AN: Thank you for all the support! It will be at least 2 weeks (and probably 3) before I post again. I always seem to forget what a crazy time of year this can be.
Fitzwilliam Darcy Elopes
Chapter 6
Although the express rider made it to the office of the Times on Saturday morning, it was too late for the Darcy elopement to be included in that day’s edition. In the midst of the war, the editor felt it would be in poor taste to place an article concerning an elopement on the front page of the newspaper, but he did place it on the first page of the society section. As there were many ladies who turned directly to the society section of the newspaper, this did not hamper the spread of the news in any way.
So it was that Sunday morning saw a much greater attendance for Church Services than was typical. As it was the Sabbath, neighbor visits would be frowned upon. Although decisions were made to visit with family as much as possible in order to discuss the news, the only way to solicit an opinion of anyone outside of their family circle would be to attend Church. Many a Vicar were pleased, though perplexed, with the sudden enthusiasm displayed by members of the parish.
The only notable absentees at church that day were Lord and Lady Matlock, as well as their daughter-in-law, Lady Hastings.
When Elizabeth Darcy awoke on Sunday morning, she was slightly disoriented. Something was vastly different. As her husband pulled her closer into his chest, she remembered what that difference was. As she cuddled closer to Mr. Darcy she sighed in contentment. She was now very convinced she had made a most advantageous match.
Her mind drifted to the previous evening. Almost as soon as Fitzwilliam had locked the door they were interrupted by his cousin. After Darcy refused to open the door to admit him, Lord Hastings started asking through the door whether or not they were planning on attending Church services in the morning. Darcy had replied that Hastings and Mr. Bennet could do as they pleased, but that he did not anticipate seeing them until later in the afternoon. They had been on the road for close to a week and needed time to rest before completing the journey to London on Monday.
When another knock came to their door a half an hour later, they were much too occupied to even discover the identity of the person on the other side of the door.
Lady Hastings was furious as she scanned the article concerning the elopement of Fitzwilliam Darcy. According to the article, her own husband knew of the elopement, and had even saved a room for them at an Inn. Although her marriage was not a particularly happy one, when she had entered into it she understood that neither of them would behave in a way that could be viewed as scandalous. What was her dimwitted husband thinking?
Lady Matlock’s feelings on perusing the article were much different. She had long worried about her nephew, and was relieved he had finally found a woman that would make him happy. If his choice would upset Lady Catherine in anyway, then so much the better. She was a trifle concerned that they had married against the wishes of the young lady’s family, for why else would her father have chased them to Scotland? She could not imagine any family that would not be ecstatic to have their daughter marry Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.
Lady Matlock pondered this question for most of her morning, even asking her husband his opinion while they broke their fast. His response was a non-committal grunt, accompanied by a mutter along the lines of how much better a match he could have arranged if Lady Catherine had realized that Darcy would never marry Anne.
Although the comment was expected, it did remind her of something that was stated in the article. Looking over it again, she realized that it appeared as if the new Mrs. Darcy had already met Lady Catherine, and was not expecting a warm welcome. If the article was to be believed, she had also met both her sons as well as Georgiana. Those three had not been together with Darcy in well over a year. Whether she had been introduced to them all together, or had been in company with Darcy long enough to be introduced to them separately, their relationship must have been of a long duration.
With a start, Lady Matlock remembered a comment made in passing by her younger son after his return from the annual trip to Rosings Park. When she had asked him about the visit, he admitted that he had found it vastly more amusing than usual. When she had inquired as to the reason, he had replied, “Observing Darcy as he simultaneously attempts to spend as much time as possible engaged in one activity, without giving the appearance that he cares about the activity, can be quite amusing.”
At the time she had brushed off the reply, determining to try to riddle out his meaning another day if it proved to be important. It was now important. With a quick flourish, she sent off a note to her son, requesting his presence as soon as possible.
Although the women in most households stopped reading after the article concerning Fitzwilliam Darcy, in the Gardiner household the entire paper was examined. In the Saturday paper there had been a small line mentioning Colonel Fitzwilliam escorting an unknown young lady and her relations to the theatre on Friday evening. Although they had hoped the gossips would be able to connect the dots, there was no speculation in the paper that the young lady he had escorted was in any way related to Mr. Darcy’s bride. They were relieved that they had made it to the theatre before word was spread concerning the Darcy elopement, and wondered what more they could do to ensure people were aware the Lydia was staying with her relations in London.
