Chapter Text
The 1st of November
In the company of her beloved sister, Mrs. Jane Bingley found herself hinting that, perhaps in a short while, she would be too fatigued of being away from her own home and wish to leave Pemberley.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy assured Mrs. Jane Bingley of her perennial sisterly affection. She saw fit to add, “Even if you should commit such a terrible crime as wanting to sleep in your own bed.”
Mrs. Jane Bingley’s countenance saddened for a moment at Mrs. Darcy’s tone before the words themselves seemed to register and she leveled a smile which on a lesser lady’s mouth would be described as wry.
“Sister,” was all she said, and the matter was settled.
The 2nd of November
The Bingleys have stated their intention to depart Pemberley after Bonfire Night. Mr. Bingley assured his friend, Mr. Darcy of his significant gratitude for The Darcys’ warm hospitality and pleasurable company.
Mr. Darcy told him, “Anywhere Lizzie and I call home, you will always be welcome.”
To which Mr. Bingley observed, “You’ve become so open with your sentiment, Darcy. I think marriage has been exceptionally good for you.”
The 3rd of November
The breakfast conversation turned to travel plans for the various guests at Pemberley. Mr. Martin Fitzmartin will be leaving to London with his Aunt and Uncle, The Hursts. While Mr. Fitzmartin was not directly told to depart along with his relations, it was made very clear to him that if he remained behind then he would be overstaying his welcome.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy assured Miss Caroline Bingley she need not depart with either her brother or sister if she would like to stay at Pemberley.
Miss Caroline said, “That’s very kind, but I could not impose.” Ostensibly the words were spoken as a reply to Mrs. Darcy’s offer, although the comment seemed rather directed at Col. Fitzwilliam.
The 4th of November
Mrs. Jane Bingley and Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy are overseeing the construction of a wooden chest, furnished with latticed sides for air flow and a latching door. The chest is to be used in transporting Miss Caroline Bingley’s fox the 30 miles from Pemberley to the Bingley’s estate, where a substantial living space is being built for the creature.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy was heard to tell her sister, “I’ve grown somewhat fond of the pungent creature. Honestly, I don’t know which one of you I’ll miss more.”
To which Mrs. Jane Bingley’s response was one word, in an admonishing tone, “Lizzy!”
The 5th of November - Morning Edition
Preparations were started before dawn in anticipation of the grounds of Pemberley being thrown open for all who wish to visit this evening for Bonfire Night celebrations. The cook was running a nearly militant sweet meats production operation.
A massive bonfire was built with a competition taking place among the local youths as to who can create the best Guy Fawkes effigy to burn. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy will judge their efforts, picking her favorite Guy to grace the Darcy Bonfire.
This morning, Mrs. Darcy greeted her husband with a sardonic, “Penny for the Guy?” Following which he pulled her into the library and neither were seen for the rest of the morning.
Amidst the chaos, a letter arrived for Col. Fitzwilliam from his parents. Miss Caroline Bingley commented on the letter’s arrival, “I wasn’t aware you had written them.
“I wished to inform them of an urgent matter,” the Colonel told her.
She pressed on, “What matter?”
“An urgent one,” he replied, leaving the parlor to read his letter privately.
The 5th of November - Evening Edition
This evening a large crowd gathered at Pemberley from the town and surrounding countryside. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, with much pomp and circumstance, chose the winning Guy Fawkes because of “his lovely little mustache made of twigs and leaves which will burn splendidly.”
As the bonfire blazed, fireworks lit up the black sky with bursts of orange and white. Each explosion was greeted with cheers from the crowd. During the display, Col. Fitzwilliam bid Miss Caroline Bingley accompany him to a secluded section of the gardens.
There, the Colonel asked Miss Caroline Bingley if she would do the kindness of marrying him.
“This has been a rather scandalously quick courtship,” Miss Caroline observed. “People are liable to talk.”
The Colonel would hear none of it. “My parents are informed. Your brother approves. We have both searched long enough for a match to know when we have found that which we desire. Do I have your assurances?”
To which the lady assured him, “You can have whatever you’d like from me and most certainly, you have my assurances.”
The 6th of November
Before breakfast was served, Miss Caroline Bingley requested that Mrs. Jane Bingley speak with her in a private setting. Presumably, Miss Caroline then told her sister the news of her engagement, because it was Mrs. Jane Bingley who brought the subject up at the breakfast table.
In a manner somewhat reminiscent of her own father, Mrs. Jane Bingley announced the news by asking Col. Fitzwilliam what his longterm plans were for housing his future wife’s fox.
