The Pemberley Chronicles (41 page)

Kitty will explain how the wedding was arranged, with Dr Jenkins very kindly performing the ceremony and dear, kind Mrs Reynolds helping me prepare for the journey. She has found a good, middle-aged woman, who will travel with us. Mrs Brown is familiar with Paul's condition, having helped me care for him at the cottage in Littleford. Papa is also to send a manservant to accompany us, to help with Paul, and be our general protector.

I think that is all I have to write, except, my dear Cousin, to beg your forgiveness and understanding, that I have taken this step without waiting to ask your advice. Please understand, there was so little time, and as I said to Richard, I am all of twenty-six, albeit somewhat less experienced in the ways of the world than my brothers and sister.

But of one thing I am absolutely certain, I love Paul very much, too much to let him die alone in some hospital. My love would have been worth little, and I could not have lived with myself or faced my God, had I not done whatever I was able to do for him, when he needed me most. We are both sensible people and know well what lies in store. I pray we have the strength to help each other through it. Please, Lizzie, all I ask is that you understand and pray for us.

Your loving cousin, Emily.

When Elizabeth finished reading the letter, her face was wet with tears. As she sat unable to speak, Darcy entered the room with Richard, who, like Kitty, had arrived, alerted to their early return by Mrs Reynolds.

Elizabeth's instinct was to go at once to her aunt and uncle, but Richard would not let her. "No, Cousin Lizzie, you must not go now. You have been travelling for almost two days; you are tired and already upset by the news; you are not in a state to be of any help to Mama. Perhaps tomorrow . . ."

"But Richard, do you not think your mother needs me?" Elizabeth asked.

