Posted on Wednesday, 12 April 2006
"Come in."
Darcy turned the doorknob and hesitantly entered the room. It was obvious that Mr. Bennet was expecting one of his family by his evident surprise on seeing him.
"Mr. Darcy!" laughed Mr. Bennet. "I did not expect to see you. Are you lost?"
"Sir," began Darcy nervously, "I have come with a request."
"A request? For what?"
Darcy hesitated for moment, uncertain how to answer.
"Please forgive me," cried Mr. Bennet. "I have forgotten myself. Do sit down, please, wherever you will. May I pour you a drink? I shall have port. Would you care to join me?"
"I would like that very much. Thank you."
Darcy chose an armchair in front of Mr. Bennet's desk and sat down.
"Well, Mr. Darcy, you have come to make a request of me? How entertaining!"
"Mr. Bennet..."
"Could it be that you want money?" interrupted Mr. Bennet. "No. No it cannot be that, for you have ten thousand a year, or so I am told. Perhaps you would like to buy my horse, but no, you possess a beautiful mount of your own and, most likely, well stocked stables at Pemberley."
"My horse..."
"Do you wish an invitation to dinner? No," considered Mr. Bennet, "it could not be that, for I have heard reports that you have at least three French cooks, though how patriotic that might be, I will not venture to suppose."
"I do not have..."
"I know! You would like a lesson in manners. What did you say at that assembly ball? Let me remember. Ah, yes, my daughter is 'not handsome enough to dance with.' And all this time, I thought the ability to dance had something to do with skill and lightness of foot, when, in fact, it has everything to do with appearance."
"I have regretted..."
"I can guess no further, sir. I have no idea what you could want."
"First, let me say, sir, that my remark at the assembly, to which you referred, was unconscionable, and I regret and apologize for having made it. Secondly..."
"That is all well and good, but I am not the offended party. Have you made your apologies to Miss Elizabeth?"
"I have, sir."
"I see. I congratulate you on your integrity. Now, you were saying?"
"Secondly, I would be grateful to accept any advice you have on manners, as I am in daily pursuit of improving my character and correcting my reputation in the neighborhood."
Mr. Bennet was thoughtful for a moment.
"Come to think of it, Mr. Darcy, I might suggest that you smile more. You will appear less foreboding and intimidating. You should know that three of my daughters are quite afraid of you."
"You are right, Mr. Bennet, of course."
"Now we come to the point of your visit. Would you care for more port?" asked Mr. Bennet, interrupting himself again.
"No, thank you. As to my visit..."
"Yes, I almost forgot. You have a request to make of me."
"Allow me to come to the point. I have offered my hand in marriage to your daughter, Miss Elizabeth, and she has accepted me. I am here to request your consent to our union."
Mr. Bennet nearly choked on his wine. "You wish to marry Elizabeth? Whatever for?"
"I love her, sir."
"You love her," repeated Mr. Bennet. "I would suggest that you hardly know her. I have seen you very rarely in Hertfordshire of late, and Elizabeth has been both in Kent and Derbyshire."
"And I was in both those places at the same time as she."
"You were?"
"Yes. While Miss Elizabeth was in Kent visiting Mrs. Collins, I was with my aunt at Rosings Park."
"And was this by design or coincidence?" asked Mr. Bennet irritably.
"By coincidence only, sir, I assure you. I spend every Easter with my aunt, though I confess that had I known Miss Elizabeth was to be there, nothing would have kept me away. She toured Pemberley while in Derbyshire with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. I happened to arrive from town on that very day and met her there. I saw her several times while she continued in the neighborhood."
"And for some reason, which I still cannot gather, these visits give you the right to approach her with an offer of marriage?"
"I am convinced of her affection for me. Indeed, she has told me of her regard for me, and I am quite familiar with mine for her. I have loved her nearly from the time I met her."
"She has spoken to me at length," said Mr. Bennet, "concerning this so called regard she has for you. She hates you, sir, and a handful of visits cannot be enough to prevail on her to marry you."
"She no longer hates me, sir, and has not for some time now."
"I know she would not accept you because of all your wealth and grandeur. Indeed, she could have accepted Mr. Collins and been assured of being mistress of this whole estate."
"I would not dishonor her by suggesting that my fortune would at all influence her."
"How very kind of you. In this instance, though, I agree with you."
"Sir, will you give us your consent?"
"No, sir, I will not!"
"Will you tell me why?"