While well wishes and happy sentiments burst forth from everyone at the table, no one even faked surprise at the news. Except for Mr. Hurst’s nephew, Martin Fitzmartin who somehow missed the growing affection that was obvious to all the rest of Pemberley.
“Is that why you spared the fox!?” Mr. Fitzmartin exclaimed. His outburst was, of course, completely ignored.
The 7th of November
The Bingleys packed their carriage tight with belongings, including one rather confused fox. The creature’s carry box was outfitted in high style, padded with sheep wool and upholstered with fabric from old parlor curtains that were changed out last spring. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy took to calling it “The Foxrouche Box,” in an accent uncannily similar to her husband’s aunt, the noble Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Miss Caroline Bingley left with her brother and his wife, making promises to Colonel Fitzwilliam that she would write often. Though both parts of the couple are perhaps too mature for the quixotic carrying on of young lovers, there did seem misery enough between them to inspire at least one earnest but regrettable poem.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy stood at the front of Pemberley, Colonel Fitzwilliam to her left and Mr. Darcy to her right, until the carriage disappeared from sight.
The 8th of November
Since Mrs. Jane Bingley left Pemberley for her own home yesterday, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy has been enthusiastic with assisting her remaining guests, The Hursts to depart. Traveling via hired carriage, The Hursts are accompanying Mr. Martin Fitzmartin to London where his mother and sister are already settling in for the season.
Mr. Fitzmartin spent the morning extolling the virtues of the ton: balls, new acquaintances, concerts. Most of which served to annoy rather than impress its intended target, Miss Georgiana Darcy. However, the description of famed composers performing nights of new music did prove some enticement on her.
It was with a sense of peace and joy that The Darcys saw The Hursts off, happily finding their home occupied by only their family.
The 9th of November
To celebrate Pemberley being empty of guests, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy convinced her household to hold what she insisted on referring to as a ball. The list of invitees included only Mr. Darcy, Miss Georgiana Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy herself.
The festivities consisted of Miss Georgiana playing the pianoforte Mr. Darcy built earlier this year. Even her exemplary skills were not able to offset the instrument’s rather unique sound quality.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy led her husband in a spirited dance while Colonel Fitzwilliam served an especially potent beverage he cited as being ‘Trafalgar Punch.’
This publication has heard the recipe for Trafalgar Punch to be:
A third brandy
A third rum
A third lemonade
Prayers
The 10th of November
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy stayed in her shabbiest morning gown all day. Luxuriating in simple chores, she took cuttings from the garden until her hems were well and truly soaked with mud. The chill November wind deranged her hair and twisted her apron around such that it did little to protect her gown from the elements.
Mr. Darcy came to watch her, commenting, “You seem to be in your element.”
“I’m always one for a little mischief,” she agreed, placing a sprig of rosemary as a boutonniere on his jacket.
The 11th of November
When Colonel Fitzwilliam sat at the parlor desk to write a letter, he was quickly joined by Miss Georgiana Darcy. Once she had ascertained that the the letter was intended for Miss Caroline Bingley, she read over the Colonel’s shoulder, giving him advice on how to best express his sentiment.
“Oh, no, you can’t simply tell her you miss her,” Miss Georgiana insisted. “These days gentlemen are sending courtship letters that are practically epic poetry.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam set aside his task to address her directly. “For someone who seems to hold little personal interest in courtship, you have an excess of opinions on the subject.”
Unable to make a cogent reply, Miss Georgiana fled the room.
The 12th of November
Two letters arrived in addition to the usual business and expenditure correspondences. One letter was in Miss Caroline Bingley’s handwriting, the letters were formed in a bumpy manner and the ink blotted, leading the household to conclude the letter must have been written during transport.
Mr. Darcy was heard to ask his wife, “Is that romantic or simply foolhardy, considering the likelihood of spilling ink in a carriage?” He received an amused but firm, “Romantic,” from Mrs. Darcy.
Miss Georgiana Darcy asked the Colonel to read the letter aloud, but he insisted on keeping it private.
However, the second letter he passed about the room for The Darcy’s perusal. It was an official letter stating that the Colonel would be henceforth stationed in London.
The 13th of November
The knowledge that Colonel Fitzwilliam would soon need to leave Pemberley to resume his duties as an officer spurred the Colonel and his cousin Mr. Darcy into, not exactly action, but rather paperwork.
They spent much of the day in Mr. Darcy’s study, addressing matters related to their shared responsibility as Miss Georgiana Darcy’s guardians; her finances, education and the like. The gentlemen attempted to do a week’s worth of work in a single day as both have voiced a distaste for discussing such things through letters.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, while expressing little interest in the gentlemen’s proceedings herself, told Miss Georgiana Darcy that she should try to join the men.
