Posted on Monday, 16 October 2000

'I Contrive' - Viscount Barham

Longbourn was in chaos. Mrs. Bennet (and her nerves) were in high spirits - it was but three weeks till the joint weddings of her two eldest daughters. There were trousseaus to make up, guests to house, favourite meals to arrange, morning visits to surrounding families to assure them that yes dear Mr. Bingley has five thousand a year, and dear Mr. Darcy ten. Are not they just the handsomest men? Did she not always say how it would be?

Mr. Bennet had long since retreated to his library, occasionally to be joined there by his prospective sons-in-law as they also sought shelter from the storm of females that reigned outside.

Our heroines, Jane and Lizzy spent the chief of their time trying to calm their mother and keep order in the house whilst contriving to see their fiancés as much as possible and contrive for the gentlemen to see their family as little as possible. This often took the couples on long walks into the countryside, and although Jane and Bingley were not keen walkers, even they deemed it a necessary measure to escape to some peace.

On one such day the couples ambled towards Tyndel mount, a slight rise of no importance some three miles distant from Longbourn. As usual, Lizzy and Darcy soon outstripped the others. But today Lizzy sensed that something was troubling her future life partner and wasted little time in calling him to account:

'Sir, what is the matter?'

Darcy drew himself out of his thoughts crooked his mouth in the half-smile that she had grown to love, 'What, am I such a poor companion today?'

'No Sir, indeed, for I am a firm believer that if there is nothing of importance to be said then all parties must remain silent'

At this Darcy laughed, grabbed her hand and squeezed it affectionately 'ah no, that is too strict a reproof.'

Lizzy looked up at him questioningly - 'and yet you still have not told me what troubles you, sir.'

Lizzy was surprised and not a little hurt when her hand was released and Darcy wandered to the fence to admire the really unremarkable views over the fields. She had believed that they had grown to trust each other over the last weeks and that they would share everything, and yet now...From hurt she managed to conjure anger. Darcy, glancing over his shoulder, caught a glimpse of her pained expression before it was shuttered and she turned on her heel and began to stride angrily back to Longbourn.

'Elizabeth ... Lizzy!' he called after her.

'No sir, I will not force your confidence.'

Darcy, catching her and holding her by her upper arms gave her a gentle shake. 'Elizabeth, you are imagining things that are not there.'

Lizzy mulishly fixed her gaze on his cravat (tied exquisitely in the oriental style) and kept silent.

'You are not going to make this easy, are you?' a pause, a sigh. 'Well, it is just that whilst Charles and I were waiting for you and Jane to fetch your bonnets we heard your mother talking to your aunt Phillips,' Lizzy grimaced and glanced away. Darcy's hold on her slackened, and it seemed to her that he took a deep breath before continuing. 'They were discussing how it was a shame that you had refused an earlier proposal, but that everything had turned out for the best... I wish that you had told me that you had informed your mother of what had happened in Kent, I...'

At this Lizzy could not hold her tongue any longer but sought to reassure her love that all was well. Her words did not quite have the effect she anticipated -

'MR COLLINS!!!! When was this? Did you refuse him?'

Though it was obvious that Darcy was shaken, Lizzy was not a little amused replied 'before his marriage to Charlotte and certainly I refused him.' Seeing that he was not satisfied, she continued more seriously 'I have had too fine a sample of a marriage where the couple are not matched in understanding, or even affection. And so from a very young age Jane and I both agreed only to marry where we met our equals and whom we loved.' Embarrassed, Lizzy turned to contemplate the dirt on her boots, 'we even mixed our blood to bond the promise. I think I was more zealous than Jane - I still have the scar. Mother was furious as I got blood all over the new muslin dress my uncle had got in London.'

She felt a hand under her chin, forcing her head up till her eyes met his, and she saw that he was greatly moved by her confidence.

'Oh Lizzy... I do not think that we are equals, rather that we complement each other; but I do love you' and their lips met in a tender kiss that promised so much more to come.

Lizzy smiled into Darcy's eyes and could not resist teasing, 'please do not think, sir, that I have no regrets. Indeed, by now I would have been enjoying the full condescension of Lady Catherine de Bourgh!'

'Elizabeth, you should not jest about such a thing' Darcy admonished her, before frowning and asking 'does he have to come to the wedding?'

'Who?'

'Collins' Lizzy laughed at the terseness of the reply and held her hand to his cheek - 'He is my cousin and married to my best friend!'

'Hmmph'

'Oh dear Sir, I fear that Mr. Collins has now lost your good opinion forever' she glanced at him and saw the recognition in his eyes of their conversation at Netherfield.

'And you?'

'Oh, I am afraid that you discovered my greatest fault a good while ago. And yet, to laugh a life is a lot less painful than to cry at it.'

Darcy smiled, dropped a kiss on her cold cheeks and with an arm around her waist, turned them towards Longbourn.