"I need not explain myself to you, Mr. Darcy."
"Is your opposition to our marriage based on your belief of her indifference?"
"You are wealthy and from a well distinguished family. It is impossible for me to believe that you have honorable designs on a country girl with a meager dowry."
"I am a gentleman. She is a gentleman's daughter. So far we are equal."
"But who is your uncle? No less a personage than the earl of Matlock. Who is your aunt? A widow of a knight, and one of the largest property holders in Kent. And who is Elizabeth's uncle? A commoner in trade in London, who lives within sight of his own warehouses."
"Mr. Bennet, if my connections are not of concern to your daughter, of what significance can they be to you?"
"And who is your father?" continued Mr. Bennet, ignoring Darcy's question. "The late Mr. Darcy of Pemberley with an income of 10,000 p.a. and second in property holdings in Derbyshire next only to his Grace, the duke of Devonshire. And Elizabeth's father, Mr. Darcy? An insignificant squire of a small village in Hertfordshire, who will be unable to offer more than 1,000 pounds to any man she marries. She has nothing, sir. This estate is entailed away to her cousin. No. You are not equals."
"Her fortune means nothing to me, sir. I value her for her talents, intelligence, charm and beauty."
"That is very pretty talking, Mr. Darcy, but you know it is not sound and were your father alive, you would not consider her. You have forgot yourself. Fortunes such as yours are created and increased through advantageous marriages. A man in your position need not ask less than 30,000 pounds."
"Forgive me, sir, but you are wrong. A man in my position need not ask anything and can, therefore, afford to marry for love. My parents were a love match, despite my mother's fortune. She and my father, were they alive, would want no less for me. If it was my desire to marry for financial considerations, I can marry my cousin, Anne de Bourgh, and unite my estate with Rosings Park. I do not love my cousin. I love your daughter, sir, and desire only her."
"You are very persuasive, sir, but you have yet to assure me of your ability to make her happy. I grant that you are certainly willing, but I know her character far better than you. She could not be happy if she did not view her partner in life as an equal."
"Mr. Bennet..."
"That will do, Mr. Darcy. Excuse yourself to the ladies on your way out the door to Netherfield, or wherever you are staying, and I trust we will see less of you at Longbourn."
Darcy was speechless as Mr. Bennet stood, turned from him and walked from the room.
Elizabeth was waiting in the hall when Mr. Darcy left the library, and, though surprised, was not distressed, to hear the result of his interview with her father.
"Fitzwilliam, I beg of you not to be upset with my father. Please, be patient, and I will speak with him."
"Yes, but he has turned me from the house."
"I will occupy him. Go to the drawing room and wait for me. All will be well, my love, I assure you."
"Her father was walking about the room, looking grave and anxious. 'Lizzy,' said he, 'what are you doing? Are you out of your senses, to be accepting this man?'"
Pride and Prejudice, Vol 3, Ch 17
Mr. Bennet was not a man known for much display of passion. This outburst caught Elizabeth quite unprepared.
"Yes."
Elizabeth's father halted his walk around the library to face his daughter.
"You agree with me? Then why?"
"I love him."
"You have always hated him."
"Father, I have always loved him."
"He insulted you at the assembly. You blamed him for ruining your favorite, Mr. Wickham. I would not call that love."
Elizabeth winced. "I will admit that in the past I have not understood Mr. Darcy as well as I do now. I have forgiven him the insult, and I pray that you will, also."
Mr. Bennet frowned and continued pacing in front of Elizabeth.
"Mr. Wickham is a handsome, charming and beguiling young man," she continued, "and I found myself quite susceptible to his lies. You do not know the pain this has caused me."
"What do you mean, child?"
"This will not reflect well on me, but you should know the truth. When I was in Kent, Mr. Darcy came to Rosings Park to stay with his aunt. We were frequently together in company, but I thought he showed no particular interest in me. It was not until he made me an offer of marriage did I suspect that he held me in any regard."
"Am I to understand that you refused Mr. Darcy?" Mr. Bennet was incredulous. "Upon what plea? What did you say to him?"
"I told him that he could not have made me the offer of his hand in any possible manner that would have tempted me to accept it because he was the one that separated Jane and Mr. Bingley and had ruined Mr. Wickham's prospects. I told him that he was the last man on earth I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."
"It appears as if you have changed your mind, Lizzy."
"I have changed my mind about many things, Father."
"But what of your accusations? Were they not just? "
"There is some truth to them..."