"I am sure she does, and I know she would welcome a visit from you, but I do not believe you should undertake the journey now."
Darcy agreed, "Richard is right, Elizabeth. Besides there are things with which you need to acquaint yourself. You will want to talk to Mrs Reynolds, Kitty, and Doctor Jenkins as well as Richard, before you go to your aunt and uncle." Elizabeth could not deny the commonsense of his argument and reluctantly agreed to postpone her journey to Lambton. After dinner, Kitty and her husband returned home, but Richard stayed on to explain how it had all come about. Elizabeth wanted to know everything, and Richard alone had all the answers, for he had been his sister's confidant from the outset. Arriving from Birmingham, a week before he was to start work at the clinic in Derby, he had been troubled by Paul's condition. In spite of the warm Summer, he was still pale and very breathless.
"I insisted that we see my colleague in Harley Street at once, and it was not a moment too soon. He said, quite categorically, that Paul had no chance at all, unless he left England and moved to a warmer, drier climate. He recommended southern Italy--he has sent other patients there and they have benefited quite remarkably. Some have enjoyed prolonged periods of reasonably good health. Paul himself accepts the inevitable. While he was not happy to go, he agreed when I said I would accompany him and see him settled there. He can afford comfortable accommodation and a local servant or two." Elizabeth was impatient to know how and when Emily became involved. "Almost as soon as we returned from London," he replied.
"She insisted on knowing every particular. At first, she was distraught and wept a great deal. Then, she went away and came back about two hours later with her mind made up. She had it all planned--the special licence, the travel arrangements, everything. They were to be married, so she could accompany Paul and look after him in Italy." Darcy, who had said little, intervened to ask, "How did Mr and Mrs Gardiner respond to Emily's decision?" Richard's answer was not entirely what they expected.
"Mama was most upset. It was not a question of being unsympathetic, because she has always liked Paul and treated him as one of the family. She was afraid for Emily and did not wish her to go. She even suggested that I should go with him; I was a man and a doctor, she said; it was right and proper that I should go. But Emily's resolve could not be shaken. I have never seen her so determined about anything before. Nothing any of us said would change her mind," he explained.
"And Mr Gardiner?" Darcy prompted, knowing how difficult such a situation would have been for him.
"I think I was most surprised by my father. He listened to everything Emily said, and when he realised how determined she was to go, he simply asked about the practical arrangements for their journey and lodgings; he even decided to send one of his servants to accompany them," Richard sighed and added, "I think Mama was deeply shocked. She had hoped he would support her and try to dissuade Emily, but, as Emily reminded me, she is twenty-six. Caroline had been permitted to become engaged to Fitzwilliam when she was but fifteen-- not much more than a child. How could they tell Emily she had no right to do as she chose at twenty-six?"
"But surely, there is no comparison, Richard. Emily must be aware, as we all are, that there is no future in this tragic marriage." Darcy's voice was as grave as his countenance. He wondered whether Emily's natural kindness had perhaps blinded her to the hopelessness of their situation. But Richard was quite sure that Emily understood perfectly the consequences of her decision.
"Emily was well aware of the facts about Paul's health, from the outset. I ensured that she knew everything, as soon as I discovered it. She knows there is no hope of recovery, not even with the best care in the world. She accepts that. But, she loves him and wants to be with him to bring him some happiness and comfort until the end. Paul was reluctant at first, much as he loves her, but she persuaded him."
"And the wedding, how was that arranged?" asked Elizabeth.
"Dr Jenkins and Kitty were splendid. They arranged it all. It was a simple ceremony with just the family. Bingley and Jane were here, of course. Caroline and Fitzwilliam came direct from London. But, everybody agreed Emily looked beautiful, and if you had seen them, you would have thought they were a happy couple with a lifetime of married bliss ahead of them; it was quite astonishing," he said. They had left the following day, by private coach; Richard had accompanied them to ensure that everything was in order.
"Where are they now?" asked Elizabeth.
"They have taken a house outside Rome--it has to be near enough for the doctor to reach them regularly," Richard explained.
"Will it really help him?" she persisted.
"Oh yes, it will probably extend his life by several months. Better still, the weather will enhance his enjoyment of it. The sunshine and the dry, fresh air will all help. It will certainly be better for him than the Midlands in Winter." Richard's voice betrayed his feelings, despite his attempt to remain as detached as possible. Paul was his friend as well as his patient. Now, he was also his brother-in-law.
The following morning, at breakfast, Cassandra and William, who had heard whispers from the chambermaid on the previous night, were told of Emily's marriage and some of the reasons behind it. They asked a few questions, and after straightforward and truthful answers from their parents, their responses were quite remarkable. Cassandra declared that Emily had done something very brave and noble--an unselfish gesture of true love. William agreed, though he could not quite understand why the weather in Rome was better for Paul than the weather in Derbyshire or Bath. He hoped it would mean that Paul might recover but added that he would miss Emily very much. Elizabeth was more than a little surprised. Their reactions, uncomplicated by adult priorities and social prejudice, were in sharp contrast to her own.
Discussing it later with Darcy, she confessed to being disappointed in herself. "I wonder, my love, am I becoming hard and unfeeling?" she asked, and as he regarded her with astonishment, explained, "I should have been feeling, like Cassy, that Emily's has been a brave, selfless act--an example of true love. Yet, I see only the recklessness and the possible pain that must surely follow, not just for her, but for all her family and especially her parents, who must feel bereft. I know she is twenty-six and had every right to decide for herself, but I cannot help wishing I had been here to advise her." Darcy looked very grave indeed. Elizabeth knew that expression--it was almost always a sign that he disagreed with her. His voice, however, was gentle when he spoke.
