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[…]
Your dear friend
Charlotte Bingley’
The rest of the letter had dealt with mutual acquaintances and mundane estate matters. Elizabeth shared the letter with her new husband.
“I have asked you before I know but are you disappointed your parents did not attend your wedding, our wedding should I say.”
Her first response was an inelegant shrug.
“I was sorry more for Mary than myself. But the last year has removed Mary’s blinkers, she has come to realise the true nature of our parents. At the same time, Jane and I very deliberately invited Mary to London so that she could meet someone like Mr. Hughes. The third daughter of a minor gentleman met the fourth son of an equally minor gentleman. Neither brought name or wealth to the marriage but they did bring piousness and ambition. Without being crude, should they end up with lots of children then it will be difficult for them. But they are not without close family to help them.
“As for myself? I do not know and I do not know that I am the best person to judge. What do you think?”
“You were banished in all but name for being forthright and wanting nothing but fairness. Qualities that attracted me to you. I was dreading Bingley’s wedding breakfast, stood awkwardly in the corner and yet it turned out to be wonderful, and entirely because you were there with me. I look back at the pompous fool of a year ago and I just shake my head. It is embarrassing. Equally embarrassing was my display at the Winter Solstice, but it was a necessary humiliation. It was only then that I started to use my vaunted intellect as opposed to chasing some chimerical dream.
“I was convinced I had to marry well, yet everywhere I looked there was nobody but insipid bores or grasping delusional social climbers.”
They both knew who he meant by that last one.
“Then I met a young lady who fascinated me, who was honest with me, which just made me more attracted to her. And best of all she dared to scold me. Sent me off to right a wrong that should have been dealt with years before. And when I returned she smiled at me so wonderfully that I asked her to marry me right then.”
Darcy stopped and looked sheepish.
“Sorry, that did not really answer your question.”
He was rewarded with a smile and a long and passionate kiss.
“You are forgiven. You are allowed to tell me how wonderful I am whenever you like.”
Elizabeth’s weakness to tickling was exploited.
“To answer your question. I think I am glad you got a day without drama. It was unfortunate your sister Catherine was not there, but it could not be helped. In fact, it can be argued that it was better for her husband to not know of our wedding. Lady Catherine might have been tempted to shoot the messenger. We did not have to deal with your parents, Bingley was there but not his pernicious sister, many in the banking and merchant community were there, it was a good day.”
“What of the divide?”
“It still exists but there are cracks in the foundation. From talking to Mr. Warburton Sr. I have come to know that there are several men from the industrial north who are already millionaires. We are far from poor but my own £20,000 a year is less than half of those few gentlemen. I suspect that there are less than a handful of landowners who can match that level of wealth. These people cannot be ignored. There have been revolutions in both America and France in the last 30 years. That will focus the minds of His Majesty’s Ministers. You see it already, round the edges. Merchants and bankers of significant wealth, their daughters are suddenly eligible, the same with their sons. Your own sister is an example of this. The coming decades are going to see tremendous change.”
Little did he know.
