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Chapter 16

The Gardiner home did not have different sized dining rooms, such as Darcy’s own house and other larger houses possessed, but the dining table could be adjusted to different sizes to allow different numbers to be entertained. It had been adjusted to be the appropriate size to seat eight, but only six seats were filled – Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner sat at the ends, Darcy beside Elizabeth, and Bingley beside Jane. As the soup was brought in, Darcy found his attention drawn by the table itself, which had been handsomely constructed of some dark, heavy wood that was strange to him. He looked closer, then glanced up to see Mr. Gardiner looking at him with a slight smile.

“Many people seem to be interested in our table, Mr. Darcy,” he said. “It’s made of a wood called teak, which is harvested in the high mountains from one of the coastal lands near India.”

“I have never seen it before, Mr. Gardiner,” Darcy responded, looking closer at the finish and the carving that decorated the sides of the table. “It appears much denser than our English oak.”

“It is indeed a very heavy wood. I have even heard of it being used to make ships, which results in a very strong ship but one which rides very low in the water.”

“Good and bad, then, sir,” said Darcy.

“As in so many things, Mr. Darcy.”

The conversation at the dinner table was as easy and comfortable as it had been during Darcy’s earlier visits, and he several times looked over to see Elizabeth looking at him with a pleased expression on her face. He realized that it was very new to her to see him conversing so easily with her relations and possibly seeing him converse easily with anyone. He realized that they both still had so many things to learn about each other, and he gave her a slight nod as he turned back to his conversation with her uncle.

Before supper was completed, Darcy announced that he would ride to Longbourn immediately following church services in order to speak to Elizabeth’s father and would return to Gracechurch Street when he returned, bringing his sister. He was most anxious to introduce her to Elizabeth, but he was also anxious to have the last obstacle to his marriage accomplished, so he had decided to see Mr. Bennet before he introduced Georgiana to Elizabeth. It was a short ride to Hertfordshire in any case, so the delay should not be significant. At the end of dinner, Mr. Gardiner suggested that, the party being so small, the ladies and gentlemen should not separate. This suggestion met with well taken, and the remainder of the evening passed most agreeably.

That night, in their bedroom after preparing for bed, Elizabeth and Jane were both awash in questions. But Elizabeth was adamant in being first to query Jane on every aspect to her engagement and how it took place.

“Leave out not the smallest detail, Jane!” Elizabeth laughed merrily. “I want to know all!”

But Jane was too disturbed to begin, for she was greatly distressed for fear of her sister being compelled to marry a man she disliked so intensely. “Lizzy,” she said slowly, “I fear that I cannot talk of my own happiness when I am so upset for fear of your own.”

Elizabeth’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “Why, whatever do you mean, Jane? I am happy enough, perhaps not as happy as you, but I am quite confused by your question.”

“But Lizzy, how can you be engaged to Mr. Darcy? I know how much you dislike him.”

“That is all in the past, Jane,” Elizabeth smiled. “I have been sorely mistaken in my previous opinion of Mr. Darcy, but in cases such as these a good memory is unpardonable. This is the last time I shall ever remember it myself.”

"My dearest sister, now do be serious! I want to talk very seriously. I am now very worried over how Mr. Darcy came to know of my feeling for Bingley and how he came to tell his friend. I am sure that somehow his regard for you was involved, but I cannot fathom how it came to be.”

“Worried? Why should you be worried, Jane?” Elizabeth asked her sister in confusion.

Jane would not meet her eye as she finally said softly, “Lizzy, I am afraid that you may have agreed to marry Mr. Darcy in order to secure his help with his friend, and I would be mortified if I secured my own happiness at the expense of yours.”

Elizabeth was at first too confused to understand the meaning of what Jane was afraid of, but when she puzzled it out, she gave a short laugh. “Jane, Jane, Jane,” she said as she embraced her sister, “how can you suspect that? No, do not fear that – Mr. Darcy determined to go to his friend on his own. It is a long and complicated story, and you shall know of it, but not until you have told me yours.”

Jane at first would not be mollified, but the solemn assurances of her sister at length had the desired effect, and Jane’s spirits rose until she finally yielded to her sister’s entreaties for information.

“I was sitting with my aunt reading to Benjamin and Felicia when we heard the bell ring,” she began, holding on to her sister’s hand. “I did not pay too much attention until Aunt Gardiner told me that Bingley had come to call on me. But when he came in and greeted us, he looked at me with the most intent look, so totally unlike himself, and his eyes absolutely locked on mine. I can tell you, Lizzie, that I know my cheeks must have been scarlet, since I suddenly felt so warm!”

Elizabeth laughed aloud as the thought of her sister so flushed, but she urged Jane to continue.

“What came next completely surprised me. Bingley had always been so amiable, so pleasant, but he was never very direct. Now, he was completely changed and asked Aunt Gardiner if he could have some time alone with me. My aunt was very stern with him and as much as scolded him for his earlier treatment of me, but he stood there and said that he had made mistakes and was come to rectify them if he could. At last, she relented but she still left the door open. And if I thought he was direct before, now he completely astonished me. He told me of Mr. Darcy’s visit, how he had not known I was in town, how he had allowed himself to be convinced that I did not love him. He told me of his misery since that time, how he could not get me out of his mind, and then he declared his love for me and asked for my hand.” Jane smiled as she remembered the next. “By this time, I could not get him to stop talking to answer his question. He continued to tell me what he would do to prove himself until I finally had to put my hand over his mouth to say yes.”

Elizabeth clapped her hands in glee at the picture thus presented, of Bingley babbling on of his love and Jane being forced to stop him talking. Jane smiled at her sister’s reaction as she continued, “I could not believe that I could have been so happy, that he could love me so!”

“Of course, he loved you, Jane!” exclaimed Elizabeth. “How could he not?”

“Then the next day, he rode to Longbourn to seek my father’s consent, and when he came to call on me in the afternoon, he brought Mr. Darcy and his sister. I was quite surprised at how agreeable he was, and I found Georgiana simply delightful, though she was so terribly shy at first. They stayed the afternoon and then for dinner, and Georgiana invited me to visit the next day and spend the morning. I had a wonderful time, and I often found myself wondering how Mr. Wickham could have told you that she was so cold and proud.”

“That is because that man is not a gentleman, Jane,” said Elizabeth, in a voice colder than Jane had ever heard, “and nothing which he related of Mr. Darcy or his sister can be trusted.” Jane was quite surprised, knowing of her sister’s favorable impression of him, but she was even more surprised by Elizabeth’s relation of the whole of her experiences with Darcy at Hunsford. Her astonishment at Darcy’s proposal was lessened by the strong sisterly partiality, which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly natural, but she was soon shocked to her core by Wickham’s history with the Darcy family. She would not previously have believed that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind as was here collected in one individual. At first, her natural inclination to find good in everyone inclined her to labor to prove the possibility of error, but further reflection on the near disaster that had almost struck her new friend caused even her to cease this effort.

"I do not know when I have been more shocked," she said. "That Wickham should be so very bad is almost past belief, but consider what poor Georgiana must have suffered! And suffers still! It is no wonder that she is so shy – she must be afraid that everything she might do will turn out as wrong as her experience with Wickham. Oh, what a wicked, wicked man!”

Elizabeth had to smile at this – she did not think she had ever heard Jane so incensed before. But her sister’s ire with Wickham could not last long, given her nature, and she was soon inclined to sympathy with Mr. Darcy. Knowing how taciturn he had appeared in Hertfordshire, she was impressed by the eloquence with which he had delivered his sentiments. She could only feel them justified in that Elizabeth deserved such, but she was grieved for the unhappiness that her sister’s refusal must have given him.

“Poor Mr. Darcy,” said Jane, “after expressing himself so well and so tenderly, consider how extreme must have been his disappointment.”

Elizabeth had to laugh somewhat at the memory. “He was quite well-spoken, but he did not begin so. When he first entered the room, he could say nothing – he paced, he stood, but no words came out. Finally, he took some papers from his coat and looked them over – then he was able to find an excess of expression. Indeed, I was quite astonished at first, for I had never heard him speak so gently.” She sobered in contemplation. “I once challenged him that he did not present himself well to others because he could not be troubled, and I considered that I had scored a point against him. But I begin to think that I simply never bothered to look, for he appears to be exceedingly uncomfortable in social situations with people he does not know.”

“Was that when you changed your mind, Lizzy, after he explained about Wickham?”

“Not exactly,” smiled Elizabeth. “I was still quite incensed that he was part of separating you and Bingley, even if he was not as much in error as I first thought. But he enticed me into walking with him the next morning, and he pledged to me that he would try to amend his error when he returned to London.”

“And that is why Bingley knew what he told me,” exclaimed Jane. “Oh, now I understand! When I wrote you that Bingley and I were engaged, that is when you wrote Mr. Darcy and agreed to marry him.”

Elizabeth laughed again and repeated, “Not exactly. All I agreed to was to receive him when – and if! – he came to call on me.”

“And allow him to court you,” smiled Jane.

“Well, yes,” agreed her sister.

“It was not a very long courtship, Lizzy!” said her sister teasingly. But she was soon shocked again as Elizabeth related the manner in which the gossip and threat of scandal had necessitated her early decision to accept Darcy’s suit rather than risk ruin to herself and damage to her family.

“Oh, Elizabeth! To be forced into agreement by such pressures! It is terribly distressing to know that such vile gossip and whispers could cause such harm!”

“Jane, calm yourself!” Elizabeth laughed. “Remember, I had already rejected almost all the objections I had even before tonight, so you must consider that this merely changes the timing. And, as Charlotte would say, it is not so very bad! You agreed that Mr. Darcy has been most cordial and civil since returning from Kent, and, from what you have said of Georgiana, I appear to be most fortunate in my new sister. Much more fortunate than you, for you shall be sisters with Miss Bingley!”

