Talk Any Louder
Epilogue

Desirable as privacy was to a newly engaged couple, Elizabeth soon relented to the dictates of her own good breeding and eased the door to the sitting room open. Her mother, anxiously awaiting just such a cue from the hallway, soon entered. Elizabeth stepped away from Mr. Darcy to immediately share her news with Mrs. Bennet and Jane. Though Mr. Darcy had shared his intentions with them when he requested the audience with Elizabeth, their delight was in no way checked by the knowledge of what must come to pass. Mrs. Bennet's raptures were for the economic windfall her second daughter should expect; Jane's, for the real and unaffected happiness of her sister's heart. Mary and Kitty were soon called into the sitting room as well, so that they might join in congratulating Elizabeth's good fortune.

Elizabeth was not offended when Mr. Darcy excused himself from the collection of his future wife, mother and sisters so that he might speak with Mr. Bennet. Such excess of feeling from people he hardly knew could not be pleasing to him. She was just as eager as he to spare Mr. Darcy the vulgarity of her mother. That Mrs. Bennet now viewed him as a material conquest was unsurprising, but Elizabeth would rather such things were not discussed within his hearing. He had already learned to appreciate her father's sardonic wit, leaving the only family member Elizabeth really wished Mr. Darcy to know better to be Jane. Elizabeth was confidant that he could enjoy Jane's sense and reserve as easily as he once disparaged the nonsense of the others.

She had little expectation of a long conversation between her father and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bennet considered the matter of their engagement settled before one had actually taken place. He could not importune Mr. Darcy with much to say on the subject now. A quick agreement to whatever terms Mr. Darcy set was all that could be asked for. Her father would never enter into a long debate regarding the settlement of his daughter's jointure or what would be provided to children of her union. If her suitor had been less austere, Mr. Bennet would have been tempted to make sport of him, but as he had already lamented, her father did not consider such a thing possible.

Mr. Bennet was of such a disposition that sport was to be found regardless. When Mr. Darcy returned to Elizabeth's side and related the particulars of his conversation, he did so with an air of self-congratulatory conceit that, in light of the anxiety he displayed earlier, was humorous.

Elizabeth could not resist teasing him for his pride. "Proceed carefully, sir," she warned quietly.

"I have found caution does me less good than I might expect," he replied. "It was caution that lead me to be silent for far longer than I should have been."

"That was poorly applied caution," Elizabeth answered. "In such cases as there is only one possible outcome, there is no need to approach it carefully."

"A gross untruth; in matters of a lady's heart, one must always approach with delicacy of feeling."

"To do otherwise must be tantamount to courting rejection, rather than courting a lady," Elizabeth admitted, rather self-consciously. She thought of April in terms of her own crimes, rather than his, a view he had not learned to share.

"I had no fear of rejection," he answered. She frowned at him. "I had born your rejection before, I could bear it again if I must." This mollified Elizabeth. "I feared you accepting me out of duty or gratitude alone."

Elizabeth was overcome by the insensible urge to apologize to him. This notion was soon tempered, for he went on, countenance full of conceit and provocation: "Determined to have me, were you?"

Her father, having no sport in Mr. Darcy, had instead made her his target. Elizabeth would have to get accustomed to the two of them working in tandem. She thought herself equal to that challenge.

"Shamelessly," Elizabeth replied airily.

Mr. Darcy turned very red and spent the rest of the morning in embarrassed silence.

They soon resumed their habit of walking out together each day. One of Elizabeth's sisters was often prevailed upon to accompany the couple. With Jane as their chaperone, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy spent their rambles deep in conversation. Under Jane's watchful eye, they had many a serious discussion about their upcoming wedding and more than a few foolish exchanges. They were growing in skill at being simultaneously earnest and silly. Though they had much to say and much to plan, Mr. Darcy enjoyed being the object of her teasing, and Elizabeth was not remiss in fulfilling that duty.

"Had you found me in Lambton in a cheerful mood," Elizabeth posited on one such walk, "if I had smiled and teased you when you had entered, what would you have done?" She twirled her parasol, looking coy, but really interested in how he would respond.

Mr. Darcy did not disappoint. "I would have begged you to marry me."

"Ah," Elizabeth said impishly, continuing her twirl, "I have long thought so."

"And you," he returned, smiling. "What would you have said?"

"I would have told you," Elizabeth said thoughtfully, "that I admired you greatly." Looking into his eyes, she could see a shade of melancholy. She pressed on. "That I suspected only two more visits from you would make the difference between respect and love and that I should be very happy to marry you."

Clearing his throat, Mr. Darcy asked, "Now that I have visited many more times than twice, have you found this conjecture proved true?"

