Chapter 13
Lizzy's plan was absolute madness, but I was fed up! I wanted the whole confusing ordeal over with one way or another.
I suppose it was slightly unfair to assume Mr Darcy and Miss Bingley would drag their brother away by force based on my family’s abhorrent display at the ball, but not by very much.
Whilst Lizzy did not hear the gentleman’s conversation with the…
lady, she did see it, and she is neither stupid nor foolish.
The topic was obvious. Miss Bingley’s plan of action was equally clear, though we could not honestly say what the gentleman’s thoughts on the matter were.
There was only one absolute fact we could rely on.
If Mr Darcy decided Mr Bingley should leave for his own protection, he almost certainly would!
One could argue I should let it happen and it would serve as a good test to see if the man had enough resilience to become a good husband.
In fact, had I not rescued Miss Darcy, and therefore given the man my full attention up to that point, I would consider it an entirely fair test. By that time, he would either have confidence of my affections or be too stupid to make a decent spouse. It would have been a perfect trial.
Of course, in that scenario, I had to laugh at the other changes that would have occurred.
Assuming Mr Darcy would have slighted Lizzy regardless, she would have made mincemeat out of him.
She would have told a gossip about the slight, and the entire neighbourhood would be laughing at him behind their fans while he had no clue.
Of that I was certain. From that standpoint, it seemed we had reached the worst of all outcomes.
Elizabeth thought marginally better of Mr Darcy than he warranted, and I thought marginally worse about Mr Bingley.
Regardless, our family’s behaviour was a fixed constant of the universe.
They would have acted just as appallingly no matter what preceded the ball, and the Netherfield tenants would be in danger of decampment.
That gave me a thoroughly disquieting thought.
Miss Darcy’s stupidity was the only thing giving us even a fighting chance.
I did not like Lizzy’s plan, but desperate times and so forth. When we entered the library, Mr Darcy was already there, but to our surprise he was alone.
“Mr Darcy, thank you for coming,” Elizabeth said politely.
Their reactions were curious, but they were equally skilled at hiding their thoughts; it would have been just as productive watching Roman statues.
“Your servant,” he said rather incongruously, though a twitch of amusement in his countenance was… interesting.
“Where is your chaperone?” Elizabeth asked nervously.
“My valet is unobtrusively guarding the door. He will swear on his father’s life that he was in the room the whole time if anyone asks.”
We nodded, not surprised that this was not necessarily the man’s first midnight rendezvous, and that he had active measures in place to prevent compromises.
As previously agreed, I took the lead, since it was my future at stake.
“Mr Darcy, we have not much time, so may I just come to the point, and I would beg you to forgive very plain speaking.”
“Pray continue.”
I did not like what had to be done in the least. It was nerve-racking, though it hardly compared to being chased by a gang of ruffians through the streets of Ramsgate, which Miss Darcy seemed to survive.
I took a deep breath and let it all out at once.
“We are aware you dislike just about everyone and everything about Meryton. It is obvious to the most casual observer, and you have never been the least bit subtle. Furthermore, you almost certainly despise our family, as would any sensible person, and you have been particularly harsh on Elizabeth and me from almost the first moments of our acquaintance. Despite your disapprobation, I will ask—nay, insist—that you do something you will probably not like. You eye the nascent relationship between Mr Bingley and me with disfavour. You are nowhere near as skilled at hiding your feelings as you think, and you have no hope at all of discerning mine. I now ask—nay demand—your word as a gentleman that you will not interfere in any way. In exchange, I will give you my solemn vow as a lady, that I will not marry without respect, admiration, and affection, regardless of what my family might say, think, or do. You have no way to know this and are unlikely to suspect based on my family’s behaviour—but Elizabeth and I are as implacable as stones when we believe we are right.
Neither of us wishes to repeat our parent’s mistakes, and neither will we marry without the proper feelings.
We both aspire to a love match, with not a care in the world that they are not fashionable.
In our view, affection, honour, and felicity beat fashion and fortune any day.
I cannot say if Mr Bingley and I will make a match or not.
All I can say right now is that neither of us know enough about each other to decide properly.
If he asked for my hand today, I would explain certain things he is presently unaware of and request a proper courtship.
If my family interfered, I would ask to move it to London.
If we should find ourselves similarly attached and wed, but my mother makes our married life difficult, I will ask him to move far enough away to provide relief.
The same standard will apply to his pernicious sisters, which is one of the issues that would require discussion before even a formal courtship. ”
I paused only fractionally and stared at him hard enough to make even my mother silent.
“I ask very little of you, sir. All I demand is the most basic duty of a gentleman, which is to let other men make their own decisions. You are his friend, not his father or brother, and he is no green boy. You are neither to encourage nor discourage him, though if you would curb his sisters and prevent his departure long enough for us to decide together if we might have a future, I would appreciate it. All I ask is your forbearance, with my promise that I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in our shared opinions, constitute our happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with us.”
I felt like a cross between Mr Collins and Lydia, since I had not made such a long-winded speech in my life while breaking nearly every rule of propriety, but at least I had my say for once.
Mr Darcy looked like he had just received the very first thrashing of his life, which may have been true. He had likely made the common error of confusing kindness with weakness, and I hoped he would simply agree without requiring any further proof.
Lizzy stared at him like she had never seen a gentleman before, but her thoughts were beyond my ability to speculate.
I had always assumed she disliked the man, or at the very least distrusted him.
We both tended to keep our innermost thoughts to ourselves and did not even share them with each other.
Coupled with her description of the last day in the library, and that they had finally danced together after four requests, I was not entirely certain she disliked the man at all.
Of course, whether she liked him or not, it seemed likely the best she could hope for was distant friendship akin to what Miss Bingley had, so I doubted she had a tendre for him.
Despite our father’s oft-stated opinion, neither of us were ‘silly and ignorant.’
It seemed the three of us stared back and forth for a half-hour, but Mr Darcy finally broke the silence.
“I hope you will give me a moment or two to reflect on your words, but would you mind clarifying a few points?” he asked in perhaps the most humble and respectful tone imaginable.
I glanced to Elizabeth, who seemed taken aback but answered, “Certainly.”
“I will admit that I am in… agreement… about the rest of your family, and I will take your word that there cannot be two opinions on that point.”
Elizabeth gave a little huff of laughter at how he had turned the tables on us to thrash us with our own words. She even seemed amused, which was… interesting.
The man cringed as if expecting disagreement, but when we simply nodded, he continued.
“I am however, befuddled by your assertion that I dislike the two of you particularly. Where did you get that idea, if I might be so bold as to inquire?”
Lizzy and I had hoped we could get away without the disclosure but did not realistically expect to succeed. She replied for me.
“Your own words, sir,” she said, then lowered her voice in a parody of the Derbyshire gentleman. “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”
Mr Darcy looked like she had taken an axe to his shin, and Elizabeth continued as if she just wanted to get it over with.
“She a beauty! I should as soon call her mother a wit… It must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world.”
She finished looking sheepish, and finally said, “I heard the first myself and it took an act of iron will to refrain from sinking your reputation straightaway. As to the others, pray do not go hunting for servants to chastise. It is not generally known, but Jane and I do have friends in service, and while they do not gossip, they were certainly offended enough to give me fair warning—but only me.”
I was almost as stunned as Mr Darcy about the last two revelations, since Elizabeth had not even shared them with me.
I assumed Molly Hatcher probably whispered in her ear when we were at Netherfield, but that was speculation.
I was surprised Lizzy had not taken particular offense to the latter comments, but she is nothing if not resilient.