"I am particularly pleased that we were not here, Elizabeth, and that Emily was able to make her decision untroubled by opinions and advice, however wellmeant, from either of us. I should not have liked to feel that we had placed any more strain upon a young woman, who felt that the most important thing in her life was to bring some affection and comfort to a man she loved, when, as she says in her letter, he needed her most."
"But Darcy, you cannot believe that she has done the right thing by marrying Paul, when he is dying? Surely, there were other ways of helping him? I know she loves him, but must she blight her entire life to give him some temporary comfort?" Even as she spoke, Elizabeth could have bitten off her tongue. She heard the harshness of her words and regretted them immediately. Darcy heard it too, but he knew her too well to assume that she had meant them. He realised it was the consequence of her anxiety and concern for Emily, whom they both loved. Turning to her, he spoke with a degree of gentleness that precluded any hint of censure, "Elizabeth, that question is neither fair nor worthy of your generous and loving nature. I know you too well to accept that you believe what you have just said. Nevertheless, let me try to answer your concerns."
They were standing beside a window in their private sitting room, overlooking the park. Elizabeth continued to gaze out on the sunlit scene, as he spoke, unable to trust herself to look at him. "Lizzie, when we chose to marry, both you and I defied the judgement of others, including my aunt and your father, each of whom had reservations based upon their perceptions of our characters and conduct. We had no thought except that we loved each other. Nothing else mattered. How then, can we censure Emily for following her heart, as she has done? Consider also this, she has not acted rashly in any practical sense, Richard assures me Paul has a considerable inheritance, which will ultimately be Emily's. Indeed it had been so willed--before their wedding. If we consider his character and background, they are without stain. Richard speaks highly of him, and I cannot imagine that a single objection would have been raised, had he been fit and well. Surely, Elizabeth, if we marry promising to love in sickness and in health, there can be no criticism of what Emily has done, on the grounds that the condition was known to exist? She has acted as she has done with only the noblest of motives. What would we say of a man who abandoned his partner on discovering she was similarly afflicted? Would we not find him worthy of severe condemnation?" Elizabeth was silent, her mind in turmoil as she heard the strength of his arguments and the compassion in his voice. He spoke quietly, but there was a level of gravity that compelled attention.
"My only reservation flows from the sorrow she will bear when he dies, but that is a choice Emily has made. She has accepted that the sorrow she must endure, when he is gone, is part of the love they both share now, while he lives. It is not for us to sit in judgement over her, my dearest; rather we should endeavour to support and help them in every way possible." Elizabeth knew he was right. She, above all, had fought prejudice and small mindedness and, through her own marriage and that of her sister Jane, seen her proud belief in the primacy of character and principle vindicated. Darcy, whose greatest strength lay in the consistent integrity and decency of his character, was reinforcing her own deeply felt beliefs and drawing her back to them.
Grateful for his intervention, she turned from the window and looked up at him, noticing how age had changed his countenance. The hard, determined chin and fine features still dominated his face, but the dark eyes were gentler, and the lines of many years' experience had mellowed his expression. While strength and determination still prevailed, the hauteur had long gone, and in its place were respect and compassion for others, as well as a generosity of spirit that never failed to delight her. Reaching for his hand, Elizabeth spoke from the heart. "You are quite right, my love, I should never have believed that I had any right to be censorious of Emily's actions, based as they were on totally unselfish love and devotion--which are surely blessed virtues. If Emily never loves another man in all her life, she will still have the memory of the love she shares with Paul, for however short a time. None of us, least of all myself, with my reputation for independence, has the right to criticise her. I have you to thank for showing me, albeit in the kindest possible way, how very wrong I was. I am sorry."
Darcy drew her to him and held her close. He was deeply touched but not surprised by her contrition. Knowing her well, he understood her reasons and loved her honesty and sincerity in acknowledging it. It was her affection and concern for Emily and her parents, for whom both of them cared so deeply, that had brought her first, seemingly insensitive, response. Yet, Elizabeth, herself capable of deep love and loyalty, could not deny the pre-eminence of such unselfish love as Emily had shown, over any material consideration. So completely did she accept her husband's account of the situation that she worried about her ability to comfort her aunt, whom she expected to find still griefstricken over Emily's marriage and in dire need of consolation, when they travelled to Lambton on the following day.
To her surprise, they found the Gardiners far more composed than they had anticipated. Seeking a reason for their equanimity, Elizabeth did not have to look very far or wait very long. While the maid was getting tea and cakes, and Mr Gardiner invited Darcy to walk down to look at a new vehicle he had acquired, Mrs Gardiner took Elizabeth upstairs, where she produced a letter, closely written in Emily's own hand. Posted in Rome, it was addressed to Richard but plainly intended for all of the family.
Having first thanked her brother from the bottom of her heart for all he had done to help them and asked his forgiveness for having caused him and her "dear parents" so much grief, she proceeded to write in great detail of the arrangements that had been made for their accommodation, the generosity and kindness of their Italian neighbours, and not least, the difference the warmth and constant sunshine had made, within only a week of their coming, to Paul's spirits.
She wrote joyously of her happiness at being able to be with him: