Chapter 22 #2
“That is correct, especially in the case of Mr Bingley. All he could speak of was my beauty and that I was his angel. Never once did he bother to discover my likes and dislikes or what my interests are,” Jane responded.
“Since I have known you, I have never felt like you saw me as a pretty bauble to hang on your arm and place on your mantel. You have always treated me, and Lizzy too, as intelligent beings, not less so because of our sex.”
“No, I have never seen you in that way. I asked you that because I wanted to confirm what Darcy told me regarding the way Bingley saw you.” He turned to Miss Elizabeth. “You know that if my cousin is able to keep his hessian out of his mouth for long enough, he is a very good man, one of the best.”
“Yes, I have discovered that about him,” Elizabeth owned.
She was happy that she had not allowed one of her assumptions to run away with her regarding Jane and the Viscount.
As one of her desires was to be appreciated for who she was, Elizabeth could understand what had driven Lord Hilldale to want to just be a plain gentleman, to be known for himself.
“Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, I apologise for my obfuscation. Can you see your way clear to pardon me?” Hilldale spoke to both, but his eyes were locked onto Miss Bennet.
Jane could see the hope in Lord Hilldale’s eyes.
Thanks to her hiding behind a mask for so many years, if she did not forgive him, her very strong attraction to him notwithstanding, it would make her both a fool and a hypocrite; she was neither.
“As I understand why you felt you needed to do what you did, I forgive you without any reservations,” she said as her eyes remained locked onto the Viscount’s deep blue orbs.
“You have my pardon as well,” Elizabeth granted. In sotto voce she added, “I am sure Jane’s forgiveness was the important one.”
Jane heard Lizzy’s words and blushed with pleasure.
Maddie and her husband were well pleased. They had suspected that Lizzy may be more difficult, but they had had no doubt that Jane would not hold the disguise against Lord Hilldale.
“It is good that I never saw Miss Elizabeth as anything but Miss Bennet’s sister,” Hilldale stated with a grin. “Had she been the one who had captured my attention, and I had acted on it, Cousin William Darcy would have called me out.”
Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to blush. She was waiting for a reply to her last letter to Gigi with bated breath.
She had been awfully forward in asking advice for her friend.
She had not felt like there was a choice.
There had been far too many misunderstandings between her and Mr Darcy, and she wanted to know if she had made a wrong inference.
Elizabeth had not mentioned what she had written to her aunt, uncle, or even Jane.
All she could hope was that Mr Darcy would give an answer, and she knew which reply she was hoping to receive.
“Miss Bennet, as you have forgiven my evasiveness with regards to my identity, would you grant me a private interview?” Hilldale requested.
“Yes, Lord Hilldale, I would be pleased to grant you such,” Jane replied.
Hilldale looked to Gardiner. “You have ten minutes in the study; the door will not be closed all the way, and a maid will be seated outside in the hallway,” Gardiner instructed.
Maddie rang for the housekeeper and asked that one of the maids be seated outside of the study. Soon enough it was done as ordered.
After they both stood, Hilldale offered Miss Bennet his arm. She placed a slender hand on one of his forearms. They entered the study, and Hilldale closed the door about two-thirds of the way. He waited until Miss Bennet was seated on the settee. Then he sat opposite her in an armchair.
“Miss Bennet, I did not come to the Lake District with an eye to finding a potential wife, although I was open to that happening.
All I wanted was peace and quiet and to be free of the wolfpacks hunting me in London and elsewhere.
I needed to recover my spirit after the last dishonourable attempt to entrap me into marriage.
“Until very recently, I have never met a lady I could see in the role of wife, partner, helpmeet, and mother of my children.” Hilldale did not miss the deep blush on Miss Bennet’s beautiful face when he mentioned possible future children.
“That is, until I met you and Miss Elizabeth, and you began to restore my belief that not all ladies are like those who have hunted me for more than ten years.
Even without the fact that I know that my cousin is in love with Miss Elizabeth, I know that she and I would not suit.
However, I am sure without any doubt that you and I do fit together.
“I will not speak of feelings I do not have at this moment. I am not yet in love with you, but each day my heart becomes more and more yours. It is a matter of days before I reach that state. As important, or perhaps more so, is that I respect you. With that said, Miss Jane Bennet, will you grant me a courtship?”
“Before I reply, I have some questions,” Jane began.
“Ask anything you want, and if I have the knowledge, and I am able, I will give you complete answers,” Hilldale agreed.