Both sisters had to laugh at that, though the laughter was tinged with concern, for Jane was still afraid that Bingley was estranged from his sister because of Caroline’s objections to their marriage. Elizabeth also became more serious. “After I read Mr. Darcy’s letter, I was forced to listen to the counsel of Charlotte. You know how little a thing can lead to the destruction of a girl’s reputation, Jane, no matter how innocent she may be. And I had you and the rest of my family to think of, so I had to think deeply and clearly about Mr. Darcy rather than simply giving way to my irritation with him.”

“But are you certain – forgive the question – are you certain that you can be happy with him? I do not want to see you forced into a marriage with a man you cannot love, no matter how advantageous the match!” said Jane in concern.

Elizabeth looked at her sister and was warmed by the devotion and concern in her eyes. She smiled and squeezed Jane’s hand. “Do you remember, Jane, how I used to laugh when Charlotte told me that I was too romantic, that I needed to be more reasonable? Can you believe that I finally listened, at least a little, to her advice? For that is surely true – after I received your letter telling me you were engaged to Bingley, I forced myself to sit down with Mr. Darcy’s letter and made myself forget my anger at his arrogance and presumption, and I actually tried to consider the situation with dispassion. And by the time I was done with my considerations, I found that all but one of my objections could not stand up to the bright light of my reflections.”

“And what was your last objection, Lizzy,” Jane asked quietly, for this was a new Elizabeth to her. Much more sober, more reflective. Her sister had always possessed a sparkling wit and an intelligent and lively disposition, but she was so quick of mind that she seldom paused to reconsider a matter.

“My only objection was that I do not return the love that Mr. Darcy holds for me, and I was concerned that it could in time prove to make our marriage unendurable,” said Elizabeth quietly. “But we talked of that tonight, and I believe my fears are completely put to rest. We shall be friends at least, and I believe that we both posses a level of mutual respect as to convince me that I shall not face a marriage such as our parents have.”

Jane was saddened at this, for, though she loved her parents, she could not deny the truth of Elizabeth’s statement.

“I do think that you and Mr. Darcy will make a good match, Lizzy,” she said quietly. “I have never shared your opinion of him, and he was most sincere and gracious when he called to congratulate me.”

“I am sure you are right, Jane,” said Elizabeth with a sudden smile. “In any case, I did not desire to spend my whole life with my family at Longbourn! Eventually, I should have settled for someone who was easy of manner and would be kind to me, for I do so want children. So why not Mr. Darcy? After all, he is not Mr. Collins!”

This drew a laugh from both sisters, then Jane slyly interjected, imitating her mother’s tones, “And he does have ten thousand a year!” This time, the sisters laughed until they had tears running down their cheeks.

When they recovered, Elizabeth asked, “Jane, has Bingley told you that when Mr. Darcy told him of his interference, Bingley was so angry that he ordered Mr. Darcy from him home.”

“No! Bingley has not said a word of this!” Jane exclaimed in shock.

“Yet it is true, Jane. William told me of it tonight, though Bingley has forgiven him. But Bingley also banished his sister to the Hurst townhouse and suspended her allowance.”

“He banished Caroline? That explains why she is not at his house.”

“It is indeed singular behavior for Bingley,” said Elizabeth in considerable satisfaction. “Perhaps this is a new Bingley! I begin to think that he has grown quite intense and determined on your behalf.”

Jane blushed, for she desired to avoid confrontation as much as possible, but the idea of Bingley being incensed on her behalf could not help but please her. “But I am unsettled that he had not forgiven his sister as he has his friend.”

“Jane, do you not see the difference? Mr. Darcy did what he did for what he believed was Bingley’s own good, and when I forced him to acknowledge that he was wrong, he made his confession and tried to right the wrong. And he must have done so knowing that it might cost him Bingley’s friendship. Yes, I know he did it partly for my sake, but I do believe that he would have done so in any case. But his sister is a different matter. I daresay she continued to try to lie to her brother and very likely refuses to ask for forgiveness.”

“Perhaps that is true,” said Jane sadly.

“Then it is up to Miss Bingley,” Elizabeth said. “I believe that Bingley will not now chance any disrespect to you, even by his sister, and he will not allow her back until she forsakes her insincerity and plots and determines to treat you as a true sister. So it is not up to Bingley or you, Jane. It is up to his sister.”

But Jane’s distress at thinking ill of Caroline Bingley was soon relieved by the confidences shared by the two sisters. For her part, Elizabeth was relieved by having gotten got rid of all the secrets that had weighed on her since that eventful night at the Parsonage. She was certain of a willing listener in Jane whenever she might wish to talk on this issue again, but for now, she forgot about these concerns in her delight with conversing once more with her sister, and they talked of all their experiences far into the night.

Chapter 17

As Darcy sat in his shaving chair the next morning while Jennings was preparing to shave him, his mind busy with the events of the previous day and those still to occur this day. He knew that he ought to feel more concern at the way the insidious scandal had forced the hand of all parties, but in reality his overriding emotion still remained one of relief. Relief that the future was now settled, relief that he and Elizabeth would wed, relief that he could now introduce her and Georgiana, relief that all his worries could be safely put aside. Relief that so many uncertainties were now settled. Seeing her father today was likely to be somewhat unpleasant, and the outpourings of effusions from Mrs. Bennet would likely be in accord with her usual lack of decorum, but neither presented any serious challenge when compared to what had already been overcome.

His mind continued to be occupied during church, though he struggled to pay attention to the sermon as best he could, but he was quite relieved when he finally returned home with Georgiana. “If it would not distress you too much, Georgiana, would you please take breakfast with Mrs. Annesley without me? I have a most important errand to attend to right away.”

“Of course, William,” Georgiana answered, though she was curious what could be taking her brother out on a Sunday. He usually stayed at home after church except for an occasional ride, though that was much less common in town than it was at Pemberley.

“Thank you, dearest,” he said, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “When I return, we will be paying a visit to the Gardiners in the afternoon.”

“Oh, good,” said Georgiana. “I will be glad to see Jane again. And Bingley, of course,” she said with a smile, “since he seldom seems far away from her side.”

“Quite true,” Darcy smiled, then excused himself to change into riding clothes.

His horse was ready for him when he walked out to the small stables that he kept in town, and he took a deep breath of the cool air as he emerged from his gate and turned north. It was still cool at this time of the day, and Darcy was glad for his greatcoat as he urged his mount into a ground-eating trot. Without requiring thought, he easily fell into a familiar rhythm with his horse, rising and falling with the horse’s stride to soften the harsh gait. His mind was busy with other problems, such as planning where and when he and Elizabeth might be wed. If the choice was solely his, with no other issues to be considered, he would have chosen the chapel at Pemberley, for it was at Pemberley that he was truly home. He hoped and wished that Elizabeth would be able to eventually be of like mind, but he knew that they still faced many problems associated with their irregular and decidedly conflicted courtship that first had to be resolved before that state could be reached. But he cheered himself as he thought once more, It could have been ever so much worse! He grinned at that thought, which seemed to have become almost a refrain in his own mind of late.

Darcy did not push the pace, slowing to a walk periodically and then resuming a trot, easily gauging the stamina of his mount. It was still short of noon when he arrived at Longbourn, where a lad ran out from the stable to take the reins of his horse when he dismounted. “Let him walk for at least a quarter-hour before stabling him,” he instructed the young boy, who bobbed his head in acknowledgement before leading the horse away. As the housekeeper answered the door, he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “Mr. Bennet, please,” he said, and the housekeeper bobbed in courtesy. He removed his gloves, hat, and greatcoat, giving them to a younger maid who took them away. He noted that Elizabeth’s youngest sister had stuck her head beyond the door immediately to his right, and she had been quickly joined by another sister. Lydia, that was her name, he suddenly remembered, and the other one was Kitty. The two girls began to giggle outside his view, sticking their heads out to look at him and then retreating back into the room with more giggles. He shook his head at this unseemly behavior. How had Elizabeth and Jane avoided growing up into the same kind of witless girls as their sisters? Would these silly girls ever change? As he contemplated their mother, he was rather afraid that the answer to that question must be in the negative.

The housekeeper was back in less than a minute. “Mr. Bennet will see you immediately, Mr. Darcy,” she said before showing him into Mr. Bennet’s private room, which Darcy had heard referred to as the library. As he entered, he decided that it certainly was the best term for the room, since books certainly overflowed every available place in the room – shelves, tables, even chairs. The gentleman himself was just putting a book down before rising to greet him. “Mr. Darcy,” he said politely, inclining his head. Darcy responded, “Mr. Bennet,” giving the older man a bow befitting his state as Master of the house, Darcy’s elder, and Elizabeth’s father.

Motioning Darcy to a chair, Mr. Bennet resumed his own chair and regarded the young man across from him with an unreadable expression. “I have been rather expecting to see you, Mr. Darcy, but I am somewhat surprised that you came to see me, rather than the other way around,” he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. Then, seeing the confused look on his face, he leaned forward on his desk. “But I am forgetting my manners,” he said. “How may I be of service, Mr. Darcy?”

Darcy was confused by Mr. Bennet’s remark, but he settled himself and began, “The purpose of my mission today is simple, Mr. Bennet. I have been fortunate enough to receive the agreement of you daughter, Miss Elizabeth, to my proposal of marriage, and I have come to request your consent.”

Mr. Bennet sat straighter in his chair. “I see,” he said softly, and Darcy was surprised that his reply was so mild and rather unconcerned. As Mr. Bennet continued to look at him, he began to grow rather alarmed. He did not know Elizabeth’s father very well, but his behavior was not at all what he had expected.

At length, Mr. Bennet bestirred himself to answer. “Your request comes as rather a surprise, Mr. Darcy. I just received a request for the hand of my eldest daughter Jane earlier in the week from your friend, Mr. Bingley, but I confess that I had not been aware of any regard on your part that might have warned me of your intentions toward Lizzy. In fact, I was not aware that you have had any contact with my daughter since your departure with your friend Bingley from Netherfield last autumn.”

