19. 21 November 1811 #2
“Unfair, indeed,” Darcy said. “You need not convince me. However…we need to meet back in the drawing room, because it is nearing the time that I told people Elizabeth would be arriving. I just want to quickly say that, until today, I was unsure about Miss Elizabeth’s feelings for me.
I knew she liked me and found my conversation interesting and challenging, but I was not certain that meant she would stand up against her father if he tried to force the issue, let alone if she would ever signal that she was ready for a proposal, but today she ran from her home—she ran away from her father and to me.
She came here only a quarter hour or so before your arrival.
Despite the fact that our meeting was chaperoned, she assured me that she is almost certain that she wants to marry me, but that she still wishes to exonerate herself, refute the gossip, have her name cleared, as it were. ”
“Anyone would,” Georgiana murmured.
The three moved into the drawing room. Mrs Nicholls immediately entered, as well, and Darcy gave her an inconspicuous nod. The earl and countess were already ensconced in comfortable chairs, and Bingley and his family were present as well.
Mrs Nicholls said, “I expect nuncheon to be ready in approximately half an hour.”
She left, only to be replaced by Mr Evans. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” he announced.
Elizabeth looked lovely and decidedly unmarred by mud. Darcy went to her, placing her hand on his arm and squeezing it lightly with his other hand. He only said, “You look beautiful,” but he tried to communicate that all would be well.
Only minutes after Darcy made the introductions, he saw his nearest relatives responding to Elizabeth’s charm with delight.
As expected, Georgiana became intensely shy and tongue-tied, despite her happy smile, but it was not long before Elizabeth managed to lure Georgiana out of her seat and over to the pianoforte.
Georgiana had only played for Richard and him, in the past—although anyone listening to Miss Bingley prattle on and on about his sister’s great talent would have supposed that she had been privy to her performance—and he hoped that Miss Elizabeth was not going to urge his sister to entertain them all.
He had told her that Georgiana was shy, but had she understood how very reticent she was?
Watching Georgiana carefully, he saw when she relaxed, and a minute after that, she was smiling. Soon he heard his sister speaking with Elizabeth as they looked over some sheet music. At one point, as the ladies continued to chat, Georgiana even giggled.
The drawing room became quiet. Darcy realised that, like him, all the Fitzwilliams were watching Elizabeth and Georgiana, and were startled and no doubt pleased to hear that giggle.
However, he also knew that such scrutiny could only make things harder for his sister.
He jumped into asking about Richard’s recent assignments and then about the viscount’s little family, as his wife had just birthed their first child.
When Georgiana and Elizabeth came back to the group from their tête-à-tête, Aunt Ellen asked Elizabeth about Longbourn, and soon everyone was having a very pleasant discussion.
Darcy could tell that Richard was surprised and impressed with Elizabeth’s knowledge of the history and geography of the war, and pleased about her sincere thanks for his and other soldiers’ sacrifices to the nation’s benefit.
Darcy could see that Aunt Ellen was impressed by Elizabeth’s quick grasp of her question—stated in French—about her abilities in languages.
Elizabeth replied, in fluent French, that she read and spoke French but could only read some German and Italian—she had not yet had opportunities to learn to speak those languages.
As for his Uncle Henry, he seemed to be wholly beguiled by Elizabeth!
Soon nuncheon was declared, and Bingley said, “Pray, sit wherever you wish.”
Unfortunately, almost everyone seemed to wish to sit next to Elizabeth, but Darcy firmly guided her to a seat next to his, and he made sure that Georgiana was sitting on Elizabeth’s other side.
The easy camaraderie established between Elizabeth and Darcy’s family in the drawing room carried through to the dining room, and Darcy pretended to be relaxed while remaining on high alert.
His carriage was still set to travel to Longbourn at one, but ever since he had seen a disheveled and out-of-breath Elizabeth in the Netherfield kitchens, he had expected Mr Bennet to ride up…
possibly shouting insults and making demands.
The moment Darcy heard voices in the hall, he murmured “Excuse me” and swept out of the room. He was gratified to see, not Elizabeth’s father, but her mother.
“How delightful it is to see you, Mrs Bennet,” Darcy said.