“Your parents are an earl and countess, and you will one day, I pray many decades from now, be an earl; is that not so?” Jane enquired.
She saw the viscount nod that she had the right of it.
“Although I care not about titles, I am the daughter of an insignificant country squire whose mother is the daughter of a country solicitor. My closest family members are in trade. The Gardiners, you know, while my other uncle, Mr Phillips, is a country solicitor. I would never agree to give them up for anything. Is that an impediment to our courtship?”
“No, none of it is. My parents will accept my choice as long as it is freely made and, that the lady is at least gently bred. I have the deepest respect for your Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and I am sure Mr and Mrs Phillips are estimable as well,” Hilldale responded firmly.
“Although there have been improvements of late, my mother does not always behave with decorum, as she was not raised as a gentlewoman.” Jane took a deep breath; there was one more thing she must tell, something which could potentially end her courtship before it began.
“There is a situation I must tell you about, something which could potentially cause you to withdraw. If it does, I understand and you may go on with your honour intact.”
“This sounds serious. Please relate what you feel you must,” Hilldale stated.
“You have heard me speak of three of my four sisters. The youngest’s name is Lydia, and she was one of the girls to fall prey to Mr Wickham…
” Jane told the whole of the sordid tale.
She could not bear to look at him when she was done as she did not want to see the scorn on his face.
Her head was down; her eyes pointed to the floor.
She felt fingers below her chin, applying gentle pressure to lift her head.
“Are you aware of what that dead seducer attempted with my cousin, Georgiana Darcy?” Hilldale queried.
“I am,” Jane admitted.
“Gigi has not been shunned for her almost disastrous error, and neither would I send you away because your sister fell victim to that libertine’s charms. You said that as far as anyone in Meryton is concerned, your sister and two other girls were sent to a school in the north,” Hilldale recapped.
“Also, did you not say that not one hint of scandal about your family has been spoken of in the neighbourhood around your father’s estate? ”
“Yes, all of that is true,” Jane confirmed.
“Then let us have no more talk of you sending me away because of something done to your sister. If it is your choice not to pursue a courtship with me, as much as I would hate to, I would withdraw from the field. However, if your desire is to continue to see whether we, as I believe we do, are the perfect fit one for the other, do not allow that late miscreant any power to spoil what we could have together.” Hilldale looked intently into Miss Bennet’s eyes. His face was but inches from hers.
“As what I told you did not scare you off, I think we both agree that we are more than likely one another’s match. Yes, Lord Hilldale, I would very much like to be courted by you,” Jane responded with a look of pleasure on her face. “Will you call me Jane in private?”
“As long as you call me Andrew when we are not in public. I have a feeling it will not be long before the formality between us will be banished in public as well.” He smiled at Jane as she blushed.
He took each of her hands and bestowed lingering kisses on first one and then the other.
The feeling of his lips on her uncovered skin sent thrills and tingles coursing through Jane’s body.
She knew this was not the time, but she could not stop herself from wondering how wonderful it would feel for his lips to touch her own.
“I need to speak to Gardiner. I know you are of age, so I do not need his permission, but out of respect for him, I would like his blessing.” Hilldale stood and offered Jane his hand to help her up.
After the kisses to her hands, her legs felt somewhat weak, but she managed to stand with his assistance.
Jane could not have been happier. Not only because she was being courted by this wonderful, considerate man, but also because he did not think it below him to ask her tradesman uncle for his blessing.
When the couple entered the drawing room, the Gardiners and Elizabeth could instantly tell from the glow of pleasure emanating from Jane that the interview had ended on a very positive note.
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to the heavens to give thanks for her most deserving sister being put on the path to a lifetime of felicity with a man who deserved her.
It was the work of a moment for Gardiner to grant his blessing.
“Just like Andrew told us about his keeping his true identity hidden before we left this room, I did not want to accept his offer for a courtship until he knew about Lyddie. Like what he told us did not make me want to break with him; what I related made no difference to Andrew,” Jane reported.
“Miss Elizabeth, I would be pleased if you too would address me as Andrew in private, and you as well, Mrs Gardiner,” Hilldale offered.
“I am Elizabeth, or Lizzy,” Elizabeth accepted.
“Even though we are, I believe, close in age; unless you find it too strange, Andrew, you may address me as Aunt Maddie,” she allowed.
It was no great surprise that Hilldale spent the rest of the day at Lakeshore House and did not return home until well after dinner that night. As soon as he arrived home, he wrote a letter to his parents.