“I renewed my acquaintance with your daughter when she was visiting her friend, Mrs. Collins, while I was visiting my aunt, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, at her estate in Kent. I believe that you knew that Mr. Collins is Lady Catherine’s parson?” On receiving Mr. Bennet’s nod, he continued, “At the end of my visit in Kent, I asked your daughter if I might call on her when she returned to London, and she gave her agreement. I had already met her uncle, Mr. Gardiner, when I called with Bingley to congratulate Miss Bennet on her engagement, and the day before Miss Elizabeth returned, I informed him of my desire to call on her when she returned. He gave his permission, pending his correspondence with you.”

“Which I have not yet received, it being only Sunday,” Mr. Bennet said dryly.

Darcy was still not able to determine Mr. Bennet’s manner as he continued, “When Miss Elizabeth returned yesterday, Mr. Gardiner, invited me to dine with the family and was also kind enough to permit me some moments of privacy with your daughter. I then made her an offer of marriage and she accepted, which is what occasioned my visit this morning.”

Mr. Bennet was silent for a minute or so before he finally sighed. He picked up a letter from his desk. “I was not completely forthright with you, Mr. Darcy. This is not my first information of your interest in my daughter,” he said, and Darcy was both confused and further alarmed, for his tone was decidedly unfriendly. “I have received a letter from my cousin, Mr. Collins, that self-same parson which you previously mentioned. Normally, much as I abominate writing, I cannot help but value the correspondence of Mr. Collins, for the absurdities he expresses are so often diverting. On this occasion, sir, I was not diverted, for in this letter he warns me of the most dire threats to the virtue and reputation of my daughter Elizabeth.”

Darcy could imagine what that foolish man had written, though he could scarce believe that he had actually informed Mr. Bennet of his absurd imaginings. He hardly believed that Lady Catherine could have been aware of his writing, since it would have the effect of forcing a marriage between Elizabeth and himself. “And I am to believe that you took what your cousin related seriously, Mr. Bennet?” Darcy said carefully.

“How could I not, sir, when he writes that the whole estate is in an uproar due to you first attempting to force your attentions on Lizzy and then later making her your mistress!” responded Mr. Bennet angrily.

“I find it difficult to believe that you would take Mr. Collins seriously, Mr. Bennet,” responded Darcy with some heat, “knowing, as you must, how foolish that man is. In addition, I find it literally incomprehensible that you would believe that your daughter would actually be a party to such a scheme. But, in any event, even if everything that Mr. Collins related were true, it would not signify, since the repair of such transgressions is to force marriage or disgrace on the parties involved, and I am here seeking your consent to our marriage. I will further inform you, sir, that, first, neither your daughter nor I have done anything improper, and second, that I love your daughter too dearly to ever do anything so dishonorable and am incredibly honored to have received her acceptance of my hand.”

“What concerns me is the manner in which the engagement occurred!” said Mr. Bennet grimly, “For this also was brought to my attention,” and he picked up a scrap of newspaper that Darcy easily recognized as having come from the Chronicle.

“Both Elizabeth and I are already aware of that vile gossip,” Darcy retorted angrily, “but, unlike you, we know how such misinformation came to be distributed and published.”

“Then pray share such information with me, Mr. Darcy,” said Mr. Bennet sarcastically. “I cannot wait to be informed by what manner my Lizzy was embroiled in such a disgusting scandal.”

“Due to gossip among the ill-disciplined staff at the Hunsford Parsonage,” responded Darcy icily, “which was also bandied about by the even more ill-disciplined staff at my aunt’s household. Evidently, the information was spread to London and thence into the scandal sheets, which would not pass up the chance to gossip about a prominent member of society. But, I repeat, nothing untoward occurred between Elizabeth and myself, sir. She has behaved at all times with the utmost propriety.”

“But now she has been involved in this disgusting affair, Mr. Darcy, has she not?” Mr. Bennet looked at Mr. Darcy with disfavor. “I believe I need a more full account of this distressing situation in which you have placed my daughter, sir,” he demanded coldly.

Darcy then proceeded to provide a summary of the events that had led to this point, from his first attraction to Elizabeth to meeting her again at Hunsford, his proposal, her refusal, the manner in which the household staff at both Rosings and Hunsford Parsonage had contributed to the gossip and its spread to London, the letter he had written Elizabeth, and her arrival in London and subsequent acceptance of his second proposal. He pointed out that nothing improper had occurred beyond spending several hours in privacy and pointed out the difficult issues that led to that very emotional discussion. He briefly reviewed the situation of Mr. Wickham, but he did not talk of the attempted elopement with his sister. Darcy was finding it difficult to speak of such private matters to Elizabeth’s father. While he had been more forthcoming with his cousin Fitzwilliam and even with Anne, he was finding that Mr. Bennet provoked quite another reaction from him.

For one thing, Darcy was finding it ironic in the extreme that Mr. Bennet was now assuming the role of being an overly protective father, when he had previously essentially abdicated his role as the head of his family. He had allowed all the girls to grow up essentially unrestrained, without a governess or a strong fatherly guidance, even after he must have comprehended that his wife was completely incapable of providing such instruction for the girls. He remembered the situation in the hall, with Lydia and Kitty giggling as he waited in the hall, and he found their behavior both rude and unseemly. The younger girls appeared to be completely without sense or inhibition, unlike their older sisters who, somehow, had managed to mold themselves into models of sense and decorum. When he completed his review of the situation, Mr. Bennet finally stirred. He had listened to Darcy’s account without saying anything, his elbows on the desk and his chin resting on his clasped fingers.

“It is an interesting tale you have woven for me, Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Bennet said scornfully, “but I am still waiting to hear a reason why I should allow my favorite daughter to marry you.”

Darcy was appalled at this response from Elizabeth’s father. He blurted out, “Do you want to see her ruined?” Mr. Bennet made no retort, so Darcy continued. “You must understand how dearly I love your daughter, sir. I admire her intelligence, her kindness, her understanding, her strength and courage. Even before we knew of this gossip, I had secured her agreement to allow me to formally court her, with every hope of improving her opinion of me further. I had already managed at least some modification of her estimation by my explanation regarding her sister and of Wickham. And she informed me last night that the gossip did not bother her, since it only changed the timing of her answer and not the outcome.”

“Is it the custom in the society that you keep, Mr. Darcy, to court a young lady without her father’s permission?” said Mr. Bennet sarcastically.

Darcy flushed at the biting tone of the older man’s voice but maintained his control. “As I mentioned, I spoke to her uncle as her guardian and planned to speak with you when she returned home. But when the despicable gossip was actually printed, our hands were forced and events were accelerated, leading to her acceptance last evening.”

“Ah. The gossip. Most convenient for your plans, was it not, Mr. Darcy?”

“I do not believe I want to understand your meaning, sir!” said Darcy heatedly. Could he really intend to infer that he had incited the scandal to pressure Elizabeth? What was he thinking of?

“It is easy enough to understand, sir. You propose to my daughter, she refuses you, then the conveniently ill-managed staff manage to send gossip about the countryside until it shows up in the paper, forcing my Lizzy to now consent to your proposals. Would she ever have married you otherwise, Mr. Darcy? One wonders if your aunt’s help had some assistance in their gossiping.”

Darcy was appalled even further than previously. Even worse, he was infuriated by the total lack of proper manners just exhibited. He would be within his rights to call the man out if he said such in the company of others, and it took several minutes before he could trust himself to speak to the other man.

“Sir, by what stretch of the imagination do you believe that your daughter would have agreed to marry me if she was totally opposed to me? She might have done so in order to prevent the utter ruin of herself and her family, but what was printed was only the threat of such. She has, in fact, stated that she is perfectly happy with our arrangement, and I cannot believe that she would look upon your objections this morning with favor.

Mr. Bennet was unable to dispute that, at least openly, but he again astounded Darcy as he commented sadly, “I can only conclude that Lizzy must have been greatly influenced by your fortune and the attendant benefits associated with marrying such a well-found man.”

“That is completely without sense, sir!” Darcy snapped. “Evidently, for all your professed regard for your daughter’s nature, you have no true estimation of her character at all. Did you not hear me relate that she refused me most decidedly? If she was going to be influenced by my fortune, that would have been the moment to demonstrate it. How could she know that I would be so persistent? Many would not, and you know this, if you would but turn your mind to it! She also challenged me on behalf of her sister and Bingley and supported Wickham against me. No, sir, it will not do. She had ample opportunity to demonstrate her greed and did not do so. It was only after I was able to convince her that she had been misled that she even agreed to allow me to call on her in London.”

Elizabeth’s father was taken aback by the vehemence of Darcy’s response, but he still could not abide the man and looked at him with no liking. “Whether you or Mr. Wickham have the right of it is not as clear to me as it seems to my daughter, Mr. Darcy,” he said spitefully. “Lizzy’s opinion of you, as well as my own, was quite influenced by that man’s account of his misfortunes at your hand. You say that she has changed her mind about Wickham because of your proofs that he was at fault and not you. But I have to question whether her judgment may have been affected by Mr. Wickham’s transference of his attentions to Miss King. No, I cannot so easily give way to your account in this regard, sir.”

By this time, Darcy was completely set against sharing any further family information with Mr. Bennet in an attempt to correct his opinion, since he was fast losing what respect he had previously possessed for the man. He was also at the ragged edge of his temper, and he leaned forward on the other man’s desk, his fists resting on the top surface. “By what right, sir, do you dare to question my character in this matter? What report of my dishonesty has been publicly acknowledged? What tradesmen have I defrauded? On my word, sir, you might bestir yourself from this room and solicit the opinion of the merchants in Meryton regarding poor Wickham! You will find, I am sure, that many will tell you of Wickham’s unpaid accounts. I know this well, sir, you may rely on it. It has been ever thus, and I have several times assumed Wickham’s debts, in Derbyshire and at Cambridge. So I must be insistent, sir. I demand to know what personal knowledge you have to so defame my character in such a manner?”

