Chapter 33
A rather concerned William Darcy presented himself at Holder House a few minutes before ten on Monday morning.
William very much wanted to believe that he was about to receive permission to openly court Lizzy now, without waiting until the end of the season, but his doubts told him that Holder had only spoken to Richard a month or two into Jane’s season.
So far, other than her ball, Lizzy had not been out in society at all.
His rational mind told him that until he heard what it was Holder wanted to discuss, he was purchasing trouble for no reason. Then again, the uncertain voice would remind him of the curt manner in which Holder had summoned him.
Fenster led the way up to the study on the first floor of the mansion.
He knocked once and swung the door open knowing the master was waiting for his caller within.
“Mr Darcy, the younger, to see you, my Lord,” the butler intoned.
Seeing a nod from the master, Fenster stood aside for the man behind him to enter.
As soon as young Mr Darcy entered the room, the butler pulled the door closed.
“I appreciate your punctuality. Please sit, William.” Holder indicated the three chairs before his broad, highly polished mahogany desk.
He waited until the younger man sat and then said nothing for some moments.
‘Good, I see uncertainty in William’s eyes.
He did not assume what the subject would be or that it would be favourable to him.
’ “The reason I invited you here to see me is connected to Lizzy and your wooing of her.”
“If I have done something to anger you…” William stopped when he saw Holder raise his hand and grin. Why would he be grinning?
“No, William, you have done nothing wrong. Although I had my fun in making you think that I may want to address an unpleasant subject, that is not the case,” Holder revealed.
“Some weeks ago, Lizzy approached my wife with certain questions. If she decides to reveal to you what she asked her mother, that is up to her. However, she expressed her disdain for wading through insincere fortune hunters for a season. She requested that I have this conversation with you, like I had one similar with Richard before he declared himself for Jane.”
It took some moments for the import of Holder’s words to be assimilated into William’s brain and for him to comprehend what was being said. “Are you saying I may declare myself to Lizzy after a month or so of her season like you allowed Richard to do with Jane?”
“No, that is not what I am saying.” Holder had to fight from laughing at the way William’s face fell. “What I mean is that you may approach Lizzy as soon as you gain her permission to do so. Do not forget this was all at her instigation.”
William felt a huge smile form on his face when Holder’s words were heard. “In that case, may I seek Lizzy out to request a private interview?”
“You may. In case she agrees, Biggs and Johns are outside of the blue parlour, and you will have no more than ten minutes. Do I need to tell you that the door will not be closed all the way?” Holder responded.
He saw William shake his head. “There is only one restriction: the courtship and engagement, if that is what you agree to, will be a minimum of six weeks each. On this, your Aunt Edith and I are not flexible. There will be a total of twelve weeks before you two marry. Again, if that is where this all leads.”
As if a dog were biting at his heels, William shot out of the chair.
His smile was still firmly in place. He remembered to shake Holder’s hand before heading for the main drawing room.
When he entered, he had to force himself to greet Aunt Edith and the others in the room; however, his eyes never left Lizzy’s beautiful face.
“Aunt Edith, I have permission from your husband to address Lizzy, if she agrees…” William did not complete his thought because he was interrupted.
“Yes, I would love to hear what you have to say.” Elizabeth had stood as swiftly as she was able, her face beaming with joy at the prospect of William declaring himself for her.
“My husband told you the blue parlour, did he not?” Edith verified.
“Indeed, he did,” William confirmed. He turned back to Elizabeth, who was standing close to him, and reached out his hand. She extended her hand and took his. Neither of them was concerned about the impropriety of them leaving the drawing room hand in hand.
Even had William not known where the blue parlour was, and he did, the twin sentinels of the enormous footmen-guards would have marked the correct room.
He was still holding Elizabeth’s hand; it just felt right.
As he led her into the parlour, he ignored the raised eyebrows of both huge men when they saw the hands were connected.
First, William made sure Lizzy was comfortable on the settee where he had guided her. As soon as that was established, he pushed the door about three quarters closed.
