17. Chapter 17 #2
“Since there is a possibility that it could take a while to find an estate, I would rather not delay,” Fitz said.
“I think that is an excellent plan, son,” Uncle Byron agreed.
“I am glad you think so, Father, because I have other plans that you will not be quite so pleased with.”
“Is that so?”
Watching her son closely, Aunt Sophia said, “Let us continue this conversation in the parlor.”
“Of course, Mother,” Fitz said.
When they entered the parlor, Darcy closed the door behind them and took a seat. Fitz had remained standing.
“You have not changed your mind about leaving the army?” Aunt Sophia asked, a worried expression on her face.
He smiled at her. “No, Mother, I assure you I have not changed my mind.”
She brought her hand to her chest and sighed a deep breath of relief.
“Andrew and Darcy both have reminded me of the attention my newfound wealth will garner," he began. "Once it is public knowledge, I know it will not be long before I am hounded by the matchmaking mamas and their daughters.”
“I know it can be a hassle, son, but it is to be expected. You need not be any more gracious to the young ladies than you already are,” his father assured him.
“Of course, I shall be gracious. What I shall not do is marry one of them.”
“You mean to remain a bachelor?” his father asked with raised brows.
“No, sir, I mean to marry, just not—”
“Just not a young woman of the ton,” Aunt Sophia correctly deduced.
He gave her a short nod. “That is correct, Mother.”
The earl’s brow furrowed as he stared at his youngest son. “I do not understand, Richard. Why do you not wish for a young woman from your own circle?”
“Let us face it, Father. Most of these young women were never an option for me. The families of the ton did not consider me as a possible suitor for their daughters, and that is fine. However, I see no reason to change that now simply because my situation has changed. Even before I came into this inheritance, I was no pauper. I had a tidy sum in my own right. It may not have been enough to please most families, but if I had taken an heiress to wife, we would have been well-off,” Fitz said.
“Yes, you would, and you know I plan to gift you a small piece of property when you marry for your second son,” Uncle Byron said.
“Yes, I know, Father,” Fitz said with a grin.
“Son, I believe there are many families that would have been happy for you to take an interest in their daughters,” his father insisted.
“Perhaps. In the case of young ladies who are now in their second or third season and were not able to secure a titled gentleman or a wealthy one, second sons are now looking more appealing to them and their families. Third sons probably are as well. My point is I was not good enough for these families before, so I do not want their attention now. I do have my pride. Moreover, there are plenty of gently bred, intelligent women of quality out there who would have always considered me as good enough, more than good enough. I believe I shall cast my net out there among them.”
“You do sound as if you have your mind made up,” Aunt Sophia said.
“I do,” Fitz confirmed.
“I know a man has his pride. I probably would feel much as you do if I were in your place, but are you certain this is the path you wish to take?” his father asked.
“I am, Father. I have been on this path for many years now,” Fitz reminded him.
The earl gave him a nod and a small smile. “So you have.”
“Indeed,” Fitz replied. “As I said, I shall cast my net among some comely, country lasses and see what I can catch. I look forward to becoming as enamored as Darcy is of his young lady.”
The earl’s eyes went to Darcy.
“Darcy?? Enamored??” Stafford said, eyes wide with interest.
“You have a young lady?” his aunt questioned excitedly.
While questions and speculative looks were being thrown at Darcy, he was glaring at Fitz. A hint of what Fitz was about would not have gone amiss, Darcy thought. Fitz simply grinned at him.
“William?” his aunt prompted.
“Yes, Aunt—er, I mean, no. She is not my young lady, not yet.”
“Not yet, eh?” Stafford asked with a smirk.
“What is this young woman’s situation?” Uncle Byron asked, his brow pinched with concern.
“Her name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She is the second of five daughters.
Her father has a modest estate called Longbourn.
She and her sisters do not have dowries worth mentioning.
Perhaps some of the reason for that is because Mr. Bennet is supporting six women.
I do not know. However, it is probable that Mrs. Bennet did not bring much money to the marriage.
Miss Elizabeth told me that her father married below his station, but she did not say how it came to be.
I got the impression it was not a love match.