"But as Jane and Mr. Bingley are now engaged, I can assume that Mr. Darcy also had a change of heart?"
"Yes. He believed me when I told him of Jane's love for Mr. Bingley, and when he visited here he was able to look at Jane with a whole new understanding and realize that she was truly attached to him. With that knowledge, he did all in his power to promote the happiness of his friend."
"What about Mr. Wickham?"
"Mr. Wickham's claim that Mr. Darcy withheld a living promised by the late Mr. Darcy is a lie. Mr. Wickham surrendered his right to the living in exchange for a large sum of money. Since that time, it has been Mr. Wickham's effort to blacken Mr. Darcy's reputation and character whenever possible."
"Lizzy, you must be aware that I spent the past hour with Mr. Darcy. He told me that he loves you and asked for your hand in marriage. I refused."
"Well, Father, you and I are very much alike," laughed Elizabeth.
"In what way?"
"We have both refused Mr. Darcy."
Mr. Bennet laughed. "You are not upset?"
"How could I be, Father? Had I been in your place, I would have acted similarly."
"How so?"
"As far as you knew, I hated the man and to protect me from an unhappy future, you refused."
"And if I still refuse?"
"Papa, Mr. Darcy and I have misunderstood each other, but he has loved me from nearly the first moment that he knew me. I have come to realize that I loved him for nearly as long."
"How can you say such a thing? You told me you hated him."
"Well, I was always talking about him. Every remark that he made and that I overheard I repeated to as many people as possible. I was always watching him. It was his opinion that mattered the most to me. Even as I thought I disliked him, I still desired his approval and it was only my fear of rejection that caused me to turn on him with sharpness and rudeness. Whenever possible, I teased and taunted him, trying to break from that firm resolve some form of emotion, and the emotion I drew from him was love. From the very beginning he has stirred every passion inside me."
"It was while the Gardiner's and I were at Lambton that I received Jane's letters informing me of Lydia's elopement with Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy came upon me just as I was reading them. You can imagine my horror and mortification when I learned that the man I had once believed, had once favored, and now knew to be vile and reprehensible, had persuaded my sister to elope. I was obliged to confess this to Mr. Darcy. I expected him to recoil. I despaired at that moment, when I knew I loved Mr. Darcy and was ready to be loved by him, that he would leave me and that I would never see him again. I could not stop crying. He sat quietly with me until I could regain my composure."
"What did he say?"
"I asked him why he remained with me. I was horrified and embarrassed, and I demanded some explanation as to why he had not left knowing what he did. You see, I was reverting to my old habits. Uncertain of him, I assumed his disapprobation. Once again, I was wrong about him."
"He did not leave, did he," concluded Mr. Bennet.
"No, he did not. He called me by my name, telling me that he loved me and would not abandon me. I knew it was true. I knew he loved me. I began to cry again, but this time he took me in his arms held me. He promised me that all would be well."
Mr. Bennet was silent.
Elizabeth continued. "He apologized for the manner in which he addressed me when he proposed. I begged his forgiveness for the manner in which I refused him. We agreed to no longer think of it and to start afresh. And where was that start? He loved me and I loved him. He told me that he could discover Mr. Wickham's whereabouts in no time at all and knew the measures that had to be taken to ensure that he married Lydia and that they had a chance for a happy future. I asked how this could be done, and he asked me to trust him."
"Do you mean to say that Mr. Darcy arranged the marriage and paid the money and not my brother Gardiner?"
"Yes, Father,
Mr. Bennet's astonishment prevented his speaking for some minutes.
"This is not the Mr. Darcy I remember. He did all that for you?"
"I must confess that his feelings for me were undoubtedly a great motivation, but I am convinced that he would have done it anyway. He is the best man I know, Father. If you will give him a chance, I know that you will like him very much."
"You are very persuasive, Lizzy. It is my opinion, though, that you should not marry him out of gratitude for what he did for Lydia. You should not be the price of her salvation."
"Papa, I wanted to marry him before I knew what would do for Lydia. This circumstance only deepens my regard for him and strengthens my loyalty to him."
"What do you want me to do, Elizabeth?" asked her father.
"I would like you to spend time with Mr. Darcy. He is eager to know you, and once you have satisfied yourself of his merits, I hope you will give your consent to our marriage."
"You are very patient, Lizzy."
"I have complete confidence in you and Mr. Darcy. I know you will like him."
