A Fortunate Compromise (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #6)

Chapter 13

Once in the drawing room, Elizabeth sat down and clasped her hands tightly in her lap. She tried to calm her mind and nerves while Mr Darcy rang for tea. He soon settled himself on the settee opposite her. She shifted, unsure how to begin. “ Once again, I want to thank you for agreeing to listen to me,” she began, not knowing what else to say.

“ Miss Elizabeth, I will not lie to you. I was upset after our conversation the other day. But I am not one to lock people out. I am glad you have come,” Mr Darcy said. “ I would much rather have everything out in the open, rather than have things fester.” He had seemed so imposing when they had been standing in the library. But now he seemed just as nervous as she was.

She took a steadying breath, studying her hands as she gathered her courage and went on to say what she had come to say. “ Mr Darcy, I wanted to come and apologise to you.” She paused to see his reaction. It was very different from what she had expected. Indeed, she had imagined seeing a smug smile cross his face when she apologised.

Instead, Mr Darcy looked utterly astounded. “ You did?”

She swallowed hard. “ Yes, I did — I have — ” She stopped, feeling like she was lurching back and forth in a coach hitched to a runaway team. She closed her eyes and tried to refocus on what she wanted to say. “ That is, I hope you will forgive me for my outburst in the garden that day. I was upset when you accused my parents of planning the incident.”

“ Miss Elizabeth, I —”

She held up a hand to stop him. He did not rush forward, but waited patiently for her to begin again. “ Please, allow me to finish.” He nodded and motioned for her to continue. “ However,” she halted, taking a moment to collect herself before going on, “ I have been thinking over the last few days, and I can see that perhaps you were right. I hate to say it — even to think it. But I cannot deny the truth. It is not impossible. My mother might do even so horrible a thing, if it meant that one of her daughters could be well taken care of.” The words tasted like gall in her mouth. But once they were out, Elizabeth felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She hated to admit that her mother could have been a part of the incident, but now the worst had been said. She could look at her fears honestly, rather than hiding from the possibility and being consumed by what-ifs.

Mr Darcy looked as if he might fall off the settee. He sat back, thinking for a moment. “ I see.”

Elizabeth hurried on. “ That is not to say that I believe it is true — quite the contrary. However, I will acknowledge that it is a possibility.” Ever since Elizabeth could first remember, her mother ’ s sole focus had been to find worthy husbands for her five daughters, and to have them married as quickly as possible. It must have been a disappointment for her mother to have all five of her daughters still single, with Jane reaching the ripe age of twenty-two. In Mrs Bennet’s frantic concern, she might well believe her two eldest to be on the verge of becoming old maids.

“ Of course, we cannot jump to conclusions,” Mr Darcy replied. He still seemed too shocked for words.

Elizabeth could not blame him. She had been so utterly vicious the other day. “ I do not suppose you can forgive me,” she stated. When he said nothing to the contrary, she felt her heart sink. Elizabeth stood and smoothed down her skirt, having rarely felt so uncomfortable in all her life. She knew he was the quiet sort, but this was unbearable. “ Well, that is all I came to say — ” She meant to flee as fast as her legs could carry her, but she did not get far.

“ No, please do not go yet, Miss Elizabeth.” Mr Darcy stood, taking her hand and closing the distance between them. Her heart hammered all the more wildly in her chest. “ I know it took much for you to come here and say that today. And I thank you.”

Elizabeth nodded. She felt a sense of relief that she had done her part. But there was more. Even still, Mr Darcy had not demanded to be released from the engagement, as she had thought he surely would after how she had behaved.

She went and sat back down, her fingers slipping out of his grasp. For a moment, she felt a sense of loss, still sensing the tingle where his fingers had touched hers. “ The question now is, how we can find out the truth? I know my mother. Even though I cannot deny she could have been involved, she is not so shameless as to be proud of it.”

Mr Darcy cleared his throat. “ I must confess, I am surprised by your willingness to pursue the matter. Would not asking these questions make things very difficult at home for you?”

She was touched that he would be worried about her comfort at home. “ I have to know the truth, Mr Darcy. If my mother had anything to do with this, then I cannot in good faith ask you to go forward with the wedding. It would be a degradation of the lowest form. To intentionally blackmail a man into marriage —” She shook her head. “ I could not abide by it.”

Mr Darcy looked at her in a way she had never seen before. “ I respect that, really, I do. However, I can see no reason for you to ruin your life. I will go forward with the wedding, even if your mother did have something to do with it.”

It was Elizabeth ’ s turn to be astounded. “ I confess, I cannot understand that. In essence, a crime would have been committed against you, sir. How could you go forward if we found out that my mother had intended all along to coerce you into the match?”

Her chest heaved with every breath as Mr Darcy took his time in answering. She found she was unsure if she wanted to hear the answer, but longed to know it at the same time. He broke eye contact with her, studying his hands for a moment. “ I will not leave you unprotected,” he said. Elizabeth gulped. Why did it seem to mean so much? He had said words to that effect several times since the incident had occurred. Yet now the words held such fervour that she wondered if there was something more to his feelings than societal duty and demands. Could he love her?

