Chapter 10
Having made his decision, Darcy dressed without any fuss and left the house before he could encounter his sister. He did not wish to talk to anyone. Certainly, he did not want Georgiana to try to talk him out of this. For better or for worse, he had decided.
It was too early to call on the Gardiners, so he decided to make good use of his time.
He went to his bank to conduct a few transactions, then he instructed his solicitor to prepare a marriage settlement.
He moved with efficiency and determination.
The sooner this business was over and done with, the better.
There was no point dragging it on. In the afternoon, he would procure a special license, and it would all be over in a few days, before his family had the chance to descend on him to express their disapproval.
Having planned everything to his satisfaction, he made his way to Cheapside and to Mr. Gardiner’s elegant but lamentably situated house.
As he raised his hand to knock at the door, he hesitated.
Not about whether he would propose or not, but about how to present the situation to the young lady.
Darcy knew he would be facing tremendous opposition.
Miss Bennet would not be well received by the Fitzwilliams or by any of Darcy’s peers.
She would struggle to hold her own up in the face of their disapproval.
Luckily, she seemed plucky enough. Perhaps she might even survive an encounter with the dragon herself: Darcy’s maternal aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Equally importantly, he could not allow their marriage to go to her head.
He had seen it often enough in women who had married prominent husbands.
They had been sweet, humble young ladies before they married.
Afterwards, they had become so intoxicated by their newfound power and position that they treated everyone around them badly.
He could not allow that to happen. He would lay out his expectations of her clearly and succinctly. A sense of duty and honor had been instilled in him by his family. He would instill the same in her. He would make all very clear.
It was crucial to start well, to prevent any possible misunderstandings for the future.
He put his hand and knocked, three times.
“I wish to speak to Mr. Gardiner,” he said. “Is he at home?”
The butler nodded. “Luckly, you will just be able to catch him, Mr. Darcy. He was about to leave on some business, but he is still in the library, I believe. I will show you the way.”
Elizabeth was reading a book she had borrowed from the lending library about Derbyshire when Mrs. Gardiner rushed into the parlor, looking animated.
“Hurry, Lizzy. Put your things away. Mr. Darcy is here. I heard him talking to the butler.”
“Here?” She jumped up. Heavens! There was no time to go upstairs to change her clothes.
“Am I presentable?” she said.
Her aunt reached out, smoothed down some wayward curls and tugged at her clothes.
“As presentable as you can be in a plain morning dress. I wonder why Mr. Darcy did not send a note as he did last time.”
“It seems he has a tendency to take people by surprise,” replied Elizabeth.
“Well, he is back after all! I told you he liked you, did I not?” said Mrs. Gardiner.
Elizabeth’s pulse quickened at the thought, but she shook her head. “We do not know why he has come yet.”
There could be a hundred reasons for him calling, Elizabeth told herself.
He might have changed his mind about the rocking horse and had come to retrieve it.
Or he had come to apologize to Elizabeth after making assumptions about her lineage.
Or could be nothing more than a morning call to enquire about Maggie.
There was no need to give any significance to his sudden appearance.
She waited for footsteps to announce his arrival, but some time passed, and nothing happened.
“He must have gone to the library to speak to Mr. Gardiner,” said her aunt, looking mystified. “I wonder why?”
“So he has not come to see me after all,” said Elizabeth, with a sad smile. Once again, Elizabeth felt the bitter bite of disappointment. He had come to see Mr. Gardiner, no doubt on some business matter. She felt silly for thinking otherwise.
“Maybe Mr. Gardiner will invite him upstairs to have some tea,” said her aunt, hopefully.
“Maybe,” Elizabeth was unconvinced.
It was vexing to think he was under the same roof, yet he had not taken the trouble to come up to see her. Well, she was not going to sit here and sulk. She took up her book and started to read, but every sound, every squeak of the stairs, every voice she heard distracted her.
She grew more and more annoyed with herself for giving him so much attention, when he was indifferent. She strove for equal indifference, determined to control her unruly feelings.
She fought. She struggled. And she succeeded. She read about the Peaks of Derbyshire without even once looking up from the book.