When Miss Georgiana demurred from taking any such bold action, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy pointed out, “It’s your future they’re discussing. You should have an opinion on it.”
The 14th of November
Waking before the sun, Miss Georgiana Darcy spent the morning practicing a new composition at her pianoforte. One of the young lady’s friends had included a hand-penned copy of the lively tune in an October letter, claiming the jig was all the rage in Bath. Miss Georgiana had shown little initial enthusiasm for the music upon its arrival, however, today it became her singular focus.
When Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy eventually found Miss Georgiana at the pianoforte, she’d been sitting there for hours, hands flying across the keys.
“Should I turn the pages for you?” Mrs. Darcy asked. At Miss Georgiana’s nod, she took a seat beside her on the bench. She said nothing else, allowing her silence to make clear her implied question.
Before long Georgiana said, “Everyone keeps talking about what I must do. And who I must meet. And how I am running out of time before my future becomes my present. I do not know what I want my future to be.”
Mrs. Darcy tapped the page on which the music was written. “I suspect the composer of this piece did not sit down and pen this on his first draft. He tried different melodies and notes to see what he liked.”
“That may be true,” Miss Georgiana said, visibly soothed by the thought. “However, I think it is quite evident that he chose very ill.”
The 15th of November
Today, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy took her husband aside to have a serious conversation about Miss Georgiana Darcy’s future. Or rather, about how to make planning and dreaming for her future an enjoyable task for the young lady, instead of the burden it currently was.
Neither part of the couple had any great insight in how to achieve such a goal, other than an agreement that doing so was important. Mrs. Elizabeth asked her husband what future he had dreamed of as a young man.
With some stuttering embarrassment, Mr. Darcy confided, “When I was quite young, I had intended to be one of King Arthur’s Knights. I had read an excellent book about the knights of Camelot while visiting a friend’s library. I’ve often wished I remembered the title so that I could purchase my own copy.” He paused, “Even once I grew older, the desire never entirely left me.”
His wife only smiled, clearly charmed by the notion of a young Sir Darcy. He asked her, “And what did you dream of?”
“It never felt like I had a choice beyond being stubbornly optimistic or compliantly accepting of unhappiness,” Mrs. Darcy confessed. “I thought my stubborn streak a curse, and yet here I am married to you when I could have accepted Mr. Colin’s proposal.”
“I presume you don’t regret that match,” her husband said.
Eyes alight with mischief, Mrs. Darcy said, “Oh, but I do, terribly. To think, if I’d only been less stubborn, I could have had Mr. Colins and dined nightly at Rosing’s Park.”
The 16th of November
Shortly after breakfast, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy disappeared from Pemberley, walking unaccompanied into the village. She kept the nature of her errand confidential from the rest of her household. However, she was spotted at the bookseller’s shop, where she had an extensive conversation but purchased no books.
This publication speculates that Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy is in search of a Christmas gift for her book loving husband.
The 17th of November
With Colonel Fitzwilliam’s departure to London drawing inevitably nearer, travel plans dominated today’s breakfast conversation. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy was attempting to persuade the Colonel into taking one of The Darcy’s carriages when Miss Georgiana Darcy made a rather strange noise. Tangential to speech, the noise was too high-pitched and squeaky to decipher.
“Sorry, Dear,” Mrs. Darcy said, while the men only blinked in confusion. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
Miss Georgiana breathed deep to steady her nerve, then continued in a normal register, “I was thinking, I ought to go to London to see what the season is like. Just for a little while. I wouldn’t want to be away from Pemberley at Christmas.”
The 18th of November
The household was in a minor state of uproar for the majority of the day. Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, looking to support Miss Georgiana Darcy’s resolution to investigate the London season, asked the young lady about her preferences for the nature of her trip. Namely, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy asked if she wanted Mr. Darcy and herself to act as chaperone or Colonel Fitzwilliam.
When Miss Georgiana’s reply was that she would rather travel without Mr. And Mrs. Darcy, her brother spoke out quite harshly against the plan, leading Miss Georgiana to almost give up the idea entirely.
However, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy spent several hours talking her husband around, until even he had to admit that it is easier to be young and social when not under the watchful eye of a much beloved and quick to judge older brother.
The 19th of November
Preparations began for Miss Georgiana Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam’s imminent departure to London. Miss Georgiana packed her gowns with great specificity under the indulgent eye of Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy.
