Page 100 of Regrets

“Very well. Listen to me, you three. You have been through a terrible experience, one that I dearly wish had never happened, not only because it was so very frightening and painful, particularly for dear Georgiana, but also because it has given you a false idea of men.”

“False?” Lydia repeated, bitterly. “First, Jane and Lizzy warn us about the militia men, and then we find one of them on top of Georgiana, trying to – to – and you say it is a false idea?”

“Some men are animals, plain and simple,” Mrs. Bennet said. “That is the sad truth of it. But tell me, Georgiana, can you imagine your brother doing such a violent thing?”

Georgiana looked up. “No, of course not!” she replied, indignantly.

“No, of course not,” Mrs. Bennet repeated. “For he is a gentleman. Can we imagine Mr. Bingley doing such a thing?”

“No,” Kitty said. “For he is everything kind and good.”

Georgiana added, “Do you know, he was in tears when I returned to Netherfield! Such a sweet man!”

Lydia said, “But then how are we to know which men are animals and which are gentlemen?”

“There is no easy answer, I am sorry to say,” Mrs. Bennet replied. “That is why it is important to learn as much as you can about a man before becoming fond of him, let alone marrying him! Listen to him, learn about him. Have him investigated, if possible! Does he keep a mistress? Does he gamble? And pay attention to how he treats servants and animals. Servants in particular, for they know a good deal more than we think.”

Georgiana nodded.

“But there is that other thing,” Lydia said.

“Other thing?”

“You know, the thing that he puts in you – surely that hurts!”

“Only the first few times, Lydia, and sometimes not even then, if the man is careful.”

“And then?”

“Oh, and then it can be quite pleasurable for both men and women!” Mrs. Bennet spoke energetically, her face reddening.

“Really, Mama?” Kitty asked. “You are not just telling us this so that we will get married, are you?”

“No, Kitty, not at all. How do you think I ended up with five children?”

“Because you did it five times?” Lydia asked.

Mrs. Bennet laughed hard. “Lydia, it was hundreds of times! And it was every bit as enjoyable for me as it was for your father! And that, I think, should be the end of this discussion.” With that, she rose, leaving the girls to discuss what they had heard.

For Kitty and Lydia, their mother’s frank discussion had entirely relieved their fears. For Georgiana, however, it was not quite so simple. She had experienced the weight of a man’s body on hers, the frantic fumbling of fingers on her clothing, the insistent pressure of a tongue in her mouth…and none of that was so easily dismissed from her mind.

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Atriple wedding was certainly not something that happened every day. The Gardiners, who came to Longbourn for Christmas every year, stayed for it. Miss Bingley and the Hursts were in attendance. Miss Bingley told Mrs. Bennet, rather shyly, that she had met a gentleman who was interested in the same things that she was, and that she enjoyed his company far more than she had ever enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s.

It being a triple wedding, there were three attendants: Kitty, Lydia, and Georgiana. Everyone was in their best looks and on their best behaviour.

For the three brides and the three grooms, the ceremony was just a blur. Elizabeth almost felt that she had been in a stupor of some sort, and came to consciousness only when everyone gathered at Netherfield for the wedding breakfast.

Miss Bingley had begged to be allowed to assist Mrs. Bennet in arranging it, pointing out that there were a good many viands - not to mention flowers - that were more readily available in London than in Meryton. Mrs. Bennet agreed, and so the breakfast was the most elegant spread than anyone in Meryton had ever seen.

Hothouse flowers bloomed on every surface; there were three different wedding cakes, and breads, meats, cheeses and fruits of all sorts were on the table. There were a good many gasps of surprise and delight from the guests, and the room was soon filled with happy laughter.

Mr. Darcy took Mr. and Mrs. Bennet aside and said, “When Georgiana has her come-out, I hope you will allow me the honour of sponsoring Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia as well. It will not be this year, of course, but next year or the one after.”

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat and said, “The expense –“

“No,” Mr. Darcy said at once. “I will bear the entirety of the expense. Please understand; it will make Georgiana far easier if she has her friends beside her.” He cleared his throat and went on. “In addition, I will add five thousand pounds to each of their dowries, in thanks for the service they did my sister. I hope both of you will join us in London for that occasion. There is room in the townhouse for everyone, and I believe that you, Mrs. Bennet, would enjoy yourself immensely. As for you, sir,” he went on, turning to his new father by marriage with a twinkle in his eye, “I can tell you that the library at my townhouse, while small in comparison with the one at Pemberley, is not insignificant.”