Mr. Bennet was reluctant to speak of this, but eventually he answered. “Perhaps I was too hasty. I cannot speak of any such knowledge.”

“Then I might point out further, Mr. Bennet, that Bingley, whom you have given your consent and blessing to marry your eldest daughter, has several times testified to my character and honesty, yet you and others seem inclined to believe the slanders spread by Wickham simply because he is fair spoken, yet there are no such favorable witnesses for that man. I might also point out that your brother Gardiner seems favorably disposed toward me, since he not only dined with me but twice invited me to dine with his family. In addition, he gave me his conditional approval to call on his niece, an event unlikely to have occurred if he had an unfavorable opinion of my character.”

Darcy stood up straight. “I will speak plainly, sir. I have come to believe that any further efforts to convince you of the worth of my character would be fruitless, since you have willfully ignored the evidence before your eyes. So I will simply ask, do I have your consent to marry your daughter, Elizabeth? Or would you prefer to see her ruined through no fault of her own and because of your dislike of my person?”

Mr. Bennet stared back at Darcy in anger, but he knew that he was well and truly without recourse. At length, he answered, “Well, well, of course you must marry, after everything that has occurred. I will not withhold my consent, which is required, since Lizzy is not yet of age. But I will not give my blessing, sir.”

Darcy looked at the other man in contempt. “Does that mean you do not desire to see your daughter married from Longbourn, sir?”

Mr. Bennet was stung by the charge, but he was unwilling to back down, even if he had wanted to. “I will not ask the reverend of Longbourn Chapel to perform a ceremony that I could not bless.”

Darcy nodded coldly. “I will take steps to procure the necessary license, sir, even a special license, if necessary. I will also consult with Elizabeth to determine whether she would prefer to be married in London or possibly in Derbyshire.” He looked at the other man coldly, for there remained one further point to mention. “Will any of your family be in attendance at our wedding, sir?”

“I will not forbid my wife and daughters, but I will on no account be present myself,” he replied.

Darcy was angered that Elizabeth’s father would thus hurt his daughter because of his own dislike, but he nodded coldly. “If you would be so kind as to put your wishes in writing, I will deliver them to Elizabeth.”

Mr. Bennet was offended by hearing this man’s use of his daughter’s Christian name, but he could hardly forbid it at this point. He only nodded, and Darcy gave him a stiff bow and excused himself to wait in the hall while Mr. Bennet composed his letter.

As Darcy again stood waiting in the hall, Lydia and Kitty again resumed peeking around the edge of the doorway and giggling when out of sight. After several minutes of this, he heard Mrs. Bennet approach to determine what was distracting her daughters. As she beheld him in the hall, she was astonished. But as Darcy greeted her politely, he found that his reaction was the opposite of what he had previously held – after contending with the willful self-deception of her husband, he could feel considerably more sympathy toward a woman who was merely silly.

“I did not know you were come to call, Mr. Darcy. Are you accompanying your friend, Mr. Bingley?”

“No, madam. I have come to speak with your husband.”

Lack of sensibility or not, Mrs. Bennet’s instincts were more than sufficient to detect the sudden advantage of such a man as Mr. Darcy coming to see her husband. She instantly wondered if he had come to express an interest in one of her daughters, especially her favorite daughter, Lydia. “Would you care to step into the parlor and sit with us for the moment, Mr. Darcy?” she simpered.

“Thank you, but no, madam. I am but waiting on a letter that Mr. Bennet is preparing to be delivered to Elizabeth. When he is finished, I must be on the road immediately.”

Mrs. Bennet was equally up to the task of recognizing the possible meaning of Darcy’s unconscious use of her least favorite daughter’s Christian name and he had been talking with her husband . . .

Her thoughts were interrupted as Hill approached and knocked on the door to the library, having been summoned by Mr. Bennet. She was inside the room only momentarily before returning with two letters, which she gave to Darcy. He looked at them and realized that Mr. Bennet had prepared one for his daughter and one for his brother Gardiner. Nodding and thanking the housemaid, he then bid Mrs. Bennet a polite farewell, leaving that bemused woman in contemplation of the possible advantage to her family of this visit. As he departed through the door, he heard the piercing tones of Mrs. Bennet as she entered her husband’s library, already seeking answers to her many questions.

Darcy found that his horse was not waiting, so he walked around the house toward the stable, meeting the lad leading his horse partway. Thanking the boy, he quickly mounted, eager to be gone from this place. As soon as he could manage, he urged the horse into a gallop, still seething in anger and desperate to be returned to his home. And to see Elizabeth as soon as might be arranged.

He groaned as he thought of how she would be saddened by her dear father’s response. He felt a sudden thrill of apprehension that her father’s reaction might be enough to make her want to break their engagement, which was not yet a full day’s duration. That fear acted to quell his anger, and he gradually eased his horse back to an easy walk. By the time he reached town, his thoughts were considerably unsettled.

Chapter 18

As he guided his horse through the rear gate to his house and over to his stables, Darcy dismounted quickly, eager to put this morning’s near-disastrous errand behind him and move on with the other tasks he had to accomplish this day. Darker tasks than I thought I would have when I left here in such a good mood this morning, he thought sourly, as Johnson, who was the head of his London stables, came out to meet him with two of his lads.

“Welcome back, sir,” he said, assessing the condition of Darcy’s horse with a single look. “Looks as if Ned got a fair workout, sir,” he said, as one lad took the reins and began to lead the horse away. “Walk him for a full half-hour, now, before he touches even a drop of water,” Johnson called after the boy.

“I’m afraid I was rather anxious to get back to town,” said Darcy, as he removed his gloves. “I certainly worked him harder coming back than I did going out.”

“Ned’s a good ‘un, sir,” said Johnson, “so long as he gets cooled down good before he gets to the water.”

“Thank you, Johnson,” said Darcy with a smile. “If you would be so good as to provide a couple of your lads with transportation, I have some notes to write for delivery to my solicitor’s office and then to the Times. I’ll be visiting later after I clean up, so please have my carriage ready in about two hours.”

“Very good, sir,” said Johnson cheerfully. He had spent his whole life working with the horses he loved and the coaches they pulled, and he was most happy when the whole of his day was spent around his animals.

“Thank you, Johnson,” said Darcy, cheered by the good humor of the older man. “Meanwhile, I have a number of tasks to accomplish, and too few hours left to do them.”

“Aye, sir,” said Johnson as he turned back to his beloved stables, “you’ve the right of it there!”

Darcy handed his coat, hat, and gloves to one of the lads who ran up to him as he approached the rear entrance, and his butler met him as he entered the door. “Welcome back, Mr. Darcy,” he said. “I trust that your journey was pleasant?”

“Pleasant enough, thank you,” said Darcy, returning Williams' slight smile with a larger one. There was no need to let Mr. Bennet’s disagreeable and reluctant consent cast any further restraints on the joy of this day. The primary concern was settled, and he and Elizabeth would marry, displeasure of her father or no. “Do you know where my sister and cousin are?”

“Miss Georgiana was in the music room ten minutes ago, and Colonel Fitzwilliam left the house on an errand about a half hour after you departed.”

“I have some notes to prepare for immediate delivery, and then I must wash the road dust off before I can allow my sister to see me. Please inform her that I will wait on her in about an hour.”

“Very good, sir,” said the elderly man.

“And Williams,” he said.

“Sir?”

“Please wait until I have had a chance to talk to my sister, but you may then announce to the staff that I am to be married.”

His butler first looked at his master quizzically, since the wide smile on his face at first made him wonder if the younger man was jesting with him, but the smile was a smile of delight, not of humor. “Truly, sir?” he asked, still not certain that he was reading his employer correctly.

“Truly, Williams,” he replied.

“Then I believe congratulations are in order, sir,” Williams said with a slight smile. “It would do this heart good to see children in the house again. Indeed it would, sir.”

“I think so too, Williams,” Darcy said cheerfully, “but now I have business in my study.”

Williams smiled to himself as the younger man strode off, almost bouncing from the exuberance that he felt. He had held his position for most of Darcy’s life and was quite fond of his young master. It would be good so see him well settled before his own time came, and perhaps there might even be time for children before then.

“And please have tea sent to my study, Williams,” Darcy called over his shoulder. “My throat is caked with road dust.”

“At once, sir,” replied the older man, with the stiff bow that resulted from his recurring rheumatism.

Darcy then went to his study to write his notes, though he would have preferred the bath first. He first composed a note to his solicitor, informing that capable man of his forthcoming marriage and instructing him to start the procedure to secure a marriage license as soon as practicable. He also asked for a rough draft of marriage agreements, setting down the important points which he had worked out in his head during the ride back from Longbourn, requesting a rough draft by the following afternoon if at all possible, otherwise first thing on the morning next. He wanted to review at least the outline of the agreement with Elizabeth before he took the complete agreement to her father to sign. The thought of so soon having to confront Mr. Bennet again caused a frown to darken his face, but his mood was lightened by the arrival of a tray with tea and sweet cakes. After the first cup of tea, he devoured two of the cakes, since he had skipped the noon meal while traveling to Longbourn and back. The drafting of a brief announcement to be placed in the ‘Engagements’ section of the Times took only a moment, and the note to his Uncle and Aunt Matlock requesting to call on them on Monday afternoon took scarce longer. But he had to spend considerably more thought on the letters to his other relations, including Aunt Catherine, before he could ring for Williams. When the butler entered, he handed him the notes and letters he had prepared. “Please have the notes sent to Johnson, Williams,” he said, handing him the notes, “he should have a couple of lads ready to deliver them. There should be a man at the Times to take the announcement, but the note to my solicitor can be dropped through the mail slot. And these can go in the morning post,” he continued, handing him the letters. “And now, I shall be off to my bath – the hot water should be ready by now.”

