Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (122 page)

“Mama already . . .”  She blushed furiously.

“I can talk about that, or I can talk about how to be mistress of an estate.”  Elizabeth met her sister’s suddenly focussed gaze.  “If you ever need advice . . .”

“Thank you, Lizzy.”  Mary swallowed.  “Nobody mentions Papa . . . except Mr. Collins.”

“Naturally.”  She sighed. 

“Are you ignoring me, Daughter?”  Mr. Bennet’s voice came from behind the crowd, accompanied by a series of coughs.

“Papa.”  Elizabeth finally caught sight of her father, and the colour drained from her face nearly matched his own pallid complexion. 

Darcy leaned and whispered softly in her ear.  “Show him who you are, love.  Show him that the foolish girl is now a formidable woman who can take on duchesses and scullery maids with ease.”  He smiled and saw her eyes turn quickly up to him.  “Do not let weakness stop you.” 

“His or mine?”

“Your choice.”  Darcy let go and watched her shoulders rise along with her chin.

“Good morning, Papa.”  Elizabeth approached and kissed his cheek, then smiling, went back to reclaim Darcy’s hand.  “Come sir, let us have you settled.”

His lips twitched as she made it clear where her concern lay.  “I can manage on my own.”

“I know.”  She walked with him to a sofa and after he slowly lowered down, she found a soft pillow to place behind his back.  “There.  Do not move, dear.”

“I promise you, I will not be out of your sight.”  Darcy smiled at her encouragingly and shot a look at the impatient man staring at them and whispered to her bent head.  “Go on, make your peace.  You have set the tone and he has noticed.  I am right here if you need me.”  Elizabeth smiled, and without thought, caressed his jaw and kissed him.

“oooh, you two still kiss each other!”  Lydia squealed and clapped.  Darcy and Elizabeth sighed and she straightened. 

“Did you think that we would stop?”   

“I do not know!  I was expecting you to come in here with a belly!”  She giggled and grabbing a pillow, held it up to Elizabeth’s stomach.  “So did everyone else!”

“Well.”  Elizabeth looked at Darcy and he took her hand.  “We certainly found that out when we stopped at Mr. Jones’ shop.  Lady Lucas’ jaw was on the ground.”

“Was that because she was surprised that you were not with child or because she thought I had beaten you?”  Darcy said bitterly to the sound of a roomful of gasps.

“She accused you of beating Lizzy!”  Mrs. Bennet cried and turned to Darcy.  “And did she look at
you
, sir?  If anyone has been beaten . . .”

“I was not within the shop, Mrs. Bennet; however I could see my wife’s distress and came down from the carriage to join her.”  He smiled with grim satisfaction.  “That ended the latest in what was sure to be a new round of idiotic supposition in this lovely community.”

“I am glad that you chose to come with me instead of remaining at Netherfield, Fitzwilliam.”  Elizabeth was thankful to see his eyes soften and he raised her hand to his lips.  “Do you ever tire of being correct?”

“No.  Not really.”  He chuckled.

“I will give her a piece of my mind!  It is bad enough spreading these rumours of Mr. Darcy . . . well you know, compromising her, but to say that he beats my Lizzy!  I will not have it!  Look at him!  Look how he holds her hand!”  She waved her handkerchief, “Oh, it is enough to send me into a faint! Such a very good man taking on such an impertinent girl!  How you do it sir, you must have the patience of a saint!”  Darcy pursed his lips and did not dare say anything in the face of Elizabeth’s cocked brow.  “That is Lady Lucas for you, jealous that my Mary won Mr. Collins over Charlotte!  She just will not let it go!” 

“Well you talk about it every time you see her.”  Kitty pointed out.  Everyone looked at her and her eyes widened.  “Did I say something?”

“Come here, Daughter.”  Mr. Bennet was examining the marks on Elizabeth’s face and then looked to Darcy and noticed that not only had he not let go of Elizabeth’s hand, but she was unconsciously caressing his hair.  His eyes narrowed.  “Your letter was not a product of your imagination as I hoped.”  Darcy released her hand and walking to her father; she bent and cautiously kissed his hollowed cheek.  Darcy bowed his head.  “You are doing reasonably well, I see.  Despite our neighbour’s apparent surprise.”

“I am improving slowly, breathing has been a challenge.”

