Only Mr. Darcy Will Do

With strong urging from Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet moved into the nearby village of Meryton with her sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. She brought her three youngest daughters to live with them. The Phillips’s children were grown and married, and the couple was able to take the Bennet ladies into their home, although there was not as much ample space as they had enjoyed at Longbourn.

Elizabeth suggested early on that Jane move to London with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, their mother’s brother and wife, as governess for the Gardiners’ four children. Jane was delighted when Elizabeth herself secured employment as a governess for a family in London. With this arrangement, the two close sisters could still occasionally visit.

The Willstones, the family for whom Elizabeth worked, hired her when it became apparent to them in their initial meeting that she and six-year-old Emily seemed to get along quite nicely. Despite Elizabeth’s lack of formal education, she impressed them with her knowledge of the basic accomplishments. While explaining she learned much from her own love of reading and self-teaching, she did have access to a few masters who lived in the nearby town of Meryton.

Richard and Lorraine Willstone were exceptionally kind and generous, allowing Elizabeth time off on Sundays to visit the Gardiners and her sister. While Elizabeth was grateful for the employment, it was not a life she had ever envisioned for herself.

A piercing recollection interrupted her musings of Easter spent in Kent exactly one year ago. She shuddered as she thought how much had changed since then.

What if I had…?

No! She stamped her foot. She would not reproach herself for refusing those two marriage proposals. The first one, Mr. Collins, she could never have agreed to. The second…

A knock at the door announced that the carriage had arrived. She pushed away that last thought.

As the carriage drove her through the streets of London from the more fashionable neighbourhood to the less fashionable neighbourhood near Cheapside, Elizabeth looked forward with much anticipation to her day. She would listen with joy to all her aunt and sister had to share about their week, and she would recount to them how her own had passed. It would certainly prove to be a more agreeable Easter than last year.

When she arrived at the Gardiners’ home, she handed off her coat and gloves and eagerly walked into the breakfast room, where a warm meal was being served. She was greeted warmly and profusely.

“Good morning, Lizzy! Happy Easter!” her uncle exclaimed, and he rose and walked over to her, wrapping her in his arms.

“Thank you, Uncle. And a joyous Easter to all of you.” When her uncle released her, she walked over to Jane and gave her a hug. “How are you, Jane?”

“I am well. And how is my dearest sister?” Jane asked.

“Delighted to be here.” Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. “As much as I love Emily, the joy of my week is being with all of you.”

“And how is little Emily?” her aunt asked as Elizabeth motioned for her to remain seated.

“Her usual self,” answered Elizabeth as she walked over and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. “She was a little slow this morning getting ready for church, so I gave her some assistance. She went through her usual custom of not wishing to leave without me. I hope I am not late.”

“Dearest Lizzy, do not worry about being late. We have plenty of time,” her aunt reassured her.

“And plenty of food,” added her uncle.

“Now, you must sit down and have something to eat. What would you like?” her aunt asked.

“I shall have the eggs and ham. It all looks delicious!”

She joined the others at the table and inquired of the Gardiner children how their week passed. She was anxious to talk with Jane, but knew the children were eager to tell of their activities, and so she would wait. Each of the four children was given ample opportunity to tell the highlight of the past week. Jane had taught Laura a new song on the pianoforte; Jonathan had finished reading a book; Caleb had found a kitten; and little Melissa had learned how to tie a bow with the ribbon on her bonnet.

Elizabeth gave much praise to each of her cousins for their wonderful accomplishments and also applauded Jane for her excellent work as their governess.

“Tell us how your week passed, Lizzy,” Mrs. Gardiner requested. “Have you been able to get Emily to practice more on the pianoforte? Has she acquired your enjoyment for reading?”

“It is a delicate balance for me to impart the joys of my life to Emily whilst not pushing her so hard that she ends up disliking everything!” Elizabeth looked into her aunt’s warm eyes. “Fortunately, she loves to sing. And as she would prefer for me to read her a book than to read one herself , she is more willing to read a book than practice on the pianoforte. Playing is still a struggle for her.”

Mr. Gardiner chuckled. “It seems to me you must find something Emily enjoys less than playing and give her the choice of the two. Chances are she will pick playing.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Such as picking weeds in the garden?” She paused to sip some tea. “I fear she does not have the long, slender fingers that are advantageous in playing, yet her parents would so much love for her to both play and sing.”

As the family conversed and ate together, Elizabeth savoured every bit of news shared as well as every morsel of food. She was grateful to be governess to a very sweet little girl with very kind and agreeable parents, but she greatly missed her family the remainder of the week.

Elizabeth’s spirits were high at church that morning. She loved the Easter service more than any other during the year. It reinforced the foundation for her faith and gave her reason to joyfully attend services throughout the year.

The message that morning on forgiveness—how God offered up forgiveness to us and how we ought to offer up forgiveness to others—struck within Elizabeth a deep sense of conviction. She realized she had been harbouring resentment toward Mr. Collins and her friend Charlotte for taking Longbourn from them. They had every lawful right to claim it as theirs, and after all, they had made the Bennet ladies an offer to remain there as long as needed.

Fortunately, the few months it took for the Collinses to move to Longbourn allowed the Bennets to secure their new living arrangements. Charlotte had a newborn baby and did not think travelling would be wise until he was at least six months old. Elizabeth often wondered if that was Charlotte’s way of granting them time to decide what to do. She was grateful that she secured a position as governess for the Willstones and was able to leave before the Collinses arrived.

Elizabeth had written to her friend only once since she had come to London, responding to an inquiry from her as to how she was faring. It was a brief and succinct missive, written with the barest civilities. Charlotte had since written two more letters that Elizabeth had never answered, always having a reason to postpone it.

By the end of the service that morning, Elizabeth knew she had to forgive the Collinses and decided that she would behave in a more forgiving manner toward them henceforth. She did not want bitterness to take hold of her life. She would write Charlotte directly and assure her that she felt no resentment toward her and express her fervent hope that they were happy at Longbourn.

At the reverend’s “Amen” at the close of the service, Elizabeth lifted her head, hoping to feel a great sense of peace at her resolution. Instead, a restless conviction stirred within her.

She narrowed her eyes as she realized that conviction pointed to Mr. Darcy. His offer of marriage should have been an honour in itself, but she had not been able to view it that way. His words had brutally hurt her, and she had responded in angry vehemence. Yet the letter he had presented to her the following day—and a year of reading and rereading it—had somewhat lessened her animosity.

It was still difficult, however, to forgive him for his contemptible audacity, holding that it was his right—his duty—to convince his friend Bingley of the error of his ways in his regard for Jane. Her heart still pounded in anger as she contemplated this. Elizabeth slowly turned her head, and catching the serene, resigned look upon Jane’s face, she felt that she would never be able to forgive him for that.

When they returned to the Gardiners’ after church, Jane tended to the four children as they came in, gathering their coats and gloves and ensuring that they were changed out of their church clothes before they came down to play. The spring day was cool, but the sun was shining brightly, giving all it could to warm up the air. The