When a tray was sent to Lydia’s room with breakfast, Mrs. Gardiner included the article concerning the elopement. As Lydia had locked herself in her room, and was refusing to speak to anyone, they had not yet had an opportunity to discuss Elizabeth’s plan.
The screech that was heard within the Gardiner household a few moments later would be eerily similar to the screech heard within Netherfield Park the following day when both the Bingleys and the Sunday paper made it to Hertfordshire.
Darcy had never been more content. For the first time in his life, he felt like he could lie in bed all day long. It was late in the afternoon before he and Elizabeth stirred from their room. They agreed that they should at least eat with their relations, even if they did not plan on spending any more time than was absolutely necessary.
Leaving Elizabeth in the room to the ministrations of her maid, Darcy went in search of Hastings and Mr. Bennet. He was surprised to not find them in their rooms, but quickly followed the noise to the common room where they were engaged in a game of chess, a large crowd gathered to watch. From the conversation of the crowd, it quickly became apparent that the interest was not in the game, but in any information they were willing to provide concerning the newlyweds. Mr. Bennet was largely ignoring the audience, but Hastings was another matter. Darcy did not know how his cousin could have gathered enough information to entertain the crowd for such an extended period of time. They had travelled together one day, most of which time was spent either sleeping or feigning such. It appeared as if Hastings and Mr. Bennet had discussed them extensively when they were not present.
As soon as Darcy was noticed, the attention shifted.
“When will we have the pleasure of meeting your lovely wife?” was the first question volleyed from the crowd after the obligatory greetings.
“Why has your lovely wife no joined you downstairs?” came the first question volleyed from the crowd.
“She is merely refreshing herself,” came the reply. “We thought to dine with our relations.”
“Yes, she must require quite an exorbitant amount of time to refresh herself,” answered one of the gentlemen. “So much so, that her father was able to reach the border before you did. One does wonder just how you engaged your time during the journey.”
“I thought I explained that already,” Hastings cut in. “It was merely a tactic to avoid being caught. By letting Mr. Bennet precede them to Scotland there was no trail for him to follow. They were able to slip in after he had made his inquiries, and marry before he discovered they had followed him, instead of the other way around. Now, I think I’ve just lost this game. Perhaps we should retire to dine with Mrs. Darcy?”
Mr. Bennet nodded his agreement and the three men left the room and the gossiping gentlemen behind.
“I have never seen anyone able to carry on such inane conversation while playing a decent game of chess,” Mr. Bennet remarked after making himself comfortable in the private parlor adjoining the bedchamber that Darcy’s valet had secured for them. “Most believe it to be a quiet game.”
“Yes, well, not all of us can be as serious as my young cousin here,” Hastings replied. “I believe there should be some levity in every situation.”
Although Hastings was ten years Darcy’s senior, he still did not enjoy being referred to as young.
“Well, if Mr. Darcy is young, then you must consider me an infant,” Elizabeth replied. She had settled on the settee hoping that her new husband would join her. She was not disappointed.
“Oh, no!” Hastings exclaimed. “I learned my lesson years ago. A gentleman should never comment on a lady’s age, whether she be old or young. There are a few ways to guarantee offending a lady. Commenting on her age is one of them. If you say she is young, it is inevitable that she wishes to be known for her maturity. If you say she is mature, she will be worried and examine every mirror she passes, searching for wrinkles. You will get no comment from me.”
“Very well, but you must know that there are few that would describe Mr. Darcy as young,” Elizabeth replied.
“That is due to the fact that most do not remember seeing him in his short pants. It does not seem possible that the little scamp I remember has matured enough to marry.”
“That is enough, Hastings,” Darcy replied. “I am eight and twenty. I believe that is a full four years older than you were when you married.”
“Yes, but you have met my wife. A poorer decision was never made. Perhaps if I had waited until I matured a few more years I could have made a better decision.”
“You still cannot fault me,” Darcy replied, hoping to disrupt his cousin’s sudden melancholy. “I have not only matured several extra years, I have the experience of running an estate, as well as being guardian of my younger sister.”
“And how would you feel if you discovered Georgiana had run off to Gretna Green?” Hastings asked. “No matter her reasoning, I am sure you would be disappointed.”
Darcy suddenly went white, causing Elizabeth to take his hand in hers and squeeze it reassuringly. Hastings noticed his discomfort, then laughingly continued.
“You need not worry. Your little sister would never actually follow through with such a scheme. She may find your sudden elopement romantic, but she is much too meek to consider an elopement for herself. Even if the idea was presented, I have no doubt she would avail herself of the first opportunity to reveal her intentions so you would be able to stop the plans.”