“Very good, sir,” said Williams, taking the notes and letters and leaving the room.

The bath was as refreshing as he had anticipated, and he arose to don his robe with a feeling that he was leaving the gloomy events of the morning in the same bathwater as the road dust. Jennings had caught the mood of Darcy, and he was brisk as he helped his master with his dressing. Within fifteen minutes of leaving the bath, Darcy was out of his room and down the stairs smartly, having to restrain himself from descending the stairs two at a time. He heard the sound of Mozart drifting down the hall, indicating that Georgiana was indeed in the music room. He entered quietly, trying not to disturb her, and was rewarded with the sight of his sister concentrating completely on her playing. She was turned half away from the door that he had entered as she sat at the pianoforte, so he was not in her line of sight, and he enjoyed the skill and the feeling she put into her presentation. There are better practitioners from a technical point of view, he thought to himself, but there can be few who can better express their love for the music in their play. In that respect, though Georgiana has the greater skill and technical perfection, in the warmth of their performance, she and Elizabeth are similar.

When she finished, he gave her a brisk round of applause as he walked toward the instrument. The unexpected sound of clapping caused Georgiana to turn and rise from the bench.

“William!” she exclaimed as she came towards him with both hands outstretched. “You have certainly been gone long enough. I knew you went riding, but I anticipated your return before now.”

Darcy clasped her hands and leaned forward to kiss her on the check. “It has been a most eventful day, dearest, and we need to talk. I have important news to relate.”

At her raised eyebrows, he repeated, “Very important. Please, have a seat here beside me.” Georgiana seated herself beside her brother and looked inquisitively at him.

Darcy attempted to choose his words with care. He was somewhat anxious at breaking this news to his sister, since he knew that she had no forewarning of his attachment or his intentions to Elizabeth. He smiled grimly to himself. I did not have much forewarning myself, he thought reproachfully. Perhaps Richard is right about this impulsiveness business!

Georgiana watched her brother with some concern as she watched him wrestle with his thoughts. He ran his hand through his hair, as he often did as he pondered how he wanted to phrase something delicate. Finally, he leaned forward and took one of her hands in his. “Dearest, I know this is going to come as a surprise, perhaps even a shock to you, because it has taken place with great suddenness.” He drew a breath and said, “Georgiana, I am to be married.”

Georgiana could not at first understand what he had said. Whatever she had expected, it had not been this! William had seemed somewhat distracted in the past months, but he had not seen any young woman that she knew of, except those within his normal circle . . .

A sudden fear struck her. Could it be that Caroline Bingley had at last succeeded in her long pursuit of William? She found that she could not meet her brother’s eyes, so she could not see the delight that danced in them as he stared at a vision of Elizabeth that only he could see. Her worries would have been relieved if she had done so, but she did not. Her eyes stayed focused on her hands as she asked in trepidation, “I am quite confused, William, and, yes, quite surprised. Are you really engaged?”

Darcy laughed, and said, “Yes, quite engaged, dearest.”

Georgiana’s fear now began to choke her. Was it possible that Miss Bingley had managed to manipulate a compromising situation? But then why did her brother laugh? She was quite confused, and had to struggle to continue. “Who are you to marry, William?” she asked in a low voice. “Is it . . . is it Miss Bingley?” she said, so softly that Darcy had to strain to hear.

“Caroline Bingley?” He threw back his head with a roar of laughter, which lifted at least a little of Georgiana’s anxiety. “No, no, Georgiana. I have been aware of Miss Bingley’s machinations since first meeting her and would have gone to my grave a bachelor, hoping that you would produce an heir to the Darcy estate before embarking on such a perilous adventure!”

Darcy noted the look of relief on his sister’s eyes and squeezed her hand. “No, Georgiana, the young lady is no one that you know. At least, not directly. Let me start by commenting that you are well acquainted with Bingley and his intended, Miss Bennet.”

“Of course, William. She is very nice, and I like her very much.”

“Then you will be surprised that I am engaged to her sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Georgiana’s eyes opened wide in amazement. Her brother was usually so very dependable that surprises were uncommon, but he had certainly sprung one on this occasion! She stammered, “How . . . I mean, when . . .”

“I first met her in the autumn when I joined Bingley at his estate in Hertfordshire, and I met her again this last month when I visited our aunt and she visited her friend, the wife of my aunt’s parson.”

“This is quite amazing, William,” she said in growing excitement. Surely the sister to Miss Bennet could not be anything similar to Miss Bingley? Perhaps she would at last have a sister who could also be a friend! “But why have you never even mentioned her before? I cannot recall a single time when her name has come up in conversation. I do remember hearing Miss Bingley mention Miss Jane Bennet in the winter, though I do not believe she cared much for her.”

“No, she did not,” her brother recalled with some embarrassment, “and she did not like Miss Elizabeth Bennet at all. If you remember her ever making a derisive remark at my attraction to ‘a fine pair of eyes,’ she was referring to Miss Elizabeth.”

“So Miss Bingley did not care for Miss Elizabeth?” said Georgiana with a slight smile. “I must admit to feeling a certain inclination in her direction already!”

Darcy chuckled at his sister’s show of spirit. He was heartened at the thought that Elizabeth would provide a much more valuable example for Georgiana during the next few important years as she entered society than any of her other acquaintances would have done. “I believe that you will take to Elizabeth quite readily, though she is quite lively and witty. She is also,” he said with a smile, “a lady of quite exemplary fortitude. For example, she refused to be intimidated by your Aunt Catherine's usual unending stream of 'suggestions' and 'instructions,' disputing her with considerably more spirit than I have ever been able to show.”

“Aunt Catherine?” Georgiana was completely intimidated by her formidable aunt, and she did not see how anyone could successfully stand against her when even her brother avoided open conflict.

“Indeed. And she did so in such a skillful manner that my aunt did not even realize that Miss Elizabeth was being impertinent. She was actually quite taken with her, at least at first. We spent much time together at Rosings, and that is where I got to know her better and found myself completely lost.”

Georgiana smiled at her brother. “It sounds quite romantic. And it also sounds completely unlike you, William!”

Darcy laughed, feeling the joy and release of actually having things settled between Elizabeth and himself. Or, at least, most things settled, he reminded himself. He still needed to give her the unpleasant news of his visit with her father. He knew that she would be distressed, but he had decided during his ride that the news would not affect her acceptance. There was still the matter of that repulsive gossip printed in the Chronicle. But she did agree to marry, he told himself, when it could have been so very much worse . . .

“Richard says that it actually is completely like me and should have been expected, considering the usual Darcy impulsiveness!” Darcy said with a chuckle.

“He does enjoy teasing you about that, William,” Georgiana said with a smile.

“What do I enjoy teasing my too beloved cousin about, Georgie?” a voice said from the door.

Darcy and Georgiana looked behind them to see Colonel Fitzwilliam just entering the room in his scarlet uniform.

“At trying to provide a model of socially acceptable behavior to a totally disreputable relation,” said Darcy, rising as Fitzwilliam closed the door to the room.

“At being impulsive,” said Georgiana.

Fitzwilliam gave a big grin as he came around to seat himself in a comfortable chair in front of them. “Has Darcy been confessing to his recent impulsiveness, Georgie?”

“Actually,” said Georgiana slyly, “I believe he has been confessing to providing you the source for a complete new story, Richard!”

“What is this, Darcy? Do I dare believe that you have already met with the delightful Miss Bennet? And that the lady has accepted you?”

“The answer,” said Darcy, “is ‘yes’ and ‘yes.’” He made a quieting motion to his cousin, lest his cousin start recounting the entire eventful but embarrassing story of what had taken place in Kent. Fitzwilliam grinned at him in glee, but had no more desire than Darcy to reveal the details of that lively episode. At least not yet!

“Well, well, well,” said Fitzwilliam. “That does appear to contain the seeds of yet another Darcy tale.”

“Georgie was expressing the fear that I might have connected myself with Miss Bingley,” Darcy said, trying to change the subject by teasing Georgiana, and he did succeed in drawing a blush from his sister.

Fitzwilliam shuddered at the thought. “Dear Heavens, no. I have met both ladies and quite understand your concern in that area, Georgie. Miss Elizabeth is quite delightful and is in no way similar to the many fashionable society ladies – and their mothers! – who have been pursuing your brother with scant success these many years.” This thought cheered Georgiana considerably as he continued. “Georgie, we must share with Miss Elizabeth the story of the courtship of your parents. It should provide considerable insight into her new husband’s character!”

“You will not have the chance, Richard,” Darcy said with an attempt at dignity. “I have resolved to share that with Elizabeth at the first opportunity, in the hope of salvaging at least some semblance of respectability!”

Fitzwilliam laughed heartily at this and turned back to Georgiana. “Miss Elizabeth is intelligent, lively, witty, and truly compassionate, Georgie. She will make a wonderful sister for you. In fact, if I were not a younger son and had Miss Elizabeth a more substantial fortune, I might have jousted with your brother for her favor!”

That earned him a glare from Darcy, which amused Fitzwilliam greatly. But then he noticed the sudden look of concern on Georgiana’s face, and he immediately realized that his comment on Miss Bennet’s lack of fortune had provoked fear in his cousin that her brother had been ensnared by a fortune hunter. He immediately reached forward and took her hand. “Do not distress yourself, Georgie,” he told her gently. “I have positive reason to know Miss Bennet is not a fortune hunter. No, no, I can see the concern in your face, but trust me on this. I cannot speak of it, but I know she is not such. Not just believe, Georgie, but know! Your brother has connected himself with a most worthy young lady.”

But then, having been serious for long enough, Fitzwilliam continued. “Though he has,” he said wickedly, “connected himself with a young lady of inestimable spirit who faced up to both Lady Catherine and your fearsome brother.”

“Indeed,” Georgiana said with a smile, both at his assurances and his jest. “It sounds as if I will quite enjoy meeting this fearless young woman who could face up to my imposing brother.”

