Chapter 37
Drawing Room
Bennets Hired House
Norfolk Street
Morning
A Few Days Later
Elizabeth was becoming accustomed to the incessant sounds of jarveys and hacks and chairmen and other Town traffic outside in the street at every hour of day and night, but inside the walls of the hired house at this early hour, silent peace reigned.
The servants crept quietly about their business, and Elizabeth alone in the family was awake and up.
Another ball, beautiful and diverting and exhausting, had kept the family out late and now kept Jane and Mrs. Bennet abed.
Elizabeth herself was still weary, but she was also used to waking with the dawn.
When she awoke this morning, her mind had run on too quickly to permit her to fall back asleep.
A maid had brought her a warm, buttered muffin and a cup of hot tea, and thus refreshed, Elizabeth had attired herself in her favorite green morning gown and gone downstairs.
The fire was already lit in the drawing room in preparation for the day's visitors, who would shortly begin their parade of calls until it came time to prepare for that evening's party.
Elizabeth sank down in a chair, reflecting on how strange it was to be in solitary silence in this room.
She found herself relishing the peace and the brief cessation from entertaining visitors.
She missed her long walks, with only herself for company and the sounds of birds and squirrels and wind through leaves.
There had been little enough opportunity for peaceful solitude of late.
Ever since the ball at Matlock House, the Bennets had known scarcely a moment wherein they did not have someone vying for their attention.
During visiting hours, it was a remarkable thing for the bell to not be ringing.
By evening, they would join this acquaintance or that at the theater, or at a dinner party, or at yet another ball.
In Meryton, with its dearth of young men, Elizabeth had become accustomed to sitting out at least a few sets so that every young lady attending might have a chance on the dance floor.
Here in Town, she had to instead become used to having all of her dances claimed before the dancing even started.
Nor was she alone in her dubious good fortune.
Jane was, if not equally popular, at least far from neglected, and she had attracted her own small court of dedicated admirers.
It was almost amusing, in a way. Pauses between dances became competitions between hopeful young gentlemen, each eager to outshine his fellows in impressing Jane and Elizabeth with fulsome compliments and the performance of small services, such as bringing them cups of punch or lemonade or ratafia.
Neither sister was accustomed to such attention.
Jane found it to be equal parts gratifying and unsettling, while Elizabeth merely felt tired.
It would be false modesty to pretend that she was not pretty, but Elizabeth was under no illusions that it was her looks or her charm, much less her mind and heart, which attracted so many admirers.
No, it was the knowledge of her truly fabulous fortune which garnered her such solicitation.
Elizabeth was grateful for the friendship of the Darcys.
Mr. Darcy, at least, she could trust to not have an eye to gaining control of her fortune when he asked for her hand in a dance.
Mr. Bingley, likewise, partnered her for little more than courtesy and friendship; his interest obviously fixed on Jane, though Elizabeth saw no signs that her elder sister returned his admiration.
The door opened, and she looked up and rose to her feet in surprise.
“Cousin Zachary!” she said, glancing at the clock on the mantel. It was only a few minutes after nine, so rather too early for a morning call. “Good morning!”
“I know it is early,” Zachary said as the butler retreated out of the room. “I wished to talk to you in private, and you live a very busy life, I know.”
Elizabeth’s chest tightened at these words. Zachary Rutherford had been one of the more attentive gentlemen in the last week, which was saying quite a bit, and Elizabeth, while she liked him well enough, was not at all ready for a marriage offer.
“Of course,” she said and gestured to a nearby seat.
He obeyed, and she placed her hands in her lap, prepared to listen.
“Cousin,” Zachary said, “I wish to speak openly of something. I worry that I might sound uncivil, and if I do, please forgive me.”
Elizabeth quirked one curious eyebrow and said, “Please continue.”
Zachary sighed deeply and then sprang to his feet, as if unable to sit still.
“You are aware, I believe, that my father’s estate of Wrayburn was badly managed by your grandfather, the previous Lord Langdon.”
“Yes, I know.”
Zachary ran a hand through his hair and then lowered himself back onto the chair.
“Father did not understand how dreadful the situation was, as the old Lord refused to allow our family to visit the estate for literally decades. Ever since my father inherited, I have known, partly through conversation, partly through significant silences, that it is my duty as the heir to the estate to marry a woman with wealth.”
Elizabeth raised both eyebrows now and said, “I see. And given that I am one of the wealthiest of heiresses this year…”
“Of any year,” Mr. Rutherford said and then continued quickly, “I apologize for interrupting, but your fortune is truly incredible, and yes, my parents have hinted more than once in the last few weeks that a marriage between you and me would solve all of our families’ problems.”
Elizabeth’s jaw clenched, and she took a moment to breathe deeply before she said, “Your family’s problems.”
“Yes. My parents are good people, Cousin, and my father cares deeply for the estate and wishes to return it to prosperity. He is also very fond of your mother and grieves over her first, difficult marriage. For my parents, our marriage seems a sensible, reasonable way to bring Wrayburn back into good condition while also uniting your family to ours. From an entirely pragmatic point of view, it would be a wise union.”
Elizabeth felt her shoulders relax slightly, because she could hear, in her cousin’s tone, a definite reserve.
“I am not interested in a sensible marriage of convenience, Cousin,” she said bluntly.
Zachary blew out a breath, and she was quite certain that his expression was one of relief.
“I did not think so,” he admitted. “I do not pretend to know you well, but you are a very clever young lady, with countless interests. You also have a great many options in your choice of bridegroom. I wanted to talk to you privately because … because…”
He trailed off and glanced toward the fire and then looked back. “I will marry you, Cousin, if you want. I can offer you respect, and affection, and an ancient estate, and eventually a position as a viscountess, but I think you want more than that in marriage.”
“I do,” Elizabeth said and smiled. “Thank you for speaking so clearly, Zachary. I know it must be difficult to disappoint your parents, but while I like you very well, I have no interest in marrying you.”
Now the relief was obvious, and he said, “I cannot pretend to be sad. I think we would rub along well enough as a married couple, but I wish for more than that in a wife. I am required by the situation with Wrayburn to pursue a lady with a substantial dowry, but I hope one day to meet someone whom I genuinely love and who loves me in return and is also wealthy.”
Elizabeth considered her cousin gravely. She appreciated Zachary’s honesty, and she rather pitied him for having to prioritize money in his search for a wife, but she admired him for putting aside his own desires in favor of Wrayburn and her people.
“I understand,” she said simply.
He stood up and said, “You can, of course, share this conversation with your family if you like, as I intend to tell my parents.”
“Will they be very upset?”
He considered this and then said, “Not very upset, no. Disappointed, perhaps, but they love me and wish for me to be happy.”
Elizabeth stood up as well and said, “My mother is the same way. I think she would have been pleased if you and I had made a match of it, but she is too good to encourage me to marry outside of my own inclination.”
“I wish you the best,” her cousin said. “I hope you will still be coming to the ball at Hampshire House tomorrow night?
“I would not miss it for the world,” Elizabeth said.
He smiled at her and said, “Then I will take my leave. Until tomorrow night, Cousin.”
“Good day, Zachary.”