Chapter 13 #3
“Oh, but please do, sir; please do contradict me. Did you not have a certain interest in my daughter in the autumn? And does that interest have anything to do with a marriage proposal? I admit that I should have said something at that moment, but I did not. I was rather amused by your sudden change of opinion, as I knew how much my Lizzy disliked you and how much delight she found in laughing at your pride and haughtiness.”
Mr Bennet paused long enough to pour a glass of wine and gulped it instantly.
“But now, things seem to be frighteningly different, Mr Darcy! I know my daughter met you in London and spent some time at your property in Derbyshire. What happened to her I can hardly say, but I see that somehow you managed to change her opinion. Even more, her behaviour is shockingly altered, and she had no scruples in meeting you privately or sharing all manner of improper attention with you at dinner in front of her family. So, since you are in my library now and others seem to consider you an honourable gentleman, I expect you to tell me how far you intend to take this dishonourable behaviour toward my daughter. Are you only searching for something diverting while you await your friend’s wedding, sir? ”
Darcy stared at his host; Mr Bennet proved to be a different gentleman in every respect than Darcy believed him to be. The fact that he managed to recognise all the feelings Darcy had struggled to conceal astonished him exceedingly, and truly, there was little for him to say in his defence.
Therefore, forcing himself not to allow his hard feelings to affect his voice, Darcy looked straight at his accuser and said, “Mr Bennet, yesterday I made an offer of marriage to Miss Elizabeth, and she did me the great honour of accepting me. I am here today to ask for your consent and your blessing.”
A few, awkward moments passed as the two gentlemen stared searchingly at each other.
Mr Bennet’s countenance changed again, this time to a most distracted one.
He seemed unable to remain standing and stretched his hand for a chair.
Darcy hurried to assist him. Once Mr Bennet was seated, his gaze returned incredulously to Darcy.
“You made an offer of marriage to Lizzy?”
“I did, sir.”
“And she accepted you?”
“She did.”
“How can that be? I was certain that she had a true revulsion toward you.” Darcy cringed at that but tried to keep his countenance.
“And you, sir, how could you have made her an offer? I was certain that you had no desire of joining our family. Why did you allow me to continue my offensive speech, sir? Did you find great amusement in my distress, Mr Darcy?” Mr Bennet’s tone was sad and bitter, while his manner seemed to bear equal reproach toward himself as toward Darcy.
The latter filled a glass of water and handled it to his host.
At that moment, the door opened, and Elizabeth entered the library.
She needed no more than an instant to notice things were not going as well as they should.
Without waiting for any invitation, she stepped forward daringly, her eyes meeting those of Darcy.
She could see that neither gentleman looked well.
“Papa…is something wrong?” She approached her father who met her with half a smile.
“I do not know, girl; you tell me. Is something wrong? Mr Darcy applied to me with the most astonishing request. Do you know to what I am referring?”
“I do, Papa.”
“I see…Mr Darcy, I should like to speak to my daughter privately for a few minutes.”
Darcy hesitated only a moment. “Of course, sir. I shall wait outside.”
“Mr Darcy, please do not leave. Papa, if you want to talk about Mr Darcy’s request, there is nothing I shall say that he cannot hear.”
Her father’s sadness grew more pronounced. “Lizzy, can you not oblige your father?”
“I can and I will, Papa, in anything else. But if you have something to ask about this subject, I would like for Mr Darcy to witness it.”
“Well, my child, in this case there is nothing to inquire about, after all. You seem already to have decided upon the matter, so my opinion is of little importance. Mr Darcy,” he said, turning to face the gentleman, “have no concern that I will refuse my consent. If my daughter is decided to have you, I will not oppose her.”
“Papa…” Elizabeth took a chair and sat near her father. Mr Bennet did not appear pleased with the gesture. “I can see you are upset. Please believe me; this is hurting me deeply. Your opinion does matter to me.”
“Yes, my opinion matters to you…in any case except this, is it not so?”
“But, Papa…is there any reason for your unfavourable opinion of my marriage to Mr Darcy?”
“Not exactly, my child. No other reason except the fact that I have always known you to be decidedly against him, and my fear is that you might now accept him for all the wrong reasons.”