He had never attempted to lay it on with a trowel with any of Elizabeth’s relatives; however, this was a singular situation, and in case Mr Bennet was still an enemy to Elizabeth’s and his happiness, he needed to make Mrs Bennet into an agent for acceptance and celebration of his suit.
Speaking in the lowest possible voice, he said, “Mrs Bennet, I wish to speak to you about my courtship and proposal of marriage to Miss Elizabeth. But we need privacy for me to be forthright about these matters.”
“Your courtship? Marriage?”
Darcy was carefully steering Mrs Bennet back out the front door and down the steps. As he talked, he guided her around one wing and into the rose garden, which looked quite barren but was also empty.
“Yes, my courtship and my wish to marry Miss Elizabeth. Did your husband not tell you? You must surely have seen my interest in your second eldest daughter, because I called on her at least five times by now.”
“Mr Bennet told me over and over that you were only flirting with Lizzy while Mr Bingley was calling on dear Jane.”
“That is quite upsetting. I do not know how your husband could have misunderstood what I told him. But let me assure you, even if we cannot find out who started these ugly rumours—which I do not believe in the slightest—even if we cannot discover the originator of these lies, and make them publicly retract them, I will marry your daughter if she will have me. And given the fact that I am among the very wealthiest bachelors in England—well, actually, in all of the United Kingdom—I can promise you that these rumours will die. Nobody will wish to cross Mrs Darcy.”
“Oh! Mrs Darcy! How well that sounds!” Mrs Bennet said.
“I share your appreciation of the title. I hope for it to come true, for you must remember, Mrs Bennet, that I have not obtained permission from your husband, nor at this point acceptance of my proposal from your daughter.”
“I am sure you will get those approvals with no trouble, Mr Darcy. If I may ask, is what they say about your income true? Do you truly earn ten thousand a year?”
“No, Mrs Bennet.” She looked disappointed, and he continued: “I earn far more. I will soon show your husband the marriage articles I have drawn up. He will be able to confirm that I earn far more each year—but you must remember that it is a great secret. We would not wish for anyone to kidnap your daughter or, in the future, your grandchildren—would we?”
Mrs Bennet gave a little scream but promised that she would not wish that. She vowed not to tell anyone that he was really worth…more.
She looked briefly confused, and he was almost positive that she was going to start asking clarifying questions about the amount of his yearly income. He decided to head off those questions.
“Now, pray tell me why you are here, Mrs Bennet.”
“Mr Bennet ordered me to fetch Lizzy home. It took a long time for us to realise that she was not just pouting in her room, refusing to talk to anyone. Jane had been working in the still room, but when she emerged she told us that Lizzy had to go to see some tenants, but Mr Bennet was certain she must have come here, instead.”
“Oh, dear. I am sorry that there are so many misunderstandings in your family! Your husband did not tell you about my hope to make Miss Elizabeth my wife, and now I realise that Miss Elizabeth did not tell you she was expected here to meet my relatives after her visit to some tenants. Perhaps you were with your husband, shut up in his bookroom, when she needed to leave. I cannot imagine any other reason for her neglecting to tell you.”
“She is—oh, dear, I mean—Lizzy is delightful.”
Darcy grinned, wondering what insult—or, perhaps, entirely true description—Elizabeth’s mother wished to use. Independent? Stubborn? Strong-willed?
He said, “Be that as it may, Mrs Bennet, I will say what she had meant to: the Earl and Countess of Matlock—my uncle and aunt—travelled all the way from London this morning to meet your daughter. She is inside charming them right now over a delicious nuncheon. Would you wish to join us? You would be welcome, although I believe that my aunt especially might feel better about the Bennets if you wore that beautiful gown your daughter described to me—the one you wore to Lucas Lodge?”
“Oh, dear, you are quite right! That is a much more appropriate gown in which to meet your noble relations! No, no, you must take me back to my carriage, and I will handle Mr Bennet.”
As they retraced their steps to the carriage, Darcy said, “I hope you know, madam, I will be most vexed if your husband forces Miss Elizabeth to marry Mr Goulding. She has told me that she prefers me, after all.”
“Oh, my, I would not hear of her marrying any other than you!”
Darcy handed Elizabeth’s mother into the carriage but still leant in to speak with the woman. After all, she might be a valuable source about gossip. He asked, “Do you have any idea at all about who might have started those untrue rumours about your daughter?”