcoat pocket.

Elizabeth gasped as he opened the lid and showed her what was inside.

“It was my mother’s ring. To be honest, I never thought I would find someone as special as she was to give this to. But I have found it — and much more — in you.” He took the ring out of the box, then took her hand in his, and slid the ring onto her finger.

“Oh, it is lovely,” she breathed. Elizabeth turned her hand toward the light and gazed at it, admiring the light that flashed from the dark green stone. It was a simple piece, but all the more elegant for that: a square-cut emerald set in gold, flanked by two small diamonds. Darcy could still remember the look of it on his mother’s hand, for she had worn it nearly every day.

“It is nothing compared to the light that shines from your smile, Elizabeth.”

She turned to him and went into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and leaned his head against hers. For the rest of his life, Darcy would cherish this moment.

Now, he need only look forward to the day she was truly his.