Chapter 25
As much as Jane was in anticipation of Andrew’s call, she was also nervous. She had decided that she would give a hint of her feelings for him and that would, hopefully, prompt him to propose to her.
She was seated on the veranda looking over the sparkling water—caused by the sun on a cloudless day—of the lake towards Belle Isle with Aunt Maddie, Uncle Edward, and Lizzy.
She smiled as she remembered Charlotte’s words that Lizzy had passed on to her when they had arrived home the night the Bennets and the Netherfield Park party had been at Lucas Lodge.
It had been the evening they had met some of the officers of the Derbyshire Militia.
Lizzy had related a conversation she had had with Charlotte regarding Jane’s attachment to Mr Bingley.
She had repeated something like the following: “It is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with some skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him as her husband. It will then be but a poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely—a slight preference is natural enough—but, there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show far more affection than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly, but he may never do more than like her if she does not help him on.”
Jane remembered her mortification at the time when Lizzy had conveyed Charlotte’s suggestion that she allow Mr Bingley to see how she felt before he spoke.
It had been anathema to her, and she had refused to consider doing anything of the sort.
It had not fit with her personal philosophy as it was then.
Everything was different now; she was no longer that timid woman who hid behind her mask of serenity.
Rather, since she had begun to see the world as it truly was, Jane firmly believed that if she ventured nothing, she would not gain anything.
She did not believe that Andrew would feel affronted, but until she did what she planned to do, she would not know.
If he did take exception to her prompting him, then he was not the man she believed he was.
“Jane, dear, you look like you are deep in contemplation,” Maddie noted.
“I think my sister is impatient for a certain gentleman to arrive,” Elizabeth opined with a wide smile. She knew what Jane intended to do, but she would not mention anything. That was Jane’s to tell, not hers.
“What makes today different?” Gardiner queried. “After all, we see Hilldale almost every day.”
“Edward, do not tease our niece,” Maddie admonished playfully.
Gardiner lifted his hands in surrender. “Peace. I will leave our Jane to her cogitation and not try to pull it out of her.”
Thankfully, any further comments were cut off by the arrival of the man in question. As was his wont, Hilldale bowed and his courtesy was returned by his hosts. After greetings to all, Hilldale made for the open seat near the woman he loved.
Before he could sit, Elizabeth stood. “It is a fine day. Jane, would you not like a walk along the lake?” She prompted.
“I would,” Jane responded. She was grateful for Lizzy’s quick thinking because she would certainly not give Andrew a hint in front of her aunt and uncle. She knew Lizzy would give them space to speak while still keeping them in her sight. “That is, if Andrew would like to join us?”
“Yes, I believe a walk would be just the thing,” Hilldale agreed. He so wanted to pay Jane his addresses, but he was determined not to rush her, especially seeing that they had only been courting for a fortnight.
Maddie looked at her husband and gave a quick shake of her head. “We will remain here,” Gardiner stated. He had understood his wife’s message.
Once Jane and Elizabeth donned their light pelisses, gloves, and bonnets, the three walkers set off towards the shore of the lake. Once there, they turned to walk away from the town. Elizabeth slowed her walk until she was sure she would not be able to hear what was said between Jane and Andrew.
Jane knew that procrastination would not make anything easier, so she decided that now was as good a time as any. “Andrew, when we both agreed to this courtship, you said you were close to falling in love with me, and I knew I was not far off at that point,” Jane began.
“Yes, that was true then,” Andrew replied. His whole body tensed up. Could it be that Jane was about to indicate her readiness to hear a proposal?
“In my case, it is no longer a question,” Jane hinted.
Andrew stopped and looked into his beloved’s magnificent eyes.
“Jane, you are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings have grown to become love for me since we began to court, tell me so at once. My affections have grown to become a deep and abiding love for you. Mine are even more than they were then, but if that is not what you feel, one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”
“Oh no, Andrew, the last thing I want is for you to remain silent; in fact, the opposite is true. My feelings match your own,” Jane revealed.
“We need to return to Lakeshore House. I must request a private interview with you from Gardiner, that is, if I have your permission for the same,” Hilldale stated as he looked at Jane lovingly.
“There is nothing I would like more,” Jane enthused.
They turned and walked back towards where Lizzy was standing; she had ceased walking when they had. “Lizzy, we are returning,” Hilldale stated.
Had she any doubt of the reason for their return to the house, it would have been dispelled the instant Elizabeth saw the glow of pleasure on Jane’s countenance, which was matched by the pure joy she noted in Andrew’s look.
As they did not need to speak at that moment, Elizabeth stayed close to the two ahead of her until they reached the house.
It was the work of moments for Gardiner to give his permission for a private interview. The same restrictions were imposed as had been when Hilldale requested the courtship.
As soon as the maid was in place, Hilldale led Jane to the study.
With the door partially closed, rather than leading her to the settee as he had the previous time they had been alone in this room, he took her hands, which were now without gloves, as were his, and went down onto one knee.
He looked up and saw Jane looking at him intently, lovingly, and with an air of anticipation.
“Jane Frances Bennet, you know that you are the first, and only, woman who I have ever felt like I wanted to get to know with an eye to the future. As I know that you are my other half, my much better half, I must assume that God never allowed me to form an attachment to any woman until we met.
“I would be prevaricating if I said that you are not a very beautiful woman and your looks are not attractive to me, but it is so much more than that.
If all you had was your beauty, I would not be on bended knee before you now.
In you I have found the generosity of spirit I sought, compassion, honour, and unlimited goodness.
At the same time, you have a core of steel and will defend those you love with all that you are.
If all that were not enough, you are a very intelligent lady who will not defer to me or any other when she knows she is right.
“Like my father found in my mother, I always wanted a partner in life, a helpmeet, and a lady who would walk life’s paths next to me and not behind me.
In you, Jane, I have found all of that and more.
Add that to the fact that I respect and love you, there is no choice but to ask you the following: Jane Frances Bennet, will you make me the happiest man and agree to be my wife? Will you marry me?”
“Given the fact that I love and respect you more than I ever imagined I would be able to love anyone, there is only one answer I will allow myself to give you. Yes, Andrew, to and beyond an infinite number of times, my answer is yes, I will marry you,” Jane responded gleefully.
Hilldale jumped up as if shot out of a cannon. “Jane, you have made me more filled with joy than I imagined was possible.” He looked a little chagrined. “As I never expected to find a wife here, I do not have a ring to give you…”
Jane placed her finger on his lips, which she wished he would use for something other than talking, like kissing.
“Andrew, I need no ring from you. When and if you give me one, I will accept it, but you have given me the most valuable gift I could imagine…your heart and your hand in marriage. That is all I need.”
“And that is one of the many reasons I love you.” Hilldale did not miss the look of desire in Jane’s eyes. Soon, his lips met hers, and they expressed themselves as a couple deeply in love are wont to do. They only pulled apart when the maid cleared her throat just outside the door.
“I will send Uncle Edward to you in a few minutes,” Jane stated. She had seen that Andrew needed a few moments to compose himself; she left the study and made a slow walk towards the veranda.
By the time Gardiner joined Hilldale in the study, the latter had nothing about which to be embarrassed.
“I assume you proposed to Jane, and she accepted you?” Gardiner enquired.
“Yes. Jane did me the greatest honour by agreeing to become my wife. We seek your blessing,” Hilldale requested.
“Mine is easy to grant,” Gardiner responded, “but for this one, I suggest you also see Jane’s father at Longbourn to gain his blessing. We wrote to him of the courtship, so it will not come as a surprise to him. Although, he may try and make some sport of you before he bestows his blessing.”