“Your father told me that he asked to speak to me today because of a request you had made. What prompted you to do that?” William enquired.
“William, we only have ten minutes, do we not?” Elizabeth returned. She saw him nod. “Then, I suggest you use the time judiciously. Later, when we have the freedom of time, I will be more than willing to answer any questions you have.”
“In that case, Lady Elizabeth Rose Carrington-Bennet, would you do me the great honour of allowing me to court you?” William asked without any preamble.
“William, do you love me?” Elizabeth queried forthrightly.
“Yes, I do. I have for some time now.”
“In that we are the same. Do you respect me?”
“Of course I do. I could not respect you more.”
“As I do you. I assume you wish to make me your wife?”
“Yes, I most certainly do, more than anything else in the world. That is why I requested a courtship to start us on the path which will lead to our wedding.”
“As I want only you to be my husband. What is the purpose of a courtship?”
“To find out if the couple are compatible and … if they want to move forward to the next step.”
“Exactly. Are you unsure of your love for me, or that you want me as your wife? Because I have no doubt in my deep and abiding love that I have for you or the fact that I want you to be my husband more than anything else.” Elizabeth paused and stared into William’s deep blue eyes.
“If we agree on all this, then pray tell, why do we need a courtship?”
“Your father stipulated a courtship of six weeks followed by an engagement of equal time,” William explained.
“So, if, for argument’s sake, you proposed to me and we set the wedding twelve weeks in the future, would that not satisfy Mamma and Papa’s time stipulation?”
It was then William remembered towards the end of their meeting, Holder had said something to the effect of ‘as long as it is at least twelve weeks total’. Perhaps Lizzy had the right of it. Could it be that they would approve an engagement without an official courtship under those circumstances?
“I would not say this unless you were the only man I would agree to marry, but an engagement will offer me more protection from the sharks circling around my dowry. Many express the opinion that a courtship is nothing, so they proceed with their plans. However, with an engagement in place, especially if the marriage settlements are signed, that argument becomes moot.”
Not only did Lizzy’s suggestion align with his heart’s desire, but William also understood the logic behind her reasoning. The decision made, he dropped onto one knee before her. He reached up and gently took her hands into his own. Before he spoke, he turned each hand over in turn.
His lips felt warm and soft on the underside of her left wrist, and if that were not enough, William repeated the action on her right wrist. Elizabeth felt frissons radiate out from first one wrist and then the other.
At the same time, her breathing sped up, and her heart began to hammer in her chest. When he withdrew his lips from her right wrist, Elizabeth felt bereft of the feeling of his lips.
“Lady Elizabeth Rose Carrington-Bennet, I could search the known world for ten lifetimes and still not discover a woman as well matched to me as you.
I grew to respect you, your abilities, and intelligence before I came to love you.
However, since I have admitted, until now only to myself, that I love you, my love for you has only deepened.
If it were only the abilities I mentioned before, they would be enough for me to love you, but there are so many more reasons.
You are compassionate and you never make those with less intelligence than yourself feel that they are inferior to you.
You are very generous and liberal, and you treat servants as people and not chattel.
“From almost the first day you met Anna, you have welcomed her into your heart and treated her as another sister.
Anyone who knows you can see just how fiercely you love your sisters, and my sister is not treated any differently than your by-blood sisters.
Your love and friendship have given my sister a confidence that she might otherwise have not had, and the little girl, who was on her way to being shy and reticent like me is nothing like that.
And that my beloved Lizzy, is mainly due to you.
“My parents have loved you more as a daughter than an honorary niece from the day they met you. I would not marry a woman just to satisfy them, but if you accept me, I know they will be beyond pleased.” William paused and looked into the emerald-green eyes of the woman he loved more than any other.
“As you are correct, with the way we feel about one another a courtship would not suit, Elizabeth Rose, will you complete me, make my heart whole, and agree to be my partner in life by marrying me?”