Page 69 of Eavesdroppers Never Hear
An hour later, Mrs Bennet happily gave the seat of honour at the dinner table to Lady Catherine, while Mr Collins vacillated between blatantly showing his veneration for his patroness and trying his best to avoid Mr Darcy’s brown books. Elizabeth thought the whole thing hilarious, especially since said gentleman was so happy to have what was the last obstacle to their marriage well in hand.
Miss de Bourgh appeared even shyer than Georgiana, so Elizabeth gave her the same treatment. After dinner, she spent some time with Jane trying to reduce the poor lady’s nervousness, then eventually metaphorically locked her in the music room with Mary, Georgiana, and the two youngest while she went for a long walk with her beau, chaperoned by Jane.
The weather was amenable, so they walked all the way to Oakham Mount, the three of them chatting happily about anything and everything. Elizabeth occasionally observedpensive looks on Jane’s face but decided her sister would enlighten her when she was ready.
On their return to Longbourn, they found Lady Catherine in somewhat awkward conversation with Mrs Bennet, but the two seemed to be thawing slightly. Elizabeth hoped they might eventually get along, and the progress seemed better than she expected. Mrs Bennet was quite in awe of Lady Catherine’s status, and Lady Catherine seemed happy to meet anyone who venerated said status. Elizabeth thought it might even last the next few weeks until the wedding. She ruefully reflected she would learn soon enough.
With their aunt in attendance, they could not quite break propriety long enough for a toe-curling kiss like they had experienced at the Netherfield ball, so they politely said good night somewhat early so Darcy could settle Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh in Netherfield.
Elizabeth stared at the coach until it rolled out of sight, barely able to contain her feelings until its return.
27.New Year
Elizabeth Bennet’s wedding day dawned bright and clear. Although the third reading of the banns had taken place on the fifteenth, the couple chose to spend the holiday season courting and preparing for their new life. They scheduled the wedding on the thirty-first, so Elizabeth could metaphorically finish her childhood with 1811, and usher in her new married life in 1812. It was all either terribly romantic or silly, depending on whose opinion one sought. Naturally, Lydia’s suggestion that they get a special license so she could marry at exactly midnight was given due consideration and appropriate rejection.
The Bennets spent the month with a combination of elation and trepidation preparing for their second daughter to enter a higher tier of society. Mrs Bennet vacillated between having all the fears that had plagued her for the past fifteen years just disappear overnight, and new fears that something would go amiss with the wedding or the marriage. Her three elder daughters did their best to soothe her, but it seemed it would take the wedding to lay her nervousness to rest—optimistically presuming it was not an engrained habit.
The elder daughters journeyed to London for the trousseau as expected. To everyone’s surprise, Mrs Bennet accompanied them, and even more alarmingly,she was welcome.A few words to the wise from Lady Catherine, of all people, had put Mrs Bennet into a mood to mostly stay out of her daughters’ way. Of course, that did not come about as one might think. Lady Catherine did not in any way feel Mrs Bennet was worthy of her condescension and advice, but after seeing how the so-called great lady treated her daughter, her nephew, her neighbours, and nearly everyone else; Mrs Bennet determined to do the exact opposite of Lady Catherine in every particular. Lady Catherine wanted more lace; Mrs Bennet wanted less. Lady Catherinewanted the richest food imaginable, while Mrs Bennet said her soon-to-be son preferred plain dishes. Lady Catherine wanted the finest silk, while Mrs Bennet asserted that muslin had been more than good enough to capture the man’s affections. There may even have been some words about a Bennet succeeding where a de Bourgh failed, but certainly not anyplace where the daughters could hear.
The month was surprisingly pleasant. The engaged couple spent much of every day together, and both found an astonishing capacity to ignore silliness. The bride, naturally, asserted it would be a useful skill in a few years when the Darcy children were likely to engage in epic bouts of ridiculousness. The groom found it politic to agree.
Mr Bingley hosted an engagement dinner, as did Sir William and a few other families—mostly on the basis that a poor excuse for a gathering was better than none.
~~~~~
At long last, morning came, breakfast came and went, a bath came and went, and Elizabeth sat down to have Jane fix her hair. It was Jane’s task and had always been. The sisters’ relationship had naturally evolved over the two months of their association with the Netherfield gentlemen and was unlikely to ever be the same again.
Halfway through setting her hair, Jane took a deep breath and asked, “Lizzy, may I ask you something… actually, two things… one explicit, and one abstract?”
Elizabeth had to laugh, but when she saw Jane was far more nervous than the silliness of the question implied, settled down. “Be my guest.”
Jane took some time procrastinating while working on her hair, and finally asked, “I will start with the explicit. May I live with you after your wedding trip?”
“Of course,” Elizabeth said emphatically, then asked, “is this in any way related to the more abstract question?”
“Yes… I wanted to ask how you know you love Darcy. When did it start, and when were you certain?”
Elizabeth frowned grimly. “I became certain when Mr Wickham had a knife at my throat. All I could think of was that I had to escape so I could show my love for the man properly. He had been showing his for some time, and I had been resisting. But…”
Jane continued working her hair for quite some time while Elizabeth tried to work out how to put it.
“…but the moment came when I had gone beyond liking to something more, and he went beyond someone important to someone critical, and I went frombelievinghe was a good man toknowing… it was all of those things, but at some point, Ijust knew.”
“What is it like?” Jane asked breathlessly.
“It feels as if nothing else could ever be good enough without William. It feels like I am missing a piece of my very soul when he is not with me. Perhaps the feeling will dissipate over time as it seems to with most couples, but since everything fell into place… it all just fits. We belong together. It is as if the world would not quite be able to continue without us being joined.”
Jane sighed wistfully but did not reply.
Elizabeth asked in a whisper, “May I assume from your questions that you have given up on Mr Bingley?”
“I have,” Jane replied, but would not meet Elizabeth’s eyes.
“I do not wish to pry as it is none of my business, but would you like to tell me why?”
“You will allow me to unburden myself?”
“Perhaps… or more likely, as a soon to be married woman, I need to work on my gossiping skills, which seem barely adequate.”