“Aye, she did, Georgie. Faced him down and quite broke him to her will,” said Fitzwilliam teasingly.

“Fitzwilliam!” his cousin said in warning. He never used Fitzwilliam’s family name unless provoked.

“And after she gets through instructing you in how to deal with imperious family members, Georgie, I would wager that the direction of the Darcy family affairs may pass to new and more capable hands!”

“Fitzwilliam!” Darcy said in heat, glaring at his irrepressible cousin in exasperation.

Fitzwilliam’s answer was a peal of laughter and a handshake of hearty congratulation that mollified Darcy somewhat but did not make him any less wary of what his cousin might plan for the future. But, at this instant, he wanted to call on Elizabeth as soon as possible and introduce Georgiana to her before he acquainted Elizabeth with her father’s reaction this morning.

“Georgiana, I will be calling on Elizabeth immediately to inform her of my visit to her father. If you are available, I would dearly wish for you to accompany me.”

“See what I mean, Georgie?” said Fitzwilliam in a stage whisper. “Impulsive!” He looked back at Darcy’s glare blandly. “I believe that I shall accompany you to offer my own congratulations, Darcy,” he offered.

“I might have missed it,” said Darcy sarcastically, “but I simply cannot remember issuing an invitation, cousin.”

Fitzwilliam dismissed Darcy’s comment with a flip of his hand. “You are much too well bred to be uncivil, Darcy. It is one of the things that makes you so endearing to your poorer relations.”

“Then perhaps you might be of at least some service, Richard, and accompany me to visit your parents tomorrow afternoon? I feel that I should inform them in person rather than sending a letter.”

“Of course, Darcy.”

Darcy stood to leave. “The carriage will be ready in a quarter hour. If you could entertain Georgiana until then without any further damage to my character, cousin, I have some correspondence to attend to before we leave.”

As Darcy left the room, he heard Fitzwilliam say behind him, “Had you not noticed Darcy’s rather odd behavior of late, Georgie? That should have warned you that something impulsive was in the wind!”

Darcy heard the tinkling of Georgiana’s laughter behind him, and he did not have to look back to know that Fitzwilliam was completely ignoring his admonition against further damage to his character. He could only shake his head as he closed the door.

Chapter 19

Posted on Wednesday, 18 May 2005

Elizabeth was reading to her cousins in the sitting room with Jane and Bingley when she heard the sound of a coach arriving on the street below. She had been expecting his arrival for more than an hour now and had been wondering what was delaying him. She closed her book and looked out the window to see the familiar red-coated figure of Colonel Fitzwilliam handing down a tall young lady from the coach. Elizabeth knew that this had to be his sister, who Jane had described so admiringly, but that thought made her cringe inwardly as she remembered how she had believed Mr. Wickham’s description of Miss Darcy’s exceedingly proud manner. She dispatched her cousins to the nursery and informed her aunt that Mr. Darcy and his sister had arrived along with their cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam.

She arrived back in the sitting room as the three visitors were being announced, and this time she was more prepared as Darcy’s eyes instantly found her as he stepped into the room. She returned his smile as she crossed the room to him, pleased to feel an honest pleasure at his arrival. It did not hurt that his gallantries continued as he again bent to kiss her hand before turning to his sister. “Elizabeth, may I present my sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy? Georgiana, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Georgiana and Elizabeth made their curtsies, and Georgiana was able to venture in a voice so soft that Elizabeth strained to hear, “I am pleased to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. My brother has told me much of you.”

“And he has told me much of you also,” Elizabeth responded with a smile. She turned to greet Colonel Fitzwilliam, pleased to again see his pleasant countenance wreathed in a huge smile.

“My dear Miss Bennet,” he exclaimed as he greeted her, “it is wonderful to see you again! Darcy told me the good news, and I invited myself along to give you my warmest congratulations.”

“Thank you, Colonel,” she said with a smile, “but I must correct you, sir. The title of Miss Bennet belongs to my sister Jane.” She gestured to her sister, “Jane, this is Colonel Fitzwilliam, the cousin of Georgiana and Mr. Darcy. Colonel, Miss Bennet.”

The Colonel bowed deeply. “I am most pleased to meet you, Miss Bennet. Please accept my abject apologies, and allow me to offer you my congratulations on your own recent engagement.” Jane smiled and nodded her head in acceptance.

While Darcy introduced Colonel Fitzwilliam to her aunt and uncle, Elizabeth took Miss Darcy’s arm, tucking it in hers before giving Darcy one of her impish smiles that he loved so much. “If I might be allowed to borrow your sister for a few minutes, sir? I believe everyone else except for Colonel Fitzwilliam is acquainted, and I have no doubt that the both of you may adequately entertain my aunt.” Then she took Georgiana over to a couch, and the two girls sat down together while Darcy and his cousin sat down near Mrs. Gardiner. Fitzwilliam and Mrs. Gardiner quickly fell into conversation, leaving Georgiana and Elizabeth to each other. Bingley, of course, needed no entertainment, as he had his Jane, and Darcy was content just to watch Elizabeth and Georgiana.

Elizabeth quickly determined that Jane had been accurate in her assessment of Miss Darcy, for she was possessed of both sense and good humor, with manners that were perfectly unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth was relieved at discerning such character in the girl destined to be her new sister, though she was forced to do the greater share of the talking. Miss Darcy was truly as shy as Jane had described, though she was clearly trying hard to converse with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth several times glanced over at Darcy, who seemed content to leave his cousin Fitzwilliam to attend to her aunt. His expression was one that she was very familiar with, though it was not that look of imperious reserve that she had so often seen before. It was instead that dark look of interest, and she found it almost overwhelming to be the complete focus of those penetrating eyes. She had to force herself back to her conversation with Georgiana.

Georgiana had tried to prepare herself for her meeting with this unknown country girl whom her brother had informed her would be her new sister, but not even his lavish praise of Miss Elizabeth could offset the deep anxiety that she had felt as they arrived in front of the house on Gracechurch Street. She was afraid to meet a sophisticated, if less imposing, version of Miss Bingley, but she also feared to meet an untutored and subservient country Miss. She was completely unprepared for the lively wit and warm affection of Elizabeth, and though she desperately wished to reciprocate the other lady’s gentle attempts to draw her into conversation, she could not seem to manage her tongue to make any more spirited response than simple, one-word answers. It was only when the topic turned to music that Georgiana began to lose some of her timidity.

“Your brother says that you practice most diligently, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said, “and he also says that you are quite proficient.”

Georgiana looked over at her with a shy smile. “William is much too kind to me, Miss Elizabeth,” she said softly. It was her longest sentence so far.

“I am sure he is only telling the truth, Miss Darcy. He has told me that deceit of any kind is his abhorrence!” she said with a sly glance at Darcy, who only raised an eyebrow in return. “He is your brother, you know. He would never say it if it is not so, would you not agree?”

“Well, yes,” she said softly, her head down in embarrassment at such compliments. Then she looked up and responded in sudden triumph, “He also told me that he very much enjoyed hearing you sing and play, Miss Elizabeth, and that must be true also!”

Elizabeth smiled at drawing such a response from the shy girl, but she colored slightly at the further evidence that Darcy had been watching avidly when she did not suspect any regard at all. “Well, we shall have many chances to play together in the future, and you shall have to make up your own mind,” she said cheerfully, “though I shall strive to only play duets with you so that you can cover for my deficiencies!”

Georgiana could not help but giggle at Elizabeth’s jest, and she impulsively reached over and squeezed her hand, “I am so glad we will be sisters, Miss Elizabeth.”

“As am I, Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth said with a warm smile. But then she cocked her eye at the younger girl. “However, if we are to be sisters, we cannot continue to call each other Miss Elizabeth and Miss Darcy. You must call me Elizabeth or Lizzy, which is what my sisters call me.”

“Oh, I could not!” Georgiana exclaimed in embarrassment.

“But you must!” Elizabeth replied with a laugh, “For others will find it strange if I am calling you Georgiana while you still refer to me as Miss Elizabeth or Miss Bennet. We would not,” she said with a broad wink, “want them to think us quarreling!”

“Oh, I could never quarrel with you, Miss Elizabeth!” Georgiana cried in dismay.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at her, smiled, and waited expectantly.

At length Georgiana relented and gave a small smile, “Elizabeth.”

“That’s much better,” she said. “Now, do you prefer Georgiana?”

“Well,” she said shyly, “I haven’t had a chance to make many friends of my own yet, since I’m not out yet. William and Mrs. Annesley call me Georgiana, except that sometimes William calls me Georgie when he teases me. And cousin Fitzwilliam calls me Georgie, but he teases me all the time, and calls me other names sometimes.”

“Georgiana is a lovely name, so I will call you that, if you please. But what is this about your brother teasing you?” She glanced over at Darcy as he sat watching her intently with a slight smile. “We shall have to tease him right back!”

“Oh, no! I do not think I could tease William, Elizabeth. He has been so good to me, and he has so many concerns to deal with.” This last thought seemed to cause a cloud to pass over Georgiana’s face, and Elizabeth immediately realized that the thought of Ramsgate and Wickham had just intruded into the younger girl’s mind.

She reached over and squeezed Georgiana’s hand, before leaning close with a bright smile and whispered to her, “Then I shall have to tease him for the both of us! Then you can laugh with me without having to deal with such a solemn older brother.” This last seemed to relieve the sudden discomposure of the younger girl, and Georgiana gave her a tentative smile. Elizabeth glanced again at Darcy and caught a concerned look on his face, so she gave him an encouraging smile. Darcy immediately smiled back, and Elizabeth was surprised at how the joyful smile dispelled his solemn mien and gave him an unexpected boyish exuberance. She turned back to Georgiana with yet another item to add to the catalogue of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Georgiana had also witnessed her brother’s smile, and she covered Elizabeth’s hand with her own, “I have never seen William so happy, Elizabeth,” she said joyously. “I am so pleased that he has found you. I had begun to despair that he would ever marry.”