“Hmm.  I can well relate to that.”  Coughing loudly, he regained his composure and gestured to Mr. Collins.  “Your future brother was just speaking of visiting Pemberley and sharing ideas of estate management with you.  Perhaps you might include him on this family holiday you have planned for Scotland?”  Darcy’s instantly cold gaze turned to Collins’ eager face.  Mr. Bennet smiled.  “That should give you plenty to keep you occupied while you visit.  Lizzy, help me up and we will retire to my bookroom.”  Astonished, Elizabeth looked at Darcy and saw that his jaw had set.  “Lizzy!”  Mr. Bennet demanded.  “Your husband has your care all of the time, you are here to look after me.”

Elizabeth looked back to her father.  “Papa.  I am glad to visit with you privately, but I am here to see my sister marry.  Why would I be here to look after you?  From what I understand, there is absolutely nothing wrong in this house.”  From the dining room, they heard the unmistakable sound of silverware hitting the floor and silence permeated the room.  Elizabeth looked from one face to another and then met Darcy’s slight smile and nodding head.  “There. 
Now
you
all
have a subject to discuss.”  With the practiced reach of a woman who was very familiar with the ways of lifting an injured man, she had her father to his feet before he even knew he was moving.  She smiled at Darcy, “Just let me know if you need to leave, Mr. Darcy.”

“I will, Mrs. Darcy.  Do what you must and let me know if you need me.”  Father and daughter left the room and before long the click of the bookroom door closing sparked the conversation again. 

“Well . . .”  Mrs. Bennet swallowed.  “I cannot imagine what she meant.”

ELIZABETH SAW HER FATHER to his chair, poured him out some port, adjusted the curtains so that the light was not too bright, added some coals to the grate, and finding a stack of unopened correspondence, settled into her old chair and began sorting out the letters.  Mr. Bennet watched her and coughed.  She said nothing, only snapping the wax seals, reading and shaking her head, then moving on. 

After a half-hour of frosty silence, Mr. Bennet finally spoke.  “Well, are you going to say anything?  You seem irked.”

“No.  Disappointed.”  She held up a letter.  “Should not the steward be seeing this?”

Taking the letter, he grunted and put it down.  “What do I care of bills?  I will not be here to deal with them much longer.”

“No, but you are leaving a houseful of family to do so with no direction.  It is the epitome of selfishness to leave them unprepared.  At the very least you should have Mr. Collins doing this.  They seemed almost frightened to speak of what is clearly before their eyes and in their futures.  Mr. Collins is the most sensible one out there, but of course he actually has knowledge where the others are ignorant.  Uncle Gardiner knows more than they.”  She picked up the stacks and straightened them.  “I hope that you at least have the funds to cover these?”

“What do you care, you have your husband and grand estate.”

“Yes, my husband is an excellent man who will not allow his family to suffer, however I will not allow my children’s future to be harmed because he had to pay out funds from our savings to save Longbourn.  He already has refused an earl; he will have no compunction with refusing any others.  Like me, he despises sloth.”  She met his eye and saw the surprise.  “Would you have done any differently if I had been the one forced to marry Mr. Collins as you planned?”

“He told you!”

“I guessed.  Mr. Darcy merely confirmed my suppositions based upon your cryptic replies.”  Her eyes flashed.  “How could you, Papa?”

He waved his hand over the desk.  “I thought that I was taking care of the family, is that not what you have just chastised me about?”

“By forcing me to marry the heir?  Without any consideration of my feelings?”

“Would you have done it?”  He challenged her.

“If it was to save my family from destitution, because you failed all of your years as master of Longbourn to look out for your children and wife, and prepare them for their futures with education and savings . . . I might have.  But there are other reasons for me refusing, you know there are.”

“What reasons?  That I did not let it go after Darcy came along?”

“That, yes, but the reason behind your actions is what burns in my mind.  You displayed it just now, out there in front of the family!  You selfishly wanted me to care for you and see you to your grave.  Your entire life has been one selfish act after another, and I doubt that even if I
had
married Mr. Collins and you saw how horribly unhappy I was, that the regret you felt would last longer than a day because your needs had been satisfied with no trouble to you.” 

“Insubordination!”  He cried and coughed.  Gasping, he took the cup of tepid tea that she handed him and gulped it down.  “How dare you speak this way to me!”

