A Companion For Miss Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 32

  ‘There will soon be another portrait in the gallery,’ said Georgiana. ‘Your portrait will hang next to his, and in time there will be portraits of you both together.’

  Elizabeth looked around the gallery with renewed interest. She realised she was a part of something here, a long line stretching back for hundreds of years, which would stretch into the future for hundreds of years more. People would view this portrait, and future portraits of her with Mr Darcy, and wonder about their lives and the love that united them, and be uplifted by the sight of it.

  She turned away at last, for Georgiana had already moved to the other end of the gallery and was waiting for her.

  They moved on through different rooms, all of them large and airy, furnished with taste and style.

  ‘There is one more place I wish to show you,’ said Georgiana, as midday approached.

  She took Elizabeth downstairs again, and led her along a panelled corridor into the private chapel. There was an atmosphere of reverence inside. It was surprisingly spacious, with six rows of pews arranged on either side of a central aisle. Georgiana’s footsteps echoed on the stone floor, and from the stone columns supporting the ceiling.

  ‘My parents were married here,’ said Georgiana. She walked down to the font, which was at the far end. ‘My brother was christened here, as was I.’

  Coloured light fell through the stained-glass windows, creating patterns of blue, red, green and gold on the floor. The colours were echoed in the altar cloth, which was made of beautifully embroidered red velvet, embellished with gold.

  ‘I am glad you agreed to be married here,’ said Georgiana. ‘And I am so glad you are going to be my sister.’

  The tour of the house being over, Elizabeth and Georgiana returned to the drawing-room, where they found the rest of their party. The others had risen late, and were now ready for some refreshment. Mr Darcy had yet to join them, as he was finishing some estate business, but before long he, too, entered the drawing-room. He suggested a tour of the grounds and, after they had partaken of a light luncheon, they set out. The air was crisp and their cheeks stung in a pleasantly invigorating manner. The sky was a brilliant blue with a bright sun. There was a frost underfoot which made everything sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight.

  Mr and Mrs Bingley walked together. Mr Philips escorted Kitty, Lydia and Georgiana. Mrs Gardiner and Mrs Philips walked together, and leading the party were Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.

  He took a great pride in showing them around the formal gardens before leading them across the lawn to the river. The frosty grass crunched under their feet as they entered a beautiful walk by the side of the water, bordered by a fine reach of woods. At length they entered the woods and their path began to rise. Every now and then there was an opening in the trees and they saw a noble view over the valley.

  ‘Are we to see all the park?’ Elizabeth asked him.

  ‘Not today. It is ten miles round, and dark would be falling before we had gone half that distance,’ he said. ‘But you and I will have plenty of time to explore the park at our leisure, after our marriage. Today we will follow the accustomed route. That will take us back to the house before dusk.’

  At last they began to descend among hanging woods and came to the edge of the water, which they crossed by a simple bridge. All the while, Mr Darcy was telling Elizabeth of his memories connected with each place. He showed her the bank of the river from which he had sailed paper boats as a child, lying on his stomach on fine summer mornings before the rest of the house was awake. He took her along the trail he had ridden with his first pony, then he led her into the clearing in the woods where he had camped as a boy. He pointed out various trees he had climbed and led her to the lake where he had used to swim. As he spoke, she could tell it had been a happy childhood, full of exploration and adventure. She found herself thinking, Our children will grow up here. They will sail boats on this lake, and ride their ponies and play in these woods.

  Once across the bridge, they found themselves in a glen, with a stream and a narrow coppice bordering it. Elizabeth longed to explore its windings, and said so to Mr Darcy. She turned around to suggest it to the others, but she saw that Mrs Gardiner was walking more slowly now, with sagging shoulders.

  ‘My aunt is tired,’ she said to Mr Darcy. ‘She is not a great walker and I believe we must return to the house.’

  Mr Darcy agreed.

  ‘There is a shorter way from here,’ he said. ‘We will take that route.’

  It was a good decision. The sun soon went in, and without its warmth the day turned very cold, so that they were all glad to return to the house and warm themselves by the drawing-room fire.

  Before long, it was time to dress for dinner. The food was excellent but they did not linger. The day, with all its interest and fresh air, had been tiring, and soon they all retired for the night.

  As Elizabeth made her way to her room, she knew it would be her last night in that chamber, for on the morrow she would be married, and she would move into the west wing with Mr Darcy.

  ‘I can hardly believe my wedding day is finally here,’ said Elizabeth to Jane the following morning.

  The two of them were in Elizabeth’s bedchamber, preparing for her wedding. The other guests were readying themselves in their own rooms, but Elizabeth wanted her sister with her. They had dressed together for Jane’s wedding, and now they were dressing together for Elizabeth’s wedding.

  Jane had already put on her own gown. It was the gown she had been going to wear at her wedding, before her aunt and uncle had kindly given her something new. It had not been suitable for a wedding gown but it was very pretty for an attendant’s gown and she looked lovely.

  But today Elizabeth was dazzling. She was in her best looks, and her beauty outshone even Jane’s.

  She had already bathed in a hip bath by the fire, and had put on her undergarments. The maid had arranged her hair and now Jane helped her to finish dressing. She wore the gown she had ordered at Mr Darcy’s expense all those months before, little knowing at the time that it would be her wedding dress. It was beautiful in its simplicity, and as Jane fastened a simple string of pearls around her neck, she said that Elizabeth had never looked better.

  There came a knock at the door. The maid went to open it and returned to say that Mr Philips was waiting outside. He wanted to know if she was ready to go down.

