Something to Think Of, page 12
It was a whirlwind of excitement for the lovers in the weeks that followed. Elizabeth returned her betrothed’s feelings in the most satisfying ways. Their passions never ceased to reign, which meant their whereabouts regularly went unaccounted for.
Elizabeth could not wait to become Mrs. Darcy. Part of her had wished for the appellation longer than even she knew. She told Jane as much when the two of them talked about all the joys that awaited them in matrimony. No one could have been happier for her than her dearest sister, Jane. As for her dear friend Mitchell, he would not say he was unhappy for Elizabeth. Instead, he declared her happiness was his happiness. If Mr. Darcy was the man to satisfy her every wish for future felicity in marriage, who was he to complain?
For Mr. Darcy’s part, his passions for Elizabeth flowed more freely during the long, empty nights when they were forced to be apart. Alone in his bed at night, his desire for her knew no bounds, for within the confines of his dreams, he knew her as a man knew the only woman he had ever loved and would love for the rest of his life. Mornings would find him with one consistent thought on his mind—their wedding night. Then he would truly make her his wife.
Chapter 23
The Happiest Woman
With the marriage of three daughters in under three months, Mrs. Bennet’s primary employment in life was almost done. For that, she could not have been more delighted. But of the two happier occasions among the three, Elizabeth’s marriage to Mr. Darcy surprised her the most.
Not that the lady was disappointed by her family’s good fortunes. Mrs. Bennet really did not know what to think. “I thought Lizzy was halfway in love with Mr. Hemmingsworth,” she sometimes opined to her daughter Mary.
“I think we all did,” was generally Mary’s reply.
Of course, one could not always be correct, but to be mistaken with such magnitude—how could that be? Mrs. Bennet was sure of one thing; Jane’s marriage was nothing compared to Elizabeth’s.
Mr. Bennet’s self-imposed censure made him a far less negligent father. Never would one of his daughters suffer his inattention or his ridicule again. Elizabeth’s removal to Derbyshire left ample empty space in his home and in his heart—the kind that could only be filled by a most beloved child. He missed her dearly, which indeed explained his frequent and unexpected arrivals at Pemberley.
As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no revolution from the marriages of the older sisters. They were always living beyond their means and relying on the generosity of both Elizabeth and Jane to make up all their deficits. And though Darcy could never receive the husband at Pemberley, he assisted him further in his profession, for Elizabeth’s sake.
Elizabeth would always love her intimate friend, Charlotte, and her feelings toward the husband were about the same as they ever were. Mr. Collins was ridiculous. And though there was no mention of a future visit to Pemberley in any of the friends’ letters, surely the Darcys and the Collinses knew the reason why.
It should have been me. One might well imagine those five words at the heart of Mr. Bingley’s regular refrain. Indeed, they were for a while. Time and distance, however, had a way of erasing the pangs of a broken heart. It would be some time still before he felt up to the task of falling in love again. When he did, nothing anyone could say—not even his best friend, Mr. Darcy—would persuade him otherwise.
Bingley’s sisters did not return with him to Netherfield as he had planned. Indeed, he gave up the place entirely. Jane’s marriage to Stanford Hemmingsworth had spared a familial connection to the pernicious sisters, which could not be a bad thing. However, as they were Bingley’s relations and Bingley was Darcy’s friend, their right of visiting Pemberley was thus retained.
Pemberley was now Georgiana’s home, just as Darcy had hoped it would be once he and Elizabeth were married. The attachment of the sisters was exactly what it ought to have been. Georgiana’s affection for her cousin Anne remained intact. When Georgiana was not in Derbyshire, she would often be in Kent, and likewise for Anne.
Lady Catherine had overplayed her hand when threatening to strip Darcy of his legal rights as Georgiana’s co-guardian. He likened her ladyship’s extortion to his former friend George Wickham’s many schemes, which was really saying something. Despite the familial ties, he determined to have nothing more to do with his aunt. However, at Georgiana’s insistence, he was willing to let bygones be bygones. In that vein, Darcy wrote to his aunt to tell her of his engagement to Elizabeth.
Lady Catherine never conceded to the idea of Darcy not marrying Anne. On the contrary, she was highly indignant at the thought of his marrying someone so far below the Fitzwilliam family’s station in life. She gave way to all the genuine frankness of her character in her reply to the letter that announced its arrangement. She sent him language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that all intercourse was at an end for a long time.