"Oh, no, not at all!" Elizabeth cried. "It did not take nearly so many visits! I watched you walk away from me and that was quite enough to secure your place in my heart."

Though they may have wished otherwise, an engagement was no occasion to partake in only one another's society. Elizabeth made visits with the ladies of the neighborhood while Mr. Darcy was forced to listen to the raillery of the men. They related to one another what of these encounters they felt was suitable for the other's ears. Mr. Darcy felt very little bared repeating; Elizabeth, less so. It seemed to her that every woman in the neighborhood felt herself the matchmaker responsible for Elizabeth's current felicity. This opinion was likewise felt by many of the men.

From no mouth was such an opinion less welcomed than from that of her cousin, Mr. Collins. The man who once adamantly declared that Mr. Darcy would never have her now attributed Elizabeth's match to his own connection with the House of De Bourgh. This folly, she could have dismissed easily enough, but Mr. Collins was entirely oblivious to the discouragement of others. One morning, when calling upon Lucas Lodge, Elizabeth had the bad luck of visiting when Mr. Collins was at home. He and his wife had yet to return to Hunsford. Their visit had lasted many weeks, something Charlotte attributed to homesickness.

Over the course of the call, Mr. Collins made so presumptuous a proclamation, Elizabeth could hardly stifle her laughter. "Cousin, it shall be my greatest honor to perform the ceremony that binds two so worthy young people in holy matrimony."

It was plain on Lady Lucas's face that she approved very much of the idea. Charlotte smiled at Elizabeth in an apologetic manner.

"It is very kind of you to offer, Mr. Collins," Elizabeth replied, "but Meryton has a curate and the office shall be his."

"I flatter myself," Mr. Collins protested, "to think that any clergyman can perform the ceremony. Through my patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, I am connected to Mr. Darcy. I wager that he would prefer to have myself perform the ceremony?"

Elizabeth bit her lip to prevent herself from protesting this assumption on two grounds. First, that Mr. Collins lived in fear of his patroness ever since the engagement he now called worthy came about. Second, Mr. Darcy had no preference towards him at all. An accurate representation of Mr. Darcy's opinion, as Elizabeth had once promised to give should the need arise, would be that he thought Mr. Collins an idiot.

Cast out from Lady Catherine's favor, Mr. Collins was attempting to court that of Mr. Darcy. He would not find the nephew's approbation to be won by the same flattery and obedience the aunt required.

Elizabeth heartily hated that her happiness should bring any hardship to Charlotte and her progeny. The family would have to return to Hunsford and make the best of it sooner or later. Though Mr. Collins' living was a good one, he could not afford to hire a curate and live in a separate establishment. That Lady Catherine could not rescind the living she had given would have to be enough security for the Collinses.

"Mr. Darcy has been introduced to Mr. Musgrove, sir, and found his manners very pleasing," Elizabeth answered. "Both Mr. Darcy and myself are glad to have Mr. Musgrove perform the ceremony."

"My dear cousin," Mr. Collins entreated, "I must beg you to reconsider! Think on what is owed to Mr. Darcy's family!"

"A very fine piece of advice, Mr. Collins," Elizabeth assented. "One cannot consider one's family too much. My own family permitted me to run wild as a girl. As a wife, I must learn obedience and temper my tongue. And so, as her ladyship once advised me to do, I have decided to practice. What Mr. Darcy owes his family will be his decision, and I shall follow his example."

Mr. Collins face showed that this was significantly more reasonable than anything he expected to hear from his opinionated cousin. Charlotte suddenly found the tea things required her attention and crossed the room so that her countenance would not betray her amusement.

"Mr. Darcy, it cannot be said enough, is a gentleman of the highest order. He is an esteemable young man and all the claims of duty are forefront in his mind," Elizabeth continued.

"Yes, indeed, cousin," Mr. Collins replied eagerly, "I knew that you should see what a fine gentleman has done you honor, and that you must, in turn, honor him and all his illustrious family."

"I trust Mr. Darcy's judgement impeccably." At this point in her speech, Elizabeth's composure wavered, and she had to cough to cover her laugh.

"As we all do!" Mr. Collins cheered. How soon he had forgotten, Elizabeth reflected, that Mr. Darcy's impeccable judgement had required him to forgo marriage to Miss De Bourgh.

"I am afraid that Mr. Darcy has decided his family is owed very little," Elizabeth said at last. "I have no recourse but to trust in this judgement. So you see, Mr. Musgrove will do well enough for us both."

Feeling this visit had lasted as long as it should, Elizabeth requested that Mrs. Collins see her out. As she parted with the husband, Elizabeth added, "You need not fear Lady Catherine's presence at my wedding, Mr. Collins. She will not be invited."

Out of the sitting room, Charlotte asked Elizabeth, "Is what you said all true?"