“I, for one, would enjoy meeting such a paragon,” Mr. Bennet interjected. “I commend you for raising such a sensible young woman. The evidence is before us that I failed in instilling the importance of a proper wedding.”
“Do not be too hard on yourself,” Hastings replied. “You may have raised a slightly reckless daughter, but I have never seen my young cousin affected so. She has succeeded in ways that none of the young ladies of our circle could have ever hoped. She has seen him smile.”
The conversation moved on to much more neutral topics. After another half an hour, Darcy started hinting that his wife would like to retire. Hastings encouraged Elizabeth to rest peacefully in the adjoining bedchamber, but made no move to leave the parlor. After another half an hour, Elizabeth opened the door connecting the parlor and the bedchamber.
“I am sorry to inconvenience you, Lord Hastings, but would you mind retiring to your own rooms. I am in need of my husband.”
“I am not yet ready to retire,” Hastings replied, smiling.
“It does not concern me if you choose not to immediately retire to your rooms, but I would be extremely grateful if you were to leave ours.”
“There now, it was not such a difficult request to make, now was it?” Hastings asked, cuffing Darcy’s shoulder as he winked at Elizabeth.
“Oh, and Lord Hastings?”
“Yes, Mrs. Darcy?”
“Please take my father with you.”
“I do believe I need to redeem myself, in any case,” Hastings replied. “I need to make up for the game of chess I threw in order to leave the common room earlier.”
“It would have been impossible for you to win that game,” Mr. Bennet replied. “You had already lost twice.”
“But third time’s the charm.”
“There really is only one way to conclude this argument,” Darcy interjected, ushering them out into the hall. Saying a quick good evening, Darcy closed and locked the door while they were still standing in the corridor.
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was not surprised when he received the note from his mother, demanding his presence. He was not certain what kind of mood she would be in.
When he arrived at Matlock house, he was shown into his mother’s favorite parlor. He hoped that was a good sign.
“I have been trying to puzzle it out all day,” Lady Matlock said by way of greeting to her son. “Just how long has Darcy been in a relationship with his new wife?”
“Good afternoon to you, as well,” Richard replied, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. “It is always pleasant to receive a summons to your home.”
“Oh, do be serious,” Lady Matlock replied with a smile. “You know that all our neighbors are dying to know more. My home is to be invaded in the morning, and I would like as many answers as possible before they arrive.”
“Very well. I first met Miss Elizabeth Bennet on our latest trip to visit Aunt Catherine and Cousin Anne. We had scarcely arrived before Aunt Catherine’s obnoxious parson came to greet us. I had quickly tuned him out, but he must have said something that sparked Darcy’s interest because before I knew what was happening, Darcy had indicated we would follow him to the parsonage to greet his wife and guests. When we arrived, I was introduced to Mrs. Collins, her sister Miss Lucas, and her friend, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I have never seen Darcy so tongue tied. We were in company often, but he rarely exerted himself to a discussion with Miss Elizabeth.
“One day while I was walking the grounds I happened to see them walking together. I may or may not have overheard a bit of their conversation wherein Darcy implied that on future visits to Kent Miss Elizabeth would be a guest at Rosings Park instead of the parsonage. This intrigued me to such an extent that I attempted to intercept them again the next day. Unfortunately, I found Elizabeth on her own, but I did try talking to her about Darcy, trying to gauge her reaction.
“I had fully expected Darcy to declare himself before we left, but no such announcement was made. He was incredibly agitated when we returned to town, but refused to speak of it. I did not hear him mention Miss Elizabeth again until he sent me a letter explaining his plan to elope to Scotland in order to secure her as his wife.”
“You mean to tell me you were forewarned that Darcy had eloped, and neglected to inform your family?”
“Yes, I suppose I was. He didn’t send you a letter?”
After eyeing her son for a few minutes, Lady Matlock replied that it was unbecoming to pretend ignorance.
As in most households, it was nearly impossible to stem the tide of gossip below stairs. So, when the maids that had been tasked with providing refreshments for Lady Matlock returned below stairs, it was not unexpected that they would discuss the elopement. It was generally understood that all such talk was to stay in the house, and normally it would. It being Sunday, there were one or two servants that were visiting with siblings employed in other houses.
As gossip is want to do, the story was added upon until it barely resembled the original. Within two hours of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s visit to his mother, there was a generally accepted rumor spread about the kitchens in town that Darcy and Elizabeth had been secretly engaged since Easter. It was not until retiring for the evening that many ladies were to learn of the rumor from their maids while preparing to retire for the evening.