“Papa…” She leaned toward him so she could whisper. Darcy moved to a far corner.
“My child, I know your disposition, and I cannot understand what has come upon you now. You might have been impressed with his fortune while you were in Derbyshire, and perhaps you became more sensible to the advantages of such a union now that your sister is soon to be married. But I know you will never be happy if you are not able to respect your husband.”
The distance did not prevent Darcy from hearing what was said.
The frustration of being unable to assist in the conversation without interfering made him pace the room nervously.
It would have been better for him to be outside the library.
More than anything, he was distressed at the thought that Elizabeth’s father had such a poor opinion of him, and he had no opportunity to clear the misunderstandings.
“Papa, believe me when I say that I am not marrying Mr Darcy for any wrong reasons, and neither his situation in life nor his possessions have anything to do with my decision. He is the best man I have ever known…and I truly love him.” She took her father’s hands and held them lovingly.
Mr Bennet’s eyes were moist with tears. His heart ached for his favourite daughter, and it was caught by an icy fear that she—and he—were making a mistake that would bring her nothing but misery, despite the wealth with which she would be surrounded. Yet how could he refuse her and pain her?
“My dearest Lizzy, if this is the case, I have nothing to do but trust your judgment.” He leaned, kissed her forehead, and then caressed her hair. “I hope you know what you are doing, my child.”
“Mr Darcy,” he called for the gentleman who seemed exiled in the corner. Darcy turned and stepped toward them slowly.
“Sir, I will not pretend that my heart is at ease or that my doubts about this union have vanished. However, I have little choice. My daughter is decided in your favour, and I have to trust my brother and sister Gardiner who hold you in the highest esteem. I hope they are not wrong. And, as you will be my daughter’s husband, I hope you will be able to overcome the offences I directed toward you earlier today. ”
Darcy could see Mr Bennet’s suffering was intense, and it was easy to understand the concern he felt for his daughter’s well-being.
“I certainly cannot remember any offences, sir. We had a long conversation in which you expressed some concerns regarding Miss Elizabeth, and let me assure you that she is my chief concern, as well. Making her happy is the most important thing to me, sir, and I dare say in time I will convince you of that.”
“We shall see. And now you may go if you wish. Lizzy, please tell your mother to send me a tray in here. I have no disposition to breakfast in company.”
In a dismissive gesture, he rose from his seat and moved to the window with his back to them. Elizabeth and Darcy exchanged a quick glance, but as she took his arm and directed him toward the door, Darcy stopped.
“In fact, if I am not asking too much, I should rather remain with you a little longer, Mr Bennet. There are still some things I should like to discuss with you, and I am not particularly disposed toward breakfast, either.”
Mr Bennet turned to him instantly. “You want to talk to me more? Now?”
“Yes, sir. It is a matter of some urgency, and I dare say we should clarify it without delay.”
Mr Bennet shrugged with an intriguing gesture of invitation. Elizabeth looked at Darcy somewhat worriedly as she left the room, but he smiled reassuringly.
“Mr Bennet, I wanted to speak to you because there are still many unsettled things between us, and any misunderstanding would affect Miss Elizabeth greatly. I cannot allow that.”
“I doubt any more clarification is possible for one day, but if you have anything to say, I will listen.” He took his seat and looked at Darcy inquiringly. That was a gaze Darcy finally recognised.
He felt more uncomfortable than ever before, and the notion of humbling himself threw him into extreme torment, but it was the price he had to pay for Elizabeth’s peace of mind.
“Mr Bennet, I am not a man to speak openly of my private affairs and even less of my feelings. But now it cannot be avoided. Not everything you said before, sir, regarding my opinion of Miss Elizabeth last fall…was wrong.”
The effect of his words upon Mr Bennet was obvious, yet that only increased his uneasiness.
“You were also correct in assuming that I had no intention of making an offer of marriage to Miss Elizabeth at that time. For many years I have considered it my duty to choose a lady of the same situation in life as my own to became the mistress of my estate, and your family’s situation was…
different.” He looked at Mr Bennet but could not read much in his face.