No, it was too much to fathom. And did she even want his love? No, surely not. Yet though Elizabeth had not yet forgotten his ungentlemanly insults at the Meryton assembly, she had found there was much to admire in Mr Darcy since then. When she heard him speak so contemptuously, she would never have thought the same man would willingly sacrifice so much for her. Nor could she ever have imagined the proud Mr Darcy apologising for the insult. Yet it would be terrible to enter into marriage with a husband who saw it as a sacrifice.

Elizabeth kept her voice even with an effort. “ Do you really think that is a reason to marry someone, simply to protect them?”

Mr Darcy shrugged. “ People have married for less, I suppose.”

“ Yes. But that is not the kind of marriage I want, Mr Darcy. I do not want to force you into marrying someone you so obviously do not trust.” Elizabeth sighed. “Nor, of course, someone you might have been tricked into compromising.”

Mr Darcy stood and walked a few paces away, his back turned to her. Elizabeth waited a moment, wondering if she had said too much. But she could not very well have him enter into a marriage that he would regret for the rest of his life. She stood as well, meaning to go. “ I will leave you, Mr Darcy. I only wanted to come and apologise for my behaviour, and to say that I will try to find a way to learn the truth — even if I must go to my mother and confront her outright.”

Mr Darcy swung around. “ Please, stay a moment longer.” He took a steadying breath, again closing the distance between them. “I was wrong to speak harshly when last we met. If there was any misconduct, it was Wickham’s, not yours. Of that, I have not the slightest doubt.”

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. “You are generous. I assure you, I did not encourage his attentions. But I am sure that it was an unpleasant scene for you to come upon, all the same.”

“That does not make it your fault, nor your responsibility,” he said steadily. “What occurred is entirely of a piece with Wickham’s general behavior. I only hope that you can forgive me for ever acting as though I thought otherwise.”

“ Of course,” Elizabeth whispered. “ But —”

They stood there for several moments, as motionless as if under a spell, gazing intently into each other ’ s eyes. And then his gaze travelled down to her lips, and she grew even more nervous. She gave a short laugh. “ I forgive you. And I thank you,” she replied, her throat raspy and dry. “ Now, I suppose we should refocus our energy to convincing the rest of the community to forgive us as well.” Mr Darcy smiled at her dry wit, and Elizabeth found herself suddenly noticing how close they were. For a moment, she thought he would kiss her. Elizabeth felt her heart pounding. If he did…she did not know what she would do.

Then he let go of her hand and motioned for her to retake her seat.

“ Please, I should like to find a way we can find out the truth of your mother’s innocence in the matter,” Mr Darcy said.

Tea arrived a moment later, and their conversation halted as the maid poured the tea, and then left them alone once more. Elizabeth sipped her tea, thankful for a respite from the tension that had pervaded the room.

Mr Darcy took a sip and then set his cup aside. “ How shall we prove she had nothing to do with it?” he asked.

She was grateful for the way he phrased his question, as if he already thought her mother was innocent. “ I think the only way will be to ask my mother directly.”

“ Do you think she would confess? I cannot imagine her wanting to do such a thing when she has gone through all of this trouble, if indeed, she had anything to do with it.”

“ I think she might confess, even by accident, if the conditions were right,” Elizabeth mused. “ But how could you trust me to report it accurately?”

He studied her for a moment, his eyes piercingly serious in their fervour. “ I have no doubt that you would tell the truth. I was quite in earnest when I said that I have no reason to suspect you of dishonour. Indeed, all of your actions thus far have been quite the reverse.” Mr Darcy took up his teacup and saucer and sipped, all the while watching her over the rim.

Elizabeth hardly knew what to say. After all they had been through the last fortnight, he still held her in such high regard? It was almost too good to be true. She was flustered just thinking about it. But as she did not think she could bear to address it directly, she returned to the point at hand. “I think we need to create a situation that will put my mother at ease. Let us imagine she is indeed involved. If we convince her she has already won, she might then think it safe to confess her actions to me. Though I am not quite sure how to give her the necessary confidence.”

Mr Darcy thought for a moment. “ I could go to London, allegedly for the purpose of obtaining a special license. I believe I overheard your mother saying that she would like to have the distinction of having a daughter wed by special license. Would that be suitable?”

Elizabeth nodded. “ Yes, that would work. She would think she had won.”

Mr Darcy took another sip of tea, turning pensive. “ Do you really believe she has done anything?”

She hated to even think it. “ I think not. No — I must not say that. I can only say that I hope not. It is possible. Perhaps it is even probable. Who else would want us to end up together? We have not thought of a single other suspect. I cannot think of anyone else who would imagine that they were helping me by such an action, nor anyone who would wish to hurt me. And why would an enemy of yours do such a thing? It does not make sense.” Elizabeth shook her head and sighed. “ While you are gone to London, I shall try to make my mother confess.”

“ And you are sure you want to go through with it? If your mother is innocent, she will surely be terribly hurt by your suspicions.”

Elizabeth gave a sad smile. It was not that she and her mother were particularly close as it was. Not as she was with her father, that is. She loved her mother, though. “ I will try to be as delicate as possible. But I must know the truth, Mr Darcy.”