Elizabeth was conscious of her great good fortune – there were many things that she and Darcy still had to learn of each other, but she had already learned that she could not have been more fortunate in her new sister.

Chapter 20

Mr. Gardiner arrived about a quarter-hour after Darcy arrived, and Darcy immediately rose as he entered the room. Drawing close, he asked quietly if he might see him privately as soon as might be. Mr. Gardiner realized that Darcy was decidedly unhappy, and he suddenly was alarmed at assigning the possible cause as being associated with the young man’s journey to see Elizabeth’s father that morning. Quickly he agreed, and the two men left the room so quietly that their absence was not at first noticed.

As Mr. Gardiner closed the door behind him, Darcy began, “Thank you for seeing me so quickly, Mr. Gardiner.”

“It is quite all right, Mr. Darcy. Am I correct in my assumption that you need to talk of your visit with my brother Bennet?” asked the older gentleman, offering his hand. Darcy clasped Mr. Gardiner’s hand with a feeling of relief that one of Elizabeth’s relations could be so eminently sensible and polite. Having to relate the particulars of this morning’s encounter with her father to one of less understanding would have been truly mortifying.

“You are quite correct, sir, and I must tell you that my journey was not an unqualified success,” he answered, pulling out the two letters that Mr. Bennet had given him. “In fact, while he felt himself compelled to give his consent, he appears to have taken a decided dislike to me and was quite energetic in withholding his blessing to our marriage. I believe he will be more forthcoming in his letter to you.”

That Mr. Gardiner was upset by this news was obvious by the look he gave the two letters. Putting the letter to Elizabeth aside for the moment, he held the other in his hand. “Before I read this, would you care for tea or coffee, Mr. Darcy?”

“Coffee would be preferable to my taste, sir, but I will be happy with tea as well.”

Mr. Gardiner nodded and ordered coffee for both of them before he broke the seal on his letter. He said nothing as he read Mr. Bennet’s letter, but Darcy could discern that he was quite uncomfortable with its contents. As he finished reading the several pages, the coffee was brought into the study, and he put the letter aside in order to serve himself and Darcy. When they both settled back in their chairs, he addressed the contents of the letter. “I see that you were not wide of the mark when you described your interview with my brother. I am rather surprised, since he is usually more sensible than this, but I will not comment beyond that. I believe that our time would be better spent in consideration of what we should do and the plans we should make.”

Darcy nodded in agreement, understanding completely that the other man would not criticize his brother directly, and Mr. Bennet’s feelings were not significant to the measures that should now be discussed.

“My brother has authorized me to act for him in all respects in this matter, sir,” Mr. Gardiner continued, and again Darcy nodded, thinking that he should have foreseen this. He knew that Mr. Bennet was washing his hands of a distasteful task in order to return to his beloved books, and he had to struggle to conceal his distaste for the man’s indolence and lack of care for his daughter’s feelings at a most emotional time.

“As soon as I returned, I drafted a note for my solicitor instructing him to begin the preparations to obtain a license so that Elizabeth and I should be married in whatever place would meet with her agreement.”

“That seems a prudent choice, sir,” said Mr. Gardiner, “but we should consult with Lizzy and my wife to obtain a better opinion.”

“Perhaps you might invite your wife to join us now, before we inform Elizabeth of this. I am sure that she will not be at all happy.”

“Thank you, sir, I shall do so. I am accustomed to discussing even my business matters with her to obtain her thoughts; she is a woman of considerable insight.” Mr. Gardiner quickly excused himself and returned shortly with his wife, who greeted Darcy agreeably. She had decided that she liked this quiet young man very much and even more after his engagement to their niece.

She was not, however, as effective as her husband in concealing her feelings when informed of Mr. Bennet’s reaction of the morning. “This is not at all fitting, Mr. Gardiner!” she exclaimed. “Lizzy would no doubt prefer to be married from Longbourn, and he is denying that without justification other than personal aversion!”

“Perhaps so, Madeline, but he is her father and within his rights. And he did not refuse consent, which is the situation with which we must deal. The question now is what shall we advise Lizzy when we break this new to her?”

“With respect to a site, I might suggest my family’s chapel in town, St. --------, or else the chapel at Pemberley,” said Darcy. “Either would be most agreeable to me, but I would not force a choice on Elizabeth; I am amenable to her wishes.”

“And I would further suggest our own church, St. --------, which Lizzy has often attended when visiting us. But we shall have to wait to see what Elizabeth thinks,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “She will not be pleased at having to make this choice, not at all.”

“It is not as bad as it might be, Madeline,” said her husband. “While my brother is adamant in his own disapproval, he will not forbid either her mother or her sisters from attending.”

“That is something,” agreed his wife. “Perhaps Elizabeth will have another opinion. Now, what about her wedding clothes? I know my sister will be desirous of helping both her daughters in their shopping.”

Mr. Gardiner was not able to contain his distress at this comment, and he was forced to admit that Mr. Bennet was completely set against any purchase of wedding clothes for her wedding. Mrs. Gardiner was so outraged at this that she simply sat in silence, knowing that any outburst would be most inappropriate. But when I have some privacy with Edward, she thought. Just wait!

In this matter, Darcy was dismissive. “This is of no consequence, Mrs. Gardiner. I will provide for whatever Elizabeth should require out of my own funds – she shall not be forced to do without.”

“That is most generous, sir, but hardly necessary,” objected Mr. Gardiner. “We will be more than happy to provide for any purchases my niece may need to make.”

Darcy only smiled. “Do you remember the part of the marriage ceremony in which the husband vows to endow his wife with all his worldly goods? It is not appropriate to have you support such unexpected expenditures simply to uphold a social custom regarding the wedding clothes. Consider, sir, that Elizabeth might soon have the use of my entire fortune if I am run down in the street by a runaway coach on our way out of the church!”

And with this good-natured jest, Mr. Gardiner gave way. “I will contest no further, sir,” he said with a smile. “Now we need to apprise Lizzy of this unfortunate news.”

“There is one other thing, sir. I also instructed my solicitor to begin the preparation of marriage agreements, and he should have a rough draft in a day or two. I will bring these to you to review when they are ready, since it appears that you will now be acting for Mr. Bennet in this matter.”

“Quite correct, Mr. Darcy. My brother has given me the authority to make all arrangements in his name. Now, we had better bring Lizzy into this conversation. Madeline, would you ask her to come here while you entertain our guests?”

When Elizabeth entered the study, she was sobered by the rather grim expressions on both Darcy’s and her uncle’s faces, but she was not long left in doubt as to the reason. “Lizzy,” her uncle began, “I dislike having to tell you this, but Mr. Darcy’s meeting with your father this morning did not go well at all. He has written a letter to me, and the upshot is that he has given his consent to your marriage but has withheld his blessing.” Elizabeth was both puzzled and distressed by this unexpected news, and her uncle gave her the letter from Mr. Bennet. After she broke the seal and began to read, she was shocked at the vituperative tone of the letter – it was completely unlike him! She paled as she continued reading the abusive terms in which he described Darcy and the manner in which he believed that he had entrapped her into marriage. But he was quite abusive also that she had accepted him – he seemed to believe that she should have found some way to both avoid allowing the scandal to tarnish herself and her family while still refusing Darcy. It was most unfair and uncharitable, and she could not stop the tears that ran from her eyes.

Darcy wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he restrained himself as she finished the letter. When she finally folded it and put it aside, her uncle said gently, “Lizzy, would you care to withdraw to compose yourself? Mr. Darcy and I have other things to discuss, and it would be certainly understandable if you need some time by yourself.”

“No, uncle,” she said quietly, taking the handkerchief that Darcy handed her and drying her tears. “It is just that I have never seen my father express himself in such a manner.”

“Nor have I,” replied Mr. Gardiner. “As I said to Mr. Darcy, my brother is usually more sensible.” He sighed unhappily. “In his letter to me, your father authorized me to make all the arrangements, since he refuses to be involved in any manner.” This last comment obviously pained him.

“I will not speak of my own letter, uncle, other than to say that I assume that my father was equally abusive of Mr. Darcy in your letter as in mine, and I wish to take this opportunity to absolutely deny that any of his charges has any validity at all.”

“I never doubted it, Lizzy,” said Mr. Gardiner softly. He was embarrassed for the decided dislike that Mr. Bennet seemed to have formed for Darcy, but the man in question appeared little concerned by the opinion of Mr. Bennet on his behalf. His eyes were full of concern for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth saw Darcy’s anxiety for her, and his sympathy and worry warmed her. She could only imagine what his interview with her father must have been like, to be accused of what her father had accused him of in his letter. Impulsively, she reached over and squeezed his hand, which comforted him. When she started to draw her hand back, he resisted, and she allowed her small hand to remain clasped within his.

“We had best start, then,” her uncle said, “for we have many things to discuss. One of the first things to discuss is a location for the wedding. Mr. Darcy has suggested London, either in our own church or his own. Alternatively, he also suggested the possibility of having the ceremony at the chapel at his estate in Derbyshire.”

At the unspoken reminder that she would not be married from Longbourn, Elizabeth was stirred to anger at her father for his lack of concern for herself as well as his dismissive and abusive accusations of both Darcy and herself. It took some moments for her to quell her anger at her father and concentrate on the question her uncle raised. That, at least, is easily addressed, she thought, and responded, “It will be much easier for my mother and sisters, as well as my aunt and uncle Philips, to attend in London than in Derbyshire. Beyond that, I have no preference.” She looked her uncle in the eye. “There appears to be little cause to long delay the ceremony, unless Mr. Darcy has reasons of his own for waiting.”

Mr. Gardiner looked at Darcy, who shrugged, “I am willing to do whatever Elizabeth desires in this matter, whether next month or tomorrow.”