“I remember Lady Catherine herself instructing me in the method of packing gowns that you currently employee,” Mrs. Darcy mentioned to her.
This received a furtive look and the response, “I could not pack them any other way if I were to try. I believed so strongly when I was a child that she would know through some preternatural clairvoyance what I had done. Even clear across England.”
Mrs. Darcy laughed at that. “You must know now that she is a woman like any other human, devoid of such unnatural powers.”
“I would not go that far,” Miss Georgiana said, glancing out the window, as if to assure herself that Lady Catherine’s carriage was not rolling up the drive.
The 20th of November
The Darcy carriage set out at first light, conveying Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Georgiana Darcy into town. Miss Georgiana is treating her visit as a brief rehearsal for future seasons in London rather than a maximal commitment to society and courtship. She is expected to return before Christmas.
All the same, Mr. Darcy has been seen stalking around Pemberley in the foul mood of an older brother whose sister has become unexpectedly grown up.
The 21st of November
Since Miss Georgiana Darcy departed Pemberley yesterday, Mr. Darcy’s temper has been the bane of that grand estate’s staff. His imagination has furnished him with an endless supply of potential catastrophes that might befall his sister in London.
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy seemed rather to be enjoying herself. “He’s like a character from a particularly good Radcliffe novel,” she was heard to say. “All storm and fire.”
The 22nd of November
When the new day dawned to find Mr. Darcy still nurturing a contemptuous mood, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy corralled him into his favorite room in the house: the library. She made a pretense of wanting to discuss what volumes he might like to add as part of his Christmas present.
The reality of her intentions were very different and upon seeing him settled in his favorite library chair, she demanded he tell her why he was so bothered by Miss Georgiana Darcy being in London.
“I would have thought that perfectly obvious,” he snapped. “She has already once before been the prey of a charlatan and betrayer.”
Mrs. Darcy’s demeanor became very sympathetic to this, however she held her ground. “Neither Georgiana, nor indeed you my love, can live your days convinced that every new acquaintance is a Wickham in waiting.”
The 23rd of November
A letter arrived before breakfast, addressed in Miss Georgiana Darcy’s hand and originating from London. No sooner had Mr. Darcy received the letter, than Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy plucked it from his hands. She read the carefully written words aloud to her husband as she paced around the parlor, dodging his attempts to reclaim the letter from her.
Mrs. Darcy said in a clear tone, “She writes that we are very dear to her and she hopes we are well.—Georgiana does have excellent manners not at all proud like her brother, I credit my own influence for that.— She goes on to say that they are arrived safely in London and settling in well.—Oh, this next bit is lovely.—
“Georgiana says that she has called upon Mrs. Annesley, who was delighted to see her again and know that she is in town. Even on such short notice, Mrs. Annesley is rearranging all her plans with Georgiana in mind. Although Georgiana, of course, insists the fuss in unnecessary. She concludes by saying that she has discovered an unexpected nostalgia for for her years in town. Then, obviously, ‘yours’ and cleverly worded etc as closing. — She is become a terribly clever girl who knows her own mind, is she not Mr. Darcy?”
“You must always have your way,” was Mr. Darcy’s only comment on the matter, though a keen eye would notice that it was said with a delighted twist on his lips.
The 24th of November
This afternoon, Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy dressed in a sturdy morning dress and apron before searching the house for her husband. She discovered him at his writing desk, penning a lengthy letter to his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. The letter’s contents, while not reported to this publication, were no doubt concerning Miss Georgiana Darcy.
Immediately insisting that the letter be left for a later hour, Mrs. Darcy dragged her husband from the room. The only explanation she offered was that she required him to join her in the kitchen.
“I have it on good authority that you have never stepped foot into a kitchen in your life, Eliza,” Mr. Darcy was heard to say. “In fact your mother has been insistent about that point during numerous conversations over the years.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy was still laughing at her husband’s dry humor when she brought him to a kitchen counter and presented him with a bowl of unmixed flour and dried fruit. The kitchen staff hovered at a respectful distance, clearly charmed by the lady of the house’s playful high spirit.
“You must stir the plum pudding and make a wish,” Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy instructed, handing Mr. Darcy a large spoon.
While he took the spoon, Mr. Darcy hesitated to stir. “What could I possibly wish for?” He asked his wife, “I have everything I could want.”
The 25th of November
The arrival of a sudden cold snap motivated Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy to start sorting out Pemberley’s plans to invite guests for Christmas. Mr. Darcy’s suggestion was his usual, “No one. Or, just the Bingleys and the Gardiners.”