Mr. Bennet was silent for a moment. "Lizzy, ask him to come back to me and we will discuss the matter further."
Elizabeth left her father's study in a flutter of spirits, and feeling unable to maintain her composure, retired to her room for a short time to reflect on her meeting with her father. Once again mistress of her emotions, she returned downstairs where she found Mr. Darcy reading with Mary. It warmed her heart to see the effort he was making to get acquainted with her family. She could not love him enough.
Walking over to where they were sitting, she bent down and whispered in his ear. "My love, my father would like to see you again in the library. I believe he has good news for you."
Darcy answered her with a smile. "Excuse me, Miss Mary, I have a matter of business to attend to with your father. Perhaps Miss Elizabeth will take my place."
"Yes, Mr. Darcy," said Elizabeth, "It would be my pleasure.
Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy exit the room, admiring his height, broad shoulders, and strong arms.
"Elizabeth," whispered Mary, "you and Mr. Darcy are acting very strangely this evening."
"Well, we are both preoccupied."
"Does it have anything to do with why Mr. Darcy going now to our father?"
"It does," smiled Elizabeth. "I will confess, Mary, that Mr. Darcy has asked me to marry him and we are seeking Father's consent."
"A consent he is loath to give, I imagine."
Elizabeth laughed. "You are correct, of course, but I believe Mr. Darcy will be successful."
"Oh, Lizzy, I wish you joy. Though at first I was afraid of Mr. Darcy, he has, of late, been very pleasant, more so this evening than ever before, and I can truly say that I like him and will be very happy to call him my brother."
Elizabeth hugged Mary. "You cannot imagine how happy I am to hear that."
Mr. Darcy, not privy to Elizabeth's conversation with her father, was uncertain of what Mr. Bennet wanted and could only hope that Elizabeth had persuaded him to give his consent. He knocked on the door of the library and was immediately met by Mr. Bennet.
"Come in, sir."
"Thank you."
"May I offer you another drink?"
"No, thank you"
"Do sit down, Mr. Darcy. Are you well, sir?" asked Mr. Bennet. "You look pale."
"I am uncomfortable, to be truthful."
Darcy sat down in front of Mr. Bennet's desk. Instead of taking his place behind his desk, as he had before, Mr. Bennet took a seat next to Darcy.
"I just had an interesting conversation with Elizabeth. She has persuaded me that she genuinely loves you and has accepted you for that reason alone."
"And I love her dearly."
"Yes, that I believe. She has also told me of all you did for Lydia. Thank you, sir."
Momentarily embarrassed, Darcy stifled a need to stand and pace towards a window, as was his accustomed resort when confused.
"I had hoped she would not disclose it, at least until after I had gained your consent to our marriage. I did not want to appear to be receiving her from your hand for any other reason than love and affection."
"I agree with you, Mr. Darcy. I would not allow her to be the price of your generosity, however great it was. I will, however, allow her to be the prize of your love for her. She has convinced me of her affection and yours. With that assurance from her own lips, I give my consent to your union."
Darcy closed his eyes and sat back in his chair.
"Thank you, sir. I promise to..."
"You need make no promises to me, only to Elizabeth. I have complete confidence in your ability and desire to care for her. You have already demonstrated both."
"I am the happiest man on earth, sir," smiled Darcy.
"Sir, if you are willing to tear yourself away from Elizabeth's company tomorrow, I invite you to go shooting with me. There is good sport here, and I would like you to tell me about Pemberley, and the great library there."
"Thank you. Yes, the library at Pemberley is very great. It has been the work of many generations, but I find that I can read only a few books at a time. Let me invite you and all your family to join us at Pemberley for as long as you would like, to enjoy our company and, of course, the library."
"I will accept that invitation just as soon as you and Elizabeth are married, well settled at Pemberley, and are prepared for such a mother-in-law as few men will ever know. Now, be off with you. I am certain you can find better company around Longbourn than myself."
As Darcy rose from his chair, Mr. Bennet stood and took Darcy's hand.
"Welcome to the family, Son."
Darcy returned to the drawing room with a lighter spirit than had attended him at any other entrance into that room. He paused for a moment to look at Elizabeth. She and Mary were no longer reading, but appeared to be in deep conversation. He knew full well that Elizabeth would want to know immediately the outcome of this second interview with her father, so he walked to where the sisters were sitting.
Mary stood and curtsied.
"Mr. Darcy, I find myself suddenly quite tired of reading," she smiled, "perhaps you will take my place?"