"Oh, no," Elizabeth answered laughingly. "I am convinced Mr. Darcy would be very put out if I stopped running wild for his sake! No, I shall be a very disobedient and opinionated wife who questions his judgement excessively, and he shall be made happy by it."

"Eliza, about his family?"

Elizabeth sobered. "Lady Catherine cut him off," she said lowly. "He told her straight away about what he had done for Lydia, and what he hoped to gain for it, and she renounced him."

"Oh, Elizabeth," Charlotte whispered. "What a blow to poor Mr. Darcy!"

"He is not," Elizabeth said carefully, "so upset. He has always been very independent, which is an excellent quality for a man, but not so much for a nephew of his aunt. The way he speaks of it, I suspect he saw it coming and had prepared himself as best he could."

"And he does not regret offering for you?" Charlotte wondered.

"Certainly not!" Elizabeth scoffed. "Mr. Darcy is perfectly convinced his aunt will relent when the children come, if not before that. She loves him as her own son and maternal feelings will triumph sooner or later."

"I wish you joy, Eliza," Charlotte said, kissing her cheek.

"I accept your wish with a heavy heart," her friend replied. "It pains me to think how much more joy I have already felt in an engagement than I fear you will ever know in marriage."

Charlotte took Elizabeth's hands. "I am content with my lot," she reminded Elizabeth. "I have known more happiness than I dared hope for."

"Content," Elizabeth sighed. "I shall not settle for anything less than the happiest creature in the world!"

"And so you shall be," Charlotte answered as they parted.

Kitty was no more interested in chaperoning now that her sister was promised than she was when the engagement was a flimsy rumor. While walks spent in Jane's company were valued for their conversation, walks spent with Kitty were valued for other reasons. Stolen kisses and secret caresses characterized rambles where Kitty accompanied them. At one time, Mr. Darcy had asked for chaperonage because he had feared his desire to kiss Elizabeth may soon overcome his respect for her delicacy. Under the negligent watch of Kitty, Elizabeth learned that the brim of her bonnet was no detriment at all, provided that one of them tilted their head adequately, and that Mr. Darcy was of the opinion that his tongue belonged in Elizabeth's mouth more so than his own. Kitty showed an exceptional degree of responsibility if she did not take an entirely different path than the lovers.

Elizabeth, upon reflecting on her words to Charlotte, realized that there was one matter that prevented her from being as happy as she intended to be. She hated to waste a walk with Kitty on an unpleasant discussion, but such a topic could not be entered into with Jane near by.

She asked, "Do you intend to invite Mr. Bingley to the wedding?"

"I had thought not," Mr. Darcy replied.

"Why?" Elizabeth demanded.

"One wedding gives rise to expectation of another," he explained. "If Bingley and your sister were to meet again on such an occasion, they would be as good as engaged in the minds of everyone."

Suspiciously, Elizabeth asked, "Have you reason to believe Mr. Bingley no longer favors Jane?" When she had met him in Lambton, Mr. Bingley gave every indication of still being under Jane's power. If a separation of eight months had not been enough to make him forget her sister, Elizabeth saw no reason why an additional three should do it.

"He has provided me with nothing of the sort," Mr. Darcy said, much to Elizabeth's relief "I would only wish that whatever understanding they reach is done so with only their own happiness in mind. I would have them meet someplace where there will be no one with any opinion to create obstacles. An excess of expectation can be more a hindrance than a help, as we well know."

"What do you suggest instead?" Elizabeth asked. "Inviting Jane to London for the season?" Elizabeth had settled on a day in mid-November for the wedding. She hoped to be secure in her role at Pemberley by Christmas and felt a month at the great house should do it. She had not thought to leave again so soon, but the Darcys must make their appearance for the London season.

Mr. Darcy surprised her when he answered, "Ideally, yes. With the amusements and society available in town, and the relative lack of consequence of them both, they should be able to reach an informed decision without any undue interference."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Aside from our own, you mean."

He replied, "You may choose to offer any opinion you like, should your sister ask for one. For myself, I have said enough and had better stop."

"My mother will be very pleased to know you intend to throw her daughter into the path of a rich man," Elizabeth said. "You found Lydia a husband, then took me off her hands, now you are full of plots for Jane. Who shall you marry off next? Mary? Or perhaps it will be Georgiana's turn."

"Georgiana would not thank us for anything of the sort," Mr. Darcy answered. With a sly glance, he added, "Kitty, on the other hand, I understand would enjoy new gowns and polished society."

Elizabeth laughed while Mr. Darcy endeavored to make her accept he was perfectly serious. With their mouths made merry with conversation and their hearts filled with happiness for themselves and their sisters, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy walked on.

The End