However, this year Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy compiled a list of all their friends in easy enough distance, discussing the merits of each. Then, toward the finish of the conversation, Mrs. Darcy subtly asked, “Whom among this list had that book from when you were a child? You said it was about King Arthur’s knights, I believe?”
It was a mark of the gentlemen’s disinterest in the whole affair of social planning that he answered, “Oh, the Ashbrooks,” without noticing his wife’s scheming tone. He continued, “But Christmas is an occasion for family not casual acquaintances. Hence, the Bingleys or the Gardiners.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy nodded her agreement, but commented, “You can never become too well acquainted with one whom possesses an excellent library.”
The 26th of November
A letter arrived from Miss Georgiana Darcy in which she detailed the events she attended and individuals she had met in London. All related in Miss Georgiana’s usual optimistic, if reserved, manner.
However, near the conclusion of the letter, Miss. Georgiana mentioned that she had been called on by Mr. Hurst’s nephew, Mr. Martin Fitzmartin and been obligated to attend a concert with a group of his friends and relations.
She wrote, ‘Mr. Fitzmartin is far more tolerable when not in one’s own home. Indeed his friends are amiable and his sister is a delight. Miss Cecilia Fitzmartin is my own age and shares my affection for music. Everyone in the party agreed she is incomparable on the harp. She too is navigating the season for the first time, although I can not imagine with her lovely soft face and peaceful demeanor that she will remain an unmarried woman for long. I suspect Cecilia and I are going to be great friends.’
The 27th of November
During breakfast this morning, Mr. Darcy told his wife, “I have been thinking.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy did not even look up from her plate, before she replied, “That is rather habitual for you, my love.”
“About Georgiana,” he clarified, earning him a raised eyebrow from Mrs. Darcy.
“My previously expressed sentiment remains true.”
“I have been thinking,” he said,” That Georgiana is likely perfectly fine in London society. And I was perhaps, a bit, rash in my conviction that letting her go without us would result in some great calamity.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy had the good grace to allow her husband’s acquiescence to pass without witty commentary. Although, as her husband knows her well, the omission could not go unobserved by him.
He told her, “You need not restrain the pleasure of your victory over me. I will forbear it well.”
Mrs. Darcy only smiled, her silence becoming its own kind of unspoken commentary.
The 28th of November
The sun dawned brightly on a day of cold but not freezing weather. With firm ground and clear skies, it was the perfect circumstances for a walk in nature. Mr. Darcy suddenly realized that in the absences of his friends and relations from Pemberley, he had his wife’s company all to himself.
He invited Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy to walk through the woods and into town with him, where he would buy her a book in exchange for her drollest observations about the townspeople.
She did not even pretend that she might turn down such a bespoke offer of activities. Instead of what her cousin, Mr. Collins would call, ‘delicate feminine dissimulation,’ she answered her husband very directly.
“I would be delighted, my love,” she said. “And when we are returned home, perhaps I could name our next activity, for I can imagine other delights I would enjoy in your company.”
The 29th of November
Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy received a letter from her sister, Mrs. Jane Bingley, the contents of which caused her to laugh so loudly that she piqued her husband’s curiosity. He joined her from across the room, asking, “And what could you possibly find so amusing?”
Turning the letter for Mr. Darcy to see the writing himself, Mrs. Elizabeth summarized it’s subject matter, “My sister, Jane writes that Miss Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam are exchanging letters nearly everyday and he has sent two books of poetry with lines underlined. I was laughing because Jane observed how relatively few letters Mr. Bingley sent her and then asked if I had received any from you during our courtship.”
The gentleman claimed, “I must have sent you letters.”
“Well, I consider the letter you gave me at Hunsford Parsonage a love letter,” Mrs. Darcy said in an earnest tone. “You did more to earn my sentiments by revealing Mr. Wickham’s character than you would have with any amount of poetry.”
The 30th of November
While Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy was dressing for dinner, a house maid brought a letter to her dressing room. The letter was unassumingly written on fine paper with no address. Stranger still, it was written in Mr. Darcy’s hand.
Mrs. Darcy’s lady maid stopped in the midst of helping her lady dress to receive the letter. The lady’s maid gently inquired with the house maid, “Has Mr. Darcy had to leave Pemberley unexpectedly?”
However, the house maid denied this theory, “No, Mr. Darcy is very much still in residence. He asked that we play the role of the post and deliver this letter to Mrs. Darcy.”
Still terribly confused, the lady’s maid gave Mrs. Darcy the letter, providing what little explanation she could.
Mrs. Darcy then raised her husband’s letter up to smell it. “It is scented with his cologne,” she said. “I believe this is a love letter.”