Chapter 6
Although the express rider made it to the office of the Times on Saturday morning, it was too late for the Darcy elopement to be included in that day’s edition. In the midst of the war, the editor felt it would be in poor taste to place an article concerning an elopement on the front page of the newspaper, but he did place it on the first page of the society section. As there were many ladies who turned directly to the society section of the newspaper, this did not hamper the spread of the news in any way.
So it was that Sunday morning saw a much greater attendance for Church Services than was typical. As it was the Sabbath, neighbor visits would be frowned upon. Although decisions were made to visit with family as much as possible in order to discuss the news, the only way to solicit an opinion of anyone outside of their family circle would be to attend Church. Many a Vicar were pleased, though perplexed, with the sudden enthusiasm displayed by members of the parish.
The only notable absentees at church that day were Lord and Lady Matlock, as well as their daughter-in-law, Lady Hastings.
When Elizabeth Darcy awoke on Sunday morning, she was slightly disoriented. Something was vastly different. As her husband pulled her closer into his chest, she remembered what that difference was. As she cuddled closer to Mr. Darcy she sighed in contentment. She was now very convinced she had made a most advantageous match.
Her mind drifted to the previous evening. Almost as soon as Fitzwilliam had locked the door they were interrupted by his cousin. After Darcy refused to open the door to admit him, Lord Hastings started asking through the door whether or not they were planning on attending Church services in the morning. Darcy had replied that Hastings and Mr. Bennet could do as they pleased, but that he did not anticipate seeing them until later in the afternoon. They had been on the road for close to a week and needed time to rest before completing the journey to London on Monday.
When another knock came to their door a half an hour later, they were much too occupied to even discover the identity of the person on the other side of the door.
Lady Hastings was furious as she scanned the article concerning the elopement of Fitzwilliam Darcy. According to the article, her own husband knew of the elopement, and had even saved a room for them at an Inn. Although her marriage was not a particularly happy one, when she had entered into it she understood that neither of them would behave in a way that could be viewed as scandalous. What was her dimwitted husband thinking?
Lady Matlock’s feelings on perusing the article were much different. She had long worried about her nephew, and was relieved he had finally found a woman that would make him happy. If his choice would upset Lady Catherine in anyway, then so much the better. She was a trifle concerned that they had married against the wishes of the young lady’s family, for why else would her father have chased them to Scotland? She could not imagine any family that would not be ecstatic to have their daughter marry Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.
Lady Matlock pondered this question for most of her morning, even asking her husband his opinion while they broke their fast. His response was a non-committal grunt, accompanied by a mutter along the lines of how much better a match he could have arranged if Lady Catherine had realized that Darcy would never marry Anne.
Although the comment was expected, it did remind her of something that was stated in the article. Looking over it again, she realized that it appeared as if the new Mrs. Darcy had already met Lady Catherine, and was not expecting a warm welcome. If the article was to be believed, she had also met both her sons as well as Georgiana. Those three had not been together with Darcy in well over a year. Whether she had been introduced to them all together, or had been in company with Darcy long enough to be introduced to them separately, their relationship must have been of a long duration.
With a start, Lady Matlock remembered a comment made in passing by her younger son after his return from the annual trip to Rosings Park. When she had asked him about the visit, he admitted that he had found it vastly more amusing than usual. When she had inquired as to the reason, he had replied, “Observing Darcy as he simultaneously attempts to spend as much time as possible engaged in one activity, without giving the appearance that he cares about the activity, can be quite amusing.”
At the time she had brushed off the reply, determining to try to riddle out his meaning another day if it proved to be important. It was now important. With a quick flourish, she sent off a note to her son, requesting his presence as soon as possible.
Although the women in most households stopped reading after the article concerning Fitzwilliam Darcy, in the Gardiner household the entire paper was examined. In the Saturday paper there had been a small line mentioning Colonel Fitzwilliam escorting an unknown young lady and her relations to the theatre on Friday evening. Although they had hoped the gossips would be able to connect the dots, there was no speculation in the paper that the young lady he had escorted was in any way related to Mr. Darcy’s bride. They were relieved that they had made it to the theatre before word was spread concerning the Darcy elopement, and wondered what more they could do to ensure people were aware the Lydia was staying with her relations in London.
When a tray was sent to Lydia’s room with breakfast, Mrs. Gardiner included the article concerning the elopement. As Lydia had locked herself in her room, and was refusing to speak to anyone, they had not yet had an opportunity to discuss Elizabeth’s plan.