Mitchell was more than merely a second son; Mrs. Hemmingsworth had argued upon learning of his commission. Stanford was his father’s heir, but being the spare heir was not nothing. She wanted both her sons nearby. If that made her selfish, then so be it. Yes, she had gained a beautiful daughter who ideally suited her elder son in every way and was an excellent mistress of Grandover Park, but was it fair that she might risk the loss of her other son? It was Stanford’s argument to his mother to let a man be a man that won the day.
Elizabeth now had two brothers—but Wickham hardly counted in her mind. Between her only deserving brother-in-law and his twin brother, she really loved Mitchell more, even though Stanford had made Jane the happiest woman in all of England.
Or rather the second happiest, for Elizabeth knew in her heart that she bore the distinction of being the happiest—the happiest, the most adored, and the most cherished. Mr. Darcy’s daily affirmations of his love for her, as much as she relished hearing them, need not have been spoken in words. For day after day he proved himself just what a man violently in love with his wife ought to be.
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The End
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Looking for another romantic escape with Darcy and Elizabeth? If you enjoyed Something to Think Of, you’ll enjoy Somebody Else’s Gentleman too!
About Somebody Else’s Gentleman
By all appearances, Mr. Darcy is the rightful property of a wealthy young lady in London. Why else would he remain silent on the subject if it was not true?
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What happens once he arrives in Hertfordshire and lays eyes on the bewitching Miss Elizabeth Bennet? What if the young lady from town is Miss Caroline Bingley and she befriends Elizabeth?
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In the ensuing game of love, which young lady will end up in Mr. Darcy's arms?
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Other Featured Stories
Gravity: Shades of Mr. Darcy ~ Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is a single man of a large fortune who stands to gain even more wealth and power with the advent of his marriage to his cousin, the sole heiress of Rosings Park. It is his destiny. His family expects the union. He is determined to let nothing stand in his way.
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Upon accepting an offer to spend the summer at Pemberley, Miss Elizabeth Bennet believed she was in no danger from Mr. Darcy. The two of them met in London and barely tolerated each other. But what happens at Pemberley could not possibly have occurred in London, and it does not take long for Elizabeth to discover that she is indeed in grave danger of falling in love with the gentleman.
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What about the gentleman’s feelings? Will Mr. Darcy remain steady to his purpose and marry his wealthy cousin, or will his desire for Elizabeth make him realize his true purpose is about to unfold?
Most Ardently, Most Unknowingly in Love ~ Separate late-night encounters at Netherfield embroil the two eldest Bennet daughters in scandals. One scandal is exposed. The other is meant to be a secret.
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However, both ladies and the respective gentlemen must deal with the consequences of their actions. In the case of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, he confesses to being most ardently in love with her. She is rather conflicted.
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Is Elizabeth unknowingly in love with Darcy? What will it take before she realizes it? Will she be too late?
A Favorite Daughter ~ Mr. Bennet had very often wished that, instead of spending his whole income, he had laid by an annual sum for the better provision of his children, and of his wife, if she survived him. Alas, he did not live long enough to do it.
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After her father’s untimely death, Miss Elizabeth Bennet reads a letter from him in which he tasks her with the protection of her family. Elizabeth is willing to do everything in her power to fulfill her father's dying wish, even if it means marrying a man she cannot love.
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There is, however, one man whom she can love. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. The two start out as friends, but Mr. Darcy wants more. Much more.
* * *
Surely Elizabeth will not always sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of her family. Or will she?
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Expecting His Proposal
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Almost Persuaded
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About the Author
P. O. Dixon is a writer as well as an entertainer. Historical England and its days of yore fascinate her. She, in particular, loves the Regency period with its strict mores and oh so proper decorum. Her ardent appreciation of Jane Austen’s timeless works set her on the writer’s journey—swapping boardrooms for ballrooms and never looking back.
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Acknowledgments
Heartfelt gratitude is bestowed to Miss Jane Austen for her timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice, which makes all this possible.
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What a joy it is imagining different paths to happily ever after for our beloved couple, Darcy and Elizabeth, and then sharing the stories with the world.
Special thanks for all you do, Deborah and Ken.
Thank you, Patreon supporters, for following along with me as the story unfolded. Your continuing patronage makes all the difference to me.
Something to Think Of
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Copyright © 2021 P. O. Dixon
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All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, in whole or in part, in any form whatsoever.
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters depicted in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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P. O. Dixon, Something to Think Of