  ‘I am so happy for you,’ said Jane, in a rush of emotion. ‘We have both of us been lucky enough to fall in love with men of goodness and worth, and married life is even better than I could have imagined. You have so much to look forward to, Lizzy.’

  Elizabeth hugged her sister, oblivious of her dress, and Jane pulled away, laughing.

  ‘You must not crush your dress, Lizzy. Come, let us go down.’

  The maid opened the door and the two ladies went out on to the landing, where Mr Philips was waiting for them.

  His eyes lit up when he saw her.

  ‘You look lovely, my dear,’ he said. ‘Your mother and father would be so proud.’ He gave her his arm. ‘Everyone is assembled in the chapel. It is time for us to go.’

  Elizabeth took his arm. Jane walked behind, and the three of them went downstairs.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Georgiana, Kitty and Lydia were waiting for them. They were all dressed in their finery, ready to attend Elizabeth. Mary was not with them, for she was to play the organ in the chapel.

  Georgiana kissed Elizabeth impulsively on the cheek.

  ‘I am so happy. You have felt like my sister for months now. I am glad we are to be true sisters at last.’

  Jane helped Elizabeth to arrange her gown, smoothing the satin train out behind her. Then they processed into the chapel with a measured step, in time to the music. Their families were seated. Mary was playing the organ and the music filled the air.

  Elizabeth saw Mr Darcy standing at the front of the chapel. He was looking nervous, fiddling with the frilled cuff of his shirt, even though the frills
could not be better arranged.

  Then he saw Elizabeth and a look of love crossed over his face. She joined him at the front of the church, and the ceremony began. She committed every moment of it to memory. She never wanted to forget each and every precious minute. The rector’s sonorous voice, the singing of her relations, the exchange of vows . . . especially the exchange of vows, where Mr Darcy promised to love and honour her all the days of his life. At last he slipped the ring on her finger, and the gold band sealed their union.

  As the last words died away, she turned to Mr Darcy and took his arm. He smiled down at her and said in a low voice, which could not be overheard, ‘All my love, Elizabeth, for now and always.’

  Her smile was radiant as she walked back up the aisle on his arm.

  They were showered with congratulations when they left the chapel as man and wife. But the congratulations she valued the most came from Jane.

  Elizabeth relinquished Mr Darcy’s arm for a moment to take Jane’s hands.

  ‘I am so happy for you,’ said Jane. ‘You will be a very happy woman . . . Mrs Darcy.’

  Epilogue

  Elizabeth soon settled into Pemberley and the Darcys’ marriage became a byword for conjugal felicity. Both Elizabeth and Jane enjoyed long and happy marriages, which were as joyful as they had hoped. Elizabeth was blessed with two sons and two daughters. Jane was blessed with one son and three daughters.

  Lady Catherine de Bourgh was appalled by the match. When she read Mr Darcy’s letter, she almost had an apoplexy. Her daughter, however, sent a message of congratulation saying that she wished him and his new wife every happiness. Miss Anne de Bourgh visited Pemberley often and became a doting godmother to the Darcy children.

  Lady Catherine was at last reconciled to the idea and deigned to visit Pemberley, where she was fond of saying that she was responsible for Mr Darcy’s happiness, for if she had not told him to find a new companion for his sister at once, he would never have met Elizabeth. This was patently untrue. However, for the sake of peace, no one cared to contradict her.

  Miss Caroline Bingley was never invited to Pemberley. Nor was her sister, Mrs Hurst. Nevertheless, the families sometimes met at Netherfield Park, where they managed to be civil to each other for Mr and Mrs Bingley’s sake.

  Mr Wickham was eventually successful in his attempts to elope. His bride had lied about her fortune and he found himself married to a woman he neither liked nor loved, who did not have a penny to her name. When he discovered the truth, he was heard to say that he wished he had let Colonel Fitzwilliam shoot him.

  Colonel Fitzwilliam apologised profusely to Elizabeth for his underhand behaviour and his misunderstanding of the relationship between her and Mr Wickham. Elizabeth was too happy to bear him any malice and she gave him her forgiveness. He thanked her for her generosity and cordial relations were established between them. These were deepened to genuine liking when he proved a much-loved godfather to her children.

  The Gardiners and the Philipses visited as often as their businesses and the distance allowed. Elizabeth never forgot how kind they had been to her when she had been orphaned and she always made them welcome.

  Mary, Kitty and Lydia all made love matches, though not for many years after their sisters. Lydia finally married at the age of twenty-five, and said that her husband had been worth waiting for.

  The Meryton gossips liked to discuss all these marriages. On rainy afternoons, they would sit indoors and discuss their three favourite matches. These were the marriages of Mrs Bingley, Mrs Collins and Mrs Darcy.

  There were some who held that Mrs Bingley’s marriage eclipsed Mrs Collins’s marriage, for Mr Bingley was handsomer, more sensible and richer than Mr Collins. However, there were those who argued that Mrs Collins’s marriage eclipsed that of Mrs Bingley, for Miss Jane Bennet would have been sure to marry well anyway, but Miss Charlotte Lucas had appeared likely to remain a spinster. Then, at the age of twenty-seven, she had suddenly surprised everyone by finding a husband. To be sure, Mr Collins was pompous and ridiculous, but he had much to offer in the way of a fine house and a small estate, with the result that Mrs Collins was well settled, against all expectations, and had the esteem of the neighbourhood.

  But they were all agreed on one thing: that Mrs Darcy’s marriage eclipsed all others. Miss Elizabeth Bennet, without being a noted beauty, had not only managed to marry a man she loved, but a man who had an imposing estate in Derbyshire and an income of ten thousand a year.