The screech that was heard within the Gardiner household a few moments later would be eerily similar to the screech heard within Netherfield Park the following day when both the Bingleys and the Sunday paper made it to Hertfordshire.
Darcy had never been more content. For the first time in his life, he felt like he could lie in bed all day long. It was late in the afternoon before he and Elizabeth stirred from their room. They agreed that they should at least eat with their relations, even if they did not plan on spending any more time than was absolutely necessary.
Leaving Elizabeth in the room to the ministrations of her maid, Darcy went in search of Hastings and Mr. Bennet. He was surprised to not find them in their rooms, but quickly followed the noise to the common room where they were engaged in a game of chess, a large crowd gathered to watch. From the conversation of the crowd, it quickly became apparent that the interest was not in the game, but in any information they were willing to provide concerning the newlyweds. Mr. Bennet was largely ignoring the audience, but Hastings was another matter. Darcy did not know how his cousin could have gathered enough information to entertain the crowd for such an extended period of time. They had travelled together one day, most of which time was spent either sleeping or feigning such. It appeared as if Hastings and Mr. Bennet had discussed them extensively when they were not present.
As soon as Darcy was noticed, the attention shifted.
“When will we have the pleasure of meeting your lovely wife?” was the first question volleyed from the crowd after the obligatory greetings.
“Why has your lovely wife no joined you downstairs?” came the first question volleyed from the crowd.
“She is merely refreshing herself,” came the reply. “We thought to dine with our relations.”
“Yes, she must require quite an exorbitant amount of time to refresh herself,” answered one of the gentlemen. “So much so, that her father was able to reach the border before you did. One does wonder just how you engaged your time during the journey.”
“I thought I explained that already,” Hastings cut in. “It was merely a tactic to avoid being caught. By letting Mr. Bennet precede them to Scotland there was no trail for him to follow. They were able to slip in after he had made his inquiries, and marry before he discovered they had followed him, instead of the other way around. Now, I think I’ve just lost this game. Perhaps we should retire to dine with Mrs. Darcy?”
Mr. Bennet nodded his agreement and the three men left the room and the gossiping gentlemen behind.
“I have never seen anyone able to carry on such inane conversation while playing a decent game of chess,” Mr. Bennet remarked after making himself comfortable in the private parlor adjoining the bedchamber that Darcy’s valet had secured for them. “Most believe it to be a quiet game.”
“Yes, well, not all of us can be as serious as my young cousin here,” Hastings replied. “I believe there should be some levity in every situation.”
Although Hastings was ten years Darcy’s senior, he still did not enjoy being referred to as young.
“Well, if Mr. Darcy is young, then you must consider me an infant,” Elizabeth replied. She had settled on the settee hoping that her new husband would join her. She was not disappointed.
“Oh, no!” Hastings exclaimed. “I learned my lesson years ago. A gentleman should never comment on a lady’s age, whether she be old or young. There are a few ways to guarantee offending a lady. Commenting on her age is one of them. If you say she is young, it is inevitable that she wishes to be known for her maturity. If you say she is mature, she will be worried and examine every mirror she passes, searching for wrinkles. You will get no comment from me.”
“Very well, but you must know that there are few that would describe Mr. Darcy as young,” Elizabeth replied.
“That is due to the fact that most do not remember seeing him in his short pants. It does not seem possible that the little scamp I remember has matured enough to marry.”
“That is enough, Hastings,” Darcy replied. “I am eight and twenty. I believe that is a full four years older than you were when you married.”
“Yes, but you have met my wife. A poorer decision was never made. Perhaps if I had waited until I matured a few more years I could have made a better decision.”
“You still cannot fault me,” Darcy replied, hoping to disrupt his cousin’s sudden melancholy. “I have not only matured several extra years, I have the experience of running an estate, as well as being guardian of my younger sister.”
“And how would you feel if you discovered Georgiana had run off to Gretna Green?” Hastings asked. “No matter her reasoning, I am sure you would be disappointed.”
Darcy suddenly went white, causing Elizabeth to take his hand in hers and squeeze it reassuringly. Hastings noticed his discomfort, then laughingly continued.
“You need not worry. Your little sister would never actually follow through with such a scheme. She may find your sudden elopement romantic, but she is much too meek to consider an elopement for herself. Even if the idea was presented, I have no doubt she would avail herself of the first opportunity to reveal her intentions so you would be able to stop the plans.”