Darcy returned her curtsy with a deep bow. "Thank you, Miss Mary. Indeed, I should like your place very much."
Elizabeth took Darcy's hand as he sat down next to her on the settee.
"What did my father say, Fitzwilliam?"
"Apparently, whatever you said had quite an impact on him. He seemed almost out of countenance when I returned to him, but we were soon comfortable with each other. He gave us his consent and invited me to come shooting with him tomorrow."
"My father must like you very much. He rarely takes anyone out shooting with him other than Mr. Gardiner."
"I know it is a great compliment. He wants me to tell him about the library at Pemberley. Just what did you say to him?"
"I told him everything. I told him of my refusal of your first proposal. Oh, Fitzwilliam, I hope you will forgive me someday..."
"Sh...." Darcy took her hand and kissed it. "We agreed never to speak of that again, remember?"
"Yes, we did," smiled Elizabeth. "I told him of our meetings in Kent and Derbyshire, told him of Mr. Wickham's treachery and of your goodness to everyone. I told him how much I love you."
This earned Elizabeth another kiss on her fingers.
"And, of course, I mentioned the library at Pemberley."
"You also told him about what I did for Lydia, did you not?"
"I wanted him to know of your kindness and goodness. I assured him I wished to marry you long before I knew of your involvement in that affair."
"I also wanted to marry you long before then. I was coming to propose to you that day when I came upon you just after you read your letters from Miss Jane."
"I knew that you loved me, Fitzwilliam, and I hoped, I just hoped, that you would renew your addresses. My greatest fear after reading Jane's letters was that you would not wish to be connected to Wickham, as you most certainly would be if you married me. You cannot know how soothed I was by the assurances of your love for me. I shall never forget your kindness to me and to my family."
After seeing Mr. Darcy off, Elizabeth joined her mother in her sitting room where she had retired earlier in the evening.
"Mother, may I come in?"
"Certainly, Lizzy, and can you tell me what that odious Mr. Darcy was doing here yet again? I do understand that he is Bingley's friend, but are we not allowed some peace from his unwelcome company? At least he has spent his time with you and stayed out of our dear Bingley's way."
"I have something to say that will surprise you, ma'am."
"Well, please keep it to yourself, then. I am in no mood for surprises. My head is aching, and I must retire soon. I do wish I knew where to find Hill."
Elizabeth ignored her mother's comment.
"Mama, today Mr. Darcy asked me to marry him."
Mrs. Bennet was very nearly carried away by shock and surprise.
"Mr. Darcy! He made you an offer of marriage?! Most remarkable."
"Indeed, Mama, it is remarkable."
"And what did you say? Did you accept him?"
"I did."
"Perhaps so, but your father will never give his consent.
"He already has."
"Lizzy! Lizzy!" Mrs. Bennet could say no more, but sunk heavily into her chair.
Elizabeth watched expressions of wonder, surprise and amazement wash over her mother's face. For fully five minutes, she said not a word, though appearing every minute as if she would speak. At last she did speak, though not coherently, about pin money, new carriages, fine houses, and ten thousand a year.
"A special license. You must and shall be married by a special license. Oh, Lizzy! I am so happy, you have no idea. Three daughters married! I hope you will forgive me for calling Mr. Darcy odious, and I hope he will forgive me for having disliked him so much. It was for you, Lizzy, you know. He should never have spoken that way about you at the assembly."
"Mama, that is long forgiven and forgotten. I hope you will forget it, too."
Elizabeth kissed her mother's cheek and retired to her own room.
Stepping into bed, Elizabeth's progress was halted by a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Mrs. Bennet burst into the room.
"Oh, Lizzy! What carriages you shall have! What jewels and what pin money! You will be greater than Jane. A house in town! A great estate in the country! Oh, I am so happy I shan't get a wink of sleep tonight."
Mrs. Bennet danced around the room to the other side of Elizabeth's bed.
"Will Mr. Darcy invite us to Pemberley? I have been rude to him, I know. Do you think he will forgive me?"
"I assure you that he will, ma'am. Mr. Darcy feels nothing but respect and regard for all of us, and I know you will be invited to Pemberley, for he has already extended the invitation to Papa."
Mrs. Bennet kissed Elizabeth's cheek. "I am so happy. I knew you could not have been so beautiful for nothing. We shall stay for at least two months."
"Thank you, Mama. I am sure we shall enjoy it very much."
"Oh, I am so happy! Good night, my dear!"