Her mother is the daughter of a solicitor, and she is very occupied with finding husbands for her daughters. "
“I can certainly understand her urgency to marry off five daughters,” Aunt Sophia said.
“What of the mother’s family?” his uncle asked.
Darcy explained the situation of Mrs. Bennet’s siblings.
“The uncle in trade is named Gardiner? Edward Gardiner?” Uncle Byron asked.
“I do not remember his given name. From what I understand, his business is quite successful. I was also given to understand that his wife is the granddaughter of a viscount,” Darcy shared.
Aunt Sophia nodded to her husband. “It must be Edward and Madeleine Gardiner.”
“You know them?” Stafford asked.
“We do. Mrs. Gardiner is from Derbyshire. Her father was the rector at Lambton for many years. You remember Mr. Greer, do you not, William?” she asked.
“Mr. Greer was Madeleine Gardiner’s father?” Darcy asked.
“Yes. You would have been pretty young when she married and moved away, so I am not surprised you do not remember her,” Aunt Sophia replied.
“Who is her grandfather?” Fitz asked.
“The late Viscount Wellesley,” Uncle Byron said. “Jasper, the current viscount, is her uncle.”
“Quite a mish mash this family!” Stafford said, chuckling.
“I told Darcy the same thing,” Fitz said, grinning.
“Tell us more about this young woman of yours, William,” his aunt demanded.
“Is she pretty?” Stafford asked, grinning.
“Very,” Fitz said.
“Yes, she is beautiful,” Darcy agreed. “She has very fine eyes and glorious chestnut curls. Her figure is graceful and appealing. She is extremely intelligent. Her father taught her estate management, and I had the privilege of seeing her in action.”
“He taught her estate management?” Uncle Byron asked in disbelief.
“Yes. After the storm, she handled estate matters with aplomb. Mr. Bennet was in London when the storm hit and was unable to return due to the roads. So, from assessing for damage to checking on the needs of the affected tenants to coordinating debris removal, she handled it all. I assisted her, offered my opinion where I thought it might be helpful, and I accompanied her to visit some of the tenants. I told Fitz the way she cared for the tenants and their families reminded me of my mother and the way she cared for Pemberley’s tenant families,” Darcy said.
“She sounds like a very capable young lady,” Aunt Sophia said.
“She is, Aunt. To have a wife with that kind of dedication and who inspires the kind of trust and respect that the people of Longbourn clearly have for her, I would be very fortunate.”
“Is she musical?”
“Yes, she plays and sings delightfully.”
“She also plays chess,” Fitz said with a grin. “Two nights ago, she trounced Darcy.”
“What?!” Stafford said, releasing a bark of laughter.
Darcy simply smiled to himself.
“You are right, Richard,” Stafford said, looking at Darcy. “He has got it bad, completely enamored of her!”
“Nephew, you can have your pick of young ladies from high-ranking families. No young lady would turn down the chance to be Mistress of Pemberley,” Uncle Byron said.
“Uncle, I have long found the transactional nature of marriages in the ton distasteful. Most families of the first circles all have some ulterior motive, and I will not be party to anything of the sort. It would also make it difficult for me to trust the young woman because she would no doubt be doing the bidding of her father or brother during the courtship. At what point would her allegiance be to me? I have a friend, who discovered after the vows were exchanged, that what his father-in-law had been after all along was financial assistance from him for his gambling debts. Of course, my friend disabused him of that notion right away, but I feel sorry for him. If I were in his place, I would wonder how much my wife knew about the whole thing.”
“Not only that, but how long did she know?” Stafford added. “From the beginning?”
“Exactly!” Darcy said. “How could you trust her after that?”
“There is no denying that is a regrettable situation,” Uncle Byron said. “But there are many families among us with proper motives.”
“I am sure you are correct, Uncle.”
“Yet, you are resolved to pursue this . . . Miss Elizabeth?” Uncle Byron asked.
“Yes, Uncle, she is my choice,” Darcy said decidedly.
His uncle sighed and looked at him. “Then I suppose we had better meet her.”
Darcy smiled. “Thank you, Uncle.”
Uncle Byron touched his fingertips to his temple and shook his head. “You three will be the death of me.”
“Wait, what did I do?” Stafford asked.