Page 121 of A Most Beloved Sister
Bingley took a deep breath, then nodded. “Jane was full of joy,” he said hoarsely. “She would have wanted me to go and feel that same joy for myself again.”
“Indeed, she would have, son,” Mr. Bennet said. Bingley looked at him, startled, and Mr. Bennet added, “Even though my daughter is gone, you are still my son. I hope you know that you will always find family with us at Longbourn. Even should you move on, remarry, have children: you will always be a son to me.”
The sincerity and love in those words were the tipping point that caused Bingley to lose his composure. Darcy’s own eyes became suspiciously wet as he watched his friend choke back his tears. In between stifled sobs, Bingley said, “I am… no longer… an orphan… then.”
Darcy watched through blurred eyes as the customarily sarcastic older man stepped forward and wrapped the weeping younger man in his arms. “No, my boy. You—and your sister, if she wishes—are welcome to be counted among my children.”
“‘And I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,’” said Dr. Fields.
“Romans?” Darcy inquired in a whisper, but Dr. Fields shook his head and murmured, “The second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter six.”
As the six men stood together, bound with ties stronger than blood, the freezing rain finally eased. And with it, Darcy began to form an idea.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth paced the room of the parlor, wondering when the remainder of the Netherfield residents would come down for dinner. The funeral had long been over, and it was to be the last meal before the Darcys would leave Netherfield and return to Pemberley. As heartbroken as she was about Jane, Elizabeth’s true sorrow lay in having to be parted from her betrothed.
The door opened, and in walked Darcy and Georgiana. “At last someone has come to keep me company,” Elizabeth said with a small smile. “I had begun to think I would be eating by myself this evening! But where is Mrs. Annesley?”
“She had a touch of a headache,” Darcy replied. “And I believe Bingley has chosen to take a tray in his rooms tonight.”
Elizabeth nodded in understanding. “I cannot even begin to understand how lonely he must be feeling right now. I think had this occurred before Jane was married, I would feel the solitude more keenly. However, as she was already spending more time with Bingley than myself, it only makes sense that he had become more accustomed to her presence than I was by the end of it.”
A knock came to the door, and Mrs. Nicholls entered. “Begging your pardon, Miss Bennet, but Mrs. Hurst asked if you could act as hostess tonight. She and Mr. Hurst have requested a dinner tray be sent to the nursery for them this evening.”
“Well, it looks like it’s just the three of us, then!” Elizabeth said with an overly bright grin directed at the Darcys before turning her attention back to the housekeeper. “Is everything ready to be served?”
“Yes, miss. I believe the butler was just on his way in to announce dinner was served.”
“We’ll save him the trouble and just go on in, then,” Elizabeth said.
“Allow me.” Darcy extended one arm to Elizabeth, then the other to Georgiana. “I am quite fortunate to escort two lovely ladies in to dinner tonight. I’m not certain I’ll be able to eat my food, as I’ll be too distracted by the beauty before me.”
Georgiana giggled, and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “My, what a charmer we have here, Georgiana!”
As Darcy helped each lady into her seat, Elizabeth gave the younger girl a teasing grin. “How shall we punish your brother for such a fawning speech, do you think?”
“Vunish im?”
“Why yes! We can’t let him get away with all this flattery! So we must find a way to plague and punish him by teasing and laughing at him.”
Georgiana, for the growth that she gained over the last several weeks, looked quite uncomfortable with the idea of teasing a man she looked at as more of a father than a brother.
Darcy came to her rescue. “Tease such calmness of temper and presence of mind such as mine? Please do not expose yourself by trying to laugh without a subject.”
He watched with pride as Elizabeth burst into laughter at his unexpected rejoinder. “You are not to be laughed at, Mr. Darcy? That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have any such acquaintance!”
“Well, I daresay that even the wisest and best of men—nay, the wisest and best of their actions—may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke.”
“Certainly there are such people,” Elizabeth replied, growing serious, “but I do hope that I am not one of them. I would hope to never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose,” she added with a twinkle coming back into her eye, “are precisely what you are without.”
He grinned. “That is not possible for anyone, but ithasbeen the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule.”
“Such as vanity and pride,” she retorted, but upon seeing Georgiana’s alarm at her tone, she gave her friend a small winkto let her know that the conversation was a lively, enjoyable debate rather than an actual argument.
“Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride—where there is a real superiority of mind—pride will be always under good regulation.”
Once again, Elizabeth succumbed to laughter. “Are you saying, Mr. Darcy, that you have no defects whatsoever?”
