This revived the Countess at once, and she kissed him again and again, happy tears pouring down her cheeks. Then the Earl embraced his son heartily, saying, “I thought we would not see you for another year! This is wonderful!”
Finally, Richard looked at all the new faces in the room, and introductions were hastily performed.
He bowed theatrically to Elizabeth and then kissed her on the cheek, saying, “Your husband has written me so much about you, but you are even lovelier than he said!”
Mr. Darcy glared at him, but he only laughed and slapped his cousin on the shoulder.
The Colonel was in full uniform, causing Kitty and Lydia to goggle at him, wide-eyed with admiration. “Wait until Maria hears about this!” Kitty was heard to say.
Georgiana had been upstairs; upon hearing the fuss, she came down into the drawing room. Her eyes lit up with joy, and she ran toward him, throwing herself into his arms and crying, “Oh, Richard! I am so very glad!” He picked her up and whirled her around the room, the two of them laughing together.
The Colonel set Georgiana down upon spying his brother. He went up to Reggie and said, “I cannot believe you are married, brother! You must allow me to spend a good deal of time with the woman who is able to tolerate you! Ah, this is she? Far too pretty for you, Reggie, old man!”
The Colonel actually did not recognise his cousin, Anne, for he asked to be introduced to the pretty young woman in the pink gown! She overheard this request, and she rose, walked toward him with all the elegance and grace she had so recently learnt, and then rather spoiled the image by saying, far too eagerly, “Ha! I am that much changed? I am glad for it.”
“Anne?” he asked, bewildered. He turned to Mr. Darcy and said, “Can this be little Anne de Bourgh?”
Mr. Darcy smiled. “Has your mother not been keeping you informed of recent events?”
“She wrote me that Anne had come to London, but I had no idea! Anne, come and sit with me. You look lovely! Tell me how you are enjoying London.”
It was quite some time before everyone was calm enough to listen to how Mr. Darcy had sent a letter to his cousin some months ago, giving him time to request leave and then make his way from the Continent all the way to Derbyshire. Mr. Darcy was thanked quite profusely by the Matlocks, as they had not seen Richard for some time.
Finally, everyone retired to their rooms to rest and change before dinner.
“Your surprise was a great success, William,” Elizabeth told her husband. “I truly thought Aunt Eleanor would faint on the carpet!”
“As did I,” he said. “Perhaps I should have prepared her?”
“No, indeed, that would have spoiled the surprise. And did you see how your cousin spoke with Anne? Would that not be an excellent match?”
“You are as bad as Aunt Eleanor, Elizabeth!”
“Or my own mother, perhaps. Very well, no matchmaking!”
***
A good many bits of news were shared with particular confidantes. Mrs. Bennet was delighted to learn from Mary that she was in the family way; Mary asked her not to tell anyone quite yet, as only Mr. Collins had been informed. Mrs. Bennet immediately told the news to Jane.
Jane suspected that she, too, was in the family way, and she whispered this piece of news to Mary, asking her not tomention it quite yet to Mrs. Bennet or anyone else. Mary kept the secret
Charlotte had only recently learnt that she was with child, which she confided to Jane, asking her not to mention it to Reggie or anyone else. Jane only told Mr. Bingley, but Mr. Bingley, being rather confused as to who was not to know of this, quietly congratulated Mr. Fitzwilliam, who wrinkled his brow in confusion as to what he was being congratulated for.
Anne was interested in a certain someone in London, but now that she had seen her cousin Richard, she was no longer so certain of that someone; she confided this only to Elizabeth, asking her not to mention it to Aunt Eleanor or anyone else. Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy, and they both smiled to think of Richard as the master of Rosings Park, but they mentioned it to no one else.
Miss Bingley confided in Mrs. Hurst that she would have been quite happy to marry Colonel Fitzwilliam, had he only an estate or a living of some sort, but asked her not to mention it to anyone else. Mrs. Hurst repeated this only to her husband, who found it amusing enough that he repeated it to Mr. Bingley, who repeated it to Jane, who then told it to Elizabeth, who whispered it to Mr. Darcy, who simply shook his head and laughed.
Reggie had completed his first draft of hisHistory of England, which he confided to Mr. Darcy, asking him not to tell anyone quite yet, as it still needed a good deal of polishing. Mr. Darcy told Elizabeth, who managed to not say anything to Charlotte about it.
Lydia told Kitty that she was quite certainly in love with Colonel Fitzwilliam, but she was not to mention it to anyone else. Kitty informed Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet of Lydia’s newfound love interest at her earliest opportunity.
Lady Catherine murmured to the Countess that she would not object to Anne marrying Richard, for would that not keep Rosings Park in the family? The Countess whispered this idea to the Earl, who raised an eyebrow and then went to whisper in Richard’s ear.
Mr. Bennet missed all of these conversations, as he had decided to spend his entire visit in the Pemberley library.
***
The midsummer party was a complete success. Everyone was disposed to have a good time, which is generally accepted as the best possible foundation for a successful event.
