Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer

Catherine began to rise from her seat. “You know, dear, I don’t believe we should wait dinner for Darcy. It looks like the rain may be delaying his return from your father’s. I do believe he would be very vexed with me if you postponed your dinner too long.”

Just then Fitzwilliam came running into the room.

“I came as quickly as I could. Is everything all right?” He stole a worried glance at Elizabeth.

She looked like the cat that had gotten into the cream. “Oh, yes, everything is quite splendid, thank you.” Elizabeth reached for his proffered hand. With the proper momentum and one or two false starts, she was even able to rise from her chair. “I am famished!”

***

Darcy had indeed delayed leaving Mr. Bennet’s house to return to Rosings after a light drizzle had churned the roads and slowed their journey. Mr. Bennet found he was not looking forward to an evening alone and begged Darcy to stay for early dinner, a favor which Darcy could hardly refuse. Kitty and Mary had been in London with their aunt and uncle Gardiner and were due to return later that week.

Although eager to return to Elizabeth, he was glad that the last two weeks had given him the opportunity of becoming better acquainted with her father, and wanted to continue in the man’s good graces. They had surprisingly much in common—a love of books, an interest in horticulture, and a mutual devotion and respect for a certain young lady.

When the light dinner was served in his library and a fire made to warm the room, Mr. Bennet began to show his son-in-law some of his most favored manuscripts and drawings. Dusty books were dragged out from under piles of writings, and original sketches from a variety of well-known artists were thrown in stacks next to new plantings being readied for his experimental garden.

“Sir, you have a treasure trove here. Have you ever catalogued these items?” Darcy lounged in Mr. Bennet’s desk chair, looking over a very rare handwritten Bible, whose pages were beginning to crumble from exposure.

“There is never enough time, William, never the right occasion. And I confess that I am not very well organized. Lizzy helped me often, but I’ve let it all go bad again.”

“Well, I would be glad to send someone over to help you. Let me see about procuring a librarian for you, initially, every day for as long as it takes, and eventually, perhaps once or twice a month for upkeep. These are much too rare and valuable not to be protected.”

Mr. Bennet was overcome with gratitude. Lizzy’s husband was indeed a very excellent fellow.

Chapter 20

It was late when Darcy reentered his coach and was off again for Rosings. He was exhausted and aggravated with himself for delaying his departure for so long. It will be well after midnight by the time we return now. He parted the carriage curtains to look out. I pray she won’t be too worried. He urged his driver to go as quickly as the wet roads would allow and then settled back for the long ride home.

Lately, his concern for Lizzy had become obsessive, all encompassing. She loved him deeply, and her emotions were so erratic that he feared causing her stress of any kind. Hopefully, she will have reasoned that I stayed a while due to the rain and to comfort her father. He watched anxiously as the terrain flew by the window. “Please try to go a little faster, Henry. Thank you,” he called up to the driver.

They finally pulled into the great stone-encased portico of Rosings at just after midnight. Darcy thanked his driver, tipping him extravagantly for the speed and care he had taken, and then entered into one of the side halls. It was eerily quiet. Few lamps were lit in the foyer, and it seemed that only the night butler was awake in the great house. Walking quickly through the downstairs, he handed over his greatcoat then stood at the foot of the grand staircase.

He was always taken aback at the oppressive quiet that could chill a manor house this size. It was positively tomblike with the endless marble floors and soaring ceilings. Huge statues cast ominous shadows in the diffused light. The smallest sounds were magnified tenfold, and his footfalls had been echoing loudly in the halls as he walked. He cursed himself for a fool, he should not have stayed so very long at Mr. Bennet’s. Hopefully, Lizzy was asleep upstairs and not in a frenzy of worry.

He heard a faint sound in the distance, up in the higher reaches of the house, somewhere in the dark. He waited.

It was Lizzy’s voice far off in the stillness, coming from upstairs, possibly from the small sitting room in their bedroom suite. He could discern nothing of what she said, but he began quickly to climb the staircase, making it his heart’s destination. After a moment, he recognized the deeper timbre of his cousin Fitzwilliam’s voice.