“I am Mrs. Darcy now.  Not Elizabeth Bennet, Papa.  I have a husband, a sister; three homes, countless servants and tenants, an entire new family and social sphere to master, and I do not have time to waste cleaning up the mess that you have created.  Two weeks ago, I stood and watched as dozens of men searched fruitlessly for what they expected would be my husband’s dead body.  Thankfully it was not.  But during those horrific hours, I faced the prospect of life without him and all that was to rest upon my shoulders, and I was grateful that he had thought of every detail, every one of them, that would make my life, and the future of his family’s home viable and strong, even without his guiding hand.  What have you left for Mama to cling to?  How have you prepared Mr. Collins, your steward, or even assured your remaining children that they will be well?”  Her eyes brimmed with tears.  “Whatever time you have left, Papa, no matter how distasteful you find your heir, and how much you do not want to face the truth, please leave them with peace, or I am afraid that your name will be forever on the lips of Longbourn’s heirs as the man who failed the family.”  She stood and drew a deep breath.  “I needed to say this to your face.  I apologize if I have hurt you, and I regret that it came when you are not strong.  But I needed to do this.  Now if you will excuse me, I will go and see to Fitzwilliam.”  She came around the desk and kissed him.  “I love you, Papa.” 

Opening the door she stepped out into the hallway and before she had closed it, she felt Darcy’s warm hand taking hers.  “Oh, Will.”  She fell into his arms and sobbed.  “I feel horrible!  I just set down a dying man!”

“It had to be said, love.”  He leaned against the wall and she settled against his chest.  “I am proud of you.”

“If I had never met you, I would not know what a good man does for his family.”   She drew a shaky breath.  Darcy kissed her hair, tightening his hold.  “Did . . . did you hear me?”

“Yes.”  His hands rubbed over her back.

“Was I wrong?”

“Not at all.”  He spoke softly.  “I am overwhelmed with your ardent love, dearest, but not surprised.”  She looked up and he brushed the tears from her cheeks.  “You have always fiercely defended those you love.  And although it does not seem so, you were protecting your father by forcing him to protect his memory.”

“I kept thinking of the crypts at All Saints’ and all of the history that is there.” 

Darcy smiled and hugged her to him.  “Thank you.”   

They stood together and Elizabeth was suddenly aware of something odd.  “It is quiet.  Why is it quiet?” 

“Well, you were not alone in making speeches, love.”   She looked back up to him.  “Before I left the drawing room to come listen at the door, I made a point of praising you to heaven before your assembled family . . .”  Elizabeth’s hand went to her mouth, “And telling them how imperative it was that a family be prepared when the patriarch dies.”

“You told them Papa was dying?”

“I exposed the wound to the air, and gave each of them assignments.  Mr. Collins has scribbled a list at my direction and is now staring at his catalogue of future duties in dumbfounded silence.  Your mother . . . I have given the role of guiding hand to Mary.  I told Mary that she should not be afraid to be mistress and to turn to you as her example, and tell her mother to mind her business.  Jane . . . well, Jane I leave to Bingley.”  Smiling, he played with the curls around her face.  “Even Lydia and Kitty have duties now.” 

“To find husbands?”  She laughed and sniffed.

“Of course.  In a few years.”  Their eyes met and they kissed. 

“I am sorry that I missed this conversation.”    

“I am not.”  He nodded towards the bookroom door.  “That is the one you needed to have.” 

“Are you tired?  Do you wish to go home?” 

“Do you?” 

“I . . . I promised to speak to Mary, about . . . things.”  She blushed and he cleared his throat.  “And I would like to see the rest of them, for a little while.  And maybe see if Papa will ever speak to me again.” 

“Ahhh, guilt.”  Darcy laughed.  “I am good with guilt.  I recall a certain conversation with you one time while surrounded  by condoms that you were an expert at handling guilt?  No?”  His head tilted and his smile bloomed as her eyes widened.  He straightened with a groan and took her hand in his.  “Come, go visit with your family.  I shall chaperone Bingley and make him miserable.”  He bit his lip and prepared to feel her pinch.  “
Tomorrow
I will remain at Netherfield.” 

Chapter 37

 
“O
h my.”  Louisa said softly and seeing her sister entering the room, folded up her letter and put it away in her reticule.  “Well, where shall we go today, Caroline?  I could use some new silk.”  She looked through her work box and examined the colours.  “I am almost out of blue and green . . .”