She was pleased to find that, when Mr. Darcy appeared unexpectedly in the doorway, accompanied by Mr. Gardiner, she was able to face him with perfect composure. She was as serene and self-possessed as her older sister. Jane would be proud of her.
“Mr. Darcy would like a private moment with you, Lizzy,” said her uncle.
The composure collapsed. She looked at her uncle in bewilderment. What could this mean? She wondered if she had heard it right, or if her uncle’s statement was the product of some strange hallucination.
But then her aunt came to her feet, and the Gardiners stepped out, leaving her alone with Mr. Darcy. This could only mean one thing, surely?
Her heart was beating so loudly she was not sure she would be able to hear anything he said.
“Would you like to take a seat, sir?”
“Thank you, Miss Bennet. I prefer to stand,” he said. “I am here because I have heard some disturbing news.”
A sinking feeling churned in her stomach. “Miss Georgiana!” she exclaimed, “She has not taken ill, has she?”
He looked startled. “No, no, nothing of the sort. This is something entirely different.” He cleared his throat. “It has come to my attention that our misadventure in the park had led to serious consequences. Apparently, my cousin has heard serious rumors which implicate you.”
He hesitated.
She felt as if he had thrown a pitcher full of cold water on her. Pursing her lips together, she strove for a different kind of equilibrium.
“Are you saying—?” It was impossible for her to complete the sentence. Uttering the implications out loud meant acknowledging the situation.
He nodded as if she had made a statement, his face expressionless. “Indeed.”
The unspoken word filled the room. It changed everything. Compromised. No well-bred young lady ever wanted that word associated with her.
His eyes were fixed on the window, as if wishing he could fly out of it. His hands were clutched behind his back. She could not see them, but she imagined him twisting and turning them in agitation. He stood very upright, anxiety written plainly into the tightness of his pose.
Why had he come to tell her this?
The realization suddenly sunk in. He had asked for a private word. Oh, heavens! He was planning to propose! Earlier, she had thought for just a second that maybe he cared for her. But his demeanor indicated that asking for her hand in marriage was the last thing he wanted.
“I see,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. “You believe I have been ruined.”
A strange kind of clarity came upon her.
She could hardly blame him for his reluctance.
After all, Mr. Darcy had done his best to avoid this situation.
He had suspected this might happen. She was the one who had asked him to come into the carriage.
She knew when she did it that it was a risk.
It seemed a risk worth taking at that point, under the circumstances.
“It is not a matter of belief,” he replied. “I know it to be true. It is all over White’s.”
“But how do they know my name?” she said, suddenly. “Surely you did not tell them?”
He winced. “Of course not. They have their own nickname for you. They call you The Siren of the Serpentine.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief. “Well then, how is that a problem? I cannot be ruined if no one even knows my name.”
“It is only a matter of time. Bets have been placed in the betting books. When money is at stake, people will find a way.”
She was bewildered. Clubs. Bets. Betting Books.
“The Siren of the Serpentine. I like the ring of it,” she said, thinking how absurd it was. All this fuss because she rode in a carriage with a man, a sister, and a young child! “At least they did not call me an eel, which would have been more appropriate under the circumstances.”
A laugh escaped Mr. Darcy, and for a moment, the gravity of the situation disappeared.
“The Eel of the Serpentine does not quite have the same resonance,” he said, in agreement. The gentleman she had first met returned, a spark of amusement in his eyes. Then his expression turned grave.
“It is no laughing matter, I can assure you, Miss Bennet. Society can be ruthless and very cruel. You cannot hope to escape intact. They will track you down. It will become a challenge, since there is money at stake.”
He went to the window and looked down at the street.
“You can be certain that they have posted a boy to watch my house, to run after my carriage, to discover where I go and who I meet. He may already have followed me here yesterday, when I came. Or he may be waiting outside right now, hidden around some corner. I took the precaution of not using my own carriage and asking to be let out near St. James’s Park.
But there are also ways to bribe the servants. ”
He came from the window and hovered over her, looking ill at ease.
“That is why I feel I have no choice but to offer you the protection of my name and ask for your hand in marriage, Miss Bennet.”