Their planning done, Elizabeth found herself increasingly weary. The intensity of their conversation had taken its toll, and she felt badly in need of a little time alone. It was not long before she made her excuses and said that she would go, excuses so gracefully received that she suspected Mr Darcy was not much less in need of a little relaxation.

Yet the encounter had gone better than Elizabeth could have imagined. She had not been certain that Mr Darcy would even receive her. The idea of receiving so handsome an apology had been entirely out of the question.

“ Shall I see you home in the carriage?” Mr Darcy asked as they walked toward the foyer.

Elizabeth shook her head. “ No, that will not be necessary. I walked here, and I should like some time to think on my way back. You know how fond I am of a good walk.”

“ Yes, I am aware. I suppose you shall have many long walks when we are settled at Pemberley,” Mr Darcy said. There was a tenderness in his voice, almost as if he were looking forward to such an eventuality.

“ Well, good day, Mr Darcy,” Elizabeth said, dipping into a curtsy. Her voice sounded too bright in her ears, but he did not seem to notice.

“ Good day, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr Darcy whispered, offering her his hand.

She was unsure what he meant to do, but placed her small one in his large hand all the same. Warmth immediately flooded her cheeks at his touch. To her surprise, he bowed and kissed her hand. He lingered for a moment longer than was necessary, sending shivers up her arm and down her back. When he straightened, his eyes had darkened. She hardly knew how to interpret the look in his eyes. Her heart beat so wildly that she was sure he could hear it. “ Thank you for coming,” he rumbled.

Elizabeth could hardly find her tongue. “ Ah, yes, of course. Thank you for listening to me,” she replied, barely above a whisper. She knew she should not be scandalized. He was, after all, her fiancé. When they were married, he would have the freedom to do much more than kiss her hand.

She swallowed hard and started toward the open door, past the butler, and out onto the front steps. She looked over her shoulder to see Mr Darcy standing on the front stoop, watching her departure. Did her eyes deceive her, or did he look almost sad to see her go?

∞∞∞

It was a strange end to three days of painful worry. As she made her way home that afternoon, she was relieved that Mr Darcy had received her apology with such grace. Indeed, he had not made her feel as if he were lording it over her, or that he even wanted to break things off with her. Quite on the contrary. They were still bound together. And she could not say she was entirely sorry for it.

When Elizabeth arrived at the archway leading into the yard at the rear of Longbourn, Jane was there to greet her. “ How did it go with Mr Darcy?”

“ Surprisingly well,” Elizabeth said.

“ And?” Jane pressed her.

“ He wants to find out for sure that Mama had nothing to do with the plot. Now, I only have to find a way to make Mama tell me the truth.” Elizabeth ’ s brows drew into a frown. “ Do you think me very wicked for trying to catch her out?”

Jane had to think for a moment. “ I would not say wicked. But even if she confesses, what good will it do, Lizzy? Your reputation will still be in jeopardy in the eyes of the community — perhaps more so — if people find out that Mama had anything to do with the incident.”

“I know,” Elizabeth said, feeling as though the words scraped her throat. “You are right, Jane. It would not help — it would make everything far worse. But I cannot do otherwise. I cannot entrap Mr Darcy with a lie.”

Jane bit her lower lip, looking rather sorry, before at last nodding. Elizabeth could well understand her sister’s hesitation. If their mother was guilty, it could cost all five sisters — everything. Yet Jane was too honourable to deny that they must find out the truth. She led the way into the house and up the stairs to their room. Once inside the safety of the bedroom, Jane made her sit on the edge of the bed and tell her everything about her conversation with Mr Darcy.

Elizabeth obliged her, then sighed as she came to the end. “ I do not understand him, Jane. He is unlike any man I have ever known — or heard of.”

“ I agree. He has shown himself to be above board in every way. And he said nothing about ending the engagement?”

“ No, nothing at all.” Elizabeth remembered how he had looked sad to see her go. And she found she had also been sad at her departure. The more time she spent around him, the more drawn to him she felt. It was a confusing feeling, to say the least.

Elizabeth shook her head and changed the subject. “ Mr Bingley came in and said hello before I spoke with Mr Darcy. He wanted me to send along his greetings to the family, but I think he was especially disappointed that you did not join me.” She smiled at her sister. “ He seems very much in love with you, Jane.”

Jane only looked away. “ I am glad that things went well with Mr Darcy,” she said, effectively changing the subject. “ If it is true that Mama hatched the plot, do you really think you would go through with breaking the engagement? He is so gentlemanly and honourable. And I think you have come to feel something for him over the last few weeks. Am I wrong?” she asked softly.

Elizabeth could not hide how flustered she felt at the question. She stammered for a moment, then looked Jane in the eyes, forcing herself to not look away, as a coward would do. “ I respect him,” Elizabeth said. “ I think there have been many marriages built on less.” To her own ears, it sounded little different from what Mr Darcy had said in the drawing room that afternoon. “ But it will not be up to me, Jane. Surely so proud a man as Mr Darcy could not go through with our marriage in such a case, even if he thinks otherwise now. It would be more than he could bear. If Mama is guilty, he will be the one to end it.”