“I, for one, would enjoy meeting such a paragon,” Mr. Bennet interjected. “I commend you for raising such a sensible young woman. The evidence is before us that I failed in instilling the importance of a proper wedding.”
“Do not be too hard on yourself,” Hastings replied. “You may have raised a slightly reckless daughter, but I have never seen my young cousin affected so. She has succeeded in ways that none of the young ladies of our circle could have ever hoped. She has seen him smile.”
The conversation moved on to much more neutral topics. After another half an hour, Darcy started hinting that his wife would like to retire. Hastings encouraged Elizabeth to rest peacefully in the adjoining bedchamber, but made no move to leave the parlor. After another half an hour, Elizabeth opened the door connecting the parlor and the bedchamber.
“I am sorry to inconvenience you, Lord Hastings, but would you mind retiring to your own rooms. I am in need of my husband.”
“I am not yet ready to retire,” Hastings replied, smiling.
“It does not concern me if you choose not to immediately retire to your rooms, but I would be extremely grateful if you were to leave ours.”
“There now, it was not such a difficult request to make, now was it?” Hastings asked, cuffing Darcy’s shoulder as he winked at Elizabeth.
“Oh, and Lord Hastings?”
“Yes, Mrs. Darcy?”
“Please take my father with you.”
“I do believe I need to redeem myself, in any case,” Hastings replied. “I need to make up for the game of chess I threw in order to leave the common room earlier.”
“It would have been impossible for you to win that game,” Mr. Bennet replied. “You had already lost twice.”
“But third time’s the charm.”
“There really is only one way to conclude this argument,” Darcy interjected, ushering them out into the hall. Saying a quick good evening, Darcy closed and locked the door while they were still standing in the corridor.
Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was not surprised when he received the note from his mother, demanding his presence. He was not certain what kind of mood she would be in.
When he arrived at Matlock house, he was shown into his mother’s favorite parlor. He hoped that was a good sign.
“I have been trying to puzzle it out all day,” Lady Matlock said by way of greeting to her son. “Just how long has Darcy been in a relationship with his new wife?”
“Good afternoon to you, as well,” Richard replied, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek. “It is always pleasant to receive a summons to your home.”
“Oh, do be serious,” Lady Matlock replied with a smile. “You know that all our neighbors are dying to know more. My home is to be invaded in the morning, and I would like as many answers as possible before they arrive.”
“Very well. I first met Miss Elizabeth Bennet on our latest trip to visit Aunt Catherine and Cousin Anne. We had scarcely arrived before Aunt Catherine’s obnoxious parson came to greet us. I had quickly tuned him out, but he must have said something that sparked Darcy’s interest because before I knew what was happening, Darcy had indicated we would follow him to the parsonage to greet his wife and guests. When we arrived, I was introduced to Mrs. Collins, her sister Miss Lucas, and her friend, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I have never seen Darcy so tongue tied. We were in company often, but he rarely exerted himself to a discussion with Miss Elizabeth.
“One day while I was walking the grounds I happened to see them walking together. I may or may not have overheard a bit of their conversation wherein Darcy implied that on future visits to Kent Miss Elizabeth would be a guest at Rosings Park instead of the parsonage. This intrigued me to such an extent that I attempted to intercept them again the next day. Unfortunately, I found Elizabeth on her own, but I did try talking to her about Darcy, trying to gauge her reaction.
“I had fully expected Darcy to declare himself before we left, but no such announcement was made. He was incredibly agitated when we returned to town, but refused to speak of it. I did not hear him mention Miss Elizabeth again until he sent me a letter explaining his plan to elope to Scotland in order to secure her as his wife.”
“You mean to tell me you were forewarned that Darcy had eloped, and neglected to inform your family?”
“Yes, I suppose I was. He didn’t send you a letter?”
After eyeing her son for a few minutes, Lady Matlock replied that it was unbecoming to pretend ignorance.
As in most households, it was nearly impossible to stem the tide of gossip below stairs. So, when the maids that had been tasked with providing refreshments for Lady Matlock returned below stairs, it was not unexpected that they would discuss the elopement. It was generally understood that all such talk was to stay in the house, and normally it would. It being Sunday, there were one or two servants that were visiting with siblings employed in other houses.
As gossip is want to do, the story was added upon until it barely resembled the original. Within two hours of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s visit to his mother, there was a generally accepted rumor spread about the kitchens in town that Darcy and Elizabeth had been secretly engaged since Easter. It was not until retiring for the evening that many ladies were to learn of the rumor from their maids while preparing to retire for the evening.