“There is no need to be in a rush, Lizzy,” Mr. Gardiner offered gently.

Elizabeth smiled, but the smile was rather brittle. “I do not think you take my point, uncle. After my father’s letter, it would be a rather useless exercise to go back to Longbourn. For better or worse, my home henceforth will be with Mr. Darcy, and I see no reason not to schedule our wedding as soon as practicable.”

Mr. Gardiner was silent as he digested that, saddened again by the results of his brother’s anger. “I had not thought of it from that point of view, Elizabeth. But I am reluctantly forced to agree with you.” Darcy nodded in agreement, both saddened and more than a little irritated at her father.

“I see no reason why we should not be married in a week, uncle,” she continued.

“Are you sure that you wish to be that hasty, Elizabeth?” Darcy said in surprise. “Surely you will want to order a wedding gown, which will have to be made and fitted. Your mother will, I am sure, desire to be involved with that and with the purchase of any other necessary items.”

Mr. Gardiner was embarrassed as he said to Elizabeth, “I would guess your father informed you that he will allow no money for wedding clothes?” She nodded, and her uncle continued, “Mr. Darcy earlier offered to fund whatever purchases are required, Lizzy.”

Elizabeth smiled sadly at Darcy. “That was generous of you, sir, and well meant, but it is hardly necessary. We both know that most brides are married in their Sunday best, and I could certainly do the same. But there will be time for any additional purchases later, and I truly do not wish to delay the ceremony. While I love both my uncle and aunt, I have no wish to be a guest in their home for months with too much time to dwell on wrongs, both real and imagined. I would much prefer to be settled in my new home as soon as practicable.”

“Then it shall be as you wish, Elizabeth,” Darcy said, understanding and sympathizing with her reasoning. “But I believe that a wedding gown can be made and fitted even within the week. Mr. Gardiner,” he said, turning to her uncle, “might your wife assist my sister in helping Elizabeth? With knowledge of the right shops, I feel sure that her gown, and possibly other items, may be acquired within the set time.”

“Certainly, Mr. Darcy. I am sure she will be pleased to assist Lizzy.”

“Thank you. Elizabeth,” he said, turning to her, “if you are you familiar with your uncle’s church, would you feel comfortable being married there?”

“Oh, certainly. It is not an extremely large church, but it is quite agreeable in appearance without being overly ornate. And Reverend Jackson would do quite well to conduct the ceremony.”

“Then I suggest we consider the location as settled. It is probably the best choice, since my own clergyman, Reverend White, is rather elderly and is not in the best of health. Might you make the arrangements, Mr. Gardiner? I assume a day or two delay would not be objectionable, in the case of a conflict. In addition, I shall change my instructions to my solicitor and have him arrange for a special license from the Archbishop, so that we may then be married whenever suitable preparations have been made.”

All being agreeable, Mrs. Gardiner was sent for and was perfectly willing to assist her niece, but she did tell her that a single week was not realistic. “I believe that two to three weeks at least would be required, Lizzy. For example, it will take at least two weeks to sew and fit a wedding gown. Many of the other items usually purchased would not have to be specially fitted, but the gowns certainly would be.”

“But could they not be delivered after the wedding took place, aunt?” Elizabeth asked.

“Surely, my dear, but . . . ”

“Aunt, I am really quite determined on this. I am caught in-between, no longer an unmarried Bennet daughter and not yet a wife, with no desire to return to Longbourn and live under my father’s authority and equally no desire to linger as a guest in your home, though I have no doubt of my welcome. Please understand, Aunt – I want to go to my home as soon as may be. Whether I am married in my Sunday best or a brand new gown is of no import to me, and, I suspect, of little import to Mr. Darcy.” He nodded in agreement, squeezing her hand, which still remained clasped within his.

“Then perhaps we can agree on a date of next Saturday, unless there is a problem with the church?” said Elizabeth, and her aunt and uncle reluctantly agreed to that date. It was agreed that Mrs. Gardiner would accompany Elizabeth to start her shopping the next afternoon, while her uncle would see to the church, and Darcy would see to the legal requirements. Darcy also issued an invitation to dine at his house on Tuesday evening, which was quickly accepted.

After Mrs. Gardiner excused herself to return to her guests, Elizabeth and Darcy remained holding hands, sitting quietly together. Mr. Gardiner silently rose and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Elizabeth did not resist as Darcy gently pulled her arm toward him. She stood up and allowed herself to be drawn down so that she sat across his legs while he folded her head to his chest. She welcomed the comfort of his arms as they wrapped around her, feeling the strength of them as they both held and consoled her.

“I am sorry about today, Elizabeth. I keep trying to think of something I could have said to have changed your father’s mind, but he seemed determined to thwart me at every turn.”

“Let us forget about it, William,” she said softly. “From what he wrote, my father already had his mind made up before you called. Just hold me for a while.”

Darcy was well content as he held Elizabeth, his chin resting on top of her dark curls. But at the same time, he was quite frustrated, since he had to struggle to keep his hands still on her back. He could feel her soft warmth beneath his fingers, and he longed to move one hand down her spine to her slim waist and the other up to her lovely, slender neck. You can wait, he commanded himself, in less than a week we will be married. But another part of him asked, And what then? Will you take this young girl to your marriage bed as if she desired this marriage as much as yourself? Will you ravish her when she does not even know what being a wife entails? Are you a beast or are you a man? Darcy did not have a good answer for those inner voices, but he could control them. He would not hurt Elizabeth due to her innocence and ignorance of the intimacies of marriage. He could wait. He hoped.

After several minutes of silence, Darcy informed her that he had sent an announcement of their engagement to the Times. “That should ensure that this vile gossip goes no further. After our engagement is published, interest will die.”

“It is so unfair,” Elizabeth said. “What if it had not been you? What if you had not acted honorably? My life might easily have been destroyed!”

Darcy nodded. “I agree, it is not fair. In affairs such as these, women are far more vulnerable than are men. A scandal that might hardly affect a man can completely destroy a young woman’s reputation forever. It is not fair, but it is the world we live in.”

After a minute or so, Elizabeth had reason to think on some of what she had said today, and one part gave her pause. “William,” she ventured tentatively, “I wonder now whether I was thinking clearly when I was so forceful in recommending a mere week before our marriage. Now I am wondering if that will cause a problem because it is so quick.”

Darcy chuckled at her comment. “Do not worry about that, Elizabeth. I shall simply tell the truth and say that I desired to be married as quickly as possible, else I should have carried you off to Gretna Green!”

Elizabeth giggled, though her cheeks turned red, for she knew that often the groom was most anxious to take his bride to his bed and was quite insistent on a very short period of time between receiving a girl’s acceptance and having her in the church. She knew that Darcy desired the same, for she could almost feel the rigid self-control that he was exerting to keep his hands still on her back. She knew that he wanted to allow his hands to roam more, and though she did not want to be totally rigid in forbidding him any liberties at all, she was grateful that he was not forcing her to have to decide on where and what to limit.

“Thank you, William,” she said softly. “I really do desire to have things settled as soon as possible. The problem with my father was simply the last straw, which, when added to all the other turmoils of our acquaintance, made me simply want to retreat to the safety and comfort of my home. But now, the home that I have always known is no longer a home that can offer me what I seek – I cannot really go back to Longbourn now. I just want to retire to the security of our own family party as soon as I can – and if you suggested Gretna Green again, I should not protest very much!”

Neither of them said anything for several minutes, but eventually Elizabeth pushed herself up and got to her feet. As Darcy rose to his feet, she suddenly rose to her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, William,” she said softly.

“And what did I do to deserve that, Elizabeth?” he said with a smile, “For I shall be most diligent in doing it again.”

“That was just for being you, for being so understanding, especially considering that I used to think you lost to all consideration for others. I have still so much to learn about you.”

“Then here is one thing you should know, Miss Bennet,” he said firmly. “The kiss you just gave me is your only free one. If you give me another, then I will definitely kiss you back.”

“Truly, Mr. Darcy?” she said with a gay laugh that warmed his heart at seeing her spirits rise.

“Truly, Miss Bennet,” he growled at her.

Taking his arm, she gave him that wonderful smile that he had once despaired of ever seeing directed his way. “Then I shall depend on it, sir,” she said softly, before they opened the door to join the others.

As they entered the sitting room, Bingley and Jane sat with Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, and all were joined in general laughter as Fitzwilliam was obviously telling a joke. As Darcy watched Bingley, laughing with the others but glancing over at Jane and delighting in her laugh, he could not help but remember how he had almost been responsible for separating those two forever. He had to turn away suddenly as he grimaced at the remembrance of leaving Bingley’s house just one week earlier. “What now, William?” asked Elizabeth with a slight smile. It seemed as if so many things brought up some difficult memory in this increasingly complex man, and that would require some study on her part.

He looked aside for a moment, and then shrugged. Better to be straightforward, he thought, than to allow any more misconceptions between us. “When I saw Bingley just now, I remembered a thought I had when I left his house on Sunday,” he said somberly. “I wondered at that time if I could have made a worse tangle of my affairs if I had actually set out with that as my objective.”

Elizabeth had to laugh at this unpleasant memory. “Come, come, Mr. Darcy. This will never do! If you will not accept my philosophy to remember the past only with pleasure, then you will simply have to stop remembering, especially if it is going to cause you to assume such disagreeable expressions.”

“I am so pleased to have you to join me in telling him that, Elizabeth,” said Georgiana suddenly, who had joined them in time to hear the last comment. “At times, William can be the most dour individual.”

“I daresay,” said Elizabeth gaily, turning to the younger girl. “It will surely take the two of us together to relieve such solemn spirits!”

Darcy winced as the two dearest individuals in his life combined forces against him, but then he could not help but smile as his expression made both of them erupt in new laughter. It could have been so very much worse, he thought in sudden contentment, as Elizabeth and Georgiana fell easily into cheerful conversation.

Continued in Next Section