Chapter 9 The Netherfield Ball #4
“Your response was not what I required, sir,” Darcy said coldly.
“You saw nothing in this library. You did not see Miss Elizabeth, nor Mr. Collins. In fact, you were in the privy. If I hear any rumor, I will hold you personally accountable. You have the reputations of a young gentlewoman and a clergyman in your hands, and I will not allow you to besmirch either.”
Sir William swallowed hard, straightened his posture, and stammered, “Yes, very well, sir. I have been to the privy and seen nothing. In fact, I will go there now. Please excuse me.” He bowed hastily and left the room.
Darcy turned to face the other man. “Mr. Collins, I trust you meant only to comfort my betrothed?”
Collins’s eyes flashed. “Miss Elizabeth is not your betrothed. She was as surprised by your announcement as I was.”
Darcy’s expression darkened. “That may be so, but Miss Bennet is now mine. She is under my protection, and I intend to marry her next week, once the prescribed waiting period has elapsed. I will take her to Derbyshire, where she will be safe.” He turned to face Bennet.
“Sir, I will not allow my betrothed to remain under the same roof as her bachelor cousin. She will reside at Netherfield while I travel to London to obtain a marriage license, and Miss Bennet will accompany her as chaperone.”
Bennet’s brows rose, but he said nothing. Darcy then turned to Collins. “My intended will spend one more night at your home. You will treat her with respect, or you will answer to me.”
Collins clenched his fists. “Do not overstep, Darcy. I am known at Jackson’s saloon as a good man with my fists. Try me too far, and you will learn it firsthand.”
Darcy met his glare evenly. “I believe we understand each other. I, too, am well known at Jackson’s and will meet you here and now if necessary.” The other man backed down.
Darcy turned back to Bennet. “My carriage will be at your door tomorrow morning at ten. Please ensure that my intended is packed and ready when I arrive to collect her and her sister.”
Mr. Bennet regarded the young man before him. He must be about seven and twenty. “You are very certain of yourself, sir. Are you quite sure my daughter will have you?”
Darcy looked to Collins. “Your cousin has sealed the attachment between your daughter and me. You heard Lucas; he was ready to besmirch her name here at this ball.”
Bennet’s lips tightened. “Very well, sir. I will not posture any longer. You are right. I will wait upon you regarding the settlements.”
He turned toward the couch only to find that Elizabeth had fainted again.
“Lizzy, child, wake up. All is well. Wake up, my dear.” He chafed her hands.
Darcy pulled his handkerchief from his pocket, dipped it in a nearby vase of flowers, and pressed it to her forehead and neck. She turned her face away with a faint moan.
Darcy stepped back as Bennet leaned over her again. “Lizzy, wake up, dear. Wake up.”
At last, her eyelids fluttered open, and she saw the three men looking down at her. She sat up slowly and touched her head. “Papa, my head is aching.”
“We will return home, Lizzy. Mary will return with Aunt Clara.” He stood. “Are you able to walk?”
She reached for his hand and rose, though she was unsteady. The room began to spin, and she sat down again.
Darcy stepped closer. “Are you unwell, Miss Elizabeth?”
She grimaced, eyes closed. “The room spins, and my head aches.”
“Let me carry you out.”
“No, I would hate that above all things. May I wait here while you send for the carriage, Papa?”
Mr. Bennet looked at the two men. Darcy spoke at once. “I will send for your carriage, sir.”
He left the room. Collins remained silent, though anger burned behind his composed expression.
Everything had gone against him, and he blamed both the pompous Sir William and Mr. Darcy.
Strangely, he was not angry with Elizabeth.
He had frightened her, mishandled his suit, and disrespected her.
If he were honest, he had treated her like a mistress rather than the innocent young gentlewoman she was.
He studied her face where she rested, pale and weary, against the couch.
A few hairpins had fallen, leaving soft curls framing her temples.
She looked very young and sweet, distressed, but very beautiful.
He knew she was no happier about becoming Mrs. Darcy than she would have been as Mrs. Collins.
Both men had forced their will upon her.
Darcy had won, but she would not go willingly.
Despite his defeat, he felt compassion for Elizabeth. He realized he had formed an attachment to this cousin and was sorry to lose her, and he could not blame Darcy. The fault was his own. He would learn from this. The next woman he courted would be treated as a gentlewoman.
Mr. Bennet coughed softly. “Do you return to Longbourn with us, or shall I send back the carriage?”
Collins considered. “I meant to have my cousin for a wife, but now I must find another. I will be dismissed if I return and am not betrothed. It would be better still if I could return married.”
“You should try for Miss King. She is an heiress, but more than that, she is amiable. She is not clever like my Lizzy, but she will never act the fishwife. And I have seen that she fancies you.”
Collins lowered his eyes, then looked up again. “I will. Pray, send the carriage back. I have but a fortnight to secure the attachment, and I must go to her at once and begin offering my most persuasive attentions.”
Bennet nodded, and Collins bowed and left the room.
When Darcy returned, he carried a glass of punch. “Miss Elizabeth, this has ratafia; it will bring color back to your cheeks.”
She took it and drank. When the footman entered to announce the carriage, Darcy helped her to her feet and offered his arm. She leaned upon it as he led her through the corridor.
At the door, he fastened her cloak and tied her bonnet himself, then handed her up into the carriage. Turning to Bennet, he said, “Tomorrow then, sir. I will wait on you at ten o’clock.”
Bennet seated himself beside his daughter as the carriage started forward. “Lizzy, are you strong enough to speak of this? I would understand what transpired.”
Elizabeth covered her face with her hands.
“Papa, it was all so foolish. I blame Sir William for this dreadful mess. Miss Bingley insulted me before her brother’s fine London friends.
I was angry, so angry. And her words cut me.
Mr. Grayson asked me to dance, which helped me a little, and then he took me to you.
But I did not remain at your side. I was afraid I would begin weeping there in the ballroom, so I left.
The library door was open and the room well-lit.
I walked in, picked up a box of cards, and then the tears came.
I was lost in a storm of emotion when Mr. Collins came up behind me and placed his hands on my arms to comfort me. ”
She paused, then continued quietly. “He was gentle, for once. He told me the insult was nothing and that I should put it from my mind. Then Sir William appeared, making accusations, and then you came. Papa, I was never so happy to see you in my life. And then Mr. Darcy arrived.”
She hesitated. “Did I hear him say we were betrothed?”
Bennet nodded. “He did. And he threatened Sir William with a lawsuit should he spread any tale that might harm your reputation. I was impressed, Lizzy. He was determined to protect your good name and ensure it was not linked with your cousin’s.”
Elizabeth groaned. “How can I marry him? He thinks ill of me and of Mamma. He said I was not a beauty and Mamma was not a wit. He despises us both.”
Bennet sighed deeply and took her hand. She leaned against his shoulder, weeping quietly.
When they reached Longbourn, Elizabeth went straight to her chamber. Alice helped her undress, and she crawled into bed, drew the coverlet over her head, and cried herself to sleep.